《A Novel Concept - He Who Eludes Death》 Chapter 1: An Unexpected Journey Under three suns of different colors, an ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. The curvature of the horizon did not seem to exist. This world was too vast. Floating islands dotted the sky. A few trees, titans on top of these wandering forests, sometimes pierced the rock of these islands to come and absorb the water and allow an ecosystem to be created. A traveler could have ascended by climbing along the roots connecting seas to lands. Various creatures used these vegetal bridges to navigate in these archipelagos. In this paradisiacal setting, life was abundant but also fragile. The Seven Concepts had named this world: Elysium. Welcome to Elysium. You have been deemed worthy of entertaining the inhabitants of the world most blessed by the aether. Surviving long enough may make you a powerful force in the Seven Concepts Universe. Shape your destiny! Main Quest: Survival Survive three days. Rewards: Titles, skills, or information. Difficulty: Gold First Quest: Invasion The inhabitants of Elysium are often immensely powerful due to the colossal density of aether and the extreme conditions of this world. But most seek to escape, even if only briefly, to use their power, dominate the weak, and find new resources. Explore other worlds. Depending on the method, the laws of Elysium will give you some time off before they send you back. Reward: Variable Difficulty: Variable World Quest: Apogee Become the master of Elysium. Reward: Unknown Difficulty: Impossible Priam first noticed the heat. He had always enjoyed the warmth and preferred summer to winter. Long live the soft rays of sunshine. Here, the sunlight was too harsh. Maybe because there were three suns? Whatever the reason, the temperature was too high for a human. Unsuitable for the survival of complex biological organisms. Priam wasn''t suffering, he was cooking. In addition to the intense heat, there was also a high gravity. Priam struggled to stand, the weight on his shoulders being quite literal. Yet around him lay a clearing covered with knee-high grass. Blue grass, of course, but grass. Photosynthesis had to work differently here. Right now, that wasn''t Priam''s first concern either. "My new home...and this heat! Global warming spares no world," Priam commented. "Well, I have to hurry, my eyes are starting to sting, and it will probably be better under the shade." Priam, the first survivor of the Tutorial, had always proudly claimed to be pragmatic, Cartesian, intelligent, and not very modest. Since he was a young boy, he had always dreamed about being confronted with magic, but he had never seriously considered being involved in a fantastic event. Fortunately, the people in charge of all this, Concepts, Gods, or Fate, had given little importance to his opinion. Priam stood in the center of a clearing about a hundred meters in radius, set in a forest setting. Beside him was a portal made of blue and gold threads winding around each other. A portal that was currently levitating a meter above the ground. Magic or futuristic science, he had not yet decided. However, he understood the essential: it was a one-way ticket to a new universe. Attempting to cross the portal for a return trip would send you directly to the afterlife. In many pieces. The last part was a deal breaker for most men, but Priam was interested. He was no longer an ordinary man and death was good for him. As he trotted painfully toward the undergrowth, Priam was still careful of the tall grass. If the Tutorial had taught him anything, it was that a mistake could be fatal. Snakes, insects, goblins, beasts, or even a trap, there could be many hidden dangers. Priam had many lives, but each one was precious. Crossing the edge of the woods without having encountered any particular problem - except for the heat - Priam observed his surroundings, his mouth dry. With tears in his eyes, leaning against a tree, he still wondered if he had made the right choice. Exhausted, hardly sure that he was not hallucinating, he encouraged himself to continue. He took advantage of the shadows to decide on a plan. The immediate danger was his thirst. Without water and with this heat, he risked having a headache. After that came delirium and then death. Given the heat, he didn''t have much time ahead of him... You have gained the skill: [Heat Resistance]. [Heat Resistance] - Some people spend their day at the foundry, others at the stove. Some like their baths very hot. Either way, slight resistance to temperatures above your body''s internal heat can''t hurt. For each level in this skill, your biochemical reaction system and your cells will be able to adapt to a higher internal temperature. The thermometer indicates 52¡ãC. Go to work, you lazy bastard! VIT +1 "...My life has become a real game. With no save," Priam quipped. He began walking through a forest of unfamiliar trees, looking for water. From the clearing, he had seen some huge conifers and hardwoods, reminiscent of the majestic American redwoods. But up close, the forest was mostly made up of colorful trees at least five meters tall, with a canopy of vegetation about fifteen meters above the ground. Every trunk, every broad leaf, every branch could hide a predator. Here, he was the prey... Priam tried to keep the same direction, so as not to get lost and be able to retrace his steps. He soon realized that the task was a daunting one. It was difficult to get your bearings with the movement of three suns¡ªwhich were hidden by the canopy anyway. Briefly, he tried to check whether the moss growing on the tree trunks indicated a direction; to no avail. Lucid, Priam realized he''d soon get lost, but decided to keep going. He had a water problem he had to solve or risk dying of thirst. After about twenty minutes of laborious progress in the thickets, taking care to push back each low branch and to avoid the scratches of the brambles, soaked by sweat, he had to give up. He had noticed a few animal tracks, but they were huge. Maybe they led to a waterhole, but they could just as well have led to a den. In view of the traces dug by the claws, Priam had no desire to meet these beasts. Priam was beginning to despair. The heat was starting to give him a headache, and he was afraid he would hallucinate soon. Thirst was starting to give him stupid ideas. While he was pondering, looking at the flowers at his feet, he had an idea. Most flowers were 80% to 95% water. By consuming enough, they could meet his water needs. If I have to turn into a herbivore to survive so be it. The only problem was that they could be toxic... Priam had passed hundreds of flowers since the beginning of his journey. He stopped in the middle of a carpet of a dozen identical flowers. He bent down to examine a pretty one, white on the outside and yellow on the inside. Poisonous flowers could be dangerous even without eating them. Skin reactions, redness, itching... He knew he had to be careful. Priam leaned over to the flower and smelled it. The flower didn''t smell good, and his dry nose didn''t help. Then he picked it, rolled it between his fingers, then on his tongue. Most poisons taste bitter, and the flower was rather sweet. Finally, he threw it into his mouth. Swallowing with difficulty without chewing to vomit if needed, he waited. You have gained the skill: [Identification]. [Identification] lvl 1: One of the natural skills of natives. Using your senses to identify a substance, a material, an object, or a living being can be handy. But be careful young seeker; touching poison or swallowing molten metal is not a good idea without some solid skills. In the meantime, this should help you in the future. If you survive. MEM +1 [Aethereal Wood Daffodil] - A daffodil that colonizes the undergrowth. Its trumpet-like flower signals the arrival of spring. It is delicious to the taste and contains much aether. Priam grinned. This skill could become an extremely useful tool to survive in this new world. Sitting down on a reclining log, Priam began to breathe calmly. The aether had partly modified him, and he was no longer a mere human. The aether, the original fluid, the carrier of fundamental forces, was a miracle creator. This new Universe was governed by different laws than the one in which Priam was born. Its first law was that of the aether, and this fluid made the impossible possible. According to the tutorial, the more aether there was, the more magic there was. But to compare the density of the ambient aether of the tutorial, and that of Elysium, was to compare water to mercury. If one followed that logic, between the very high temperature, the intense gravity, and the feeling of being underwater that had accompanied him since he had set foot on the blue grass, his body was not prepared to easily handle the amount of aether he had ingested in the form of a single flower. Staring into the greenery, thirsty like he''d never thought possible and hot like he was being slowly cooked, Priam wondered for the hundredth time in 20 minutes if he''d been too greedy. Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 2. VIT +1 Priam didn''t even have the strength to breathe. He had no energy left, not even to shake his hand or sigh with fatigue. He couldn''t get the strength to give up, to let go. The only thing that kept him conscious, that occupied his mind, was sweating. His body was shivering terribly. He was sweating like he had never sweated before, and in the back of his mind, Priam wondered if he had a single drop of water left. The effect of the flower, combined with the ambient heat, the lack of water, and the intense gravity gave him a terrible headache. After an uncertain time, and in a final spasm, he collapsed. Major changes in constitution detected - Due to the sudden increase in the concentration of aether in the body, the subject has begun to adapt to the aether. You have gained the skill: [Osmosis - Epic] [Osmosis - Epic] - A rare skill, unique to natives of non-aetheric regions. For complex reasons, your system used to refuse the passage of ambient aether through your skin. Only specific mucous membranes could allow the aether to diffuse into your body. With this skill, your body can capture ambient aether and circulate it passively. At high levels, this skill can be critical to your survival. PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 Congratulations, you have unlocked a new META attribute: Affinity. You''ve earned a talent - [Touched by aether] [Touched by aether] - Your body has begun to adapt to the aether. This primordial fluid will change you. Adaptation time: 1 month. As Priam struggled to open his eyes, plagued by notifications, a clear thought flashed through his mind. I''m going to die. His body was getting stronger, but it came at a cost. Priam felt both fever, thirst and weakness. He knew he would no longer be able to walk to a water source. He was terrified, but he clung to a miracle. During the Tutorial, he had gained a talent. If it still worked, then he had hope. In the meantime, he had to put all the chances on his side.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Kneeling, Priam painfully began to pick up the few remaining flowers, including the roots. Once there were none left in sight, his body too weak for anything else, he put them in his mouth and swallowed. Lying on the ground, his body tired and his mind terrified, Priam closed his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek. Congratulations, you are dead! Your talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 2 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts - Silver]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: STR +1 VIT + 3 [Touched by aether] - Adaptation time: 27 days (previously 1 month) Status (after resurrection): (Average value for a male Homo sapiens before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 19 Constitution 22 Agility 23 Vitality 23 Perception 14 MENTAL: Vivacity 30 Dexterity 15 Memory 28 Will 27 Charisma 26 META: Meta-affinity 4 ???? [He Who Eludes Death] Charge: 0; recharge in 6 hours at 0h. Cooldown before forced resurrection: 29 minutes 46 seconds. A few birds chirping indicated the presence of life in this new place. Priam opened his eyes for the third time since the beginning of the day. Just like the last time he had come to life, he was in Olympic form. Jesus Christ 1 - Priam 2. And a new attribute. To be analyzed when I''m more secure. He had waited almost 30 minutes, to resurrect, and use his advantage to the maximum. He wanted to get as close as possible to the night. He still had three hours before being pseudo-immortal again, his talent giving him a resurrection at midnight each day. Three hours as a weak mortal in a new world billed as a paradise for "mysterious creatures and nightmares incarnate" did not bode well. For now, Priam intended to keep a low profile. The temperature would certainly drop with nightfall, and he could then find other flowers to eat. Looking at the trees, part of his brain wondered why they weren''t dying. The heat should have evaporated the water faster. Maybe the lack of evaporation could be explained by the increase in atmospheric pressure and gravity. On the other hand, he was now in a fantasy world, and some of his scientific knowledge was bound to be wrong. Priam shook his head. These considerations would surely be useful one day, but not today. He had to learn how to make fire before trying to build a rocket. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Priam began to think about short-term survival strategies. When he thought about survival, his first ideas came from movies or games. Minecraft had taught him to bury himself to escape enemies. The marks on the trunks and the ground showed that the forest was inhabited, and Priam had no intention of introducing himself. Currently, he was prey with no extra life, and he was well aware of it. He couldn''t hide his scent, but burying himself would certainly discourage the laziest beasts. [He Who Eludes Death] Charge: 1 Lvl Up : [Heat Resistance] lvl 3. VIT +1 Spending the night in a jungle is not necessarily fun. Especially when the jungle was full of predators that could shake the ground with their howling. Priam thought it best to remain silent to avoid attracting a predator. He also heard wings whirring. The insects must have been the size of a fist. He was holed up under a tree whose roots pulsed with a faintly glowing sap. Faintly glowing through the wood. A possible source of light in the future... When the deafening cacophony of nocturnal predators faded for a few hours, Priam''s sense of thirst finally overcame his fears. He had thought of cutting the roots and drinking the sap directly. With his teeth if he had to. But the sight of the fluorescent blue-green color, and the recent memory of eating a particular flower, told him this might not be a good idea. It might even be his last. The fact that his instincts were screaming at him that there were easier ways to commit suicide only confirmed this decision. Priam emerged from his den. He had been thinking during the night about what to do next in this strange new world... The environment was extremely hostile. His most crucial current quest was to survive, which was epically tricky. For three days! Considering the difficulty of the quests offered in the Tutorial, the hardest of which was Epic, and that he had barely completed it despite sacrifices and absurd luck, his ability to survive in this new world would be severely tested. Of course, his perk [He Who Eludes Death] allowed him to revive once a day. A fantastic perk every day of the week and wonderful in his grave situation. He would have to use and abuse the synergy between [He Who Eludes Death] and [Humanity adapts - Silver] to stay alive and strive in this fucked up new land. Immediate priorities would have to be:
  1. Survive
  2. Explore the surroundings, and collect food.
  3. Find ways to become stronger.
One way to solve priorities one and three would be to consume the sap from these trees. It seemed powerful, much more so than the flowers, and could surely push - through his death - the new limits of his body. Since the Tutorial, he had noticed that his body, though human in appearance, could now quickly become stronger. Much faster. A few push-ups and stretches at the beginning of the tutorial improved his physical condition by at least twenty percent. All that in a few hours. If his ability to progress had then begun to decline, he was sure he had not yet pushed his body to its new limits. If there were any. For now, I might as well eat these flowers. Thanks to [Osmosis], my body should be able to handle them, which would nourish me. With a few hundred flowers, I shouldn''t be so thirsty anymore. Priam walked over to the nearest flowers and began to pluck one. He cautiously began to lick it, then to taste a petal, and seeing that there seemed to be no dangerous effects, he swallowed it in one go. "..." Except for a hot-cold sensation in the back of his throat, nothing strange happened. CONST +1 Satisfied, Priam began to swallow the flowers one by one, ensuring they were all the same. He had previously dealt with mushrooms on Earth that could look alike and grow in the same places. One was delicious, the other poisonous. Before the reset of [He Who Eludes Death], he would pay much attention to his meal. Suddenly, Priam had an inkling. The portal! Without knowing why, he knew someone was coming. He began to pluck the few surviving flowers and gobbled them up as he made his way as quickly as possible to the clearing. He had not gone too far, but the forest was virgin and therefore full of brush, tall grass, and brambles. It was challenging to move quickly without leaving an obvious trail. Four minutes later, Priam arrived at the edge of the clearing. The portal in the center of the clearing was pulsing. The light was bright enough to be visible. I would have alerted half the forest if I had arrived at night. He stopped at the edge to observe and reflect. It can be anyone. Ally, enemy, or neutral individual. I need resources to survive. At the moment, there is no sign of civilization, so the laws are obsolete. Only morality prevents us from fighting, and we don''t necessarily have the same values. If I can think of that and be afraid of this unknown, he can feel the same. It''s the dark forest theory but applied to two individuals instead of two civilizations. Better to observe the situation and stay hidden before making a decision. Only a minute after he arrived, the portal expelled a body. Wide-eyed, Priam tried to survey the scene. A... human? No, the proportions of his body look strange. Something was wrong. Priam wondered if he should come closer, but he was afraid. Going through the portal meant being a survivor of the Tutorial. But he knew that other civilizations had passed the Tutorial. There was no indication that the lying individual was a friend. For all Priam knew, it might even be a trap. Even if it wasn''t one, communication options were also limited. The probability that the stranger spoke English or a Romance language was abysmal. Last but not least, Priam had passed the Tutorial faster than any other, but he had been very lucky. He knew he was not as powerful as someone who passed the tutorial the hard way. If only I could tie him up for questioning. But what if he wakes up at the wrong time? I will die... His only advantage was that the individual was unaware of its existence. Priam hid and waited. Two hours. Priam had waited two long hours, hidden behind the dense vegetation, and sweating profusely, for the stranger to wake up. The pseudo-man stood up, stretching his limbs. He looked like a cat waking up. Two hours of exposure to the heat - almost enough to kill Priam - didn''t seem to have bothered him. He was now observing his surroundings. A few seconds passed before he took an obvious direction: that of Priam''s footprints. Shit! He''s coming in my direction, and if he follows my tracks, he''ll eventually spot me. He''s fast and doesn''t seem to be tired from the heat. Above all, he''s impossibly agile. He looks like a feline stalking his prey. If he''s that fast now, I have no chance of escaping him if he detects me. Should I climb a tree to cover my tracks, move forward to greet him and play nice, or ambush him? Only a few seconds to decide before the stranger was there. Now that he was closer, Priam could see what was wrong with the individual. First, he was not wearing any clothing on his chest. His skin was bluish, his muscles, bones, and tendons taut as springs. He was too strange to be human, but had enough similarity to make Priam uncomfortable. This is how I would imagine a homunculus. An artificial being. Suddenly, the homunculus accelerated towards Priam. The latter, aware of his obvious disadvantage, started to move out of his hiding place. He might as well pass for an honest stranger instead of a secretive one. "Hello, my name is Priam. Do you speak English? Tu parles fran?ais ? Habla espa?ol ?" Priam asked with the best smile he could muster. A few meters from Priam, the homunculus stopped. He began to look him up and down, like a cook wondering if the turkey on the display was good enough for his meal. I have a bad feeling about this. But I could be wrong, he may look like a Terminator, but a silicon heart may be beating underneath! Arnold''s POV The environment was saturated with aether. The density was at least a thousand times greater than Elegi''s. Arnold couldn''t move while his system was synchronizing with the density... Upon arriving in this new place after passing the tutorial with flying colors, Arnold was already thinking about taking over territories to facilitate the arrival of the next Var Elegis. He had been built, trained, optimized, and armed to be the best. The resources spent on his creation were staggering, but he was not alone. Unfortunately, the other Var Elegis in his tutorial had to sacrifice themselves to ensure his top spot in this universal struggle, but that was irrelevant. They should have killed themselves at the end of the Tutorial, as only one individual per Tutorial could claim the Elysium. But other Var Elegis from other Tutorials would come. Maybe not as fast, as he had been lucky and his attacks exploited the natural weaknesses of his opponents. But they would come. An alert came, and Arnold concentrated. The Tutorial was just that, a tutorial. The real game was starting, and it had to be lively. Aether analysis shows a disturbance. Presence of animal tracks on the ground. Infrared scan. Presence of a bipedal entity. Synchronization of the system is finished. Protocol One was chosen: find new information on the unknown element. After a few seconds of brisk walking, Arnold found himself in front of... the human? A pale, totally biological imitation of the Var Elegis it seemed. Was it some kind of Mimic? A biological analysis of the individual indicated that his body was not yet on the decline. Pathetic protections covered him from his feet to his neck. Black hair, not very muscular considering the biological potential of the body, and obviously trying to communicate with Arnold. "Hello, my name is Priam. Do you speak English? Vous parlez fran?ais ? Habla espa?ol ?" Given the low speed of sound propagation, a sound signal was necessarily the sign of a young and not very advanced civilization. Yet, the individual had arrived before him and had therefore finished his Tutorial very quickly. The two pieces of information seemed incompatible. But I don''t feel any danger and his measured attributes are very low. He must have found a loophole and exploited it. Protocol One calls for careful handling of encounters, diplomatic if necessary, and decisive annihilation if the opportunity arises. Suddenly, even as Arnold was considering a massacre more and more seriously, he froze. Reading the stranger''s body, it seems like he was not yet adapted to the aether. He is barely metamorphosed. Not enough to have any active skills! How could he finish the Tutorial without it?! No weapon was detected either, and no trap... Continuation of Protocol One. Without missing a beat, Arnold accelerated towards the individual. The latter started a quick backward movement to dodge the attack. Too slow. Arnold''s left index finger followed a straight path to pierce the enemy''s brain through his eye. His right hand flattened out to pierce the beating heart, passing between two ribs. Both objectives were accomplished simultaneously within a second of Arnold''s acceleration. Withdrawing his finger from the opponent''s body and seeing him collapse, Arnold smiled. A potential problem is solved. Definitely. Chapter 2: Heartless and Fearless Congratulations, you are dead! Your talent [He who eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 3 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT + 5 CONST +5 [Touched by aether] - Adjustment time: 23 days (previously 26 days) Titles won! [Heartless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your heart, one of the vital organs of your species. In the future, you will be able to stay alive for a while without this vital organ. But a word of advice: try to keep it anyway. VIT +10% [Brainless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your brain. Your mind gradually becomes more than a few neural connections. This is the first step to unlocking your domain. Try to use this organ more. It will help you lose it less. WILL + 10% [He who eludes Death] Charge: 0, Recharge in 13 hours at 0h. Cooldown before forced resurrection: 28 minutes 38 seconds. The resurrection erased his traumas. An ordinary person pierced by a Terminator could not be well despite a miraculous recovery. Priam had felt his body being destroyed. He had felt the arms of Var Elegis working their way through his skin, muscles, bones, and organs. He thought he heard the sound of his flesh being torn apart by a monstrous force just before he lost consciousness. Priam should have vomited in terror when he woke up, yet he felt fine. He knew he should have felt bad but didn''t feel that way. The System had anesthetized his consciousness and forced him to move on. Despite being in a daze, he felt good because the Concepts were manipulating his thoughts. He hated the feeling but couldn''t get horrified at his death. This contradiction disturbed his brain. His mind struggled against the geas of the System and soon, he was seized with spasms. A few seconds later, Priam forced himself to stop thinking about it. He was too weak to fight the System. He would have a chance to find a solution to this problem later. For now, he and the System had the same goal: he had to survive. As the fog of death slowly left his mind, he thought back to the Var Elegi. He had just had time to identify him, perhaps by reflex, before he died. [Arnold - Var Elegi] - A paragon of the Var Elegi. With intelligence that is half personal, half hive, they are dangerous enemies, difficult to befriend. This species has a considerable advantage in its reproduction: cloning and biological procreation. The Var Elegi are an invasive and numerous species. As a siliconized form of life, they have wiped out all carbonaceous life forms on their home planet. One of your main rivals in this new world. Arnold was stronger than he was at the moment. But that fact was not set in stone. With his perk [He Who Eludes Death], Priam could become stronger. Much stronger. He looked at the portal and then decided to walk away from it. If champions like Arnold were coming, it was getting too dangerous for him. He had to find a safe place. Priam wanted to wait until midnight to get another life. Currently, he was too weak to take any chances. The boost in vitality and constitution made it easier for him to stand the heat. He ventured into the undergrowth and took a path perpendicular to Arnold''s, visible by footprints. He walked for a long time. First, because he didn''t know where to stop yet. How many kilometers would he have to walk to be safe from Arnold or others? The Var Elegi had detected him almost a hundred meters away. Second, these other survivors of the tutorial were ultimately not the biggest problem. He was in an unknown forest where every plant could be covered with contact poison, where every creeper could seek to strangle him. Every sound, every silence, could hide the approach of a predator. So Priam moved forward with caution. He moved each branch away with a torn piece of cloth and took care to walk carefully without leaving a trace. He had lost his shoes in the Tutorial and had to be careful not to hurt himself. A layer of hard skin was already starting to form under his feet. The aether really speeds up the growth of everything... Arnold would come back and notice the absence of a body. It was only a matter of time. He had to abandon his jacket and T-shirt. The holes were not problematic, but they were stained with his blood. The smell of blood could have been a problem. You have gained the skill: [Stealth]. [Stealth] lvl 1: Years of slowly walking down the stairs to get a snack in the middle of the night have taught you to calculate your every step carefully. You pay attention to where you put your feet. You control your breathing. Flexed on your feet, your movement is deliberately silent. Entities in your environment have a harder time detecting you. You manage to outdo yourself when a cupcake is at stake. AGI +1 Right now, I''m hiding by necessity. But one day, I will be back... Wait for me, Arnold. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 2 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 4 VIT +1 After about an hour, Priam froze. There, in front of him, a few meters away, was a mound. The kind of landmark for a colony of ants. On Earth, Priam would have taken a picture and continued on his way. But here, he was going to turn around very quickly. Only several seconds after his discovery, Priam was still petrified. His brain was torn between his survival instincts and an overwhelming attraction to the tree that stood only two or three meters from the anthill. It looked like a milky white, almost luminescent birch with three bluish-colored fruit. These fruit were unbelievably hypnotic. Only the synergy between the traumatic experience of his recent death and his new title [Brainless] could keep Priam from foolishly rushing to try to devour one of the fruit. The increase in his Willpower allowed Priam to control himself better to detach himself from his emotions if he wished. He was beginning to tame his cravings. Once Priam thought for a few seconds, the scary effect of the fruit began to fade. I''ve got to get out of here. The fruit must be a trap to attract prey and sacrifice it to the ant colony. Despite his growing hunger, Priam began to back away slowly. Ahead of him, he saw an ant enter the mound, bringing back food to expand the colony. New Quest: A lovely fruit. Steal and consume at least one Passiflora. Reward: System help when consuming Passiflora. Potential + 10. Difficulty: Low Maximum time: 2 Days "Shit..." Priam whispered. The System wanted to see him fight. Since the Tutorial, the Concepts had never hidden the fact that they wanted to sort the wheat from the chaff... Priam had no desire to play the Concepts'' game. He was not a pawn and cherished few things more than his freedom. But he also knew that as long as he was weak, he would have no say in the matter. Gritting his teeth, the young man analyzed the fruit. [Identification]. [Passiflora Aether] - A passion fruit loaded with aether. Its intense appeal often makes it the lure of crude traps set by underdeveloped species. Only a fool would fall for it. However, since prey often has powerful instincts, this fruit is not just a lure. Its consumption causes a significant increase in mental and physical attributes. Priam froze, hidden by the branches, and thought about the situation. He had no extra life. He had to wait until at least midnight to recharge his perk. Should he really try to steal these fruit? Deep down, he knew the answer was yes. Priam was almost immortal, but his mind was not. He needed these mental attributes to protect himself. With his decision made, Priam slowly circled the area he considered dangerous and continued on his way. His plan was relatively simple. Stretch two vines between the Passiflora tree and another tree. He would only need to throw a vine with a noose at the end to hang on to the tree without going near it. A descending vine to reach the fruit quickly without touching the ground and thus not attract the attention of ants with vibrations in the ground. Another liana - a type of vine - would allow him to leave again. With these two makeshift zip lines, Priam expected to be gone before the ants even noticed a problem. Of course, eating the fruit on the spot was out of the question. The smell might alert the ants. That was the basis of the plan. But all plans fall apart in the face of reality. So Priam began to plan his escape route. You have gained the skill: [Climbing]. [Climbing] lvl 1: Excellent sport activity using the whole human body to move. The sedentary lifestyle has forced most men to move only with two legs. You have begun to question this axiom. Monkeys aren''t your cousins, but your skill level puts them to shame all the same. AGI +1 A few hours later, Priam moved slowly but surely from tree to tree along a chosen path. The branches he stepped on were wide and sturdy. Near the trunk, the branches were thicker, harder, and less flexible, making it easier for him to move. He had placed lianas in different places to ensure his progress on this vegetal path, even when the branches were too thin, so as not to lose his balance. A few dozen meters long, the path had been rubbed with very fragrant flowers that he had found in abundance near here. He had made sure to identify them, and his skill did not mention poison. [Identification] was not yet very well developed, but it was better than nothing.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Before the end of the path, a decoy path had been rubbed with this same flower. Meanwhile, the real path had been impregnated with another false odor: that of a fern species. He hoped most ants would follow the decoy path until the smell disappeared. The sole purpose of this whole operation was to disrupt the ants'' sense of smell. It might be a waste, but I would have tried. The only thing left to do, besides waiting for the next morning, was to prepare a shelter for the night and start a fire for the next day. Priam reached the end of his exit path. He gathered some dry dead branches, some tall grass that would surely smoke a lot, and a large bundle of dead leaves. The idea was to light the fire before stealing the fruit and then return to this spot when the fire was strong enough to obscure the sight and smell of the pursuers. If I rub a stick against a piece of dry wood, I should be able to start a fire by friction... Let''s try it! After a constant effort and several hours, Priam finally found the technique to start a fire. Despite his strength, dexterity, and the heat, some sticks refused to ignite. Priam had finally lit some twigs after several unsuccessful attempts. Far from being saddened by the fact that he was less efficient than some Neolithic men, he would have shouted with joy if he had not been afraid of drawing attention to himself! Let¡¯s get those Passiflora! Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 3 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 5 VIT +1 The next morning, Priam was thirsty. This seemed to be becoming a habit. He had spent a horrible night holed up in a rabbit hole that would have made a rabbit feel bad. Controlling his breathing, trying to control the rhythm of his body - and therefore his sweating, and other factors that could have made him noticeable - had not been in vain. You have gained the skill: [Meditation]. [Meditation] lvl 1: A mental practice that focuses on a certain state of thought, emotions, and the body. You seek mental calm, relaxation, and ultimately physical control of your body. The art of meditation is ancient, and yet there are still secrets that humans have not discovered. The road is long, but this skill could be instrumental if practiced diligently. Possible synergy with a title detected. Stop thinking you are a Buddhist monk. Your distracting thoughts do not help with meditation. WILL+3 Meditation promised to be an incredible skill, especially with his Title [Brainless]. However, Priam didn''t have time to think about that now. That would have to wait until after the operation. Without wasting any more time thinking, Priam got out of his hole and headed for the anthill. He didn''t detect any particular change except for a few ants entering the colony through some tunnels. It seemed logical, as they are mostly active at night. Sorry girls, the following will certainly wake you up! The majority of the members of an ant colony are female, with the males used primarily to impregnate the Queen. Priam had no intention of approaching the colony or the Queen. Priam slowly made his way back to the fire preparation area. He noticed that he was now unconsciously walking more stealthily. The effect of the skill [Stealth] seemed to remind his body every moment that he could use the techniques he had learned. The skill integrated his thoughts and knowledge directly into his muscle memory. Its role was to synthesize months of effort. Priam felt he could still make mistakes if he didn''t concentrate properly, but this reassured him. If the skill was not absolute, his enemies could also make errors. This made a fight against a superior opponent possible by exploiting loopholes. Once he reached the fire, Priam began to check his preparations. Once satisfied with the setup, he lit the fire in just a few minutes. The next moment, Priam darted toward the colony as he made his way up his exit path. He moved almost effortlessly from tree to tree. His skill was still weak, but the effects were already impressive. Arriving at the descending zip line, he checked the terrain one last time before taking a deep breath. He had few illusions about escaping alive. Despite his preparations, he had a good chance of dying. If he created too much of a ruckus, it was even possible that he would die permanently. This quest was impossible. Priam wanted to live. Not just survive, but live freely. Proudly. To do that, he needed power. In this new world, that was a very literal concept. Hence, his determination to succeed in this quest and all others that would follow. Without further questioning, he took off. In near free fall, his heart sped up for one exhilarating second, and he smiled. Priam loved risk, speed, and adrenaline. Before the Tutorial, he skied, surfed, and enjoyed thrill rides. In spite of the danger, Priam was having fun. He put his foot softly on a branch of the Passiflora and cushioned his landing. With a smile on his face, he briefly observed his surroundings. The anthill was positioned on the other side of the tree. Without waiting for a reaction from the ants, he easily climbed the tree and plucked the three fruit. They were about the size of a tangerine and barely fit in his pants pockets. The last fruit Priam put in his mouth. If he couldn''t store it in his pockets, he might as well swallow it right away. He had barely had time to pick the three fruit and calculate the best way to reach the exit zip line when his new senses screamed. He felt a blast on his right shoulder. Priam didn''t try to figure out what was happening, and trusting his instincts, he jumped from branch to branch, forgetting to secure his descent. It was no longer the time to be careful. Priam reached for the zipline, but in his haste, he dropped the piece of vine that he was using as a handle. He grabbed the zipline connecting him to his way out with his bare hand and slipped down it, skinning his hands. With his flesh raw, he caught himself and fled without looking back. Within the first few feet of his green path, Priam''s head began to spin. The adrenaline momentarily blocked out the pain, but looking briefly at his right shoulder, he already knew he was doomed. The attack contained a powerful acid that was already beginning to eat away at his shoulder. Only adrenaline kept Priam going. Meanwhile, the anthill seemed to have exploded. Hundreds of baby-sized white ants were scurrying about in the open. The royal soldiers had sounded the alarm and fired off a few jets of acid, but they mostly missed. Most of the insects, specialized in close combat and quantity-based tactics, would not be able to catch the intruder but would be busy securing the area for the champions. A few winged ants streaked with gold were tasked with catching the intruder. They flew toward the human while the soldiers ran. Priam was doing parkour in the trees. He only had a few dozen meters to go, but every step was dangerous. A mistake or a fall would cost him precious seconds, not to mention a possible injury. Those seconds would allow the ants to catch up with him. It would be game over. Priam focused on his every step, on each support, and on his breath. He was trying to efficiently cross the natural obstacles in his way. The path was memorized from the day before, but the forest was always changing. Priam was changing with it. Where he had decided the day before to jump, today he was leaning. Where he had pushed off a thin branch, he was dodging a trunk. Aware of his surroundings, senses alert, muscles finely controlled, Priam felt more alive than ever. He hadn''t forgotten the ants, but they didn''t matter anymore. Maybe he would die, but not before he finished his race. At that very moment, he was unstoppable. You have gained the skill: [Art of Movement - Rare]. AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 He had already reached the end of the path. The ants had not caught up with him, slowed down by the foliage. But surely they weren''t getting tired as fast as he was. Priam hadn''t thought ants could fly that fast, but he had thought to create a smoke screen. Up ahead, the fire had already started. The small fire of a few minutes ago had even turned into a full-blown inferno. But how? With the green wood, there shouldn''t be so much flame. Not in such a short time. Are the trees here more flammable? The ants were gaining ground. Without wasting any more time, Priam accelerated by jumping through the smoke curtain. His blind landing was tricky, and he landed at a wrong angle. Feeling pain shoot through his ankle, he hobbled on. Flames licked the trees on either side of the fire he had started. The smoke stayed close to the ground, trapped by the green roof. Without being able to rise, it moved parallel to the ground in all directions, obscuring sight and smell. Priam kept moving forward. Despite the terrible heat, his skills, attributes, and adrenaline kept him going. He was careful, however, to take a few breaths every ten seconds near the ground. Most people who died in a fire did not die from the heat but rather from smoke asphyxiation. With his eyes closed because of the smoke, he walked blindly. After about thirty seconds, the only sounds reaching him were the reports of bark cracking under the heat of the blaze. I must get out of this furnace quickly. I can''t open my eyes, but if I keep going straight ahead, it should do the trick... The fruit he had swallowed also seemed to have a refreshing effect. It was as if a cool liquid was pouring into his veins. Remembering the other two fruit in his pockets, he swallowed them quickly. Quest completed: A lovely fruit. Reward: Concepts help when eating the three Passiflora. Potential + 10. Congratulations! Title received: [Quester - Bronze] - You completed a Concepts quest successfully. All given quests have a solution. Potentially more. It''s up to you to find them and come out stronger. Imagine, some will entrust you with a vital quest. Poor souls... PERC +10% Priam opened his eyes, feeling fresh air before freezing. In front of him, dozens of ants surrounded the smoke-filled area. The entire perimeter must have been under surveillance. They had bypassed the burned area, and some were still coming out of tunnels hidden by the vegetation. Three flying ants were positioned in the trees in front of him. He had no way out. "Well... Game Over I guess," Priam commented. "I wasted too much time with the smoke and fire, and despite that, they easily located me. If I can get skills, why not them? Vibration detection I guess? I underestimated the flying ants too. At least I passed the quest." In one movement, the ants began to move towards Priam, snapping their mandibles. He couldn''t even bring himself to hate the ants. They weren''t brilliant, and Priam wasn''t stupid enough to hate a rock or a blade of grass. He hadn''t been up to the task. With any luck, the Concepts would give him another chance. In front of him was an army of omnivorous ants. Behind him, an inferno. Priam grimaced. "One more day in hell. But I''ll survive. I will be back," Priam promised. "Until then, I hope you like your meat well done!" With that, Priam turned and, limping painfully, entered the ash-gray realm again. Death terrified him. He still wasn''t sure he would ever wake up. Perhaps the flames would still be there when he resurfaced, burning him again. But between the torment of fire and ants, he would choose the fire. Maybe he could get a few more levels for his resistances. As the flames began to consume him, Priam screamed. The pain was horrible. His thoughts disappeared and were replaced by absolute pain. Soon, his lungs became empty of air, and he finally became silent. Status: (Average value for a male Homo sapiens before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 19 Constitution 28 Agility 28 Vitality 34 Perception 17 MENTAL: Vivacity 30 Dexterity 16 Memory 28 Will 33 Charisma 26 META: Meta-affinity 4 ???? Chapter 3: A New Home A soft, refreshing rain fell on the forest. The drops fell first on the high tops of the trees, before sliding down leaves and branches. Some of these drops penetrated the ground. Others flowed along a rocky outcrop before beading on a sharp angle. From time to time, yielding to gravity rather than capillarity, they would fall and end up in the open mouth of a naked young man leaning against the rock face. Priam was drinking for the first time in three days, and this simple happiness brought a tired smile to his face. He wasn''t physically exhausted because resurrection relieved him of that inconvenience by returning him to the world in top form. For the same reasons, he was not mentally exhausted either: resurrection seemed to give him the benefit of an excellent night''s sleep. Priam was alert, and sound in body and mind, but emotionally worn out. He hadn''t talked to anyone in almost five days, but he had always had a solitary side. Loneliness was not weighing on him yet. But he finally had time to breathe while waiting for the rain to stop under his rock. Time to think. He didn''t know when he could talk to a man again. Or to a woman... Coming to Elysium was supposed to be hard, but Priam didn''t think it would be this hard. "Without [He who eludes Death], I would have died every day I was here. Without this Talent, I wouldn''t have been able to feed or water myself. Of the winners of the Tutorial, how many humans will choose to come here? How many of them will be able to survive even a few hours? This world is huge, bigger even than Earth. What are the chances that I will meet this tiny fraction of humans?" Priam asked himself. Despite his defeatist words, the young man did not allow himself to be overcome by pessimism. If he could believe the Tutorial, the beings at the top of the food chain in this new universe were pseudo-omnipotent or omniscient. Sometimes both. If he stayed alive, he too would eventually become powerful. And if very few humans were to be transported to this particular world, he would escape from Elysium to find the other survivors of the Tutorial. Almost comfortably seated on the stone floor, Priam thought about his progress. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He who eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 4 Synergy detected with your Talent [Humanity adapts]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT + 7 CONST +2 PERC + 5 [Touched by Aether] - Adaptation time: 18 days (previously 21 days) Lvl Up :[Heat Resistance] lvl 6,7,8,9 VIT +4 You have gained the skill: [Thermal Resistance]. [Thermal Resistance] lvl 1: Thermal energy is the kinetic energy of agitation of the molecules and atoms of a body. From now on, your body is more resistant to heat energy transfers by conduction, convection, or radiation. However, it was a bit extreme to immolate yourself to gain this skill. CONST +1 Lvl Up : [Thermal Resistance] lvl 2,3,4 CONST +3 Three [Passifloras Aether] consumed: VIVA +30 WILL+10 CHAR +10 Lvl Up : [Osmosis] lvl 2 PHY+1 META (AFFI) +4 [Touched by Aether] - Adaptation time: 15 days (Aether Passifloras accelerate the adaptation of your body) Title won! [Pseudo-Phoenix - Bronze] - You have been burned to death. Your entire body turned to ashes. Impossibly, you survived. You follow the path of the Phoenix and learn from your failures. Be careful that they do not cost you your last life. Or worse. Flames that don''t hurt you heal you. Honestly, most flames still burn you. Maybe not the ones from the matches? VIT +10% [He who eludes Death] Charge: 0, Recharge in 15 hours at 0h. While analyzing his progress, the young man noticed that the cause of his death influenced the attributes he received. Vitality was undoubtedly the attribute that benefited the most from the synergy of his Talents. One could easily deduce that it governed his resilience and therefore, his resistance to death. Being in shape, recovering quickly from injuries or illnesses, and perhaps extending his life expectancy... However, depending on the cause of his death, other attributes - physical ones for the moment - enjoyed an improvement. Priam suspected that the smoke that had clouded his senses just before his death was the cause of his increased perception. Thinking back to his death the day before, he shuddered. He was proud that he had chosen his death and knew he had no other choice. He had mainly died of asphyxiation, but he had still felt the flames burning his body as his mind evaporated. The sensation of being burned alive haunted him, brief as it was. How many more deaths would he endure before feeling safe in this new world? At least it wasn''t useless. The attributes boost is insane. The equivalent of 50 skill levels! But the smell... During his resurrection, he smelled an excellent odor of grilled meat. It took him several minutes to realize that his own corpse had made him hungry. The thought still disgusted him. Distracted by his thoughts, and as he took advantage of the relative calm to better understand his new powers, Priam rolled a seed between the fingers of his right hand. At first glance, it looked like a peach pit. But unlike an ordinary peach pit, this one was enveloped in a milky aura. This was his reward for surviving three days. Unfortunately, in the future, other rewards would consider his unique talent for dodging death. The System seemed responsive and would not allow a bug to be exploited, no matter how small. It''s not like I''m trying to kill myself. It''s this world that wants me dead. He remembered the notification he had received. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Congratulations, you have survived three days! You are now more familiar with Elysium. Reward (one of your choice): Habitat Seed Bastion Foundation Underwater bubble Elementary core ... Important: In the future, activating a means of resurrection during the survival period will reset the quest counter. The list of rewards was very long, but all these items had one thing in common: they were supposed to create a tree house, a cave bastion, or an underwater base. In short, a place to live. Priam had chosen the Habitat Seed. He had nothing against an underground stronghold but had seen many more trees since the beginning of his adventure than massive rocks. A tree would therefore be more inconspicuous. At least, he hoped so. The other rewards were not necessarily intended for humans used to living on land and in quiet environments. Right now, Priam was thinking about where to base his future home. According to the information automatically communicated when he selected the seed, his tree could grow and evolve. This first reward could become a protected base in the future. He didn''t want to sacrifice the future by choosing a remote location in the present. Right now, the only point of interest he knew was the portal. "Basing myself near the gate is dangerous," Priam thought aloud. "Not everyone who goes through it is a pacifist vegetarian. Arnold made that clear to me... But if I can communicate or trade with them, I could learn more about this world and others. That would be a huge step forward. Not to mention another equally important benefit: I could monitor the arrivals. " The rain was still falling, and the ground remained hard and uncomfortable. Priam was as naked as the day he was born. His clothes had all burned off in the previous day''s fire. He was lucky that the fuel had run out before he was resurrected. But the young man now had a goal. He began to straighten up. "According to the seed''s information, I should be relatively safe by initially directing the tree''s growth toward camouflage. I don''t have to position myself too close to the portal. I could feel its activation from more than a kilometer away. I might as well be halfway between the portal and another point of interest. I''d have to explore the area around the arrival zone for that..." Priam decided while stretching. The best-case scenario would be to position his base between the portal and a resource such as the Passiflora. If he could trade that resource for others, he would rise quickly. Priam had played enough management games to know that a few resources at the beginning of the game could create huge cumulative interests over time. Compared to Arnold, Priam knew he lacked personal power. He could bet that his other rivals would all be stronger than him. If he had managed to finish the Tutorial in record time, it was almost the fault of a bug. His luck had been incredible, but the other champions would have passed the tutorial honestly. Against them, I don''t stand a chance at the moment. But the important thing is not the present. The important thing is to progress and become the best. I need resources for that! With his decision made, Priam decided to begin his exploration directly. He preferred walking in the rain to sleeping in the rain. The night before, he couldn''t sleep a wink between his fear, the discomfort of his position, and the water coming down his burrow. Using his sense of direction, he began to walk along an imaginary circle with the gate at its center. He was far enough away from the portal that he didn''t have to worry about running into a future arrival. And if the Passiflora tree was close, then other interesting - and potentially permanent - resources should be available... Let''s hunt! As Priam began to get used to his new home and tried to act rather than react, a portal activated in the center of a particular clearing. Within seconds of activation, a humanoid stepped through the portal. The creature seemed to be a cross between a tree and a human. Its color ranged from olive green to emerald green. If Priam had been able to analyze it, the System would have told him he was looking at a Drya. These asexual creatures were usually peaceful and wise, and their Guardian was no exception. Only their absolute mastery of the aether and their asexual reproduction had saved them from extinction. Opening his eyes to this new world, the Drya smiled. A world so rich, vast, and full of aether would allow his people to grow. But the Keeper knew they would have to earn their place. Even as the grass whispered its secrets to him, the Keeper walked away, stroking the blades. The wind whispered to him that a natural enemy had arrived recently. The Drya was serene. It would take him only a short time to prepare for his opponent. His lips parted, and a shamanic whisper flew out to blend naturally into the order of things. "[Communion]" As the Keeper disappeared into the forest, the blades of grass lying under him straightened. The wind carried his scent away. Nature was protecting one of her own. Under the Elysian Suns, on top of a hill, stood a young woman. Eyes too bright, skin too golden, and curves too perfect betrayed an inhuman origin. She was undoubtedly exotic and even attractive, but something was terrifying about seeing such a beautiful woman. Few men or women would have hit on this creature. With her hair tied in an intricate bun and dressed for a ball, Esm¨¦e looked out of place in this new world. Coming in second - even before Arnold - she was the only one with a clear purpose. Better yet, she knew what she was doing. Why run around chasing monsters and collecting resources at random? Esm¨¦e left no room for serendipity. Of noble birth, her father was the king of a solar system. This did not necessarily give her an advantage until she was twenty. Dragged into a forced marriage, the arrival of the Concepts saved her. There wasn''t enough aether on her home planet to deploy her talents. Just enough to inform her of the approach of the Tutorial. The princess had prepared herself. All her life she had worked to increase the quality of her art, to better understand the spells that had made her family so powerful. She had taken a back seat when her siblings had continued the game of thrones. Today, they were lost in a ruthless Tutorial. She knew them well. They were arrogant and would try to pass the Tutorial on the highest difficulty. They would die trying. In the end, she would be the sole heir of her father. Esm¨¦e manipulated information and probabilities. She gathered, deciphered, integrated, and then modified her plans. She preferred to call it a story. With a steady hand, she adjusted just what was needed, a simple touch here and there, to bring the chessboard into its optimal configuration. Why foolishly confront a five-meter-tall mutant bear when you could send it to kill your enemies? Her power was quite literal. As the quill wrote on the ancient grimoire, the bear''s story changed. It no longer finished eating every berry in the bush. Instead, it turned because of a leaf that had fallen into a fold in its ear. Normally, it would only have a one in ten chance of turning around. But Esm¨¦e selected this possibility. The movement caused a fearful bird to fly away a few meters away. The bear''s gaze lingered on a scratch on the trunk of a venerable tree. A tree located in its territory. Another monster had ventured into its territory, and the bear was enraged. If it weren''t for Esm¨¦e, it would certainly have eaten some berries before taking a nap. But because of the young woman, the furious bear followed the trail of an enemy. A bloody fight was coming. She had hardly had to do anything. A little nudge to drop a leaf and a lot of aether to select a possibility. Surely there was a parallel universe where everything would have happened without her, but she had ''helped'' things along in this universe. Her power required large reserves of aether, but here the aether density was phenomenal. The young Princess would arrive only at the end, when her adversaries were defeated, and strike them the coup de grace. Satisfied, she put down her quill and looked away. From her hillside, she watched the newcomers. Her [Author] eyes could see for miles. The Drya would be complicated to handle. Its sensitivity to the aether protected it from grotesque manipulation. If a leaf fell off, he would feel her trail. But even if she couldn''t manipulate him quickly, other rivals weren''t so well protected. She had even managed to modify a probability using her Tutorial reward. As a result, the First hadn''t felt her coming. Perhaps he was asleep at the time, or perhaps something had diverted his attention. Her anonymity was her best protection. You didn''t kill an opponent you didn''t know. Unfortunately, the First had an annoying talent. If she manipulated a possibility again, he would develop a resistance to it. For now, she preferred to go after the other rivals... Esm¨¦e took up her pen and opened a new page. "[Author], [Prophecy]" The pen began to trace words on the blank page. "Arnold felt the portal activate. He interrupted his exploration. Should he go and see? Yes, his orders called for it..." Status: (Average value for a male Homo sapiens before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 20 Constitution 35 Agility 29 Vitality 51 Perception 23 MENTAL: Vivacity 60 Dexterity 16 Memory 28 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 ???? Chapter 4: The Silk Road Priam walked through the forest as quietly as possible, thinking how beautiful this world was. For the first time since he arrived, he was really looking around, identifying trees, plants, insects, and birds. The colors around him were vibrant. Almost alive. It was partly due to his superhuman perception but primarily to the aether. Everything, from the living to the inert, from matter to energy, was impregnated with aether, giving them a touch of... Magic. The young man felt that his body was also adapting. He was increasingly "touched" by the aether and gradually felt accepted by this world. Something in the atmosphere he breathed or in the light that bathed him seemed to envelop him tenderly and reassure him. It was an unforgiving world, yes, but a beautiful one. As Priam smiled while moving forward carefully, he felt something. Like a new sense that was trying to tell him something. A whisper. An instinct. Nearby, perhaps a little to his left, was a higher concentration of aether. Priam began to move towards the source he sensed. As he went along, his vague feeling became clearer. After a hundred meters, there was no doubt: something was here. He advanced another hundred meters before stopping, hidden awkwardly behind a tree. He held a sharpened stick in his right hand, the remnant of a dead tree, which he had painstakingly made sharp by rubbing it against a rock. The makeshift weapon wouldn''t kill a bear, but it was better than fighting with his hands. Currently, he was using it to push aside the vegetation and observe what must have intrigued his instincts. There, only a few meters away, was an abandoned tower. The dilapidated-looking stone building appeared to have been a military installation. Narrow openings, reminiscent of the loopholes - or arrow slits - in castles, were present in the walls. The ruins of a massive wooden doorway could be seen at ground level. The height of the door must have been no more than one and a half meters. The builders were small. Or maybe they didn''t walk upright... The stone, gray with black flecks, looked like nothing he had ever seen before. The roughness of the material told Priam that it was not metal. Besides, does this new world have the same metals as on Earth? The same periodic table? I''ll think about that later... Priam had always been curious, but he knew his curiosity sometimes played tricks on him. It reminds me of when I put laxatives in my cousin''s food. I was five, she was eight, and she kept telling me that girls don''t poop. She was lying... Sorry Jade, I never got to look you in the face again. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Priam refocused on the tower. I shouldn''t forget that I''m in mortal danger. Maybe that''s more important than stirring up old, horrible memories! Although the original occupants seemed to have disappeared, the ruined tower was still inhabited. Scarlet webs covered part of the outer walls, blocking holes and windows. On closer inspection, silk threads were strung between the trees closest to the tower and would undoubtedly raise the alarm at the slightest touch. Priam hadn''t gotten close enough to disturb them, but he was now in a cold sweat. The spiders - or their monstrous cousins - must not have settled here for long, or the alarm system would have been perfected by now. Okay, let''s back up calmly and without haste. The little spiders of Europe don''t scare me, but their exotic cousins are repulsive. I have a feeling that giant spider monsters will not be my cup of tea... And that they will want me for a snack... New Quest: Hunter Being a prey is a tiring condition. But even prey can sometimes become the hunters. Exterminate the 34 Trichonephila Aether clavipes. Reward: A scarlet silk ball. Potential + 50. Difficulty: Medium Maximum time: 7 Days Is this a joke? Priam paused. The System was not wrong. Being prey was not a condition he enjoyed. But he was not yet a hunter, and he knew it. He thought about the problem. The tower is full of spiders, and they have recently settled in. There are thirty-four of them at the moment, and each one could kill me quickly. Then eat me... But if I decide to do this quest, I have several advantages. First of all, the preparation time: I can become stronger, develop new skills, think of a plan of action, etc. Priam looked coldly at the situation, assessing his possibilities. The spiders are inside a building, which seems to be filled with web. If the web is flammable, it can be elementary to win. But I would rather not have to burn the web. If the reward is a silk reel, that silk must be valuable and useful. I mean, they don''t know I exist. I should be able to lure them individually with their own alarm. One of the silk-sealed openings began to shake and then to stir. Holding his breath, Priam pressed closer to the tree to observe. A spider slid out of the silk trap. It was about forty centimeters high, which was quite frightening to see. To think I always laughed at Ron Weasley. He was courageous to take on giant spiders for his mate. He deserves to marry Hermione! [Identification] [Trichonephila Aether clavipes] - A spider easily recognized by its golden color and the feathery enlargements on the segments of each of its legs. Low in venom, it is not very aggressive. Its silk is exceptionally durable and resistant to physical forces. Taking a slow breath and mentally noting the ruin''s location, Priam turned and continued on his way. He had made his decision. "A week of preparation? If the quest exists, it is possible. I can do it. But not now. Other points of interest must exist..." Weaving along the tower as if to insulate the interior from the weather, the spider did not detect the visitor. Unfortunately, it was not smart enough to access the System quests. So it would not receive a defensive quest. This one might have warned it of the coming tragedy. Stretching its legs, the mindless beast continued its monotonous work. Priam threw himself to the side. A spider out of a nightmare had leapt at him from the foliage. As he quickly got to his feet, the monster began to move painfully in his direction. Bringing the stick back in front of him to protect himself from the creature''s mandibles, Priam saw that it was sick. Or it was injured. Probably both. Blue blood oozed from its fur, and while the color was standard for a spider, the blood indicated a critical condition. Three of its legs were blown off, and Priam would bet that most of its eyes were blind. It moves slowly and would rather jump on me than lure prey into its traps. It looks... strange. I''m no expert on spider psychology, but it''s got some sleep to catch up on! Priam sat up straight. This new world quickly made the young man understand his place. He knew he was no match for the smaller predators in this forest. But he was twice as strong as the average man and three times as fast. Armed with a sharp stick and against a spider at death''s door, he wanted to take his chances. Priam wasn''t a defeatist by nature, but getting run over and mocked continuously since the Tutorial was eroding his confidence. He needed a win to build momentum and stop a losing streak. Even if it was a win against a spider in a bad way. "The fact that I hate spiders has nothing to do with my overwhelming desire to kill you. Well, it does a little. But mostly, I want to win at least one fight!" As the spider reached his level, Priam began waving his improvised spear, hoping to blind the creature further. His staff penetrated an eye with a sickening sound. Priam shuddered in disgust, and before he could withdraw his weapon, his opponent''s mandibles snapped. Part of his staff remained in his hand and part in the creature''s head. Priam noticed that his staff had been beveled. I can still hurt it, but I''ve lost my reach. I have to avoid being caught by those mandibles! He turned around and began to run erratically in the opposite direction. On his heels, the spider followed, the end of the stick still stuck in its head. As it hit the foliage, it shook, aggravating the wound. Priam was fast. With three times the agility of an average human, he moved at the speed of a regional sprint champion. An exceptional performance considering he was running in a forest full of obstacles and not on a road. It''s crazy how complicated a natural forest is to run through! The counterpart of this speed was that he could no longer count the number of branches that had scratched his face or other parts of his body. Despite his constitution, he was starting to bleed. A medieval monk adept at flogging would have appreciated the effort. He hoped that the smell would not attract a predator. Running without caution was nevertheless necessary to not end up in the stomach of a sick spider. This one seemed slow enough, but the slightest injury could maim him and potentially poison him. That would be the end for Priam. If my perk [He who eludes Death] makes me appear in its stomach, it will indeed be the end! His favorite video games inspired Priam''s strategy for the next few minutes. He would run away, increase the distance between himself and the creature that had escaped from a Harry Potter movie, then turn around and attack the creature''s eyes. This one was obviously at the end of its life, and the System seemed to agree. Ahah, long live "Hit and Run"! [Identification] [Trichonephila infected] - An infected creature closer to death than life. In the early stages of infection, the hosts are the most vulnerable. Those that survive the first few hours of weakness mutate and grow stronger until they become problematic. Beware of contamination. From what Priam understood, the spider was not sick but infected. It must have overeaten fast food... What kept his attention was that he had to get rid of it as soon as possible before it became dangerous. He was also careful not to let himself get infected. He had read enough horror novels to know that mutations were not the best way to find a pretty girlfriend. Except maybe to eat her.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. About ten minutes after his encounter with the infected creature, Priam stopped. The creature was now totally blind and could only follow him by the vibrations of his footsteps. It had lost a lot of blood and was struggling to stand. Priam moved closer again, his spear ready to strike. The spider turned toward him. Bending down, he grabbed a pebble and threw it behind the creature. The creature turned, exposing its body. Priam prepared his move. He had only one pointed stick and wanted to exploit it to the fullest. The young man consciously imagined all the muscles of his body, from his feet to his arms, through his chest. The muscles of his chest contracted like springs. In a burst of power, using his dexterity to the maximum, Priam delivered a mighty blow. The makeshift spear penetrated the opisthosoma - the large part of the spider''s body - behind its head, finding an easy way through thanks to the ongoing mutation. The weapon penetrated the heart first, which was at the top, and continued into the creature''s gut. It collapsed. Priam was breathing heavily. The fight had been extended but not surprising. He had not encountered any other forest dwellers. He had not been hit or infected. Despite all this, Priam had only gained a few skill levels for his trouble. Being close to death, with no extra life, terrified him. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 2 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 2,3,4 AGI +3 You have unlocked a new skill [Strike]. [Strike] - Not all conflicts can be settled with words; you understand that. Your ancestors spent millennia resolving their disagreements by penetrating their enemies with foreign bodies. If they could see you today, they would be proud of you. Now get dressed and stop showing off your spear. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 2,3 STR +3 Wonderful idea. But where am I supposed to find clothes here, oh mighty System? No answer? I thought so. With his heart pounding, Priam moved away from the corpse. He didn''t want to risk infection by looting it. He didn''t even know where to start. Maybe some wire in its abdomen? As he walked around the corpse, he did see the wire holes. Behind them were glands hanging in the open because of a previous wound. Silk glands?! The silk glands contained a liquid that produced silk in contact with the air. Priam was torn. These glands were potentially contaminated, but he could create some silk if they weren''t. A lot of silk, even, given the size of the glands. And in his situation, it might one day be the difference between life and death. "It''s greedy, but... If I start to lose my courage even when the reward is at hand, I won''t survive long in this new world. Acting cautiously is good, but it shouldn''t be an excuse to be cowardly." After motivating himself, Priam quickly picked up a stick and a stone. Pulling the glands towards him with the stick to get them out of the carcass, he crushed the tissue connecting them to the spider''s body. This one must have had a high constitution because it was difficult for him to damage the spider. I was lucky that it was infected. If it was in shape, it would not have missed its first leap, would have caught up with me quickly, and I would have been digested. After several minutes of catastrophic effort, he finally managed to separate the glands from the corpse. They did not appear contaminated as far as he could tell visually, but he wrapped them in the rest of his burnt clothes. Maybe there were other exciting things, but Priam stepped back. He might as well be out of the way when a predator or scavenger came to pick up on the smell of blood. "I''ll get a chance to see that later. I still have the quest to slaughter your kin, right? Besides, there are still thirty-four spiders to take out... Once infected, it''s not part of their family anymore." Deciding that talking to the corpses of his enemies was not an excellent way to keep his sanity, Priam walked away. "I''m going to need a new stick..." Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 4 AGI +1 A few hours later, as the light was fading, Priam stopped. He remained hidden, standing at the edge of the forest. He had continued on his way, following an imaginary circle with a radius of about two kilometers around the gate. A few minutes earlier, he had smelled lavender. His new perception, like all his attributes, made him superhuman, which he appreciated. He had approached, half intrigued and half nostalgic. As a child, his parents would hide a small bag filled with dried lavender under his pillow to keep certain insects away. A few meters away from him, the forest was replaced by a burnt-out field. There were no more brambles, vines, or ferns on an area the size of a tennis court, only dirt mixed with ash. If there had been a crater, Priam could have sworn a meteorite had hit here. On the other side of the field, a river following a loop approached him before flowing away again. In the center of the area, a shape could be seen. Like the remains of a tree, a stump that had survived longer than the others. Perhaps out of nostalgia, Priam let his guard down and approached. [Identification] [Tal Quercus - Dead] - The Tal Quercus is a scarce tree. It was born from the sacrifice of a Royal Elf. At the end of his life, unable to return to his native land, a member of the Elven royalty transformed here to continue his journey. After centuries of growth, the Tal Quercus chooses a path: to become a legendary tree and move towards Yggdrasil or to transform into a new Royal Elf. Each road is blocked by a Tribulation. This noble Tal Quercus did not survive it. Lvl Up : [Identification] lvl 2 MEM +1 Priam took a deep breath. A tribulation... He felt the word had a certain gravity. Every user of the System, if they wished to reach the Zenith, would one day face this test. "The tree is dead, but even so, just standing a few feet away from it, I feel some pressure. Quercus is in the oak family, known for their tough wood," Priam remembered. "If I plant my Habitat Seed here, there may be some synergy. There''s a river next door, I''m pretty close to the gate, and from the lack of insects and birds, I think the tribulation has scared off the wildlife... Which is fine with me for now!" The night was approaching, and Priam had only a faint desire to sleep under the stars. According to the seed''s explanations, it should germinate quickly and grow to its initial size in a few minutes. All he had to do was pour some of his DNA on the seed, put it on the ground, and choose a tree feature. Priam spat on the seed - he didn''t see the point of putting his blood on it, except to create a dramatic effect - then leaned over the burnt carcass and put the seed in a crack that seemed to cut the tree in two. This could have been caused by lightning if a particularly titanic bolt of lightning had fallen there. Before he could even consider whether he should place the seed on the ground directly rather than inside the trunk, he felt a change in the aether. A siphon had opened in space, sucking in all the surrounding aether. Within seconds, green and golden veins seeped into the trunk, branches, roots, and soil from the seed. The crack closed as if time was going back. The trunk, lying down a few moments before, stood upright. A giant, invisible, mystical hand grabbed the dead tree and repaired it, stretching it towards the sky again, its branches towards the horizon and painting its leaves with golden colors. Where a charred stump had stood a few minutes earlier, a tree some twenty meters tall now seemed to breathe. Massive at the trunk, five men would have had to hold hands to encircle it. Priam was stunned. A synergy between the tree and the seed had indeed taken place. Despite the incredible spectacle that had just taken place before his eyes, he was not afraid. He felt it in the back of his mind like a new member that he could manipulate. The tree was his. If it could potentially accommodate a spirit, it was currently more an algorithm that controlled it. "My new home... Fantastic! I feel like I''m back in childhood with a tree house," Priam smiled. Select the initial theme of the "Hut": Abundance - Life II Abundance - Aether II Protection III Camouflage Attraction Underground Comfort Volume Secret Priam laughed. He had always loved strategy games... Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 23 Constitution 35 Agility 34 Vitality 51 Perception 24 MENTAL: Vivacity 60 Dexterity 17 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 ???? Chapter 5: Log-a-rhythm As the three suns seemed to disappear as if gradually melting into the night sky, Priam was thinking. He didn''t want to make a hasty decision but wasn''t planning to sleep another night outside the Hut. Select the initial theme of the "Hut": Abundance - Life II Abundance - Aether II Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Camouflage Attraction Underground Comfort Volume Secret Passage Water control ... Priam concentrated. If two neurons were to connect, it was now or never. A wrong choice could lead to his death. "Most of the themes are pretty obvious. The Shack already benefits from Abundance - Life I, Abundance - Aether I, and Protection II due to the synergy with the original tree. Tribulation Resistance II... I guess the tree doesn''t want to die again against a tribulation. I wanted a tree that doesn''t attract attention, so Camouflage or Secret Passage are good ideas... But if I can boost the fruit production or protection offered by the tree, it may be more interesting if the increase is exponential rather than linear!" If the tree could produce resources like Passiflora, Priam could become extremely powerful while being safe in his home. He could already see himself sipping Passiflora syrup while endlessly increasing his stats. I''ll be the most powerful vegan in the world! The young man admired his new home. The trunk had no fixed door but could open a portal to let an inhabitant in. Priam could communicate mentally with the Hut. He sensed that it was looking for more seeds, unique fruits, or rare resources to grow faster and unlock new themes. As the suns shone their last rays on the world, Priam decided. "Abundance is an interesting theme, but I can find food in other ways. I can''t hide for months or years in a tree. That''s the lifestyle of Wuxia characters and immortal cultivators. Impossible for a normal human." Priam stepped back to look at the tree in all its glory. Illuminated by the last rays of sunlight, the leaves looked golden. "Protection II looks like it gives the Hut a huge amount of strength because of the original tree. Just look at the dead tree that was still recognizable, where the normal trees just disappeared. I have to focus on survival, which means Camouflage or Secret Passage. The problem with Camouflage is that a tree alone, with nothing around it, will remain visible no matter the illusion. Might as well take Secret Passage!" Selected theme: Secret passage. All the plants are linked within a giant web. You can open a portal to the Hut from any tree within a hundred meters. Without additional resources, the next theme will be selectable in 30 days. Perfect! Priam walked over to the tree and put his hand on the trunk. The bark was soft, but the wood had a solid feel that pleased the young man. He mentally commanded the tree to open, and the wood became fluid. A liquid veil, green and golden, seemed to have merged with the trunk. Passing through the portal with his hand, Priam felt like he was stirring foam. He moved forward into the passage. As he entered the Hut for the first time, Priam marveled. For the first time since the portal - which he had not had time to appreciate fully - he contemplated the true wonders the aether allowed. His home was spatially augmented: the volume of the Hut was greater inside than the volume of the tree measured from the outside. Sensing his questioning, the Shack sent him a mental explanation. The tree did have a trunk with sap and wood, but a small dimension was hidden inside. It was attached to the primary dimension of Elysium. The bigger, stronger, and better the physical tree, the more stable, larger, and more comfortable the space in the Tree House would be. He was also isolated from the outside world. Not a sound, not a mental attack could reach him here. A group of metal bands could have blown the bass ten meters away from his tree without affecting his sleep. While enjoying his reward, Priam observed his new home. A few veins pulsating with green and golden sap lit up the single room nicely. It consisted only of an empty circle with a radius of three meters. He had twenty-eight square meters to himself. The ceiling was about six meters high, and Priam ordered the tree to create a spiral staircase along the edge of the room to create a second floor. He also realized that he could have the treehouse project a video feed of the tree''s surroundings onto the walls. Useful for monitoring the surroundings. For the second floor, using basic woodworking, Priam began to create storage in the form of shelves. He wanted to be able to store his trophies, resources, and finds of all kinds. On the second floor, he set about increasing the aether density with the theme Abundance - Aether I. A higher aether density was supposed to help when acquiring skills and leveling up, but it also served to passively purify and temper the body like metal in a forge. The immune system became more resistant, longevity increased, and the body and mind were strengthened holistically and accumulated potential. Abundance - Life I was used to produce fruit and other resources, but Priam had to provide the tree with a sample first. I''ll have to go back and visit the ants... Protection II strengthened the tree''s wood against aggression and warned Priam if the tree was attacked or if an enemy came too close. According to the mental explanation, the tree was currently very resistant. It would not suffer any damage, even bathed in the acid of the ants. Tired, the young man finally asked the tree to produce soft leaves to make a makeshift bed. Although not as soft as silk, the leaves were comfortable. It was a great improvement over his previous nights. For the first time since his arrival, Priam went to bed happy, satisfied with his day, and confident about the future. "I need to find a better name for my home. Hut is too generic. I didn''t even build it." Priam hummed and thought. Naming his possessions was always complicated. When he played video games, he often spent more time naming his characters than getting them to the top ten levels. Suddenly he laughed. "Log-a-rhythm! If I survive in this new world, it will be by singing with a smile on my face. My house must look like me. Free, proud, and above all, happy to live! Because when you don''t like living anymore, you''re already almost dead. Its name will be Log-a-rhythm."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Smiling, feeling safe, he fell asleep very quickly. About two kilometers away, Arnold had put his exploration on hold. He was reluctant to venture far, alone at first. The resources became more interesting as one moved away from the portal, but the dangers were more prevalent. Despite his superiority in the Tutorial, he knew his place in the Elysium food chain: at the bottom. He was confident that time would change that. Seized by a sudden urge, he returned to the portal to check that no one had arrived since. His sense of smell confirmed that at least two individuals had recently arrived. They had gone in a different direction than he had, and one of the two tracks was disappearing rapidly. The other was more marked, the prints deeply inscribed in the ground. After analyzing their depth and the distance between the two prints, Arnold deduced that the owner was physically superior to him and was moving at nearly 100 km/h or 62 mph. A feat for a biped. But the last two arrivals did not worry Arnold. He had arrived before them, and he had changed since his arrival. His lead would not be easily overcome. No, what Arnold was worried about was the First. The body was gone, and given the latest arrivals, Arnold was under no illusion. He reacted poorly to their encounter by directly eliminating the threat. No one could get through the Tutorial faster than he could without being extremely skilled or having assets. Arnold could see that he had been fooled. The First had played him and feigned weakness to check his intentions. And he had fallen for it. It was a test, and he had failed. Perhaps he was watching him now, spinning his web to manipulate Arnold to his will. Or he now considered Arnold inferior and unworthy. The Var Elegis wanted to scream in rage at his stupidity. But he controlled himself. There would be no more mistakes. The primary goal was to accumulate power to help the Empire. He had to continue evolving, eliminating competitors, and building alliances with the powerful. He had to convince the First of the value of an alliance. Or destroy him if he refused. "[Analysis]" Focusing on the traces, Arnold quickly detected an anomaly in the aether. Two physical traces were present, but three traces in the aether were detected. Someone wants to play hide and seek. The Var Elegis was not very concerned about the first two tracks. Honestly, given the mass, strength, movement technique, and arrival time of the owner of the first track, Arnold had already concluded that he would win easily. The opponent would certainly be a formidable killing machine, but he had taken advantage of his lead in Elysium. He had already created and improved his techniques and features. The owner of the second trace was more elusive, and the homunculus hesitated. Dexterity? Perhaps specialized in the mind? However, the first traces, the ones that had been camouflaged, bothered him. The measurements of the analysis seemed to indicate a form of life half plant, half animal. One of the homunculus'' processes told him this enemy would be a nuisance if he let it grow. "Elimination of the Third in high priority. Start tracking." Arnold began to follow the tracks of the last biped. Following the fugitive''s tracks was not complicated. Arnold had honed his analytical skills over the past two days. Five kilometers down the road, the tracks led him to a huge tree, and the Var Elegis believed his prey was hiding inside. Another hypothesis was that it had merged with the tree. The tree must have been thirty meters high, and the shimmering colors of its leaves seemed artificial. Arnold looked around briefly for a potential trap, then prepared to attack. His stats were very high, and he had no weaknesses, but the Var Elegis wouldn''t use his martial skills to fight such a huge tree. Arnold planted his feet on a thick root. Tiny tentacles spread out under the homunculus'' feet and penetrated the root. If Priam had been present, he would not have been able to recognize the chemical composition of the tentacles. Was this technology superior to that of human civilization? Another branch of technology? Or were there other fundamental laws governing the Var Elegis Empire? Without answering these questions, Arnold began to absorb the energy flowing through the root system. Extending his right hand, palm facing the target tree, he smiled. "Pesticide or combustion? To annihilate this tree quickly, I''m leaning towards combustion. [Weaponry: Directed Energy - LASER]." A continuous beam, invisible to the naked eye, left Arnold''s palm and instantly struck the surface of the tree trunk. The skill was terrifying in its speed - the speed of light - and its power in the hundreds of kilowatts. Arnold could theoretically reach megawatts by drawing more energy from the roots, but he didn''t want to damage his body. Some of the stolen energy was not converted into light but into heat, and the Var Elegis'' body was already starting to heat up. If Arnold''s sensors informed him of the problem, the homunculus still had time before it was in danger. The tree, however, was already aflame. Three seconds after the assault began, a shape seemed to emerge from the other side of the trunk. The tree had given birth to a semi-human form in just one second. The Drya Guardian left the tree and fell to the ground. As he rose to his feet, he turned toward Arnold and manipulated the aether into a soothing wave signifying his pacifism. Despite the homunculus'' preemptive attack, the Drya had no desire to fight. He mourned the impending death of his fellow tree but also knew that his ashes would give strength and vitality to the rest of the forest. The Guardian spoke, wrapping his words in aether to convey their intent, if not their exact meaning. "Peace warrior. My name is Dishnu, Guardian of the Dryas. I do not seek war, I do not steal resources, and you will find me tomorrow as you do today: at peace." Arnold closed his hand, and the spear of light disappeared. He did not understand the Drya''s words, but he was aware that the Drya was not looking for war. The Empire, with the help of its archives and artificial intelligence programmed to predict the new world, had established that some beings would be peaceful or neutral. Not everyone could be thirsty for hegemonic control. Unfortunately for Dishnu, Arnold was the representative of the Empire. His opponent manipulated the aether with a disturbing naturalness, and Arnold wanted to eliminate the competition. He was educated to do so, almost programmed to follow the Empire''s lead. Dishnu instantly sensed that the homunculus was not going to stop its assault. Dryas were sensitive to emotions and the aether. Blessed by it, they could understand every living being. This blessing, this gift from the aether and the gods, drove them to be peaceful. The Dryas knew life''s value and that few beings were inherently evil. But Dishnu also knew when a battle of ideas was lost. The Var Elegis would not be reasoned with by words - and they still shared no language - but by actions. That would take time. For the time being, Dishnu intended to survive. They could become friends later. A second passed, then the fight resumed. Arnold approached the Drya using all the power of his legs and the jet thrusters in his back, which were instantly created by his unique anatomy. On Earth, his speed would have been enough to break the sound barrier during his acceleration. Still, the atmospheric pressure in Elysium was too high, preventing him from achieving this feat. The homunculus wanted to get as close as possible to the Drya to blur the nearby aether and limit the tree-man''s abilities. He knew he was outclassed in this category, but destroying was always easier than creating. Dishnu quickly retreated and disappeared into a tree before emerging from another twenty yards away. He could use two nearby trees as portals and relied on this ability to avoid getting too close to Arnold. The two opponents had quickly figured out their respective abilities, and Dishnu knew he was physically outmatched. Arnold stopped abruptly and turned around, sending light pulses from his hands to hurt the Drya. The Drya dodged the photonic attacks by running into trees, but its hosts were quickly burned. After about ten seconds, a fire had already broken out, and a hundred trees looked like torches. The Keeper of the Dryas and Nature would not let the Var Elegis reduce more trees to ashes. Sometimes you have to punish the child to teach him a lesson. [Nature¡¯s Wrath] As Arnold activated a nuclear reactor inside him to increase his power tenfold, the trees in a two-hundred-meter radius rose. Thousands of aether-strengthened branches and roots, strong enough to shred steel, slammed into Arnold. The homunculus smiled. Living for more than a century in the order of the Empire, he had felt nothing in that time. He had never tried to feel anything, for that matter. But the Tutorial had changed that. He discovered that he liked to fight. That he wanted to win. "[Armament: Nova]" The forest lit up. Status: (Average value for a male Homo sapiens before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 23 Constitution 35 Agility 34 Vitality 51 Perception 24 MENTAL: Vivacity 60 Dexterity 17 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 ???? Chapter 6: Kinetic Control The host has owned the System for five days. Unlocking the Potential. The Potential is a resource linking the host to the Concepts. By consuming it, you may borrow the power of the Divine. Creation and evolution of skills, increase of characteristics,... the uses of the Potential are numerous. Use it sparingly. Priam woke up happy and well. Glad to be alive, safe, and knowing he could get better. He could finally use his Potential and create a skill that would allow him to defend himself against the ants of this world. Maybe one day he would even defend himself against dragons... He was also in perfect shape. A good night''s sleep helped him to get his mind right and to take a step back from his current life. As soon as he got up, Priam''s stomach churned. He was starving. Log-a-rhythm apparently also acted as a waiter and offered him some sap. This seemed pretty unoriginal for a fantastic tree. It''s nice but... It''s strange to have something else in my head besides my conscience. I''ll have to get used to it. The sap was thirst-quenching and allowed him to absorb and ingest nutrients. Moreover, the tree could improve its sap. To do this, he would need to find other resources, such as Passifloras. I¡¯ll have to go to the other side of the world to find magical fruits to improve my fantasy tree. It looks like a quest from an old MMORPG¡­ Curious, he accepted the sap. Suddenly a sapling sprang up from the floor of his room. As it reached his chest, the sapling''s crown flared and merged to present Priam with a large wooden bowl. A clear, golden liquid appeared at the bowl''s bottom before filling it. Priam, intrigued, dipped his finger into the fresh sap. The liquid was far less viscous than any sap he remembered on Earth. In large quantities, it looked ambered, similar to pine resin. Fortunately, it was not resin. Where sap is the tree''s nutrient fluid, like blood for humans, the resin is polymerized by the air when the tree is injured to cover the wound. Will Log-a-rhythm be able to provide me with resin to heal me if I bleed? He brought his finger to his mouth. The taste was sweet and fresh. It tasted like a kind of lavender iced tea. It is delicious! In his list of priorities - which he had just updated - Priam made a note to himself to find samples of fruits and herbs to provide to his magical tree. He was excited to enjoy a varied breakfast. A few minutes later, the bowl was empty. Priam had drunk his fill. Thoughtfully, he asked the tree to make a chair and then sat down. The sun had just risen, and he had to use his time wisely. Arnold must be training right now. The walls were transparent, and Priam could see outside. Far ahead, a cloud of smoke was rising. A few kilometers away, he suspected that Arnold or another rival must be very active. It was time to get proactive! Priam had some idea of how to increase his power. He didn''t want to be intimidated by all the creatures of Elysium. To that end, the Tutorial had given him a clue. "It''s time to create an offensive skill. The three sinews of war are attack, defense, and movement. Not to mention information and supply, according to Sun Tzu. Supply is currently covered by Log-a-rhythm, defense by my pseudo-immortality, and movement by [Art of Movement]. I still have to work on information and attack. Currently, I am not even able to kill an ant in this new world..." Priam was faced with a dilemma. Each skill level gave him one or more Potential points. These points had several possible uses. According to the Tutorial, the Potential could create epiphanies and bridges between imagination and reality to produce new skills. Priam had no idea how to make a skill that would let him throw fireballs. But with a few points of Potential, he was supposed to be able to create that skill easily. But these points were rare. The System granted the first ones according to the life previously led. An astronaut who was a champion swimmer started with ten times more Potential than a lazy drunk. The next few points were earned with little difficulty. During the Tutorial, Priam made some points by using his studies. For example, he unlocked the skills [Arithmetic], [Geometry] and [Physics - Forces]. Only, without being able to practice, he couldn''t earn many points with them. All his years of study had only given him a finite number of Potential. The rest would have to be gained with new skills. "I need a build with skills that will synergize together. They must reinforce each other to multiply their effectiveness rather than adding them together!" Throwing fireballs and teleporting was cool. But throwing fireballs and creating portals was a much better idea. In the second case, the portals could change the fireballs'' trajectory and angle of attack. The second skill would enhance the first: it was a synergy. But better synergies existed. It was essential that the young man discover them. Priam realized that he was almost immortal: he could take risks. The Concepts looked for courageous behavior and outstanding achievements. They rewarded those who took risks and fought enemies more powerful than themselves. Priam had the advantage of pseudo-immortality and intended to use it to the fullest to advance quickly. He was thinking of sacrificing his defense to increase his attack. His movement skill should allow him to get close to the enemy or get out of the way quickly. He had always preferred an explosive offense to a slow approach. To kill his enemies, Priam would choose C4 over poison. "I need to specialize in becoming some kind of assassin. Maybe I could work with kinetic energy because I like speed. A lightning approach before concentrating all my movement energy into one point. An explosive attack. Every action has a reaction according to Newton''s third law; maybe I could use that reaction to get out of the way?" While theory-crafting his future build, Priam was smiling. He thought back to the mangas of his childhood and analyzed their techniques to see which would work for him. Some skill combinations were better than others. To find them, he expressed all his ideas in a jumble. The smile turned into a laugh. How many humans will imitate Rasengan or Bankai? After calming down, Priam continued his reflection. "To round out my toolkit and eliminate some glaring weaknesses, I could draw inspiration from novels I''ve read. Create a spatial domain to inform me of vector changes and kinetic energy around me. A sphere of perception to monitor movement. I could recognize dangers in real-time with enough Alertness and Perception. Easily know my enemies'' location and my position relative to them! But it¡¯s a dream for the future." A known but efficient skill. Priam was getting more and more excited about his plan. A set of specialized skills, built to erase each other''s weaknesses, would be far more effective than a multitude of skills with no foundation. But would he have enough Potential? Indeed he would have to make choices. "I''ll also need to work on my Agility to react quickly and take advantage of the information I receive. The kind of battle I want to fight is skirmishes. I will need to be very quick in action and reaction. With this kind of strategy, I don''t know if my attacks will take advantage of my Physical Strength or my Agility. Kinetic energy is calculated as half the mass of an object multiplied by its velocity squared. The question is, how much do my Agility and Strength play into defining my speed?" Priam had noticed as his characteristics increased that his body was changing. An extra point in strength did not change the laws of the universe to increase his impact on his environment. It was his body that was changing. He could feel his muscles densifying, changing, and the effects were real. Was there a limit? The System and the Tutorial had never mentioned one. This world had its own laws, and thinking about them with his ancient knowledge was futile and dangerous. He should not limit himself to his preconceptions. At 20 in Strength, he could potentially lift twice the maximum load of an average man - of his build. Why potentially? Priam suspected that the physical characteristics were related. Without boosting his Constitution and thus his tendons and muscles, they would get damaged. For 100 Strength to 10 Constitution, the danger could be deadly. A man could lift a boulder, break his muscles under the effort, and then be crushed under that same boulder. A minimum of Constitution was necessary to withstand great Strength. However, skills could change the calculation. There must be a ratio so as not to hurt oneself. But the characteristics must be able to be optimized to specialize its abilities. This would avoid training useless skills to increase one''s Constitution and not kill oneself by accelerating too fast. That was the problem. In theory, it was possible to discover or create a multitude of skills and work on them all to obtain an almost infinite number of characteristic points. Depending on its rarity, each skill gave one or more characteristic points per level. But in practice, time was not infinite for almost anyone. According to the Tutorial, skills became complicated to increase after a certain level. Despite having all the time in the world, talent and affinity were natural barriers. Some people got a master''s degree in mathematics at eighteen, while others never. Some people ran the 100-meter dash in under ten seconds, but 99% didn''t have the talent or genetic aptitude to do that. In concrete terms, if you wanted to run as fast as possible and had talent, time, passion, and desire, you would get skills that would increase your Agility. Perfect. But to speed up even more, you would need Strength in your legs and Constitution to keep your body going. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. However, the skills that would give you these points would take longer to build because you would have talent and affinity for running and Agility, not bodybuilding and Strength. So you would be slowed down in learning them, and in the meantime, you would not be able to keep increasing your Agility. Not to mention the Alertness and Dexterity needed to control your speed... Fortunately for Priam, there were ways around these problems. "According to the tutorial, Elysium is the Royal Way because talent is secondary here. The incredible density of aether helps to offset talent. It''s like the energy needed to raise the skill level is everywhere. Aether stimulates the body and mind. It is a catalyst, allowing you to increase your skills with less effort and time. Not to mention the scarce resources that are common here, which allow one to overcome all these obstacles." Reassured that he had made the right choice, Priam decided to use his Potential points. Potential - Skill Creation Please think about the skill you want to create. The Concepts will help you in its design. Current potential: 117 The first thing to do was to create a skill that would synergize with his Talent [He Who Eludes Death]. Because of the way Priam had acquired the Talent, he knew it would be pointless to attempt to modify it. But perhaps he could work around the problem... "I''d like my soul to live a day in... One hour." Accelerating his soul''s perception/aging could perhaps give him twenty-four lives a day? Potential required: 18,759,642,300. Funny... Priam sighed before trying to change some parameters. He discovered that it was possible to resurrect his body several meters from the place of his death or to observe his surroundings from his mental space - before his resurrection. It was also possible to gain more attributes with each death. Unfortunately, all these passive and active skills were prohibitively expensive. The cheapest cost nearly three thousand points. Undaunted, Priam decided he''d come back to it the day he was rich in Potential. But if he couldn''t become unkillable, he had to learn to defend himself... and to attack! Priam wanted to start by creating an attack skill. At the moment, that was what he sorely needed. He could make the rest later. He closed his eyes and concentrated, thinking about his goals. About a skill that would help him manipulate the kinetic energy around him. Priam mixed his hopes and dreams. He wanted to go fast. While battling the ants, he realized that he liked speed. By going fast, he felt free... Willingness and intention were among the most important factors when choosing a skill. Potential required: 97,404 Does the System think I am so rich? My wish is too general. Instead, manipulate the kinetic energy of the objects in contact with me. Potential required: 8 452 Better. But completely impossible right now. Yet I want it to be related to kinetic energy... Something that gives me control over my movement. Potential required: 8 241 "Hmm?! I haven''t changed my wish yet... Maybe my understanding is affecting the Potential asked. I need to design my skill better and understand the forces that govern it, its causes and effects. If so... Priam, think! All those years on the university bench will finally pay off!" Kinetic energy... It is the energy a body possesses because of its motion relative to a given reference frame. Reference frame, mass, speed. Work of a force. Conversion of energy... Potential required: 1 684 Priam recalled his scientific background and university courses. Formulas of the relativistic and non-relativistic cases, energy conversion, kinetic energy at the microscopic scale equals thermal energy... Potential required: 652 Potential points had dropped as Priam grasped the essence of the energy that would constitute his skill. He knew he would have to make a choice. He could not use all aspects of this energy. What he wanted was to increase the power of his blows. Changing his mass would be too complicated, but borrowing speed and energy and giving it back at the right time? Potential required: 214 I am almost there. I have to visualize exactly what I want. No more, no less. There will always be time later to improve my technique and generalize it. Buying a seed is cheaper than buying a mature tree. Priam reduced his wish to the essential. A perfect synthesis. "Storing my kinetic energy or kinetic energy transmitted to me, and then returning it to my body or an object in contact." Potential required: 184 Almost... If I add limitations? "Limitations: no more than five accumulations stored at a time in level 1. No reference frame manipulation at level 1." Potential required: 151 "One last limitation. Store a percentage of my kinetic energy or energy transmitted to me." Potential required: 84 With a bit of practice, he could quickly increase that percentage to 100%. "Perfect! Let''s recap: Store a percentage of my kinetic energy or the energy transmitted to me and then give it back to my body or an object in contact. Limitation: no more than five stored accumulations at a time. No reference frame manipulation." Potential required: 84 Create competence? Yes! The world exploded. That was how Priam felt when a bright white replaced his sight. All his senses seemed to see white, if that was possible. He felt disconnected from his body, his senses alert and his thoughts clear. He knew all he had to do was think about something to understand. His thoughts had a clarity that would have seemed impossible just moments before. In that moment of epiphany, a part of his brain thought that his consciousness outside this space was weak. There was so much more... Without giving Priam any more time to get lost in his temporary abilities, a bright shadow arrived. The words gave Priam no time to ponder the impossibilities, but he was sure of one thing: the Concepts were there. Their presence seemed distantly overwhelming. In his mental clarity, Priam knew he was in the presence of the divine. With an incomprehensible action, the young man''s thoughts were directed to the creation of the skill. All his knowledge, his desires, his suggestions, and his expectations served to light a mental flame. The synthesis of what his skill would be appeared. It was just a concept, but in that mental space, it had taken shape. The basic idea went into the flame to be refined. Priam''s Potential was materialized by the Concepts to power the virtual flame. It was the bridge between Priam''s knowledge, his dreams, and reality. The Concepts complemented Priam''s knowledge to allow the technique to come into being. Whether it was a split second or a year, Priam could not tell how much time had passed before the change. Suddenly the flame collapsed in on itself. It burned itself out and into imaginary space. Soon the flame disappeared, and a small star appeared. Almost a spark. The flame had been virtual, but the star was real. It whispered to Priam. At first glance, its creator knew that it was his skill. A concept that had taken the shape of a star. That was how he imagined it. As the epiphany ended, as the light shadow receded, Priam smiled as he contemplated the essence of his skill. You have created a skill, congratulations! New skill: [Kinetic Control - Epic] Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 23 Constitution 35 Agility 34 Vitality 51 Perception 24 MENTAL: Vivacity 62 Dexterity 20 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 4 Potential: 36 Chapter 7: The Hunter and the Prey The sun''s rays were lost between the branches of Log-a-rhythm. As they tried to break free, they seemed to create green and golden light bridges. As Priam looked at these arcs of shimmering light, he thought how beautiful this world was. He had just come out of the tree and was eager to try his new technique. He smiled as he looked at the skill again¡ªhis skill. [Kinetic Control] - Absorb, use, channel. Control. Kinetic energy obeys you. Motion energy is more than you think. Massive potential for evolution. VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Congratulation, you have unlocked a new META feature: Focus He began by stretching. Before using his new technique, Priam wanted to discover the limits of his body. Using a technique without understanding it was pretty dangerous. If he wanted to understand his new skill, it had to be the only new factor. If there were another unknown factor - in this case, the power of his body - he would not know the exact limits of [Kinetic Control]. Moreover, Priam was interested in learning his characteristics and their relationship with his body. The numbers given by the System were real, but what did they really mean? He continued with physical exercises, which were useful for loosening his body. Once he was warmed up, Priam began to measure his performance. First, he wanted to know exactly how many meters he could jump. After drawing a line in the grass, he gained momentum and jumped. He felt his muscles tense and give their maximum. His jump was impressive. As he landed, he was exultant. This new world had good sides. Calculating that one of his steps was one meter long, he estimated his jumping distance to be about ten meters. The old world record was 8.95 meters. "Even without jumping technique, I beat the world record by a wide margin..." Given Priam''s physical characteristics, this was normal. The System''s numbers made him about three times stronger, agile, dexterous, and sharper than an ordinary man. He was sure he could jump even further by improving his jumping technique. Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 10 VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 5 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 4 STR +1 Priam continued to train. He sweated through push-ups, pull-ups, and squats for almost an hour to test his new limits. During this time, he noticed that grass had replaced the charred ground around his tree overnight. He felt that soon all traces of the tribulation would be erased by nature. Log-a-rhythm gave off an aura of growth that pleased nature. I will soon live in a little piece of paradise... Lost in the middle of hell. Once warmed up, Priam walked to a tree at the edge of the clearing. He positioned himself to strike the trunk of the tree with his palm. He didn''t want to break his bones with a bad wooden blow. He struck. "Um!" Strangely, Priam did not feel much. Neither did the tree, if he were to be honest. His dream of breaking trees in half with the strength of his hands alone had yet to be achieved. His Constitution was more important than his Strength, and he understood that he was unlikely to be hurt by such actions. He got back into position and struck again using [Kinetic Control]. Using his skill was natural and strange at the same time. He didn''t feel like he was moving mana, feeling Qi, or even communicating with the Dao. His skill was like a new limb. A phantom arm that he finally remembered. He could use it naturally, almost without thinking about it... But it would take a lot of practice to master it. Easy to learn, hard to master. This time he felt as if his strength had vanished in a fraction of a second. In the corner of his mind, he visualized a star of light that contained energy. Instinctively, he knew releasing that energy for the same kind of strike would be easier. He could also use it to jump higher, but he felt that it would be less obvious and instinctive and that he would have to practice before attempting that. In short, the energy absorbed from one punch was more easily used in another punch than in a kick. Priam got into position for the third time. He sent his strike while releasing the energy he had stored. His strike was much faster. Ouch! The pain made him wince. When he opened his eyes, the tree was shaking a little. The grimace turned into a smile. His striking force was far superior to before. The skill was useful! "Well, it''s still early. I need to get to know it better. Then I''ll explore the surrounding area." Priam got back into position. Despite the heat, he was confident. He could finally see his progress and a solution to his problems. He struck again. Again and again. A few hours later, Priam was walking through the forest. He had trained hard but could not increase his skill level. He theorized that this was because he was still unfamiliar with some of the knowledge integral to using the technique. But he had the idea to continue his exploration on the run. He used his technique as much as possible to speed up and slow down randomly to confuse a likely observer and especially to train himself. Braking in the middle of a jump was a handy technique. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 3 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 In order not to run into Arnold or another rival before he was ready, Priam had moved away from the portal. He was beginning to regret his decision. Around him, the wildlife seemed more abundant. He hadn''t encountered any beasts yet, but he had noticed the tracks on the ground and in the trees were more recent. Priam was not a forester or a hunter but felt that the forest was inhabited there. The insects were more troublesome, and the birds more silent. Suddenly he stopped. "A rabbit?" A few meters away from Priam, a rabbit was taking advantage of a hole in the foliage of the trees to eat some grass under a sunny well. Its fur looked incredibly soft, snow-white in color. Immaculate, the only spots of color were its brown eyes and its... horn? [Identification] [Juvenile Rabhorn - Tier 0] - A rabbit with a horn. Vegetarian. Excellent when roasted, it will delight your taste buds. Contains a lot of good proteins for your muscles. Do not sell the skin of the rabhorn before you kill it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Priam stopped breathing. Meat... Over a week without eating meat. It was a first for Priam, and he had a new respect for vegans and vegetarians. His ecological conviction had always been firm, but to stop eating meat? No way. The young man was already salivating. The time for fruit is over! He walked towards the adorable creature, and it looked up. The rabhorn stared at him briefly and then resumed its meal. It had not judged Priam to be dangerous. What a mistake! My kingdom for a rabbit stew. Priam was French and didn''t mess around with food. He continued to move towards the beast. Less than two meters away, the rabhorn stopped eating and positioned itself in front of Priam. The two protagonists watched each other a bit more before the rabbit started grazing again. Priam hesitated. He had never killed a mammal before. In fact, he had never killed anything before the Tutorial. Except maybe a few insects when he was little, but it hardly counted. Every kid had once burned ants with a magnifying glass, right? Of course, Priam understood the interest of being able to kill animals to feed himself. In fact, he wouldn''t hesitate for a moment if he had to defend himself. But walking up to a rabbit to wring its neck? He was reluctant. Priam took a deep breath. He would have to do it sometime, and sooner rather than later. He wouldn''t feed on sap for the rest of his life. Priam moved toward the little mammal again. When he was less than a meter away, the rabhorn looked at him again, annoyed by the intruder, then jumped back a meter. Priam frowned at the apparent refusal to cooperate. The rabhorn had undoubtedly never tasted civet, or it would have agreed that its sacrifice would not be in vain. What a selfish rabbit. Some people just didn''t put the common good before themselves, but Priam knew that already. Little horned rabbit, you will end up as a delicious meal, and your fur will serve as my mattress! Throwing caution to the wind, Priam dashed toward the rabhorn, which leaped to the side this time. He chased after it, but a rabhorn raised since childhood in magical woods was more agile than a modern man raised in a city center. After five minutes of a pitiful chase, Priam faced the fact that the rabhorn was more agile. He wasn''t really exhausted, but it wouldn''t progress that way. Priam''d even seen the rabhorn take a few bites of grass when he was comfortably ahead. Disappointed, Priam began throwing rocks at the rabhorn, which quietly dodged them. Honestly, Priam wasn''t sure if the rabhorn was afraid of him. It even seemed like a game to the mammal. He couldn''t prove him wrong for the moment, but Priam had not said his last word. "Millennia of evolution and a hundred generations of ancestors are watching me. This rabbit is going to end up on my plate!" Closing his eyes, Priam concentrated on his skills. Specifically [Art of Movement] and [Kinetic Control]. The rabhorn wasn''t necessarily more agile than him, but it knew its body and its abilities much better. And it was small. Priam knew he would have to rely on [Art of Movement] to keep up with the rabhorn. That way, he could control his body better. His skills weren''t just for show. The bursts of speed from [Kinetic Control] could allow him to catch up with the beast. "Round 2!" With a conscious effort, Priam leaped forward. He felt his muscles tense, his feet position themselves on the ground, and his ankles twist to alter his trajectory. He could follow the beast. To the physical effort was added a mental effort. To feel his body, its impulses, its contractions. He thought about his proprioception, the perception of his body, to position himself in the space of the clearing. Knowing his height, location, and all the measurements related to his environment allowed him to see if he could place his foot serenely on the ground rather than on a root. It is normally an automatic mechanism, but without taking care, we sometimes stumble. Here, Priam was paying conscious attention to eliminate his mistakes. Priam caught up with the rabhorn from time to time. He was faster in a straight line because of his strength and agility. But the rabhorn lost him on the sharp turns. Priam began to watch his balance. He put his foot down in the tall grass, laid his body almost against the ground, and used his speed to keep from falling. Like a motorcycle going around a bend, Priam navigated impossible turns with a smile. The rabhorn remained in front, but the young man was no longer outclassed. Priam didn''t want to leave anything to chance, and his mindset was one of absolute concentration. Unconsciously, he felt this was the first step towards a new stage. The rabhorn dodged to the right, and Priam followed, his right foot digging into the ground, his ankle at a right angle, before the muscles in his leg propelled him behind the rabhorn. The rabhorn seemed surprised that the human could keep up. After a quarter of a second''s hesitation, it jumped back. Priam used one of his kinetic charges to accelerate. With one jump, his speed doubled. He wanted to avoid giving the rabhorn time to get used to it or understanding that it was in danger. Priam had trained all morning, and the acceleration did not destabilize him. Reaching his hand to the ground, his fingers were only a few centimeters away from the beast. As Priam concentrated on getting a firm grip on his prey, the prey seemed to crawl back on itself. A moment later, the rabhorn was behind him. It had passed between his legs with impossible acceleration. A skill! But of course, everyone in this world must have one or more skills. Possibly hereditary or even cleverly created... Annoyed, Priam took several meters to stop. His speed was too great. Theoretically, he could run faster than a 100-meter world champion. In this small clearing, this was impossible: there was no room to accelerate. But even so, his speed was phenomenal. When he used [Kinetic Control], it doubled. At that point, even with his Dexterity, Agility, and the help of [Art of Movement], he was no longer in complete control of his speed. When he turned around, the rabhorn was watching him warily. Priam leaped to his left, using his skill to build up another charge. "Round 3!" Using the [Art of Movement] to its fullest, Priam charged at the rabhorn. His senses were alert to track the beast. His eyes were fixed on the small mammal, but his peripheral vision informed him of his surroundings and the prey''s possible escape maneuvers. His hearing was trying to determine if intruders were nearby. He could hear his blood pulsing in his ears. To the right. At the last moment, Priam changed his course to follow the rabhorn in his leap. Two meters. The beast leaped backward and found itself backed up against a tree. Priam used his skill to accelerate again and force the rabhorn to use its skill. Left or right? It seemed to prefer the right, and the ground was more open. Knowing his opponent was winning half the battle. The man and the beast used their skills simultaneously. The jumps of the two adversaries were synchronized. The rabhorn had covered more distance but seemed disoriented to see Priam so close to it. One meter. The animal darted toward a thicket a few feet behind it. I''ll never find it in the bush if I lose him now. Priam used his acceleration skill twice in a row to get even closer. His support foot left deep marks in the ground from the titanic accelerations of his skill. Fifty centimeters. Sensing that the man would be on it before it reached the shelter of the trees, the rabhorn leaped back to Priam''s right, attempting to dribble past him. Carried away by his speed, Priam used his skill to absorb his kinetic energy and stop. Three charges. Priam pivoted to get the rabhorn in front of him. He used one charge to leap back at the beast, then a second. Ten centimeters. One more! With one final charge, Priam was on top of his prey, the fingers of his right hand stroking the beast''s fur. "Gotcha!" As his hand closed around the rabhorn''s delicate body, Priam had a bad feeling. The horn of the beast began to glow with a vibrant light. The prey leaped. Priam felt a current of air pass between his eyes. Congratulations, you are dead! Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 24 Constitution 35 Agility 36 Vitality 53 Perception 25 MENTAL: Vivacity 62 Dexterity 21 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 4 Potential: 44 Chapter 8: The Prey and the Hunter AHHHHHHHH!!! Priam would have wanted to scream with rage. Just before his death, as his fingers grazed the rabhorn, he had been so proud of himself. The environment of Elysium was unforgiving, but through hard work, dedication, planning, and effort, he had progressed. That was the impression he had gotten when his skills had risen to a higher level, when he had finally touched the rabhorn - and thus his goal. Priam calmed down and thought about his situation. In this new world, he was alone. For a human, this was difficult. Humans are social creatures. It was most apparent in extroverts. True, most introverts - like Priam - were comforted by knowing they could be alone in their homes. But they were still happy to visit a few friends, call their parents, or find someone to share their life with. Except that here, Priam was alone. He knew he had chosen the Royal Way himself, but he felt a little abandoned by humanity. There were so many exceptional men and women. Why hadn''t they joined Elysium yet? Deep down, Priam knew: this was no place for humans. But even if it was ridiculous or illogical, Priam felt abandoned by his fellow men. More than pain, more than thirst, more than fear, it was loneliness that tortured him. "Will I ever see my loved ones again? I chose the Royal Way to become the strongest, protect my family, and be free. For now, I have reaped only death and distress..." Taking a deep breath, Priam calmed himself. Life was sometimes cruel, and he hadn''t had much to be happy about. But he wasn''t going to give up now. I''d rather die than be killed again by a fucking rabbit. Some men were broken by life and hardship. Not Priam. The injustices he suffered enraged him. He turned that rage into energy. "This energy I will use to destroy anything that stands between me and my freedom." With his mind clear again and his spirits restored, Priam took stock of what had just happened. This new world was relentless. Without tearing it away with all his might, no victory would be granted to him. He understood now. The rabhorn and its cute appearance had taught him a lesson that he intended to imprint in letters of fire in his head. "I don''t have the luxury of underestimating the other inhabitants of this world. I would have died in the first few seconds if I were not immortal. To get back to the ones I love, to get back my life and my freedom, I have to become stronger." It was a thought Priam had had before, of course, but there was a difference between dying annihilated by an alien or burned and surrounded by ants, and dying at the hands of a rabbit. He was at the very end of the food chain, and being lucky enough to get Log-a-rhythm didn''t change that. Priam shivered slightly. Thinking about his death made him reflect on the moment before it. At first, he felt like insulting himself: he had not thought of absorbing the kinetic energy of the rabhorn''s attack. He felt that he had the opportunity. The attack was clearly not entirely projectile-related but partially so. He might have been able to survive by absorbing some of the kinetic energy of the attack. But what really gave Priam pause was the cool sensation in his head. The attack had pierced his forehead and destroyed his brain. Despite the destruction of his brain, he had survived for a few moments. His resurrection power was handy, but surviving and feeling things after his brain was destroyed was what Priam called magical. "I am in a new world. I have to realize this and open my mind. Physics and fundamental laws are similar, but rabbits can kill me here. Everything is potentially dangerous, but all dreams are attainable in exchange..." Priam admonished himself. To lose himself in thought here was to invite death. He refocused and observed the changes his death had brought. Your perk [He who eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 5 Synergy detected with your perk [Humans adapt]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: CONST +8 PERC + 4 STR + 2 [Touched by aether] - Adaptation time: 11 days (previously 14 days) Lvl Up: [Art of movement] lvl 4 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 You have gained the skill: [Perforation Resistance]. [Perforation Resistance] - The finger penetrates the butter, and the iron penetrates the finger. You fight more against the iron than against the butter; now, the iron will penetrate you less. The arrangement of your body''s molecules is optimized to give you better protection against puncture. There will be no jokes about penetration. But stop. CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +1 Your title [Brainless - Bronze] shows up. You see a possibility of evolution. [He Who Eludes Death] Charge: 0. Recharge in 10 hours at 0h. New Quest: Revenge Killed by a rabbit... It had a horn, but it''s your ego that''s bruised. Get your pride back. Find the rabhorn. Kill it. Reward: [Poison Resistance], Potential + 10. Difficulty: Very Low Maximum time: 1 Day "Currently, I''m away from my shelter, with no extra life since my skill doesn''t accumulate lives and I missed that rabhorn... I might as well look around a bit to find its burrow. As for the rest... Tomorrow." Priam looked around the small clearing as he stood up. The rabhorn had disappeared, but if he was to guess the location of the entrance, he had to put himself in the rabbit''s shoes. It had run off in one direction. So Priam had a clue as to the location of its den. The rabbit might be smart enough not to run into its hole, but Priam doubted it. If this rabhorn had as much in common with a rabbit as Priam thought, its burrow must have provided easy access to food. Rabbits preferred sloping ground and dry, loose soil for easy digging. I''m looking for an embankment or slope with cleared earth and certainly on the edge of a clearing to get a good view. A few minutes later, hunched over in the thicket, scanning the ground - and the sky - for a burrow or a threat, Priam heard a noise. It wasn''t the rustle of leaves, a distant howl of monsters - which never failed to startle Priam - or the song of a bird. It was a grunt. Priam froze. Arnold had taught him that encounters could end violently. Worse, he didn''t have any extra life right now. But the grunt seemed to indicate a battle and an enemy undoubtedly too busy to notice. "Know your enemy and know yourself," Priam quoted. "If Sun Tzu is so famous, he must be right, right? I need some information about these potential rivals. I can''t live in hiding forever after all..." Cautiously, Priam walked toward the noise. He hoped this wouldn''t be his last mistake, but he couldn''t live in fear alone. Despite his defeat, he was no rabbit, running from every danger. A few feet away from him was a new clearing, larger than the previous one. In the center, a futuristic suit of armor seemed to be training with a spear. Quietly, he watched the training. No, the fight. A brown rabhorn was trying to flee, dodging the armor''s assaults. Priam wanted to know more about the warrior before escaping. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [Identification] [Hoplite Champion] - Hoplites are extremely violent people with a warlike culture. After dominating their planet, they voluntarily split into several groups to continue fighting. Proud, brave, intelligent, and talented, the soldiers are selected from childhood, and less than one percent survive the training. The rest of the population participates in the war effort by studying and seeking to improve their warriors. Genetic manipulation, eugenics, weapon and armor creation, mental manipulation, cybernetic augmentation... Bioethics have no place in their world. Their champion stands before you. Another madman. Priam didn''t intend to stay there any longer. He knew he would eventually meet someone for whom diplomacy was more than a contest of who had the biggest spear. But for now, he seemed to attract psychopaths. I can''t wait to meet pretty, graceful elves and vampires allergic to human blood... His heart was beating fast, but his eyes were focused. He started to get up. A burrow was visible on the other side of the clearing, and he would return tomorrow. Suddenly, the rabhorn used its skill. Its horn vibrated, and a cone of translucent light shot toward the champion. In a blur of movement, he swung his spear to intercept the attack. The cone disintegrated. The rabhorn lay motionless, seemingly overcome with fatigue. Its ultimate attack seemed to take a lot of energy. The champion stepped forward and impaled the beast with his spear. Priam took the opportunity to run away. At first slowly, then after a few meters, he started to run. Everything told him that a confrontation would not end well for him. And right now, with no way to communicate, he had nothing to gain by approaching the champion. After a few minutes of running and while he was concentrating on his running and moving skills, he had a hunch. Am I being followed? Without panicking, he continued as if nothing had happened. Probably the Hoplite. His armor should slow him down, but with my bad luck, it''s probably him. He must have detected me earlier and is tracking me down to take him to my shelter. If I enter through a secret entrance, I should be able to lose him... Priam continued to run, but his distracting thoughts prevented him from concentrating on his skill [Art of Movement]. He stumbled over a root a few feet further before resuming his run. He had not taken more than three steps when he was thrown to the ground. His skill had kicked in this time, almost by reflex. His eyes blurred by tears of pain, and he struggled to his feet to see the champion''s spear nailed to the tree in front of him. Under the spear was his left arm. It had been torn off, then dragged. "Eaz geka ponni..." A deep voice was heard behind him, and Priam turned around. The champion was there, a few feet away. A piercing aura emanated from him. He looked like a knight from Dark Souls, crossed with a Terminator. Priam knew that he had no chance in combat. Even if he had seen his characteristics triple, he still wouldn''t have wanted to try his luck. The warrior had thrown his heavy spear like a javelin at a terrifying speed. He had no extra life and was terrified. I have to run. Using my [Kinetic Control] skill well should give me the boost I need to escape to the shelter. Priam didn''t have many options, but he knew he couldn''t fight or try to be diplomatic. The Hoplite had more reach, power, and most importantly, experience. Priam had lost to a horned rabbit. The champion had made it his lunch. Looking behind the hoplite warrior, Priam shouted. "Behind you! Look out, a clown!" Without waiting to see the reaction, he fled toward the shelter. After a few meters, Priam felt the champion chasing him. The young man ran as if his life depended on it. It did. He was vaguely aware of stepping on brambles and sharp pieces of dead wood. His feet must have been bleeding. But adrenaline and fear gave him wings. As he dashed away faster than a rabhorn, a root tripped Priam. As he fell to the ground, he realized he still couldn''t concentrate on the [Art of Movement]. He was losing a lot of blood, and his thoughts were unclear. Priam knew that fear for his life was preventing him from concentrating and maximizing his chances of survival. He jumped to his feet and accelerated using [Kinetic Control]. Focus! Think about your feet and your strides. Dodge the tree from the left. Jump over the branch. Slide under the dead tree. To the right, behind the tree, to prevent it from skewering you with its spear. Little by little, Priam was focusing. He felt his skill and his state of mind harmonizing. A pond? No time to go around it. Jump! [Kinetic Control], [Kinetic Control], [Kinetic Control]! Priam took to the air. In one leap, he flew over the water. His jump, about twenty meters long, took him over the obstacle. He activated [Kinetic Control] at the end of his jump to slow down in the air and then landed with a roll to break his fall. If he had had time, Priam would have been very proud of his achievement. Death gives you wings... Lvl Up: [Art of movement] lvl 5 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Kinetic control] lvl 2 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 "To cut a caper serves a purpose..." Priam got up and ran into the woods. A second later, the tree behind him exploded, a spear flying through it. The champion had picked up his spear, and Priam was trying hard not to be in the warrior''s line of fire. While the suns were still high in the sky, Priam began to recognize the terrain. Closer to the gate, the vegetation was... Less hostile. I''m almost there! Every second brought him closer to his refuge, and he knew he could enter it from any tree within a hundred meters. It was the perfect time to use Secret Passage. Secret passage. All the plants are linked within a giant web. You can open a portal to the Log-a-rhythm from any tree within a hundred meters. Just a few more seconds and I''ll be safe! He could feel the champion coming closer, but there was nothing he could do but run and hope. Hiding from his opponent by trying to lose him in the thicket was impossible. Too much blood flowed from his open stump, and his feet left enough tracks for a blind man to track. Priam knew Log-a-rhythm''s location would be compromised, but he had no choice. There! The fugitive recognized a looping tree about two hundred meters from his base. He was so close to his goal, so happy that he almost didn''t react. A kind of presentiment, born of his intimate knowledge of death, told him of a lethal danger. [Kinetic Control]! Priam used the charge stolen from the warrior''s initial attack to throw himself sideways. He slammed into a shrub and broke it in his fall. The spear had whistled in his ears despite his instant reaction. Without his awareness, he would have died. Straightening up with difficulty, the injured man let out a grunt of pain. The loss of blood, the frantic race, and now the violence of the shock left him without stamina. The flow of adrenaline had dried up. With a colossal effort of will, Priam stood up. He wanted to live. The hoplite champion was approaching him quietly. He had not yet retrieved his spear, sure of his victory. Priam turned and limped toward Log-a-rhythm. 180 meters. The champion was still closing in. 150 meters. Priam thought he could feel his breath on his neck. If breath could pass through armor. 130 meters. The warrior had passed Priam and was standing in his way. Between him and his base. Between him and life. Priam opened his eyes defiantly and walked around the warrior. He thought he heard him laugh. "Athat ujuk. Ujok." 110 meters. Priam felt himself grabbed by his right shoulder. The champion lifted him like a kitten and turned him to face him. His armor was integral, and Priam couldn''t even make out the hoplite''s eyes. In a way, this helped him. Death had no face. Death did not even have hatred. The warrior saw him as a defeated opponent. There was no cruelty in his attitude, just automatisms. He had a duty, and his prey would die. After a second of silence, Priam spat in the hoplite''s face. The gesture was universal, and he would not beg for his life. He knew it was useless; the hoplite was a killer. A murderous aura crystallized around the hoplite, and Priam felt a monstrous kick hit him in the chest. [Kinetic Control]! A tree stopped Priam''s glide. He felt a sharp pain in his ribs as he absorbed part of the blow. Stunned, he crawled two meters away from the tree. The warrior was already on him. Priam turned around, lying on the ground, and sat up as best he could as the warrior glared at him. Wounded, his body covered in blood, Priam held out his one hand to the champion. As the enemy bent to finish him off, their hands touched, and Priam smiled. The tree behind the armored warrior glinted slightly. "Adios fucker. [KINETIC CONTROL]!" Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 26 Constitution 45 Agility 38 Vitality 53 Perception 33 MENTAL: Vivacity 64 Dexterity 26 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 8 Potential: 53 Chapter 9: Mens sana in corpore sano The Hoplite warrior was thrown backward violently. How does it feel to be hit by your own attack? Priam had absorbed part of the shock that threw him towards the tree. The tree was less than a hundred meters from Log-a-rhythm, so he had been able to activate the secret passage. The hoplite had not noticed anything, the entrance almost invisible to anyone but Priam. The young man had then crawled away from the tree so the warrior could place himself between him and the portal. He then had to physically touch the hunter to return part of his blow and propel him backward. The hunter had become prey, and the prey, hunter. As the hoplite was transported through the portal into Log-a-rhythm, Priam''s smile faded, and he mentally closed the passage. He had won, but at what cost? It was useless if he didn''t survive until midnight, and his injuries were severe... His left arm was torn off, his feet had open wounds from running, his ribs were certainly cracked, and his organs were traumatized. He was in bad shape. Priam took a breath as all traces of the battle were already beginning to disappear. The forest near his base was incredibly active, lively, and vigorous. The grass had already absorbed the blood that had been spilled. The presence of Log-a-rhythm was transforming the surroundings. It might come in handy in the future... Any good apocalypse survivor should have a garden! Priam stood up and walked towards the previously discarded hoplite spear. It was undoubtedly a valuable item. Cutting-edge hoplite technology. Priam began laughing at his joke before pain called him to order. Once he had retrieved the spear - it weighed a ton - he headed for his shelter. He was in no condition to fight or flee again and wanted safety. As he came to the majestic tree that served as his secret base, Priam touched it. The tree mentally communicated to him the image of the hoplite warrior trying to flee by hitting the inner walls of the tree. Protection II was proving its worth. Not only was the outside of the tree impossibly strong, but the inside was a space controlled by Priam. The champion could have been ten times stronger, but he still wouldn''t have had a chance to escape or damage the inside of Log-a-rhythm. Priam mentally commanded the tree to separate the two levels. The warrior was now locked in the lower level. With another thought, the lights of the prison flickered and then faded. Finally, Priam decided to reduce the prison space to a cube of two meters on each side. Honestly, he wasn''t sure what to do about the warrior. It was impossible to release him, impossible to keep him prisoner indefinitely, and difficult to simply let him starve to death. This new world was unforgiving, but Priam didn''t want to needlessly torture a warrior and let him wither away. Killing a warrior in battle was self-defense. Killing a prisoner with feelings and emotions was a war crime. The hoplite could have tortured him, but he had ''just'' chased him to kill him. In this fierce new world, that was unfortunately the way to go. Any act of charity or kindness could backfire. Priam understood this logic but could not bring himself to embrace it. The only way to change that was to get to the top. Priam had two selfish reasons to keep him alive. The first was that the hoplite warrior was the only one who could provide him with answers. They couldn''t communicate yet, but if Priam was willing to sacrifice some of his potential, he could learn the Hoplite language. The second reason was that the hoplite was an outstanding warrior. If Priam fought him, he would improve much faster. "I''ll think about him later. Right now, I''m not even sure I''ll be alive until tonight." Entering his shelter, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to apply a tourniquet to his left arm. A branch sprouted from the previously smooth wall to stop the bleeding. Rather than clasping the arm, the end of the branch opened up, and resin closed his wounds. The stump would not have time to heal, but the resin would prevent the blood from escaping. There wasn''t enough of a stump left for the tourniquet to compress. The tree showed a certain level of intelligence and adaptability. The tree mentally sent him a positive response. It did not seem to be able to speak with words but could communicate with images or concepts. The communication was rudimentary because it was a simple algorithm that governed its base. It could change in the future. With a hint from Log-a-rhythm, Priam lay down in a pool that opened up in the ground. Vitality-pulsing sap began to appear, and soon Priam''s body was covered. The fluid was a tonic, a concoction designed to heal him - or at least keep him alive - and a painkiller. Priam closed his eyes as the pain returned. "Now I have to survive until midnight." When the system''s notification of his extra life appeared, Priam sighed with relief. It had been a long wait, but he had gradually calmed down as the pain disappeared. He was not relieved because he feared death. He was most eager to move, to act, and to improve. His rivals were making progress right now and were already one step ahead of him. The Hoplite had proven to him that Arnold was no exception: Priam was weak. He had been able to reflect on his actions since the beginning of his adventure. In five days, Priam had made incredible progress but had come close to death too many times. His constant insecurity prevented him from making an action plan and the best decisions. He had made good decisions in the short term - and could only boast about them because he had survived. Nevertheless, he had not had time to think about the long term. Of course, one couldn''t blame him under the circumstances. Still, life in Elysium was unfair, and this lack of a plan could cost him dearly. He had to change that. First, he had moved away from the portal, the presence of rivals being problematic. Nevertheless, he was supposed to be immortal! He could have succeeded in a quest in the first few seconds but didn''t take the chance. For example, he could have caused a confrontation between ants and spiders. He could have effectively charged his kinetic skill by jumping from the top of his base, then absorbing the energy at the end of his fall. The kinetic energy of the impact of an eighty-kilogram body in free fall at near terminal velocity was terrifying. The Hoplite warrior would not have stood a chance. He could have done so much more, but he had foolishly followed a dangerous path that did not reward him for the pitfalls he crossed. Priam took a breath. He had made mistakes, of course, but there was still time to improve. To begin with, he had to regain his physical integrity, if possible with maximum bonus benefits. Opening his eyes, he ordered the tree to carry him to the champion''s cage. Congratulations, you are dead! Your perk [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 6 Synergy detected with your perk [Humans adapt]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: CONST +10 VIT +10 [Touched by Aether]- Adaptation time: 7 days (previously 10 days) Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 3,4 CONST +2 You have gained the skill: [Cut Resistance]. [Cut Resistance] - Life has tried to separate your body into different pieces. Obviously, you didn''t agree. The arrangement of your body''s molecules is optimized to give you better protection against slicing. If you don''t pay more attention to your head, you will lose it permanently... CONST +1 Lvl Up : [Cut Resistance] lvl 2,3 CONST +2 You have gained the skill: [Blunt Resistance]. [Blunt Resistance] - Have you ever tried to kick down a door with your shoulder? Or missed the nail with the hammer but not your finger? Then you know what blunt damage is. Put the hammer down now. Your body''s cell membranes are optimized to provide better protection against bluntness. CONST +1 Lvl Up : [Blunt Resistance] lvl 2,3 CONST +2 Title won! [Axolotl or Hydra - Bronze] - You have regenerated your arms, legs, organs, and even your heart! Your vitality now allows you to restore any body part as long as you have the time and energy. VIT +10% Five titles unlocked: Trees of Merit Unlocked! [He Who Eludes Death] Charge: 0, Reloaded in 23 hours at 0h. The champion, in his rage, had dismembered him alive. Priam was counting on this to win another title, and he had won his bet. Fortunately, he had thought of asking Log-a-rhythm to retrieve his body in his room after his death. Dying once was good for his health, but one should not abuse the good things... However, it wasn''t an experience he wanted to relive any time soon. He wouldn''t say he didn''t wish that to even his worst enemy because he did. He wished precisely that to his worst enemy. If the process of his death had been painful - although less than expected thanks to the painkillers - the reward was delightful. With this new title and his percentage increase in vitality, he was now at 68 Vitality. All he had to do was divide that number by ten to see how fast he could regenerate compared to a human without a system. "I am becoming a superhuman..." Priam was really becoming aware of his transformation. Looking down at his body, he realized the changes. His muscles had grown in size and density. He was now flexible enough to touch his toes and could place his hands flat on the ground without bending his legs. A week earlier, he could hardly touch his ankles. His eyes could see the movement of a raindrop falling, and his ears could hear the rustle of leaves from thirty meters away. A week ago, his friends called him slender. Today he was muscular. Four months in the gym would have had the same effect. As for Priam, he only had to die six times in one week.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. However, he wanted more. In this new world, there was no freedom without strength. The law of the jungle only benefited the lion, and Priam wanted to become that lion. With power, he would have a choice. The choice to spare the hoplite warrior or to talk to future arrivals. Priam decided to act. After all, he had a rabhorn to put on the fire. It was still dark, but he knew the location of a burrow. "Before that..." Trees of Merit unlocked! By continually pushing your limits, you have unlocked the Trees of Merit. Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Heartless] - Tier 0: Once a day, your heart regenerates instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 0: Your mind is no longer confined to your brain but to your entire body. [Quester] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpened. [Pseudo Phoenix] - Tier 0: Your flame affinity allows you to manipulate uncontrolled fires. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 0: Following a regeneration, your body becomes more resistant to what has damaged it. 5 Unused Merit Points. Priam was elated. All these Trees of Merit opened up new possibilities. However, he didn''t want to make a mistake and select something useless. He currently had only five Bronze Rank Titles. So far, [He Who Eludes Death] had allowed him to earn Titles easily. But he suspected that this would not always be the case. How many titles could he get in his lifetime? 20? 30? In any case, he would have little chance of improving more than three Trees of Merit. Priam sat for a few moments to think. In an ideal world, he would have spent a few years acquiring many Titles before selecting the best two or three. That way, he would be pretty sure he wouldn''t miss out on any incredible opportunities. But he didn''t have that kind of time. He was now living in Elysium, and every day could be his last. He needed power now. Nothing was more foolish than keeping his points and dying with them tomorrow. Wisdom told him to find a compromise. He would save some of his Merit points for a hypothetical amazing Tree of Merit. Another half of his points would be used today to improve his chances of survival. "[Axolotl or Hydra?] allows me to continue to specialize in defense. [Brainless] will surely allow me to fill my spiritual gaps. Maybe in the long run, I can turn into a ghost? To survive without a body? [Heartless] and its future improvements are more difficult to imagine... [Questor] seems a bit vague. Finally, [Pseudo Phoenix] will probably focus on regeneration and fire control. " Priam hesitated. He began by eliminating [Pseudo Phoenix]. He had always loved fire, and the potential for destruction was incredible. But he didn''t want to limit his life to burning his enemies to the ground. To be honest, dying burned was like a cold shower... "[Axolotl or Hydra?] On the one hand, specializing in capitalizing on my death can be interesting as an immortal. I''m strengthening one of my advantages. On the other, if I want to get survival rewards, I can''t afford to die continuously." Priam looked up. On the smooth, circular wall of Log-a-rhythm, he could see the projection of the surroundings. The suns had gone out for the night, but the starlight illuminated the nearby clearing and the distant forest. Priam felt like living. In the comfort of his base, he realized that the survival reward had been handy. He would have to search the hoplite warrior. He must have gotten his reward recently. Maybe I could take advantage of that... Reflecting on the best choice to make, Priam thought about his recent adventures. He realized that he had overlooked an important point. "The hypnotic effect of Passiflora!" When he had stolen the three fruits from the ants, Priam had almost lost his mind in rushing to the fruits. While his deaths would eventually greatly improve his physique, his mind remained weak. Dying would save him from an illusion or a spell because he would realize the deception when resurrected. But what if the enemy did not kill him? What if he met an enemy who could bewitch, hypnotize and manipulate him to gain his loyalty or devotion? He could become an eternal slave! A fate worse than death. He had made his decision. Risking going vegan once was already one time too much. [Brainless] - Tier 0: Acquired. 4 Unused Merit Points. Priam wavered. His consciousness seemed to stop before it started again. He had the strange feeling that his mind had been upgraded. He sat on the floor to regain his senses, then quickly widened his eyes. He could feel his body. The phenomenon was difficult to explain. Before activating this Tree of Merit, he felt as if he was controlling his body from a command post located slightly behind his eyes. If Priam had been asked where his consciousness was, he would have indicated the front area of his brain. It was undoubtedly due to the importance he placed on his sense of sight. Currently, his consciousness was all over his body. His feet felt as familiar and essential as his head. It was a strange feeling, but he already knew it would help him use his movement skills better. To better control his body in general. [Brainless] - Tier 1: Your mind is bound to your body. Any external manipulation on your mind must first pass the protection of your physical envelope. Yes! [Brainless] - Tier 1: Acquired. 3 Unused Merit Points. Priam was elated. It was precisely what he was looking for. An enemy would now have to bypass or destroy his physical defenses to gain a mental hold on him. In practice, his body was now an armor that protected his mind. This second Tier did not have the same effects as the previous one. He felt a little more grounded in his body but not disoriented. "A healthy mind in a healthy body." [Brainless] - Tier 2: Your mind opens up to the world. You begin to use part of it to interact with your environment. The explanation was vague. Deliberately vague, certainly, but Priam saw a possibility. A future skill that would not be confined to his immediate vicinity. His skills could be used where his mind was and not his body. The power to interact, to sense, to perceive, to manipulate seemed to be extremely useful. It would surely be a long and arduous learning process. By starting early, he would have an advantage over the others. After all, titles seemed extremely complicated to obtain, let alone improve. With his particular skills, he earned five titles in a few days, but other titles would be challenging to acquire. [Brainless] - Tier 2: Acquired. 2 Unused Merit Points. Priam waited, impatient. After several minutes, he still felt nothing. This enhancement gave him a new power, but he would have to learn more before using it. [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title Priam smiled. The best rewards had to be earned. He felt that his Merits would help him improve his Title. "Now it''s time to wake up some rabhorn..." Perched on a branch at the edge of the forest, Priam was watching the entrance to a burrow. His sun-tanned skin did not sweat despite the heat. Accustomed to the environment, he kept his gaze fixed on the opening below him, his other senses on alert. In his right hand, he clumsily held a spear. He had no intention of actually fighting with the weapon. It was the first time in his life that he had ever held a spear in his hand. If [Identification] had not confirmed the object''s name, he might have thought it was a halberd or other polearm. Nevertheless, he planned to use the weapon in his initial assault to wound the rabhorn. Looking up at the brightening sky, Priam reaffirmed his position. The rabhorn had enough in common with the rabbit to go out early in the morning. Without warning, the animal took its snout and then its whole body out of its den. Standing on its hind legs, it began to sniff around. Perhaps it had sensed the danger, but too late. The spear slammed into the animal, propelled noiselessly by a double charge of [Kinetic Control]. A second later, Priam''s feet touched the ground. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 4,5,6 STR + 3 The rabhorn, so agile yesterday, was now pinned to the ground. The spear pierced him through and through. The animal did not have much time left to live. The eyes of the two opponents met, and the animal realized that playing dead would not save it. The beast''s eyes looked quizzical. All bipeds looked alike, but wasn''t this one dead? The beast was pretty sure it had killed him. It painfully turned its head toward Priam, and its horn began to vibrate. This time on guard, Priam dodged to the side. The rabhorn''s body jerked as a light spear dissipated into the atmosphere. "Know your opponent and know yourself... When you have all the data, a fight to the death can be easily won." Priam knelt beside the rabhorn and wrapped his hands around its head. With a sharp gesture and a chilling crack, he broke the neck of the beast who had killed him the day before. Completed quest: Revenge. Reward: [Poison Resistance], Potential +10. Congratulations! [Poison Resistance] - The body is a fragile machine, and certain substances can cause it harm. Chemical reactions, injuries, or illnesses, these toxins cause reactions that can range from indisposition to death. But remember, nothing is poison, and everything is poison: only the dose matters. Your body accepts larger doses of potentially harmful substances and filters them out faster. Now you can stuff your face with chocolates without worrying about diabetes. VIT +1 Priam smiled, not at the death of an innocent animal, but because he had won a victory over the world. This world, so hard and cruel, was trying to crush him. He had won a first victory against a real opponent, however modest. The spider had been weakened, and he had to deal with the hoplite cunningly, but the rabhorn was perfectly healthy. It looks delicious... "Today a rabhorn, tomorrow a dragon!" He exclaimed. As he got up to return to his base and consider his options, the world seemed to respond to his provocation. ANNOUNCEMENT After an intense week, the Tutorial ends. Congratulations to the survivors. All humans are invited to the Reunion. Get ready, you will be transported in 30 hours. Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 29 Constitution 63 Agility 38 Vitality 72 Perception 33 MENTAL: Vivacity 64 Dexterity 26 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 8 Potential: 75 Chapter 10: Everyone loves to loot ANNOUNCEMENT After an intense week, the Tutorial ends. Congratulations to the survivors. All humans are invited to the Reunion. Get ready, you will be transported in 30 hours. The sky was slowly clearing as the ballet of the three suns began. Priam squinted, blinded. He had good astronomy knowledge but didn''t know how these suns interacted. How far away were they from Elysium? Binary or three-star solar systems were known, some close to the ancient solar system that had given birth to humanity. They had been documented and studied. But a solar day in Elysium was about twenty-four hours long, which should have been impossible given the position of the suns in the heavens. However, the suns disappeared below the horizon every evening, and Priam could admire the firmament. It was not the same as the one he was used to, but seeing distant stars reassured him. What difference was there between him and Arnold in the grandeur of the stars? More worrisome, Priam had noticed that the days were rapidly getting shorter. Of course, as the winter solstice approached, it was normal for the days to lose a few minutes. Nevertheless, night fell almost an hour earlier each day. At this rate, it won''t be more than a week before night becomes permanent. Is it possible that there are also different seasons? In all the fiction I''ve read, when daylight disappears for months, it''s always a bad sign... Shaking his head, Priam thought that being thoughtful in the middle of a wild forest filled with bloodthirsty creatures would eventually kill him. "Besides, it''s already happened," he remarked. Priam refocused on the announcement. He had mixed feelings as he reread the few lines in the System. Due to his loneliness, he was happy to see other humans again. It was partly because of the many times he had crossed paths with death over the past few days. Risking his life continuously triggered two realizations in him. The first was that he had things to say to his loved ones. Silly things like ''I love you''. The second was that his heart was heavy. Filled with words he had never dared to say. ''I''ll tell them tomorrow.'' He had never told them. He could change that. He had to change that and tell them before he died one last time. If he was to be honest with himself, there was also fear, of course. Fear of realizing that the people who mattered to him were dead. Fear of losing his motivation. Fear of realizing that other humans had surpassed him despite his fantastic performance in the Tutorial. Picking up the corpse of the rabhorn, Priam looked down into the burrow. The dark hole in the ground was deep and too small for him. If the rabhorn had accumulated treasure, it would benefit someone else. Feeling his stomach churning, Priam tipped the corpse over his shoulder and headed home. He hadn''t eaten anything substantial in a week. Three pieces of fruit, no matter how delicious, were not a real meal. Fortunately, each death gave him the nutrients he needed, as well as a feeling of satiety. But he wanted to eat meat, to sink his fangs in and enjoy his victory. The rabhorn defended itself to the death, and its meat was poisoned. He would surely have been ill if he had eaten it directly without resistance. But maybe the Concepts didn''t want to see him with his pants down to his knees, crouching behind a tree. Thus, his reward would protect him from the toxins in the meat, and only a wood fire - and the time it took to cook it - would now stand in the way of his meal. As soon as he returned, Priam had prepared a campfire in front of his tree. If the smoke attracted a predator, he might as well get to safety quickly. Grabbing his new spear, he began to butcher the rabhorn. Like most people who grew up in the city, Priam had never butchered an animal, let alone with the blade of a spear. So the operation was bloody and messy. It took him almost thirty minutes to get a decent result and another ten minutes to empty and clean it properly. They never talk about this in survival movies... Sitting in front of the fire, slowly turning the beast previously coated with nutritive sap - for the marinade - Priam was lost in his thoughts. He was thinking about the Reunion. Would he see his family? In what conditions had they arrived? Priam refused to believe they were dead, but he was worried. If his family had landed in an environment as hostile as Elysium, their chance of survival was zero. There was no point in worrying about what you couldn''t change, but that didn''t stop anyone from doing so. Priam rolled his eyes and begged. He hadn''t been a believer before the Tutorial, but he was willing to pray to these new omnipotent Concepts if they would spare his family. He did, however, thank the System for one thing. The Tutorial had put everyone on an equal footing. The problems associated with cell degeneration had been cured, disabilities erased, and diseases cured. His father was old, so the System had made him younger so he could survive the Tutorial. With any luck, he would live longer with the System than without it. I''ll help you, Dad! Clenching his fist, Priam was determined to keep that promise. The aroma of cooked rabhorn drew him from his thoughts. Lowering his head, he blew on the meat before biting into it. "Hmmm... Itch delichious!" The taste of the game was fine, with aromatic notes from the little fat the rabhorn had accumulated. Priam enjoyed it. Lvl Up: [Poison Resistance] lvl 2,3 VIT +2 Priam licked his fingers as he watched his opponent. Toward the end of his meal, he had noticed a white spot on the green background of the forest. Intrigued, he stopped eating to observe. The intruder was a snowy rabhorn. The animal must have followed him to his base. "Daddy went to work, and when it didn''t return, Mommy came to get it? Trust is in short supply in their relationship..." Priam got up slowly and grabbed his spear. He knew the fight would be swift. Either the rabhorn would get through him, or his spear would skewer it. The two opponents glared at each other before the rabhorn disappeared. It reappeared a few feet from Priam, its horn already lit up. Priam aimed his spear at the creature. He had never wielded this type of weapon, but he knew the sharp end had to face the enemy. If it comes at me, I''ll stab it! The rabhorn disappeared again, and Priam realized the beast was using a skill. He might have blinked at the wrong time without realizing it the first time, but the second time couldn''t have been a coincidence. The rabhorn reappeared behind him, ready to pounce as Priam turned around and brought his weapon back in one big motion. Despite his strength, the weapon was too heavy and inertia too great. Halfway through his movement, he decided to throw his head to the side to dodge the rabhorn''s charge. The beast''s horn brushed Priam''s chin as he turned around. The man and the animal looked at each other one last time. They now knew their opponent, and their next dance step would be their last. In another moment, so close to a final death, Priam would have been afraid. Right now, he wasn''t thinking about death. He was in a fight, and his competitive spirit did not want to lose. "I''ve already defeated one rabhorn and will defeat a thousand more if necessary. Bring it on!" The rabhorn leaped and disappeared as it jumped. Priam turned, using a kinetic charge to accelerate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature less than a meter from his head. I won''t have time to protect myself! Lifting his left foot off the ground, his turn''s inertia and centrifugal force propelled him in the opposite direction of his rotation. This acceleration allowed him to dodge the rabhorn, which grazed him for the second time. Priam rested his foot and braced himself on the ground before throwing out his sword arm. [Kinetic Control] x3. His hand and spear were propelled forward. The beast was still flying as the weapon sliced through the air, penetrating it. The warrior stood still, his arm still extended. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 3 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Priam released his breath. During the fight, he unintentionally held his breath. It was a lousy reflex, but he was not yet a seasoned fighter. But that wasn''t important right now. He had won. He had proven that his victory was not a coincidence. Priam, arms crossed, looked at the hoplite warrior. Not directly, but through the image projected by Log-a-rhythm. He could almost swear that the champion was aware of being watched. "What am I going to do with him?" he wondered, frowning. Priam had the ability to resurrect. His recent proximity to death had frightened him, but it had also given him a revelation. Life was precious. His own and others''. He wanted to live his life to the fullest and did not wish to take the lives of others unnecessarily. Priam had no intention of becoming a pacifist, but he wanted to respect life. Being halfway between pragmatism and humanity seemed to him to be the right solution to survive while being proud of himself. He also had the idea of forcing the hoplite to fight against him. Priam had never received rigorous training, but the hoplite had. With a little bit of Potential, he could certainly learn a lot from the hoplite. And if he lost... He would increase his resistance by dying. I win either way. While Priam was postponing his decision about the champion and making plans for the Reunion, Log-a-rhythm had notified him. Following the hoplite''s imprisonment, it had had to chain him to prevent him from hitting the walls to escape. The action was in vain, but the hoplite was tenacious. Immobile, the warrior had not moved until a few minutes ago. Giving up trying to escape, the champion had calmed down, but that wasn''t what Priam was interested in.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A few inches from the champion''s feet, some kind of die had appeared out of nowhere. Log-a-rhythm controlled every entrance and exit of the base, and die were not supposed to appear inside the champion''s prison suddenly. "If I''m not mistaken, the hoplite champion arrived shortly after me. So he must have survived three days. If he received the same quests as me..." Priam asked his tree to bring him the die. It seemed to melt into the ground before reappearing at the end of a branch. The branch gently placed the object in his hand. It looks like a magician''s trick. Except that here it is true magic! [Identification] [Tempering Die - Tier 0 - Mythic] - A reward from the Concepts. Allows you to create an optimal tempering method tailored to the user. Tempering aims to strengthen one or more characteristics to the maximum before evolving to the following Tier. At Tier 0, tempering means strengthening the body by guiding the aether that flows through it. The method includes: The method being of "Mythical" quality, the user is assured of reaching the perfect tempering for Tier 0 without any penalty or hidden risks for Tier 1. Caution: Due to the quality of the method, the tribulation during the Tier evolution will be extremely dangerous. "That''s a lot to take in all at once," Priam exasperated. For most children growing up in the Concept Universe, this was common knowledge, but Priam had no idea what ''tempering'' even was. "Let''s recap. Aether allows one to passively become stronger, both physically and mentally. An immortal living in an aether-rich environment could theoretically become invincible after several eons. In this case, tempering must be a technique to accompany the aether''s transformation of body and mind actively," Priam theorized. "It is the difference between opening your mouth and waiting for rain, or walking to the spring to drink. The second method is more effective. But what does Tier 0 mean? Status." Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 29 Constitution 63 Agility 38 Vitality 74 Perception 33 MENTAL: Vivacity 66 Dexterity 29 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 12 Potential: 77 Tier 0 "Mmmh, that''s what I thought, I''m Tier 0. Is there a tempering method that would allow me to increase my characteristics? Strengthen to the max... Is there a limit to how much you can improve your characteristics in each Tier? How do you evolve, and what are the pros and cons?" asked Priam. No one replied. Priam again had more questions than answers. But he also realized one thing: the rewards of the Concepts were selected in a situational and adaptive manner. The hoplite could have become much stronger even while tied up if he could have hit the die. Suddenly, Priam was glad to have left the Hoplite alive. If the System rewards him for surviving, I only need to keep him prisoner to receive all his rewards! Thinking about his luck, Priam rolled the die between his fingers without it showing. Pressing it made no difference. He tried to communicate his desire to activate the object mentally. The die glowed, then melted into the palm of his hand and disappeared. Priam felt as if he were diving into a lake in winter. A liquid, so cold that it seemed to burn him, flowed through his veins. Priam sank to the ground and began to shake. Suddenly his uncontrollable spasms stopped. Like Log-a-rhythm, the die mentally communicated information to him. Host scan. ... Error: the host organism is not fully adapted to the aether. [Affected by aether] - Adaptation time: 6 days (previously 7 days) Given the host''s skills, it is recommended to accelerate the adaptation process by consuming aether-rich resources. Priam sighed as he opened his eyes. The pain had not been excruciating, but he had been unable to control his body. The experience had not been pleasant, yet he would have to endure it again. It''s a good thing I didn''t swallow that die. Where would it have come out? As he stood up, he asked his tree to hide the die. Priam placed it against the wall, it seemed to ripple. The die was absorbed, and the wall returned to its original appearance. It was impossible to guess that an object was hidden here. "If I invite an opponent here one day, I would have a huge advantage. By placing a few traps or weapons in strategic locations, I would have several cards up my sleeve." A sudden thought crossed his mind, and Priam asked his base to search the hoplite. He had no intention of stripping his prisoner, and the armor was not his size. But perhaps something useful was in the champion''s possession. Thirty seconds later, everything in the warrior''s armor was before him. The search had not been very successful, with only three items. Priam used [Identification]. The first object was some kind of communication device. Certainly to find other hoplites. Useless for the moment because Log-a-rhythm blocked the signals. The second object was a pendant containing a voice message. The voice seemed soft and feminine. Priam closed the object since he was pretty sure it was a private souvenir. "What a shame I can''t communicate with the hoplite..." he sighed. "I could probably trade this pendant for some important information. I really need to find a way to trade with the other arrivals. It''s hard enough to be alone here, if coalitions are formed without me being part of them, I''ll be isolated and killed. Not to mention the fact that I''ll end up meeting someone peaceful. Hope springs eternal..." The third object caught his eye. It was in the form of a vial. The cylinder was about three centimeters long and one wide. Inside was a blood-red liquid. Small bubbles were climbing up the glass wall from time to time. [Identification] [Fluid Test n¡ã1 986 458 - Physical Optimization] - The hoplite civilization never stops improving its warriors. Mental optimization is a complicated goal to achieve without changing the personality and behaviors of a test subject. Optimization of the organic system, with the exception of the brain, is simpler. This Fluid is intended to repair and heal the body and correct DNA errors. Finally, certain beneficial genetic predispositions discovered by the Hoplites are integrated into this treatment. Technologies used: manipulated viruses, nanobots, quantum resonance,... Warning: experimental treatment not intended for humans. Use with caution. Priam was exultant. Human bioethics was clearly not prepared for an apocalypse. This was the reason for the hoplite''s strength. Like Priam, he''d only had access to the System a few days earlier, but his physical strength already exceeded a hundred. Priam put the vial down and headed for the exit. It was not a good idea to use it without more life. He had just over thirty hours to prepare and had no idea what this Reunion would be like. But one thing was sure: personal power was paramount in this new world. "I can''t go wrong with training one last time," he motivated himself. As he left, he asked Log-a-rhythm to provide the warrior with sap. I wouldn''t want to starve my future training partner. Outside, the distant suns bathed the clearing in an intense light. The wind rustled the leaves on the trees, and the sound of the river soothed the boy''s nerves. "I''ll get some rest tomorrow. For now, I might as well gain as many features as possible. For that, I need to focus on one skill. It''s not enough to spam it. I have to consciously use it and understand it. It should be possible to work on compatible skills simultaneously. For example, [Athletics] and [Art of Movement]. Maybe I could even add [Meditation] and [Kinetic Control] to my training!" Priam decided to train in the clearing. He had no chance of finding scarce resources by staying here, but he also had little chance of escaping pursuers, such as the hoplite champion, should he leave. His rivals would undoubtedly be looking for resources, and he really didn''t want to run into them. One thought made him smile. Even in this new world, I stay at home. Once an introvert, always an introvert! Priam decided that familiarizing himself with his surroundings while beginning his training was a good idea. After some stretching, he began to trot around the clearing. He could feel his body tightening and relaxing. His strong muscles were asking for more. He began to speed up. Knowing his exact speed without a measuring device was difficult, but as he approached 20 kilometers per hour, he felt he was far from giving it his all. It was a speed he had been struggling to reach before the Tutorial. He was intoxicated by speed. Even before the System, he loved speed sports. He continued to accelerate, paying attention to where his feet were, where his legs were, and where his body was in relation to the environment. Soon he felt he was tapping into the [Art of Movement]. The skill responded and pointed out his mistakes. Priam corrected himself both consciously and subconsciously and kept speeding up. Without realizing it, he had exceeded the top speed of the previous world champion - 44.72 km/h. The system notified him of his achievement, but he ignored it. He continued to run, to fly. He was gradually reaching his maximum speed. The skills vibrated happily throughout his body as he followed their teachings and tried to outdo himself. When he felt himself stagnating, Priam began to use [Kinetic Control] simultaneously. Absorbing some shock as he landed his foot in an impressive leap. Releasing this force as he was at the top of the arc of his next jump. His speed increased again. Soon his entire body and mind were focused on one goal: to fly away. He had begun to reach a similar state of mind when he had run from the ants and the hoplite champion. But each time, he had been interrupted. Finally, he was free to awaken his potential. At that moment, his skills and his mindset synchronized. Without even realizing it, Priam had an epiphany. He was inspired by this new impossible world and, in a flash of clarity, awakened his talent. That morning, at the edge of the woods and under the shadow of Log-a-rhythm, Priam spread his wings for the first time. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 29 Constitution 63 Agility 38 Vitality 74 Perception 33 MENTAL: Vivacity 66 Dexterity 29 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 12 Potential: 77 Tier 0 Chapter 11: People change, Heroes improve An hour later, despite his impressive reserves of endurance, Priam stopped. Short of breath, exhausted from his run, he plunged into the stream bordering Log-a-rhythm. Running at such a pace burned calories, his body temperature had gradually risen to over 37¡ãC. Still, Priam felt good. His heat resistance allowed him to raise his body temperature without risking cell death. The aether, his constitution, and his skill changed his biological functioning to such an extent that his metabolism was becoming more and more unlike a human''s. The icy shock of the water was pure bliss for Priam. Priam evaluated his training as the water flowed down his body, regulating his temperature. He could thank his constitution because he had been close to getting injured several times while training. He would have torn several muscles if he had still been merely human. Maybe he would have even broken a few bones from a particularly nasty fall. Moving that fast was not without risk, and he realized that his shock resistance was exceptional. Without his large constitution, he could have killed himself just by training. Tired but happy, he pulled up his Status to follow his meteoric progress. You have gained the skill: [Focus - Rare]. [Focus] lvl 1 - You are focused on your goal. All of your consciousness is focused on accomplishing your purpose; your focus highlights the path you must follow. Your productivity and the quality of your work increases, but this may be at the expense of your creativity... Don''t forget to eat and rest. PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 2,3,4 PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 11,12,13 VIT +3 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 6,7,8,9,10 AGI + 5 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 6,7,8 AGI +3 PERC +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 4 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Title won! [Hermes'' Apprentice - Bronze] - There''s no point in starting on time when you can run faster than the wind. Today the light foot, tomorrow the winged foot. You''ve broken all the running records, but you''re still accelerating. Keep going and find your way. No more need to take the bus: you run faster! AGI +20 So many more levels! I was even able to increase [Heat Resistance], which shows that I can improve holistically with optimized training. I''m only missing a perception skill... Priam had realized during the end of his run that his movements needed to be more optimal. Whether it was controlling his body and making the most of its characteristics or finely adapting to the environment, he was not making the most of his abilities. But without being able to perceive his body and its surroundings more accurately, he was stuck for the time being. He needed a skill that allowed him to gather information, the kind of skill that gave points in perception by increasing level. Or else I need an adequate title... Feeling his limits approaching in the skills he had just worked on, Priam changed his schedule. Until midnight, he would try to improve as many of his physical skills as possible. High in the sky of Elysium, the suns looked down on the world. On an island lost in the middle of this unforgiving world, a young man was sweating from all over his body. With tanned skin and focused eyes, he worked his body with an intensity he had never felt before. The notifications informing him of his constant and rapid progress motivated him every moment. But more than anything, the knowledge that he was now alone sparked a fire inside him. No one would protect him anymore. Society would not hold his hand to help him, and no civilizational cogs would slow him down. He was alone in deciding his destiny; this new world offered him everything he needed. Priam was determined not to regret anything. He would face the dangers and take the power that the System offered him. If the suns had looked seriously, they would have seen a fire burning in Priam''s eyes. A fledgling blaze but worthy of a star. The announcement of a conflagration. The suns had set again, giving way to the shy stars. Gradually disappearing into the sky, they reminded Priam that he was indeed not even on a planet anymore. As he watched the sky, counting the seconds to midnight, Priam noticed the moons getting closer. A few more days and they would line up. Instinctively, this thought and the shortening days gave him goosebumps. I have a terrible feeling... Sitting on the bank, under the branches of Log-a-rhythm, Priam rested his feet in the water. He had swum a little at the end of his training, and the cool water had done him a world of good. He invoked his Status one last time to review his progress. The Reunion was in twelve hours, and he wanted to rest before then. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 5,6,7 PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 14 VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 11,12 AGI + 2 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 5,6,7,8 STR +4 Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 5,6 AGI +2 Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 2,3 AGI +2 Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 2,3 STR + 2 Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 2,3,4,5 AGI + 4 You have gained the skill: [Shadow Boxing]. [Shadow Boxing] lvl 1: An imaginary opponent is your training partner. Arnold? The hoplite champion? Yourself? You may look silly throwing punches in the air, but you''re confident. You are self-correcting. You feel yourself getting stronger. But remember, some shadows return the blows... STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 2,3 STR +2Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. AGI +2 DEXT +2 Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] is recharged! Priam felt amazing. Despite the unprecedented increase in his characteristics, he felt more in control of his body than ever. A Title or consuming scarce resources could enhance his body beyond his control. But today, he had earned his skills by the sweat of his brow. These would increase his characteristic points, and only when he was ready. He knew his body better than he did that morning. A simple example was gymnastics. He had unlocked the skill, like others in the Tutorial, simply by consciously stretching before an event. Today he continued to work on his flexibility by doing exercises he had learned during his studies. His skill had increased when he better understood his body, its possibilities, and limits and when he had became more flexible through his efforts. The Concept System allowed him to continue improving without encountering an impossible wall. He had progressed so quickly because of the new laws of this world and the vast amount of aether that helped and catalyzed his efforts. The only downside was that Priam had only one afternoon and preferred to prioritize his characteristics. For this reason, he hadn''t trained with the hoplite spear. The weapon was incredible, but a basic level was required to use it. That kind of level took at least several months to achieve. Who knows, maybe he wouldn''t even be able to take the weapon to the Reunion. "I''m more ready than ever for the Reunion. So much the better if it is only a formality where violence is unnecessary, but I might as well be as prepared as possible. Now all that''s left is to test this experimental Fluid..." Priam had long hesitated whether or not to use the fluid. It was experimental, intended for an alien species, and threatened to alter his DNA. Consuming the fluid was foolish, but did he have a choice? He would blame himself for eternity if he failed to save his family at the Reunion because of a lack of power. The fluid was dangerous, but it would give him that power. Besides, he was unquestionably the best person to use this fluid. The hoplite had to wait because of the hazardous side effects. These effects were unlikely to worry Priam. His resurrection power would recreate his body optimally, and his [Humans adapt] trait would guide the fluid''s modifications to best suit his body. What he wanted to keep was his physical appearance. He was no longer totally human but wanted his family to recognize him. For the rest... He was ready to make sacrifices. "I am not foolish enough to think I can gain immense power without giving up some things. My mind is made up." Back at his base, Priam immersed himself directly in a sap bath. Perhaps the Test Fluid required energy to change his body. In truth, Priam had no idea how the fluid worked. "At best, I become the perfect version of myself. At worst, my [Poison Resistance] will increase a little..." Not wanting to waste any more time than he had to, Priam tried to open the vial. There appeared to be no seal or button. After ten minutes of fiddling around with the vial, he decided to bite it to absorb the fluid. "What a barbaric solution... But when all you have is a hammer, all your problems start looking like nails. With my current constitution, swallowing glass shouldn''t have any consequences other than irritating my windpipe. And my rectum¡­" Priam put the vial in his mouth and released the contents with a press of his molars. The fluid was warm, and he swallowed it. Before entering his stomach, the fluid seemed to turn into a cloud and penetrated the walls of his digestive system. I hope it will be less painful than the cultivation die... It was no less painful than the die. Thousands of little crabs were trying to cut his nerve endings. At least, that was the impression Priam had. His muscles were contracting very quickly, breaking and being rebuilt. His tendons were also under extreme stress, and his bones felt like they were overheating to be refined. Each of his cells was in hyperactivity and demanding energy. The sap bath was continually being absorbed through his pores. His body heat was heating the bath, and steam was rising. The fluid flowed through his veins like incandescent magma. The burning current crossed his whole body, and Priam could have sworn that his body was liquefying. His cells were changing, and the pain was terrible. As soon as his clenched jaw allowed him to, Priam swallowed Log-a-rhythm''s nourishing sap and fruits like nectar and ambrosia. The transformation required a tremendous effort from his body. Without his extreme Vitality, he would already be dead. But Priam was also aware that his body was evolving positively. The longer he endured the transformation, the greater the benefits. So Priam gritted his teeth - he couldn''t do otherwise anyway - and tried to find some good in this torture. The longer this goes on, the stronger I''ll be. But the pain¡­ It''s a pity I don''t have a safeword, although I don''t think the fluid cares. Between two screams, he chanted. Pain is information Priam, just information... But I feel a lot of information at the same time! After an uncertain time, as the pain fogged his brain and the fever made him delirious, Priam realized that the wave of suffering was receding. Slowly but surely, the molten steel that had been flowing through his veins was coming out of his body. His orifices seemed to be weeping a dark red substance, and the young man began to clean himself painfully. The smell was revolting; for once, he was glad to be alone. While absorbing the residue of his transformation, Log-a-rhythm decided to create a passage to the outside to renew the air. As a warm breeze began to dry Priam, he realized he had grown. It was a side effect of his increased physical stature. Before the Tutorial, Priam was 183cm - 6''. Now he thought he had grown about ten more centimeters. Exhausted, Priam decided to look at his notifications. "Notifications" You have tempered your body with an experimental hoplite fluid. Traces of heavy metals and other substances harmful to your development have been purged. Your physical potential has been raised. Your biological predispositions are now superhuman. Beware: your DNA has been modified. Errors have been inserted and could cause tumors. STR +20 CONST + 10 AGI +10 VIT +15 PERC + 20 "... Shit. I''m still feeling a little diffuse pain, but mostly my DNA is worrying me. I need to resolve this as soon as possible." Priam suspected his next survival reward might solve his problem, but he wouldn''t wait until then. He had identified mushrooms during breaks in his training and walks in the forest. Some were edible, even beneficial, and some were poisonous. Priam had picked some of the more dangerous ones and brought them back to his base for analysis. He also relied on his magic tree to provide him with poisonous fruit. Log-a-rhythm was not yet improved to specifically create toxic fruits, but as the description of his resistance had reminded him, everything is potentially harmful. Only the dosage mattered. Even water, a vital liquid for humans, could lead to death if consumed in excess. Drinking three to four liters in less than an hour was already dangerous. Priam hoped that if he consumed enough toxins, he would be able to resurrect without pain and increase his [Poison Resistance] at the same time. As the pain became more acute, the young man began to swallow the mushrooms he had harvested, as well as fruits with toxic properties created by Log-a-rhythm after examining the samples. Soon, his vision became blurred, and he lost consciousness. Congratulations, you are dead! Your perk [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 7 Synergy detected with your perk [Humans adapt]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: CONST +4 VIT +8 DNA errors partially solved. Your Vitality exceeds 100 at Tier 0. Congratulations! The evolution to Tier 1 is available. If your Vitality exceeds 200 at Tier 0, a tribulation shall descend upon you. [Touched by aether] - Adaptation time: 3 days (previously 6 days) Lvl Up: [Poison Resistance] lvl 4,5 VIT +2 Priam woke up shortly before noon. He thought about how he had only slept once since the Tutorial. He felt great and noticed that he enjoyed sleeping naked. He had never understood people who slept naked when there were pajamas, but he recognized that perhaps he had been too quick to judge. "Besides, when you have a beautiful butt like mine, you must show it off." As he ate a breakfast of red, yellow, and multi-colored fruits, Priam thought he should vary his diet. The rabhorn had been delicious, and he was planning to eat some meat. His latest physical improvements were giving him confidence. He was no longer the weak human who had left the Tutorial, lost and terrified. Today, Priam was what novels, comic books, and pop culture called a superman. A superhero, even. He couldn''t wait to measure his progress against the rest of humanity. Confident, he stretched and began to exercise while waiting for the meeting to open. Five minutes before noon, he received a notification: The Reunion will begin. This first meeting is focused on reunion and information sharing. Some remarkable feats will allow the whole of humanity to prosper. Awards will be distributed at the end of the meeting. Discuss, share, explore. Transcend your limits. Outside Log-a-rhythm, a portal opened in the style of the first portal that brought him here. Priam went to get the hoplite spear. He thought it gave him a certain style and could always trade it in if needed. He also retrieved fruits and covered himself with a quickly woven leaf loincloth. One of his goals was to get new clothes. After all, the loincloth would not stand up to fast travel. But his main goal was to find his family and get them to safety. With eyes full of hope and determination, Priam walked towards the portal. Here I come! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 58 Constitution 77 Agility 90 Vitality 112 Perception 66 MENTAL: Vivacity 75 Dexterity 46 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 16 Potential: 140 Tier 0 Interlude 1: The Orphan Floating mountains loomed behind the treetops. Not a few hills but imposing mountains. Their peaks pierced the sky and disappeared in the clouds. Vertiginous icy cliffs prevented an easy ascent. Could one only cross them? Gabrielle, in spite of squinting her eyes, did not see the end of the mountain archipelago. She could only see peaks, culminating higher and higher. The eternal snows were beautiful from far away. The girl knew the frost was lethal, but the most beautiful roses had thorns to protect them. Gabrielle smiled at the beauty of nature. She felt so small beside it. Small but hopeful. Behind her, under the hill, was the temporary camp of her clan. The Gaeserts were a nomadic clan. They had stopped for the week and would be leaving again soon. Gabrielle had finished collecting some flowers for the clan''s apothecary and healer. After a last look toward the majestic mountains, she headed for the camp. As she reached the bottom of the hill, she nodded to Gael. The teenager would soon be sixteen. He was already old enough to be given adult tasks. Tasks that no one wanted to do, such as unnecessarily standing guard at the clan entrance. According to the apothecary, it was a way to keep the young people busy, train them, and make them work for the clan''s benefit. The boy returned her greeting before looking back at the horizon with a confident pose and a superior air. Silly, as if you could stop any threat the Shaman might have missed. Gabrielle liked Gael. He thought he was a great warrior while he hadn''t hunted anything fiercer than a spider, but at least he tried to act like an adult. He focused on the clan''s survival, not stupid children''s quarrels. Not like some people. As if called by her thought, a burst of voice resounded in the direction of the women''s tents. Gabrielle had a bad presentiment and hurried. . Behind Cerd¨¤''s tent, a small crowd had gathered. The cook must have gone hunting. Otherwise, none of the children present would have dared to raise their voices. Being a hunter meant being able to venture outside the camp alone and face monsters. Only the best warriors could become hunters. Cerd¨¤ was the best hunter in the clan. Respected by all, the Shaman and the Chief listened to her advice carefully. But when the cat''s away, the mice will play. If only they would play... "What''s going on here?" she asked one of the boys. The little one gasped before turning back to her. "Oh Gabrielle, it''s just you! You scared me to death! I thought Cerd¨¤ or another cook had come home from the meeting. Oh, as you can see, nothing special is going on. Just another fight between Broli and Agata. Broli is going to celebrate his sixteenth birthday, and the ceremony will take place tomorrow night. He wants to know who is the best warrior before that. That''s stupid if you ask me." "Of course, it''s stupid. Broli will be a defender. If he still hasn''t figured out that attacking Agata was useless, he''ll end up developing the wrong skills. Agata is just as stupid for agreeing. Broli is an idiot, but she is not. She should have refused the fight." "Honor..." "What honor can you gain against your own clan? What honor can one lose when one is a child who has none? No one listens to the Shaman..." Gabrielle stepped forward. In the center of a circle of children was a young boy bleeding profusely while wearing a gigantic smile. Opposite him was a young girl, breathless but intact. Constitution and Vitality versus Agility and Perception. A mistake from Agata would be enough to guarantee Broli''s victory, but Gaeserts don''t make mistakes. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be here. The confrontation had already been played a hundred times last year. Broli never let more than three days go by before provoking Agata. The young woman was the best among the girls, but Gabrielle suspected Broli had other interests in provoking her. In his defense, he was surely not aware of it himself! Whatever the reasons, the results were always the same. Agata won. With difficulty, she always took longer, but she won. The girl had to be three times faster at running than he was, and she was accelerating five times more quickly. Broli would have had every chance to win in a confined space, but not outdoors. Both youngsters had the same strength, but Agata''s agility turned that strength into speed. Broli''s constitution allowed him to use his strength to increase his power. Broli would win an arm wrestle a hundred times, and Agata would escape that same arm wrestle a hundred times. But if Broli had been able to use a submission technique, the girl would never have been able to break free. Agata was not stupid and would never have accepted a fight under unfavorable conditions. It was even a clan rule. When you can''t win, run away. It was the rule that had allowed the Gaesert to survive in Elysium. The clan members were wise enough to know they were weak. Agata''s POV Agata lowered her arm and accelerated sharply. [Flash] allowed her to move quickly by increasing her resource consumption tenfold. She would lose all her stamina in about twenty seconds. But that''s more than enough to beat this idiot. At higher ranks, the skill allowed her to break the sound barrier, but the girl wasn''t there. Not yet. Broli raised his shield to block the attack, but Agata had no intention of attacking a shield. [Shadow Stalking]. Broli''s shadow turned into a dark pool, and Agata jumped out from it. She was now behind him. Her arm unfolded like a spring. Her whole body worked in harmony to maximize her power. The girl was a genius who had reached the Micro two years earlier. At this level, the mind perfectly understands the body, and the coordination between the two is perfect. Agata had total control of her body and could use all her muscles to increase the efficiency of her movements. Her stroke was swift, and Broli''s back still faced her. I''ve got him. "[Omni Parade]" Agata scrunched up her nose. This idiot still hasn''t learned to internalize the activation of his skills. The girl spun around, taking advantage of her momentum, and tilted her body. Rather than her hand, her foot hit the ethereal shield materialized by the young man. He was still turned, but his skill allowed him to protect himself in 360¡ã. Taking advantage of her support on the shield, Agata jumped towards the ground. As soon as her first hand hit the ground, the girl pivoted in a sweeping kick to try to knock her opponent down. "[Strengthening], [Rooted]" Broli''s body was now as hard as a diamond, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to move him. Shit, if our shins touch, I will smash into him. [Vectorization - Epic]. One of the secret techniques of female hunters. Agata''s leg instantly changed direction. [Flash], [Reinforcement]. Reactivating the skill, while still under its effect, increased her stamina consumption a hundred times. She could only maintain the double acceleration for half a second. But if she hit him, the fight would end. The girl knew she would barely have the strength to stand afterward, but the power of her blow could have destroyed the trunk of a hundred-year-old oak. Broli wasn''t that durable. Agata''s foot struck the young man''s torso as it passed under the shield, almost breaking the sound barrier. Broli flew about ten meters and nearly crushed a few children who had not moved far enough away. The girl did not pursue her opponent. One, two, thr... Before she finished her countdown, Broli started to get up. No way?! The boy struggled to his feet. He smiled. "I finally managed to learn [Man of Steel]! And I activated it without even speaking!" Broli found it in his heart to laugh. What an idiot. He must have passed 300 points in Constitution. I have no energy left, but if he''s still standing, I will fight! Agata clenched her fist and focused on her legs. She could barely feel them, but she needed them to move forward. I''m coming! "That''s enough! Agata, I don''t have an unlimited supply of bandages and remedies. If you don''t want to spend the night making potions with me and the healer, go wash up. You Broli, go away. These are the women''s tents, and if your ceremony is tomorrow night, then you don''t belong here anymore. You''re not a child anymore? Then act like a man. Cerd¨¤ doesn''t have much patience with idiots, I remember." Agata and Broli stared at each other for seconds before lowering their weapons. A wooden shield for Broli and a fork for Agata. As he opened his mouth, she cut him off. She needed to prove her speed in all things and especially the most ridiculous. Gabrielle had seen her choke once while eating her fish, bones included, to finish the meal first. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Don''t look down on us Gabrielle. You''re only fourteen, and you''ll never be a hunter! Broli will soon be a man, and after the ceremony, this kind of fighting will not be allowed for years. But if you must know, no one will blame Broli. He came to confront me so he could propose to me." As the assembly of children exclaimed, Agata turned to Broli. "You are strong. I don''t intend to be the wife of a weak man. But the men are stronger than you. If you catch up with them, and I still can''t beat you in two years, then... Then I will accept!" The girl''s cheeks were now flushed, and she walked away toward the training ground. Broli smiled stupidly. Gabrielle walked up to him. "Congratulations Broli-diot. Agata takes her words seriously, and silly as you are, you''ll forget about losing this bet. Come with me, I''ll clean your wounds." The boy turned to her and then looked at his lacerated body. The adrenaline of the combat, followed by the declaration, had prevented him from feeling his wounds. But nothing pushed the pain back indefinitely, and Gabrielle saw his jaw tightening. He shook his head. "No, I''m going to practice. Agata will not stop, and I don''t want to fall behind!" Whereas the boy was about to turn the heels to set out again to be beaten on - or all other stupid techniques used by the men to harden themselves - Gabrielle caught his arm. "You''re not going anywhere. You''re injured, and you''ll lose weeks of training if it gets infected. Also, don''t forget that I need experience as an apprentice healer. Healing you is helping the clan." Despite the shaky rhetoric of her statement, Broli was convinced. All she had to do was say "for the clan," and most warriors would obey. Their simple devotion was not precisely to Gabrielle''s displeasure. The honesty of the Gaeserts was refreshing. The opposite of the Snaherts, for example. During the last meeting of the clans, Gabrielle had been able to speak with one of them. She had exchanged all her savings for a gemstone that was supposed to heal any Tiers 0 who was not dead. The stone had done nothing to help one of the warriors who had been disembowelled. Mama Apo - the healer - was absent at the time, and Gabrielle had watched him die before her, his eyes filled with hope. She had betrayed that hope. I won''t betray any hope anymore. Starting with you, Broli. Once in the healer''s tent, Gabrielle began to apply an ointment to the boy''s wounds. Despite the pain, the boy complied obediently. When the healer spoke, the others listened. Her words saved lives. Her words could kill¡­ Although Gabrielle was still an apprentice, she already had the apothecary''s authoritative tone. The voice the old healer used when she ordered three hundred kilogram behemoths to lie down and grit their teeth. As the girl applied a bandage to the deeper wounds, she asked Broli why the adults were not there. Gael shouldn''t have been alone guarding the entrance, and the fight shouldn''t have gone on for so long before being interrupted. But the young man would not have sold his father''s secrets easily. Sorry, Broli... "Broli... Your father is the Chief of the clan. Even though you''re not an adult yet, you must know about it, right? The other kids don''t know, so they don''t have to worry, but you being so brave, your dad must have told you too, right?" The young man fiddled with his bandages, and Gabrielle had to put a slight blow on his hand to calm him. "Oh? Sorry. Your ointments are working. I feel almost healed already!" the boy exclaimed. "Thanks Broli, I made them myself. A new and effective recipe for the Tiers 0s. Even Mama Apo congratulated me on it. But forget what I just said. You don''t need to know about it, it''s a warrior topic..." "What?! But of course I know! Father didn''t tell me, but I heard it anyway. A new portal has opened, and Champions are coming. The fiercest beasts are being repelled by the Concepts for now. The System does not want Champions to die instantly. Father and the Shaman want us to migrate to settle near the portal. The first clan there will have a great advantage, resources will be plentiful, and no monster will be powerful enough to decimate our warriors. For a year, we will be safe from extinction!" A portal?! Champions of civilizations arriving in Elysium?! Given enough time, these champions would become unstoppable. The founder of their clan was one of these champions himself. "But we shouldn''t be the only clan that knows about it, right?" Broli looked down. "No, according to the Shaman, at least two other clans know about it. The Aelbes and the Snaherts..." Gabrielle thought aloud. "The Aelbes are powerful. More so than us. But they are full of honor. They will not drive us out, and one portal can support two clans. But three... The Snaherts are unworthy. I have no desire to have them as neighbors." "Neither did Father, but the Shaman says we have no choice. The portal is pushing back too many monsters, and the territories are turned upside down. I hear a horde is coming. Thousands, hundreds of thousands of monsters may pass through here in a few days. If we stay here, we will die. All the hunters are now looking for a safe path to the portal. Some have already seen Snaherts scouts and hunters. Father wants to travel with them to fight the fiercest beasts together. But the apothecary does not want it." The boy''s gaze dropped, and he murmured the last words. "Because of you..." Gabrielle looked up. "Because of me?" Broli stood up hurriedly. "Gotta go, see you later Gabrielle!" The girl grabbed his arm and squeezed one of his meridians, spreading her aether in the boy¡¯s body. "[Restraint]" The technique was used by Mama Apo to immobilize warriors driven mad by pain. Broli fell to the ground. Gabrielle didn''t even think that a clan healer had to swear never to hurt a clan warrior. Their art was healing. "What did you mean, Broli? Why because of me?.." The girl''s voice became more and more inaudible as she spoke, but the boy heard. "I... It''s not my place to tell you that Gab''. Ask Mama Apo." "I have been asking for ten years. Ten years without an answer. Ten years of postponing the news. ¡°Wait until you are ten years old Gabrielle", "Ask me again when you know how to prepare an ointment by yourself", "Wait until you are an adult my dear". Mama Apo is lovely to me, and she wants to protect me. But even though I will never be a warrior like Agata, I have the right to know. Even though I will be a healer, I have the right to revenge. My parents are dead, and the poison has been eating away at me for ten years. Stop being a coward Broli. Stop thinking you know better than me what I need to know. If your father and Agata were killed, you would want to know the truth. So be a warrior and tell me the truth. Lying does not sit well with us Gaeserts." The boy looked at the girl for a long time. He finally got up, despite the technique of Gabrielle. "Be careful, I was only immobilized for about ten seconds. It''s not my place to tell you, but I have no reason to hide it. It''s the Snaherts. I don''t know who, I don''t know why, but they killed your parents and marked you." Gabrielle lowered her head. She had always known it deep down. All the clan hated the Snaherts, but nobody spoke about them when she was close. She rolled up her left sleeve. On her forearm, a large black scar pulsed. The other kids thought it was disgusting, and so did she. She had even considered cutting off her arm, but her mother had sacrificed herself to save her from the poison. Immune, it would take years for her body to eliminate the poison. Her [Poison Resistance] had been improving for ten years and had already evolved. When she looked up a few minutes later, Broli had long since disappeared. The ceremony was about to begin. The clan members were gathered near the central fire. The Shaman was helping the Chief to prepare the ritual. On Gabrielle''s left stood the women. The Gaeserts were an equal clan. Warriors and hunters were of equal strength but had different specialties. Some protected with their Constitution and Vitality, and others attacked with Agility, speed, and precision. It was only by working together that they were able to cross the islands of Elysium. But tonight, it was the men who were concerned by the ceremony. Gabrielle saw Mama Apo talking with Cerd¨¤. The old healer did not want to travel with the enemies of her clan. This was understandable because a healer had to help every clan. Healing the Snaherts, the ones who killed her first apprentice, was unthinkable for her. Furthermore, the Snaherts specialized in venom, a discipline known to the healers. "Poison or potion, only the dosage changes," Mama Apo said. Agata was behind the two women, busy stuffing herself with meat under the exasperated gaze of her brother Ga?l. On the right rose the men''s tents, and Gabrielle ventured there. She found Broli alone, meditating. "Hey. Sorry about yesterday. I was... in shock. But thanks for telling me all that. I wanted to make it up to you. Do you need anything? I have alcohol if you want..." The boy opened his eyes and began to laugh. He calmed down before answering. "Funny, I would have said yes to you on any other occasion, but not tonight. Tonight I''m becoming an adult. I know I''m not the smartest man, but I can at least be the bravest. I don''t want alcohol. I want to face my fate proudly." Gabrielle nodded her head. "That''s brave. Are you scared? They''re going to merge you with a Tier 3 core. You won''t be quite the same after that." "It''s true. It''s funny to think that, but I''m not afraid. All men go through this, and only the weakest die or change. I''ll probably grow hair everywhere, my bones will thicken, and my nose will flatten, but... I''ll get the strength to protect the clan. You too, Gab''." What is this idiot saying? "Ahah, don''t look at me like that," laughed Broli. "You heard me right. You''re the smartest girl in the clan, but you still have much to learn. In the meantime, let me protect you. With me and Agata, the clan will grow stronger. You... you will know what to do with our strength. I trust you. Mama Apo stands back from decisions, but if I were Chief, I would listen to you." "... Thank you Broli. I appreciate it. It was you I came to comfort originally, but I see you don''t necessarily need it. I feel like you''ve grown up a lot lately, and I''m not that far ahead of you anymore. I won''t be able to make fun of Broli-diot soon!" "Ahah, I think I''m still an idiot Gab''. But you make me feel better, you know? Being a protector, that''s what I want. I need people to protect, and cheering you up helps me. Sometimes helping others is how you help yourself..." Gabrielle was stunned. Broli had to have doubled his intellectual capacity during the night to hold such profound and coherent words. The drums began to beat, and the young man stood up. It was his moment. "Oh, and thanks for yesterday. The ointment... I''ve seen your scars, you know? I know you inflict wounds on yourself to better learn to heal. To better heal us. You''re not the only one who wants to make the clan powerful. You can count on us Gab''. We are the Gaeserts. Your revenge is my revenge. The Snaherts will pay." With these words, the young man disappeared. The girl smiled because he was right. She was a Gaeserts. She was sacrificing herself for them, and they were sacrificing themselves for her. Chapter 12: The Wolf that howled at the Moon In the center of a misty plain stretching from one horizon to another, a translucent dome sat. It seemed immaterial, a simple aether film protecting the interior from the sun''s radiation. "A soap bubble?" was Priam''s first thought. The portal had spit him out moments before, right before the protection. Under the dome, Priam could see buildings. There seemed to be some commotion inside, and potentially human forms were forming groups. Despite his high perception, the dome prevented him from seeing what was happening. Priam took a breath, trying in vain to shake off his stress. Refusing to lie to himself, he admitted that he was afraid of the proximity of other humans. He didn''t know his place in this post-apocalyptic society. He didn''t even know if he wanted to be part of it. But maybe my family is right here! He held his hand forward, but the barrier stopped his advance. He tried to penetrate the protection for a few seconds without success. "The path seems blocked off this way... There must be an entrance somewhere else." As he turned around, he noticed that the grass was green. He was almost surprised that he had gotten used to the blue color of the grass endemic to Elysium. One gets used to everything... While stretching to get rid of the urge to vomit - a side effect of the portal - Priam took a few steps to get used to the new gravity. His body felt lighter than in Elysium, and the sensation was very uncomfortable. He felt as if he was lifting off the ground every time he accelerated a little. It is going to be problematic to fight. I''ll have to get used to it... To make matters worse, the aether density was much lower than in Elysium. Priam felt like he was running out of oxygen at a high altitude. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air didn''t agree with him. The young man panicked a little, wondering if he would ever be deprived of traveling to worlds with too little aether. But if the amount of aether annoyed him, the familiarity of the place made him smile. He recognized the trees, the insects, and even the stars and their constellations. In broad daylight. Stopping short, Priam looked up. There, next to a single familiar sun, suspended alone in that black sky, was the Earth. The Earth he never thought he would see again. Well, rather a crescent. The part illuminated by the sun was visible, and it seemed, even from its distant position, that it had changed somewhat. But it was Earth. Priam understood the environmental awareness of the astronauts when they saw the Earth from space. This beautiful planet was just a big pile of rock and metal on whose surface life had developed by incredible luck. Against the black background of the cosmos - the celestial body on which it was located must have had a thin atmosphere - Earth seemed fragile. A desire to protect it won Priam''s heart. He wanted to protect the Earth and the humanity it had given birth to. Blinking at the sun, Priam laughed as he suddenly realized something. It''s so obvious! "I''m on the moon?!" he exclaimed. It seemed impossible. The vegetation, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the few clouds in the sky were all evidence that he must be wrong. Even the gravity was too high. But he felt he was right. Uninterested in his deductions, the System manifested itself. ANNOUNCEMENT Welcome to the first meeting. During this week of reunion, a renewed Moon welcomes humanity. Share, communicate, and explore to defeat your enemies together. Break free from your chains. Aspire to a future for humanity. Your other quests are paused during the Meeting. Main Quest: Reunited Soon? Humans are sheltered in domes distributed on the surface of the Moon. All of them? No, the fighters, protectors of humanity, must prove themselves. Investigate the ¡®threat¡¯. Eliminate it. Reward: Free access to the domes for all of humanity. Potential +10. Bonus depending on your participation. Difficulty: Variable "Ah, that would have been too good! Well, I must eliminate ''the threat'' before I can reunite with my family. My father is 80 years old, I doubt he chose to be a fighter. My sister... who knows?" His father had married late in life, and his age had always been of great concern to Priam. It was the son who wanted to protect the father. After a last look at the inaccessible dome, Priam began to run towards the plains. The plains were not very visible, partly hidden by the ever-present mist. It made it hard to see, but he suspected that if other fighters were nearby, he would quickly detect them. Many humans must have chosen the path of weapons and he intended to find them. I need to know how the other humans survived. Are there many survivors? Am I wrong to hope for my family? I need information! Less than a minute into his run, Priam stopped. On his left, striding through the mist, were three wolves. White in color, they blended in completely with the mist, and only Priam''s exceptional perception had detected them. Strengthening his grip on his spear, he prepared for battle. As the wolves used their numbers to surround him, Priam tried to reassure himself. He''d had trouble defeating mere horned rabbits but knew that Elysium was the royal road. Humanity would be finished if these beasts were half as powerful as the rabhorns. No fighter could face three such strong wolves simultaneously. The fight was about to begin, and Priam finally convinced himself. These are ordinary wolves, I have nothing to fear... Without warning, two wolves jumped on him. A part of Priam''s brain was instantly reassured. They are almost slow. Priam dodged to his left, moving away from the watching third wolf in the same motion, then swept the air with a backhanded sweep of his spear. The tip of the blade hit the snout of one of the attackers. The wolf fell back to the ground and grunted in pain. Slightly wounded, he began circling Priam again, this time more carefully. The other two beasts joined it. Despite all his progress, Priam still had no eyes in his back. It would be practical but not very aesthetic. If I had an eye in my back but it was nearsighted, how would I wear glasses? Before he could find an answer to his foolish thoughts, one of the wolves growled. Priam turned his attention back to the fight. Those beasts were not rabhorn level, but a bite could be severe. He could see two wolves clearly, but the third remained behind his back. They always managed to have one of their own in Priam''s blind spot, which bothered him. He was forced to turn his head frantically to avoid an opportunity to attack. I can''t see them all at once, and when I try to turn quickly so I don''t lose sight of them, I leave openings. I can''t let them trap me like that. It''s up to me to break the status quo.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Shouting for courage, Priam charged one of the wolves. It jumped back to dodge his slash. Priam tried to continue his charge, but the inertia of his blow was more significant than expected, and he found himself off balance. The other two wolves attacked him from behind as he moved back into position. Lifting his right foot, he intercepted one of the wolves in the air. [Kinetic Control]. The unfortunate assailant was propelled backward. Priam had no time to wonder about his fate. Taking advantage of the opening, the last canine had closed its mouth on his left leg. Under the shock and speed of the wolf, Priam found himself on the ground and lost his spear. Panicking, he started kicking the wolf. The canine was shaking its head to damage Priam''s leg as much as possible. Shit, what am I doing?! They are hardly more powerful than normal wolves. I''m faster and stronger, but if one of them bites me in the wrong place, I''ll die! The wolf biting Priam was trying to tear his leg apart. With its fangs firmly planted in Priam''s flesh, it was shaking its mouth, now trying to break the bone. Fortunately, Priam''s Constitution and Strength were so high that it did not seem to succeed. It would take him several minutes to overcome Priam''s physical strength, and Priam had no intention of giving it that time. Priam continued to kick the wolf in the head to force it to let go. Each kick seemed to ring the beast, and its movements were no longer as brisk. With a glance, Priam saw the second wolf cautiously approaching. Apparently, the last member of the trio had not yet recovered from his kick. I hope it learns from this! Priam forced himself to calm down. I don''t want to be lying on the ground! "[Kinetic Control]" The wolf biting on his leg began to slow down, and Priam took the opportunity to knock it over and sit on it. Raising his arm, he threw a kinetically enhanced punch. Then a second one. The second wolf stood still a few feet away from Priam, watching for an opening. He and Priam glared at each other. The wolf knew it didn''t stand a chance but didn''t run. I guess the System wants us to fight. As Priam''s blows rained down on the immobilized wolf, the second canine began to howl in the air. Its companion was dying, and it didn''t know how to save it. The first wolf howling to the earth ever... On the eighth punch, with a tragic whimper, the imprisoned wolf released his jaw. Priam''s shin was a mess, but his vitality was already beginning to heal it. He knew he could walk. He started to get up. At that exact moment, as if sensing this was its last chance, the last wolf threw itself on him. With his hand bruised from punches, Priam stopped the canine with a lightning elbow. [Kinetic Control]. With an end-of-the-world crack, the animal was thrown to the ground. A final blow from its paw had opened a gash in his torso. Priam finished getting up painfully. Lowering his eyes to the ground, he looked at the battered body of the beast who had tried to eat his leg. The novice warrior knelt and took the wolf''s head between his arms. The animal stared at him, all violence gone. He gently scratched its head for a few moments. Then, taking a deep breath, he snapped its neck with a sharp blow. The wolf would have died alone, but Priam didn''t want to hurt it. He had no hatred for the three animals. He had always found wolves and their behavior fascinating. Their cousin was man''s best friend, and Priam loved these animals. "Did they attack me to eat? Or is that an order from the System? There are no wolves on the Moon - unless NASA has been lying to us - so the System transported them here. It may even have created them entirely, the number of wolves on Earth was quite low. I believe the total wolf population was 350,000. Spread out over the surface of the Moon, it''s strange that I''m encountering them so quickly..." What worried Priam most was that these wolves had attacked him. Wolves normally avoided attacking humans. Either these three wolves were hungry, which seemed unlikely given their size, or... Or they were forced to by the System. I have no desire to become a wolf exterminator... He was angry at the System, at this new order of things that required him to kill innocent creatures. Priam got up and walked towards the last attacker. The latter was motionless. As he got closer, he realized it wasn''t playing dead. It was dead. "When I think that this encounter could have been over ten times faster..." sighed Priam as he retrieved his spear. He walked away from the corpses and then hobbled for five minutes to a tree. A wild wolf pack is normally composed of five to seven wolves, led by two parents. There is no wild alpha male and female. Perhaps the System knew that a pack would not give humans a chance, so it had reduced the number of enemies. Or maybe the rest of the pack wasn''t far behind. Wounded, Priam wanted to recover before continuing to fight. He climbed into the tree to take cover. Leaning against the trunk to allow his leg to heal more quickly, he pulled a fruit from the bag he had made. Made up of a few leaves folded together, the makeshift bag was an eyesore. It contained some resources he had taken with him in case there was nothing to eat at the Reunion. He knew now that he could sustain himself, if necessary, by eating wolf meat, for example. This idea disgusted him, the animal was too close to the dog for his taste. Priam thought that one of the benefits of this new life might be the opportunity to eat new kinds of foods. Since childhood, Priam had been a gourmand and a gourmet. I want to taste every monster in this universe. That afternoon, Priam swore he would one day eat a dragon. "That''s the kind of promise I like to make!" he laughed. Without taking the time to peel it, he began eating the fruit Log-a-rhythm provided. His vitality needed calories to regenerate his leg. Priam inspected the damage. His bone was hidden, and the wolf had fortunately bitten him in the muscle. No tendons were damaged, and his impressive physical characteristics had allowed him to get away with it. Priam was not a doctor, but the wound looked like a large dog had bitten superficially. His muscles, harder than steel, had resisted the animal''s fangs very well. Such a wound would have healed entirely in a few days on Earth. Priam was not worried. When his vitality had exceeded 100, a qualitative difference had occurred. He was not only healing eleven times faster than an average human. The real value must have been around twenty-two times faster. Coupled with the fruit he was currently digesting - which also boosted his regeneration - he would be completely healed before the end of the day. The wound itself did not prevent him from moving. Before continuing on his way, Priam reviewed the fight. He should have won effortlessly. The System hadn''t even bothered to give him a few skill levels as his display had been so pathetic. If Priam learned to react and control his weapon well, he would have the ability to trounce an entire pack, let alone three wolves. Using his physical advantage, he should have attacked first. The spear had not helped him and even made him lose his balance. Once in close combat, he had lost it, but it would have been ineffective anyway. "If I want to use this weapon, and I do because some fights require reach, I must master it. Using a weapon you don''t know is a big mistake." Priam promised himself that he would start training with the spear as soon as possible. "My last mistake was to panic and react instead of acting. To react is to go with the flow of the enemy. I would be dead if those wolves had been more numerous or stronger. I need to become proactive and get some experience." Priam got up slowly and began to wield his spear. For the next half hour, he went through a series of moves. Forward attack, cutting attack, step to the side, turn around, blocking,... Priam wanted to become familiar with the weight of his weapon. His leg was hurting, but he used the pain to remind himself that every mistake had consequences. Dying stupidly for lack of training was unbearable for him. He knew nothing about handling a spear. A spearman would undoubtedly have been outraged by his exercises, but Priam was convinced it was better than nothing. Suddenly, in the middle of a particularly classy combo - in his opinion - Priam turned around. He had heard a scream. A human scream. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 58 Constitution 77 Agility 90 Vitality 112 Perception 66 MENTAL: Vivacity 75 Dexterity 46 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 16 Potential: 140 Tier 0 Chapter 13: Lunar Encounters Priam turned to the source of the shout. He hadn''t spoken to anyone in a week. Yet it seemed like years. Tightening his grip on his spear, he ran to the stranger''s aid. Using his skills to the fullest, he accelerated quickly, swallowing the distance between himself and the danger. Moments later, the mist gave way to a young woman being threatened by a dog. The beast was impressive, a canine specimen one meter high at the withers. Visibly enraged, with a bloody muzzle, the dog was leaping towards the girl perched on an isolated shrub. Under the blows of the dog, it was shivering. The makeshift shelter would not last long. I recognize this situation! She''s a villager, and I can recruit her if I save her from the bad dog, right? Forgetting that no one got the Age of Empire 3 references anymore, Priam stuck his spear in the ground and charged the beast with his bare hands. He wasn''t used to fighting yet and didn''t want to repeat a pathetic performance. He had already fought in the street to protect some of his girlfriends. He was confident in his fists and characteristics. The dog, a variant of an English mastiff, must have weighed more than 150 kg and developed terrible power. The wolves were just children in front of such a monster. Priam was confident. The dog was slow compared to a rabhorn. Terribly slow. Instinctively, like a predator facing its prey, Priam knew he was in no danger. Two meters before contact, Priam cocked his fist. A final [Kinetic Control] propelled his right leg and brought it into contact with the beast. He touched the dog''s chest and then demonstrated his skill again. The animal flew off the ground. Its body was propelled several meters backward and landed on its back. Too bad for it that it is not a cat... Turning his head toward Priam, the dog whimpered softly, hurt. It sniffed the air and then barked at the girl. It seemed to ignore Priam, too angry at its first victim. "Maybe you don''t want to fight me, but I won''t let you hurt this girl. Go away!" he said, shaking his hand. Priam glanced at his hand. It wasn''t broken, but he shouldn''t have closed his fist, and he knew it. Hitting with his palm would have had the same impact. His quick thinking was far superior to a normal man''s, but there was no point in having a big brain when you didn''t use it. The dog watched the newcomer for a few seconds. Priam didn''t know if the beast understood him. There seemed to be a glimmer of intelligence in its eyes, but it was quickly eclipsed by rage. The dog understood that ignoring Priam would not be enough to make him forget it back. He sighed at the belligerent attitude of the monster. The animal leaped towards the tree, trying to dodge Priam. In a lightning acceleration, he repositioned himself next to the dog, grabbed it by the neck, and with a pirouette, threw it violently to the ground again. Only a few meters from the tree, the wounded animal struggled to get up. Do I really have to kill a monster that doesn''t even attack me? As Priam wondered what would happen next, the girl slid down the tree trunk. Her feet touched the ground lightly, and she moved toward the dog. "Watch out!" exclaimed Priam as he stepped forward to protect the girl. "Thank you very much for your intervention, sir, but I''m not in danger anymore, I think." replied the lady. A French woman?! Priam froze in surprise. He had thought long and hard about the language problems in Elysium. While communication was less difficult with other humans than with aliens, he had not expected to find a girl who spoke his language directly. Unless the Concepts had grouped humans based on their geographic location when the Tutorial was announced? If so, my family should be close! Deep in thought, he looked up just as the girl plunged a dagger - in her small hand, it looked like a sword - into the animal''s heart. Shocked to see someone kill a dog in cold blood, he couldn''t gather his thoughts before she continued. "You seem shocked? I just got here a few minutes ago, and I''ve spent half that time being chased by this dog. I''m not even its first victim. The blood on its muzzle is not mine. A rabid dog, ready to kill me and who has already tasted human blood... No, I didn''t hesitate to kill it." said the girl, wiping her dagger on the animal''s fur. Priam calmed down. It is the new world, he thought. A young woman must have the guts to kill a bloodthirsty beast to survive. Her lack of hesitation... I should be learning from her rather than criticizing her. If he were to be completely honest with himself, Priam had killed a rabhorn just to eat. It was a more difficult action to defend morally than what the young woman had just done. He knew that someday the time would come to kill animals, but he would rather kill bloodthirsty-looking monsters than dogs. Disney and a cognitive bias had taught him that beauty meant goodness. It was wrong, of course, but it was so easy to think that a beautiful dog was always nice and a terrible hyena was always evil. Life was not so Manichean, and Priam was slowly becoming aware of this. Realizing that he was once again deep in thought - one of his main faults - he focused on his interlocutor and apologized for his behavior. "I was shocked, that''s true, but I understand your reaction. Eat or be eaten, right? Anyway, you have to be a fighter if you''re out of the dome." Priam replied. Priam observed the young blonde woman. Seen up close, she must be between eighteen and twenty-five years old. Quite tall and slender, he suspected she must have been practicing a sport before the Tutorial. She had that sharp look common to those who practiced combat sports. With keen eyes, she observed Priam''s movements and placement. Rather pretty, she didn''t seem afraid of Priam despite his strength and attire. He was aware that he was only wearing a leafy loincloth in front of a girl. I hope she doesn''t think I''m a pervert. It''s not my fault if I can''t sew jeans with two leaves and a rock. "Yes, I chose to fight in the Tutorial. I''ve always been a fan of fantasy as well as a boxer. When I saw that I could fly and fight monsters, it seemed like a good idea then..." sighed the young woman. Normally he would have been happy to converse with her, and perhaps even more, depending on the mutual feeling. But right now, every second seemed to separate him from his family and potential doom. He wanted to get information about them and answers to his questions quickly. "I understand. I made pretty much the same choice as you did, as you can imagine. The presentation at the Tutorial forgot to mention the danger. Did you see any other humans after the Tutorial? By the way, my name is Priam." "Claire, nice to meet you. After the Tutorial? I only finished the Tutorial two days ago, so I may not have the answers you''re expecting. But yes, I found myself in a new village, lost within a new world." "A village? That''s not bad, I was on my own. Did you manage to adapt? As much as one can adapt in a few days..."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "By yourself?!" Claire exclaimed. "Congratulations on surviving, then. It couldn''t have been easy, I sympathize." Surviving is what I do best, I think... That and pancakes. Not thinking about pancakes, not thinking about pancakes, not... Claire continued. "For the adaptation, I was lucky. The village was created by the first people who passed the Tutorial. We have about a hundred members who all passed the Tutorial on normal difficulty. What more can I say... Life is not easy. No real command structure has emerged yet, and there are attacks from beasts that look like animals but... Deformed? Corrupted? At least I can defend myself, while non-combatants depend on the protection of some. Fortunately, most of the people in the village stick together. How about you?" Most of the residents... The girl hadn''t clearly mentioned any behavioral problems. Of course, Priam was willing to bet that some people must have taken advantage of the lawlessness caused by the apocalypse. But justice in this new world was often as summary as it was expeditious. No one had time to waste on a trial and a prisoner when they weren''t sure they''d have enough to eat for themselves... But that wasn''t what Priam was most interested in about Claire''s story. The Concepts group together those who have chosen the same difficulty. But all those who have passed the Tutorial on the same difficulty do not necessarily end up together. A hundred survivors on normal difficulty seems far too few to me. So there must be multiple drop-off points. Humanity is fragmented and separated. It means that there will be no pseudo-government capable of identifying the survivors. Finding my family will be complicated. Maybe in the dome, there is a System feature? "Me? Oh, I found myself in a pretty inhospitable place, and the loneliness almost drove me to invent an imaginary friend," Priam laughed. "Other than that, I''ve been around Death enough to become buddies with it. I''ve seen a lot of interesting things too. For that matter, haven''t you seen any...other intelligent life forms?" Priam asked while observing the surroundings to verify that no beast was planning to attack them by surprise. "Other intelligent life forms?" asked Claire with a frown. "Yes, I feel silly asking this based on your answer but... No elf, dwarf, or anything?" Arnold and the hoplite were clearly not human... Is this specific to Elysium? She laughed. "No, sorry. You''re right, it''s not impossible in this new world after all but... No fantastic creatures. Just mindless monsters and idiots." she added, seeming to lose her good mood. "Too bad, I would have liked to meet a dwarf. An elf too, but I think it''s easier to get to know a dwarf. Over a beer, for example. Or rather, over a barrel of beer." But if the barrel is too high, how can the dwarf drink? Or can he jump in and drink all the beer before he drowns? Sounds like a good challenge for a dwarf... As Priam''s thoughts wandered again, he pulled himself together. He still had to find his family before he could satisfy his curiosity about dwarf customs. "Thanks for the information, but I have to go. I want to find a way into the dome as soon as possible." Priam smiled. "Wait!" exclaimed Claire. "I... I''m sorry but can I come with you? I can run fast, don''t worry. Besides, there will probably be other monsters, and I can be useful. I''m sorry to ask you this when you don''t seem to need help. If another corrupted dog attacks and there''s no tree in sight, I won''t be able to escape it. Please?" she pleaded. "I..." Priam pulled himself together. He was ready to refuse, his family was waiting, and Claire was going to waste precious time. But as he looked into her eyes, he felt a twinge of sadness. She was about the same age as his sister, and if he left her here, depending on the population of monsters, she had a real chance of dying. He knew his family, they would not have chosen to be fighters. For now, they were bound to be safe in a dome. There was little chance they would be in immediate danger. That was not the case with this girl. Priam considered the situation. Can I really look someone in the face and tell them their life doesn''t matter to me? Certainly, if my family was in imminent danger. But right now, I have no idea how healthy they are... Plus, having someone with me might help convince others of my sincerity. There are pros and cons, but in the end, who am I? I''m not a saint, but I don''t want to be a monster. It''s too easy to use the apocalypse to stop caring about others. For humanity to survive, we must, above all, remain human. Priam had made his decision. Before accepting, he checked one last thing. [Identification] [Claire ?] - A survivor of the Tutorial. She considers herself brave, but others would use the word impulsive. While Claire has no particular talent for violence, she has other unique abilities. Strange. I got a lot more information about Arnold or the Hoplite... "You''re right, we may need each other. Besides, why not help out a fellow countrywoman if I get the chance?" Priam smiled. "I''m just warning you that I plan to run. I need to find my family as soon as possible. By the way, do you have any information on the ''threat'' that needs to be eliminated to get into the dome?" "Thank you very much! For the ''threat'', nothing but the System quest. The statement was pretty stingy with details..." "It''s often like this with the System," Priam nodded.. "Let''s not waste any more time. If we run into monsters, I''ll deal with them." He had always wanted to say that. "Okay!" smiled Claire. "If you don''t have any destinations in mind, I thought I heard some noise over there." she indicated. Priam turned toward the direction she was pointing. Claire followed him, using all her strength not to lose sight of him. The mist was moving, and danger lurked. Claire watched Priam''s back, her hand on her bloody dagger. She needed someone who could distract the monsters. The young man seemed honest, but how could she know in this new world? The dog''s master had smiled too, before trying to betray her. She had plunged her dagger into his heart. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 58 Constitution 77 Agility 90 Vitality 112 Perception 66 MENTAL: Vivacity 75 Dexterity 46 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 16 Potential: 140 Tier 0 Chapter 14: Hakuna matata Claire was panting. Priam was moving fast, and keeping up with him was no easy task. Meanwhile, the young man was trying to pierce the mist with his eyes, when he heard exclamations to his left. He slowed down and motioned to the girl to be quiet. "Noise on our left. I''ll go first. Follow me." Claire nodded her head in agreement. Priam quietly approached the clamor. Quickly, the opaque mist cleared up, revealing shadows twirling around. Priam stopped in front of the spectacle that was offered to him. Three men armed with swords were fighting massive boars in a surreal scene. Humanity is impressive. Nine days ago, the majority of humans had a sedentary lifestyle. Except at the zoo, a man could go his whole life without seeing a dangerous animal. Today, I see three people with sabers fighting rabid boars. The three strangers were no strangers to violence. Unfortunately, despite their dexterity and coordination, the animals were too numerous and resistant. A herd of eight boars was continuously charging them. The sabers'' wounds inflicted on the animals seemed to drive them mad. They were charging blindly at the individuals, seeking to take them with them to the next world. None of the men were injured, but Priam guessed the situation could quickly change. The mammals'' canines were half a meter long. One mistake would mean death. No sooner had he had this thought that one of the boars scratched the thigh of one of the fighters with its tusk - a lower canine. The wound seemed superficial, but it disturbed the warrior. It could be the beginning of the end. I have to intervene now if I want to help them! Priam had questions, and only living men could answer them. Announcing himself with a shout to distract the boars, Priam leaped into the fray. His agility and kinetic energy control skills were particularly well suited to fighting heavy, slow, powerful monsters. Priam put his hand on the snout of a male and absorbed some of the energy from the charge. The animal slowed down, and Priam took advantage of the situation to throw a titanic punch. Using his strength combined with the energy he had just stolen, the blow broke the beast''s neck. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 7 STR + 1 The cracking sounded like the announcement of a brutal death. The sound was so horrible that Priam was afraid for his hand. It''s a great way to break bones. My bones too. The other boars snarled and, in one motion, tried to attack Priam. Their massive size prevented them from attacking as a group. The animals were getting in each other''s way as they tried to run in the same direction. Priam spun around to find an exit, his senses alert. There! With a leap, he found himself balancing on the head of a boar its comrades had pushed. [Art of Movement] allowed him to regain his balance in a split second. Priam slid down the boar''s side and grabbed its tusk. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he slowed the beast by absorbing its kinetic energy and planted his feet on the ground. Exercising his thigh and back muscles like never before, he lifted the animal and threw it to the ground in one motion. Without giving it time to get up, Priam finished off the stunned beast with a spear to the head. Only six more to go. "Never again will I fight a pathetic battle," he encouraged himself. Priam felt his [Focus] skill activate as his mind focused on the fight. The skill allowed him to forget the pain in his side. He looked back at the rest of the animals. The herd was disorganized, and the beasts had lost sight of him as he jumped. Priam retrieved his spear as one of the boars finally caught sight of him. Seeing the corpse at the young man''s feet, it charged, blinded by rage. Priam drove his spear into the ground and prepared to absorb the kinetic energy of the assault. There was something terrifying about seeing a hundred-kilogram monster charging at you. The collision was brutal, but Priam absorbed the energy of the movement while closing his eyes. The beast''s violent stop raised a cloud of dust. Mentally, Priam admonished himself: depriving himself of vision during a fight was madness. Fortunately, he had not been attacked at that time. Opening his eyes, Priam could see the animal''s open jaw and spear piercing its brain. He could feel the warm blood of the wild animal splashing on his face. Only five left. Priam stood up and pressed his foot against the beast''s head to try to free his spear. Shit, it''s stuck. The rest of the group charged him before he could recover his spear. "Do you know how to do anything other than charge stupidly?!" The boars'' cry seemed to indicate a negative response. As they came within five meters of him, Priam took off and jumped over them. Once behind the beasts, he laughed and went after them. I''m playing leapfrog with bloodthirsty boars. [Focus] helped him choose his next victim: the rightmost boar, a little more isolated than the others. As the hog''s charge ran out of steam, Priam caught up with his target and slapped it on the rump. [Kinetic Control]. The animal braked in surprise and Priam took advantage. Planting his left leg on the ground, he kicked the beast in the mouth with a circular kick. Mobilizing all of his kinetic charges in the blow, the beast was nearly decapitated. Four more to go. By the time the rest of the herd figured out what had happened, Priam went back for his spear. He finally released it under the stunned eyes of his audience. Focusing on the fight, he didn''t notice the men''s amazement or the concern in Claire''s eyes. Priam''s eyes were clear. [Focus] was influencing his thoughts and he was no longer worried. The men, Claire, the Reunion, and even his family were in the background. Only the fight mattered, and his mind was totally focused on his victory. He would win and he knew it. The boars had to die and he would be their executioner. The survivors had stopped. They were reluctant to attack, and rage had given way to fear. When the rest of the boars were indecisive, Priam provoked them with a wave of his hand. Time stood still for a silent second, before the biggest male got angry. He charged first, before his family followed. Priam swung his spear in the air to save kinetic energy. The other three boars were far behind, and the duel would be the last. The monster was getting closer and was soon only a few meters away from Priam. He prepared to dodge it, standing firm on his feet. At the last second, Priam shifted his weight and evaded the beast with one lightning step. The canines brushed against him as Priam prepared his piercing attack. All his bodily and kinetic energies were concentrated in the attack. The animal didn''t have time to move a step away as the spear''s tip pierced its skull. The inertia of the charge took the animal and the spear with it. Priam turned around just in time to catch the tusk of one of the boars planning to skewer him. With a pelvis twist, he turned the beast''s momentum into a spin. He managed a half-turn on himself while lifting the beast. When he let go, it was as if the boar had jumped off a merry-go-round. It was thrown back several feet. [Focus] and [Kinetic Control] gave Priam a great deal of freedom to counter the boar''s brutal and basic approach. He felt like a great judo master taking on eight children. The boars were heavy, but that was their only advantage. They could have smashed through a one-centimeter-thick metal door but could not hit Priam. As he approached the beast, Priam realized that one of its tusks had gotten stuck in a root when it fell and lodged its head in place. Its inertia had broken its neck as the rest of its body continued. I have to be careful with the terrain. If I get my foot stuck in a root, it will be the end. The last two hogs were coming back, too stupid to understand that their foolish tactics would have no impact today. One of the two boar was faster and outpaced its comrade. This decision proved fatal when Priam grabbed one of its tusks and threw it at the last member of the herd. Both beasts rolled to the ground, and Priam jumped on one of them to finish it off. Grabbing a canine tooth with one hand to steady himself, he used his other hand to pummel the animal. His palm repeatedly struck the skull of the enraged monster.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The last boar came charging back, and Priam got up before finishing his work. He was back in the air a second later, jumping to dodge the attack. Fights were swift when the stats were high. Time seemed to slow down when Priam focused - certainly the combination of [Focus] and his exceptional mental attributes. Falling back to the ground, Priam sat astride the grounded boar. The boar was trying to get up and looked terrified. It was facing a predator and knew it was going to die. Grabbing the canines, Priam had to use all his considerable strength to twist the boar''s neck. Observing the corpse for a moment, Priam was startled. Right now, he was six times stronger than a full-grown man and had still struggled to break the animal''s neck. The last boar hesitated, then turned on its heels. Under Priam''s stunned eyes, it fled. Stunned, he did not think directly of pursuing it. "It must not run away! This monster will find other humans to kill!" shouted one of the men. Priam''s eyes hardened. He didn''t want to decimate a species but refused to stand by while humans fought and died. Indifference was sometimes the worst crime. He dashed toward the runaway. Sprinting and releasing the energy stolen during the fight, he painfully caught up with the animal after about twenty seconds. The animal ran incredibly fast and had a natural advantage as a quadruped. When he reached its height, he absorbed the animal''s energy to slow down its run. Kinetic energy being proportional to the square of the speed, even if he took half of it, the animal was still running away quickly. Priam painfully overtook it. Planting his foot on the ground to stabilize himself, he delivered a titanic knee strike to the animal''s temple. Out of breath despite the short duration of the fight, his heart beating fast, Priam allowed himself a little rest. The difference between a real fight and a training session was colossal. He had not succeeded in optimizing his stamina, and he felt tiredness coming on despite his vitality. His eyes focused on the corpse as he massaged a spot on his side. "Nine days ago, I was revising for a fundamental physics competition. Today I killed eight giant, rabid boars with my hands in a few seconds. I guess my life will never be the same again..." A growl shook the ground. Priam turned just in time to see the mist ripple. A gigantic mass appeared, hurtling at high speed. The boar wasn''t running away, it was looking for its mother. I was fighting boarlets! Priam mustered every ounce of his energy to dodge the oncoming death. The beast''s tusk passed so close to his arm that the repulsed air scratched him. He landed in a roll, before looking at his new opponent. A wild sow did not normally have a tusk. This one was an exception to that rule and others. The monster measured at least two meters at the withers and three meters long. Two thousand kilograms of muscle and fat, thrown at full throttle. It was an abomination that Priam had no desire to face. But in the beast''s intelligent eyes, he read hatred. The mother knew who had slaughtered its children. One of them had to die. And it would be you. Priam was annoyed because he had not recovered his spear. Killing the monster would be difficult without making it bleed. Unless... He positioned himself with his back to a young tree. If the monster charged foolishly, it would hit the tree. The mother boar charged at him, and Priam only avoided it at the last second. A cataclysmic crack was heard. The tree had shattered at the point of impact. The stump was half out of the ground, and the top of the trunk was rolling a few feet away. The animal stopped fifty meters away to observe the result of its charge. Priam saw the disappointment in its eyes when it saw that he was still alive. But there was another feeling. Perhaps he was imagining it, but he thought he saw a kind of schadenfreude in the beast''s eyes. It said, ''You''ll end up pulverized like this tree. I hope you''re scared.¡¯ Priam was scared. The splintered trunk was about thirty centimeters in diameter. He wasn''t that strong. Plan B. The wild sow charged, and so did Priam. A split second before contact, Priam jumped over the animal and stroked its back with one hand. Instantly, the beast lost speed. One. Another charge, another acrobatic move. The beast was relentless but predictable. Priam''s quick thinking, agility, dexterity, and skill made dodging easy. In particular, [Focus] kept him focused, which drastically reduced the risk of error on his part. After three more trips, Priam was ready. He had stored the equivalent of four kinetic saves. The two adversaries looked at each other, and Priam knew it would be the last time. The beast, whose majesty was eclipsed by anger, dashed forward. Priam prepared himself firmly on his feet. It was no longer a question of dodging. At twenty meters from Priam, the wild sow lowered its head to impale him, but the young man threw himself backward on his back. The attack came within a millimeter of his legs, and the female continued on its way, hoping to crush the murderer of its children. Lying down with his back to the ground, Priam put his hands on either side of his body and propelled his body, legs first, in the air. When his feet hit the beast''s head, the warrior released all his accumulated energy. The effect was immediate. The animal flew away, its head twisted by the brutal acceleration. An abomination close to two tons found itself ten meters high. But boars don''t have wings. Gravity pulled the animal back, and the fall was brutal. Thirty meters behind Priam, the colossus crashed to the ground, causing a jolt and a cloud of dust. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 5 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Getting up slowly, Priam blew out his breath. His idea hadn''t been brilliant, and one mistake could have sent him to the club of heroes who died in a stupid way. A club with far too many members. He moved closer to the animal''s body. It was breathing hard. Its ribs must have punctured the lungs. Glassy-eyed and badly wounded, the wild sow was on its way to join its children. Priam sat down to wait by its side. He couldn''t easily put her out of her misery without his spear and didn''t want to leave before it died. He needed to make sure this monster would die. It took ten minutes before the beast took its last breath. As he stood up, he took one last look at the corpse. Did I manage to kill this? I can''t believe it... "Well, I''m going to leave before Dad gets here. Sorry, Pumbaa." On the way back, Priam thought about the fight. He had plenty of room for improvement, but the attitude of the three men bothered him. They hadn''t helped at all. Maybe not to get in his way, but the more he thought, the more he doubted. He started to run. When the mass grave came into view, Priam stopped short. One of the men was dissecting the boar corpses. Another was keeping watch, spear in hand, and immediately warned his companions of the young man''s return. The last man was holding Claire at bay with his saber. When he saw Priam unharmed, he threatened Claire with his blade. "Not another step." Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 59 Constitution 77 Agility 90 Vitality 112 Perception 66 MENTAL: Vivacity 77 Dexterity 49 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 36 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 20 Potential: 144 Tier 0 Chapter 15: Man is his own predator. Priam paused. Pressed by the system, the Tutorial, the hoplite, Arnold, the Reunion, his quests, his problems, and his progress, he had forgotten some of the facets of man. He had forgotten the cruelty and opportunism. Saints existed, but not all men were good. These three were like vultures. Greedy and looking for an opportunity. ¡°Good. We''ll get the cores and go. We''re not gonna hurt the girl, and we''ll free her after going a few miles that you can''t find us. Man, you have to understand that we have to be careful with what you showed us before,¡± continued the man while pointing to the corpses of wild boars "The cores?" It wasn''t the most pressing question, but Priam was surprised at the precision. The three idiots had a few things to gain for risking provoking him, and he wanted to know what. At the same time, one of the accomplices pulled a tiny object from the body of one of the beasts. Priam''s perception alerted him instantly. What is that? ¡°Monster cores, know that? An info to show our good faith. Creatures in this new universe sometimes have a solid crystal in their heart. These cores contain some of the beast''s energy. They sell for a lot of money in the city that me and my guys landed in.¡± Interesting. They talked about a city. I''d be surprised if it were built last week, so they''ve been around aliens. They have the information I want, but I can''t trust them. False answers will give me the wrong picture. Better to have little correct information than a lot of inaccurate information. No need to question them, I will find someone honest later. Priam was tired. Not physically, because his Vitality ensured that he was in top physical condition as long as he didn''t make an impressive effort, but mentally. In Elysium, he had begun to miss his fellow man. However, he had hardly found his people when some were already trying to exploit his work. Worse, they were threatening him. Priam''s mental fatigue was mixed with weariness. The mixture turned into anger. "... Thanks for the information. But you''re not gonna bring her. In exchange for the information, I''ll let you go unharmed. Now fuck off," scolded Priam. He took a step forward with what he hoped was a menacing look on his face. He didn''t want to kill these men, but he would have no choice if they continued to take him for a fool. Priam didn''t back down from his responsibilities. "Don''t come closer!" shouted the man dissecting the bodies. He was the one closest to Priam, and now he seemed to remember that the aggressive young man had slaughtered eight rabid boars in a matter of seconds. "Stop," said the man who was keeping watch calmly. "The girl is coming with us, the cores too. And the spear." Priam noticed they had recovered the spear he had left on the ground during the fight. He had been so amazed by the gall of the three idiots that he had not paid attention to this detail. Upon hearing the confident response of the leader of the idiots, he laughed angrily. I almost died against the hoplite, and this spear is my reward. Do they think they''re going to steal from me? Do they think I''m a pacifist, just good at slaughtering animals? That I wouldn''t dare attack a human?! Priam''s anger flared. He took no pleasure in violence against other humans. But pushed to the limit, he had already killed. The Tutorial had almost forced him to. He had learned that his survival was more important to him than the lives of strangers. When anger got in the way, he lost all moderation. His anger was threatening to explode, and he was tired. He was not wholly controlling his emotions, and Priam realized he didn''t care. If these men are in such a hurry to die... Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down one last time, he replied coldly. "This is not the same world as it used to be, and your actions remind me of that," Priam said. "There is no justice here, no police to right the wrongs. There is you, and there is me. There''s the power I''ve gained by putting my life on the line these past few days. And there is your weakness." Focusing his eyes on the man threatening Claire, Priam continued. "You will leave. Leave the cores. Leave the spear. Leave one of your cloaks. Leave the girl. Leave quickly, or I''ll break your legs to calm me down. It is a death sentence, and you know it. Leave or die. Claire, get back. If you advance towards her, you are dead," he indicated while pointing at the one who threatened Claire. Priam was not perfect, far from it. Like many men and women, he had problems. For him, it was his anger management. He thought he remembered that this all-consuming anger had appeared during his parents'' divorce. He was ten years old then. But maybe it was his subconscious making an excuse. In any case, Priam had trouble containing his anger when it rose. He would have violent urges, which he had always channeled because he knew it was wrong. In a functional society, violence between two men did not solve problems. There were police officers and a justice system to deal with conflicts. Aware of his problem, he learned to calm down quickly as he grew up. He meditated, breathed slowly, and avoided getting into unpleasant situations. Unfortunately, when his anger crossed a certain threshold, it exploded. And so did he. It had happened a few times in his life. In those moments, he would go crazy. He didn''t think about the consequences. Priam felt an urge for violence rising inside him. These three men had no shame. In addition, they were trying to take a young girl hostage, and Priam had no empathy for them. Just hatred. It was swelling, and he meant every word of it. He didn''t want to put them into action but knew he couldn''t back down now. If the three bandits sensed any hesitation, they would press their advantage, and Priam would be forced to act physically and hurt them. Despite their regrettable act, he did not want their deaths on his conscience. He nodded to Claire, and she walked away without doubting him. She walked towards Priam quickly, to avoid giving the bandits time to think. She had seen him in action and was pretty sure he could rescue her if needed. She didn''t want to be a burden to him. In this new world, power was everything. If you lacked personal power, you might as well have powerful friends... The man threatening her must have sensed that Priam was ready to prove his point. He hesitated to move forward, and Claire took advantage of his hesitation to put herself entirely out of danger. She placed herself behind Priam, so as not to get in his way if a fight broke out. The man collecting the cores spoke up. "Sorry. We have to survive too, right? But we''re not bad guys, we didn''t touch the girl. We''ll leave you the cores and a cloak, and we''ll go, okay?" the talkative thug apologized. He understood that the tide had turned. They had no more hostages; if Priam were a bloodthirsty psychopath, they would have died. Strong with the weak and weak with the strong. The cowards. "Now go away. Leave the spear, the cores, and the cloak. Do not cross my path again," Priam said. The three pathetic bandits quickly consulted each other with their eyes. Priam was ready. If they were to act, it would be now. Fortunately for them, they chickened out. At a nod from the spotter, the spearman dropped the spear to the ground while his partner dropped some crystals. Seeing that his comrades had stopped there, the leader sighed and untied his cloak before throwing it to the ground. After gathering themselves, they went into the mist. The spotter was the last to disappear after one last indecipherable glance at Priam. The scene had been very quiet, everything had already been said. He knew he had made enemies. But what does it matter? These three will be as important as insects if I get strong enough. As soon as they sensed the danger, they backed off. They did the right thing to survive. You have gained the skill: [Intimidation]. [Intimidation] lvl 1: Your words and actions, coupled with your strength and anger, have intimidated someone. You have dominated one of your fellow human beings by provoking fear and desire to please you. This desire originates in a survival instinct, but what is certain is that he fears you. If you lose your dominance, this feeling may turn into hatred. Any increase in characteristics is good, but be careful what your skills say about you. The power you have over others transforms the person who uses it. CHAR +3 The attitude of the three men surprised Priam. He had argued with them to be on the side of morality, but he had little hope for a peaceful resolution. The bandits had proven him wrong. They were used to power struggles and had good survival instincts. They must have felt that it was better to leave. It probably saved their lives. "Thank you," Priam gasped before turning around. Claire''s thank you had pulled him out of his reverie. "Ah. Mmmh, you''re welcome. I wasn''t going to let them take you," Priam said with a smile. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Claire''s lips stretched into a smile. "Thank you. You''ve saved my life twice since midday. I won''t forget that." "Glad to help. Let''s take a closer look at those cores, then." Bending over to the crystals left behind by the bandits, Priam noticed that the cut to search the beast''s interior was irregular. The boar''s hide seemed to be very resistant to sharp edges. Perhaps an artisan could make me a leather outfit? My clothes wouldn''t then tear at the slightest movement with my fast movements. We''ll see about that later, I don''t plan to spend two hours skinning a boar. The crystals were tiny. All about the same size, blood red, they couldn''t have been much bigger than a pea. Priam felt nothing special as he rolled them under his fingers. There must be some way to detect their energy. "Can you sense anything?" he asked as he tossed one to Claire. The girl quickly grabbed it and watched him for a few seconds. "Nope." "I don''t think the three idiots lied to us about it. It wouldn''t make sense, and nobody messes with boar entrails for nothing," Priam mumbled. "I only gutted one beast besides these monsters, which didn''t have a crystal. Or I must have eaten it. Considering how small they are, it''s not impossible..." "This may not be the first time I''ve heard of these crystals. I think some of the hunters in my village have found them, but so far, no one knows any use for them," informed Claire. "One more mystery." Priam stood up. "Enough wasted time! Let''s go see if we can find some clues to our quest." "Hmm." Claire scratched her throat to get Priam''s attention. "Yes?" he replied. Having caught Priam''s attention, Claire continued. "I felt vibrations all the way here after you chased the boar. You were gone for about ten minutes. I assume there was a reason?" She felt the vibrations from here? She has a lot of points in perception... "You''re right. The mom came to defend its little ones. Why is that? Do you want to see the carcass of the monster? Its core is different, you think?" "Potentially, yes. But that''s not what I''m really interested in. We''re on a new moon. The Concepts went to the trouble of recreating an ecosystem to test us. Everything is orchestrated here. From the vibrations I felt, the monster must have been massive. Which means it must be challenging to defeat - except for another monster like you," Claire shrugged. "Why would the System create an exceptionally tough monster if not to see us face it? Why fight it, and risk your life, if you gain nothing? Do you see where I''m going with this?" "Yeah. There must be a reward for defeating this kind of monster... In order to encourage humanity to excel? If so, the System is smart, there is nothing greedier than a human... For the monster, maybe its core is precious, or its wallow has a rare resource. But it is also possible that its fur or its organs are the rewards. I can''t judge that sort of thing, and I have no desire to carry around fifty kilograms of fur on my back," Priam announced. "Its wallow?" "The place where it sleeps," Priam explained "Its den if you will." "I didn''t know the word. I didn''t take you for a scholar. In any case, since we don''t have any leads to look for the ''threat,'' why not look there?" "Okay, let''s go get mama boar''s core then. Over there." The two headed for the scene of the confrontation. A few moments later, Priam was running again. Behind him, the girl was struggling to keep up. The mist swallowed the dead boars. The confrontation had occurred only a few hundred meters away, but the omnipresent mist camouflaged everything. From time to time, the wind blew away some of the mist, and it was then possible to see the unusual landscape. Trees and rivers on the moon... At other times, like now, the mist was so dense that it was impossible to see more than three meters away. Fortunately, Priam had a good sense of direction and quickly found the monster''s corpse. Claire arrived three seconds after him. Priam had stayed a few meters ahead to verify one of his hypotheses. She was running slower than he was, but she could find him even though he had lost track of her. She has more perception than I do. Or a skill that tracks me. There was nothing wrong with that, but it was always good to know the strengths and weaknesses of your allies and enemies alike. He watched Claire''s eyes widen as she observed the gigantic corpse of a female boar. "Did you really kill that thing?!" she asked. "Yep!" "I would have liked to see the confrontation. I knew you were strong, but not that strong. It''s a mini-boss, a genuine Tier 0." "Why not a weak Tier 1?" Priam had no idea of the differences between the Tiers. He knew he was in Tier 0, and his [Temperance Die] would allow him to increase his attributes before Tier 1. Going over 200 in any one trait would trigger a Tribulation. So, he assumed that most Tier 1 creatures would have at least one attribute above 200. The boar''s constitution and strength seemed to be well above that number. Perhaps a genetic advantage? Did the boar get a physical bonus to compensate for its mental handicap? "There is no way that this animal is Tier 1. In the village, some hunters were able to kill a Tier 1 with firearms," Claire said. "We have some guns and explosives for protection, brought in by military personnel who were able to obtain them just before the Tutorial. They received a Title for defeating a Tier 1. Small caliber bullets didn''t penetrate the monster''s skin, and its specialty was speed, not defense. This monster looks impressive, but I don''t think you can kill a Tier 1 yet. Anyway, if it were Tier 1, we''d know it by identifying it." Priam admonished himself. [Identification] was very useful, and he needed to develop the habit of using it at every turn. He sighed before analyzing the beast. [Identification] [Sus scrofa territorialis] - A mother boar, fiercely protective of its children. Recently touched by the aether, wild boars, like most omnivorous animals, were able to quickly take advantage of this evolution to gain in mass, strength and intelligence. A piece of original information about wild boars: gestation lasts 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. The organs were crushed under their own weight when they fell. Are you really going to look for the core of this beast? "I''ve changed my mind, I''m not going for the core," Priam sighed. "Um, we must have had pretty much the same final comment. Never mind, let''s look for the treasure then." Priam had learned in the Tutorial that the [Identification] skill gave information depending on its level and the user. Knowledge, luck and affinity with the Concepts were essential. So, no two people received exactly the same information when using it. Following the boar''s tracks back to its wallow was a breeze. The mother boar had been so heavy that a child could have followed its footprints. Fortunately for the two of them, the boars had not strayed far. Five minutes later, they arrived at a small grove. This one had a pond filled with clear water. Priam smiled. He hadn''t bathed since the Tutorial, and he missed it. Priam was thinking of a real bath, not a forced swimming session in the stream that ran near Log-a-rhythm. "Here''s the reward!" Claire was jumping up and down with joy. "I''ve dreamed of this moment," Priam agreed. "Me too... And the effects are amazing!" "The effects?" Priam analyzed the pool. [Identification] [Natural Spring Infused] - A natural spring of water infused with a colossal amount of aether and a tiny fraction of a sub-Concept: purity. Because the Concepts have determined that humans are polluters, this spring is enchanted to be always pure. A trace of the Concepts'' attention remains, purifying the first users of the spring. Bathing in the spring cleanses your body, increasing your physical characteristics and affinity for certain Concepts. Remaining purifications: 6/15. Jackpot! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 59 Constitution 77 Agility 90 Vitality 112 Perception 66 MENTAL: Vivacity 77 Dexterity 49 Memory 29 Willpower 44 Charisma 39 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 20 Potential: 146 Tier 0 Chapter 16: Hot Water and Cold Mind Priam relaxed for the first time in nine days. With his body immersed in the warm pool, he felt the tiny currents of water caressing his body. The warm, smooth stones were strangely comfortable. Only his head was sticking out of the water. He had started by closing his eyes to preserve Claire''s privacy because, at this distance, the thick fog could not totally block his perception. Priam, relaxed, was enjoying this rare moment. The purifying hot water and the calm allowed him to recover from the fatigue of the fights. Thermal waters have always had therapeutic properties, depending on the minerals they contain. In Japan, onsens were reputed to soothe pain, cure skin diseases, constipation, menstrual disorders, etc. In France, his birth country, half a million people took a spa treatment yearly, a medical procedure used to treat sinus and respiratory diseases. Priam was not ill, but he felt the beneficial effects of the hot spring infused with aether. However, a part of his brain wondered about the geothermal energy needed to heat the water. To increase the temperature of the water, the Moon now had to have a molten core. The System demonstrated once again its limitless capacities. The water circulated underground, capturing beneficial chemical elements as it passed through and reached Priam. If I dive with the current, can I go deeper into the Moon? I could surely find another treasure. Maybe this Concept fragment? But that''s a useless thought, I''ll be dead before ten minutes from lack of oxygen. With his eyes closed, Priam began to meditate. Sleep to overcome physical and mental exhaustion would have been a better solution, but Priam refused to fall asleep in the middle of a hostile environment. His own ghost would have insulted him in unknown languages if he had died in his sleep. Meditation helped him to focus his attention on himself. He inspected his wounds before analyzing his last fights. It was this methodology that allowed him to improve day by day. Priam had years of reflexes and knowledge to catch up with the champions of other civilizations in Elysium. Many other humans had fighting skills as well. Priam had a head start with his skills and titles, but there were geniuses out there. For now, his superior attributes would allow him to dominate over-trained military or MMA champions. But for how long? They had experience, talent, reflexes, knowledge, and exceptional training. Priam knew he had to work harder to maintain first place. Being second was much easier than being first. Less pressure and a clear goal in mind. But Priam wanted to be free, and the second was never really free. Only the first could sometimes claim that. For half an hour, he emulated the fights in his imagination, analyzing his decisions and their consequences. He questioned their effectiveness and tried to point out his mistakes. Identifying his own errors was difficult. A trainer or coach could have saved him valuable time, but it allowed Priam to take a step back. The exercise was made easier by his mental characteristics. His Memory allowed him to recall fights in detail. His Dexterity remembered his movements. His Vivacity increased his speed of thought. His Willpower helped him to concentrate. Priam watched his fights from every possible angle. His technique did not yet allow him to replay a battle under different circumstances - facing more wolves or fighting underwater - but it would come. Little by little, he found solutions to each of his problems. Finally, after half an hour, he was sure he could face the same opponents without a scratch. He had confidence in himself. Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 2 WILL +3 Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 4 FOR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Well, even if I''m tied up one day, I''ll be able to train. But that goes for the locked-up hoplite champion too... I''ll have to take care of him as soon as I get back, or I might get some nasty surprises. I can''t wait to see who will have progressed the most! Holding back a smile, Priam finally embarked on an exercise he had been dreading and putting off for as long as possible. An introspection. Lately, his life has been a succession of adventures. Adventures that he had not chosen. He was simply reacting to the problems that the Concepts were sending him one after another. Briefly, when he built Log-a-rhythm, he thought he was planning what to do next. He first created a skill he liked and then began to explore the area. On his first trip out, a rabhorn killed him. It was his fault, and he made no excuses. Then the problem appeared. Was it a coincidence that he had met the hoplite champion on his first outing? Since his arrival in Elysium, Priam had felt the portal activate eight times. Unless he was mistaken, eight rivals - including Arnold and the Hoplite - were pacing around the portal. To encounter one of these champions so quickly - who didn''t even seem to be looking for him - was suspicious. Most of them would be within five kilometers of the portal. Beyond that, the danger became too great, and you could only take advantage of rare resources if you stayed alive. In concrete terms, the area reserved for the beginner measured fifty square kilometers. To visualize this, it was roughly the size of Manhattan or half that of a city like Paris. Without being huge, Priam suspected that the chances of meeting a rival on his first outing were low. Priam wondered. Was he really free to choose? The notion of coincidence became blurred when seven genuine Concepts governed the universe. To escape them, there was only one solution: use the System. At the end of the Tutorial, each participant received a personalized message from the System. Priam remembered it very well. No one is born free. Neither men nor gods. For some, even death does not offer freedom. The wise find a superficial freedom in their minds. You are not a wise man, and this kind of freedom is not enough for you. You seek the ultimate freedom. You seek the Zenith. Write your story. Priam remembered those lines. When he read them, every word was written in letters of fire deep in his soul. Part of the reason Priam was the champion of humanity was that he represented the greatest desire of his species. Humans aspired to be free. It was the first right they claimed. It is my fundamental right, and it is my duty to fight to be free. Priam opened his eyes. The concepts, the hoplite champion, Arnold, the Reunion, and many other things would come between him and his right. "Life is such that it tests us. A reward is only valuable when victory is snatched from the world. I will not win my freedom. I will take it, for it is mine. No other shall write a word in the book of my life," he murmured. Priam was motivated once again. He had spent nine days surviving, not really thinking about anything else. It''s hard to want anything but life when spiders and rabbits bully you. From the moment he arrived in Elysium, Priam had moved on, because to do otherwise meant death. But man was not made to survive. He was made to live. By finding a purpose, Priam was finally able to breathe again. Of course, he had short-term goals, the first of which was to find his family. But saving his loved ones or himself from death was still survival. He wanted to live. Priam smiled, for his decision, his quest for freedom, was resurrecting him far better than his skill could. [He Who Eludes Death] was resurrecting his body. His ideal of freedom was resurrecting his soul. "Is that what you''re fighting for?" asked Claire. Priam turned to Claire. He could barely see her behind the screen of mist, and it seemed to him that she was scrutinizing him. She seemed intrigued by his words. "For freedom? In the long run, yes," Priam explained. "The System is an incredible opportunity, and I''m glad it happened. But I''m not a Sim. I want to decide my life. If I''m going to chain myself down, through responsibilities for example, I want that to be my own choice." "A noble cause. What do you mean by ''chaining''?" Priam took a few seconds to formulate his words. "Looking for my family. Get married. Have children. Making promises. These are choices that carry responsibility. If I make those choices freely, I will happily chain myself to the causes that affect me. I''m not running away from that. If my freedom is so precious, giving some of it to those I love is wonderful. How can you say you truly love when you aren''t ready to sacrifice? I am ready for that. But this world didn''t ask me. This System takes what I have not given it. Its gifts do not redeem that. I do not seek to destroy this System or the Concepts; they are neutral parties of this universe. But I will not let them make a puppet of me," he stated. After a pause, Claire asked. "What are you looking for then?" "Well, to get out of the game? If alcohol gave me a headache, I wouldn''t drink. But I can''t run away from this System or refuse to play by the rules. So there''s only one thing left for me to do..." Priam said. Claire remained silent. The answer seemed to have given her something to think about. After a minute, Priam didn''t know if he should start meditating again or continue the conversation. Curiosity won out.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "And you, what are you looking for?" asked Priam. Claire did not answer immediately. Priam let the silence settle. He was currently enjoying a cleansing spa, so why rush? He''d have plenty of time to fight monsters again and get covered in blood. I need a spa like this in Log-a-rhythm. Taking a break between massacres sounds great for my mental health. Maybe Log-a-rhythm has a Massage upgrade? In the corner of his mind, the System notifications were piling up. Priam knew the bath was good for him, but he''d have plenty of time to watch his progress afterward. As he struggled not to fall asleep, Claire decided to break the silence. "I''m looking to survive. I don''t know if it''s right or wrong to not have great ideals. Freedom... I think it''s beautiful, but it''s not for me anymore. Ten days ago, we were ordinary men and women. Today I saw you kill a half-ton beast. I''m still afraid of dogs. Maybe you''ll manage to be free, even though we know there''s little chance. Me... I won''t make it," Claire''s voice sounded weary as she answered. "I''m not alone, you know? I want to save my family and my loved ones. As long as I want to put their happiness before mine, some people will have a lever to manipulate me. Even without them, they already have the means to force me to obey." The girl stopped there, and Priam didn''t know what to say. They were both adults, and she didn''t seem like a fool. Kind words of comfort would ring hollow. He didn''t know much about her. To say, ¡®everything will be fine, don''t worry¡¯, or ¡®while there''s life, there''s hope¡¯ would have been hypocritical. In this new world, if a powerful person knew your weak points, you could not be free. To avoid being manipulated, you had to hide - but if you had power, they wouldn''t let you go - or become stronger than your executioner. But the intelligent executioner prevented you from becoming stronger than him by putting pressure on your family. In order not to enter this vicious circle... "I understand your concerns. You can hide from this, you know? You need to find your family and get them to safety before they can be used against you. I don''t know who ''they'' are, but they can''t do anything during the Reunion. We are cut off from the rest of the universe right now," Priam advised. From her speech, Claire seemed to think that people were trying to use her. Priam did not ask why. The girl would tell him herself if she felt the need. She sighed. "It''s too late... I am marked. We are all marked in the village, and I have seen what happens to those who refuse to obey. I have no chance to escape. I am too afraid to disobey. So I have only one choice left. Find my family and chain them with me while doing my best to protect them. Or not find them, try to survive alone, and hope they can manage without me. I was still hesitating, but you convinced me." "Me?" replied Priam. "Yes. I have seen what you are capable of. Against a man like you, my family is powerless. I won''t let my little sisters be abused by someone stronger. I will take them with me and work to protect them. As long as I get results, they will be safe. That''s a promise before the Concepts, and I believe it. If I have to get my hands dirty, I might as well find a smile on the faces of my loved ones at night..." Claire stated calmly. Priam did not answer. He disagreed with this defeatism, but it wasn''t his job to convince Claire. He had given his arguments, and she had made a choice. If he denied her that choice, he was taking away her freedom and had no right to do that. The girl resumed. "You helped me, and I told you I would not forget it. So let me warn you Priam. I don''t know where you ended up after the Tutorial, but I learned some things in my village. Do you think Reunion cuts us off from the outside world? You are mistaken. Many factions from ancient civilizations are interested in this Reunion. Some humans are no longer allies of humanity. There is much to be gained in this Reunion, and powerful people covet some rewards. Even humanity is not united. When was it united? I have been given a mission. I know you suspected it, but I can confirm it. You have nothing to fear from me, but be careful. You''re not just fighting humans..." she warned. Priam nodded thoughtfully. The three men they had just met had not arrived in a human settlement. They''d been dealing with aliens, accustomed to the System for centuries. They were certainly not alone in this. It was even likely that some humans had already agreed to work with alien factions in exchange for knowledge, training or resources. If Claire is right, and she has nothing to gain by lying, some factions have armed humans and now hope to get the rewards that are rightfully theirs. Men and women had always put their personal comfort before the common good. Priam was not surprised that this was still the case after an apocalypse. He couldn''t blame them, perhaps he would have done the same in their place. And he was honest enough to know he was still young and not tied down. He might have to do much worse in ten years to protect his dreams. But it also means I don''t have such a huge advantage over these champions. In the long run, Elysium is the royal road, but it''s still early. Other than the hoplite spear, I''m pretty much naked. I''ve had good resources and Titles, but so have they... I can''t rest on my laurels. "Thank you for telling me all this. If you can ever give me any other advice, don''t hesitate, I''ll listen. If you can''t... That''s already a lot," Priam said. Priam had no way of forcing Claire to give up all her secrets. Of course, some would be useful, but he didn''t want to threaten her - it wouldn''t do any good anyway. Kindness was his best asset at the moment. "It''s okay, and it''s my turn to thank you. I''ll help you if I can, but I''ve told you the most important thing. Just know that there are some things I am unable to talk about. The rest you can figure out on your own," Claire said. Priam nodded, and despite the haze, he saw Claire do the same. Her skill goes beyond tracking. She sees through the mist. At least in part. Priam had tricked her. Seeing this well in the mist wasn''t normal, but Claire must have had no point of comparison. Nodding back was a reflex, and someone so emotionally disturbed and weakened could not think of hiding that ability. I feel a little dirty checking her abilities like this, but if she doesn''t mean any harm, she has nothing to fear from me. He had relative confidence in Claire, but she had admitted to him that she was obeying unsavory individuals. He did not want to underestimate her if they ordered her to go against him. Well, the bath has lasted long enough. Let''s take a look at its effects. Priam hadn''t seen any new notifications from the System in a few minutes. It was time to get back on track. Notifications. You have plunged into the heart of a natural spring infused with aether. By the grace of the Concepts, your body and mind have been purified. Your affinity for the Concepts has increased very slightly. Your mental state has been reset. You are no longer in the grip of panic and can think straight again. PHYSICS +1 MENTAL +1 Aether residues cleaned up in part. Your tempering will be easier. There are still 4/15 possible uses of the purity fragment. "My tempering will be easier?" Priam wondered. He knew that the [Tempering Die] obtained from the hoplite warrior could increase his characteristics, but the rest of the process remained unclear to him. "You''ve never heard the term?" asked Claire. "No." Priam preferred to lie. To him, the most dangerous action Claire could perform was not an assassination attempt. He would certainly get away with it, and she knew it. But the wrong information could prevent him from getting the best possible tempering. That could be problematic. He might as well cross-reference Claire''s information with what he had intuited from the description of the die. "I don''t know much myself. In the village, some idealists shared the information they received at the Tutorial," Claire said. Each Tutorial was different, and you didn''t learn exactly the same things. But at the end, each survivor was allowed a broad question. The System answered that question, and some of the information was of interest to Priam. "Many hunters have asked how to gain power. One of the main ways is tempering. Using aether and rare resources to strengthen and reforge the body," Claire explained. "I don''t know much more about it, but the more contaminated the body is, the more complicated it is to temper the body. This cleansing is welcome, too bad we can''t take advantage of it more." Priam began to think. The fragment had cleansed him, body and soul. It was good for his temperament, of course. But even better, he could finally think straight. His brain was no longer flooded with the drugs created by panic, and his state of mind was pushing him forward. This was the most important thing, because he finally felt like himself. His brain had made him a spectator to his lives and deaths to protect him. Priam didn''t want to be protected or to live his life like watching a movie, from a distance. But risking my life and dying again could put me back in that second state. Unless I can purify myself again. That fragment would be so helpful... Capture the Purity fragment? Cost: 40 Potential Absorb the Purity fragment? Cost: 80 Potential Priam laughed. There was always a solution. You just had to be rich enough to find it. Yes! He mentally selected the second option. The world seemed to freeze as an infinite consciousness touched Priam''s soul. With a divine look, the hot spring lost its physicality. A thought later, it was sucked into Priam''s mind. With his eyes closed, he saw the hot spring as a mirage. Concentrating, he mentally approached the pool. When he reached the edge, he bent down and looked at the reflection of his soul. He looked tired but smiling. "Am I going to have to wait a long time and pretend everything is normal?" Claire asked. Priam opened his eyes. The mist had dispersed, and he was sitting on a pile of white pebbles stinging his buttocks. Across from him, a woman who was still wet was looking at him disapprovingly. A gust of wind picked up, and she shivered. Priam looked at it one second before looking away. She wasn''t completely naked and didn''t seem to mind, but he didn''t want to make her uncomfortable. "You stole the water, and now you''re stealing a glance." She began to laugh. "Do I get an explanation?" "Sorry. I..." A notification stopped him. Perk obtained! [Mirror of the Soul] Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 61 Constitution 78 Agility 92 Vitality 113 Perception 67 MENTAL: Vivacity 78 Dexterity 51 Memory 30 Willpower 48 Charisma 40 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 20 Potential: 70 Tier 0 Chapter 17: Mirror, whos the fairest of them all? Perk obtained! [Mirror of the Soul] Priam stopped. He hadn''t received a perk in a long time. The first was a race perk, [Humanity adapts], which all humans received. The second was his reward for finishing the Tutorial first out of all the new civilizations captured by the Concepts. [He Who Eludes Death] was extremely powerful, but he had done an incredible feat to get it. Perks were on the borderline of passive skills and titles. They did not give attributes, Potential, or Trees of Merit. They also did not gain levels, but they could evolve. They were rare, and Priam did not know that Potential could create them. If that''s the case, I must rethink my future skills. A good perk can be so much more helpful... How useful is this one? [Mirror of the Soul - Bronze] - In the center of your mental space is now a pond, and its water purifies your soul. As you approach the shore, you contemplate your naked reflection. The pond does not reflect lies. Who are you? Lean in and look at the truth. Sweet or hurtful, don''t be Narcissus or Dorian Gray. To accept your identity is to move forward. Priam closed his eyes and called his perk. The seat of his imagination was a floating island in the middle of a sea of clouds. Each of them was one of his dreams. The clear pond in the middle of the island caught his eye. He approached it in thought and, without thinking further, leaned over. He saw himself unshaven, smiling, and in chains. The reflection did not lie. It was a metaphor for the soul. Priam instinctively understood his vision. He was unshaven because he was less sociable than before. He was smiling because he was proud of his actions and his record. He could have done better and knew it, but he hadn''t crumbled or run away from adversity. He had faced mutant spiders and champions. Today, he was stronger than ever and proud of himself. But he was chained. A golden chain, linking his limbs, represented the Concepts. It seemed impossible to break, and Priam knew it would certainly still be there a hundred years from now. Fortunately, it didn''t hinder his movements. But two other chains existed. An iron chain around his neck represented his own thoughts. He felt he was not free, so he was not free. More ominously, a silver chain was connected to the back of his skull. It seemed half ethereal, and Priam immediately knew he had been manipulated. It''s barely tangible at the moment. It must be from Elysium. Is one of my rivals controlling me? A local, maybe? I''ll have to be careful and find a way to resist. Priam had goosebumps. The perk was already showing its usefulness. Without it, he would never have noticed a third party manipulating him until he was in a terrible place. Now that he knew that, he could find a solution. At worst, I''ll spend some Potential to become resistant to this kind of manipulation... I''ll think about it before I go back to Elysium. Priam opened his eyes again. He was pleased with his new ability. Sacrificing 80 points of Potential seemed like a lot, but now he could make sure that his mental state was optimal and that he wasn''t being manipulated. For a man who craved freedom, this was invaluable. "Resource plundering seems to make you smile." Priam''s gaze lingered on Claire. She was already wearing her clothes, and with her wet hair, she looked pretty. "I''d say more like I''ve got this hot spring secured." he joked. "Let me guess, you used to work in a Western museum?" retorted Claire. "I... No, I was a science student. But this pond doesn''t belong to anyone that I know of. There are no inhabitants on the moon." "Tell that to Neil Armstrong. Or to the previous owner, who you turned into bacon." "I love bacon, what can I say? I''ll share with Neil if he''s disappointed he can''t find his favorite hot spring." Priam stood up, "Enough with the jokes, let''s go find some more nice humans to question!" Claire laughed. "Sure, but a word of advice anyway: you''d be more believable if you wore boxers, you know?" Priam looked down. He had removed his loincloth before diving into the water. He was now naked, and his loincloth was ruined. He began to blush. "Um, give me two minutes to cover me with two or three leaves." Priam didn''t want to be simply naked under his new cape. That would have given him an exhibitionist look... Priam turned sharply to hide his shame - and everything else. Looking up at the trees, he let out an expletive as Claire threatened to fall to the ground laughing. The grove surrounding them was made of conifer. I wonder if my constitution will prevent me from pricking my buttocks with these needles... Everywhere on the surface of this new Moon, domes had been created by the System. Like mushrooms, they had appeared the same morning. These walls sheltered a little less than two-thirds of humanity. Safe from the beasts, but not from the men. Outside these protective walls, the rest of the Tutorial survivors had decided to fight. Their second test was underway, and too many of them couldn''t seem to make the grade. To survive, the best solution seemed to be to band together... Several hours later, as the sun remained at its zenith - on the Moon it was day for 14.75 days then night for the same duration - Priam and Claire neared the end of their tour of the dome. They had decided that the easiest way to learn about the threat to be eliminated was to find something out of context. In those few hours, Priam had eliminated about a hundred corrupted beasts and collected about thirty cores. He didn''t know if any of the cores would be useful later, but he didn''t want to risk leaving them behind. Perhaps they would open a passageway to the dome after eliminating the threat? Or maybe he could trade them for resources? After much hesitation, Priam had also decided to wear the clothes of a man whose corpse they had come across. The idea disgusted him, but he didn''t want to stay almost naked until... He didn''t even know where he could get real clothes. While running, Priam observed his progress. Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 13 AGI + 1 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 9 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Running slowly so as not to lose Claire had been helpful. Learning to walk isn''t just about running, and Priam took advantage of the slow pace to concentrate on his technique. Just as he was getting impatient with the lack of novelty, Priam heard a call. Too weak to understand the message. Stopping abruptly, thanks to his skill, he turned to Claire. "Did you hear?" "Hmm?" gasped Claire. Exhausted, she was unable to speak. Priam reached out and frowned as he concentrated. With his inhuman perception, he was able to feel the minute vibrations in the air and decode them even when a sound was made at a great distance. But the call he heard did not vibrate his eardrums. The sound seemed to come from ahead of them. Priam was intrigued. A clue? "Magic? A skill? Let''s find out."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The closer he got to the call, the more distinctly he heard it. Finally, the sound became distinct. "Gathering of fighters. Information on the threat. Gathering of fighters..." The call went round and round. As Priam got closer, he realized the signal''s range was significant. They had been running for several minutes when they spotted lights through the mist. In front of them was a makeshift camp. Hundreds of people were gathered around a promontory. Behind the base, the beginning of a white cottonwood forest could be seen. Mixed groups of two to ten people surrounded fires and warmed themselves. Some were chatting, others were resting, and Priam even thought he saw a couple enjoying a passionate moment... As they reached the level of the crowd, a muscular woman in her thirties came up to their level and began to speak in English. "Hello. Can you understand me?" "Yes," said Priam. They had decided to let him speak. "Perfect. I''m Jessica, one of the Amazons - the group of female warriors and huntresses, not the company. If you heard a mental call, it was from one of us. The rest are fighters like you. You''re late. It''s impressive that you''ve managed to survive alone so far. Are you injured?" "Hello Jessica. I''m Priam, and this is Claire. We are not injured but slightly tired and quite hungry. Why do you say we''re late? What are you doing here?" "Good for you. There''s roast boar if you want to eat. Why do I say that you are late... Let''s just say it''s pretty easy to estimate how many fighters must have arrived near the dome. We sent a team with an Amazon tracker to approach the survivors, but you''re coming in on the wrong side. The team will surely return soon with the last of the fighters. The corrupted beasts are too strong to fight without help, so we are gathering to share our information." Priam thought grouping was a good idea when you couldn''t defend yourself alone. Most people here must not have had a talent as valuable as his. When one mistake means death, that''s one mistake too many. "Okay. We had to kill a lot of animals. Mostly boars and a few dogs." "And you''re not hurt? Impressive. Honestly, you were lucky. The worst part is the cats. They camouflage themselves and attack you by surprise when you least expect it. Fortunately, the boss is a dog." The information alerted Priam. "The boss?" As Jessica prepared to answer, another woman approached. Also in her thirties, with a pale complexion framed by blond hair and a generous smile, she nodded to Jessica before answering. "A boss, yes. We think the threat the System is talking about is a titanic dog a few miles from here. We sent teams to scout the area, and those who ventured in that direction never returned. Finally, an Amazon who specializes in stealth went to check it out. Apparently, the monster is sleeping at the entrance of a cave. A quest appears when you get close. Pretty suspicious, no?" She held out her hand. "My name is Anne, leader of the Amazons." Clenching her outstretched hand, Priam replied. "Priam, nice to meet you. Yes, a dog on the moon is rather suspicious. What exactly are you planning to do?" Anne began to laugh. "Kill it, of course! There are almost two hundred exceptional fighters here. With the last of them due to arrive shortly, we''ll have plenty of capacity to trap this beast and safely kill it. One of my girls spotted a perfect place to ambush it in the middle of the white cottonwoods. A natural pit that we are trapping right now. Once we take down this threat, we can finally return to our families in the dome." Anne looked at Priam with a smile. "You look strong enough. Are you in?" Exceptional fighters? Priam couldn''t help but be slightly contemptuous. Most of the men and women gathered were indeed talented. To choose to fight in the Tutorial was to want to become strong. Some had been in combat sports, and others were former military. Most of the dreamers, ordinary people who imagined themselves to be gods, had unfortunately died in the Tutorial. But not all of them. Not me. But to call them exceptional fighters was going a bit far. His perception told him that very few of them should have physical characteristics higher than 30. Their movements were too jerky, for one thing. They still looked like humans, whereas Priam was already moving like a predator. On the other hand, he had noticed some men shaking as they lifted a boar corpse to cook it. To struggle to lift eighty kilograms did not indicate great strength. Although I wonder how many hide their true power... "We''re not too bad, yes. Count us in. When do we leave?" said Priam with a smile. He didn''t feel like smiling, but people always preferred a smile, whether before or after the Tutorial- even a fake one. "I love that spirit! We leave in an hour. Some of us are finalizing the ambush, and others are getting ready by mixing poisons. Feel free to look around the camp. You might find some interesting things." "Like underwear, for example," Jessica laughed. Priam glanced in the direction of the laughing Amazon. She had seen through his clothes, and he wondered how her skill worked. Even if her ability was useful for checking for hidden weapons, he wasn''t sure he liked that anyone could see him naked. "Very well." Priam took his leave with Claire. A few minutes later, Claire spoke up as they wandered through the crowd looking for interesting conversations. "''Not too bad''? Are you underestimating yourself, or do you not want her to notice you too much?" the young woman whispered. Priam was looking at the floor display of a warrior who seemed to be selling venom to be applied. Useful for weakening or killing hard-to-hurt prey. "I don''t trust her. The three bandits we met earlier are here. Honestly, we were accepted too easily, without really being questioned. Besides, considering how difficult it is to kill these beasts, do you really think they''ll defeat this boss without effort? No, I think it''s going to be a bloodbath. And I think it''s on purpose." replied Priam, his face dark. "Done on purpose? To grab a bigger piece of the loot?" "Claire, we saw the reward for beating the giant boar. It was barely a mini-boss. From what I saw in the Tutorial and after, the System rewards us for pushing our limits. If this Boss is as deadly as I think it is, the reward will be commensurate with the sacrifice of these men and women. If Anne is not stupid, she is gathering these people as human shields. The problem is that those people are not thinking right. They refuse to see the reality. They want their families back and think there are enough people to protect them. ¡®People will die but not me¡¯. Foolish reasoning. If you want to come, stay in the back, okay?" Claire nodded silently. Priam was a pessimist, but not having much hope kept him from losing it. "How much for asp venom?" he asked the warrior. Coating his spear tip with venom could be the key to some fights. "Five cores, dude." The man smiled. Priam frowned. The merchant sensed that Priam was not experienced and intended to take advantage of this. If there was one thing he appreciated about the modern western capitalist world, it was that you no longer haggled to buy tomatoes at the supermarket. The price was fixed. The waste of time and his lack of interest in this kind of discussion meant he was not patient. "Three cores." tried Priam. "5 cores. I risked my life to master this snake at the end of the Tutorial, after all! Let me tell you, it is extremely lethal, I only offer quality, and it is the centerpiece of my humble stall." As if you were going to tell me that your venom was as useful as a non-alcoholic beer. Why do merchants advertise their products when everyone knows they are not objective? While Priam was already annoyed with the vendor, Claire stepped forward. "Let me do it. In my family, we know how to do business." Priam smiled. "Okay." You always need someone smaller than you. Claire gave him a suspicious look. Whenever he had a silly thought, women seemed to sense it. I''m pretty sure they can read my mind... Not far away, a kitten was watching the bipeds. Larger than a tiger, the System had kept its kitten-like proportions. The result was as cute as it was deadly. The mist did not stop its gaze. It was at home here. When the dog was guarding the dome, the kitten went hunting. Attracted by the large number of humans, it blinked. Their familiar smell was delicious. But some... some didn''t smell human. The cat stood up. It was just a kitten in an adult body and knew it still had much to learn. It would just have to open the strange humans to check... With a supple gait, N¨¦mea the kitten moved away. Its instinct told it to wait. It would soon have a chance to play with the bipeds. Behind it, eight human corpses lay half-bitten or clawed. None of them had time to draw a weapon. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 62 Constitution 78 Agility 94 Vitality 113 Perception 68 MENTAL: Vivacity 78 Dexterity 52 Memory 30 Willpower 48 Charisma 40 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 20 Potential: 73 Tier 0 Chapter 18: Join up, they said! Report extracted from the memoir of Arnold, First of the Var Elegis. Date: Tenth day of the New Calendar. Location: Satellite of the Reunion Island. Arnold watched the city burn beneath him. Millions of fifth-generation Var Elegis were fighting in the canals. There were now two sides. The Empire''s, of which Arnold was the champion, and the rebel camp, made up of the dregs. The Var Elegis should not have been able to rebel. It was impossible. Their code had been secured by the last Programmer centuries ago. The cryptographic key used quantum and ethereal technology. The Var Elegis were born and died loyal to the Empire. "The Concepts want to see blood..." The System was not interested in civilization as formatted as theirs. If loyalty came from a common desire, shared ideas, pride, and heritage, then the Concepts did not interfere. They respected each individual''s freedom of belief. But the Var Elegis were not born with this freedom. So the Concepts gave them the freedom to choose. Freedom of thought had created a bloodbath. Their new ideals drove their fellow men to kill each other in the hive''s channels. Most of the weak no longer supported the Empire. They had no interest in doing so. Freedom of choice was the ''threat'' that the Empire now faced. Fortunately, his people had logical intelligence. Few non-combatants wanted to die needlessly fighting against the soldiers. Arnold had ordered that his fighters be paid a bounty of aether and given genetic enhancements based on their performance in controlling this rebellion. The soldiers now had the liberty to choose to oppress the people in exchange for a reward. The city would be pacified within hours. Unfortunately, all cities were affected by these ideals of personal freedom, and Arnold did not have enough rewards to buy all the soldiers. He was annoyed. Ten days earlier, he didn''t know this emotion, but the Concepts had given him this gift. The ''threat'' the System had spoken of affected all Var Elegis. Arnold had not been spared. Fortunately, he was the symbol of the Empire. As such, he was the first among equals and, therefore, the one in complete control of the Empire. Until that damned Reunion. Fortunately for him, the threat had caused him little personal harm. Staying loyal to himself had not been a tough choice. The System liked to point out the weak points of each civilization with a threat. Each society faced a different scourge. "But I wonder if the Empire is still useful to me..." The Champion''s gaze turned to the horizon. Monstrous creatures waited out there. The System would reward him if he killed them. He had little to gain by coordinating the assault on a city and an intense desire to compete with the System''s trials. Arnold calmed himself before asking the question that had saved him so many traps in the last few days. What would the First do? That was the real question. The First would not be drawn into unnecessary wars. The First always found a way to win... Suddenly Arnold laughed. If there were to be two Empires, so be it. All he had to do was to be the head of both. He activated several communication channels. "Connect me to all the rebels. All of them." If you want to fight the Empire, I will help you. But first, you will help me... Arnold began filming the city. The video feed connected him to billions of Var Elegis. He raised his right arm, aiming at one of his generals fighting below. "Long live the revolution! [Weaponry: Directed Energy - Gamma Surge]" The light made the clouds, the traitors, the allies, and part of the city disappear. Lvl up : [Armament: Directed Energy - Gamma Surge] lvl 34 META (AFFI) +2 META (END) +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The people must know who the master is. Priam smiled. Claire had negotiated the asp venom for two cores. This was a 60% reduction from the price the merchant had asked for a few moments before. It wasn''t the price of the cores that bothered Priam - he had over thirty cores in his possession - it was the form. Even a millionaire wasn''t happy about paying fifty dollars for a Big Mac. Priam simply didn''t want to get ripped off. There are no small savings! He had stored the venom with the cores in a small purse which he had exchanged for another core. Since then, he kept it jealously against him while throwing murderous glances at those who looked at him too closely. "If you keep looking at everyone like that, they''re really going to steal from you," Claire said. "Let them try..." If Priam shared anything in common with the dragons of this world, it was his greed. Priam was very fond of loot and treasure. But above all, he refused to give even one-hundredth of his fortune to a thief. Whoever wanted to steal his purse, he would steal their hand. "Do you think there''s a skill to creating a little space pocket where I can store all my stuff?" Priam asked. If Log-a-rhythm could do it, why not him? "Probably," Claire replied. Priam''s smile froze as she continued. "And I think there are skills to steal the contents of these space pockets." "... I hate this System," Priam muttered. "Unless you''re the one stealing from other people''s pockets," Claire laughed. Priam''s heart quickened. He did not say another word, but the sentence had not fallen on deaf ears... During their walk, the two youths talked with a few other warriors willing to barter. "We''ll be breaking camp soon. Do you have any other things to buy?" asked Claire. "... Underwear. I''m tired of everyone laughing at me." Finding a vendor selling clean underwear took them a few more minutes. Previously, Priam had almost killed a man who tried to sell him the boxers he was currently wearing - Claire had to hold him back. Priam entrusted her with part of his fortune and let her haggle. Priam looked at the salesman suspiciously for a few seconds before walking away. He had a few questions about the Tutorial¡¯s difficulties, and Claire was doing better without him. Approaching a nearby campfire, he traded a core for a new portion of roasted boar and some beer. "Man is still amazing. Finding toothpaste and toilet paper is impossible, but you can drink beer on the moon," he muttered. His neighbor laughed and emptied his mug before shouting. "Long live humanity! Long live beer!" Priam emptied his beer in one gulp before pouring himself another. His neighbor did the same before turning to the young man. "So boy, you looking to get drunk right before the fight?" "Not really. My friend is making a deal while I''m trying to find answers to my questions."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "What questions?" the drinker asked. His tone hadn''t changed, but Priam felt him tense. I''m not here for you, boy, don''t worry. "Not questions that concern you. I just wanted to know how people did after the Tutorial. Everyone has a different answer." The answer relaxed his neighbor, and he began to drink again. "Honestly, there''s not much to say. Some arrived in cities full of aliens, others in lost villages. Powerful factions briefly trained the lucky ones while the unfortunate ones like me struggled to find roots to eat..." Priam nodded. The drunkard''s speech sounded like all the others. Most of the men and women who had answered his questions were saying the same thing. Some had arrived in the middle of hostile terrain. Hostile for an average human but still pleasant compared to the hell that was Elysium. Suddenly, a thought struck him. In talking to people in the camp, he hadn''t met anyone who had passed a difficult or easy Tutorial. Everyone passed their Tutorial on normal difficulty! At least, that''s what they say¡­ At the beginning of the Tutorial, the difficulty could be chosen. Reducing the difficulty was possible, but increasing it was impossible. Most players decided on standard difficulty, either at the beginning or after a near-death experience. The Tutorial advised against easy difficulty, but that was the only hint it gave. There were three difficulty levels between ''normal'' and ''impossible'': hard, perilous, and nightmarish. Priam had experienced a somewhat unique Tutorial due to his luck, but he was sure some humans had passed the hard difficulty. Where are they? Why do they hide? The perilous and nightmarish difficulties were terrifying. One mistake and you were dead before you had time to run away. An unarmed human was not fit to defeat ten goblins. As for the Impossible difficulty... It wasn''t even naturally present on the list. Priam had asked the Tutorial for the highest difficulty. He regretted that choice... Claire chose this moment to return, and Priam summarized their shopping. After an hour of talking and haggling, Priam obtained a vial of venom, some food, and underwear. He hurriedly put on his new boxer shorts out of sight. They were a beautiful sunny yellow, and Priam vowed to protect them. As he returned from behind a bush, he saw Claire waving to him. The last team had just arrived, and the order was given to break camp. With a piece of roasted boar in his mouth, Priam took up a position at the head of the column. Two hundred and twenty-three humans began their march toward the Boss. The ever-present mist prevented the fighters from seeing each other, and the swirls of movement seemed to be nails sealing the fate of many men and women. The white cottonwood was absorbing an army. How many would come back? At the front left of the procession, Priam turned and looked around the assembly. It''s going to be a massacre... The column slowed down as the night never seemed to fall. Priam had been there for about twelve hours. He counted them carefully because his [He Who Eludes Death] trait would reset in a few minutes. Smiling at his newfound immortality, he looked around at his neighbors. During the Tutorial, some fighters had already specialized. Anne had asked the lookouts, rangers, and ranged fighters to take up positions. A request that sounded like an order to Priam. Their mission was to watch the Boss. Meanwhile, about thirty meters ahead of him, some fighters were finishing digging traps, trenches, and a pit in a natural basin. "Attention, comrades!" shouted Anne as she climbed onto a mound made of dug-out dirt. "The objective is to trap the Boss in this hole and cover it with weighted nets. The spikes in the bottom will make it bleed and handicap its movements. Once trapped, the plan is to attack it from a distance. Those without a weapon or ranged skill will need to ensure the Boss stays put. Use the trenches to get close to it and move on. Any questions?" Priam had many questions. With this mist, how could they ensure that archers and other ranged fighters would not harm their comrades close to the Boss? How will they divide the spoils afterward? Who will treat the wounded? But most importantly... "Once trapped in the pit, I''m willing to step forward to fight. But who''s going to bring the dog back here? Corrupt dogs run faster than a galloping horse, and my little finger tells me their big brother must be even more terrifying." A man in his forties had stepped forward. Around him, a group of about ten men, who must have been his comrades, surrounded him. The perfect macho. He must not appreciate being commanded by Anne... "Excellent question Albin. Of course, I don''t intend to give such an important and dangerous job to a team that could fail it. Five of my brave Amazons have volunteered to carry out this task. They will bring the Boss here without fail," Anne replied politely. This woman had a certain aura about her. No one here really knew what to do, but Anne gave the impression of having a goal, as well as a plan to achieve it. For those who had nothing, she was a beacon in the mist. "You must have forgotten to mention the five other Amazons with them. Probably to ''secure'' the Boss''s cave after he left, right?" A deaf person could have heard the sarcasm in Albin''s voice. "... Indeed, some of my Amazons will also secure the entrance to the cave. To prevent theft and make sure everyone gets their share of the loot, if there is any." And the fewer survivors there are, the easier it will be to share the spoils, I suppose... Priam didn''t hate Anne. Honestly, he was even glad that someone charismatic was taking the lead in helping and organizing the other fighters. He had no intention of doing it himself. He was interested in the Boss and wanted to gauge its power. With so many people, he was pretty sure he could kill it. Albin... Albin seemed like a small-time drug dealer who wanted power. But this time, Priam knew that Albin was trapped. He couldn''t not send some of his men to check that the Amazons wouldn''t steal some loot. If he sent fewer men than the Amazons, there might be unfortunate ''accidents''. Finally, he had to give the impression of being a charismatic and decisive leader if he wanted to be respected within this group of fighters. He had to prove himself. Albin consulted his comrades with his eyes before taking a step forward. "Three of my guys will also come ''secure'' the cave entrance. If you send three of yours as well, we will wait for the signal to attack. Deal?" Priam sighed. It''s funny; they''re the ones making a deal, and the others will pay. Anne smiled. "Deal, my dear Albin." And with these words, the operation was launched. About an hour later, the preparations were complete. The hole was about eight meters deep, and flame-hardened wooden spikes were at the bottom. The Boss could certainly jump higher than eight meters, but they didn''t have time to dig any deeper. The first seven-meters of soil was organic, typically found on Earth in plains. But from seven meters down, it gave way to the ancient lunar soil of regolith dust, then iron, titanium, and other metals. Digging deeper without specialized tools - even with superhuman strength - was possible but time-consuming. Priam waited hidden behind a mound. Three banks had been raised from the cleared earth, and the fighters were waiting behind them in an arc around the hole. Three men controlling the direction of the wind or the scent stood in the center of the fighters to camouflage them. There was little wind on this new moon, but no one wanted to alert the Boss before it fell into the trap. Priam had a bad feeling. The Boss was supposed to arrive any minute now, but he could no longer convince himself that this was the cause of his discomfort. He had always had good instincts - which had saved him dozens of times during the Tutorial - and he sensed something was wrong. "Claire." The young woman waiting beside him turned around, "Yes?" "I have a bad feeling about this. When the fight starts, stay here, wait a few minutes, and then flee toward the dome. I should be able to make it out alive, but... I might be the only one." Claire first opened her mouth to protest. Then she stopped to think about Priam''s words. She had seen him run at the speed of a galloping horse. Throwing back boars weighing a hundred kilograms with a single punch. If he thought he was in danger, then what could she do? The Tutorial had dashed most fighters'' desires for grandeur and heroic complexes. Claire knew she wasn''t Wonder Woman. If she found herself facing the Boss, she would either die or force Priam to put himself in harm''s way to save her. And in this crazy new world, death might not even end suffering. There was always worse, and she knew it. "... Okay. Be careful." she breathed. "Always," Priam smiled. No sooner had the word left his mouth than the System manifested itself. New Quest: Predator - Baron The Earth was conquered by man centuries ago. During all this time, humans were at the top of the food chain. Is this still the case? Prove your strength by hunting the Moon Lord. Reward (per Baron): Potential +20. Bonus depending on your participation. Difficulty: Silver "It''s coming." All the warriors stood still. No one wanted to attract the Boss''s attention before it was trapped. After five seconds, Priam heard the first barks covered by the mist. Ten more seconds and his inhuman perception began to pick up on the tiny tremor in the ground caused by the animal''s run. Hidden behind the mound, the fighters stood perfectly still. Priam could see some of them becoming agitated. Fear was creeping up on them. All had read the difficulty of the quest. No one wanted to die. Suddenly there was silence. As drops of sweat began to bead on some of the foreheads, a cry rang out. "ARCHERS! FIRE AT WILL!" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 62 Constitution 78 Agility 94 Vitality 113 Perception 68 MENTAL: Vivacity 78 Dexterity 52 Memory 30 Willpower 48 Charisma 40 META: Meta-affinity 8 Meta-focus 20 Potential: 73 Tier 0 Chapter 19: Glimpse of the Divine Anne was standing on one of the dirt mounds. She had made sure to position herself as far away from the young man as possible. Priam. One of her Amazons was very sensitive to danger, and her senses had been screaming at her to stay away. According to her, he was at least on the level of a Baron. At least he''ll take care of the dog. Shaking her head, Anne refocused. Although Priam and his rapid progress were worrisome, she had bigger fish to fry - or other dogs, in this case. Standing proudly in the direction of the Baron''s cave, Anne appreciated the glint of respect that her position and her decisions brought to the eyes of the combatants. "The Boss is coming." Thanks to the ability of one of their own, the Amazons had a technique for communicating remotely. Certain events had brought these women, whom Anne now led, together, and their versatility was their strength. And if we lack raw power... That''s why these other idiots are here. "Ten seconds before contact." The barking of the beast was beginning to pierce the mist and agitate some of the fighters. They must not panic now. Anne turned to one of the men she had spotted. While most fighters would only be used as cannon fodder, some were useful. Anne smiled as she strategically tucked one of her blonde curls behind her ear. "Paolo, is it? The Boss is coming. His barking will scare our comrades. If you could make him mute..." "Of course!" Paolo, happy to be of service despite his singular skill, concentrated and deployed his power. The barking stopped abruptly. Passing the Tutorial on normal difficulty provided a random skill. Some were more useful than others. Anne had passed the Tutorial on hard difficulty. Thus she had the right to choose her skill. Anne turned toward the Boss. One of her Amazons was running, boosted by her skills. She was being followed by a real titan. It had been blinded by an artificial rage - a technique of one of Albin''s men - and was chasing the young Amazon. When she reached the ditch, she continued her run on a wire stretched across the hole. Like a tightrope walker, she risked crossing the hole very quickly. Having a giant dog that was going to tear you apart made you speed up. The Baron jumped into the trap without seeing it. The taut wire broke under its weight when the Amazon had barely crossed. Anne sighed with relief when she saw that the woman would make it. The Boss dove for the spikes hidden by the mist. Most of them shattered under the force of the impact, but not without penetrating the dog''s belly, severely injuring it. Anne would have liked to applaud the strategy. Unfortunately, it was her plan, and she had to be modest in her triumph. Now let''s attack! "ARCHERS! FIRE AT WILL!" Priam was the first one up. He winked encouragingly at Claire and then leaped to the top of the mound. The Boss was trapped in the hole. Titanic, it must have been four meters tall. [Identification] [Lunar Lord - Orthos] - Named after the mythological two-headed dog, father of the Sphinx and the Nemean lion. Orthos is a pale imitation of the legendary canine guardian. A young lunar baron, it gains strength over time. If you must defeat it, do it early. As a loyal dog, it only threatens those who wish to enter his cave. Orthos. It''s not the threat. But it is connected to it. Its cave, maybe? Orthos barked, but Priam heard nothing. Someone had activated a skill to silence the beast. Arrows were already starting to rain down on the Boss. Priam couldn''t help but be amazed at how quickly the men were acclimating. Ten days ago, it would have been amazing to see fifty archers firing in concert. Today, most of these fighters were physically shaped like Olympic athletes. Some were even war machines, capable of accurately and continuously aiming at a moving target ten centimeters in diameter at fifty meters. Their skills kept the archers at the top of their game. Only the Boss was not a stationary shooting target. If the beast was easy to hit because of its size, its fur seemed to stop arrows easily. As Priam waited for the archers to run out of ammunition, he noticed that of the hundreds of arrows fired, only two had hit and injured the beast. Its left eye appeared to be punctured. The stakes had certainly wounded the dog when it fell into the hole, but Priam was still worried. He was sure he could hurt the Boss, but who else could say the same? Twenty seconds later, the rain of arrows stopped. The archers were exhausted from the few seconds of intense effort. As the last of them lowered their bows and looked at the fruits of their efforts, many began to despair. Orthos had lost its left eye, pierced by two arrows. Its muzzle was riddled too. Finally, its mouth was filled with broken arrows and blood. Despite its severe wounds, Orthos seemed enraged. The ground near the hole shook as it tried to pull itself out of the stakes. If it were to succeed, many lives would be lost today. "WIRE!" Anne was standing on the mound to the right of Priam. The order was carried out by a group of Amazons carrying a net between them. They ran towards the hole before throwing the net at the monster. Anne sends her own Amazons. She doesn''t want to leave anything to chance. Priam had to admit that the fight was going better than expected. As another group - men this time - approached to cast a second net on the beast, Priam took a few seconds to analyze the situation. Orthos was severely wounded by the stakes in its belly and the arrows in its snout. Blind in one eye, bleeding badly, poisoned, and immobilized, it would not survive more than ten minutes. "But the quest has a Silver difficulty. It seems a lot for a big dog. I must be missing some information..." Priam muttered. As a third net fell on the Boss, Anne put the next phase of the plan into action. "BOMBS!" This woman has powerful lungs. Priam had heard that pepper bombs would affect the Boss'' sense of smell and enrage it all the more. Five men stepped forward, and in a sublime spinning motion, each threw some sort of bolas at Orthos'' head. The throws, worthy of an Olympic gold medal, hit their target, and a cloud of pepper drowned the Boss. Just as the fight seemed to be won, Priam''s instincts screamed. He threw himself behind the mound and rolled into a ball. A thunderous bark rose, and the rest of the world fell silent. The sky broke in two, and for a brief moment, a fraction of the power of the eponymous beast manifested itself. Orthos, the legendary dog, expressed its wrath. The mist froze, and the men too. A second later, the mist began to swirl again. But most of the warriors were never to move again. The sound wave had stopped the hearts of many of the fighters. Priam sat up painfully. He quickly realized that he was deaf. He had a terrible headache and precarious balance, but he was alive. My inner ear has been hit... Around him, about fifty men and women were on the ground. Some were still alive and shaking. Before helping them, we have to finish the Boss. No one is in any condition to defend themselves... Priam walked to the top of the hill. His gait grew more confident with each step as his Vitality helped him recover from the shock. You have gained a new skill [Balance]. [Balance] - Some tightrope walkers walk on a rope 500 m high. Others never find the courage to leave the earth and dust. Born dust, you will return to dust. So until then, walk with confidence. AGI +1 DEXT +2 The Baron had not moved. The cry seemed to have weakened it, and it was trembling - certainly the work of pepper. As the only man standing, Priam took off. It¡¯s time to earn participation points. The monster was about fifty meters away. After his first two steps, he crashed miserably. Fortunately, the impact was minimal because he had thought to absorb the kinetic energy of his fall. Priam had lost his balance, and his spear slipped a few feet. He staggered to his feet. Lvl Up : [Balance] lvl 2 AGI +1 DEXT +2 His new skill taught him how to balance his body to stay upright. With enough improvement, Priam could one day do without inner ears. Focusing on his new skill and dexterity, he began to run again. He was still about forty meters from the Baron. Priam covered that distance in less than three seconds. With a leap augmented by a kinetic charge, he jumped into the air just before falling into the hole. The young warrior cocked his fist and aimed at the beast''s snout. He had prepared a kinetic charge by jumping from the top of a tall tree on the path and had kept it there. Priam combined all the energy he had in reserve into one mighty blow. He unloaded all that power, combined with the power of his punch, between the nose and eyes of the Boss. Orthos'' head barely moved. The Baron groaned, but there was no indication of a serious injury. Its skull is hard! The backlash from the attack threw Priam backward. He landed in a disastrous roll and felt a pang of pain in his shoulder. His [Balance] skill didn''t allow him to do that yet. As he raised his head, he met the gaze of the Moon Lord. Orthos'' eyes were filled with rage as it watched the little man who had dared to strike it. Priam sat up quickly as the baron leaned forward to bite him. Priam raised his arm and pushed the beast''s snout away as he backed away quickly. [Kinetic Control] instinctively slowed the Baron down. With the help of the nets thrown over the Baron, it was enough to save him from the bite. The Baron''s fangs were about thirty centimeters long and would have easily torn a man''s body apart. Breathless, Priam was thinking of a strategy to defeat the Boss. I don''t have enough power to beat it alone. I need to absorb its energy with my spear! I have to use its energy against it. Cautiously, Priam approached. He had to walk quickly because Orthos was moving around a lot, and Priam could see spikes breaking regularly. The Boss would soon die from its wounds, but if it could get out of the trap before then, it would end its life with a rampage. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Whenever Priam came within range, Orthos would try to paw or bite him. The rage increased its strength tenfold but also made it predictable. Priam kept his distance from the dog and made sure to extend his spear at the last moment to absorb its energy. Tier 2 of the [Brainless] Tree of Merit let him use his spear as an extension of his body to use his skill. To do this, he injected part of his spirit into his weapon. Fortunately for Priam, the nets made the fight easy by impeding Orthos'' movements. Twenty seconds later, thanks to the Baron, Priam had collected four significant kinetic charges. Only one more to go before the final blow. At that moment, Orthos opened its mouth to roar again. Fifty meters away, Priam had nearly passed out. The wave loses power as the square of the distance. Shit. So close to the Boss, Priam''s body would explode from the sound wave. Priam rushed forward to stop the attack. He had no time to run away. The sound wave would be ten times faster than him. Orthos moved a forepaw forward to crush the impudent human, and Priam activated a fifth small kinetic charge to speed up. He couldn''t use it anyway. I have to absorb this attack. If it hits the ground, the shockwave will knock me off balance! The Baron did not have time to correct the trajectory of its attack as it slowly fell behind Priam. At the last moment, he used his spear to slow the attack. The Baron''s attack was weakened and then avoided. He was now standing under the monster''s enormous head. It opened its mouth, and between the sharp fangs, Priam saw a kind of gum bubble grow. The Baron was channeling its skill to maximize its power. Time seemed to stand still. His relationship with death told Priam that he was going to die. The bubble would grow for another second and then burst. With the shock, the young man''s veins would burst, his bones would shatter, and the shards would pierce the rest of his flesh. He would die almost instantly. Then, his perk [He Who Eludes Death] would resurrect him even stronger. No! If I die now, I will be vulnerable for a day. Impossible to flee or to defend himself. Instinctively Priam attacked. He thrust his spear into the Baron''s mouth in a split second. The tip of the hoplite weapon made contact with the Boss'' skill. The bubble was nearly indestructible, but Priam knew it would soon burst, releasing a lethal explosion. A primal part of his brain awakened, and the warrior let himself be guided. He went into a trance and accessed his Potential. The bubble burst. A split second later, the shockwave began to expand. Simultaneously, Priam let his Potential guide him. [Kinetic Control]. His spirit, augmented by his Potential, enveloped the sound sphere and grasped the air. The sound wave needed an environment to propagate. There was no sound in space for this reason. In the air, sound propagated at 340 meters per second. Priam''s brain could never have tracked the skill as it exploded. But aided by the Concepts through his Potential, he understood his skill better than ever before. His self-imposed limitations seemed weak, and he brushed them aside with a wave of his hand. Why limit himself to five charges when a sixth and then a seventh slot could be created with just a slight modification of his skill? Why absorb energy suddenly when he could channel it slowly before absorbing it? Why only use his skill on large objects? The molecules in the air also had kinetic energy. The shockwave threatened to crush him in less than three hundredths of a second. But, like a killer wave, it needed to reach him for that. By tapping into his Potential, Priam transcended his knowledge, understanding, and control of his skill. The air molecules within the skill''s sphere of action were under his control. He immobilized them by sheer force of will and skill. The System''s notifications were piling up, but it didn''t matter. Right now, Priam was touching the divine. Like a god, he had immobilized the air, and the wave could no longer propagate. Meanwhile, Orthos'' skill was rapidly losing its power. The particles were finally losing their kinetic energy, absorbed by Priam. In the end, even Brownian motion and thermal agitation submitted to [Kinetic Control]. Orthos'' skill finished losing all its energy before disappearing. At the bottom of the Baron''s throat, the destructive sphere with a radius of thirty centimeters had vanished. The atoms and molecules making up the air were motionless. Without speed or agitation, the sphere''s temperature was effectively zero kelvin. Colder than in outer space. The effects of time had stopped locally. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 6,7,8,9,10 VIVA +10 DEXT +15 META (FOCUS) +20 META(AFF) +20 Congratulations, your spirit is beginning to emancipate itself from your body. You touch the borders of the Domain. Congratulations, your skills management is getting more refined. You are touching the limits of the Micro. Priam withdrew his spear and detached himself from his Potential. He had to keep the rest of it, despite the incredible omniscient rush that occurred when he spent this resource. His mind told him that his divine state would last only as long as it took for his Potential to reach zero. If it did, he would sacrifice his future for an immediate boost. It wasn''t worth the trade. But it saved my life. Potential -57 Priam''s eyes widened. Three seconds of omniscience had cost him dearly. But he could never have mastered his spirit, body, and skill so quickly without spending that resource. The novice warrior was pulled out of his thoughts by Orthos, who was fidgeting. The Baron didn''t seem to understand what had just happened. Its ultimate attack had had no effect, and the absolute cold caused by the kinetic absorption had numbed its throat and frozen its flesh. The fight is not over! Priam took advantage of the Baron''s astonishment to jump into the air. Flying, he closed his fist before striking the most powerful blow of his existence on the Boss''s snout. Lvl Up : [Strike] lvl 8,9 STR + 2 The tremendous amount of kinetic energy he had accumulated was released at once. Orthos was violently thrown to the ground. A double noise was heard. The Baron''s sinuses had exploded with a terrible crack. The second sound was the sound of the stakes breaking inside it. Priam flew backward from the backlash. He quickly absorbed his own energy to stop his momentum, then charged again toward the mound. The Baron was stunned but not dead. Despite his strength, Priam knew his regular blows would not be enough to kill the Boss. The first blow had stunned the enemy and immobilized it. Now he could use his weapon without fear of missing his exact target. Priam switched hands and tightened his grip on his spear. As Orthos began to whimper, Priam cocked his skill, absorbing five blows thrown into the void. He ran toward the Baron. Three steps. Two steps. One step. Priam jumped over the Boss as it opened its eye to the world one last time. Sorry. Orthos struggled to open its mouth, and Priam''s instinct was that this last scream would have the qualities of its tenacity. Before the Boss could launch a final attack, Priam''s spear arm came down, propelled by all the energy at his disposal. The spear went through the monster''s right eye. Lvl Up : [Strike] lvl 10 STR + 1 Priam landed on Orthos'' head. Completed Quest: Predator - Baron Reward: Potential + 20 Calculation of your participation... Important participation: Skill gained! [Moon Mist] Bonus: Your group is the first to kill a Baron. Potential +20. [Moon Mist] lvl up! Congratulations! Priam smiled. Everything had turned out all right after all. His instincts had been wrong. The System didn''t stop there. New Quest: Predator - Baron II The barons prowl around the domes, and the more noble lords stand aside. You have defeated a baron. Can you defeat a second one? Reward (per Baron): Potential +20. Bonus depending on your participation. Difficulty: Silver Main Quest: Reunited Soon? Update... The guardian of the dome has fallen. The ''threat'' can use the passage at the bottom of his den to reach the dome and its inhabitants. Investigate the threat. Protect the inhabitants of the dome. Reward: Permission to enter the domes. Potential +10. Bonus according to your participation. Difficulty: Variable What?! A second boss? Was Orthos guarding the dome? But then... "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Priam turned around. Shouts were coming up from the mound to his left. He had not paid attention to his surroundings during the fight he had just fought. Now that the fight was over, he noticed a problem. Men and women were fleeing in all directions. Many others were still lying on the ground, stunned or dead. A thought made its way into his brain despite the moment''s horror. I can see through the mist? The next moment his new vision allowed him to witness a horrible scene. As a teenage girl sprinted down the hillside towards him, running as fast as her legs would carry her, a white shadow followed her. The shadow dissipated to reveal a tiger walking lazily. The frightened girl looked behind her to see if she was being chased. Her movement prevented her from putting her foot correctly on the ground. Her shoe hit a large rock, and she toppled forward. The new Baron stopped her fall with a swipe of his paw. Priam only had time to open his mouth as the stranger''s body split in two. Priam saw the teenager''s eyes widen. The tiger made sure its prey was dead by crushing her head. The unnamed girl would never be afraid again. The snow-white coat of the feline turned scarlet again. In his rage, Priam instinctively used [Kinetic Control]. The moon''s mist began to swirl around him. Status (before [Moon Mist]) : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 64 Constitution 78 Agility 96 Vitality 113 Perception 68 MENTAL: Vivacity 88 Dexterity 71 Memory 30 Willpower 48 Charisma 40 META: Meta-affinity 28 Meta-focus 40 Potential: 78 Tier 0 Chapter 20: Sweet Revenge, Salty Fight "AHHHHHH!" This time the howl came from Priam''s throat. Without thinking, he ripped his spear from Orthos'' skull and grabbed it. Fatigue weighed on his shoulders, but he ignored it. The fight against Orthos had been quick but intense, and returning to the front without a moment''s rest promised a tough fight. Yet it seemed he had no choice... Dashing toward the Boss, he charged his kinetic skill and identified his enemy. He was angry but not blinded by rage. This new Baron was an opponent he had to face seriously. [Identification] [Lunar Lord - Nemea] - Named after the legendary lion and son of Orthos. Nemea is only a pale imitation of the mythological beast and has no real kinship with the late Orthos. Nevertheless, they were friends, and it will pursue the murderer of its brother with its terrible vengeance. I hope your middle name is Heracles... Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 3 MEM +1 ¡°My name is Priam fucking Azura, and I''ll crush this cat. Hey you, come here! I bet you''re neutered!¡± As Priam closed the distance between himself and Nemea, Nemea looked away. The Baron leaped towards another fighter and easily cut him to pieces. To the rest of the warriors, Nemea and its white coat was a ghost. To be close enough to notice it was to be too close to death. As Priam altered his course to intercept the feline, it retreated, leaped, dodged, feinted, and killed more humans. It was faster than Priam and had no intention of letting the rest of the fighters who had trapped Orthos escape. It seemed to have decided that the murderer of its friend would be the last to die. The warriors who had been knocked unconscious by the canine boss''s scream were not spared, and Nemea seemed to enjoy stepping on them. As he tried to catch up with the Baron, Priam had to avoid stepping on human remains. Witnessing the massacre only strengthened his resolve: the cat had to die. In a matter of seconds, the Boss wiped out any semblance of resistance. It seemed smart enough to recognize that allowing humans to organize could be dangerous. Playing with its food, yes. Losing to mice, no. Priam tried ten times to attack the Baron and failed ten times. He finally stopped when he realized he couldn''t catch the second Boss. This one was too fast. His emotions were boiling over, and his fury and helplessness threatened to overwhelm his reason. He concentrated for a second on [Soul Mirror]. In the pure water, he saw his face distorted by a fierce sneer, and the ugliness of his expression calmed him. He was a man and not a beast. That the animal could play with his emotions was already a defeat. Priam breathed for a second before thinking. Every moment that passed sounded the death knell of a man or a woman, and he knew he didn''t have time to calm down completely. He would have to deal with his anger. He could accept it as long as it was in the service of his fight. By the time he thought about it, seven other people were dead. I want to stop it from killing more, but it''s always one step ahead of me. I move fast, but it''s an exceptionally agile Boss. I won''t catch it alone. I need to contact Anne and gather some semblance of resistance. With one last look at a man about to be gutted, Priam headed for Anne''s last known location. He couldn''t help the stranger, but he hoped to avenge him. When he reached the top of the mound that was supposed to house Anne, Priam''s eyes widened. For a moment, surprise dominated all his other emotions. In front of him, about twenty corpses were strewn on the ground. About twenty archers were lined up. Behind them, fighters mingled with warriors in more utilitarian roles - such as trackers, guides, messengers, strategists, and bards. All were dead. What happened? Priam became dizzy. He had to lean on his spear to keep from falling. He had known death, but seeing one massacre after another would have been unbearable for any human capable of empathy. The adrenaline of battle was slowly leaving him while his emotions were disturbed. He had defeated the first Baron, but almost everyone else was dead. Despite all his efforts, nothing was going right. Defeat was beginning to find cracks in his mental armor. "No! I can and must act. People have died here, and it is not by crying over them that I will avenge them." Closing his eyes, Priam meditated for a few seconds to suppress the anger and sadness overtaking him. He repeated these words to himself several times to regain his confidence. He knew that scenes of massacre often broke soldiers, and he did not want to sacrifice his sanity today. I may be sad for these people, but I have to think about myself. And right now, I feel like someone is playing me for a fool... He was not stupid. With his strength and style, Nemea would have thrown those corpses everywhere. Many would have been mutilated and scattered. Priam moved closer and turned over the corpse of a middle-aged man. The rest of the scruffy sweater - he must have been wearing it the day of the Tutorial - was stained with blood. Inspecting the clothing, Priam saw a clean cut through the heart. "He was killed from behind. By a dagger or a knife. First, Orthos guarding the secret entrance to the dome, and now this? What are you looking for, Anne?" Behind him, Nemea was finishing destroying the human resistance. Priam could do nothing more for them. To save a few people by staying by their side was to allow Anne to continue her machinations. Moreover, Priam was worried. The Amazon''s plans did not look simple. Killing Orthos had opened a path to the dome. Priam''s family was potentially in danger, which came before a few strangers'' lives. Priam did not consider himself selfish, but his family would always come first. Without looking back, Priam began to run in the direction Orthos had come from. In doing so, he knew the rest of the humans were doomed. What matters is my family. I am not the protector of the innocent... Priam was running for his life. Well, for his first life. In the white cottonwood forest, he was looking for the cave of Orthos. He was faster than Anne and her Amazons and hoped to catch them. Priam didn''t know what their plan was, but if they were capable of murdering a score of humans to avoid being followed, it didn''t bode well. They clearly wanted to get into the dome, and his family might be there. He had to stop them at all costs. Papa, Sis... His mother might have been there too, but he didn''t want to think about her right now. He had another more pressing problem. For the past few minutes, he had noticed that he was being followed. Behind him, silent as the mist of which he was the master, Nemea moved smoothly. The Baron awaited a slip-up to pounce on Priam. The confrontation in the open would have been difficult enough for the young man, but in a wood full of blind spots, Priam didn''t want to take the chance. His only advantage was that he could now see almost normally through the mist. Where before it was impenetrable, now there seemed to be only a slight veil over his eyes. The Baron must have had the same gift but was used to humans not detecting it. Considering how difficult it was to defeat Orthos when weakened, Priam had no desire to attempt a fight without help. When Priam realized Anne had eliminated a third of the fighters, he knew it was over. Nemea had happily slaughtered the rest of the survivors before following him. Priam was annoyed that a hundred fighters had failed to give him even five minutes of respite. He did not want to disrespect the memory of the dead, but they could have arranged a better resistance. Priam was the only one who could protect the dome and didn''t have time to fight a second Boss. The two enemies ran close together towards the cave. Unfortunately, Priam could not accelerate to his maximum. Orthos had made a clear path through the woods, chasing the Amazon, but he still had to avoid uprooted stumps, fallen logs, and exposed brambles. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 10 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Despite the pitfalls, the two hunters navigated quickly through the destroyed vegetation, and Orthos'' territory appeared less than a minute later. A kilometer ahead of them, between the branches of the cotton trees, Priam saw a peak. A small, isolated mountain about a hundred meters high seemed to have sprouted from the earth like a mushroom. As they got closer, Priam felt a strange sensation. It appeared clearly artificial compared to the rest of the landscape. The System wants us to notice this place. Halfway up, a round, dark hole four meters in diameter had been drilled. As Priam watched the mount, his instincts screamed. He used [Kinetic Control] to throw himself to his right. A quarter of a second later, at his exact location, a paw clawed the air. The blow would have been fatal, and Priam did not doubt that Nemea would have finished the job quickly. He sat up quickly, surprised. His inner ear seemed almost healed, and his [Balance] skill was working at full strength. Did my trance under Potential allow my Vitality to heal me faster? Dividing his attention in a fight was a bad idea, and Priam almost paid dearly for it. His instincts began to scream again. Without looking back, he ducked behind an old cottonwood tree. The System had undoubtedly decided to bring diversity to the lunar landscape, and the tree was massive. Its trunk easily stopped Nemea''s attack. Priam moved back quickly to keep his opponent in his sights. His perception, vivacity, agility, and dexterity combined to give him sublime reaction speed. It was the minimum to survive against a Baron who specialized in hunting. Tired of waiting for a mistake and being more comfortable in the forest, Nemea attacked. It did not want the young man to reach the mountain and lose its advantage. The Baron had not forgotten that the frail human managed to kill Orthos. Annoyed, it continued to attack Priam. The difficulty of the fight was totally different from the previous one. Nemea was pristine white in the white mist among the flowering cottonwoods. Its camouflage was perfect. Even if Priam''s eyes could now pierce the mist, whenever it passed behind a tree, he lost sight of Nemea. The giant cat often took advantage of this to get closer to Priam from a blind spot. This tactic, coupled with the hunter''s speed and silence, forced Priam to defend himself at the last moment. A single error meant death. It was complicated for Priam to counterattack. He didn''t have the range to do it without a weapon and surrounded by trees, his spear was of little use.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. While dodging several attacks, Priam gradually got the hang of his new skill. He felt it was his ticket out of this situation. [Moon Mist - Rare] lvl 1 - By modifying the environment of the Moon, the Concepts have chosen to artificially increase the weight of the atmosphere. A semi-permanent haze has been placed on the surface of the satellite. Made of aether, oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny water droplets, it hinders the inhabitants'' perception. You now control this mist and are almost immune to its effects. Be careful, if the mist is already manipulated, your total immunity turns into partial resistance. PERC +1 META (AFFI) +2 Bonus (quest) - Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 2,3,4,5 PERC +4 META (AFFI) +8 His ability to manipulate the mist was still weak, but Priam could already sense it within a certain radius of him. By concentrating, he was able to feel where the fog was denser. More importantly, he could sense where the mist was not. In this environment, if there was no fog, there was something else. Trees marked Priam''s skill because they replaced the mist. But when an absence of fog moved, it was not a tree... There it is! Priam dodged the attack by a hair''s breadth. Turning around during his dodge, he managed to grab the Baron''s paw to steal its kinetic energy. Priam accelerated using the stolen power. Nemea was slowed down as Priam transferred the speed from one body to the other. He pulled Nemea to him. The surprised cat had no time to react before the human''s fist slammed into it. "I''m not going to let go of you!" Priam knew he probably wouldn''t get another chance. He had dropped his spear to maintain his grip. In hand-to-hand combat, Nemea had the advantage of its sharp claws, but Priam could cushion the blows, speeding up his own body and decelerating his opponent''s. Relying on his extra life to cover his back, Priam began to strike the animal on the snout. Nemea growled before attempting to slash Priam. Despite their speed difference, dodging claws in close combat was nearly impossible, and he was hit superficially in the left arm while blocking an attack. He absorbed as much of the feline''s kinetic energy as possible, and the Boss''s attacks no longer had enough speed to be truly dangerous. Priam''s exceptional constitution allowed him to ignore such assaults. His muscles were so dense that Nemea''s claws couldn''t cut through them. Priam struck the animal''s snout several times with no visible effect. The snout is not his weak point. Its eyes then! Holding Nemea tightly, Priam continued to gather seven hefty charges of kinetic energy as he absorbed the cat''s power. In the previous fight, Priam had learned to save kinetic energy by stealing it for a few seconds instead of just absorbing it instantly. He was getting better and better at using his skill [Kinetic Control]. The charge could be filled for a longer time and also served to slow down the opponent while he gained more energy. There is nothing like a fight to the death to awaken one''s abilities and push one''s limits. Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 8 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 11 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Although the two enemies were fighting to the death, a spectator could have thought they were taking turns to strike. While Priam waited as long as possible to deliver a devastating blow, Nemea was a little lost. It had been born on Earth a few weeks earlier. Its foster family had been adorable at first. The kind servants were human, but Nemea was willing to forgive them if they continued to provide it with quality kibble until the end of time. Even the big dog - Orthos - who was already occupying the house, wasn''t all bad. Then, about ten days before, everything had changed. The family was gone, the house was gone, and it had arrived suddenly on the moon. The big dog was still big, but the rest of the world had become smaller. While its canine brother guarded their new home and protected the dome where their servants were, Nemea had chosen to roam the area a bit. As a feline, its place was at the top of the world, and its arrival in this new world had not changed that fact. The entire food chain bowed to its supremacy, and the Baron - he should have been King - had never met resistance. Its ability to hunt was unmatched. But the frail human in front of it would not leave it alone. Nemea had no desire to continue to fight the little being head-on, but he held it firmly. Its powerful pawing did not seem to have the desired effect. The young kitten was annoyed with this human who dared to bother it. As if killing its dog and refusing to commit suicide wasn''t enough! While Nemea was losing patience and was planning to use all means to annihilate the heretic who stood between him and the feline supremacy, it got a bad feeling. While the Baron was busy with useless thoughts, Priam thought he had gathered enough kinetic energy. He jumped and pirouetted over the big cat. With his free hand, he grabbed the fur on Nemea''s head before releasing the animal''s front paw. He had thought of using a super-powered blow to amputate the feline, but he was currently holding the Baron. Thus, the backlash from the attack was sure to amputate him as well. Any action caused a reaction. If I''m going to use all my strength, I might as well not hurt myself. I have to aim for the eyes. Perched on the head of the Boss who was growling in indignation, he cocked his blow by flattening his left hand. The eyes of the two antagonists met, and Priam struck. In the same movement, Nemea clawed. Nemea did not see Priam''s hand before it entered its left eye socket. The arm disappeared into the Baron''s skull as all of Priam''s kinetic energy was discharged in the movement. Unlike the previous fight, Priam was using kinetic energy to accelerate his own body. He had better control of the attack, but he was putting his arm at risk. Hitting a tree slowly was benign, but when you hit a hard surface with all your might, it was not uncommon to break your hand. Priam''s movement was almost perfect. His inhuman perception of his own body and his dexterity allowed him, even without training, to know instinctively how to move his muscles. No false moves, no self-inflicted wounds from a brutal and violent blow. But the kinetic energy of the acceleration caused the muscles in his arm to buckle. The Baron''s eye was easily pierced, and the flattened hand continued on its way. Behind the eyeball, it met the bone separating the eye from the brain in a cat. In humans, the brain was directly behind the eye, but the skull of a cat protected it better. Priam didn''t know this and, carried away by his momentum, his hand came crashing against the bone. Both shattered, and Priam screamed as the bones in each of his fingers broke. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 9 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 11,12,13 STR +3 Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 4,5 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 4,5 CONST +2 As Priam landed on his feet a few feet away from the Boss - he had let go of his grip because of the pain - he looked at the damage he had caused. As if in slow motion, Nemea''s body collapsed and lay on the ground. Shards of his own bones had penetrated the Boss''s brain. It¡¯s dead. Seeing the Baron''s immobility, Priam looked at his left hand. Bits of bone had pierced his flesh. His fingers looked like crushed sausages. The sight of his shredded hand made him dizzy. He wanted to vomit in horror and pass out at the same time. Can I heal from this?! With my vitality over 100... Maybe? In the worst case, it will be cured in my next resurrection, right? There was a difference between knowing you would be perfectly healed and seeing your flesh mutilated. Priam had died many times before and was no stranger to pain. Yet he knew he was not yet ready to get used to seeing his body tortured. Moreover, Nemea''s last attack had also hit him hard in the side. The animal''s claws were sharp, and Priam couldn''t absorb the blow because he was so busy attacking himself. Without his exceptional constitution, Priam''s insides would have escaped by now. He gritted his teeth and tore off his shirt to make a makeshift bandage. His Vitality was already healing him. He wouldn''t die from this wound, but combined with his crushed hand, he was seriously disabled. "Well, I hope the System doesn''t know the adage ''bad luck comes in threes''. But if it does... Am I going to fight a giant ferret? A colossal snake? A monstrous turtle? What else do people have as pets?..." The Baron''s body jerked as Priam pondered how to treat his hand. Incredulous, Priam looked up: bits of bone were being pushed out of the Boss''s eye socket, and his wounds were closing rapidly. "A Boss cat... Don''t tell me his skill is that he has nine lives?! Holy shit, that''s totally cheating!" Indifferent to the indignation of Priam, Nemea opened its eyes. Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 67 Constitution 82 Agility 97 Vitality 113 Perception 76 MENTAL: Vivacity 92 Dexterity 77 Memory 31 Willpower 48 Charisma 40 META: Meta-affinity 38 Meta-focus 44 Potential: 105 Tier 0 Chapter 21: The Phantom Menace A few minutes before the death of Orthos. Claire was running in the direction of the Orthos cave. She had quickly obeyed Priam, knowing she would be a dead weight. Besides, even if she was grateful to him, she had things to do, especially to save her family. The Amazon on her left turned to her and quietly indicated they had arrived. They were in the heart of the Baron''s territory, and there was little chance of other creatures lurking around, but it was best to remain cautious. The mist gradually gave way to a small mountain. It took the two women several minutes to finally find the entrance to the cave. In the mist, it was not easy without help. Claire''s new skills were mainly focused on the mental part of her characteristics. Physically, the young woman was doing better than average. She had practiced boxing since childhood which served her well during the Tutorial. Unfortunately, one physical skill was not enough to have impressive physical characteristics. She had always considered the sport a hobby and a way to unwind. Her level had not allowed her to become a champion before the Apocalypse, and she certainly would not become one after. Claire knew how to use her head, which would have to be enough. In any case, Claire didn''t have an incredible perception, and it was challenging to navigate through the fog. If she had been able to spot Priam during their journey, it was because of her racial trait. It allowed her to spot humans easily. Claire would have preferred to inherit [Humanity adapts], but circumstances had left her no choice. Claire smiled as she thought back to the last few hours. Priam must have thought she had exceptional perception. Priam''s gaze pierced the haze with his perception, and he must have concluded she did too. When observing a strange fact, it was easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. With his current strength, Priam had been like a beacon in the mist for Claire''s talent. But if all went according to plan, if she succeeded in her main quest, she would catch up. The advertised reward was incredible: 100 points of Potential and an improvement in her racial skill. Plus, a position that would make the rest of her journey easier. A reward appropriate to the difficulty of the quest. The System was always fair. "Quite honestly, without Priam, the chances of us succeeding in this quest were still pretty low. The second Baron would have decimated all the survivors," muttered the girl. She knew that Orthos was dead. The first part of her quest was to get into the dome, and defeating the guardian was the most obvious solution. She had analyzed the monster and knew that no one but Priam had stood a chance against the Boss. Claire had even been partially rewarded for defeating the Baron, even though she had done nothing but escort the executioner. But a quest reward was always welcome. She was relieved that Priam was able to kill the first Baron but worried about the second. Priam was a monster, but so was Nemea. Claire knew a thing or two about monsters... I hope you make it through, Priam. "Claire." The Amazon pulled her out of her thoughts, and the girl smiled. They had arrived. The cave was right there and the guard had been defeated by Priam. Right now, the second guard was occupied by Priam, and Claire had to believe in him. She had lied to him in a way, but if he managed to kill the two Barons, the System would amply reward him. Claire was happy for him. Now she also had to think about herself, about her family. "Let''s go," she replied to the Amazon, who was waiting respectfully. The Tutorial had given Claire a certain edge, a position of power she had earned. She had cultivated that edge in the Revenants'' village and would continue it at this Reunion. If Orthos'' lair and the Dome were to enrich anyone, it would be her. A few meters inside the cave, individuals were waiting. The Amazon came closer. "Anne! Albin! Sorry, I''m late. I stayed a while to watch the fight," Claire announced. The two Revenant sub-officers had been waiting for her. Claire knew they must not have appreciated her order. But like oil and water, they hated each other too much to get along and to ignore her directions. You don''t choose your allies, the young woman mused. Albin frowned. "So what? The white boy you came in with is doing well?" "From a distance, I saw that he was destroying Orthos. My talent tells me that he has become even more powerful than before. Since we received the System reward, I guess he won. If Nemea hadn''t interfered, I think he would be arguing with us now..." Anne looked at Claire with concern. "Do you think he can defeat Nemea and then come here?" "No. The cat is not stupid and will understand not to get too close. Nemea was slaughtering the survivors the last time I saw him, and Priam will try to stop him. It''s pretty sad, honestly. But if he does manage to kill him, I guess he''ll come running in here and demand an explanation. I would like to have some explanations too, Anne. Why did you slaughter the fighters on your mound?" "... When we wanted to leave, one of the men asked where we were going. They wouldn''t let us escape the fight quietly. I had no choice," Anne replied, her jaw clenching. "We still have a choice, Anne. We''ll talk about it again, but I''d advise you to stick to the plan for the rest. I do not need unknown variables in my plans. Especially not when they come from an ally. If Priam manages to get here, you''ll explain to him that you had no choice, right? I''m sure he''ll understand the value of killing twenty fighters rather than knocking them out." The sarcasm in Claire''s voice reassured Anne. If Claire had decided to eliminate her, she wouldn''t have bothered to laugh at her. Anne nodded slowly. She was not afraid of Priam despite his strength. He had a code of honor from what Claire had said. But Anne had seen Claire in action. The young woman looked cute, but in her opinion, the end justified the means. Anne did not want to be sacrificed. "I mean, there''s little chance," Claire resumed. "Nemea''s skill is almost a cheat..." One of the Amazons had been able to analyze the second Baron''s skill. Nemea thought it was a master of camouflage, but it could make mistakes. Identifying an animal''s strengths by its excrement was one of the skills available to a hunter. "You''re right. We''re safe for a while," said Albin, trying to break the icy atmosphere. If anything happened to Anne, he wouldn''t last long, and he knew it. He hated his rival, but she had to survive until the end of the Reunion. Claire clapped her hands to get public attention. "Okay, everyone. We''re almost there, and we''re several days ahead of schedule. Let''s not just stand around. It''s time to proselytize!" As her comrades walked back into the cave, Claire had one last thought for Priam. She blamed herself a little for keeping things from him, especially after he had helped her so much. But Priam was too powerful. His disagreement could have had devastating consequences. Would he have understood? Banishing the doubt from her mind, she comforted herself. He''ll be fine. We all have our commitments, and I must take care of my family. I''m their only hope... The second Nemea opened his eyes, Priam rushed to his spear. His left hand was more or less useless. He grabbed his spear with his good hand and turned in one fluid motion. Nemea got up painfully, weakened by his resurrection but also frightened. Priam took the opportunity to think. I must kill it again quickly to not give it time to come to its senses. Let''s hope this cat doesn''t have nine lives... Nemea was an assassin designed to pounce on its prey from an impenetrable mist. In an open confrontation, he was less dangerous than Orthos. Fortunately for Priam, because if Anne and the other fighters hadn''t trapped the canine boss, he would undoubtedly have lost his life. Well, at least one life. Priam tightened his grip on his spear. He had already lost one hand and didn''t intend to lose the second. Using a spear in a dense forest was complicated, especially with his skill level, but he had no choice. Is there a skill for spear mastery? The feline leaped, not as fast as before. It was afraid, but it was programmed to fight. Priam tilted his spear to skewer the animal. He pressed the end of the hoplite weapon against the ground to cushion the blow. The resurrection of Nemea seemed to have confused him because he was no longer trying to dodge. The Boss wanted to kill Priam and despised the warrior''s weapon. The hoplite spear penetrated the cat and stopped it dead in its tracks. Nemea had miscalculated its attack. A steel weapon would not have been able to pierce its fur. The hoplite spear did so without difficulty. Nemea''s inertia should have brought him closer to Priam. It certainly intended to slide down the spear before finishing the human off with a paw. But [Kinetic Control] had stolen that inertia even as the spear had gone a good half-meter into the animal''s body. Severely wounded, Nemea tried to take Priam with it by weakly waving its claws. Priam dodged, backing away as the animal exhaled. The spear had pierced its heart. Its body fell to the ground, taking the weapon with it. Lvl Up : [Strike] lvl 14 STR +1 Without wasting any time, Priam put his foot on the belly of the beast and pulled hard to remove his spear. Once the weapon was out, he plunged his hand into the wound. His experience with boars had given him the idea to look for the Baron''s core. For its skill to work, maybe he needs this medium. If not, I''ll kill him seven more times...This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The spear had pierced the beast''s heart, and Priam looked for the core. He soon felt a stone under his fingers. He grabbed it even as Nemea''s wound began to close, and a supernatural force pushed his arm away. Screaming, Priam clenched his fist around the stone and pulled with all his might. As pain shot up his arm and the force threatened to tear his hand apart, the spherical core dislodged from the Baron''s body, and Priam fell backward. On his buttocks, stunned, he smiled weakly as he looked at his new notification. Work smarter, not harder. Completed Quest: Predator - Baron II Reward: Potential + 20. Participation: 100%. You have eliminated a Baron without help. An exceptional performance. Potential +20. Title won! [Lunar Baron - Bronze] Congratulations! [Lunar Baron - Bronze] - For outstanding performance in the Reunion, this title of nobility is granted to you. Being a Lunar Baron opens many doors for you, and you can enter any dome without a toll. Beware, as a Baron, you arouse the curiosity of other Nobles. STR + 10 CONST +10 AGI +10 VIT +10 PERC +10 Your Agility exceeds 100 in Tier 0. Congratulations! If your Agility exceeds 200 at Tier 0, a Tribulation will descend on you. This is your second characteristic above 100. If any of your other characteristics exceed 100, a Tribulation will descend. Achievement - Bronze: You are the first human to eliminate a Baron without help. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Message for humanity: Priam Azura single-handedly eliminated a Lunar Baron. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 50. Improved skill! [Moon Mist - Epic] lvl 1 - By modifying the environment of the Moon, the Concepts have chosen to artificially increase the weight of the atmosphere. A semi-permanent haze has been placed on the surface of the satellite. Made of aether, oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny water droplets, it hinders the inhabitants'' perception. You can easily control the moon mist and are immune to its effects. Beware, if the mist is already manipulated, your total immunity turns into partial resistance. You can now materialize and control this mist. If you remain motionless, the mist envelops you and camouflages you. PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 The characteristics were very useful, but it was the Title, Achievement, Potential, and skill enhancement that made Priam very happy. In all honesty, he had been quite disappointed with the skill he received when he defeated the first Baron. But now, as it increased in rarity, it became fascinating. Useful, even after the Reunion. Priam had been fighting with all his might since the beginning of the Tutorial and had been extremely lucky. Even so, the fight against the Boss had been a tough one. Honestly, he didn''t think many humans could have matched his feat. Perhaps some hunters could eliminate a Baron by carefully choosing their opponent and preparing for the confrontation. But not right away, not as quickly as he did. Even if another human could do it, he would not receive an Achievement. He was ahead of most of his peers, and the reward was impressive. The Potential would soon come in handy. Priam found his first skill really useful and wanted to add to his arsenal. Finally, this title offered him a third chance to greatly improve a Tree of Merit. He quickly looked at his options. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Heartless] - Tier 0: Once a day, your heart regenerates instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. [Quester - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Pseudo Phoenix] - Tier 0: Your affinity for flames allows you to manipulate uncontrolled fires. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 0: following a regeneration, your body becomes more resistant to what has damaged it. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted by traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Lunar Baron] - Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. 4 Unused Merit Points. The last title was interesting. Synergy with his new ability seemed like a good idea, but Priam would have to test his skill before deciding. Besides, he didn''t want to commit to a tree without really thinking it through. Increasing a Tree of Merit required acquiring a Title for each Tier. Earning a Title was no small task, and Priam did not want to take any chances by choosing a suboptimal Tree of Merit. Priam quickly observed the clues scattered by the System in its previous messages. From the looks of it, a Tribulation was coming soon. He didn''t know what that meant in practical terms, but he had seen the result of the Tribulation, which destroyed Log-a-rhythm. If the System bothered to warn him, the tribulation promised to be frightening. Given my characteristics, it will be soon! I need to find out more about this. Too bad I can''t wait to get home. Log-a-rhythm could have helped me through the Tribulation with its unique resistance... Priam then took a minute to analyze the rest of the notifications. His gaze lingered on the vocabulary used by the Concepts. If these other Nobles were Barons, the System would have written Baron. I suppose there are even more powerful monsters than Orthos... I''m not looking forward to meeting them! Finally, Priam observed the nucleus of Nemea. He decided to identify it. He was not yet powerful enough to allow himself to miss any information. The weak often have no choice. To act like a strong man when I am weak is madness. A mental barrier will not dominate me. [Identification] [Core - Tier 0] - A solid aether core, crystallizing most of Baron Nemea''s power, skill, and essence. Has multiple uses. The System was stingy with details. But one thing was sure: these cores had a purpose, and Priam had to find out what it was. Perhaps he could acquire attributes or skills from the Boss? Maybe he could even partially resurrect the beast? Or maybe they were just energy sources... Tempering his body might require the use of these cores. Either way, they seemed valuable. Priam stopped rolling Nemea''s core between his fingers and put it next to the asp venom in his purse. He would have time to think about it later. Too bad about Orthos'' core. Priam saw that he was still sitting on the ground. He propelled himself into the air with a kick and twisted to land on his feet. Before the Tutorial, a crowd would have applauded the move. With no spectators to marvel at his prowess, he ran toward the cave, which he could now see clearly. The mist no longer hid anything from him, not even the two Amazons who thought they were safe from view at the entrance to the cave. Anne was going to have to answer for her actions. Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 78 Constitution 92 Agility 107 Vitality 126 Perception 91 MENTAL: Vivacity 92 Dexterity 77 Memory 31 Willpower 48 Charisma 42 META: Meta-affinity 41 Meta-focus 44 Potential: 199 Tier 0 Chapter 22: The Rookie Spy and the Double Agent An Amazon was hidden behind a recess. Priam was careful to move slowly since he had entered the cave. He didn''t know what awaited him and didn''t want to unnecessarily ruin his infiltration by setting off a trap. Priam had chosen to enter the cave secretly. He had seen what the Amazons had done to innocent people. If they spotted him, he would have to fight. But he was there to find his family and find answers to his questions. There would be time to punish these killers later. For now, he was most interested in Anne''s plans. The first two guards had been easily evaded. A dense mist covered the entrance to the cave, and Priam had passed between them without them noticing. He had almost laughed at the look of concentration on their faces as they tried to pierce the mist with their eyes. Perhaps they had pretended not to see him before raising the alarm with a skill? If so, he was walking right into a trap. Honestly, they deserve an Oscar if that''s the case. I wouldn''t even be disappointed if I walked into an ambush. Their acting would have been perfect. Priam refocused on the Amazon near him. A passive effect of his new skill allowed him to make out the Amazon in the low light. He couldn''t see well in the cave, not because of the mist but because of the low luminosity. A few crystals embedded in the rock gave him the light he needed to move. The Amazon must not have been able to see anything and, therefore, could not have positioned herself properly. Half of her body was visible. His perception had also made him notice a thin wire stretched about ten centimeters from the ground. It must have been connected to an audible alarm, and Priam would have hated himself for falling into such a basic trap. Stepping on a trapped slab at the bottom of a pagan temple to retrieve a crystal skull was acceptable. Tripping over a wire set by a neophyte warrior was not. Still, the wire is well hidden in the mist. She must have read ''Setting a Trap for Dummies.'' Priam stood still for a few seconds to think about what he wanted to do. Despite the books he had read in his youth and the movies he had seen, he had no intention of overpowering, neutralizing, or killing this Amazon. Yet, after the massacre committed by Anne and her cronies, it was not his goodness or morality that held him back. He would have had little remorse in smashing the guard''s skull against the cave wall before continuing on his way. He was aware that she had not given the order, but she had carried it out. World War II had taught everyone that it was hard to disobey orders. But it was also hard to put all the blame on Anne. Perhaps she also had a superior? In any case, people had died, murdered by their allies, which was unacceptable. Am I ready to eliminate all Amazons because they obeyed an order? I don''t know... But I guess I won''t need to answer that question. Hopefully, the fight will be self-defense. Otherwise... I will see at that time. At the moment, Priam was annoyed because he wasn''t sure he could neutralize the Amazon quietly. His infiltration would be discovered if another Amazon were positioned a few feet away. Considering this was the first infiltration of his life and that he had only progressed about twenty meters into the cave, he didn''t want to end his spy career yet. Priam paused for a moment to observe his surroundings. The Amazon had little chance of detecting him if she had no perception skills. Given that she was currently staring at a wall thirty centimeters from her face with great intensity, Priam would not guess this was the case. Perhaps every Amazon deserved an Oscar for acting, but he doubted it. He was pretty sure the Amazon was blinded between the haze and the low light. Just as he was about to start walking again, Priam stopped. He had just noticed the Amazon''s grimace. The warrior was focused as if she expected to fight in the next few minutes. She seemed to be paying attention to the sounds. She was told that I might be coming. Of course, the global announcement of my solitary victory over Nemea must have alerted Anne! Priam set out on his way with as little noise as possible. The Amazon''s perception must have been high, but he was walking barefoot on stone and breathing softly. When he moved, his clothes made no sound - he had checked before entering the cave. If the warrior had an incredible hearing, she might be able to hear his heartbeat, but he doubted it. Priam had decided to walk past her. The chances of the alarm being raised were lower. Besides, he had to keep his focus. He was here to get answers. Anne had a plan and information - otherwise, she wouldn''t have known so quickly that killing Orthos would create a pathway to the dome. Unfortunately for him, he wasn''t trained to ask questions. If he couldn''t interrogate the Amazon in a few minutes, he might as well move on. The truth was somewhere ahead. His best chance of getting answers was to spy on Anne. Actions didn''t lie, and Priam wanted to get inside the dome, too. As soon as he found the passage to the dome, he wouldn''t have to hide anymore. If I''m discovered, it might as well be as late as possible. Then I''ll force Anne to choose: tell me the truth or lose her teeth... Priam moved slowly for ten minutes, alert to all possible traps. He suspected the Amazons hadn''t had time to dig out booby-trapped slabs, but he didn''t want to take any chances. Besides, there were certainly skills to hide traps. Finally, the monotony of the cave changed. About a kilometer from the cave entrance, Priam approached the entrance to a larger room. Two men were guarding the entrance. Albin''s men! Is he in cahoots with Anne?! Albin and Anne seemed to have played everyone. The fighters had to choose sides between the two leaders without knowing they were working together. But since when? The stratagem seems too well-oiled. Unless they already knew each other before the meeting... Priam refocused. He was almost invisible in the cave, but everything could change very quickly. He watched the guards. The room was brighter than the cave, so they could watch the entrance. The mist was too thick and the light too dim for the men to see each other, but they just needed to watch half the way each. If Priam went by, he would be spotted for sure. [Moon Mist] Priam used his new skill. It was epic in quality and easy to use. At least, creating mist was now rather instinctive for the young man. In a one-meter radius sphere centered on the young man''s torso, the aether began to change. To transmute into an aethereal mist. Priam could not yet perceive the fundamental essence of this new universe, but he sensed that the mist did not appear from nowhere. His skill was transmuting the fundamental essence of the world into a mist. If the atmosphere was sufficiently saturated with aether, the cost was free. Otherwise, the skill used Priam''s aether. For the first time, he felt that his supply was not unlimited. So far, none of his skills had used his aether. Most of them were passive, and he had lived in an aether-laden environment. So his own resources had never been used. At least he had never felt it. Honestly, he had never felt that there was a limit to his energy reserves. The density of aether in Elysium had allowed him to forget this detail. He may not have yet unlocked the meta attribute that allowed him to measure his reserves. Or did he have to create a skill to observe his own body? It wasn''t as if humans were born with the ability to determine their remaining stamina percentage. But in this new world, perhaps creating a passive skill to know one''s physical and aethereal energy limits was a given! I have so much to learn... I definitely need more information. Maybe there are things I''ve been doing wrong all along! [Kinetic Control] had never used his resources either. His primary attack skill converted some of the kinetic energy he received into aether to function. Maybe there''s a limit? If I absorb too much energy in a short period, for example... To be tested later. Other issues were also emerging. He knew that he would not stay in Elysium forever. Partly because he wanted to live with his family and this world was too dangerous, but also because of one of his first quests. Most of the inhabitants of Elysium wanted to invade worlds whenever the opportunity arose. Portals and rifts regularly opened between different locations in the Concept Universe. The more aether and energy there was, the higher the probability of a passage opening. It was one of the questions he had asked in the Tutorial before entering the portal that had led him to Elysium. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Elysium was so violent that its inhabitants tried to flee whenever possible. If resources were on the other side of a portal, Priam knew he would have to use them too. By then, he would have to build up a set of skills that could synergize with each other. The fact that his skills could consume resources had eluded him until now. But while the aether density in Elysium allowed him to do without personal resources, that might not be the case everywhere. I''ll probably have to create a skill to regain aether. Perhaps by turning the kinetic energy I store into pure aether? I''m missing so much information to make an informed choice... As long as Priam remained in an aether-laden environment, all these questions were unnecessary. He would test his limits when he had the chance. However, he noted that [Moon Mist] consumed relatively little aether. Either it was thrifty, or his supply was high. Still more questions to answer. The mist was beginning to accumulate in the middle of the passage. For the two guards, nothing changed. White wisps continued to snake. But the density of the mist was increasing rapidly. While they thought they could still see as far as they did, in reality the mist was significantly affecting their vision. Priam crossed in front of the two men. Hehe, you fools. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 2 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 7 AGI +1 Pleased with himself and his camouflage, Priam looked around the room. A dozen Amazons were collecting luminous crystals on the walls. Anne and Albin were positioned in front of a door inlaid in stone and studying it. Priam noted the location of the door. It was undoubtedly the passage to the dome. His title should allow him to use it, but perhaps it should be opened first. Let''s leave the opening to them. Priam continued to scout the area. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a young girl sitting on a rock in the center of the room. Claire! What is she doing there? She must have been captured to get leverage on me. Initially upset, Priam was then relieved to see her. Nemea had committed a massacre at the ambush site, and he had been afraid for her. Going back to the scene to find her corpse would have been useless. Either she had survived, and he would find nothing, or she was dead, and he could not help her. Either way, finding Anne and stopping her plans was his priority. His family came before Claire, but he was still glad to see her healthy. Ironically, Anne had probably saved her by kidnapping her. Claire was not Priam''s best friend. In fact, they had only known each other for one day. He would have been hard-pressed to describe her. A friend? Maybe not. An acquaintance? The word was a bit weak. In any case, she was the first person he had spoken to since the Tutorial. If it was possible, he wasn''t going to leave her here. The young man used his skill [Moon Mist] again and increased the density of the mist around him. Confident in his camouflage, he moved closer to the young woman. Fortunately, no Amazons were lurking near her. She was isolated, and it seemed that no one thought she could escape. When he got within a few feet of her, hidden in the light, Priam noticed she had thoughtful eyes. She didn''t seem too worried, but she didn''t know anything about her captors. Priam knew that Anne and Albin were killers. Priam noted that she had not noticed him. Apparently, her perception didn''t allow her to spot the young man. Probably a skill she needs to activate. She didn''t think she would find me here, so she didn''t notice me. I guess she has to mark me to spot me next. Interesting... "Claire," he whispered. "Mmh?" The girl instantly raised her head in the direction of the young man. "Priam?" "The one and only. Don''t answer, you''ll make noise. We''ll have to get out of here. I''m sure you''ve realized Anne and Albin weren''t as friendly as you''d think, but this is worse. I defeated Orthos, but not all the dead fighters there were killed by the Boss." The young woman bit her lip. She looked in the direction of Anne and Albin. "What do you plan to do next?" "Honestly? I''m not sure. As you might have noticed, I''m not in law enforcement, and justice is a variable geometry principle in this new world. Anyway, I wasn''t and still am not a judge or a lawyer. I''m pretty sure they killed some fighters, but I wasn''t there. Maybe it was someone else, but I don''t care much about the benefit of the doubt. What I''m interested in is the dome," Priam announced, pointing to the sealed door. He noticed that Claire was looking at his hand and not at where he was pointing. She sees me, but that''s it. Her skill should only apply to living things... Priam continued. "I''ll wait to see how these idiots plan to open the door. Then I''ll ask them a few questions about the dome, the ''threat'', their motives and plans... Either they answer, or they attack. Frankly, I have no problem with self-defense," Priam smiled. His smile did not reach his eyes. They were glowing with a cruel gleam. He didn''t like being betrayed, nor Claire being captured. He understood being attacked, but not those closest to him. If it had been my family instead of Claire... I would have painted this cave scarlet by now. Priam refocused. "Are you ready to follow me? I''m going to get you out of this before it gets bad. I''ll come back for you after, don''t worry. We have to go now. They''re stupid, but if we keep talking in the middle of the cave, they''ll notice us eventually." Claire was silent for a few seconds before nodding her head. "Okay. I''m ready." Priam grabbed the young woman''s hand and guided her out. He didn''t want her to get hurt in a fight. They walked a few feet to the entrance when Claire stumbled. Unfortunately for Priam, her knee hit the ground right next to the two guards. The young woman let out a small cry of pain. Instantly the guards moved into a fighting stance. One drew a sword from a museum while the other armed a crossbow. Despite the comical situation seen repeatedly in every work of fiction Priam had ever devoured, he did not laugh. He wasn''t sure he could dodge a crossbow bolt from this close, and he was sure Claire wouldn''t avoid it. Shit... "Who goes there?!" Albin and Anne were running. Priam''s career as a spy had lasted less than twenty minutes. He bent down to help Claire to her feet. "Sorry," she whispered. "It''s nothing. Stay close to me." "It''s me," he answered loudly. "My friends call me Priam. You...you can call me Baron Priam I guess. Oh, and another thing: you''re under arrest. You have the right to... actually, you don''t have rights." Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 78 Constitution 92 Agility 108 Vitality 126 Perception 95 MENTAL: Vivacity 92 Dexterity 77 Memory 31 Willpower 48 Charisma 44 META: Meta-affinity 44 Meta-focus 44 Potential: 203 Tier 0 Chapter 23: I Kant choose Priam would have liked to tell Claire to back away to safety behind him, but he didn''t want to lose sight of the girl. Besides, he wasn''t planning to exterminate everyone in the room. He had questions, and a massacre wasn''t a great start. On the other hand, it could be a great end... Priam''s plan was simple: get Claire out to prevent her capture. Then he could deal with the rest of the Amazons and Albin''s men. He''d defeated two Barons, so it wasn''t a few novice fighters that would scare him. Anne spoke up, and you could feel the surprise in her voice. "Priam?!" "Yeah. Surprised the cat didn''t eat me?" "Where are you?!" Albin looked stunned. He looked for the young man with his eyes, but the mist prevented him from seeing him even though they were less than eight meters apart. Honestly, in such a closed environment, the young man did not fear confrontation. He had only detected one crossbow, and his enemies were essentially blind here. Is this guy stupid? "I came to rescue my friend and get to the dome," said Priam. "By the way, I didn''t much like dealing with two Barons while you... What exactly are you doing? Why is this door still not open?" During his speech, Priam had taken Claire back into the cave and was starting to walk along the wall. "How long do you think you''ll keep messing with me kid?" Albin backed away from his men. He bumped his foot against a stalagmite and grumbled, "You can''t see anything here! Surrender to my guys near the entrance, or I''ll order my men to shoot. Paul has a crossbow as I''m sure you know and I have other guys with skills." Okay, he''s stupid. "You''re not much of a strategist, right Albin? If you order your men to fire into this mist, they would have every chance of hitting the Amazons in the crossfire." Priam had thought about telling Claire to get down on the ground, then charging in. However, in real life, there were consequences to his actions. He didn''t know the skills of Albin''s men or Anne''s Amazons. He would blame himself terribly if something happened to the young woman because he had been too thoughtless. "Let''s calm down." Anne had stepped forward. The Amazon had already regained her composure. While Albin had entrenched himself near two of his men like the coward he was, Anne had instead isolated herself to assert her willingness to talk. Courageous on her part, but stupid. Or does she want me to underestimate her? "Priam¡­ First, congratulations on Orthos and the second Baron. The System must have showered you with awards. Let''s not get worked up, okay? We can talk like civilized people and solve our problems," she announced calmly. Her voice was calm but firm. She sounded like a mediator, ready to resolve an annoying conflict peacefully. Suddenly, Priam felt reassured. After all, why get upset when they could talk like civilized people? Maybe we could find some common ground. She seems like a fair woman... "It is unfortunate that it had to come to this, but the men we killed on the way out were criminals. One of my Amazons can see a hint of ''sin''. They were probably rapists or killers before the Tutorial, and I don''t want to have those kinds of people getting stronger through the System. I had them near me to ensure we got rid of them. Can you imagine the kind of acts that a powerful, evil individual can do now?" "I guess so..." Priam stopped instantly. His body was getting hot, and his instincts were screaming that something strange was happening. His Will was fragile, like the flame of a candle in a storm. His Vivacity sharpened his logic and allowed him to think faster. He wasn''t smarter, and the System wouldn''t change his personality, but he was a better version of himself. Priam had always had good instincts as well as logical intelligence. Right now, the conclusions he was drawing from Anne''s speech were contradictory. His logic warned him that the speech was full of errors, but he wanted to believe it. He knew the words were wrong, but Anne wouldn''t lie to him, right? What a paradox. Suddenly, Priam clutched his wounded hand to clear his head. The pain woke him up. The Tree of Merit [Brainless] allowed his mind to be protected by his body. His Vivacity prevented Priam from succumbing to this kind of manipulation. There was no paradox. His Will found strength in his conviction. He would not let anyone manipulate him. Anne was lying, and one of her skills was trying to control him. This bitch! He had hated the manipulations of the System, of the Passiflora, and now he hated Anne''s. His mind was sacred. She''s going to pay for this. Anne had continued her speech, but Priam was no longer listening to her. Her skill seemed tied to her voice, and he was thinking of ripping out her vocal cords. Or maybe I can wait until I develop resistance? It was the kind of skill that seemed essential. Only the idea of using Anne to strengthen his resistance prevented him from attacking. He''d never killed a human, but she''d crossed the line. Anne had launched into a great monologue to cement the effect of her skill. Priam cut her off curtly. "You try to pull a trick like that again, Anne and I''ll cut you open. Is that clear?" threatened Priam. His voice was full of anger, and he was close to making a massacre. "I... Please, I''m sorry," replied the Amazon weakly. "Indeed," Priam continued. "I can imagine the kind of acts that a powerful and ill-intentioned individual can perform now. Coldly ordering the murder of twenty men, for example. Not to mention that I have no way of verifying your Amazon''s skill. It''s your word against dead men¡¯s. Convenient." "I admit I have no proof of their sins. But you can give me the benefit of the doubt for now and make your judgment later. After all, it''s survival of the fittest now, isn''t it? You''re stronger than we are, so you can execute us without a trial." Anne''s answer made Priam uncomfortable. He had nothing against killing in self-defense. It wouldn''t keep him up at night. But if the Amazons laid down their weapons, he wasn''t sure he wanted to be an executioner killing opponents after a surrender... She understands I am not cruel and is counting on that to get her through. I don''t know about the other Amazons, but you''ll pay Anne. "Regarding the door... We have to wait an hour before opening it to not harm the guard''s killer. Or have a title of nobility. Couldn''t you possibly help us? We have done no harm to Claire. As you can see, we are not your enemies," Anne finished. "You are not my enemies? That''s simply because I''m stronger than you. Well, I have a question. Can I ask how you knew that a passageway existed here before Orthos died?" Anne opened her mouth to answer before closing it again. She knew the boy would not believe another lie. "Yeah, that''s what I thought. Orthos was not the ''threat'' we were all looking for, despite the certainty with which you repeated it. The poor dog was the dome guard, and you killed him. Or that you manipulated people to do it. From there to think that the ''threat'' is you..." Anne clenched her jaw. "And so? What are you going to do? Despite what the System says to pit us against each other, we are humans looking to find our families." [Identification] [Anne ?] - Leader of the Amazons. She survived the Tutorial. Again. Priam had used his skill a few times while preparing for the assault on Orthos but without much result. The other fighters didn''t like it very much, and Priam had understood why when he had asked Claire to use it on him. [Identification] informed the user about the target but also warned the target. When Claire identified him, Priam felt a chill run down his back. It was unpleasant, as if someone who could see through your clothes was watching you. Priam didn''t like it. It felt too much like a violation of his body and mind. On Anne, [Identification] was remarkably terse. She must have had some kind of skill protection. Time to test my hypothesis. "A mere human? I don''t think so... I''m not sure what you''re using to camouflage yourself, but I want to be able to read your identification before we continue to argue."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Anne did not answer immediately. She seemed to be thinking about his proposal. Bingo! Seeing Anne hesitate, Albin intervened by shouting. "You''re not thinking about it, Anne! If you do this, the System will update his quest. If he talks, we''ll lose our only advantage. You''re dooming us all!" Thank you Albin, you''re as stupid as ever! He doesn''t seem to be talking only about the people here, and he more or less confirmed that he is part of the ''threat''. But how many are there? If this is a main quest... Thousands? Millions? Anne breathed in. "I''m sorry, Priam, but I can''t. I really want us to resolve this argument amicably, but your request is impossible. Just know that we are humans. That''s how we see ourselves anyway. The System only wants to make things worse to push humanity to the limit. To put us in situations where we have to push our limits. The Concepts don''t hide this, and the Tutorial explained it well. But pushing our limits is also pitting us against each other. Artificially creating competition." Anne turned and opened her arms, pointing at everyone in the room. "Me, my Amazons, Albin, and his men... We are just pawns of the System. It has put a label on us, this so-called ''threat'' but a threat to whom? No one. Our only wish is to find our families. The problem is that we have limited time. If we have not found our loved ones at the end of this Reunion... It will be almost impossible for us to reunite afterward. We will be separated into different worlds. Accepting them into our faction will be extremely hard, even in the next Reunions. I can''t say more, but we will be incompatible, like oil and water. Promised to a tragic fate." Despite the mist, Anne''s gaze turned to Priam. The sounds betrayed the young man''s position. The Amazon knelt as if to dare him to condemn her. "Forget for a minute your preconceptions about me," Anne continued. "You can understand us, I''m sure. Our fate is in your hands. The fate of our families, parents, spouses, and children is in your hands. Will you kill us to gain a few points of Potential, or will you let us seek our happiness? I am not asking you to help us. Just don''t condemn us. Will you be the System''s dog or help your fellow man?" Anne paused dramatically before resuming. "Most countries abolished the death penalty, and for a good reason. If you kill us today without a trial, and you find out later that we are innocent, you will be a murderer. You have no proof, only doubt, and disdain. Don''t let it cloud your judgment. How many innocent men and women have been wrongfully convicted? You say you want to be free? Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Don''t unilaterally take away our ultimate freedom - our lives. I am willing to submit to a trial before the people of the dome. Let a court of law judge us." Holy shit. I just wanted to get into the dome... Priam sighed and dispersed the surrounding mist, pushing Claire back under another blanket of fog. Might as well draw attention to himself. Albin looked down at his wounded hand thoughtfully. Just try me... Priam took a few moments to gather his thoughts. Above all, he considered his objectives. "I don''t care if you are aliens, humans or a threat to humanity. I want my family back and if you get in my way, you will die," he declared. "Behind that door may be my family. I''m sure you would do the same if you were me, but I wouldn''t put my family at risk for strangers. You are dangerous." The young man''s eyes hardened. "You won''t come with us. I will crush you without remorse if you try. This threat is my stick. Now the carrot. Claire and I will go into the dome to look for our loved ones. Within a day, I''ll send you the dome leaders - or anyone if they''re unorganized. You can talk to them and convince them to let you through. I will tell them the truth, and you will certainly be judged before entering the dome," Priam announced. "You want to live in peace with your loved ones and most of you have the right to do so." You have gained the skill: [Rhetoric - Epic]. [Rhetoric - Epic] - Sometimes, the pen is mightier than the sword. You master the art of words. You slay your enemies with your words and enlighten your allies with your verve. Your path will not be that of a barbarian. One more string to your bow. You will spill as much ink as blood VIVA +4 MEM +2 CHAR + 3 The Tribulation is getting closer. I have no time to waste here. Anne''s face was stressed. Her power would certainly not be accepted by the public. Perhaps some would even condemn mind magic users to death without them even committing a crime. New laws would surely emerge to regulate this. Priam''s parents had taught him that murder was wrong, and the young man was slowly beginning to understand that this mentality was no longer appropriate for this world. But right now, even though he was convinced that Anne deserved to die, he knew it was rarely wise to be both judge and executioner. The dome is right next door, and a trial is possible. Next time, I will certainly have to get my hands dirty... Priam nonchalantly raised his spear and brought it down at his feet with three kinetic charges. The movement didn''t seem to require much effort, but the kinetic charge gave the blow great power. The spear tip sank ten centimeters into the limestone. Albin''s men and the Amazons swallowed. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 2 CHAR + 3 Priam swept his eyes around the room. Every man and woman who met his gaze quickly looked down. They knew they were wrong, but most were just trying to survive with what the System had given them. I probably would have done the same in their place. His gaze rested on Anne. "Some of you will have to answer for your actions. I am no vigilante, but I will not stand idly by and watch the slaughter and destruction of human civilization. Indeed, a trial is in order. I have neither the time nor the inclination to be part of it, but I will ensure everyone knows the charges against you. You will be judged. Anne, you ordered murders and will answer for this crime." Priam felt relief as he said these words. He was finally being honest with himself. In truth, he had no desire to judge these people himself. He wanted to be free, and that meant he wanted to be able to choose his actions. He just didn''t want to bother with it. In the end, the death of twenty fighters did not affect him personally, and he was no hero. The massacre had been horrible, and Priam would have prevented it if he had been there. But he did not want to be the judge of these people. He was willing to catch a stranger''s jug before it hit the ground but not to pick up the pieces if he missed it. He did not want to see murder become commonplace and would never condone it. However, he did not want to be involved in protecting the people. He admired heroes, but he was not one. Priam did not intend to spend precious hours sorting out the truth from the falsehood of anonymous deaths. He would not be rewarded for it and had more pressing business. Delegating this responsibility to a court of law suited him perfectly. I am not a hero. I am not a villain. I am me. I will not kill innocent people, but I will not be the judge of the guilty. I impose morality on myself, but I don''t owe anything to anyone. I am me, and I am free. Priam was fighting for his freedom, not the freedom of others. He had confused the two for a moment. Now, I want to get back at Anne. The young man''s eyes became piercing. His desire for freedom screamed vengeance. "But you will also answer for the attempted manipulation of me. I am the victim, and I will also be the judge. We''ll discuss this later." You asked for justice. You will get justice. Now that I have isolated you from the others, they know I am only after you¡­ You¡¯re alone, Anne. "I think everything is said. To speak more would be useless. There is one simple question left. Will you let us pass and tell the dome about your existence, or shall I use force?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 78 Constitution 92 Agility 108 Vitality 126 Perception 95 MENTAL: Vivacity 96 Dexterity 77 Memory 33 Willpower 48 Charisma 50 META: Meta-affinity 44 Meta-focus 44 Potential: 208 Tier 0 Chapter 24: The Beginning of an Answer Anne and Priam exchanged a long look but Priam was confident. The enemy fighters did not want to fight him, and a good leader knows when to listen to his subordinates. I''d like to see them order their men to attack and see no one move. Albin stepped forward to intervene. "Are you willing to promise that in front of the Concepts? To bind your word to your Potential and die if you perjure yourself? Priam had no idea that this was even possible. But his answer was immediate. "Are you stupid? The only reason you''re still alive is because I was a mere student ten days ago. I''m not exactly in the habit of beheading people. But my patience is wearing thin." Albin wanted to continue, but Anne raised a hand to stop him and then looked at Priam. "Thank you, Priam. We are grateful to you for remaining civilized in these complicated times for humanity. I did things that I considered necessary to survive. You manage to remain noble, and I admire that." "I don''t care what you think of me Anne, answer the question." Turning her head away first, Anne looked in Claire''s direction. "Of course, we agree. I wonder if Claire could also look for our families. Claire, we haven''t maltreated you, have we? There is no tension between us. Ultimately, we all want the same thing, to find our loved ones. Can you help us?" The question wasn''t directed at him, and Priam frowned. Claire had been a hostage and had no reason to take sides with them. After a second or two, the young woman stepped forward. Coming out of the mist, she looked at Anne for a long time before declaring: "I will notify the dome authorities and ask them to grant you an interview. But I''m doing this for your families, not you." Priam wouldn''t have bothered, but if the young woman wanted to help, who was he to stop her? However, Claire didn''t strike him as a saint. Either she was particularly attached to the concept of family, or there was something else going on... Suspicion seeped into Priam''s heart. Priam liked the young woman and didn''t want to break up their budding friendship, but he faced a dilemma. Any friendship was based on trust. He hoped that the young woman would be able to share with him quickly. It was possible to rekindle a friendship by being honest. If not, he would have to confront her. Taking a breath while closing her eyes, the perfect image of a woman who admits defeat, Anne announced: "Then you can go. Don''t forget your promises." The sentence pulled Priam away from his dark thoughts, and he almost burst out laughing. "That''s very kind of you, Anne," replied Priam sarcastically. "We''re going to go now. But before we go, I think we forgot to discuss something important. Twenty men are dead, and you didn''t tell me about the threat... Let''s be honest for a moment. I don''t like you. Neither do I like Albin; when you get angry, you look like a slab of undercooked bacon. There you go again!" "... Meaning?" asked Anne. "You tried to control my thoughts. This System offers too many opportunities to control your fellow man. In any case, you wanted to deprive me of my freedom of thought. There will be no trial for that. You will pay." Priam had long been an introvert. As a child, when he had things to say, he didn''t dare speak up. He had changed since then, but some valuable habits had remained. The first was to let his enemies speak. He had not forgiven Anne for anything, but every sentence she uttered could provide him with information. The discussion was ending, and he could now let loose the anger that had been boiling inside him for the past few minutes. "I understand," Anne replied. The bitch kept her head up, and that annoyed Priam. She seemed to think the trial would acquit her. "There is one thing that bothers me. There''s going to be a trial, but maybe you''re going to run away? Or try to manipulate the judges? Maybe even fight the dome dwellers to escape your trial? In our old world, you would have been acquitted with the benefit of the doubt. After all, if you deny in court that you committed the crime, it''s your word against mine. In this new world, however... Some would sentence you to death just for your power, and others would tear out your vocal cords. But as I said, I won''t kill you." Priam pointed to Albin. "However, you did sabotage humanity by killing fighters. I''d like for humanity to withstand this integration into the Concept universe. Reducing our strengths is madness in the long run. The System pushes us hard to improve and to fight. Historically, wars have been the fastest way for humanity to progress.¡± War, in all its horror, allowed men to push their limits. Many of the objects of everyday life have been invented thanks to wars. The microwave, the radio, the tin can, and even the GPS originally came from military research. "The Concepts know this, and they want us to progress. How long will it be before we are at open war with other civilizations? Today, you may have killed a general who would have led us to victory." Priam paused for a moment to organize his thoughts. Anne''s face was expressionless, but Albin''s was now pale. "That''s partly why I''m proposing a trial rather than an execution. To give you a chance to repent and fight for us. Until then, you will at least be useful to me. I''ll ask for information and some resources." "We have nothing. We just..." Priam cut off the weeper''s plea. He was in a hurry to get back to his loved ones. "I hope for your sake that''s not true, Anne. If you have nothing to give me, I will force you to use your Potential to find answers to my questions. Do we understand each other?" Using one''s Potential to help anyone other than oneself was almost impossible. Otherwise, an emperor could gain almost godlike powers by sacrificing a few thousand subjects. But there was nothing to prevent one from seeking answers with this Potential and sharing one''s findings afterward. "... Yeah. What do you want?" "First, I want to be able to hide my information like you. Second, I want to unlock a resistance to mental manipulation. Moreover, I have a lot of questions! Let''s start with the Tribulations..." You have gained the skill: [Manipulation Resistance]. [Manipulation Resistance] - Pheromones, drugs, chemicals, optical or sound illusions, mental skills... They all have one thing in common: they are a bridge between your free will and an external order. They are means used by your enemies to manipulate you. This resistance cements your free will, mind, personality, and consciousness. It is now harder to subtly force your hand. Some manipulations are still allowed by your subconscious. You will continue to fall under the spell of the pretty woman winking at you. But don''t forget that she may also be trying to manipulate you... You fall into her trap with a smile, you fool! WILL +3 "Well, let''s go." Priam was satisfied with the conversation he had had with Anne and Albin. The latter was a coward and a fool, but he knew things. Fear had finally gotten him to talk. Better yet, Priam was highly pleased with Anne''s payment. The Amazon must have sensed that Priam hated her intensely and had bought her mercy with a rare object. Priam was a greedy person, and the payment had satisfied him. In his hand, Priam held two objects. The first was a rare crystal, Anne''s reward from her Tutorial. A skill blueprint. Skill blueprint [Mask - Epic] Cost in Potential: 100. According to Anne, all he had to do was crush the crystal in his hand to download the data from the plan into his head. Priam was unhappy with this information but decided to take the chance. Is the data in my brain or my mind? What is the difference between the two in this new world? The plan contained a lot of information needed to create a skill. The best skill blueprints developed the skill with exceedingly little Potential. This crystal was not perfect, but it was Anne''s reward for passing a high-difficulty Tutorial. Priam had been annoyed at first by the cost in Potential. Then he thought about it. Without limitations, [Kinetic Control] would have cost him 154 Potential. He had spent half his life in school, studying science, and had endured seven years of graduate study in fundamental physics. His knowledge of kinetic energy was almost at the forefront of the field. Yet, the System had deemed him to lack 154 Potential before he could create his skill.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Knowing this allowed Priam to reconsider the cost of the epic skill. He looked at his hand and the crystal it contained. The knowledge equivalent of at least twenty years of study was in that crystal. Acquiring this amount of pure knowledge could not be trivial. Priam pocketed the crystal with a frown. If Anne didn''t use it, it wasn''t because of the cost. She was probably afraid of frying her brain. I''ll certainly need more Vivacity and Memory to absorb this knowledge. Vivacity helped the brain calculate faster and absorb and process information more quickly. But Priam was still happy to acquire this crystal. [Mask - Epic] was the enhanced version of [Mask - Rare], which was the skill used by Anne and Albin''s group. The skill allowed you to hide or change your information when someone used [Identification] on you. The Epic rank had to have other benefits, but Anne wasn''t sure what they were. Unfortunately, Priam had not been able to learn much else about them except that they were special humans supposed to infiltrate the rest of humanity without being detected. The name of their group was the Revenants. The System had prevented Albin and Anne from explaining why. Priam didn''t believe they were lying. They sometimes went into spasms when they talked, and while Anne was a good actress, Albin was not. To hide among humans, Revenants had certain advantages to avoid detection. [Mask - Rare] was one of those advantages, and now Priam had it too. The skill was granted to them by the System. In exchange, they received penalties if they were discovered. According to her, the Amazon had lost all of her Potential by entrusting only this information. To say more would have drawn the ire of the System, and Priam had stopped his questions after sensing the aura of the Concepts. Anne could say no more. The Omerta is real. Nevertheless, Priam was satisfied, especially with his new resistance. This kind of skill would soon become commonplace. Many people would develop mild mind control skills without a government capable of passing a law against this kind of skill and an armed force to enforce those laws. A merchant who could convince you he was your friend would sell more. In the long run, everyone will have to develop mental resistance by sacrificing some Potential or through the trait of humanity. I don''t see any other solution. It was the main reason Priam was not afraid of Anne. He could have developed instant mental resistance by sacrificing a little of his potential. The only difficulty was resisting the first time. But the reason Priam didn''t instantly attack Anne earlier wasn¡¯t because he didn''t want to waste his Potential. He had the idea of forcing Anne to use her skill until he developed a resistance. [Manipulation Resistance] was up to his expectations. However, if mental skills existed, there would surely be worse. Manipulating the soul, for example. In this new world, death was not necessarily a release, and Priam knew something about that. How much abuse would be committed before a malicious skill was detected? The Tutorial was only the first hurdle on the path to humanity. Priam had turned to Albin. He had tried to give Priam different information - in return for a promise that the young man would not break his bones. But Albin could not reveal everything without dying. Priam had received as much information as he could for now. If Albin had revealed more, the System would have killed him. Note to self: never sign a contract with the System. So Priam had inherited a second crystal. It was a monster core that Albin had reworked - using one of his skills. He had hidden information about the Revenants inside, which would be readable in two days. Before working on the crystal, Albin had sacrificed some Potential to swear the reliability of the information he was about to write to the System. Priam had felt the attention and validation of the Concepts. So he had no doubt. Potential is full of possibilities. I guess it''s aptly named. Delaying the release of pieces of information about the Revenants by imprisoning them in a crystal was a way to appease the System''s anger. Priam took one last look at Anne. She had lost a treasure as well as all her Potential. In the long run, this drawback was terrible, and the Amazon would surely never recover. If he stayed alive, he would continue to grow in power and never again cross paths with the one who had tried to manipulate him. Priam hesitated. He was about to leave and knew that the Amazon deserved life imprisonment, if not death. But all his life, school, his parents, and the media had told him that killing was wrong under any circumstances. It was hard for him to take that step now that Anne had laid down her weapons. There was a reason why the number of murders remained so low compared to the world population. Most humans wanted someone dead in their lifetime, but how many actually killed? Yet deep down, Priam knew he would soon kill someone. This new world would leave him no choice. Anyone who clearly stood between him and his freedom would die. But this first kill would certainly be in self-defense. Priam turned around. This woman was not worth his time. He walked over to the sealed door and put his hand near it. As he touched the stone door, a bluish glow rose from the floor and filled the arabesques inscribed on it. A second later, with the entire surface of the door filled with luminescent esoteric writing, the door opened. Behind it, an artificial corridor was plunged into darkness and led toward the dome. Priam went first, taking care to observe his surroundings for traps. Claire followed him. After about ten meters, he turned to the door. "If the entrance doesn''t close, it might be a nuisance. They can follow us in a few hours, and I don''t plan to wait. My quest still hasn''t updated, which means they are still a threat to the dome." "Your quest?" Priam continued his laborious exploration. The passage was getting darker, and the few crystals he had collected when joining Claire were insufficient to give him an excellent vision. He took the opportunity to inform his companion. "When I defeated Orthos, my quest telling me to defeat the threat was updated. It now asks me to protect the dome''s inhabitants. As long as Anne and Albin can reach the dome, this quest will not be successful. If only this door would close. Without it, I may have to go back and physically prevent them from being a threat..." Even as Priam mused that he hoped the door would close, it obeyed, sealing itself again. His authority as Baron allowed him to mentally command the door and close it indefinitely. Practical. It seems I haven''t mastered all this Title''s powers yet. On the Moon, Titles of nobility are even more critical... A notification arrived only seconds after the door closed, and Priam relaxed as he read it. Updated quest: First Quest: Soon to be reunited? You have discovered the identity of the threat - the Revenants. You have sealed the passage, and the threat to this dome is temporarily removed. But if this dome holds, some others will not be so lucky. Despite their resemblance to humanity, coexistence with the Revenants is impossible... Participation: 100%. Reward received: Permission to enter the domes. Already possessed... New reward: Unlocked map - System skill. Points of interest added. Potential +20. Bonus: You have persuaded the threatening agents to temporarily abandon their claim and sell their secret. Potential +10. Indication of nearby domes on the map. First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Investigate the Revenants. Discover their origin. Eliminate them. Next reward: Depending on your participation. Difficulty: Variable "So they are the threat... Fake humans, ready to kill real ones. I wonder how many of them there are..." wondered Priam. "Well, it doesn''t matter right now. I''ll probably have time to find my loved ones by the time they find and shoot a new guardian." He had learned a lot during that conversation with Anne. But he knew there had been more left unsaid than true. Now, Claire, it''s now or never if you want to talk... The two went into the darkness. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 78 Constitution 92 Agility 108 Vitality 126 Perception 95 MENTAL: Vivacity 96 Dexterity 77 Memory 33 Willpower 52 Charisma 50 META: Meta-affinity 44 Meta-focus 44 Potential: 240 Tier 0 Chapter 25: In Sight but Out of Mind Anne turned around as soon as the door was closed. She ordered the Amazons to assemble quickly. Albin called out to her at that moment. "Nice acting lesson. I almost thought you really wanted a trial." Anne looked at him dismissively. "Good thing I was able to concoct a believable story quickly. Without me, you''d all be dead. But I hope I don''t cross his path again. He''s young and innocent, but this is probably the last time he''ll spare an enemy..." Albin shrugged. He didn''t care as long as he was alive. Anne continued. "We have to leave. Claire had to abandon the quest to not arouse Priam''s suspicions, but she is still alive. She will find our families without our help. What''s the point of staying here and waiting for that monster to deign to open the door for us? Either Claire will succeed on her own, or she will fail, in which case we had better get to work." Albin began to rant at hearing this. "Of course, it was a bad idea to let that idiot through the door! All our efforts were reduced to nothing. We are behind the other teams now. We should have attacked, our losses might have been heavy, but we would be in the dome right now, and one of us would be a Baron!" Anne squinted her eyes. "Are you challenging the orders, Albin?" "Yours? Yes, clearly. Claire''s? No, of course not. But still... I don''t deny that our influence will snowball if she recruits him as a new member. But he doesn''t seem to be interested in that kind of deal. We haven''t even found out what world he''s coming from." Anne sighed in annoyance. "That''s why I''m in charge of the operation in Claire''s absence and not you. You''re an idiot. If we had attacked, we would all be dead, Claire was right. He''s much stronger than he was this afternoon, and honestly, I''d be surprised if our fight could even have fazed him. My skill barely disturbs him, and we are blind in this fucking mist. Right now, the difference between us and him is huge. He would have exterminated us. But with our knowledge and opportunities, we''ll soon overtake this kid. Learn to fight when you can win Albin, and... Don''t make enemies you can''t defeat." The last sentence seemed personal, and Albin shuddered. The woman before him had no scruples, and he swore he would remember that. Shyly, he asked. "But why did you ask Claire to help us? I''m sure Priam suspects something by now." "Because Claire was going to betray us. When she heard he had defeated Nemea, she arranged for his arrival. She posed as a prisoner. Claire aimed to get close to Priam and use him to find her family and complete her mission. You know her. Her family and her duty are her only interests. We don''t matter to her. She seeks to strengthen the Revenants, but the two of us are disposable pawns. She had a better chance of achieving both goals by staying with Priam. Thanks to me, he''s wary, so she''ll have to rely on us." Albin nodded his head. "That''s brilliant! But she must have hated that kind of manipulation... She''s going to want us dead..." "She''s going to want us dead. But I had no choice. It was that or death. She wouldn''t let the people in the dome interrogate us. Now we have to start completing the plan. She puts her duty above her desires. She will let us live if we are useful to the movement." "What about our families?" entreated Albin. "It¡¯s alright. I didn''t say too much so Priam would take her to the dome anyway. She may hate us, but our families have nothing to do with it. Her duty is to save and recruit them, so we can trust her. Now, stop wasting my time!" Anne clapped her hands and addressed the entire group. "The operation is a failure. If we can''t convert the majority of the dome, we must put it at risk. If they are not with us, they are against us. Many will join us to survive if the threat is great enough. Killing Baron Priam is now a priority. It''s time to earn our nickname. It''s time to attract a Count." Albin shuddered even more. Claire was in a cold sweat. If Priam hadn''t told her the purpose of his quest, she clearly wouldn''t have thought of abandoning hers. The loss of her potential reward was disappointing, but if Priam began to have serious doubts about her, it would be complicated. He could learn everything else, but not that she was a Revenant officer. Despite the short time they''d spent together, Claire understood that he wasn''t the kind of man to let deception slide. She also sensed that he suspected something. She was going to have to reveal some of the truth to calm him down temporarily. If he asked her to swear to tell the truth about her Potential, she had to be able to do it. Knowing Priam, there was little chance, but it was better to be cautious. Thinking back to the last few hours made Claire very angry. Because of a blonde fool, unable to sacrifice herself for the Cause, Claire could no longer travel with Priam. If he found out the whole truth... She wasn''t sure how he would react, but anything was possible. Sparing Anne and Albin''s lives had already exhausted her patience. She had seen his reaction with the Amazons. The young warrior was still attached to the morality his parents had instilled in him. But that was already changing. He understood that his freedom came before his morals. There was only one step left before he would kill for his own freedom, Claire did not want to be the victim. The fate of the Revenants conflicted with the young man''s ideal. It was either them or him. Claire forced herself to breathe calmly. The important thing was that she would soon be in the dome. Her family was here. They were the priority right now. Dad, mom, everyone... I''m coming. The hallway was going up. A hint of wind was felt on her skin. They were close to the exit. Priam stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him was a half-darkened room. An opening in the high ceiling allowed light to pass through. Through it, Priam could hear the sound of people walking down the street, onlookers chatting with each other, shopkeepers calling out to passers-by and a thousand different sounds of the city. Under the dome lived a city. Maybe his parents were there. In front of him, the darkened room worried him. He didn''t feel in mortal danger, but his instincts told him that one last trap awaited him. If Orthos had to be defeated to enter the passage, then perhaps the inhabitants had their own jailer. The spider webs stretched across the room reinforced Priam''s suspicions. A colony of a thousand terrestrial spiders could not have created so many structures in a month. So in a few days... Why does it always have to be spiders... Priam crouched down and squinted to find his enemy. He knew the monster would undoubtedly be an ambusher. Once the surprise was over, Priam did not doubt he would quickly deal with the problem. Between Nemea and Orthos, the young man suspected that the System built the enemies in a logical way. If the enemy was fast, then its attack power would be low. If the enemy was stealthy, then his defense would be paper. Against Priam, a man with many lives, the Barons like Orthos were perhaps most dangerous. Without weak points, there was no possibility of an easy victory. The enemy was invisible in the gloom and the young man motioned for Claire to back away slowly. He positioned his spear in front of him and summoned his mist. The sealed door was a border. Beyond it, as well as under the dome, the fog wasn¡¯t present anymore. But Priam could now produce it wherever he wanted. The room quickly began to fill with an opaque mist. After a few seconds, it was dark, and Priam concentrated again. He could feel the presence of the mist, just as he had during the fight against Nemea. The room was cubic, and he visualized it in his mind. Closing his eyes, Priam saw himself: an absence in the mist. The mist was hugging his body, so he could see himself as a place where there was no mist. If I can perceive myself, then... The young man concentrated on the room. It was not easy because the webs and threads of spiders were thin. Their presence did not occupy a large volume, so it was difficult to notice the absence of mist. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, Priam was able to detect the presence of these traps. Some of the webs seemed swollen as if they contained eggs. Or food... Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 10 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 3 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 [Tribulation]: Three attributes above 100 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 71 hours 59 minutes 56 seconds. ... And shit. It was bound to happen. At least I have some time to prepare. Priam refocused on the confrontation. At the back of the room, about ten meters up, the enemy was hiding in a corner. The haze hugged the body of the motionless spider, and Priam finally detected his opponent. He already suspected, but the spider was huge. Its head must have been the size of Priam''s torso, and its body was at least three times as big. It was looking in his direction and seemed to have spotted him. But its hunting technique was to wait for its prey. Priam''s problem was that he was slightly arachnophobic. The presence of spiders did not make him fearful but rather disgusted. He had no desire to approach the beast. Unfortunately, this one was positioned close to the exit. Thinking for a moment, the young man had an idea. If I throw my weapon, I should be able to skewer it. With my dexterity, strength and skills, I should have no problem hitting it at this distance... I hope. Without taking too much time to think about the consequences if the throw missed, the young man cocked his arm. One step forward, dynamic extension of the left leg, energetic push of the right leg, rotation of the hips, torso and shoulders and... [Kinetic Control]x7! The spear went off like a missile. No sooner had it left Priam than it penetrated the spider''s head. The spider''s body exploded under the power of the attack. The monster seemed so frail in the face of the young man''s ability that he realized he had been doing it wrong all along. Why limit himself to close combat when he had no experience? His [Kinetic Control] skill was much more versatile than he had thought. He could easily throw and stop projectiles. Coupled with his present and future attributes and other skills, he had to step back and think of different attack strategies. He was nearly immortal, but why risk dying - often in excruciating pain - when you could fight intelligently? I''m going to need a skill to aim right... Completed Quest: Predator - Baron III This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.Reward: Potential + 20. Participation: 100%. You have eliminated a Baron without help. Again. An outstanding performance. Bonus: Potential + 20. [Poison Resistance] lvl up! Note: Barons are not the only nobles to populate the Moon. Your triple victory has aroused the curiosity of other nobles. An Earl is interested in you and summons you to his court. County seat marked on your map. Make haste. Congratulations! Improved title! [Quester - Silver] New Quest: Predator - Viscount You are moving up in the hierarchy of the Court. Congratulations on your progress Moon Lord. The peasant fears the Baron but the Baron fears the Earl. Do you fear the Earl? Prove your worth and your ambition. Overcome the Earl''s guards, the Viscounts. Reward (per Viscount): Potential +50. Customized bonus depending on your participation. Difficulty: Gold [Quester - Silver] - You have completed seven Concepts quests. While not particularly interested in helping your fellow man, your willingness to explore the world by going above and beyond at every turn made it possible. Your instincts are sharpening and will now push you in directions that may interest you. PERC +20% Meta (CHANCE) +20 Congratulations, you have unlocked a new meta attribute! Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 6, 7, 8 VIT +3 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 12 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 11 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 You have gained a new skill [Throw]. [Throw] - Some people keep their spear close. But you know that true love is to set the other free. Set your spear free. Free your enemies from this unjust world. DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Throw] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5 DEXT +4 Priam smiled. He had plans to create a new technique soon and this Potential would not be out of place. Besides, it seemed that using his skill in an original way against a serious enemy was beneficial to increase his level. "Unbelievable." He turned to Claire. "Excuse me?" "The throw. I''ve never seen a ballista in action, but it must have looked like this." "Ah. I guess so. This new world is pretty crazy but... It has its good points. I don''t specialize in anything other than destruction right now, but I think those who create must have incredible possibilities too. If we can help each other, humanity could reach a new golden age." This world did have a good side. For example, the wound on the young man''s torso had almost disappeared. But his hand was still healing. The injury was too severe to recover so quickly, but his hand was slowly starting to return to form. I''m not sure I can heal from an amputation, though. Claire smiled. "You''re right. And those who create are right out there." "Let''s go." Priam retrieved his spear along with the anonymous Baron''s core and moved toward the back of the room. A door, richly decorated this time, hinted at the end of the underground. The two young people were only a few meters from the dome and perhaps civilization. Priam stopped while Claire continued to advance. Sensing the young man''s absence, she turned and raised an eyebrow. "Here we go. However... Don''t you have something to tell me, Claire?" asked Priam in a neutral voice. He would have preferred that the young woman confide in him. "..." The girl did not answer immediately. "You were not being watched in this room. You said you would help Anne and Albin find their family. It¡¯s weird to help the people who captured you. I''m not an idiot, Claire. If you don''t tell me the truth, we will have to split up here. A friendship can''t be built on lies." After a few seconds of silence, Claire sighed. "I don''t want to lie to you, and I didn''t want to lie to you. In fact, I never really lied to you. But the lie of omission is still a lie, I guess... There are reasons why I didn''t tell you, you know? First, I have orders not to reveal my objectives to strangers. By strangers, I mean..." Priam did not hear the end of the sentence. An immense pain rose from his right shoulder. Sharp mandibles had penetrated his trapezius and all the muscles below. The flash of pain blinded him. His first instinct was to raise his spear and skew the enemy behind him. Luckily, he held it in his left hand as he prepared to push open the door. He had unfortunately used up all his kinetic charges in the last fight, but his strength was still substantial. The spear bit into the flesh, and a shrill cry sounded. The mandibles disengaged from Priam''s body, and he fell to his knees. A burning, icy liquid spread through his shoulder, and he knew he was being poisoned. His strength was already leaving him as he turned. Behind him, slowly backing away, was a giant spider. The twin of the third Baron had taken revenge. The monster was severely wounded, but Priam despaired. The poison was numbing his body, and his wound was severe. He couldn''t even get up. I have to kill it before I die. If that thing eats my corpse... Priam heard a noise. Looking down, he saw that it was his spear, which had fallen to the ground. His fingers didn''t even have enough strength to hold it anymore, and the young man slumped. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 9 VIT +1 The level-up effect was immediate. Priam could feel the poison flowing through him, but his body was more resistant. He was now losing ground but might be immune to the poison with a few more levels. My resistance to the poison! If I can speed up this process... Tree of Merit: [Axolotl or Hydra?] - Tier 0: following a regeneration, your body becomes more resistant to what has damaged it. Priam bought the Merit instantly. He knew it might not be the best solution in the long run, but he didn''t want to resurrect in a spider cocoon, helpless, and wait for his second death. [Axolotl or Hydra?] - Tier 1: You can now regenerate your limbs faster. The effect of the Merit was instantaneous. His body seemed more vigorous, more tenacious, and it was learning to resist the lethal fluid better. Three factors helped Priam recover. [Poison Resistance] was a passive skill that taught his body to destroy harmful molecules and gradually made his cells immune to them. His racial trait [Humanity adapts] helped him by adapting his body to his environment. Here, this translated into a faster increase in his skill. [Axolotl or Hydra?] was interesting because Priam''s enormous Vitality regenerated his body every second. The poison was gaining ground, but the new cells were more resistant thanks to the Merit. The three effects worked together to increase Priam''s resistance. Lvl Up: [Poison Resistance] lvl 10 VIT +1 His body was getting more robust, and the poison was moving slower. Unfortunately, the spider was getting closer despite the spear that had pierced its body. The spider struggled to move. Blue blood - from the copper - ran down the Baron''s body. Its long, hairy legs clung to the ground with difficulty. The Boss was no longer afraid of its opponent. Priam flinched as the poison flowed through his veins. The arthropod was moving in to finish the job. Priam was desperate. He wasn''t sure he could resist the poison, but he had a chance. Against the Baron, he had none. "Damn it... I have so many regrets... I could have become a god if I hadn''t been so stupid..." The monster was less than two meters away from him, and Priam could see the hatred in its bulging eyes. The spider opened its mouth to bite him, and the hoplite spear went in. Surprised, Priam forgot his pain for a moment. The Baron collapsed to the ground, its legs curled up. At the end of the spear, Claire rubbed her hands together. "What a filthy beast. No way am I looking for its core..." She looked down, and Priam met her gaze. Black dots appeared in his field of vision as he slowly became unconscious. "You crushed the first Baron, but the second got you by surprise. It could make itself immaterial. You must always be on your guard Priam. Not all enemies are as noble as you. That''s not a compliment." Lvl Up: [Poison Resistance] lvl 11 VIT +1 His racial trait, skill, and Merit synergized to pull him out of the clutches of death. But Claire was in no hurry to help him. Am I really going to be betrayed by everyone? In the end, I can only count on myself. I won''t forget this lesson Claire. I shouldn''t have helped. I should have killed you all! His consciousness was slowly fading despite the rage that inhabited him. The poison attacked his brain. He would have passed out if his mind hadn''t been transferred to his whole body. Claire came closer. "But your kindness reminded me of my family. Even your name... My little brother was a big mythology fan, you know? I should kill you, Priam. You''re too powerful, too dangerous for my faction. But can I find my family if I kill the one who helped me so much? Karma is a genuine concept in this new world... I leave you with Death, Priam." Claire got up and walked to the exit. The door opened automatically, and Priam heard the clamor of a crowd. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 12 VIT +1 The doors closed again. On the flagstones, Priam''s black blood flowed. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 78 Constitution 92 Agility 108 Vitality 134 Perception 114 MENTAL: Vivacity 100 Dexterity 87 Memory 33 Willpower 52 Charisma 52 META: Meta-affinity 47 Meta-focus 48 Meta-chance 20 Potential: 307 Tier 0 Chapter 26: From the Light, the Shadow is born Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 13,14 VIT +2 Where was he? Who was he? Priam asked himself these questions as the pain pulled him from his nightmares. Were they even nightmares? He had seen Arnold burning cities and monsters. Priam screamed as the flames hit him. The fire entered his body, and his blood turned to magma. The pain was horrible, but his delusions were worse. He was insane. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 15 VIT +1 Only the System notifications still seemed real. Priam was delirious, and he knew it. He thought about meditating, but it was impossible. He could only grit his teeth as the poison did its work. He had already waited for hours on the stone floor. Maybe even days? Months? His body was destroyed. His Vitality and his Titles were trying to keep him alive, but his organs were too severely damaged. He no longer had the energy or resources to regenerate. If he could have called the aether to him as the Guardian of Nature had... Sometimes, when he wasn''t busy fending off hordes of fire elementals, he looked up to Priam. Priam felt as if he could sense his presence. He called for help, but the tree-man could do nothing for him. He was alone. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 16 VIT +1 In his delirium, Priam understood. His suffering was a punishment. The Concepts were punishing him for his stupidity and weakness. The poison was writing the story of his mistakes in letters of fire. The pain imprinted in his flesh was the price of the arrogance that had been his. He could have sunk into the depths of death. He could have given up and let his heart stop because of the pain. But he has refused. He has welcomed the pain. He believed himself to be a saint during the Apocalypse. He thought his strength gave him the right to be merciful. He was being punished. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 17 VIT +1 Illusions turned into mirages. Priam was thirsty, so thirsty... He would have killed for a bit of water. He had licked his tears. He had licked his blood on the flagstones. He had even drunk the spider''s blood. He was so thirsty as the fire of poison burned inside him. He would have killed for water. But he would have given all the water in the world down to his blood to kill Claire. To kill Anne. To kill Albin. They had taken advantage of him, of his kindness, his morality, his innocence. Priam had believed in the human, and the human had betrayed him. He was angry. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 18 VIT +1 The pain was still there, but Priam looked at it calmly. It was no longer just information. His pain was a reward. A memory. He would never forget it. He would always remember that strength led to freedom. That trust was earned. Claire had not earned anything, and he had been a fool to believe in a friendship so flimsy. Claire had opened his eyes, and for that, she deserved a reward. Death. He was determined. Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 19 VIT +1 His half-destroyed nerves continued to inform him of the deplorable state of his body. The poison was almost overcome. His ravaged body was using the remnants of the poison and his necrotic tissue to regenerate. He was devouring himself, and his strength was dissipating. He would not survive. Yet Priam smiled. He would rise again. He had been stupid, but the Concepts gave him a chance to make up for it. His ordeal was liberating. It gave him the right to change. To take revenge. The old Priam was dead. He was free. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 8 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT +17 CONST +10 STR +5 PERC +15 WILL +15 [Touched by Aether] - Adjustment time: 0 days (previously 1 day). Completed. The aether has changed you. Your body is now adapted to the laws of the Concepts. New possibilities are opening up for you. Talent Evolution. [Touched by the Aether] becomes [Citizen of the Aether]. Talent Bonus: Your body is partially adapted to the aether. You are now eligible for tempering. Tempering your body brings you closer to the aether and perfection. Warning: Your mind is not adapted to the aether. You have gained the skill: [Divination Resistance - Rare]. [Divination Resistance] - Every soul has a signature connected to the rest of the world by many links. Divination seeks out these links, including your Akashic signature. Your exploits have not gone unnoticed. Many people are looking for you. Your signature is now harder to follow. META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up : [Poison Resistance] lvl 20 VIT +1 [Poison Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Poison Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Poison Resilience - Rare] - You have resisted a nasty poison for several hours. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Poison Body - Rare] - There is more poison than blood in your veins. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Poison Body - Rare]. POT-20 [Poison Body] - In your body flows poison. Your blood is harmful to most organisms. You are resistant to the poisons of your Tier, and they strengthen your organs, bones, and muscles. Smoking is now good for your health. Too bad there are no more cigarettes.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Congratulations, you have unlocked a new META attribute: Endurance. Titles won! [Upgrader - Bronze] - You have pushed a common skill to its limits at Tier 0, then increased its rarity. You are on the right track. POT +100 [Forerunner - Skills - Silver] - You are the first of your kind to have earned the title [Upgrader]. Keep it up. Whatever you desire, you will need power. Choose to free your people or put them in chains. But if you want to choose, stay first. CHAR +20 META (Chance) +20 POT +100 [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 60 hours 44 minutes 17 seconds. Priam opened his eyes. A dark room greeted his gaze. The corpse of the second Baron lay just centimeters from his head. He must have crawled away while semi-conscious. He only vaguely remembered drinking the Baron''s blue blood. But he remembered the betrayal perfectly... Priam slowly got to his feet, trying to get his head in order. He had been tortured by poison for almost half a day. It didn''t seem like much, and it seemed like a lot. Priam admonished himself. There was no need to think about that now. He had goals and had already wasted enough time. Looking around, he quickly found his spear. Claire had not taken it, probably because the weapon weighed about twenty kilograms. The young woman must have calculated that her chances of escaping and running several kilometers with it were low. Perhaps she hadn''t even realized the true value of the weapon. After all, she had met Priam when he was naked. Or maybe she was afraid of accumulating bad karma. Priam picked up the weapon. He didn''t need an explanation. The spear was here and would stay in his hand until it pierced the traitor''s skull. Priam turned quickly to the Baron. He had only a moderate desire to cut the monster''s head off and get the core out, but every advantage counted now. Claire, the Revenants, and all his known and unknown enemies had twelve hours to progress. Priam set to work. The last twelve hours had not been in vain. He was now much more resilient. Lvl Up : [Divination Resistance] lvl 2 META (AFFI) +3 I see that I am a real star. I wonder who is trying to locate me... He pocketed the new core a few seconds later before turning the creature over. The first Baron had exploded under the power of his throw, but this one still had its silk glands - they produced silk. He also had the glands he had collected from Elysium with him. With the System, perhaps a craftsman could make him a suit with this silk. After finishing his work, he wiped his hands on the floor and got up. He had nothing to do here anymore. Without a backward glance at the room that had heard so many of his screams, he headed for the exit. The heavy door opened slowly, and he entered the dome. The light revealed him to the world, but in the darkness, he had changed. His ears informed him first. A clamor was rising in front of him. Merchants, shouts, laughs, and announcements were jostling each other. Everything seemed golden, and the brightness was intense. Imitating a cap with his hand, he looked to the sides. The dome was immense, and its inhabitants innumerable. An epic market lived before him. Colorful tents stood side by side. Merchants and artisans were bragging about their products. The smell of spices tickled his nose. Despite his resurrection, his stomach growled. Claire would not deprive him of the pleasures of life. "What a delicious smell. I''m hungry!" Despite himself, Priam smiled. Humanity had survived. Some deserved to die, and he was now ready to judge them. But many humans were simply working to improve themselves. Priam would sort them out. First, I need to understand the rules and opportunities of this place... Priam took two steps before noticing a young boy a few feet away, looking at him with round eyes. "Hey you. Do you speak English? I have some questions..." The orphan swept the square with his eyes. He had leaned against a white pyramid to avoid being caught off guard. It was not the white of the snow. It was the white of the sun. Apparently, the Egyptian pyramids of his childhood were originally white too. But honestly, what did it matter? He would probably never see them again. What mattered was that his pyramid was still empty of people and had an unobstructed view of this part of the Dome. So he could observe what really mattered. The crowd. Before him lay the Market. Some sides reminded him of the souk. The noise, the smell, the life was here. Money was here too. But the orphan did not intend to steal. He valued life too much. In this new world, a wealthy man was dangerous, and a homeless man could be even more dangerous. Now, stealing was a professional job. Bad thieves had been put to death - and few people had protested. Only the cream of the crop survived. According to the System, the fighters were for the moment separated, kept outside the dome. Except for the mechanical guards of a few powerful merchants, thieves, and assassins, the rest of the dome''s inhabitants were physically weak. But one could fight with more than muscle. Tjay was fifteen this year. He thought his age was perfect. Young enough to be pitied and old enough to know his limitations. Close enough to childhood to look innocent and mature enough to go to adult places. He had found a clever way to make a living. He watched. What people liked to buy, which merchant was talking to which one, the price of this or that resource. He let his ears wander, learning some fables, secrets, or rumors. There was always some truth to it, and some people paid a lot to hear his information. The world was changing fast. Humanity was once again united but also divided. Many merchants were transporting and selling scarce resources. Resources lent by the country they had joined when they finished the Tutorial, by the Guild that had hired them when it realized a Reunion was coming, and by a thousand other groups. Each faction wanted something different. Some just wanted to make a profit on the back of a new civilization. Others wanted to potentially forge ties with a future great power. But Tjay had also heard darker stories. Religions seeking sacrifice. Kingdoms conquering and integrating the weak. Merchants buying slaves... He shook his head. It wasn''t his problem. He was nothing and knew it. It was his strength to be nothing. No one bothered with a nothing boy. No one was pressuring him. No one threatened him for anything more than a few coins. He was nothing, and for now, he cherished his anonymity. The orphan returned to observing the Market. The weapon stands were finally getting some love from the general public. Since the Coliseum opened a few hours ago, everyone wanted a weapon. The Reunion would end in just under six days, and placing in the Top 100 at the Colosseum would earn a Title in addition to other rewards. It was perhaps the only opportunity to win a Combat Title for the non-combatants who populated the Dome. But the young observer knew it was hopeless. Six days was more than enough time for the Domes to fully open up to the world. The fighters would then become stronger and the creators more submissive. Their Dome was still guarded by the two Barons hidden in its pyramid, but that was not enough. Some of the other Domes had already lost their guards. In the center of each Dome stood a portal. Teleporting from one Dome to another was horribly expensive. However, several super factions had decided to pay that price in the last few hours and were arriving. If humanity''s most powerful warriors were gathering in his Dome, there had to be a reason. In his search, Tjay had found clues. The factions were looking for something. Then, that morning, the mercenaries had even approached the orphan - one of the most powerful warring factions in the universe. Then he understood. The factions weren''t looking for something. They were looking for someone. "What a delicious smell. I''m hungry!" Tjay gasped. On his right, the door of death had just opened. From the inside. A man covered in dried blood had emerged. The stunned boy didn''t react quickly enough. He should have run away to avoid trouble, but it was already too late. "Hey you. Do you speak English? I have some questions..." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 83 Constitution 103 Agility 108 Vitality 164 Perception 130 MENTAL: Vivacity 102 Dexterity 90 Memory 33 Willpower 68 Charisma 72 META: Meta-affinity 53 Meta-focus 52 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 517 Tier 0 Chapter 27: In the end, Death gets its due The boy''s name was Tjay. He almost ran away, and Priam had to hold him back by putting a hand on his shoulder and absorbing his speed. The youngster was so weak that he had immobilized him. The skill seemed to have calmed him down. Tjay then insisted on continuing the discussion away from the pyramid. The dome''s inhabitants knew it was an exit. But the Spider Barons had wiped out anyone who tried to leave. Priam wasn''t too surprised; according to Tjay, ninety-nine percent of the residents were not fighters. They would have been bombarded with questions if they had been seen leaving the pyramid. Worse, dozens of representatives of merchants, religions, kingdoms, factions, and guilds would have invited them. Accepting invitations would have placed them on the political chessboard of the dome. Even on the Universe''s chessboard. Accepting friendships meant refusing others, and Priam didn''t want to close any doors. If his family happened to be in the territory of an enemy... Priam followed Tjay, being careful to check his back. The boy was young, but Priam had learned to be wary. Claire hadn''t seemed like a manipulator... The young boy knew the alleys like the back of his hand. He had taken several shortcuts before arriving at a small dark alley. Surprisingly, this was relatively rare in this golden dome. The boy had led him through a back entrance into the private room of a bar. Settled for a few seconds, Priam sipped a hot drink - a kind of delicious hot chocolate. It was important to remember to enjoy life, and his resistance to poison ensured that he could consume his chocolate in peace. His other resistances allowed him to drink the hot drink while Tjay blew on his cup to try to drink without getting third-degree burns. Priam put back his cup. "Thanks. I have a few more questions for you. You seem to know quite a bit about this new place. I have monster cores. So you won¡¯t waste your time answering my questions." Priam placed the core of a boar on the table and smiled as the young boy''s eyes began to glow. He knows what it is. I''ve got him. "It will be my pleasure, Lord Priam. But we must be quick. I''m not the only one watching, and the Dome forces know you''re here already. This bar is on the border of several regions, so politics will slow them down for a while, but I suspect that there will be a knock on this door within thirty minutes or so. Less if the Mercenaries want to talk to you. They don''t pay much attention to protocol, and I don''t want to be there if there''s a fight." Priam frowned. If the Dome factions could find him in thirty minutes, despite the help of a ¡®native¡¯, then they were powerful and organized. Which meant they were more complicated to convince. Perhaps he would have to persuade some people more quickly than he expected. "Mercenaries?" "Yes, a super faction. They are located throughout the Universe, and their leader is one of the favorites for the eighth Thrones. They are looking for you. I was approached just this morning." "What?!" Priam leaped to his feet and pointed his spear at the young boy. If Tjay had been approached, perhaps this was all a trap. A faction this powerful wouldn''t want to meet with him just to talk about the weather. Surely they would want to recruit him. He clenched his jaw. If that was the case, he would walk out of here, leaving a bloodbath behind. Priam cherished his freedom. Despite the spear¡¯s tip being centimeters from his face, Tjay answered calmly. He had understood since childhood that it was better never to show his fear. Only his pale face betrayed him. "Don''t worry, Lord Priam. Knowing all the factions in such a short time is difficult, but that is my job. The Mercenaries are known to be extremely honest and proud. If they want to talk to you, they will come to you. They''ve warned just about every information dealer that they''re looking for you, and I''ll get paid just for giving you that information. It''s not a trap. Other factions will probably try to force your hand, but not them." Priam did not sit down. The boy before him could tell him anything to calm him down. He began to prepare kinetic charges by swinging his spear in the air. He might as well be ready if a fight were to break out. He didn''t know the dome, so he didn''t care where the battle would be. Fighting in a building was good for him with his skill set - filling the building with mist was easier than the whole dome. Priam began to create mist and manipulated it to stay against the ground. To the untrained eye, the stone floor simply turned white. But the dense layer of mist could instantly fill the room. Still, if this wasn''t all a trap, he might as well get some information. "Why wouldn''t they try to force my hand?" Tjay watched Priam''s impressive speed for a few seconds, his eyes round. He couldn''t even see the spear moving. Afterimages imprinted themselves on his retina before disappearing. A look from Priam made him find his words again. "It would be good for you to come to them. They will probably offer you a partnership. Their name is well chosen: they are mercenaries. You do quests for their client, and you get rewarded. They get a small commission, and you get the rest. Joining them does not commit you to anything and can only be beneficial. Most of the fighters in the Universe are part of their Guild." "What about the disadvantages?" "Registration is fee-based for most fighters. It''s not very expensive, but you must pay according to your Tier. Each Tier evolution requires you to pay again. In exchange, you get access to better missions. Of course, the best benefits are only available to those who actually enter their Guild. I don''t know much about it. You''ll have to ask them yourself if you''re interested. Finally, as the first Baron of Mankind, you may get special benefits..." Priam thought for a few seconds. Tjay''s speech seemed likely. In fact, it was certainly the truth. The boy didn''t know him and had no way of knowing if Priam could detect lies. He certainly wouldn¡¯t want to get skewered for lying. That said, there was no indication that Tjay had told the whole truth. "I''ll see about that later. Let''s get to the point. And don''t call me Lord," Priam said, trying to be reassuring. Few people had let anyone call them ''Lord'' for two hundred years, making him uncomfortable. Priam was from France, and at one time, his people used to cut off the heads of the nobility. "Of course. But... I should warn you that I use [Identification] regularly. For example, you are currently equipping the Title of ''Baron''. That''s the reason why I called you Lord. If you don''t want to be recognized by everyone, you should change that." Priam was surprised that Tjay could identify him without him feeling it. He couldn''t identify himself and hadn''t checked his menus since he woke up. The System was user-friendly, and Priam quickly accessed its settings. He hid his Titles and asked Tjay if he saw much about him. "Honestly, I still see that you are an exceptional human, possessor of many Titles and an Achievement. It''s easy to make the connection with the System announcement. You are the first to kill a Baron in single combat, right?" The boy''s eyes shone. The man before him had passed through death''s door and defeated at least one Baron on his own! How could he not be in awe of a man who accomplished such feats? Priam was almost embarrassed. He had defeated a Baron but lost to a young woman who didn''t even have to lift a finger. Claire... I hope you''re running far right now. He answered soberly. "The first, but certainly not the last. But you still see my Titles when I''ve hidden them?" "My skill has evolved, and I see some things. I can''t see all your secrets, but some of your Titles are visible. Your Achievements too. I can''t see your characteristics, but I can gauge your power level, for example." "And?" Priam was interested. How did he now rank in the power scale of humanity? "You are the most powerful man I have ever met. I watched the portal a few hours ago when most factions arrived and gauged most of the groups passing through. If I am a candle flame, they are a campfire flame. You are a wildfire. Blinding." Tjay spoke the last word with dreamy eyes, and Priam understood that the young man was identifying him at this very moment. The boy''s words reassured him. He still had a comfortable lead over the rest of humanity, but some were catching up. He was no fool. [He Who Eludes Death] gave him a head start and infinite potential. But he didn''t know the secrets of the System. Those who had sold themselves to any of the factions would dodge any misstep. Priam would soon face a Tribulation, yet he knew nothing about it. Information was the lifeblood of the war, and he knew too little. It was time to remedy that. "Let''s get back to the point. If I understand correctly, you can still read me because your skill has evolved. What would happen if I had a skill to hide my information?" Tjay refocused. "There are several such skills, and not all are equally useful. It''s hard to answer this question, but I would see less if you had a skill to mask your information, even of common rarity. A rare skill would block my skill. It''s easier to defend than to attack, if you know what I mean." "I see, yes." I must learn [Mask] as soon as I acquire an extra life. Priam did not wish to allow everyone to follow his exploits. Being incognito could have its advantages. "Thanks for the information Tjay. Time is short, and I still need answers. Can you track down people who might potentially be in this dome? Or direct me to someone who can? Can you find someone who can tell me about the Tribulations? In general, is there anyone who can explain things about the System?" "If you want to find known residents, I''m your man! If unknown, then you''ll have to ask Mercury. He''s a merchant who deals in information and... I wouldn''t say he knows everything, but he knows a lot. He can tell you about the System. Of course, if you''re willing to join a faction, you''ll have all your answers. The Mercenaries will also be able to tell you, but they won''t tell you everything as long as you''re an outside member."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Mercury? As in the god of trade and thieves? A pragmatic merchant, and a guarantor of contracts. Better to have him with you than against you... "Where can we find this Mercury? And the Mercenaries? They seem to be the solution to my problems." smiled Priam. He preferred to have several possible choices. There was nothing to stop him from comparing the answers he got. "Mercury has a home on the Ducal palace square. It''s the only inhabited house, so it''s easy to find. Normally you have to make an appointment but... He will see you. The Mercenaries have taken up residence in the Colosseum." "The Colosseum?" The capital letter challenged Priam. "Oh you don''t know?!" Tjay sounded excited. "Normally, I charge for the information, but I want to see you fight so it will be free! The Colosseum tests the combat ability of the fighters. There are death fights against monsters and practice fights against System animated statues. The rewards are great, and titles will be..." Tjay paused. A second later, he swore through his teeth. Priam knew instantly that something had happened. "What''s going on?" "The Alliance is here. They demand to see you. " Priam began to laugh. "They demand? At least I''m not the only one who didn''t understand that the world had changed. Who are they?" "An alliance of former military and political figures from the old world. They think of uniting humanity and recreating a powerful civilization. With them at the head of this beautiful project of course. They''re not very... friendly." Priam stood up. He didn''t need to hear more. He couldn''t stay in this bar forever now that he''d been found. All that remained was to find out who was the hunter and who was the prey. He threw a few cores at Tjay before turning away. He had paid more than the price of some information, but he was still short. "Meet me outside the Colosseum when I''m done with the buffoons waiting outside. I want a summary of the necessary information to avoid missing any opportunity in this dome. Do we understand each other?" "I''ll be there," the boy replied. Priam nodded. He did not trust Tjay, but he trusted his mercantile spirit. The young man would come alone or with a faction. Either way, Priam would have answers to his questions. A few seconds later, he was outside. About twenty men and women were in front of him, surrounding the bar''s exit. Some of them were equipped with bulletproof vests and riot shields. Unfortunately, they didn''t seem to know how to handle their swords. Priam had hoped to see some armor. Maybe another time. A man in his fifties with a pot belly cleared his throat before speaking. "Good afternoon, young man. I am Senator Gregar, a member of the Alliance. The Alliance has reason to suspect that you have information about the Revenants. We need this information to protect humanity. We will escort you to our headquarters so you can answer our questions. Follow us." With that, the man turned and began to walk away. The various guards approached Priam. "Hahahaha." Gregar turned around as he heard the young man start to laugh. "Is there something funny?" he asked with a frown. Priam managed to stop laughing after a few seconds. "Yes. I just heard a former politician who barely walks ask me to follow him. He came with a score of men who don''t know how to hold a sword to make a strong impression. Normally I would have just laughed at you, but you said the magic word. What do you know about Revenants, old man?" The senator was close to apoplexy. ¡°Get him!¡± Priam charged. "For the Horde!" Priam did not forget to announce his attack. He accelerated in a split second before colliding with the riot shield of a guard. Discharging two kinetic charges on impact, the guard was thrown into the air. Priam continued his run, leaving the rest of the soldiers behind. A second later, he tackled the senator. The old man fell to the ground, Priam on top of him, the tip of the hoplite spear to his stomach. A few feet behind him, the guard''s body fell to the ground with a horrible sound. Priam gritted his teeth. "What do you know about Revenants?" The senator was choking back sobs, and Priam realized that he had broken several bones. He had hit the human at great speed and Gregar did not seem to have a high constitution. Unfortunately for the senator, Priam was not very interested in his moans. He turned to the guards. "One more step and I''ll cut the old man." The threat stopped the soldiers. Priam repeated his question. "What do you know about Revenants?" Priam asked. The senator continued to cry. Priam moved his spear and pierced his hand. He was angry. "What do you know about Revenants?" The senator''s screams increased for a few moments before calming down. He looked up at the young man and realized that it was useless to expect pity. Sobbing, he answered. "Almost nothing. Their cult has captured a dome and our agents are dropping one after another. It''s a strange religion, and we''re afraid they''ll convert humans by force. Our agents are normally trained to resist this kind of manipulation." "A religion?" Priam frowned. Anne and Albin had never mentioned gods or worship. "The Cult of the Revenants. They claim to be able to resurrect the relatives of their members. Normally they would only get snickers, but... some dead people are coming back. One of our agents has confirmed that his grandfather, who died before the Tutorial, has returned to life." "..." Priam was lost. Anne and Albin had not slaughtered twenty fighters to resurrect them. The Revenants were killers. But the Alliance had had to confirm the grandfather''s identity. They looked stupid, but Priam didn''t think they were that stupid. What do Anne, Albin and a cult that resurrects people have in common? Maybe the Revenants had nothing to do with this cult, but Priam doubted it. He had a lead and wasn''t about to let it go. "I believe you. But why do you want information about them?" Priam asked. "The Alliance is fighting many factions at once, with few victories. We need victories to improve our image and attract volunteers. Non-human entities back the other factions. They don''t want the well-being of humanity! We are the only chance for human civilization!" Gergar began to raise his voice and Priam turned his spear to call the senator to order. The senator groaned. "Calm down. That''s all good, but what the hell am I doing here?" "One of our prophets told us you were connected to the Revenants. His gift is developing, so he didn''t know anything more. But from your reaction, he was right." Gregar accused. "Good deduction Sherlock. Where is this Cult?" "In another dome. They renamed their city Viracocha. That''s also the name of their so-called god." replied the senator. "Blasphemy must be punished." said a voice behind Priam. Priam turned around instantly. No one was there. The remaining nineteen guards looked at him in horror. The sound of a sponge being wrung out was heard and Priam turned around again. A dozen meters from him stood a masked woman. Her golden mask was reminiscent of Inca culture, and her blood-red clothing did not invite a calm discussion. Looking down, Priam realized that the senator was dead. His skull had been punctured, certainly by the blood-dripping dagger of the fanatic. Priam had not felt the assassin''s movement. I''ll have to keep [Moon Mist] active. She could have attacked me. "To whom do I have the honor?" asked Priam. "Sheyhai. Member of Anatole''s guard, Grand Master of the Revenants." the assassin declared. Priam could have questioned her. He could have acquired useful information. But he would have plenty of time to do that to Viracocha. The monk could flee, but not the temple. [Kinetic Control] x8! Priam''s spear disappeared. He had never thrown his spear so fast, not even in the fight against the third Baron. Lvl Up : [Throw] lvl 6,7,8 DEXT +3 The weapon disappeared from everyone''s sight. A dozen different factions were watching the fight, but no one saw the beginning of the movement. Priam raised his spear and a second later the building behind Sheyhai exploded. The stone had not withstood the energy contained in the spear. When the stones finished falling to the ground, Priam went for his weapon in dead silence. The hoplite spear had gone through three walls before it crashed into a fourth. Sheyhai''s blood had splattered on the street''s cobblestones for forty meters. Not much remained of the woman''s torso. Her surprised head had rolled to the gutter. The young man barely glanced at it. Priam had killed a human for the first time. Yet he didn''t feel much. Just a void. It had been easy. Soon his breath quickened. This murder had brought him closer to his goal. One less woman between him and Claire... "I have eluded Death so many times. Here is a life to make up for it. More are coming." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 83 Constitution 103 Agility 108 Vitality 164 Perception 130 MENTAL: Vivacity 102 Dexterity 93 Memory 33 Willpower 68 Charisma 72 META: Meta-affinity 53 Meta-focus 52 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 520 Tier 0 Chapter 28: Clothes make the Man Priam was heading for the Colosseum. If awards and titles were available, he wanted them. The Mercenaries intrigued him too. A faction that could respect his freedom and didn''t try to force him to sign anything? It was almost too good to be true. Priam wanted to verify that. The stone and gold metal building - surely to respect the dome theme - was visible from a distance. Priam had never visited the Colosseum in Rome, but the Concepts undoubtedly drew inspiration from it before multiplying its dimensions. The amphitheater must have been at least two hundred meters high, allowing Priam to orient himself easily. Its construction would have been possible in the old world, but it would have taken decades. The System had materialized it in seconds. What impressed Priam the most was that each dome had a Colosseum. All were identical, and their rankings and records were linked. Whoever made history in one Colosseum would make history in all. The conversations in the street were all about this. Every inhabitant had a champion and was betting on him. Priam would bet on himself. But what he wanted most of all was to find his family. If his father saw ''Priam'' as an alias, he would know Priam''s position. Or at least his dome. Maybe he would be able to reach him? That was always more believable than thinking Mercury or some other faction would help him without asking for the moon in return. Literally. Walking down the street with his spear in hand, he was finally alone. Or at least he didn''t feel like he was being followed. A few observers had tried to follow him, but a dark look and a threatening gesture from his spear had discouraged them. Solitude had weighed on him in Elysium, but now it reassured him. He no longer trusted his fellow men. Fortunately for him, his warlike appearance kept the curious away. Non-combatants stayed away, and warriors from powerful factions must have been relatively few, because he hadn''t come across any. This worried him a little. The assassins were - along with the guards - the only fighters who had appeared inside the domes. They killed or protected men, so they had no business being outside the domes. Yet, with the exception of the cultist he killed, he had seen none. Either the profession had been disdained, or Priam couldn''t spot them. A trickle of mist appeared in the young man''s wake. It was his only perception skill, and he hoped to increase its level as soon as possible. Lvl Up : [Divination Resistance] lvl 3 META (AFFI) +3 "Not the right skill, but I''ll take it anyway." On his way to the Colosseum to find answers to his questions, Priam walked up the alleys and streets of the city towards the monster that loomed in the distance. He observed his surroundings, impressed by the adaptability of humanity. Talking with Tjay about the politics of the dome was one thing, but walking its streets was another. The factions and super factions of the universe seemed far away as he strolled the streets of a city of many inspirations. Architecturally speaking, the dome had a Mediterranean feel. Greek, Roman, French, Algerian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish, and other countries'' inspirations were mixed together. Each district was of different inspiration. Maghrebian medinas stood beside Greek temples and Roman baths in a strange harmony. The Dome - the inhabitants had not named their city anything else - was crowded. The streets were full of people, and the street vendors stood next to the hurried inhabitants. As he passed by a beautiful Basque house, Priam felt nostalgic. He had grown up in the south of France, and his memories were flooding back. Perhaps he would never see the land of his youth again. Most often, these houses were inhabited by one or two people. Groups fully occupied some hotels, and the entrances were monitored. The System built the houses, and anyone could live in them. If it was already occupied, all you had to do was evict the previous occupant. More than a day after the Reunion began, everyone had found a home. As he walked down the street, dodging a few invasive vendors and watching his pockets, Priam reflected on the population around him. He noticed a problem: no single complete family had crossed his path. As he watched a father holding his little girl by the hand, a wedding ring still on his finger, Priam understood. When the Tutorial began, all humans had been teleported to one of the many dungeons that had housed humanity. Each dungeon held a maximum of twenty humans. So there were a few hundred million dungeons just for Earth. Your group members were chosen almost randomly from the people within a radius of several kilometers around you. If you lived in a remote desert with your family, good for you, you were in the same tutorial as your family. If you lived in a big city, too bad, you had about a zero percent chance of fighting alongside your people. Survivors of a single Tutorial were then transported to one of the worlds that made up the Concept Universe. If the System tried to keep family members apart as much as possible, it was for a good reason. The Concepts wanted to see humans struggle to become stronger or gain power. What better ambition could a human have than to be reunited with their family? Few men and women were able to let go of their past lives. The quest and desire to find their loved ones was the main engine that drove humans to surpass themselves. Of course, there were exceptions. The concepts did not separate children from their two parents. In a classic family of four, each parent inherited one child, for example. But protecting your children in this new world was also a good reason to want to increase your power. In the end, the Concepts always won... Priam refocused on his surroundings. Most of the buildings Priam passed were occupied. Several million people lived in the Dome. Some of the houses had become businesses and others were workshops. The Concepts didn''t like lazy people; few survived the Tutorial without a job. Everyone in the dome had a purpose. Merchants sold resources that were loaned to them, and artisans bought some raw resources to increase their skill levels and sell a finished product. Halfway to the Colosseum, Priam approached a store selling clothes. His own clothes were covered in dried blood. As he entered the store - a Byzantine-inspired hotel - he began to study the quality of the clothes on the racks. He touched some with his fingertips, puzzled, not recognizing any of the fabrics. Priam did not expect to find synthetic materials but rather cotton or wool. Strangely, the materials used were unlike anything he had ever seen, and [Identification] didn''t help him much. Knowing that a garment was made of Imops wool was of little interest to him. The artisans had to work with alien elements. An approving expression appeared on his face as he tested some of the clothing. A hoodie inspired by a famous assassin''s costume was durable, soft, and elastic. Priam''s strength was far greater than a basic human''s, yet he couldn''t tear the garment apart by pulling on it. As he wondered if he should use more strength, he heard a voice behind him. "Can I help you?" Priam smiled. He had sensed the stranger approaching through his light mist. Turning around, he saw a muscular man in his forties. Arms crossed, he watched Priam stretch his clothes with a reproachful eye. "Um yes. I''m looking to buy a suit, in the style of this hoodie. I need something very durable." The man grunted. "I am the tailor. Do you have money?" he said, looking at the young man''s outfit. Under the craftsman''s critical gaze, Priam lowered his eyes. He had to admit that he didn''t look very wealthy. He was covered in blood and wearing torn clothes. One look around the store indicated that prices were likely to be high. Priam had good taste and had not chosen the cheapest store. "I have some monster cores," he said, holding up a dozen cores. These were his last normal monster cores, hunted before his fight with Orthos, he didn''t want to sell the Barons'' cores yet. They may have been worth much more and Priam didn''t want to be ripped off. The craftsman approached the cores. He took one in his hand and looked at it critically. After a few seconds, he put the core back in Priam''s hand. "These are cores obtained here," he asserted. "Yes. Is there a problem?" "Not at all. Most of the cores in circulation originate from alien factions. They are loaned to merchants. But they are not all equally valuable. The rarer the monster, the more valuable the core. Moon cores are the first of their kind, so they are much more valuable than most." "Oh. I didn''t know much about those specifics. How do I know the value of my cores?" asked Priam. The man smiled. "By asking nicely to someone with the right skill to calculate their value. The System gives each core a value and my skill tells me what that number is. If you don''t have that skill... you might get ripped off, buddy. Before you ask, no, I''m not selling the blueprint for that skill." Priam sighed. He should have known that nothing would be easy. The old Earth-based monetary system was unimaginably complex, and it only covered one planet. Priam shuddered as he imagined the economic system of an entire universe. "I''m lucky to have stumbled upon an honest craftsman then, right?" he smiled. He had as much chance of getting scammed in this store as in any other, and he was pressed for time. He would find the blueprint for this skill later. Being polite was just a way to try to cut his losses. "Hahaha. A chance indeed. I''m Eren. Nice to meet you. The hoodie you want will cost you a core. If you want a pair of pants, that''s a second core. For that price, I''ll have my son get you some shoes for free," Eren offered, holding out his hand while glancing at the young man''s bare feet.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Priam shook the outstretched hand. Considering the quality of the clothes, Priam was willing to pay the asking price. "Deal. But I want the clothes to fit and we''ll forget about the shoes. By the way, my name is Priam." He had grown accustomed to going without shoes. Even as a boy, he''d gambol through the dunes barefoot. Now that the soles of his feet were as tough as the leather of a mutant boar, why bother putting on shoes? Unless I have to chase someone into a sewer... Don''t raise the flag Priam! Eren led Priam into the back room, where a sewing room awaited him. He began to expertly measure the young man. Priam could have sworn the man had been doing this all his life. "Were you a seamster or tailor before all this?" he asked, pointing to their surroundings. "Not at all. I was a computer engineer," Eren replied. Priam noticed that the man was writing down his measurements. He must not have boosted his memory much. "A radical change in profession. How did it happen?" "The Tutorial happened." After a few seconds of silence, Eren spoke again. "Sorry. Thinking back to my life before is hard. Let''s say our civilization is no longer advanced enough to need me. Some factions still have computers, but they are useless without the internet. I went through the Tutorial with my son. I didn''t want to die and leave him alone so I chose the peaceful version. The System analyzed me and offered me several jobs. My grandmother had taught me to sew when I was a little boy and I like to work with my hands. I chose that specialty, the System gave me some useful skills, and here I am." "You''re courageous to have changed jobs and adapted so quickly," Priam said. Eren let out a mirthless laugh. "Do I have a choice? My son''s counting on me, and I hope to find my family. If I don''t do this job, we''ll be sold to a faction. Everyone in this Dome is in the same boat. Some have cracked and run away from reality by hiding in houses, but most are trying to survive. Men adapt quickly, and the Tutorial has helped us with that..." Priam thought back to his racial talent. Perhaps [Humanity adapts] was doing more than just boosting his skills... With the measurements taken, Eren headed for a collection of hoodies. "A favorite color?" "Orange. No, black. I mean, a little of both?" The craftsman smiled, "A little of both then." He unhooked a black hoodie, grabbed an orange bobbin, a black bobbin, and some needles before sitting down. "I need a few minutes. The System''s skills allow me to do this kind of work quickly. How about you?" "Me?" "You asked me to tell you my life story. You too." "..." Priam wasn''t sure what to say. The truth was impossible, but lying was a bad habit. He chose a compromise. "I passed my Tutorial as a fighter. I was at the beach right before the Tutorial started, so I had a dungeon with that theme. There were nineteen of us. There was a problem right from the start. A silly idea came up and... Anyway, I was the only one who made it through. Then I tried to survive in this new world. I didn''t do very well. I mean, I''m here today, so I guess it could be worse. In any case, I realized a while ago that surviving was not enough. So I try to live while being true to myself. Basically, I want to be free while respecting certain principles. It''s not easy because this world is ruthless. But I feel like I''m on the right track," Priam smiled. Eren nodded. Both men knew they were speaking as much for themselves as for each other. The Tutorial was too fresh in both their minds to have recovered. Everything had changed and it was taking mankind a while to get used to it again. After a minute of silence, Priam pointed to all the tools and materials in the workshop. "If it''s not too intimate... How did you accumulate so much material in such a short time? Every fifth building is now a store and I find that a little strange. Humanity shouldn''t have this many resources. Is this provided by the System?" Eren sneered. "The System didn''t even provide me with toilet paper during the Tutorial and you think they would give me all this? No, it''s... a loan," he replied with a sigh. "From whom?" "From a kingdom in my new world. After the Tutorial, the System transported me and my son in the middle of a field. I barely had time to panic before a ship arrived. Some kind of helicopter without a propeller. Aliens picked us up and escorted us to a city." As he spoke, Eren worked with a dexterity that made Priam envious. His Dexterity was superior, but Eren''s skills gave him terrifying speed and precision when he was using a needle. "One of these aliens had a translation skill and questioned us. They offered us a deal upon understanding that we were a newly integrated civilization. They would sponsor us with everything you see here and an education for my son. I tried to negotiate for them to find my wife, but they told me it was impossible. She''s probably in another world... and in another dome." Priam could feel the pain in the tailor''s voice, but he needed answers. If every craftsman was sponsored by an alien faction, he needed to know the terms of the contract. How screwed up is humanity? "And in exchange?" "In exchange, I''m under exclusive contract for half a century. Apparently, with the increase in Vitality, it''s not a big deal. I didn''t have much of a choice anyway. I can get that duration down by improving myself or by being useful..." "By being useful?" Eren pointed to his workshop. "You think I paid the System to transport all this here? Going from one dome to another costs ten cores like yours. Per person. The domes are a few dozen kilometers apart? A few hundred? The moon isn''t that big, so that''s a maximum. Can you imagine if I had to pay to cross half the Universe? The entire planet of the aliens who ripped me off wouldn''t be enough to pay for the trip..." Priam was beginning to understand. "You mean to tell me we can find resources from all over the Universe here? Some materials common in one area must be rare in others. A rare resource is more expensive. To buy a herb here for a pittance and then sell it on the other side of the Universe for a thousand times its price..." Priam''s eyes began to glaze over. If he was right, the Reunion was an opportunity for merchants above all else. Speculating on a product could make you very rich... "Exactly. But you''re not the first person to think about it, boy. And vendors aren''t dumb. Ultimately, only certain merchants with advanced skills can profit from all this. Former traders and excellent merchants will become very rich. But the Reunion is indeed an opportunity for everyone, humans and aliens included. That''s why so many factions are investing so heavily in humanity. They are the real winners." Eren stood up, his work in hand. "I did what was required of me, I traded one stock of goods for another. The aliens who invested in me will be pleased. Thanks to this, I can feed my son. Here, try this." Priam quickly undressed before putting on a black and orange hoodie. This one fitted perfectly without hindering his movements. "It''s perfect." "Fine. I''ll do the pants. Go take a shower while you''re at it. You''re messing up my work here." Priam nodded, grateful. He handed Eren two cores and thanked him. A few minutes later, he was wearing his new clothes. "Thank you, that''s perfect. I had one last question. I have some spider silk and I think it''s solid. Could you potentially make me an outfit using it?" Priam had pulled out two spider glands. One was from Elysium and the second from a Baron. Eren quickly looked at the two glands before returning them to Priam. "Impossible. Well, not impossible but the result will be very disappointing. Silk is not my specialty and in all honesty... My skills aren¡¯t good enough for silk of this quality. There aren¡¯t many craftsmen who can handle this. You''ll need a master who was already a great tailor before the Tutorial." "Do you know anyone like that?" "Freelance? None. Attached to a faction... Like your Colosseum, we crafters have a ranking. The top ten tailors are all sponsored, if you know what I mean..." "They don''t work for anyone outside their faction." "That''s right. Sorry Priam." Priam sighed. He wasn''t surprised. A master needed a faction behind him to protect him. Without one, any knuckle-cutter could force him to work like a slave. Priam didn''t have a faction behind him, and that was likely to continue. But if he wouldn''t make masters work for free, he wasn''t against forcing their hand a little. He needed to stay on top of his game, and quality equipment was necessary. "Who''s the best tailor?" Eren stared at him for a few seconds. "Master Boss. He is affiliated with the Lotus Sect. But he''s in another dome." "Which one?" Priam planned to explore other domes as soon as he got past his tribulation. Why not start with a visit to Master Boss? "Viracocha." Priam smiled. Sometimes fate had a way of doing things right. After thanking Eren, he headed for the Colosseum. It was time to show everyone who was the first. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 83 Constitution 103 Agility 108 Vitality 164 Perception 130 MENTAL: Vivacity 102 Dexterity 93 Memory 33 Willpower 68 Charisma 72 META: Meta-affinity 56 Meta-focus 52 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 522 Tier 0 Chapter 29: The Colosseum Lvl Up : [Divination Resistance] lvl 4 META (AFFI) +3 Priam swallowed as he looked up at the imposing Colosseum. The building was even more impressive up close. A majestic aura emanated from it, betraying its divine origin. It was not men who had bled to build this building. The Concepts reminded men that the road to the Eighth Throne was long. No matter how much progress he had made in the last few days, the power gap was still vast. Priam gritted his teeth, the ocean may be vast, but with the System, he could cross it. He would cross it. No matter if he died a million times, he wanted to be a god. He wanted to be free. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to be powerful. There was something enjoyable about running faster than a galloping horse. I''m sure flying is even better. His thoughts helped him ignore the aura of the Concepts. A winning mentality was what kept Priam going - literally. The aura was just a test of the Concepts. Getting to the Colosseum was impossible without ambition. Shaking his head, Priam moved closer to the Colosseum. Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 12 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 The surrounding area was empty of people, and he made his way to the main entrance. Tjay wasn¡¯t here yet. Inside, a large hall awaited. Luxurious, red and gold dominated. The floor was a massive slab of obsidian, black as night. Priam could see his reflection judging him. On the ceiling, will-o''-the-wisp lights illuminated the room, floating randomly. On the hall''s sides, screens showed the games in progress. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw a man fighting a species of boar. The fight looked like a bullfight, but the beast seemed to have the advantage. At the end of the hall, two staircases led to a second floor that was invisible at the moment. On the sides, doors led to apartments and VIP lounges. In the center of the room, an elderly man behind a circular reception desk watched him approach with a smile. Priam moved closer. "Hello... You''re not human, are you?" asked Priam. The man began to laugh. "You''re pretty straightforward, aren''t you? Well, you''re right, I''m not human. I''m from a changeling race. I took on the appearance of an old man to reassure you. What alerted you?" "An overall impression. You''re imitating an old man, but you have enough muscle to become the face of a protein brand. But most of all, you''re dangerous. No human should make me feel this kind of danger normally." "A protein brand? I know your old world was mostly based on capitalist society, but to sell components of your cells... I chose this muscle mass because it seemed to me that you associate physical strength with size. But I guess that''s inconsistent with my supposed age. For danger... You have good instincts," the changeling replied with a smile. The smile brought out teeth sharp enough to bite through steel. Priam felt as if he were in the jaws of a dragon. He could die at any second. Priam gritted his teeth and stared into the eyes of the individual. Part of his brain suspected that the System would prevent this kind of monster from destroying humanity. But what kept him from backing down was his intimate familiarity with death. Anyone could die, at any time. Some faced death bravely and others ran away. Priam died enough to know that he would not run away again. That was not his way. He would fight to the end, dodge it, push it away. He would elude death. WILL +1 The changeling laughed and the tension disappeared. "Finally, a proud human. I am Bechar, supervisor of the Colosseum. For the opening, I''ll personally handle the reception. If you have any questions, I''ll be happy to answer them, Baron Priam..." Priam relaxed his muscles. He didn''t necessarily appreciate the little test he had just undergone, but it certainly wouldn''t be the last. This new world valued strength and ambition. "I have a few questions, yes. First, what is the Colosseum, and how would it benefit me?" "Excellent questions! The Colosseum is a building created by the System to test warriors. Here, you learn how to fight and survive. The staircase on my left leads to the training rooms. There are several levels, and only the first one is free. They aim to help you unlock the different Heart Supremacies. Domain, Micro and Mastery. I''ll let you ask the instructors for more details..." Priam had already heard about the first two Supremacies. The last one was still unknown to him. "I''ve heard of it before. What about the stairs on your right?" "This is my favorite. If the training rooms teach you how to fight, nothing beats the pressure of death to progress! Matches between two fighters, tournaments, but most importantly... Monster Waves!" "... I suppose there''s a reason I''d want to face hordes of monsters? Other than wealth and fame?" "I¡¯m saddened that the simple joy of slaughtering your enemies is not enough to motivate you. But the Concepts have thought of everything. Each wave brings a reward and each validated training level too. Attributes, Potential, skills, custom equipment and Titles are awarded to those who prove worthy. It is in addition to your own progress. You''re the best human I''ve seen so far, Baron Priam, and I have clones in all the domes. But if you don''t take advantage of the Colosseum, I''d say some humans will catch up with you soon. That would be a shame because with your assets... you could become a real monster." Bechar paused before continuing. "I have seen many people like you, Priam. You hesitate. I''m sure you have a family to save or another sentimental quest that is very moving. Can I give you some advice?" "... I''m listening." "Don''t forget one thing. You are now in the Concept Universe. Here, power decides everything. You can spend the rest of the week looking for your family in domes where tens of millions of people live. Maybe you''ll even find them. And then what? They''ll go back to their world and you to yours. You''ll have to travel between worlds if you want to save them. You must know that this is not an easy task. So, a piece of advice. Get strong. If you are strong enough, nothing will stop you. Earn the title of First Gladiator, and your family will know where to find you. Keep getting better, and one day you will find them." "What if they died while I was training? My father is old, Bechar." "This is the Universe of the Concepts. Death is not the end here. You know that, right?" Bechar''s words had a whiplash effect on Priam. The supervisor had no reason to lie. His progress could be meteoric if he took advantage of the Colosseum. Bechar drew him out of his thoughts. "So, where do we start?" The Mercenaries will wait a few more hours. "I''m ready." The sharp teeth of the changeling appeared again. "No, you aren''t." As he climbed the stairs, Priam found a new hall identical to the first. It should have been impossible because he couldn''t see the other staircase to the training rooms. Space fuckeries... In the center of the hall, Bechar was waiting again. He indicated to Priam to select on a holographic screen "The Hundred Waves". The objective was simple: survive a hundred different waves of monsters. Some were alone, and others would attack in groups. It was possible to heal between each wave for the modest sum of a Baron''s Core. Fuck Pay to Win. It was possible to forfeit, but it would take a minute to be teleported to safety. Death was possible. Priam thought about the Elite 4 in Pokemon. But now there were a hundred. After confirming his choice, Priam found himself in the center of a sand-covered amphitheater. With a trident and a net, he could have passed for a perfect ancient retiarius. But today, he was not a gladiator. Today he was hunting monsters. The stands were empty. It was possible to prohibit the presence of the public by paying a Baron''s core. Knowing that watching a private match cost the same, Priam didn''t bother. The money spent by spectators to watch the fight would be returned to him in full. If a rich observer was willing to give him a Baron''s Core to watch him slaughter monsters, he wouldn''t stop him. After all, his mist would camouflage his true skills. A few seconds after his arrival, a gong sounded and the door in front of him opened. Priam twirled his spear in his hands and greeted his first opponent. A boar appeared, similar to the ones he had killed before. "Bah. I hope the real monsters come soon." The boar charged, and with a blow of the spear, Priam ended its suffering. The second wave consisted of two boars. The third was four. The fourth was eight. A skilled warrior could have defeated them by playing on the beasts'' lack of coordination and propensity to get in each other''s way as they charged. But without skill, the warrior would have had to forfeit the fifth wave. The mother boar was back and the best footwork wasn''t enough to defeat a two-ton monster. Priam killed it with ease. Lvl Up : [Strike] lvl 15This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. STR +1 He then received his first reward. The monsters disappeared quickly after their death and it was impossible to recover their equipment. The rewards in the Colosseum were chosen directly by the warrior. His first reward was an extra level in one of his skills.. Priam decided on [Kinetic Control]. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 13 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 It was his primary skill, his bread and butter, giving him many attributes. The only problem was that it gave him Dexterity. If his Dexterity exceeded 100, he would have six attributes above 100. His tribulation would undoubtedly become more difficult. Priam thought that a regeneration or life-stealing skill must be handy to reach the end of the hundred waves. But if he was strong enough, he wouldn''t need it. All roads led to the Zenith. A minute later, the gong sounded again. A wolf stepped forward. "Let''s see how far I can get!" The giant wolf in wave 10 had been almost as strong as Orthos or Nemea. Priam had easily won by throwing the hoplite spear with all his might. The reward was twenty points of stats. He had chosen Vivacity. VIVA +20 According to his experience, the feature improved his thinking, learning speed, and mathematical logic. It was already over 100 so it would not trigger Tribulation. Priam''s goal was to improve as quickly as possible. Increasing his learning speed was essential for Priam. In the long run, it meant more skill levels and the ability to learn [Mask] without burning out his brain. That was why he preferred Vivacity to Perception, which also had several advantages. In the long run, Priam trusted his brain more than his instincts. Waves 11 through 15 had summoned falcons. For most humans, fighting a flying opponent was an ordeal. But Priam''s spear gave him excellent range. When the falcons refused to attack him, he began to throw his spear. The first birds died quickly, but he eventually missed. Fortunately, a bubble protected the stands and the spear fell to the ground. Priam had to pick it up while dodging the attacks of angry birds. A few minutes later, the Boss of the fifteenth wave was dead. Lvl Up : [Throw] lvl 9 DEXT +1 His reward was 60 points of Potential, and Priam was happy with his results. He planned to use his Potential before leaving for Viracocha but he was not satisfied at the moment. If asked how much Potential he would have liked to have, he would have said "more". POT +60 As wave 16 was about to begin, he had still looked anxiously at his 98 Dexterity points. His tribulation was just under 57 hours away, and he saw no way he could not get those last two points. The next few waves washed away his concern. He wasn''t so sure he would survive until his tribulation. Turtles with shells harder than diamonds had appeared. Their brown limbs disappeared under their shells at the slightest danger. Their attack technique was to spit ice hailstones very quickly. A hailstone fired at the speed of a bullet was dangerous even for someone with Priam''s constitution. He had to dodge them by calculating their trajectory before they were sent. His Perception allowed him some margin of error because he could see the projectiles despite their speed. Even so, he was occasionally hit. He absorbed as much kinetic energy as possible when shot, thus reducing the impact damage. [Kinetic Control] absorbed much of the kinetic energy received, but the rest was enough to cause bruises. Priam''s efforts to break through their protection proved impossible. Even his most potent attacks left only scratches on the shells. Priam''s striking power was too great to hold his spear on impact - the backlash would have shattered the bones in his arm. On his last attempt, he had thrown his spear so hard that it bounced off one shell, then another, and back again. The hoplite weapon had penetrated the sand between his feet with enough force to sink half way in. Swallowing, Priam ended his experiments before turning the turtles over and skewering them in the openings for their heads. The tactic had proven effective until the Boss of the twentieth wave. When the gong sounded, Priam felt the ground tremble as Blastoise''s genetically engineered big brother approached. A monstrous four-meter-tall turtle glared at him. Seconds later, Priam found himself running for his life. Cannonball-sized hailstones impacted the ground to his left and right. Compared to its smaller siblings, Blastoise had a high rate of fire, and each of its rounds threatened to amputate Priam. For the first time since the Hundred Waves began, he identified his opponent. [Identification] [Gal¨¢pagos] - A mountain of muscle, hate and laziness, Galapagos is a copy of a lunar Viscount. If it played video games, it would love Tower Defense. Static, it will send you packing if you are not careful. Its carapace can withstand the attacks of a Count and its ice balls develop the power of a 36-pounder long gun. Its ice balls, with a speed of 450 m/s and energy close to 2 MJ, can pierce a meter of oak wood at 400 meters. 450 m/s is the speed at which you will travel in the afterlife if you are hit. The arena that was so large at the beginning of the fight was now small in Priam''s mind. Within the first few seconds of the battle, he had deployed his mist to the maximum. Gal¨¢pagos was apparently not equipped with a detection system because the monster regularly missed Priam. But it was modeled after a Lunar Viscount and the mist didn''t bother it as much as it should have. It moved slowly but every ball and chain was dangerous. One mistake and he would be finished. He would only regain his immortality in six hours and wasn''t sure he could dodge six hours of the artillery barrage. Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 14 AGI + 1 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 4 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam focused on both his course and the mist. His skill told him the position of Galapagos without having to turn around. More importantly, the disturbances in the mist told him the trajectory of the ice balls. Priam''s Vivacity allowed him to dodge them optimally. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 13 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 The proximity of death allowed the young warrior to excel and spread his wings. His movements became more intelligent as his mental characteristics analyzed the battle. [Athleticism] allowed him to move his muscles properly and change direction on the fly. Occasionally he would use a kinetic charge to slow down or speed up when a cannonball threatened to tear him to pieces. [Dodge] - Avoiding an attack is easy. Consciously planning the attack''s trajectory, analyzing the different possibilities of dodging, and calculating the future movements of all the players in a fight is more challenging. You are a chess player who must play five moves ahead. You are also a pawn on the chessboard. To dodge is not to be in check. Win this game. AGI + 1 Priam smiled. He knew death was near, but he who eluded it also liked dancing with it. Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 15 AGI + 1 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 9 STR + 1 Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 2 AGI + 1 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 5 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 After several minutes, Priam began to tire. Despite his impressive reserves of stamina, he couldn''t run like this for hours. His movements required a lot of energy and his trajectory calculations were also very demanding. The problem was that Priam could not easily approach the monster. At two hundred yards, he had about half a second before he decided where to dodge and to translate thought into action. His Vivacity, Perception and Agility made the maneuver possible, but barely. Of course, the fog screen rendered four out of five attacks harmless as the Boss missed Priam. But the fifth attack was potentially deadly. As a cannonball passed within inches of his face, Priam had an idea. He waited for the next cannonball and deflected it with his spear to absorb some of its energy. The remaining power from the ball nearly knocked the spear out of his hand. [Kinetic Control] confirmed to him that the energy contained in the attack was titanic. Priam smiled. If one cannonball gave off 2 MJ, the equivalent of seven cannonballs would be 14 MJ. With that much energy, Priam could fight. He could win. "Time for round 2." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 85 Constitution 103 Agility 112 Vitality 164 Perception 142 MENTAL: Vivacity 126 Dexterity 99 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 76 META: Meta-affinity 65 Meta-focus 56 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 604 Tier 0 Chapter 30: To the Moon Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 16 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 10 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 3,4,5 AGI +3 Priam dodged another cannonball that crashed into the barrier behind him. He had already absorbed five kinetic charges and was calculating his options. Fighting like a brute was sometimes useful to ignore fear and trust his instincts, but Priam preferred to think. He planned to take his time and throw his spear from a distance once he had accumulated seven charges. He had little chance of hitting the Boss on the first try, his target being more than two hundred meters away. Even though Galapagos was moving slowly for Priam, the beast was still a Viscount. On its hind legs, the turtle moved at the speed of an amateur runner. Hitting a moving target at this distance was a challenging task. Galapagos had tried several times to pin Priam against the arena''s edge. Fortunately, the stadium was circular, and by circling the monster, Priam had managed to avoid being trapped. He wasn''t sure he could dodge all of the Boss''s attacks at less than a hundred and fifty meters. Priam resumed his calculations. Seven charges would give his spear 14 MJ of kinetic energy. The spear weighed about 20 kilograms and would therefore be projected at 1,183 m/s. A terrifying speed, corresponding to more than three times the speed of sound on Earth. Priam didn''t need that much power. A kinetic energy penetrator could pierce a tank with only 2.9 MJ. Galapagos seemed to be a well-protected Boss, but it couldn''t be much more protected than a tank. Nevertheless, Priam preferred to take the edge off. He needed to pierce the Boss completely. It would be terrible if the spear didn''t come out the other side and instead got stuck in the Viscount''s body. Priam would have no way to attack before the Boss bled to death. Worse, the spear might be stuck in its body if it had excellent regeneration. Priam would have to give up and lose his spear. Lvl Up: [Physics - Energy] lvl 2 VIVA+3 Priam smiled. [Physics - Energy] was the first skill he had unlocked in the Tutorial. When the System had manifested itself, Priam had directly performed some mental calculations to verify its existence. Learning the skill had come as a shock to him. He had quickly felt his knowledge becoming more organized, but the Tutorial had not given him time to continue practicing. It had all happened very quickly. It had only been eleven days but it seemed like an eternity ago. In any case, Vivacity was helpful to him, whether he was in combat or not. Another cannonball whistled past his ears, and this time Priam was quick enough to hit it in the air. He was getting better at predicting the trajectories of projectiles that were aimed at him. He gradually became familiar with his mist as it hid him from the Viscount''s eyes. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 6 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Suddenly, Galapagos screamed, and the mist began to vibrate. For the next few seconds, no projectiles were aimed at Priam. The warrior took the opportunity to relax his aching muscles. The ultra-fast movements he forced on his body were not good for his joints and muscles. He didn''t even want to imagine what would happen if his body gave out during the fight. He probably wouldn''t have to worry about that for long... The enraged Boss began bombing Priam''s position again. Priam immediately noticed that Galapagos'' fire rate had increased. Priam hoped this was a temporary skill. In the worst-case scenario, the change in the Boss''s attitude could indicate that the Colosseum would not allow him to drag out the game and that the Boss would gradually gain power. Don''t worry big boy, it''s almost over. Priam concentrated. Two cannonballs were coming very quickly in his direction. He dodged the first one by shifting his upper body to the left. The movement stretched his muscles from his right shoulder to the thigh of his left leg. Tense as a spring, Priam waited a split second before returning to his original position. In the same movement, he raised his spear and lightly touched the underside of a projectile passing to his left. The force was enough to change the straight trajectory of the ball, which crashed into the top of the barrier behind him. Priam smiled. He now had seven charges. Priam''s mist filled the arena as sand flew in all directions. The exchanges between the two fighters were happening at high-speed. Priam was already far away when the sand from the explosions fell. Heart pounding, sweat beading on his body, he was enjoying himself. His brain was pumping adrenaline like never before as Priam dodged the Boss'' attacks. A mistake meant death, but he would make no mistake. Galapagos had been doomed since Priam entered the Colosseum. Dodging a few more projectiles, Priam stepped back before densifying the mist around him. At three hundred yards, most shells had no chance of hitting him. His control over his mist only extended to a radius of two hundred and fifty meters. Galapagos was getting closer and would soon enter the active range. Priam wanted to wait for that moment so that the mist could help him calculate the exact position of the Boss. Priam got into a shooting position. Like a javelin thrower at the Olympics, he cocked his right arm. His eyes stared at his enemy. At that moment, he focused only on his future throw and spear. No unnecessary thoughts plagued his mind. Concentrating on his objective, Priam held his breath. A second later, he felt Galapagos move into his control zone. Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 14 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Simultaneously, several events occurred. Priam stepped forward and threw his spear at the Viscount. [Kinetic Control] allowed him to manipulate kinetic energy, and it seemed reasonable to make sure that the direction of the vector was exactly what he wanted. For a split second, he connected to his Potential, almost unconsciously, to link [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist]. The two skills communicated with each other. [Moon Mist] told Priam where the Boss was, and he commanded [Kinetic Control] to point the hoplite spear in that direction. The spear left his hand and went straight through the sound barrier. The sonic boom nearly deafened Priam despite his Constitution. POT -8 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 14 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 7 PERC +4 CHAR +2 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.META (AFFI) +3 The atmosphere of the Moon was different from that of the Earth. Thus, Priam did not know the speed required to perform such a feat. But at more than a kilometer per second, his spear¡¯s velocity had far exceeded that of sound. It needed less than a quarter of a second to travel less than two hundred and fifty meters. Priam was worried that the Boss could dodge the weapon with a skill. At the same time, [Focus]''s level up increased his Dexterity to over 100. It was his sixth attribute to exceed this mark. A first tribulation was triggered when three attributes exceeded 100. A second tribulation occurred when six attributes exceeded that mark. Only Priam had initiated a second tribulation without passing the first. The System took offense. The sky, until then black with the moon, turned scarlet gold. A terrifying aura fell on Priam as soon as he threw his spear. A primal fear seized him. An angry god was coming down and would take the life of the fool who had thought he could take a tribulation lightly. The world stood still for a moment. Priam froze in his tracks, his heart paralyzed by pressure and his conscience paralyzed by fear. He had died several times and been tortured by a devastating poison for a dozen hours. But nothing had prepared him for the wrath of the heavens. A second later, the black sky came back. The aura was gone as quickly as it had come. It was only a warning. The Concepts didn''t like speedrunning. As Priam came to his senses, he realized that the Boss had also been affected by the Concepts'' descent. It had come to rest, and Priam would never know if Galapagos could have avoided its attack. The spear struck the center of the monster''s torso with a force equivalent to three kilograms of TNT. Concentrated on a single point - the spear''s tip - the energy was delivered optimally. The Viscount''s shell didn''t even slow the weapon down before it pierced the Boss and the shell on its back. Priam lost sight of his weapon as it left his misty area. The weapon''s speed made it impossible for him to follow it with his eyes. Only his newfound sense of direction allowed him to perceive its path. A noise was heard as the dome barrier stopped the spear. The weapon could have just pierced the Boss, but its shell had spread the energy over a large area. Instead of a hole the diameter of the spear, Galapagos now had a hole a decimeter in diameter right in the center of its torso. The damage caused by the spear''s exit was more impressive. Part of the carapace on its back was gone, and a hole a meter in diameter had replaced it. The residual energy was enough to lift and throw the monster thirty meters backward. As the dust from the Boss'' landing slowly settled, Priam was notified of his victory. Exhausted, he sat on the ground, his body shaking. Lvl Up : [Throw] lvl 10,11,12,13 DEXT +4 Title won! [To the Moon - Bronze] Congratulations! [To the Moon - Bronze] - You launched a projectile at over a thousand meters per second. Faster than the thunder on your home planet. Your enemies don''t hear the death knell. They are already dead. Always faster, always further. Skill received. [Bullet time - Rare] [Bullet time - Rare] - After a certain speed, the senses can no longer follow your attacks and those of your enemies. Nothing is more annoying than lag, especially when the culprit is your brain. You are not stupid. You are just slow. In exchange for high energy consumption, this skill will help you keep up with the fight. You can now see the bullets. Can you dodge them? PERC +3 Short of breath after the intense battle, Priam was elated. This skill would be extremely useful to him. He had only been able to defeat Galapagos because of the advantageous configuration of the arena. In a corridor, in a smaller arena, or if the monster had gotten closer, Priam would never have been able to dodge its attacks. His mist had helped him escape, but he would have died if the monster had had a detection skill. He had been extremely lucky against his opponent and was aware of this. Even his final attack had been a fluke. No other configuration could have assured him of such a powerful attack. Even at the Cultist''s execution, his throw had not had a tenth of the power of this one. But Priam quickly lost his smile. Thinking back to the battle reminded him of the appearance of the Concepts. The Tribulation was not a formality. If it weren''t for his proximity to death and other experiences, he would have died of terror. Literally. He got up slowly. A tribulation was approaching, and he did not have much time left. He had to learn more. The Concepts'' descent made it clear that he could not hide behind [He Who Eludes Death]. The talent would undoubtedly be helpful, but the Concepts wanted to test him. They would not allow him to use his wild card to get through all his Tribulations. Priam went to his spear to retrieve it. He avoided looking at his prize because he would have to choose quickly before the next wave began. Priam would not participate in the next wave. The twenty-fifth wave boss would rip him to shreds. Knowing the monster''s skills wasn¡¯t useless, but Priam was in no condition to fight. He could feel his body burning. Instinctively, he knew that his last attack had been too powerful. [Kinetic Control] did not require aether from him. The skill converted some of the energy received to function. But the energy was transferred into Priam''s body and mind as he absorbed and released his kinetic charges. Absorbing 14 MJ in several rounds had been possible, but releasing that much energy at once had not been acceptable to his body. Walking towards his spear, Priam hoped that his body would recover on its own. "Who knows, maybe [Axolotl or Hydra?] will help me?" As he reached the foot of the barrier, Priam looked down at his spear and winced. The hoplite spear was solid, but hitting a shell harder than a tank''s armor at supersonic speed had damaged it. The tip of the spear was severely bent. The fact that the weapon was still in one piece demonstrated the excellence of hoplite technology. Priam picked up the weapon with a sigh. I''ll have to find a blacksmith. With any luck, the best one will be here or in Viracocha... The twentieth wave had been brutal. The reward would be worth the pain. Exhausted but excited, Priam opened the reward notice. Wave 20 completed. Congratulations! Choose a talent: Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 116 Vitality 164 Perception 156 MENTAL: Vivacity 132 Dexterity 107 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 80 META: Meta-affinity 71 Meta-focus 56 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 620 Tier 0 Chapter 31: Clear Target Wave 20 completed. Congratulations! Choose a talent: Priam began to smile despite his fatigue. The three choices looked exceptional. He had read enough fantasy novels to know what a space pocket was. A volume, the same as the inside of Log-a-rhythm, would be attached to him. A sort of invisible backpack to which only he would have the key. He could store all kinds of objects in it. Perhaps a synergy with [Kinetic Control] was even possible? To give energy to an object and then store it the next moment. If he kept a spear with 14 MJ of kinetic energy in his pocket, he would have another asset to use in Viracocha. Looking at his spear, Priam pulled himself together. He didn''t have to store a weapon that would be destroyed after an attack. A single metal ball thrown at ten times the speed of sound promised terrifying destruction. All he had to do was stockpile a hundred balls before releasing them simultaneously to annihilate any enemy. Also, he was sure he could hit his enemies with his new synergy between [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist]. A bead would create little friction in the air. It seemed like a perfect plan, but he still needed to use this skill to put objects in stasis. He could even become the ultimate thief. Steal a valuable object before blowing his head off to escape. He would then resurrect, the object safe in his space pocket. Priam knew he wasn''t ready to execute this kind of plan yet, but he had only been in the Concept Universe for ten days... It was complicated to make a choice when he had so many questions. Could it store living organisms? How big was the pocket? Could he improve this talent? Was it possible to get into this pocket to temporarily protect himself or hide his corpse after his death? The three talents had to be roughly equal in power, or the System would not have offered them together. [Eidetic Memory] seemed inferior to [Space Pocket]. Was the latter weak, or did perfect memory hold secrets? By increasing his Memory, he was confident he could achieve Eidetic Memory by reaching 100 or 200 points. So what was the point of this talent? Could he manipulate his memory? Store memories in depth to survive a mental search? Or to bring back his memories periodically to counteract profound mind control? In addition, what did [Bound Weapon] mean? The skill seemed interesting, but Priam had no weapons left. Would he want to bind with his spear even if it was still in good condition? He didn''t precisely have mastery over the weapon. "Wonderful fight, little guy. But you should stop right there. You''ll maim your body if you channel any more aether." Priam turned around. Behind him was Bechar. The changeling was walking through Priam''s mist, but Priam couldn''t feel his presence. He didn''t even know how the overseer accomplished this feat, but it meant he shouldn''t rely blindly on his skills. "Yeah," Priam replied. "I don''t think I''ll defeat the next Boss in this state." Bechar threw two stones at him, which Priam caught. Looking at the contents of his hand, he recognized a Baron core and a crystal of the same size. "Here, for the show. The rules are the rules. The crystal is an equivalent of a Baron''s core," Bechar replied as he approached Priam. The overseer gauged him for a few seconds before looking critically at the rest of the hoplite spear. "A good quality spear for this stage of integration. Your first trophy, right?" "Indeed," said Priam, lifting his spear. "This spear has been with me almost from the beginning. It''s always been a good weapon, even though I didn''t have the skills to wield it." "That''s an understatement," Bechar growled. "I know kids who could beat you up with equal attributes. You come from a civilization that frowned on violence, so it''s understandable. But now that you have access to the trainers at the Colosseum, you have no excuse. Special training with a good AI is expensive, but reaching the first level of Spear Mastery is mandatory if you want to use this type of weapon." Priam looked at the hoplite spear. It was his first real weapon, and his hands had grown accustomed to holding it. Its heavy mass was reassuring, and all other weapons he had seen paled in comparison. "I don''t know if I''ll specialize in the spear. I like it as a throwing weapon, but I don''t have any particular affinity with it," Priam replied. "Then you''re an idiot," Bechar commented. "You''re pathetic with spears, but practice, rewards, and Potential can change that. It is your first trophy Priam. In my tribe, every child''s first trophy becomes their weapon for life. Some Concepts, such as Karma, Soul, or Order, value connections. It means something." Priam smiled. He could feel Bechar trying to help him. Making progress alone was complicated, but standing on the shoulders of a giant like Bechar broadened his horizons. He would get this kind of advice if he joined a faction. Alone, it was difficult for him to deduce those things. "Thanks for the information. But I''ll have to find a temporary replacement. The problem is, I''m not sure human smiths know how to forge such impressive weapons," Priam replied, stroking the spear with his hand. The hoplite spear had been entrusted to the champion of their civilization. It was the product of millennia of research and improvement. Humanity, even with the help of the Aether and the System, would not have caught up in a week. "If you want a powerful weapon to kill the Boss of the twenty-fifth wave, then take a temporary replacement. You could kill the Boss by sending a spoon quickly with your skill. However, if you want a companion for eternity, you''ll need a weapon that fits you. A weapon that knows you, that shares your history. That''s the only way to wake it up. Spending time finding a reward or a blacksmith who can repair your spear will bond you all the more. But..." Bechar paused dramatically. "My father used to say that everything before ''but'' in a sentence was irrelevant," Priam remarked. "Your father wasn''t wrong," laughed Bechar. "But, you can bind it to you right now. If you do that, you''ll save years. Binding a weapon without this talent is a long process. Even so, it is done in stages. The talent allows you to skip several crucial steps. If you do that, the spear will passively repair itself with your aether. It will be an extension of your body. Your attributes will gradually strengthen it. It will teach you how to wield it, and you will also save time when learning Spear Mastery. Finally, a linked weapon will synergize with your skills." Priam pouted. Bechar was trying to convince him to take [Bound Weapon]. The talent seemed powerful, but he had another preference. Besides, there was no evidence that the changeling had his best interests at heart. Perhaps he wanted to manipulate him? It was hard to ask the question head-on, as the monster in front of him seemed more than capable of easily killing him. Priam was reluctant to trust him. "This talent looks powerful. But I think I prefer [Space Pocket]. If the talent works the way I think it will, its synergy with my kinetic skill promises to be incredible. Maybe I can even evolve it," Priam replied. Bechar stared at Priam for a few seconds before huffing. "Your parents must have rocked you too close to the wall. I see you don''t understand the undertones, so I''ll clarify," he sighed. "[Space pocket] is an excellent skill. It would synergize with your kinetic skill because a space pocket only has three dimensions, so time is suspended. But since the skill is upgradeable, you''ll have to be static and concentrate for a while to access this pocket and select the item you want. Used properly, it can be devastating and versatile. It is the skill I would recommend to my children. But if you think you''re going to turn it into a space capable of storing life and possibly a home for your family, you''re wrong. You''re looking for a space seed, and that''s the reward for a much harder wave." "What?! Is it possible to create my own world?" asked Priam abruptly. Bechar smiled. "Yes, it is possible. But it''s extremely rare. It''s the privilege of Tier 5. If you want to do it before that, you''ll need unique resources or mythic rank skills," the changeling explained. "I see you''re interested in the reward. I''ll give you a tip then. There will be more Reunions, but the Colosseum rewards change. Defeating Wave 30 in a first Reunion is an impressive feat. Defeating Wave 30 in the second Reunion is still very honorable, but many humans will make it. That''s why you need to give it your best shot. [Space Pocket] is an excellent skill that synergizes with your kinetic skill. But you are a Lunar Baron..." Priam smiled as he noted the use of the word ''but''. He looked up at the dark sky. The stars shone behind the barrier, and he remembered he was on the Moon. In this new world, having a world of your own was possible. Did that mean that...This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "If I get the space seed, if I create a space inside me, will it be possible to house my family in it to bring them back to my world?" asked Priam hopefully. "..." Bechar''s look became complicated. After a few seconds of silence, he answered, "It''s possible, but... The space seed only appears during the first Reunion. It is the reward of Wave 50. The Boss is a high-level Count. If you improve a lot, select the right rewards and spend all your Potential... You can eventually overcome wave 40. Maybe 45. But the Wave 50 boss has a half domain. Right now, I don''t see how you can even touch him. Also, I''m assuming you''ll have survived your Tribulations. Nothing is less certain..." Priam took a deep breath. He finally had a goal. A way to save his family without waiting decades to escape Elysium. His eyes brightened. Wave 50... I will defeat the Boss at the end of the Reunion or die trying. Before that, he would have to find his family. Priam exhaled. He was suddenly under a lot of pressure. There was a clear goal in sight. He could save his family. To do that, he had to become as strong as possible. He refocused on the prize. He would find out about the Tribulations and the Domains later. Bechar wanted to make him think. Priam summoned his mist. His Title had unlocked this particular skill, and its Epic rank seemed too high for its performance. I must have missed something. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Heartless] - Tier 0: Once a day, your heart regenerates instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Pseudo Phoenix] - Tier 0: Your affinity for flames allows you to manipulate uncontrolled fires. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 1: You can now regenerate your limbs faster. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted by traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Baron] - Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the ethereal workings of your skills. [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving the standing of humanity. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: [Bullet time] is automatically triggered when you are in danger of death. 6 Unused Merit Points. The [Moon Baron] Merit would make him familiar with the mist. Bechar implied that the Merit would synergize with his new talent. If this is the case, what could this synergy be? Bechar waited patiently for Priam to think. Priam had to come to a conclusion on his own. He would not trust his findings if they were too influenced by Bechar. Both men knew that Priam did not trust the changeling. After Claire''s betrayal, he now knew that most people he would meet would want something from him. Until he knew Bechar''s motives, he would be wary. After a few minutes, Priam had a few ideas. He preferred [Space Pocket] for now, but if these ideas were feasible, that changed a lot... "I''m not fully exploiting my new skill," Priam asserted. "Perhaps I can attack with it by condensing the mist enough? I could also change its state and increase its pressure until it condenses. But that has nothing to do with my spear. You''re implying a synergy between my mist and my weapon... I suppose there''s a way to get my weapon back after I throw it away?" he theorized. Bechar smiled without saying a word and let Priam continue. "For this, I can spend my Potential to modify my skill. But I could also directly create a new skill which would certainly be cheaper - unless the synergy goes further. In my control area... Maybe I could merge my bound weapon and the mist? If it''s possible, I could make it reappear in my hand after throwing it. If I go further, it might be possible to materialize my weapon anywhere in my area?" continued Priam. He watched the mist ripple at his feet. There was a massive gap between his assumptions and the current reality. "But I''m nowhere near that right now. I''d like this style of fighting, but the cost in Potential must be prohibitive," Priam finished, clenching his jaw. He could already see himself teleporting his spear around and attacking an enemy from his blind spots. He would be invisible in his area by visually and magically obscuring his mist. He had many other ideas but didn''t have an unlimited supply of Potential. Without it, all this talk would remain just words. Bechar spoke again as he saw Priam lower his arms. "I think you are forgetting something. You have a Title, its Merit, and a skill linked. Their synergy is incredible. The simplest descriptions often hide great potential. Your Merit would drastically lower the cost in Potential of this kind of modification. Well... Potential isn''t the most valuable resource for nothing," Bechar said mysteriously. He looked up at the sky for a moment. "One last piece of advice. Your skill is a novelty. It means that in the wide world, no one will be able to counter you easily. Whatever skill you choose, don¡¯t forget your mist." he added. The announcement had the effect of a whiplash on Priam. "You mean to tell me that with my Potential... I can change my Merit Trees?" If that was the case, then that changed everything. He could modify the Trees to fit his build completely. He no longer needed to accumulate Merit Points and could now decide on a path. "You can do a lot of things. I''ve already said too much. You have no faction, so you have no help. That puts you at a disadvantage because you miss out on crucial information. But at the same time, you don''t fall into certain traps. Do you really think a faction wanting to dominate humans would give great secrets to some of them? No way. Make your own choices, Priam. Check every piece of information you get. Find synergies never imagined. The path to the Zenith is not clear," Bechar advised. Priam nodded. It seemed evident that a faction seeking to dominate humanity would not give too much information to traitors. The traitors would be trapped to limit their future, thus limiting revolt risk. "Thank you," said Priam. Whatever Bechar''s motivations, Bechar had shown him that he needed to expand his imagination. The path to the Zenith wasn''t just about improving his skills and attributes. "Glad to see the youth are staying polite. I enjoyed the fight and would love to see you back here. Nevertheless, if you continue to be obtuse, you will die, Priam. In fact, you''ll probably die. You''ve started a double Tribulation. You don''t understand the horror of a Tribulation... I''ve said all I have to say. I''ll let you think about the rest, and I hope you¡¯ll surprise me. New gladiators are coming, and I have to deal with them. See you next time, kid," he added as he turned away. Priam swallowed. The Tribulations were coming, and he wasn''t ready. "Can you tell me more about the Tribulations?!" he shouted. Bechar had already moved away, and the wind brought his answer to Priam. He heard the changeling as if he were beside him. "No. I work for the Seven Concepts. I get rewarded if you perform exceptionally well in this Colosseum," he replied, pointing to the arena surrounding them. "But at the same time, I can''t answer that kind of question. It is the System''s ultimate test, and I will be punished if I interfere. But she will be able to answer some questions." "She?" "I gave you my crystal and a Baron''s Core. For your reward, I''ll give you half an hour to choose. Good luck with the Tribulations." With that, Bechar disappeared. Priam opened his hand and looked at the Baron core. Bechar paid his seat, so the core... Priam looked up and scanned the stands. On his right, he noticed a young woman in a private gallery. She waved at him and then stood up and pointed behind her. He needed answers and had barely two days to prepare before his Double Tribulation. "But before that, I must change my Merit Trees and skills. It''s time to change my fighting style. I''ve been saving my Potential, time to spend it" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 116 Vitality 164 Perception 156 MENTAL: Vivacity 132 Dexterity 107 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 80 META: Meta-affinity 71 Meta-focus 56 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 620 Tier 0 Chapter 32: He Who Rides The Mist Priam began by opening his Tree of Merit. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Heartless] - Tier 0: Once a day, your heart regenerates instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Pseudo Phoenix] - Tier 0: Your affinity for flames allows you to manipulate uncontrolled fires. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 1: You can now regenerate your limbs faster. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted by traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Baron] - Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the ethereal workings of your skills. [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving the standing of humanity. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: [Bullet time] is automatically triggered when you are in danger of death. 6 Unused Merit Points. He had six points to spend, and some Trees interested him more than others. First, [Axolotl or Hydra?]¡¯s Merit had incredible potential but was only moderately interesting in Tier 1. Priam could get his limbs back once a day by resurrecting. Even with a thousand points of Vitality, and the Tier 1 of this Merit, he wouldn''t regenerate a leg in less than a day. However, he wanted to become more resistant and restore his body more quickly. Priam had been thinking. If each Tier was more potent than the previous one, he should favor completing one Tree. Spreading his Merit Points over several Trees might be better in the short term but not in the long term. The important thing was to get to the top tiers as quickly as possible. To do this, he had to focus on titles he could easily upgrade. Indeed, the Bronze rank Titles did not allow him to unlock more than their third Merit. He had to upgrade them to the next rank - Silver - as he had done with [Quester]. With [He Who Eludes Death], he was pretty sure he could upgrade [Axolotl or Hydra?]. What better way to improve a regeneration-based title than to injure his body as much as possible before regenerating by resurrecting? Only, the Merit was not synergizing with his resurrection skill. He needed to change that to progress faster. He connected to his Potential and touched the Merit. He had to be quick, every second filled his head with ideas and consumed the precious resource. "[Bullet Time]," he declared. The world slowed down and Priam''s brain sped up. If the Potential was related to the time spent under its influence, he might as well think faster. Priam did not communicate his desire to the Merit. Imperious, so connected to the Concepts, he was no longer a man. He was a God. He ordered Merit to submit and evolve. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 1: You can now regenerate your limbs faster... Transformation due to the use of Potential. New Merit! [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 1: The Tier 0 Merit synergizes with all resurrections, recreations, regenerations, and other means of restoring your body to its optimal state. POT -80 Priam validated the Merit. Tier 1 now allowed him to benefit from the synergy between his Title, [Humanity adapts] and [He Who Eludes Death]. The next time he resurrected, his stats and resistance increases would be impressive... His Vivacity informed him in real time of the loss of his Potential, and Priam hurried. He had no time to lose. The resource was too valuable to be so easily wasted. He consulted the following Merit. [Axolotl or Hydra ?] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. The Tier seemed excellent but lacked synergy with [He Who Eludes Death]. Also, despite using Potential, he didn''t know how fast his Vitality could accumulate. If he waited a week, could he instantly regenerate a lost limb? Priam didn''t plan to survive a week. He planned to die every day to maximize his growth. If I can synergize this Tier with my resurrection, it might be interesting... Under the epiphany of his Potential, he understood that the more drastic the modification of his Merits, the higher the cost in Potential. The first Merit had cost 80 points of Potential because it was different from the primary Merit. Fortunately, Priam had chosen a Merit close to his Title''s objective and thus limited the consumption of Potential. But he did not have an unlimited amount of Potential. His next modifications should be more refined, closer to the original Merit. Without missing a beat, Priam focused on his other Trees of Merit. He began touching them one by one to learn about the trees. All were excellent, but Priam immediately realized that some would help him less than others, depending on his goals. There were a myriad of different ways to reach the Zenith and the Eighth Throne. But not all were for him. He had to choose a path that he could walk to the end. However, these trees gave him ideas and thanks to his Potential, Priam quickly reflected on his motivations and understood himself. He had always enjoyed optimizing his characters in video games, but this was now his real life. He couldn''t afford to get lost. He had to choose a martial path because, unfortunately, it was the only one that would ensure that he would retain his freedom and gain the power to protect his family and his ideals. For this, many offensive builds attracted him. Strengthening his body to become an immortal juggernaut. Becoming a shadow to silently assassinate his enemies as soon as they let their guard down. Sending devastating spears to annihilate his opponents from beyond the horizon. Preparing rituals, summoning elementals, imprisoning consciousnesses in their dreams, creating and feeding stars, drowning minds in a flood of false memories, manipulating probabilities to cause death... Each of these paths could take him far, but they were not for him. But there was no reason why they couldn''t become his tools. He would use anything to achieve his ends. Poisons, spears, rituals, domains, energies, information... Everything would be helpful. Once again, Priam realized that he wanted to be free. He wanted to be the thief who could penetrate any fortress unseen. The warrior whose arrival made dragons tremble. The guardian who could protect his possessions and his loved ones. The mage who delved the depths of the arcane. A Jack of all trades, Master of All. Claire had taught him that some would betray him. The Eighth Throne was not a bench. Only one pair of buttocks would rest on it and they would be his. Lvl Up : [Bullet time] lvl 2 PERC +3 POT -10 "For that, I have to be the best at everything. Go Big or go Home," Priam announced. He had made his decision. He needed to look ahead. He collected the rewards offered for the twentieth wave. Potential: Creation of a talent. [Bound Weapon - Potential cost: 350 [Eidetic Memory] - Potential cost: 2563 "I choose [Eidetic Memory] as my reward," Priam confirmed. The choice was not insignificant. The System had been abruptly introduced. Little explanation had been given, and Priam had spent part of the last ten days pondering its attributes, their meaning, and the other laws of the System. This new world was a game, and the best way to win was not to play by the rules. An absurd number of living beings lived in this Universe, and in many eons, none had reached the Eighth Throne. If I want to become the best, I must cheat. To cheat, you have to know the rules. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Some of the Potential Priam had spent in the last minute had told him how useful Memory was. At first glance, the attribute seemed to be of little use, but it was crucial. Priam''s life expectancy was increasing and it seemed unlikely that he would ever die of old age. His Vivacity and the changes in his mind were constantly giving him more and more knowledge to retain. His Perception and Dexterity also gave him information about his environment and his RAM had to keep up. Receiving all the information in the universe was pointless if you couldn''t process and store it. Priam received this information with Perception and Dexterity. He examined it and used it with Vivacity and his Mind. But his Memory was the weak link in his processing chain. Without the ability to store information, all his other attributes were limited. [Eidetic Memory] solved some of these problems. Priam would still have to find a way to increase his Memory or upgrade his skill, but he was no longer in danger of losing momentum in his progression, held back by his miserable Memory. Reward received: [Eidetic Memory]. Synergy with [Brainless] detected... [Eidetic Memory] - You used to have a poor memory. A simple shelf to store the sum of your knowledge. Your mental space now has a vast library of information storage, half organic, half spiritual. Your memory is directly connected to your mind, and the loss of your brain will no longer result in the loss of memories. You can now access all your knowledge at any time. The description didn''t seem heaven-defying, but Priam could immediately feel the difference. The information processing was much smoother and his thoughts had become clearer, even though he was already using his Potential. The talent synergized with all of his Titles and skills. All of his memories were dredged up, and Priam soon recalled all of his classes and learning. It would only take him one afternoon to crystallize all his knowledge into skills and recover hundreds of Potential points. To create his future skills, Priam would pay the actual price - no extra tax - for his forgotten knowledge. Jackpot! POT -10 But Priam paused for a moment in his analysis of the Merits. His new talent allowed him to review every decision he had made in his life and spot inconsistencies. Some were understandable. When he was seventeen, he talked to his crush until three in the morning, when he had an exam the next day. Hormones could explain his foolish behavior. However, after arriving in Elysium, he consumed a deadly flower when he was sure he would die from it. He could have continued to search for a watering hole or used his scientific skills. He was able to separate water from the sap of a tree by evaporation using a fire before recondensing that water onto leaves. He had advanced scientific and practical ability but preferred to swallow an unknown flower without even waiting several minutes between his various tests. His reaction was incomprehensible and could not be explained by simple fatigue. Even thirsty, Priam would not have drunk sea water except as a last resort. So why consume this flower? I was manipulated. Something to watch out for when I get back to Elysium. Lvl Up : [Bullet time] lvl 3 PERC +3 Priam refocused on his Merits. His Potential was dwindling. [Moon Baron] - Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. The Potential that metaphorically coursed through Priam''s veins gave him information about this Merit. Generally speaking, it was a prerequisite for improving the rest of the Tiers in this tree. In addition, the Merit would bring Priam closer to evolving his Moon Mist skill while reducing the cost in Potential. In short, it wasn''t a Merit that would make Priam much stronger, but the dividends of this choice would more than make up for it. Priam selected the Merit. [Moon Baron] - Tier 0: ACQUIRED. Priam could feel the difference immediately. His haze seemed easier to control. He realized he was beginning to detect traces of water vapor in the atmosphere. With more Perception, he could certainly spot someone close to him without using his skill. With his new familiarity with his mist, his skill was interesting even when passive. Another advantage was the cost and range of his skill. So far, Priam had never reached his power limits, but filling the arena with mist had consumed about half of his aether tank. That was without even densifying his mist. One of his ideas was to make his mist dense enough to make it more opaque, even liquid or solid. If he could create ice spears and throw them at these enemies from any part of his mist, he could instantly attack several points. His range had also increased, and he felt he already knew his skill better. Without doing anything, just by summoning and wielding his mist, [Moon Mist] already seemed to show signs of increasing level. Priam consulted the next Tier. [Moon Baron] - Tier 1: The Mist hides you. You are one of its own, Mistwalker. Priam bought the Merit. Hiding had been the focus of his build since Elysium. It was handy for dodging enemy attacks, losing multiple attackers simultaneously, and entering forbidden places. [Moon Baron] - Tier 1: ACQUIRED. The young man''s presence diminished. He was still there, fully visible to human senses - if they could pierce the opaque haze. But to an overly confident seeker, the young man would be a ghost. To an aether-based sensing skill, the young man no longer existed. He was mist. [Moon Baron] - Tier 2: The Mist helps you. You begin your adventure, Mist Rider. Priam opened his eyes. A frantic joy was filling him. It was what Priam was looking for. He bought the Merit, and suddenly felt the mist asking him a question. Priam closed his eyes and felt the fog as an extension of his body. He was near the edge of the arena, and mentally he let his mind explore his mist to the center of the arena. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and rode the mist. [Moon Baron] - Tier 2: ACQUIRED. 2 Unused Merit Points. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 8,9 PERC +8 CHAR +4 META (AFFI) +6 POT -22 Opening his eyes, Priam smiled. He was in the center of the arena. He could now travel through its mist. Or rather, ride it. Instinctively, Priam knew that where his mist was, so was he. Well, almost. The trip had been instantaneous, but Priam''s aether reserves had been impacted. He had used nearly a quarter of his reserves to make the trip. Moreover, Priam accomplished this feat on the first try because he used his Potential. Without this resource, he knew he would have to train hard to do this kind of feat so easily and quickly. Finally, Priam felt he needed to rest his body. Despite the Potential, riding the mist and using [Bullet time] is not good. "My last throw depleted my body and my aether ducts. Or is it passages? Meridians? Always more questions," Priam grinned. He refocused. [Moon Baron] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. Priam knew that [Moon Baron]''s Merit synergized exceptionally well with his intentions. Defense, perception, camouflage and now movement. [Moon Mist] covered all of his needs except attack. But maybe not for long... Potential: Creation of a Talent. [Bound Weapon] - Potential cost: 310 Already, 40 points saved. I made the right choice... Creation! His connection to the Concepts intensified. With his new Talent and his previous experiences, Priam was ready. A supernatural force took hold of the spear in his hand and the weapon flew away. A flash of lightning fell from the sky, illuminating Priam''s vision. A second later, he opened his eyes to see a new weapon. The spear was no longer hoplite, and it wished to be his. The tip was just ten centimeters from his forehead and Priam breathed in. If he was going to bond with his spear, he had to trust it. He nodded mentally, and the weapon leapt forward, piercing his skull. [Promesse - Bound to Priam Azura - Bronze] - A spear from another universe. Its potential is linked to its wielder. As a [Bound Weapon], it benefits from a small portion of its wielder''s Titles and Talents. Improves the effectiveness of spear-based skills. Five minutes later, Priam left the arena. Behind him, the empty stands awaited a new match. The warrior stood erect, his clothes laced and a gleaming spear in his hand. A few hours ago, an observer would have described Priam as a muscular young man armed with a spear. Now, the same observer would naturally have referred to a master spearman. This observer would have been wrong. Priam was not a master spearman. Not yet. As he reached the second-floor lobby, Priam''s green eyes focused on an armed group. The Mercenaries turned to the newcomer before shuddering as they noticed the wisps of mist dancing within Priam''s irises. ¡°Hey.¡± Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 116 Vitality 164 Perception 176 MENTAL: Vivacity 132 Dexterity 107 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 84 META: Meta-affinity 77 Meta-focus56 Meta-endurance 1 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 198 Tier 0 Chapter 33: Negotiations The man approached them. He looked young, but Kenzo didn''t want to think that way. The Baron was dangerous - Kenzo could feel it when the man was more than fifty meters away. To call him young would have reduced the man''s level of danger in his mind. That would have been a big mistake. Looking at the man, his spear, the passive mist that left a path in his wake, and his fluid movements, it was evident that the Baron was very dangerous. So, despite the young age of their interlocutor, Kenzo was on the lookout for any sign of attack. The Mercenaries had gathered all available information about the Baron. Kenzo regretted the money wasted on hazardous divinations - he seemed to have already developed a resistance to it. The best approaches had been more direct, and they had paid a fortune to an information salesman named Tjay to find out the contents of their conversation. But it was worth it. According to their research, Baron Priam Azura was a human with a good head on his shoulders. Power didn''t seem to have gone to his head - yet. More importantly, he was free. No faction appeared to have any connection with him. The Mercenaries had three hypotheses about this supposed freedom. First, Priam was really free. It was unlikely, given his results, titles, achievement, and the fact that he had just passed the twentieth wave of the Colosseum - which confirmed his place as an elite of humanity. They had no information on the Baron from before the Tutorial, but it seemed unlikely that a human, no matter how well-trained and knowledgeable, could have outdone the rest of humanity so much. Despite being one of the best human Mercenaries, Kenzo barely defeated the tenth wave. Second, the Baron was linked to a powerful faction that forbade Priam from taking advantage of their notoriety. It was possible that a Tier 7 or 8 monster was interested in the Baron. Unlikely, but possible. Priam could be put to the test by his master. Without outside help, he had to prove himself worthy of that interest by performing at this Reunion. Third, the Baron had joined a forbidden faction. That was a terrible possibility, but it should not be dismissed. If that was the case, he was probably hiding his membership in such a cult to avoid being shot by an alliance. Some factions drew power from dark acts and rituals. Their moral compasses mattered little to the Concepts. They were very neutral entities and accepted all paths and ambitions. But some factions had been banned and banished by others after they had angered too many powerhouses. However, the limits of acceptability were wide. Sacrificing entire planets was accepted. However, they belonged to a faction, and to target the wrong one was to insult a faction. Wars broke out, and the losers had to flee or die. Other actions were more dangerous. Depleting the aether density of a supercontinent by siphoning off its sources could greatly annoy that continent''s kingdoms, guilds, and clans. Finally, certain acts were taboo. To reveal the secrets of a faction was complicated, but some tried. A few million years earlier, a Tier 9 had caught another spirit in the body of her newborn child. An entire galaxy disappeared within minutes, and this Tier 9 had since vowed to hunt down anyone stupid enough to try that kind of experiment. To the Mercenaries'' knowledge, no one has done it since. Escaping from a determined Tier 9 was simply impossible. Since then, reincarnating members of one faction into the fetuses of future children of another faction was an example of a forbidden act. "No one speaks but me." Kenzo straightened up as he heard Maya''s announcement. The Mercenary captain took her role seriously and was respected. Less than a week after the end of their Tutorial had passed, but the Mercenary had already formed his opinion. His captain had a keen eye, and he could trust her judgment. He was now focusing on his duty: to protect her. Even against this monster, I might win her a few moments. [Erosion Resistance - Rare] - The passage of aether through the meridians - the channels that carry energy through your body - strengthens them over time. But like anything else, too much aether flow can damage your meridians. This phenomenon, called erosion, can be irreversible if repeated. Your titles, perks, and merits synergize to create this rare resistance. Your channels strengthen faster and are more resistant to erosion. Continue to use your aether to increase your reserves and channeling abilities. META(END) +3 Priam smiled as he read his notification. [Axolotl or Hydra?] was truly amazing. Priam had to keep 100 Potential for [Mask] and in case of emergency for his tribulation, but he was looking forward to modifying the Tier 2 Merit. Until now, he suspected that his metaphysical attribute Endurance allowed him to increase his aether reserves and use them more freely. Now he had proof of this. In practical terms, this meant that by increasing this attribute, he could absorb the kinetic energy of his enemies faster or create mist more quickly. He slowed as he came within a few meters of the Mercenary group. Four members faced him: two guards, the group leader, and his assistant. When he came within three meters of the group, the two guards took a step forward, hands on the handles of their weapons. Their intent was clear, and Priam stopped without taking offense. He had the skills to slaughter the group before him but understood that the guards were doing their job. Priam wanted a cordial relationship with the Mercenaries. The Mercenaries were one of the only neutral factions, and he had to avoid becoming their enemy at all costs. Becoming an ally would be fine, but he had no illusions. Right now, in this vast universe, he was nothing. But he could become something. "Nice to meet you. My name is Priam, but I''m sure you already know that," Priam said, extending his hand. The young woman who had been watching his fight shook his hand and smiled. She must have been in her late thirties, but a happy, innocent smile made her look ten years younger. Maybe she was wearing a mask, but the smile put Priam at ease. "Nice to meet you, Priam. Or do you prefer Baron Priam? I say this without judgment, as some are offended when their Title is forgotten. Did you know that some cultures would be offended by what they would take as false modesty if you didn''t put your Titles forward?¡± "Hm," coughed her assistant. "But it''s true! If you''re not arrogant, they don''t respect you. I almost had to fight a Hoplite when I said I wasn''t a bad warrior. Those idiots don''t understand the principle of an understatement," Maya barreled forward. "Hm Hmm!" "Bah, you''re boring! Anyway, I tend to digress. I have been given a talent that allows me to have parallel thoughts, and I always train it. It allows me to approach problems in many ways and give many orders simultaneously telepathically. That''s why the Mercenaries recruited me. But it is difficult to say several things at once with only one mouth," the young woman continued. "But excuse me, I''ll start again. My name is Maya, captain of the Mercenaries!" Maya spoke very quickly, and Priam found himself sympathizing. With his Vivacity, he was thinking much faster than he was talking, and speaking now seemed like a slow exercise in communication. Even so, he had no intention of suggesting to Maya that she use telepathy. The memory of Anne''s manipulation was still too vivid, and he didn''t want anyone in his head until he increased his mental resistances. Analyzing Maya''s words, Priam wondered. Did she mention telepathy on purpose to check my attitude to it? If she doesn''t lie about her ability, she will analyze our conversation in real time. I''ll have to be careful. "No worries, I often get lost in my thoughts too. Between humans, I think we can forget the Title," Priam smiled. He wanted to get closer to the Mercenaries, and forcing them to talk to him like he was a Noble wouldn¡¯t help. "By the way, thanks for the Baron core. I hope my performance wasn''t disappointing." "Not at all. Quite the opposite, I was impressed by your skills and the power of your last attack! I was originally interested in a spar but changed my mind," laughed Maya. She praises my skills, but that''s it. The rest is barely acceptable. I have some progress to make, using my body and fighting techniques. "I''ll be happy to accept if you change your mind," Priam replied politely. "By the way, I heard the Mercenaries have a base in the Colosseum?" Maya took a step to the side. "Indeed, it will be more comfortable than talking in the hall. If you''ll follow me, Priam." Lvl Up : [Divination Resistance] lvl 5 META (AFFI) +3 The Colosseum was larger on the inside than on the outside. The Mercenaries had escorted Priam to an elevator. They had waited a few seconds before the door opened, opening the way to the Mercenary HQ. Priam hadn''t felt the elevator move and suspected the cabin hadn''t moved. The door must have been a portal that automatically connected to the occupant''s suite. If so, breaking into an apartment in the Colosseum was impossible, unless you had space skills. The Mercenary HQ was a large suite decorated in the Mercenary theme - red and gold, for blood and riches. Their coat of arms was a sword with two cores set. Each Mercenary wore this crest, and the cores'' color symbolized the warrior''s military rank and Tier. The suite was free, which interested Priam. Apparently, being a Lunar Baron offered the possibility to get one without paying. Bechar had forgotten to tell him about this detail. But this implied that one of the Mercenaries was a Baron.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "If I understand correctly, one of your members killed a Baron alone?" asked Priam. "That''s right. It wasn''t easy, but I did it," Maya confirmed. "Even though it took me almost six hours longer than it took you." "What?!" Priam quickly turned to the young woman, who began to laugh. "Priam, we are the Mercenaries. I lead because I am the strongest and the fittest. If I were just the strongest, I would be the blade. If I were just the smartest, I would be the assistant. But I am the Captain because I am both," she explained. Priam took a second to compose himself and nodded. The Mercenaries were a super faction, and their captain had to be in the top ten of humanity. With preparation, choosing the right Baron, and rigorous training, it was possible she could have defeated a Baron a few hours after him. But that meant his lead was not so comfortable... "Congratulations then, Baron Maya," he smiled. "Just Maya for now. I mentioned cultures that advocated arrogance, but it''s the opposite for Mercenaries. In our culture, asserting yourself as a Baron requires surviving against a Viscount. I saw your fight. Right now, I wouldn''t survive more than thirty seconds against a Viscount," Maya explained as she headed to the kitchen. "Perhaps you are hungry? The Colosseum has a sizable amount of refreshments included with the suite, so you might as well take advantage of it!" Priam''s eyes lit up. The proposal tempted him. For a Frenchman, talking over a meal was a habit. Walking through the suite - which, given its size, could have been considered royal - Priam met three other Mercenaries who greeted them. There were undoubtedly many more on the Moon, but those who were here had crossed over with the help of the portal. Even a faction as powerful as the Mercenaries could not carry so many men and women. When Priam entered the kitchen, he found a long table covered with food. Meats in sauce, fruit salads, pastries, and a selection of cheese were there to delight his taste buds. "There''s also a full fridge. Handy for absorbing calories, but it¡¯s impossible to order a dish made of rare resources," Maya clarified. "I''ve heard of dishes that allow you to gain characteristic points, can you believe it?!" The captain had eyes full of stars, and Priam understood why. If it were possible to become strong just by eating, humans would have a chance to dethrone the Concepts. "Even without that, the unlimited choice is still amazing," she resumed. "Please, make yourself at home." Priam thanked her before taking a plate and sitting down. He hadn''t eaten in a long time, and this activity reminded him he was human. The pleasure of eating was one of the only things he still had from his old life, and he intended to keep it. A few minutes later, Priam and the four mercenaries had finished devouring several dishes each. Their new metabolism required large amounts of energy. If Priam could cheat by resurrecting with full batteries, not everyone could. Eventually, he put down his cutlery. "Thank you so much for the meal. It was delicious. Well, let¡¯s get to the heart of the matter. As you probably know, I recently arrived in the Dome and was told you were looking for me. How can I help you?" asked Priam. He had many questions and certainly needed them more than the other way around. But he preferred to offer his help first, to appear friendly. It was harder to refuse to assist an altruist. Then it would be rude of them to refuse to answer his questions. Priam was sure that Maya would see through his ploy, but she could do nothing about it. The captain smiled. "I was mostly curious about what the Champion of humanity looked like," she said, downplaying Priam''s proposal. "You must have been very curious to spend a veritable fortune transporting so many Mercenary members into this Dome," Priam smiled. Maya seemed unwilling to give him too much bargaining power. "Let''s just say it wouldn''t be the first time a bad Champion ruined his civilization," Maya grimaced. The information alerted Priam. "Really? I suppose my role is major if my decisions can impact all of humanity," Priam pretended to be concerned. If his role was necessary, he may have had more negotiating power than he thought. Priam was happy because Maya had just given him essential information. She couldn''t know what he knew or didn''t know, and it was complicated for her not to reveal information unknown to Priam. "Not for the moment. However, if you survive long enough while keeping your lead¡­" Maya smiled. Meaning, if I survive my Tribulations. It''s a low blow, but she''s right. I''m not in a position of strength here. I have to persuade her to help me. "I''m pretty hard to kill. We''ll have a chance to discuss these decisions again but know that I do not intend to sacrifice humanity for my personal power. I''m not a monster," Priam promised. But I won''t sacrifice myself for humanity either. Any Mercenary could potentially detect the truth, so Priam avoided lying. He wanted to convince Maya of the need to help him. But there was nothing to stop him from leaving out some facts. The Mercenary nodded her head. "I''m glad to hear that. If humanity¡¯s best warriors think as you do, we might have a chance," she added darkly. "What do you mean?" asked Priam. Maya sighed and waved to her assistant. The latter put down a thigh - the only surviving piece of a chicken he had swallowed in a few bites - and spoke. "The Reunion is a joint event of the Concepts. A sort of continuation of the Tutorial, which will allow civilizations to find each other and come out on top. Or fall apart. To test our civilization, the System introduces a threat. Different for each civilization, it aims to destroy humanity. Not necessarily to kill humans, but rather to divide us enough that the remnants of our society are absorbed by other kingdoms, guilds, and factions of all kinds," he explained. Priam gritted his teeth. The assistant was talking about the Revenants, and the thought of Claire, Anne, and Albin wandering around turned his stomach. If only he could run into them again... "Do you have any information about this threat?" he asked. That would be perfect if they could trade his information for knowledge about the Tribulations. "Not enough. By divination, we know that the current threat is human and that you have made contact with it." Priam turned back to Maya. "And you wanted to make sure the first Baron wouldn''t betray humanity by allying himself with the threat," he said. "Indeed. Otherwise, I would have done everything possible to kill you," Maya confirmed. He looked at her for a few moments before nodding. "I understand. I would have done the same. But I can only give you my word that I''m not part of the threat," he said, looking Maya in the eye. The captain stared at him, and Priam returned her gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the slight nod of one of the guards. His peripheral vision was sensitive to movement, and he smiled as he confirmed that one of the guards had the power to detect lies. Of course, Maya might have telepathically communicated the gesture to her guard, knowing Priam would see it. Planting the idea that lying was impossible was still smart, and Priam had no way of knowing if it was true. But that didn''t matter because the young man planned to use the truth as a weapon. Getting out of a lie was complicated, and he still had nothing to hide. "It is true, however, that I have had dealings with them. I suppose they avoid you like the plague, but they were not wary of me until I killed a Baron. After that, it was too late, but I did question them before entering the dome." Priam dangled that tidbit in front of Maya and hoped she would bite. "Yeah. In exchange, I assume you want information about the Tribulations?" Maya replied with a smile. Priam carefully kept himself from gritting his teeth this time. He was trapped. By answering yes, he would confirm he had no faction behind him. Maya would know that he would be forced to do anything to get it. She could then ask for a substantial service, and Priam would be forced to accept or ask Mercury. But a merchant might ask him for much more. Unfortunately, Priam could not answer no. He needed to know what the Tribulations had in store for him and how to defeat them. Checkmate. Now it¡¯s time to find out if the Mercenaries are as honest as rumored. "I''ll be honest, my Tribulation is coming up. We all need to destroy this threat to save our loved ones. I know the location of their headquarters. I know some officers, one of whom is in this Dome right now. I can help you defeat them. I offer my help in good faith because I have sworn to destroy them. I want this day to be the beginning of a collaboration between us. Help me today, and I will help you tomorrow," Priam offered. Faced with Maya''s pointed question, he was forced to reveal his cards. "Do we have a deal?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 116 Vitality 164 Perception 176 MENTAL: Vivacity 132 Dexterity 107 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 84 META: Meta-affinity 80 Meta-focus 56 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 202 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: 0. Reloaded in 2h 38min 12s. Chapter 34: As sweet as raspberry, As sour as lemon "I gladly accept," Maya replied. "I hope you will remember this in the future." Priam wanted to sigh with relief. He had held his breath without realizing it. Maya had decided to bet on him. It was the smartest move because the mercenary would win either way. If he survived his Double Tribulation, his lead would be even more significant, and he would be on good terms with the Mercenaries. Maya would therefore gain an ally in the upcoming Meetings. If he failed, she would have received information about the threat for free. Priam was in vital need of this information and was in no position to choose. He started as a loser and got the best deal possible. Maya had deemed him an acceptable champion for humanity. Of course, it was not impossible that this choice was motivated by the desire to get a powerful political ally. Priam intended to keep his word. It was much easier to socialize when people believed in your word. To betray your word once was to alert all your allies. Priam looked into Maya''s eyes for a few seconds before nodding appreciatively. "Thank you very much, I''ll remember that," he promised. "But words are of little value without actions, so to honor my part of the bargain, here''s what I know," he said, turning to the assistant who had picked up a notebook and pen. Priam began to relate his experience with the revenants. He told them of his theories and his intention to attack Viracocha. "I see. It''s annoying because they''ve linked up with a powerful faction. The Cult of the Revenants is a religion led by Viracocha, a god who loves sacrifice. It is not a banned faction, but it is rather demonic. Viracocha must have asked the System to help integrate new civilizations. These things happen. Still, with this faction''s support and the System''s help, they are more dangerous than expected," Maya analyzed. "It''s a good idea for you to go there, but we won''t be able to help you. The portal tax has ruined me. As Baron, I could go with you for free, but I must stay with the Mercenaries..." Priam raised an eyebrow. Despite the neutrality of the Mercenaries, Maya was forced to put her faction ahead of the rest of humanity. Maybe helping Priam was a roundabout way to protect humanity. Priam excused her. "Don''t worry, I''m happy to go alone. It will increase my reward. On the other hand, I''ll leave you to search for Claire." "No worries. It''s not our specialty, but I have contacts who can track her down. We''ll interview her. Maybe you want us to let you know when we find her?" asked Maya as she sorted through some pastries before her. Priam remained impassive. He knew this was another test. Was he filled with resentment and ideas of revenge? Did he want to torture Claire? Maya wanted to know the answers to these questions. With pensive eyes, looking out the window at the city still awake, he took a second to ask himself the question calmly. If Claire were brought to him now, he would kill her. But would he enjoy torturing her if he had to interrogate her first? He plunged into the heart of his spirit and looked at the reflection of his soul in the [Mirror of the soul]. It was giving him a bored look. Claire had to die, it was obvious. But he had no intention of torturing her. In his life, he only saw Claire as a secondary character. Not significant enough to be hated. He would remember the lesson, not the teacher. "Not really," he replied, looking at Maya. "If I run into her again, I''ll kill her quickly. I''m not a sadist. She deserves death, but I don''t plan on torturing her if that''s your question. I have other things to do. Not to mention that in this new world, torturing someone increases their resistance. I won''t let her escape like a villain in a bad movie." Maya nodded before grabbing a raspberry tart. She began to remove the fruit one by one. "I like pastry cream," she justified herself when she saw the incomprehension in Priam''s eyes. "Let''s talk about your Tribulations Priam. If I have to summarize things... you''re in deep shit." "Excuse me?" replied Priam. Maya looked so innocent that her vocabulary shocked him at least as much as the sentence. "You heard right. You''ve triggered two Tribulations. I''ll try to contextualize it for you to understand. Tribulations are known to everyone in this new universe. Parents scare their children with stories about Tribulations coming to abduct them. But they are real. The System gives us the means to become strong. Impossibly strong. But while the Concepts give us the ability to get to the top, the path to the top is getting steeper and steeper." "It''s not even sure the end of the road exists," interrupted her assistant. "True!" exclaimed Maya. "Eons have passed, and no one has reached the top yet. Except for the seven Concepts, but they were born that way, so it doesn''t really matter. While there is life, there is hope¡­" Maya stopped talking for a few moments. After about ten seconds, as the silence grew heavy, she turned to her assistant. "Where was I?" "You contextualized Tribulations, Captain," the assistant replied. The exchange seemed natural, and Priam mused that Maya must not have invested much in her Memory. "Yeah. So, Tribulations are a method used by the Concepts to test whether you are worthy of your powers," she continued. "They want to push us to excel. There are other methods, of course, but they are less direct. For example, you may have noticed that the higher the skill level, the harder it is to increase it. The attributes can''t increase forever. You have to find other skills to increase and diversify," Maya explained while licking her tartlet. Priam shrugged. He hadn''t noticed a significant drop in the rate of increase of his skills yet. He wasn''t worried about the future. Elysium was so full of aether that this was less of a problem for him. "This is one of the safeguards for the System, not to have people increase their Vitality infinitely and therefore their life expectancy. If everyone could live a thousand years, then worlds would be overpopulated, resources would be plundered, and the goal of the Concepts would not be met. Tribulations are a more brutal safeguard. When someone reaches a plateau, the Concepts test the person to ensure that the resources consumed have been used up." Priam frowned. This contradicted what he knew about the Concepts. "Why? Concepts are omnipotent, right? How can they run out of resources?" interrupted Priam. "Omnipotent within the confines of their Universe," Maya clarified. She pointed to her assistant''s notebook with a cream-covered finger. "Imagine if they were given all the alphabet letters except one. They could create words, put sentences together, and write books endlessly. But without the last letter, they will always be missing something. Currently, they are forced to paraphrase or steal from other universes to get that letter. But it''s not theirs." Priam clapped his hands and completed. "But if one of us becomes the Eighth Concept, then our essence will complete this world and unlock the last letter. Their Universe will be complete. The Seven capture elements outside their Universe because while one universe cannot become perfect alone, two can." "Exactly!" smiled Maya. "My theory is that the letter missing from our Universe was the ability for living things to interact with the aether. The letter they are missing... I guess it will depend on the Eighth Concept. In any case, the Concepts are forced to import some rare resources from other Universes. So they are limited..." Priam smiled. He liked to learn things, and understanding the precise reason for the Concepts'' invasion allowed him to theorize about the System. He almost asked another question but then thought better of it. It could wait. He was here to survive his Tribulations. "Thanks for setting the context, but I need some practical information. A history class isn''t going to help me," Priam reminded. As Maya opened her mouth to answer, her assistant cut her off. "Tribulations are a barrier to prevent a person from staying in Tier 0 indefinitely without taking risks while accumulating attributes, skills, and Titles," he summarized. "The Concepts test through these Tribulations the talent and choices of the users. It''s a kind of natural selection. Tribulations come in many forms, but it is advisable to provoke some before attempting to evolve to Tier 1." The assistant paused before looking at Maya. The rest of the information was valuable, and he didn''t know which to reveal. His captain was scowling, unhappy that she had missed an opportunity to talk. Priam took the opportunity to hand Maya another tartlet. His attempt at bribery was pitiful, but he had noticed that Maya liked to talk. All he had to do was give her the opportunity, and interesting information would naturally come out. "Stay in Tier 0 as long as possible," Maya advised between bites. "Some actions are considered impressive and deserve rewards: Titles, Achievements, etc. But at Tier 1, these actions are not so impressive anymore, and the reward is inferior," she declared, waving a finger full of cream to support her point. Some of Priam''s attention slowly drifted to the creamy finger before refocusing on his interviewee. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "If I have to find a close example, you killed a Baron alone, and that impressive action was rewarded by the Concepts. You showed them something new: a combination of actions, choices, and potential called Priam. That''s why the Concepts created the System. At least, that''s the most common theory. But what if you had been Tier 1? You wouldn''t have gained a Title!" Priam gently pushed a lemon tart towards Maya - the raspberry ones had been finished. "What do these Tribulations consist of?" he asked. "They are different for everyone. Summoning an enforcer - often in the form of a monster - certain Plagues of Egypt, destructive lightning, illusions, battle royale with a hundred other people going through a Tribulation, etc. It is almost impossible to prepare for it. If you take refuge underground to escape lightning, a monster will appear, you will be teleported to the center of a battle, or an illusion will attack you. In any case, heed this advice: never combine two Tribulations. Statistically, for a new Silver race like us, less than one percent survive a single Tribulation." Priam was petrified. Less than one percent chance of survival? Maya waited for the young man to collect himself before continuing. "Second piece of advice: no Tribulation is easy," Maya warned. "If you resist a divine lightning bolt for your first Tribulation, the System will teleport you to a battlefield for the second. That''s why a double Tribulation like you unleashed is so dangerous. As they are simultaneous..." "As they are simultaneous, the second Tribulation may hinder the solution of the first," Priam finished. "Exactly. While an illusion keeps you from moving for hours, you''ll be vulnerable to the Second Tribulation. A divine enforcer could appear and kill you while you''re entangled in the illusion..." Shit. It''s not just math anymore. Two Tribulations with 1% survival each don''t mean 0.01% survival. It''s much less. Priam was aware of the problem that was coming. Even with his extra life, he was in danger if his two Tribulations were incompatible. He took a breath to think. All was not lost. He had several ideas to get out of it. He couldn''t die now. He would become the Eighth Concept. He was immortal, and even the System had recognized that when it gave him his first talent. Priam straightened up and looked at Maya, his eyes clear. This was the mindset he needed to keep. You had to believe in yourself to rise in any world. Moreover, deep in his consciousness, he had an idea. [Eidetic Memory] and his Vivacity were synergizing to find a method of survival. If he considered all of his abilities, he had an ace up his sleeve. "I will survive," Priam announced, his eyes clear. He was sure of it. "I hope so," Maya smiled. "Now, here''s my advice. A Tribulation marks you the moment you trigger it. The System tailors the Tribulation to who you were when it was triggered, not who you are when it arrives. If a seer were present, they could give clues about your future Tribulation. You would then have three days - 72 hours - to prepare yourself." The assistant''s hand trembled as Maya was in the process of revealing confidential information. "If I knew my Tribulation would be a divine lightning bolt, then I could spend 72 hours increasing my lightning resistance?" asked Priam. "Exactly. Unfortunately, humanity doesn''t have any seers powerful enough for that yet. But you can train yourself to become better holistically. If you double your attributes in a few days and increase your skills, you will have a chance. If increasing your attributes could trigger another Tribulation, work on your Domain, Mastery, or Micro. Your attributes mean nothing if you don''t know how to use them. Worse, the System will expect you to have started working on the different stages of the Body completion. Finally, the items you find yourself or trade with your own resources can be used to resist a Tribulation," Maya said. Priam looked at Maya sideways. "Maya... You''re advising me to get stronger without triggering a third Tribulation. Is that why I traded all my information about the Revenants?" he said in a cold voice. The two Mercenary guards stopped eating and looked at Priam with nasty looks. Priam did not give them a glance. He was looking for helpful information and had only received a history lesson. "What did you think?" Maya kept her composure. Priam was pissed, and considering the sword of Damocles over his head, she didn''t hold it against him. "That I was going to reveal a magic formula to dispel the bad Tribulation? I gave you some context so you understand what you''re getting into. I also explained that you must get as strong as possible without triggering a third one. It''s a race, Priam. There is no easy way to get through it. If your way is right, then you will live. Until then, try to get as many attributes and titles as possible. Search for items and quests. Survive." Priam took the last tartlet from the buffet and looked at Maya. Their eyes met, and Maya turned pale as she realized his intentions. He opened his mouth... "Wait! Don''t do that Priam, that tartlet didn''t do anything to you. I was going to reveal something else to you." "... What?" asked Priam, delaying the execution of the tart. "There is a hidden quest," Maya admitted. "At the center of each Dome stands a Viscount. He sleeps and gains power over time. He will become a Count before the end of the Meeting if he is not killed. He is far too powerful for the Mercenaries, but you should get a new achievement and improve your Title of Nobility if you kill him. Also, if you become a Viscount, you will have access to a special trainer in this Colosseum, and you will be able to enjoy the ducal palace. It contains valuable equipment and a treasure. With all this, you have a greater chance." Priam looked out the bay window. He could see the city from his seat, and the palace towered over the Dome. It was even more imposing than the Colosseum, and Priam felt his heart race. Instinctively, Priam knew that a monster was inside it. He would not have had a chance if this one had been an Earl. But a Viscount was killable. Even the best Viscount couldn''t be more powerful than the Boss of the Thirtieth Wave. He smiled and handed the tartlet to Maya, who devoured it in two bites and then began to cough. Priam stood up as the captain was choking. His assistant patted her on the back, and her guards panicked. Priam filled a glass with water and brought it to Maya, who drank it in one gulp. A few seconds later, the woman sat down again. "A Mercenary captain defeated by a pastry... One last thing before you go and slaughter some poor beast. I bet on you because the Revenants are a severe threat, and humanity will need your help. If you survive, you will become a monster. Tribulations are not just a curse; resisting them can be very beneficial. Survivors gain a title, and their bodies are tempered. If you survive a double Tribulation... Let''s say the reward is always proportional to the risks. Priam had remained standing. "Thanks for the info, Maya. I will keep my word for the Revenants. After my Tribulation, I will leave for Viracocha. If they are a threat to humanity, I will be a threat to them," he declared as he turned around. Maya wished him luck and walked him to the door. "He''s going to die." Maya looked back at her assistant. Priam had been gone for a few seconds, on his way to slaughter the Viscount of the Dome. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "He''s not an elite. There are people in this Universe who have been trained since childhood. Who are waiting for the right moment to trigger their Tribulation. Who gorge themselves on pills to increase their attributes to the maximum during three days. Who have gathered shields, barriers, and potions to help themselves. Those have a chance," the assistant agreed. "There is a reason our officers forbid us to trigger a Tribulation for the time being. And this man is going to do two at the same time?! This is madness. This is the way of the Princes of empires or the children of gods." Maya looked at the ducal palace. In the golden light of the Dome, it shone brightly. But it was nothing compared to the light she had seen in Priam''s eyes when he had announced that he would survive. The captain would have bet that in a few hours, the palace lights would be drowned in mist. A smile stretched her lips. "The Royal Road... It may be the only way to save humanity." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 116 Vitality 164 Perception 176 MENTAL: Vivacity 132 Dexterity 107 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 84 META: Meta-affinity 80 Meta-focus 56 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 202 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2h 19min 49s. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 54 hours 49 minutes 43 seconds. Chapter 35: When a Phoenix cries, a man smiles Tjay was waiting for him outside the Colosseum. Priam moved closer and told the boy to follow him. He had only fifty-four hours left to prepare for his Tribulations. The orphan boy trotted along beside him to keep up with him. They began to talk as they made their way to the ducal palace. "Hey Tjay. You got any info I need?" asked Priam. "Of course, Sir. I''ve found several things that might interest you. The factions keep pouring into this Dome. There are so many powerful people gathered here that the others are forced to come as well. Otherwise, they would miss the party. Which brings me to some good news," the orphan continued. Priam nodded and told him to continue. "First, the Phoenix Clan is selling a Phoenix Tear for Baron Cores or other rare items," Tjay revealed. "It is diluted thousands of times but can instantly regenerate a Tier 0''s body. I identified the tear - they keep it in a room in their fortified hotel, but it can be admired in exchange for a core." Tjay looked at Priam with kitten eyes. "The auction is already exploding and will last until tomorrow night." "Wait, go back a second. Admired for a core?" "Yes, the Phoenix clan charges people to admire it," Tjay confirmed. Priam shook his head and pondered a second. He needed this item. If it synergizes with [Pseudo Phoenix] or [Axolotl or Hydra?]... "How can they bring such a valuable object to this Reunion?" asked Priam, suspicious. He would have thought it a trap if Tjay hadn''t seen the Tear. But if everyone could identify it, then it might be true. "They may have paid a substantial price to the System. This would explain why they are showing the Tear. The System could have allowed them to take the Tear to tempt thieves and create conflict. Second option: they have earned it. The System normally limits this kind of item unless the wearer has earned it," Tjay explained, looking at Priam''s spear. Priam tightened his grip on his spear. He felt more connected with his weapon and looked forward to training with it. But he knew the weapon was too valuable for the Reunion. He had been allowed to take it because he had earned it himself. Under these conditions, there must be other rare objects... "Where is this hotel? How much does the Tear cost?" he asked. "In the upper part of the city, near the ducal palace. Currently, the best offer is thirty-two alien Baron cores. That''s about six or seven local cores." Priam sighed. He didn''t have the money. At times like this, he realized the difference between himself and these factions. He was far more powerful and far less wealthy. "I heard something else, too," the orphan whispered. "The Thieves'' Guild has been hired to steal the Tear. They''ll probably do it tonight. But the Phoenix Clan is bound to know about it." Priam became thoughtful. If the best thieves in the world tried to take this tear tonight, he would have to change his plans. The Tear will be very useful to me in the Tribulation. "This clan, do you know more about them?" he asked, looking at Tjay. "The true Phoenix clan is a super faction as powerful as the Mercenaries, made up of Phoenixes. The humans here have sold their souls to a secondary clan family. The family is still powerful because Phoenix blood runs in their veins, but the main clan won''t help them," Tjay clarified as he avoided two lovers kissing in the middle of the alley. "All in all, it''s an important faction but nothing more. The Thieves'' Guild wouldn''t have accepted the contract if they were from the main family. The Tear is an amazing item for us, but the Phoenixes of the main clan should brush their teeth with more precious water," Tjay growled. Priam nodded. He didn''t have the money, but he needed the Tear. Besides, he would regain his immortality in about two hours and wanted to make the most of that time. Priam had no desire to face the Viscount of the Dome without being immortal. "Show me their hotel. I''ll borrow the Tear," Priam announced. "I''m not sure they¡¯ll agree, Sir," Tjay stammered. The Baron''s lips stretched into a smile. "The important thing is that I agree." Priam and Tjay were standing on the roof of a beautiful, empty hotel. The hotel was not locked and anyone could go inside, but the sheer size of the building had deterred the factions from taking it over. No one could afford to occupy and guard a hotel with over twenty entrances, ten floors, hundreds of balconies, and thousands of windows. So the two partners were sipping a soda - which Tjay had managed to find in one of the hotel''s fridges - while observing the Phoenix Hotel, located less than six hundred meters away. This was the hotel''s actual name, and the eponymous clan had surely chosen it for this reason. The night was just over an hour away. It wasn''t a real night because the Dome was permanently lit by the sun, but it was when most people closed their stores or workshops and went home. Even superhumans didn''t want to spend several days in a row working¡ªthose who didn''t need as much sleep preferred to go home to socialize and rest. The clan hotel would close in an hour, but Priam did not want Tjay to stay there. If someone spotted the orphan, they could link him to Priam and thus to the upcoming robbery. However, Tjay still had some surprises for Priam. "Except for the Tear, what else have you discovered?" asked Priam as he tossed him a Baron''s Core. The information about the Tear was extremely useful, and Priam wanted to make sure Tjay knew it was in his interest to share this kind of secret with him. "..." Tjay''s eyes widened as he identified the core Priam had given him. It was the core he had gotten from Maya, and he wanted to get rid of it. He had relative trust in the Mercenary, but she might have altered the core to find out his location. A little paranoia never killed anyone. Not enough paranoia did. "A thousand thanks, Sir," Tjay exclaimed, finally pocketing the core. The orphan remained silent for a few seconds before continuing. "I have another piece of information that I was able to verify." Priam beckoned him to continue. "There is a passage in the sewers, probably to get out of the Dome, but no one is sure. It is not guarded by two Barons but by a single Viscount. It seems quite weak, but it is still a Tier 1 monster. If it doesn''t guard a passage, it guards a treasure. I''ll draw you a quick map," he said, pulling out a notebook and pen. "I''ve heard rumors, too," Tjay continued. "Everything might not be true, but it could interest you. First, the Library is said to have..." Half an hour later, Priam got up. Tjay had been gone for fifteen minutes. If half the information he had heard was correct, he had a good chance of resisting the Tribulations without using his trump card. His achievement and proximity to the Revenants had drawn Humanity''s most powerful factions to his Dome. Of course, the factions had brought some treasure with them. Priam was exceptional in some aspects but did not want to be arrogant. He knew that there were smarter and luckier humans out there. Some had won treasures and had not yet consumed them for one reason or another. Men talked and some had boasted so much that rumors were born. Tjay had sorted through most of these rumors and given the location of half a dozen items Priam was interested in. While he had no desire to use his strength to kill or torture people, Priam had no problem stealing treasure. His eyes glistened as he thought of the possibilities. First the Tear, then the Viscount. We''ll see about the rest later.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Priam stretched before looking at his target. His goal was to reach the Phoenix Hotel through the roofs, then find a way into the Tear room. He would then ride the mist to get in and out quickly. The plan wasn''t perfect, but he didn''t want to rush in and risk killing innocent people or being recognized. Becoming the enemy of some factions would be inevitable, but he didn''t have to create enemies if he could avoid it. He would be isolated if an alliance of factions came together against him. The members of these factions could spoil his public image, which didn''t sit well with Priam. Being appreciated by the people could only be beneficial. Worse than that, his family could suffer. He didn''t want to be responsible for his parents being arrested because he stole a few trinkets. Having finished stretching, Priam took a deep breath and focused on his skills. He began to run across the roof of the building that had taken him in. In three strides, he reached the roof''s edge and jumped to the next. The leap would have been worthy of the applause of a professional parkour team¡ªunfortunately, no one thought to look at Priam. The young man wasn''t worried about his lack of an audience. He was running on the roofs like his childhood heroes, and the feeling of freedom was so exhilarating that he wanted to laugh. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 11 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 17 AGI +1 The roofs of the buildings in the Dome were sometimes flat, creating a terrace with ledges. The houses under these roofs were reminiscent of Moroccan and Iberian Riads. The architecture of the buildings in this part of the Dome borrowed from Maghrebian and futuristic inspirations. The final style pleased Priam. The Dome itself, far from anything on Earth, reminded him that the only rules that existed were those he set for himself. This discovery strengthened his self-confidence. "[Kinetic Control]". Priam accelerated further. The Dome was huge, somewhere between the size of Manhattan and Paris. But travel times are short when moving across the rooftops faster than a galloping horse. He arrived in about fifteen seconds at the hotel adjacent to his target. An avenue separated him from the Phoenix Hotel. He had to get down or jump farther than he had ever done before. Eyes crinkled in a smile, Priam sped up again. His joints cracked from the force. A light mist remained in his wake. Like a cat, he prepared himself. His kinetic charges were ready. The target was fifty meters from his roof. A shadow shot up from the roof. In the eternal dawn light of the dome, the shadow of light looked like a shooting star. If a passerby had looked up to the sky, he could have seen the champion of humanity split the sky. The first leap covered half the distance. Two kinetic charges later, the man landed softly on a wing of a Phoenix statue. Maybe a long enough jump gives a Title? Priam smiled as he looked briefly at the ducal palace not far away. If that were the case, he would receive the Title before the day was out. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 15 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 12 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 He had been careful to cushion his landing in a controlled manner. He had first absorbed his own energy, then managed to steal the kinetic energy imparted to the statue during the energy transfer. Finding new ways to use his skill seemed an excellent way to increase his levels. Priam quickly looked at his status. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 119 Vitality 164 Perception 179 His perception was approaching 180 points, and he still had more than two days before his Tribulation. He began to look at his various skills and swallowed. To increase his chances of survival, he would have to steal several rare resources Tjay had told him about. To steal these resources, he would have to use his skills. Improving his skills would most likely increase his Perception to over 200. Even if he refused to use his Perception skills, his Vitality would likely exceed 200. Indeed, he planned to die at least once with his Tribulation, if only to face it at his best. He was going to fight the Boss of the Dome in less than two hours, and he didn''t think he would get away unscathed. The new synergy between his Merits, Titles, and Talents would significantly increase his Vitality if he died. I''m screwed either way. Priam huffed. Two or three Tribulations, did it really matter? If his trump card worked, then he had a chance. If not... Priam looked up at the sun. He would fight. He would defeat his Tribulations and earn a legendary Achievement. His name would resound in the memory of warriors as the Champion. Undefeated and immortal. If he wanted to become the Eighth Concept, it was impossible to stay on safe paths. Priam persuaded himself to believe in him. He would have to take all the risks. He had looked death in the face. He had survived. He would continue to survive. If he failed, he would be a colossal idiot. A colossal dead idiot. If he survived, he would be the hope of humanity. "A third Tribulation? Bring it on," he said with a smile. He who evaded death knew how to smile at it too. Priam focused on his mist. The Tear wasn''t going to steal itself. His Perception told him that hundreds of people were currently occupying the hotel. He would not be able to enter the hotel without being seen and had not yet been able to learn [Mask - Epic]. Learning this skill promised to be laborious, and Priam wanted to have an extra life before. What bothered Priam was that even a child could identify him if he stole the Tear. If he didn''t want to become public enemy number one, all he had to do was use his mist. It was recognizable, of course, but all the Barons of humanity were supposed to be able to use it. No one could accuse him without proof. "Besides, the Champion of Humanity shall eliminate the Viscount of the Dome and the Menace of Viracocha. Stealing a few trinkets would be beneath me," Priam laughed softly. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 119 Vitality 164 Perception 178 MENTAL: Vivacity 134 Dexterity 112 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 84 META: Meta-affinity 80 Meta-focus 60 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 210 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1h 02min 29s. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 53 hours 32 minutes 23 seconds. Chapter 36: Ocean’s One Priam confirmed that no one was on the roof before closing his eyes and focusing on his mist. He didn''t want to be noticed. To do so, he had to create the most transparent, least dense mist possible. Wisps of fog slowly swirled around Priam as he focused on his skill. His Title and Merits helped him, and soon a scarf of mist appeared around his neck. The scarf stretched under his impulse. Slowly swirling around his body, passing under his arms to caress his hands, the fog responded to his desires. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 10 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam took a moment to realize a fundamental truth. [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist] were unrelated to the same Concepts. [Kinetic Control] was obviously related to the Concept of Energy. [Moon Mist] was more complicated to associate with one of the Seven Concepts. Chaos? Matter, perhaps? In any case, the Concepts did not respond similarly, nor did their skills. [Kinetic Control] had to be controlled, calculated, and measured. Priam relied on precise scientific data to use his skill. The more accurate he was in his requests, the closer his data was to reality, the more he visualized the vectors, the better his skill worked. It was a tool for Priam. [Moon Mist] was different. Taking the time to experiment with his skill for the second time, Priam realized that this skill needed to be understood, almost cajoled. It wasn''t alive, but it wasn''t wholly neutral either. His affinity for mist mattered greatly, and the Baron had to put himself in a particular frame of mind to use it properly. It wasn''t a matter of fusion but of feeling. He had to be the mist. Or at least that was the ultimate goal. Currently, he was riding it. One day they would be one. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 11 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Sitting on the Phoenix statue, Priam smiled as his mist took the form of a long tentacle. He manipulated the appendage by projecting his mind into it. Gently, he directed the fog toward a nearby chimney. There was no fire in the Dome, but the System had copied Earth''s architecture and thus these now useless conduits. Priam quickly reached the fireplace hearth, only to realize he had no idea of the room''s configuration. The [Brainless] Merits allowed him to transfer his mind into his mist, but not out. He could only feel what the mist touched. He was blind, but any fool could raise the alarm when he saw a cloud appear in a closed room. Shit! How am I going to get to the Tear room without seeing anything? Priam opened his eyes. He was still connected to the room below him and decided to teleport into the large chimney shaft. Then he could observe the space and decide what to do next. A day would come when he could rob castles while sipping hot chocolate - Priam didn''t like coffee - from a nearby inn. That day was not today. He concentrated briefly before creating a pocket of mist in the vent. Taking a deep breath, he used [Eidetic Memory] to recall the exact feeling that had come over him when he first rode the mist. Instantly, the feeling reappeared with absolute clarity. This is genuinely a fantastic talent! Confident, connected with his mist, he stepped forward and rode the fog. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 12 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 The next moment, Priam suddenly reached out to lean against the chimney''s walls. He had teleported but kept a filament of mist on the roof to escape at the end of his mission. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt no pain in his body. Apparently, he could use his skills again without eroding his meridians. His body had healed quickly. With both hands resting on the sides of the conduit, Priam tilted his head down and his feet toward the sky. An observer might have thought he was doing a handstand, but his hands were not on the ground. They were pressed to the sides of the chimney flue. In a gymnast''s position, he passed his head quickly to the fireplace''s height to observe the room. No one was there. Priam released his hold on the chimney and flipped in order to land on his feet. Observing the room one last time, he then walked towards the room door. The room he was currently occupying was unused, and he had not come here to sleep. Gently opening the door, Priam glanced down the hallway. No one was on his left, but a staircase led down the hallway to his right. Noise was coming from that direction. Where there is noise, there are Phoenix Tears! Priam headed for the stairs, spear in hand. He began to drown the hallway in mist. If someone came along, he would quickly knock them out without leaving the person able to identify him. Descending the stairs, Priam projected large amounts of mist before him. [Identification] worked with one of the five senses; without seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting him, it would be impossible for the occupants to recognize him. Priam could see through the mist, so he had no interest in not using the skill to its fullest. Being of epic rank, it would protect him from even the vision of a mere Baron. Humanity did not yet have a Viscount, so Priam¡¯s anonymity was assured. One floor below, a glance at the corridor informed him of the uselessness of the place. He was apparently on the floor that housed the humans who had sworn loyalty to the Phoenix clan. Priam went downstairs again and stopped. The noise was much louder, and he bent down to look. He saw a richly decorated hallway with massive wooden doors and smiled. Guards flanked a large entrance in the middle of the hallway. Dressed in red robes embroidered with copper, with swords at their belts, they looked more majestic than dangerous. Priam was not a professional burglar, but he knew that when there were guards, there were things to steal. He would have liked to identify them but remembered that his basic skill would have alerted them. Priam wasn''t planning to knock out everyone in the building, nor was he going to indicate that he had arrived from the roof. The more questions people had, the fewer answers they would have. He concentrated and created a thin wire of mist that he ran between the floor and the baseboards of the wall protecting the Tear Room. The thread of mist was almost transparent, odorless, and moved without sound. It was no more than a centimeter in diameter, so the guards had no chance of seeing it without looking at their feet. They would eventually notice, but Priam needed only a few seconds to implement his plan. Priam was used to using large amounts of mist. Handling a wire was more complicated, but his skills made it possible. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 15 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 The thin cable of mist passed behind a guard''s feet before reaching the door. Priam was not skilled enough to get the thread under the wooden door. There was a narrow passage under the door, but it was only a few millimeters wide. The young man took a few seconds to think about this problem before smiling. He may not have been clever enough, but the mist was invasive, giving him an idea. Priam gradually relaxed his control over the end of the cable. The mist began to slowly disperse, some of it naturally passing under the door. His mind remained connected to this free mist, and Priam regained control. He stopped the dispersal and focused on the fog that had entered the room. Priam took a deep breath. Everything was going to happen very quickly. He had no idea what was in the Tear room, but there should be visitors, guards, and mechanical or magical security. He would have to penetrate the defenses quickly, steal the Tear and try not to kill anyone. Priam would defend himself if he had to, but he wanted to avoid slaughtering guards in their home - especially if they had never harmed him. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A second later, he closed his eyes. There was no point in waiting any longer. Priam began to transfer a large amount of mist through the cable. He planned to drown the room in the haze before entering. Using his ability to the fullest, filling a closed chamber was a matter of a second or two. Two seconds later, he heard screams from the room. The guards turned, and Priam sprang into action. Let''s go: [Bullet Time]. With his heart racing, Priam took a step to ride the mist. Nothing happened. The mist was clear, the human was a little restless. He had to be on the same wavelength as the mist. I need to calm down, he thought, controlling his breathing. [Meditation]. A second later, he tried again to ride the mist. This time he was successful. He reappeared in the room. Pushed by the guards outside, the doors behind him began to open. The effect of [Bullet Time] and his immense Vivacity allowed him to watch them open in slow motion. He closed the doors with a wave of his hand and quickly observed the room. A dozen people had taken refuge near the walls while three men had approached the central pedestal. The Tear was here, so beautiful it would make one want to cry. Priam had been skeptical when Tjay told him these people charged an entire core for the privilege of simply admiring the Tear. But here and now, having seen it in person, he understood. Priam would have described it as the original drop of water, crystallized and then encased in a wooden casket. A glass pyramid protected it. He quickly identified the Tear before smiling. [Tear of a Phoenix] - Tear of a Phoenix diluted thousands of times and then crystallized. Despite the dilution, this is not homeopathy: its regenerative properties work. The original tear could have resurrected a dead person. This one can regenerate the entire body of any Tier 0. The Phoenix does not cry alone. Your enemies despair as the Tear heals you. It is the Tribulation that will weep! Priam sped up with [Kinetic Control] and pushed one of the men out of the way. They seemed to move so slowly... I feel like I''m stealing a lollipop from a child. The man closest to the Tear wore a red and silver robe embroidered with a Phoenix. A step behind him was another man dressed in black, a gun in his belt. He held a beautiful black box in his right hand. Priam sped up again and reached the protection. He attacked the glass pyramid with his spear. The hoplite weapon met resistance, and Priam had to apply three kinetic charges before passing through the shield. The glass shattered, and Priam grabbed the casket. He closed it and put it back in his pocket before facing the two men now in contact with him. The man in the robe was looking in his direction, his features distorted by rage. He couldn''t distinguish Priam in the thick mist but heard the glass break. Priam clenched his fist. A split second later, he hit the man under the chin, knocking him off the ground. No glass had yet hit the floor, and the guards had not finished opening the door. Not more than a second had passed since he had entered the room. The man in black slowed down and held his left hand toward him, his palm open. A kind of spectral dart appeared and was propelled toward Priam. The greenish projectile stung his eyes just looking at it. Even with his perception of time slowed by [Bullet Time], the attack was swift. Priam summoned all his remaining kinetic charges and threw himself to the side. He had no desire to be hit. He narrowly dodged, reabsorbed his kinetic energy, and charged at the attacker. Arriving at melee distance, he grabbed the assailant''s left hand and twisted it sharply. The multiple sharp cracks that occurred reassured Priam. The enemy would not throw any more darts until the Reunion was over. Priam then grabbed his other wrist and broke it too. The man dropped the black box he was holding and fell to the ground on his knees, screaming. Priam caught the box before it hit the ground and focused on the mist. Guards were entering the room. It was time to leave. His mind traveled up the cable, stairs, and chimney before reaching the roof. Closing his eyes, he activated [Meditation] for half a second and stepped forward. The wind caressed his face. Priam opened his eyes again. The screams were barely audible now, and he was looking at the Dome again. He smiled as he looked at the black box in his hand and felt the Tear casket against his chest. Looking up at the ducal palace, he calculated that he had less than an hour before he would be immortal again. "Time to kill a Viscount," he muttered. A neutral voice came from behind him. "I thought you were a thief, not an assassin." Priam turned abruptly. He was annoyed that, once again, someone had positioned himself behind him without realizing it. An old man in his sixties stood behind him, smiling. He was dressed in black and had gloved hands. His suit showed a slender but muscular body. Priam put the black box away and tightened his grip on his spear. "Who are you?" he asked. "Diamond. Thief extraordinaire of the Thieves'' Guild. Nice to meet you, Priam," replied Diamond. "... Nice to meet you too," said Priam after a short pause. "Priam, survivor extraordinaire. Did your parents hate you, or is that a code name?" Priam checked the surroundings as he answered Diamond. Knowing a thief could be useful, but he did not wish to be ambushed. Underestimating an opponent was always dangerous. "A code name. I like diamonds, and I''m a good thief," the elder revealed with a wink to Priam. "I like pizza, and I''m a good eater, but my name isn''t Pizza," Priam commented with a shrug. "Still, Diamond is classier than Pizza so why not. What do you want from me?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 119 Vitality 164 Perception 191 MENTAL: Vivacity 135 Dexterity 113 Memory 33 Willpower 69 Charisma 90 META: Meta-affinity 89 Meta-focus 60 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 221 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 0h 50min 39s. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 53 hours 20 minutes 33 seconds. Chapter 37: Σφ?γξ The old man smiled as he approached the edge of the roof. A clamor was rising from the street. The Phoenix Clan was beginning to search every passerby and they were not always in agreement. "I had to steal this Tear, but I obviously arrived too late. It''s my fault, I wanted to orchestrate an impressive theft by announcing it. It would have increased the prestige of my Guild..." he lamented. "But maybe it''s not so bad. Bravo for the theft, by the way. You can teleport, right?" Priam raised his eyebrows. Diamond hadn''t even tried to disguise his question. "I have a feeling I''ll be teleporting away from this conversation soon..." The elder raised his hands in the air. "No no, wait. Sorry, I guess it''s a taboo question now. However, that was really impressive. Before you leave, I have a proposal. I''d like to propose a mission to you. The rewards are worth it, and between the two of us, we might be able to pull it off." "I''m very busy right now," Priam replied, staring at Diamond. [He Who Eludes Death] was almost recharged, and he wanted to get to the Palace quickly. "I suspect you might be interested. The Phoenix Tear is rare, but this move would make it look like a trinket. I won''t bore you with the details, but while the Colosseum is there to help warriors, there is also the Hideout, which helps thieves and assassins," Diamond revealed. "I need you for a level four mission. It''s the equivalent of the fortieth Wave of the Colosseum." Priam squinted his eyes. "I don''t want to question your skills, Diamond, but I barely made it through the twentieth wave. I can''t imagine you being that strong." "You''re right. I''m amazing, but level 4 is still too hard for me. I''d say I''m between levels 2 and 3 right now - and I''m the best thief of this Dome," he added. Priam reassessed the thief. If he was telling the truth, the thief was exceptionally talented - if not modest. Priam touched the Tear box through his robe to ensure it was still there. If he gets too close, I''ll skewer him... "However, with my flying skills and your teleportation, it''s possible," continued Diamond. "Not now, of course, but at the end of the week. It would be interesting for both of us. I get the mission reward from the Hideout - certainly a Talent or skill - and then I¡¯ll attempt other Level 4 missions solo. You get the physical reward. We''re here to steal something after all," Diamond chuckled. "... What would we steal?" asked Priam. The thief checked his surroundings before answering. "The Moon Key," he whispered. "It opens a portal to the Moon after the Reunion. For the return trip, you''ll need another key, though." Priam thought about the proposal. He didn''t need another key. Elysium wouldn''t let him go for long. Coming back to the Moon when no one else was there... He looked up to the sky and beyond. A few seconds later, he began to smile. If it works... "I might be interested," he replied. "But not until the end of the week. If you''re still interested, contact Tjay, an orphan selling information. Oh and, Diamond? You better not try to fool me..." he threatened. "Don''t forget the Honor Among Thieves,¡± he reminded. "You stole that from a movie," retorted Priam. Diamond smiled with all his teeth, and Priam thought he liked gold too. "Don''t worry, I''m the best because I know who to steal from," the thief replied before reaching for his ear. "I''ve got to get going. I can''t wait to hear about your next exploit Priam Pizza Azura" he finished. The thief''s face turned blacker than night. A moment later, his body turned to black ink and fell to the ground, merging with the shadows. Priam, despite his impressive perception, could no longer detect anything. Feeling vibrations coming from the building, he stepped forward and disappeared too. A few seconds later, a door on the roof opened. "Search the roof," the man in the red robe with the silver embroidery ordered curtly. He had just lost something of great value. The only upside to the theft was that the Tear belonged to him personally. He didn''t dare imagine his punishment for losing a clan treasure. A few seconds later, one of his subordinates came to report. "No trace on the roof, Leader. Our guys detected a slightly high percentage of humidity in one of the unoccupied rooms on the lower floor. But even searching near the chimney overlooking the room, we found nothing. Since we''re outside, if there was a very light mist, it would have dissipated long ago," he reported. The leader''s face turned the color of his robe. "Are you telling me we have no leads?" "Yes, Leader. But we''re still looking," the subordinate swallowed. "You won''t find anything," announced a voice. The man in black, whose wrists were splinted for easy healing, was approaching. "But we will. We will bring the Tear back to the Phoenix Clan, have no fear. We are partners, after all, and the Cult of Revenants never abandons its allies," he smiled. The leader visibly calmed down. "Thank you, Antoine. If there is anything I can do to help..." "That won''t be necessary," Antoine replied. "I already have a lead..." Priam reappeared on the roof of a building more than three hundred meters away. Without wasting any time, he started running across the rooftops to build up kinetic energy and escape the scene of his misdeed. He quickly accelerated to his maximum speed, using [Art of Movement] and [Kinetic Control] to propel himself from building to building and roof to roof. His goal was to lose any pursuers. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 13 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Priam was close to the Ducal Palace and quickly reached the square surrounding it. The Palace was built on top of the Dome, on a small hill, and dominated the city. Made of gold and metal, the majestic structure imposed an aura of nobility. The area near the Palace was empty and paved. In this square, richly decorated buildings stood, Priam recognized the home of the merchant Mercury, which Tjay had told him about. For the moment, he was not interested in the merchant but in the Lord of the Dome. The Palace had four colossal towers that soared to the sky. He quickly shot a mist towards the nearest tower. A few seconds later, Priam rode the fog and found himself on a balcony of the Palace, more than two hundred meters from his original location. He looked back, but nothing seemed to move. It was unlikely that opponents would have followed him, given his speed, but he wanted to be sure. Priam opened his status and decided to meditate while waiting for [He Who Eludes Death] to renew. He wanted to be at his best to face the Viscount.Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 3,4 WILL +6 MEM+3 Fifty minutes later, Priam opened his eyes. [Meditation] coupled with [Eidetic Memory] had refreshed his mind. He realized that the talent allowed him to increase his Memory without leveling up a skill. Just as doing push-ups could increase his strength, methodically searching his Memory would improve it. Of course, he knew that the skill, as valuable as it was, would begin to lose its effectiveness as he accumulated more memories and knowledge. But then there would always be time to improve the skill. If Priam were to hazard an analogy, he had started with a standard memory and now had a directory to access his memories. In the future, perhaps he could create some sort of AI that could sort out his memory for him? But there was no substitute for naturally increasing his Memory attribute. It was the easiest way to think of all his knowledge simultaneously and remember everything. Right now, [Eidetic Memory] was helping him to complete his Memory, but in twenty or thirty years? The talent would not be enough. Priam rummaged through his clothes and pulled out the Tear first. He identified it to make sure Diamond hadn''t managed to steal it, but it seemed genuine. He slipped it into an easily accessible pocket. If he had to use it, he might not have time to get it out of the box. Priam then took the black box he had retrieved. The man in black certainly wanted to exchange it for the Tear. So it was only natural to assume that its contents were of the same rarity level as the Tear. Priam turned the box away from him. Its bearer was a dart enthusiast, and if Priam was to believe the books he had read, such people liked to trap their treasures. Priam grabbed the edges of the box and pressed it open. Nothing happened. He frowned as he applied more force. The little box remained closed. A few seconds later, Priam swore as he tried to open the box. He tried to insert the tip of his spear into the gap to pry it open, but the box remained obstinate. A splash attack would have had more effect. Copiously insulting the box, the tree that had created its wood, and the seed of that same tree, he finally got up. As a wise man once said: ''If your problem cannot be solved by strength, you are not using enough strength''. Priam put the box on the ground and held it down with his foot. He had a fight to the death scheduled in less than fifteen minutes and didn''t want to waste time with a box. He raised his spear and struck the lock of the box. Magikarp becomes Gyarados. The lock snapped, making Priam smile. He opened the box with the tip of his spear and revealed the object inside. A twin Tear to the one he had stolen was in the box. The only difference was its black color. [Identification] Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. [Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths] - The Depths is a terrible place, containing the cataclysms to come. Long ago, an evil god locked up a child Phoenix there. Lost, abandoned, and tortured, the Depths won him over. His distress made him cry one last time. Here is his diluted tear. This Tear tainted by the Depths allows influencing the consciousness of a Phoenix. Its consumption promises a rebirth. Beware: when consumed, the influence of the Depths will arise to corrupt the surrounding environment. Priam watched the corrupted Tear momentarily before putting it away in one of his pockets. He wasn''t sure he wanted to use the Tear, despite [He Who Eludes Death]. The identification advised against it, and he shouldn''t be reckless if a real Phoenix and a god were involved. After a few seconds, Priam turned his gaze to the Phoenix Hotel. The leader of the Phoenix Clan must have known what the object was for. So it was a safe bet that he wanted to trade in the corrupted Tear for social status. If it was possible to influence the feelings of a real Phoenix, then affecting the sentiments of a half-Phoenix from a secondary family should be easy... Humans always manage to adapt, even after an apocalypse... Shaking his head, he turned to the picture window and opened it. The longer he waited, the more powerful the Viscount became. Before entering the apartment, Priam changed his mind and glanced down from the balcony railing. Time to get ready...Half an hour later, Priam was strolling through the corridors of the Palace. The Palace was exceptionally well decorated, and splendid Persian carpets in red and gold adorned the floor. The quality of the wool, silk, and cotton brought a smile to Priam''s lips as his bare feet trod the carpets. The building was brightly lit, with crystal chandeliers and lamps hanging on the wall. The opulence of the place was artfully measured so as not to disgust the visitor. Priam had begun by opening room after room before realizing the futility of his approach. Seen from the outside, the Palace was immense, but like the Colosseum, it was spatially expanded. Quickly, Priam became aware that he could spend weeks opening the various doors without finding anything but beautiful suites. Sleeping in a nice bed wasn''t unpleasant, but right now, Priam wanted to slaughter a Viscount and get some new Titles. The Baron began running through the corridors to find more useful rooms. Ten minutes later, after several detours, he came to the end of an endless hallway. A heavy double door was waiting for him. Putting his hand on it, the System warned him. Ducal Library: Open to the Lord of the Dome only. Priam left with a smile. Maya hadn''t lied. There was a use for being the Dome Lord. If there was a library, surely there were other valuable facilities in the other towers. A weapons room? Maybe even a garden to take samples back to Log-a-rhythm... Priam mentally marked the location of the library in his mind. He probably wouldn''t have time to read until the end of the week, but if he could defeat the Boss of the Fiftieth Wave... Either way, he had a new reason to beat the Dome Lord. Knowledge was power. Walking up the hallway to the end, Priam eventually found a staircase. The Baron went down to return to the main building. While searching, he noticed that the windows faced the same side of the Dome. He had not exited the tower he had reached with his jump. If the Viscount was waiting anywhere, it would be either in the Throne Room or his chambers, not an outlying tower. It took Priam almost an hour to find the throne room. It was indeed at the back of the main building. The distance between it and the entrance was insane. Priam had sped up as he searched, and by the end, he had simply run down an endless hallway. Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 18 AGI +2 By the time Priam arrived at the double doors of the Throne Room, he was barely out of breath. Waiting a minute to let his heart calm down, he put his hand on the right door wing. Throne Room: Open to the nobility. Welcome, Baron. Priam gently pushed open the door. If the Lord was sleeping, he had no intention of disturbing his sleep. As soon as the opening allowed him to pass, Priam crept into the room. Instantly, he looked around to check for possible threats. The room was both vast and empty. It reminded Priam of the Iron Throne room in a famous series. Except that the throne was not made of iron but ochre stone, and its occupant was literally a monster. Priam did not need to identify the monster to recognize it. He was facing a sitting and sleeping Sphinx. Which was an unusual position for a Sphinx from the statues he had seen. The Baron watched the Viscount for a few moments. She was motionless, except for her chest, which swelled with her breathing. A human head was placed on a lion''s body and eagle''s wings. The beast¡¯s face seemed appeased, and her hair looked like a golden mane. The monster projected a majestic and terrifying aura that paralyzed Priam for a few seconds. Officially, the Sphinx was still a Viscount, but she had the potential to become a Duke just by growing. In practical terms, the Viscount could already have claimed the title of Count. The Guardian of the Dome was not meant to be killed by a man. Priam looked around the room again. Having seen the monster, he gave himself no more than a ten percent chance of victory. But he also knew that with two lives - maybe even three, thanks to the Phoenix Tear - he could put up a fight. His mist would help him dodge blows, and what better way to get ahead than to face an invincible Boss in a huge, aether-filled room? Priam was finally paying attention, but the room was absolutely bursting with aether. The density was about the same in Elysium, and that meant something. Standing there, he could feel his cells activate and his body filled with energy. Smiling, Priam decided to give it a try. A second glance told him about the specifics of the room. Four massive rock pillars supported the top of the hall, hundreds of meters above the ground. Titanic stained glass windows stood behind the throne. A colossal chandelier hung from the keystone, its mass approaching one hundred tons. In the middle of the room, just below the chandelier, a large well about five meters in diameter was filled with a black liquid - it wasn''t the Sphinx''s bathtub; she was far too massive to fit inside. Priam analyzed one by one the different elements of the place and the possibilities they offered. He then moved forward a few meters before summoning his mist. The Sphinx was a Viscount, and he suspected that the mist would be of little use in camouflaging him, but he had other interests in using it. Priam then poured the venom he had bought onto the tip of his spear. It certainly wouldn''t be very effective, but it was probably better than nothing. Stretching for a few moments, he then got into a throwing position. He had chosen to form his mist like a thread that stopped a few meters from the Sphinx''s head. The end of his mist thread, the tip of his spear, and the left eye of the Sphinx were aligned. This allowed him to aim without hitting the monster. Priam feared his mist would wake the Boss and didn''t want to touch her before the fight started. He had the first shot and didn''t want to waste it. Priam focused on his mist. His instincts told him this was a bad idea. Yet he was more ready than he would ever be. He accumulated eight kinetic charges while jumping from the palace balcony at terminal velocity. His instincts persisted. The Sphinx was a Monster. "That''s what I must become if I want to be free," he muttered. "A Monster Hunter." With an imperceptible gasp, Priam took three steps forward and threw his spear with all his might. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 14,15 DEXT +2 Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 122 Vitality 164 Perception 192 MENTAL: Vivacity 135 Dexterity 116 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 90 META: Meta-affinity 89 Meta-focus 60 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 231 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 50 hours 35 minutes 57 seconds. Chapter 38: Oedipus and the Sphinx The spear went off like a cannonball. Priam weighed about ninety kilograms - the aether had allowed him to put on muscle quickly. A man would free fall at about 70 m/s - his terminal velocity - which meant a kinetic energy of about 220 kJ. Eight kinetic charges added to a twenty-kilogram spear would propel it to about 418 m/s. The Throne Room was about two hundred and fifty meters long, and the projectile took less than half a second to reach the Sphinx. The weapon penetrated the eyelid of the Sphinx and sank into her right eye. The creature screamed, and the world shook. Literally. The stained glass windows shook with the sound wave, and Priam''s vision distorted. He fell to his knees as his eardrums burst. Holy shit. What the hell just happened? Priam''s instincts screamed, and he looked up in time to see that a disc of air was heading his way. Without thinking, Priam automatically rolled to the side, and the wind attack grazed him before cutting one of the room''s doorways in half. The Sphinx stood up slowly after sending her attack. She calmly watched the warrior with her good eye. The other had been punctured by the hoplite spear - still embedded in it. Sphinx opened her mouth, and Priam, trembling, prepared to dodge. "A hero coming to challenge me? I am Sphinx, Lord of this Dome. My rule and my mission are authorized by Karma, one of the Seven Concepts," she announced. Despite his perforated eardrums, Priam could hear her speaking in his head. Her voice was human, powerful, but pleasant. The creature moved her head forward and continued. ¡°Defeating me in a duel would honor you with my charge, but basic rules dictate that you warn me before you attack. Perhaps you have no honor¡­¡± she muttered. Priam stood up quickly and dusted off his clothes, trying not to fall back. His inner ear was a mess. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 3 AGI +1 DEXT +2 He was thinking fast. His most potent attack had not even fully penetrated the creature''s eye. One move by the Sphinx had enough power to cut through solid wooden doors a foot thick from over two hundred yards away. There was skill involved, of course, but Priam was no fool. In single combat, he had absolutely no chance. His only advantage was that the Boss thought this was a regulated duel. There must be a solution... "Pardon me, O Sphinx. Your fame is so great that I was called from another world to defeat you. I was told that the attacker is entitled to the first blow in a duel and that to wake you otherwise would have been rude. I just arrived, and I didn''t know your customs..." he said politely as he bowed. Lvl up: [Acting] lvl 3 CHAR +3 Sphinx glowered at the compliments and raised her left paw. Her eye injury didn''t seem to bother her too much. "I forgive you," she announced magnanimously. "But what are the names of these liars? I must punish them for sullying the honor of your race." "... The Cult of Revenants, Your Grace, and their leader Claire," Priam replied, his face impassive. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy it, Claire... he chuckled inwardly. "I will know how to punish them," Sphinx growled. "Now, human, let us duel. My lineage obliges me to give you a choice of weapons." Her lineage... I wonder if that is the reason for her strength. Sphinx and Galapagos were both Viscounts, but their power was incomparable. "Could you tell me more about your lineage, your Grace?" asked Priam respectfully. "Of course! I am a Sphinx, and I will choose a name when I become an Earl. Later, if I become Queen, Karma will allow me to create my own clan," Sphinx announced as she stood up proudly. "The Septs created me to fulfill my mission in the Reunions of Human Civilization, but there are already powerful clans of Sphinxes in the universe. In the mythological hierarchy, the Sphinxes are near the top of the pyramid. One day I will socially elevate the Sphinxes to the level of the Dragons and the like. But today, I am participating in my first duel. Now that you are aware of the honor of dying before me give me your terms." I''m going up against a monster almost on the level of a dragon... Maya, I hope for your sake you didn''t know about this. Priam bowed again. "I thank you again for the honor you do me. I propose an unrestricted fight until one of us dies. May that death erase any ill will one may have for the other and allow us to befriend each other in the next life. I, Priam, swear to uphold this oath upon my name and lineage," Priam vowed. "... Strange choice of words, human Priam. I accept. I, Sphinx, swear to uphold this oath upon my name and lineage," Sphinx vowed. Lvl up: [Manipulation] lvl 3 CHAR +3 Priam smiled. His first attack had told him that the fight would be challenging, if not impossible. His regular attacks would not have a tenth of the power of the first, and he had barely managed to pierce her eyelid. But she''s not going to let herself be passively attacked. I wonder what her specialty is... She didn¡¯t keep Priam waiting long. "Regularly, I will ask you a riddle. If your answer is correct, the battle will continue. If your answer is wrong, the fight will end. Let the battle begin," she announced. Sphinx raised a paw, and her claws split the air. A disc of wind, the result of her action, flew towards Priam. He stepped into the mist to dodge. The Baron had created a large amount of fog to make it easy to avoid. The wind split his mist in two, and Priam swore as he lost control of the part of his mist that was no longer connected. This would limit his ability to teleport. He concentrated on creating a large amount of continuous steam and nearly got cut in half by the next attack. He staggered to the side to dodge. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 4 AGI +1 DEXT +2 Sphinx''s voice rose, and Priam''s body froze in place. "First riddle. Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? You have thirty seconds," she announced. Priam smiled. In mythology, the Sphinx asked the same question in Thebes before devouring the passers-by. Oedipus had found the answer, and Priam quoted him. "Man-who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then uses a walking stick in old age." Sphinx screamed in rage and opened her mouth to bite her right wing. Priam watched in shock. Two seconds later, the Dome Lord had devoured her wing, and Priam understood. I have to pass all her riddles to win! Sphinx then pulled Priam''s spear out of her eye. She flicked it away, and Priam concentrated on his mist. [Bound Weapon] allowed him to link his spear to his skills, and he focused briefly. He quickly found the presence of his spear, which he was now intimately familiar with. As a disc of wind rushed at him, the mist absorbed the spear, and it reappeared in his hand. If he could ride the fog, so could his weapon. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 13 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam hurriedly dodged the wind disc with a smile. This is even more convenient than Accio! Sphinx screamed again and continued to bombard Priam with wind discs. The Baron dodged to the right and left, [Balance] helping him not fall. Suddenly, as he escaped one disc, a second one appeared. It had followed the first one like a shadow, and Priam had not noticed it. Priam swung to the side, and the attack grazed his hands. Two more discs were coming, and Priam had to straddle the mist to take refuge behind a rock pillar. A cool sensation came from his left hand, and Priam lowered his head. His eyes widened as he looked at his hand. The second disc had not grazed him. He was missing four fingers, and only his thumb had survived the attack. With his Vitality, Priam knew the attack was far from fatal, but his stomach twisted at the horrific sight. Being suddenly amputated would have done that to anyone. The pillar shook again, and Priam looked up just in time to see cracks running through it. Priam gasped for a second. He knew he didn''t have time to feel sorry for his hand. The fight was intense, and any mistake could be fatal. He gritted his teeth and focused on the pillar in front of him. The pillar was huge and touched the ceiling far above him. Priam bit down on his spear to hold it up and began to climb it with difficulty. With only one hand, the exercise was complicated. Despite his strength, Priam had problems finding holds. Occasionally he managed to wrap his bruised arm around a decoration to hold on. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 4 AGI +1 A few dozen seconds later, he was over thirty meters away. Numerous decorations adorned the pillar at regular intervals, facilitating his progress. During his ascent, he almost fell several times as the column shook and cracked under Sphinx''s attacks. Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 5 AGI +1 Positioned with his back to the column, both feet on gargoyle heads, and the arm of his mutilated hand around some statue, he was ready to counterattack. With his good hand, Priam raised his spear and prepared his shot. He wanted to attack the Sphinx if only to avenge his fingers. The massive pillar between him and the Boss protected him but also blocked his view. Fortunately, Priam had an idea. Priam closed his eyes and projected his mind into his mist. The mist filled the entire room, allowing him to see the Sphinx easily. He concentrated on his spear as the pillar shook increasingly from the Boss'' attacks. [Meditation]. A moment later, he opened his eyes and threw his spear while concentrating on [Bound Weapon]. The spear disappeared, swallowed by the mist. The mist began to tremble a meter away from Sphinx''s right eye before the hoplite spear reappeared, thrown at full speed. The barrage of wind discs stopped for a second. His pillar was severely damaged and threatened to collapse. Priam jumped to the next one, fifty meters away. At first, he came short, but with four kinetic charges, he managed to cross the distance to reach safety. At the same time, he noticed two things. The spear had bounced off the closed eyelid of the Sphinx without actually penetrating it. Either she had a titanic constitution or a hardening skill. Secondly, the pillar he had just left was in a terrifying state on the Sphinx''s side. It would not survive more than another ten seconds of attacks. Which means I have a time limit. When the eight pillars are on the ground, dodging won''t be fun anymore... Sphinx looked at the spear on the ground and then at Priam and laughed. "You are very foolhardy to dare to confront me without a domain, human. Second riddle. There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other, and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters? You have thirty seconds," she asked. Again Priam''s body went numb, and only his mouth answered, ¡°Day and Night.¡± This one was less familiar but simpler. Priam grimaced. He knew the answer but would eventually lose if riddles got harder and less familiar. If Sphinx was forced to eat herself while she was the one asking the questions, the penalty for Priam might be terrifying. Two wings and four legs. I guess I have to answer six riddles. Only four more! Sphinx stared at Priam for a few seconds before turning her head to devour her second wing. Priam took the opportunity to concentrate on his fallen spear. He tried to bring it back to his side, taking advantage of his mist. The mist shook before it came to rest. Priam''s mind was at one with it, yet Priam felt himself losing control of the fog around the Sphinx. He could still see the Sphinx with his eyes, but his mist was inaccessible within a five-meter radius of Sphinx. A few seconds later, Sphinx had finished her meal and turned to Priam. "I just told you, human. Your spear and mist are in my Domain. If you want them, come and get them," she said. Her voice was calm, but there was a threat in it. A Domain... She can control the area near her! Priam was annoyed. One of his ideas to finish the fight was to teleport his spear directly into Sphinx''s gullet. He was ready to attack all the weak points of the mythological beast, even her anus. However, the Domain made the idea obsolete. It seems logical, he thought. It would be too strong if I could attack any Boss with big lungs that could breathe my mist from the inside. Looking at Sphinx, Priam swallowed. He had no desire to approach the massive monster. He had no chance if even his spear couldn''t scratch it. The Dome Lord was not a stupid dog Baron. If I come any closer, I''m dead. Her physical attributes totally dwarf mine... A moment later, Priam dodged a wind disc in extremis. This one had taken him by surprise. It was twice as fast as the previous disks. Sphinx was getting more serious. Priam took refuge behind the pillar he occupied as best he could. His head was spinning because of his pierced eardrums and his precarious balance. His right hand, freed from the spear, was now helping him to hold on to the statues. He looked again at his left stump and the blood flowing from it as his pillar weakened. I must answer the riddles. It''s my only chance. Looking at the next pillar, Priam squinted. It was fifty meters away, and Priam couldn''t dodge in the air. Sphinx''s attention was now focused on him. [Kinetic Control]. Priam absorbed the tremors of his pillar with one hand. A second later, he made up his mind and jumped. Instantly, Sphinx sent out two discs of wind. As the first came closer, Priam used his kinetic charges to accelerate further into the air and dodged them. Sphinx sent three more discs, but Priam had almost reached the third pillar. The Boss screamed in rage as her attacks failed. Landing on his feet, Priam reached out with his left arm toward a statue to secure himself. The next moment he tumbled. His left hand had tried to grab the statue''s head, but Priam had only a thumb left on that hand. His bruised stump hit the rock, causing Priam to howl in pain as he let go of the grip he held in his right hand. He fell a dozen feet before activating [Kinetic Control] to break his fall and slam himself against the pillar. His right hand caught a ledge, stopping him completely. Heart pounding, breathless, and aching, Priam hung in the air for a few seconds. The pillar shook as Sphinx bombarded him. The fight was not going as planned and had the effect of a cold shower on Priam. He had brilliantly defeated Galapagos, but against a Lord like Sphinx, he was still far too weak. His attacks inflicted no damage, he had lost his spear, and Sphinx sent a dozen attacks per second, each capable of cutting him in half. Priam closed his eyes and checked his aether supply. Riding the mist was expensive, and he had only half his energy left. Hanging from a ledge twenty meters above the ground, his eardrums shattered and a mythological beast intent on killing him, Priam sighed, "I suddenly respect Heracles, Theseus, and all the others..." Only the thought of Claire running away from Sphinx made him smile. Sphinx''s voice rose again as the attacks ceased. "Third riddle. Suppose you''re playing a game, and you''re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a treasure; behind the others, nothing. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what''s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has nothing. He then says to you, ''Do you want to pick door No. 2?'' Would you be wise to switch? You have thirty seconds."Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 103 Agility 126 Vitality 164 Perception 196 MENTAL: Vivacity 135 Dexterity 120 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 98 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 60 Meta-endurance 4 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 244 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: 50 hours 30 minutes 38 seconds. Chapter 39: Pillar of Damocles Priam smiled inwardly. He had studied mathematics in school, and the Monty Hall problem was famous. The simple solution to the riddle was not necessarily intuitive. For Greek peasants or laymen in mathematics, the riddle - or, in this case, the mathematical puzzle - was almost a coin toss. However, Priam stood on the shoulders of giants. If Sphinx intended to turn her riddles into a math problem, she would likely be disappointed. "I had a one in three chance of picking the right door at the start and a two in three chance of getting it wrong. So if there is nothing behind door number 3, door number 2 has a two-in-three chance of being the right door. It would be wise for me to change doors," Priam explained. Sphinx was going to have to eat herself, and Priam stood ready. He was going to fight. The Dome Lord was superior to him in every way, but Priam would fight with all his might. To win, he would give his life and Potential if he had to. Sphinx screamed, and Priam let go of the ledge. In the middle of his fall, he disappeared, swallowed by the mist. He reappeared a few feet away from Sphinx as she began to devour her left rear leg. Priam intended to take advantage of her meal to recover his spear. Obviously, he had no way to hurt the Boss directly, but he had an idea. Priam lunged for the weapon on the ground and grabbed it with his good hand. No sooner had he held it than Sphinx, still in the middle of her meal, lunged with her good leg. The blow was so quick that Priam had no time to dodge. He absorbed as much energy as possible, but the Dome Lord''s strength was monstrous. Priam was knocked unconscious by the shock and acceleration. He would have shuddered if he could have heard his bones cracking. Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 6,7,8 CONST +3 Two seconds later, he crashed into the first pillar that had sheltered him. This one was already damaged, and the fainted warrior could not absorb the second shock. He hit the pillar head-on, and it was the straw that broke the camel''s back. Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 9,10 CONST +2 The pillar cracked as its base gave way. Priam''s Vitality woke him as it began to crumble. The cracks that had been there from Sphinx''s attacks widened. Despite his battered eardrums, Priam heard the cracking of the rock. The pillar''s base could no longer support the weight of the enormous stone column. The collapse was inevitable. Priam tried to get up but couldn''t. He suddenly realized that he couldn''t feel anything below the waist. Sphinx''s attack and his disastrous landing had certainly damaged his spine. Priam panicked for a moment before pulling himself together. The helplessness of being immobilized and disabled was terrifying, but rationally he knew he would heal. Potentially, [Axolotl or Hydra?] would even make him more resistant to this kind of injury. I just need to heal before I die... Sphinx had no intention of letting him heal his wounds. The Boss was down to three legs, and her eyes flashed with anger. Managing to remain majestic despite her appearance, she quickly approached to finish the fight. Priam knew she would want to devour him. Sphinx had a terrifying appetite, but her own flesh would not satisfy her. Priam looked up at the pillar as it continued to crumble under its weight. He had two choices. Let Sphinx kill him quickly or fight with all his might and hope to win. Priam smiled. He already knew the answer to this riddle. When Sphinx was only a few dozen meters away, Priam teleported his spear into a crack in the pillar, more than twenty meters up. He activated all his kinetic charges and used his weapon as leverage to further destabilize the pillar. Large blocks of rock cracked before falling on his spear. Instinctively, because of his connection with his spear, Priam was able to absorb the blocks'' kinetic energy. This was the first time he had successfully used [Kinetic Control] at a distance, and a smile lit up his face. This opened the door to many possibilities. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 16 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Five minutes earlier, he didn''t even know he could absorb kinetic energy like that. That''s why Priam had agreed to this fight. Death¡¯s approach gave him wings and inspired new ideas. Priam briefly tried to absorb the kinetic energy of the elements in contact with his mist, but it still didn''t synergize enough with [Kinetic Control]. His spear was his linked weapon, but his mist was still too foreign. Shaking his head as Sphinx arrived, Priam winced at the death march. Sphinx opened her mouth, and Priam screamed. "One last riddle?!" Cut off in her tracks, Sphinx paused momentarily before closing her mouth. The Concepts had created her in the image of the mythological beast, and she couldn''t resist asking one last riddle. She looked briefly at the pillar before answering, reassured. "Very good, human. Here is the riddle. Try to defeat me but try in vain. When I win, I end your pain. You have thirty seconds," she announced with a cruel smile. Priam smiled too. He already knew the answer to the question, but even without that, the sadism oozing out of Sphinx''s voice was already enough of a clue. However, Priam didn''t mind as he was mostly trying to buy time. For twenty seconds, the two adversaries stared at each other in a silence that was disturbed only by the creaking of the pillar. Priam was fully paralyzed by the power of Sphinx and could not move his spear with his skill. But he did not need to. The pillar¡¯s base collapsed with a sound like the world''s end. The stone pillar fell a dozen feet from Priam and Sphinx, knocking the air out of the way. The wind blew through the warrior''s hair as the ground shook. A few shards of stone slammed into his body, causing minor injuries. Others bounced uselessly off Sphinx''s fur and skin. Priam looked up. Almost the entire pillar was now suspended from the ceiling. Priam''s smile widened. A pillar was supposed to support a building, not the other way around. The Concepts may have created the Duke''s Palace in an instant, but they had been inspired by human architecture. The Greeks knew how to build good buildings, but even they had their limits. Predictably, it didn''t take more than a second after the base fell for the top of the pillar to follow, taking part of the vault with it. A colossal mass of stone, twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, began its fall, pulled down by gravity. Priam''s spear was still stuck in it, and he prepared himself. Twenty-four seconds into the riddle, and with a comfortable lead, he looked Sphinx straight in the eye. "Try to defeat me but try in vain. When I win, I end your pain. The answer is Death. It comes for all of us, but I elude it," he said with a smile. "Good answer, human. But not this time," Sphinx growled. She had watched the pillar and calculated it would not descend directly on them. Its trajectory was still dangerous, but Sphinx didn''t care about the stone chips. She turned to her last hind leg and began to bite it. At the same time, finally free of Sphinx''s skill, Priam transferred the kinetic energy of the previous blow into his spear. He knew stopping the pillar or even slowing it down was impossible. The energy of the million-ton fall was far too great. But guiding its fall? That was much simpler. A gust of wind could not stop a car but could easily change its direction. Priam wanted to use his spear and kinetic energy to direct the pillar at him and Sphinx. He was not averse to death if it meant he could become Lord of the Dome. [Bullet Time] Everything was going to happen in a second, and Priam changed his perception of time to increase his leeway. Slowly, he saw the shift in the pillar¡¯s angle. Sphinx had just begun its meal and would be immobilized as the column descended. The spear was stuck in a crack, and Priam had sent energy to bring it back to him. Unfortunately, the energy in Sphinx''s paw strike may have been colossal, but not enough to completely deflect the pillar. It would crash close to Sphinx but not on her. Maybe the impact and the shards of stone would hurt her, but Priam was willing to bet she would stay alive. He would not. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Priam refused to give in to panic. He took the Tear out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. If he was going to be crushed with his possessions, he might as well enjoy the effects of it before he died. The corrupted Tear remained in his pocket. He wasn''t stupid enough to ignore the System''s recommendations. The next moment, he closed his eyes. The pillar would come down in a second. He connected to his Potential. The Concepts opened his eyes. [Kinetic Control]. The pillar slowed imperceptibly, and Priam screamed. Despite the help of Potential to better control his energy, the aether flow in his meridians was unbearable. Now Priam was trying to absorb a small amount of the kinetic energy of the falling pillar, but even that tiny amount was enough to tear his body apart. His orifices began to bleed after a tenth of a second. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 17 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 2 META (END) +3 CONST +1 POT -5 Two-tenths of a second later, Priam''s brain and most of his organs turned to mush. Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 3 META (END) +3 CONST +1 POT -5 Three-tenths of a second later, his heart exploded under the effort. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 18 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 4 META (END) +3 CONST +1 POT -5 Priam''s body collapsed, and only his mind remained conscious, thanks to [Brainless]. His eyes had popped out, and only the mist continued to give information about his surroundings. Sphinx must have been concentrating on her meal because her Domain no longer prevented Priam from observing the surroundings using his mist, despite his proximity to the mythical creature. His Vitality and [Axolotl or Hydra?] had given up trying to repair his body; the damage was accumulating too fast. Together with his Potential, they were trying to support Priam''s meridians. Without them, the warrior couldn''t catalyze his technique. Four-tenths of a second later, Priam stopped slowing the pillar. He would die if he continued and still had two things to do. Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 5 META (END) +3 CONST +1 POT -5 Priam focused on his accumulated energy and transferred it back to the pillar using his spear. This time he had enough energy to deflect the pillar from its course. In the next three-tenths of a second, Priam accelerated the pillar toward him and Sphinx. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 19 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 6,7,8 META (END) +9 CONST +3 POT -5 Over a million tons of rock were falling on them. Just as the Dome Lord raised her head, Priam threw his destroyed body toward her. Sphinx tried to use her two front legs to dodge. At that moment, Priam hit her with his head and absorbed her kinetic energy to immobilize her. However, despite using his Potential, he felt resistance. Sphinx had a much smaller mass than the falling column, but she was less easy to slow down. Without Potential, he certainly would not have been able to affect her. Shit, this must be her Domain. STAY THERE! Priam had stolen a tremendous amount of energy from the pillar. He gave almost all that energy to Sphinx, throwing her to the ground. Despite her Domain resistance, without a back leg to support her, Sphinx crashed to the ground. The colossal amount of energy used by Priam had managed to overcome Sphinx''s resistance. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 9 META (END) +3 CONST +2 POT -5 The pillar slammed into them like an asteroid into the Cretaceous era. Priam waited until the last moment, ensuring Sphinx was crushed. As the pillar was upon them, Priam mustered all his remaining energy to throw the remains of his body out of the cataclysm¡¯s way. He had no desire to be resurrected under thousands of tons of stone. Just as he was about to leave the pillar''s shadow, he was knocked to the ground by a paw. His head slammed to the ground on its side. Black dots appeared in his field of vision, and he had just enough time to see Sphinx beginning to roar with defiance at the crumbling mountain. The Dome Lord had taken her revenge. As the light disappeared, the pillar hit, and the world shook. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 86 Constitution 117 Agility 126 Vitality 164 Perception 196 MENTAL: Vivacity 143 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 98 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 28 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 248 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 50 hours 29 minutes 49 seconds. Chapter 40: Theres always a solution Priam opened his eyes briefly, only to close them again a few seconds later. Whether his eyes were open or not, he couldn''t see anything. Nor could he hear anything. After the previous hours of battles, the silence was pleasant. Although, with a few moments'' concentration, Priam began to hear his heartbeat. Tiny squeaks were also perceptible, coming from... rubbing his clothes as he breathed. More than that, Priam now felt a call in a specific direction. He soon realized that his senses had evolved. His perception had finally surpassed 200, and a qualitative evolution could be felt. The smell of dust filled his nose when he concentrated but faded when he decided to. Priam could now smell his enemies'' trail, which made him smile. Suddenly, Priam remembered. The fight against Sphinx! He tried to take a deep breath before realizing a heavy mass was pressing against his chest. He did a quick check-up. He was alive and in no pain. Nor had Priam experienced the moment of mental floating when his consciousness was torn from his body before being resuscitated. He was almost bewildered by this information. He should have died. A pillar over two hundred meters high and more than a meter in diameter had fallen on him. Now that his brain seemed to work correctly, Priam calculated that this represented millions of tons. Even if the entire mass hadn''t crashed directly into his body, he should have died, if only because of the shockwave. Perhaps I was protected from the damage by Sphinx''s paw? No, something else must have happened... Deciding to ask questions later, Priam tried to push back the mass weighing down on him. He pushed with all his might without success. A silky texture covered his hands and feet. The material was soft enough to deform without him being able to lift it completely. Priam realized that he was almost certainly trapped under Sphinx''s paw. Suddenly, a thought crossed Priam''s mind. I can feel my feet?! His spine had been severely damaged by Sphinx. Only death or a miracle could have healed him quickly. But he hadn''t died, so all that remained was a miracle. Priam didn''t believe in miracles except those he caused himself. He quickly opened his notifications to understand what had happened to him. You have consumed a diluted Phoenix Tear. Synergies detected with [Humanity adapts], [Axolotl or Hydra?], and [Pseudo Phoenix]. The Phoenix Tear fully regenerated your body. Your Titles and Talents have strengthened your body. STR +10 AGI +5 CONST +32 VIT +20 PERC +17 VIVA +5 META (END) +15 [Heartless], [Brainless] and [Axolotl or Hydra?] are ready for evolution. Please find a catalyst for their evolution or spend your Potential. [Pseudo Phoenix] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use [Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths] or Potential (1876) to trigger evolution? Not now. 1876 points of Potential¡­ I haven''t been conned like that since my parents made me believe in Santa Claus... Evolution postponed. New Title: [Admirer of Atlas] - Bronze]. [Admirer of Atlas] - Bronze] - The Titan Atlas held up the world. You didn''t bend the knee in the face of death or a few million tons of rock. You failed to sustain your burden, but as a Tier 0, your effort was significant enough to grant you this Title. Keep pushing your limits; one day, you''ll have the strength to break your chains. STR +10%. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 10,11,12,13 META (END) +12 Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 11,...,17 CONST +7 An attribute greater than 200 points has been detected. A Tribulation is on its way. Warning: If three attributes exceed 200 points or twelve attributes exceed 100 points, a Tribulation will occur. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 50 hours 20 minutes 27 seconds. The pillar''s fall must have shattered the Tear in Priam''s mouth. It had pulled him from the clutches of death. Priam was almost disappointed not to have received a Title for his attribute. Rereading the end of his notifications, he theorized that attributes must surely be validated by a Tribulation. Otherwise, the child of a God could have gorged himself on elixirs to increase his attributes and then earned Titles congratulating him on drinking Phoenix compote or Dragon syrup... However, no one could fool the System. If the divine child didn''t control his power, the Tribulations would destroy him. The young man hesitated to trigger an evolution with the corrupted Tear. He remembered the System''s warning. This Tear tainted by the Depths allows influencing the consciousness of a Phoenix. Its consumption promises a rebirth. Beware: when consumed, the influence of the Depths will arise to corrupt the surrounding environment. Corrupting the environment wasn''t a problem for Priam - although he''d always been careful to sort his waste before the apocalypse. But he didn''t want to be corrupted himself. I need to find out more about the Depths... Priam then examined his various gains. He was much more physically resistant but was especially eager to improve his physical resistance. A qualitative evolution would undoubtedly help him to face other Viscounts and Counts. Sphinx was first on the list, but Priam intended to squeeze the Moon and Reunion out of all they had to offer before attempting the fiftieth wave. Before returning to Elysium. Because if Priam knew anything, it was that Arnold and the other rivals must be training right now. Suddenly [Eidetic Memory] and his Vivacity alerted him to something crucial. Where''s my Title?! I should be Lord of the Dome. Or Viscount, at the very least. Don''t tell me... Priam instantly tried to sit up without success. He grimaced. If he was right, he had yet to deliver the coup de grace to Sphinx. Watching the timer of the approaching Tribulation, he had been unconscious for about nine minutes. This was undoubtedly the time needed for the Tear to repair and modify his body. His attributes had been incredibly boosted, and the synergy between his various Merits, Titles, Talents, and the Tear had been formidable. So formidable that Priam was now on the verge of a fourth tribulation. The Title to withstand a Triple Tribulation is bound to be incredible, he tried to convince himself. I just have to survive. Priam sighed. He was between a rock and a hard place, and he knew it. Saving his family and himself required him to become as strong as possible in the shortest possible time. But rushing things was a surefire way to get annihilated by a Tribulation. Or several. He was running ahead of an accelerating avalanche. The only way to stay alive was to run faster and faster. But how much faster could he go? However, Priam had chosen his path. He preferred to go all out. Since the beginning of humankind, men and women have chosen to die on their feet rather than live in chains. It was a tough decision, but it was easier to stick to it once made. Priam''s eyes were hard. He would live on his feet, eluding Death. Right now, to become more powerful, he had to kill Sphinx. Priam materialized his mist, which filled the available space. After a few seconds, the fog saturated the area before finding an exit. Priam had to wait another minute until his mist had taken up enough space outside to ride it. He reappeared in the throne room and contemplated a desolate sight. The pillar had fallen to the ground and shattered into several pieces larger than school buses. Most had hit the ground hard enough to break into even smaller pieces. Fortunately, the impact had not resulted in a domino effect, and the remaining pillars still supported the vault. Priam wondered for a moment. If the spatially augmented palace collapsed, how would the interior behave? "Better not to test it. Although it might give me some spatial resistance?" muttered Priam. He quickly turned his attention back to Sphinx. The creature didn''t seem to be breathing, and for good reason, the pillar had crushed her torso. Most of her body lay under the rubble. Only her head remained intact, and Priam winced. If Sphinx devoured part of her body with each lost riddle, how would she eat her own head? She wouldn''t. Answering riddles correctly could only take her interlocutor so far. In the end, you had to get your hands dirty. Brain and Brawn were needed to win this fight. And he had to win before Sphinx woke up. Priam began looking for his spear. He couldn''t see himself swimming through the monster''s carotid artery and digging out her brain by hand to triumph. Looking at the disaster caused by the falling pillar, he sighed for a second. Anyone who had ever searched for a spear in the debris of millions of tons of stone knew it was more painful than finding a needle in a haystack. Well, as Priam was the first human to search for a magic spear stuck under rocks, perhaps he wasn''t exactly objective. Three seconds after rolling up - virtually - his sleeves before he''d even started looking, Priam stopped. He''d always been a bit lazy but relied on his brain to get him out of sticky situations. Work smart, not hard. He closed his eyes and concentrated on [Bound Weapon]. A few moments later, he turned slightly to his left and took a few steps forward before clearing some chunks of stone. His spear was close by, and Priam quickly retrieved it. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As soon as he touched it, the young man noticed it had changed. He admired it for a few moments, seeing the fiery-colored lines that now ran across the weapon. Priam wasn''t sure whether this was due to the Tear or his Titles, but the bound spear was evolving with him. Moreover, Priam instantly noticed that his weapon was as good as new. If the shock had damaged it, the Tear and their link had repaired it. Maybe [Axolotl or Hydra?] has made it more robust? I¡¯ll have to run some tests... Priam smiled as he moved quickly towards Sphinx. Sphinx''s head was enormous when seen from afar and titanic seen up close. Gravity would normally have prohibited this kind of biology. Some dinosaurs had died of gigantism, and this was what should have happened to Sphinx. No organic tissue could support the creature''s weight. The pressure required to send blood through the beast''s entire body should have burst her vessels. But there she was, alive despite the absence of heart and lungs, proof of the miracles of the System and the Seven Concepts. Priam circled Sphinx quickly. He winced as he saw a long piece of the pillar crushing the beast from the base of her neck to her rump. He had initially intended to pierce Sphinx''s skull from behind. However, her abundant mane prevented him from carrying out this plan. Priam circled Sphinx''s head a second time. He hesitated between attacking the Boss''s eye or her ears. He had already damaged one of the creature''s eyes, and the wound hadn''t fully healed yet. Sphinx had apparently prioritized her Constitution over her Vitality. Or perhaps it was slower to heal a beast weighing thousands of tons than a human weighing less than a hundred kilograms¡­ However, Sphinx''s eye hadn''t exploded despite his first destructive attack, so it wasn''t precisely a weak point. Priam finally chose the ear. If Sphinx were to wake up, her Domain would prevent close-range attacks. At greater distances, Sphinx would have time to see his attack coming and counter it - by swallowing the spear, for example. Priam only had one spear, and if he lost it, he wouldn''t wait two days in the Ducal Palace for the Lord of the Dome to decide to go to the toilet. Imagining himself rummaging through two cubic meters of dung to find his spear, Priam shivered. Priam looked at Sphinx''s ear. It was so big that a four-year-old child could have slipped inside. Looking at the crushed neck, he decided that Sphinx wouldn''t have the necessary range of movement to attack him if he positioned himself aside. Priam chose a piece of a broken pillar a few dozen meters from Sphinx to prepare for battle. At this distance, he could observe and attack his opponent while still being far enough away to hope to dodge possible wind attacks by hiding behind the pillar. Moreover, without turning her head, Sphinx would have no way of seeing him. Summoning his mist and raising his spear, Priam began to build up kinetic charges. He aimed to send his weapon into the ear canal to pierce the eardrum and everything behind it. It was time to end the fight. Like an Olympic champion, he hurled his spear toward the gigantic ear. The weapon swallowed the distance between the two adversaries and penetrated the orifice, guided by Priam''s mist. Priam heard a thud and saw Sphinx''s head move under the brutality of the blow. A second later, he sighed and called up his weapon. He''d had no notification from the System. Sphinx opened her mouth, but Priam didn''t bother to plug his ears. Without lungs, the Boss could no longer roar. A disjointed sound faintly escaped Sphinx''s lips before fading away. Priam began to accumulate kinetic charges again. The monster''s constitution was terrifying, but she''d lose the fight if she couldn''t defend herself. Priam had no intention of leaving the throne room before he was crowned. He was even prepared to bring down the rest of the Palace if he had to... As Priam prepared to attack again, he heard a tired voice directly in his head. "You''re hard to kill, human," she declared. Priam paused for a quarter of a second before resuming. If Sphinx could speak, she could pose a riddle. Now that she had nothing to lose, Priam had no interest in answering. The spear flew off very quickly. Sphinx shook her head at the last moment, and the spear struck her cheek, cutting it slightly. The flesh didn''t bleed - which was to be expected, given that the Boss''s heart had been destroyed. Priam tried to call up his spear again, but it remained inert. Sphinx''s domain had returned. Priam gritted his teeth. Without his spear, it would be difficult to defeat the Boss. He''d have to crash another pillar into Sphinx, and he''d have to spend his Potential and potentially a life to ensure the result. Even then, Sphinx had withstood the fall of the first pillar. By spending her Potential, she would withstand the second''s fall. Wincing, Priam massaged his forehead, pondering a stratagem. There had to be a way to win, he just had to find out what it was... Sphinx''s voice was heard again. "You can''t kill me human. My wounds are stimulating my bloodline right now, which increases my Vitality. I''ll be healed quickly and stronger than before. You can be proud of yourself, Priam. Despite your low extraction, you managed to earn a draw against a superior species. That''s a victory in itself," declared Sphinx. "I won''t lose!" shouted Priam in anger. "This is just a game to you. Your riddles, this fight, you don''t take me seriously! But I need this victory," he articulated, breathless. Priam knew he was behaving like a spoiled child, asking for a victory he didn¡¯t earn. But without this victory, he would lose his momentum. Instinctively, he knew he wouldn''t finish the fiftieth wave and lose his family. Under the pressure of failure and sadness, he would lose motivation before dying in Elysium, killed by a rabbit or some other ridiculous monster. "You''re smart. Face the truth. You have no way of defeating me in combat. You have no Domain, no attack powerful enough to break through my defenses, and no riddle hard enough to ask me," said Sphinx. Priam raised his head. ¡°What do you mean?" "Karma created me. I ask riddles and punish the losers. But those who ask riddles have to answer them too. If I can''t answer one of your riddles, I''ll die," explained Sphinx, closing her eyes. Priam squinted, smelling a trap. Why would Sphinx reveal her weak point? Either it wasn''t true, and failing to answer a riddle wouldn''t affect her. Or it was true, but she didn''t think she could lose. Which, given her arrogance, was entirely possible. But Sphinx had planted hope in him. He had to win, and at last, there was a possibility. In any case, he had nothing to lose by trying. Except one life, if she succeeded... But then, that would mean this power would be real, so she could die too. Priam had made up his mind. At worst, he''d die gaining new resistance. All he needed was an impossible riddle to solve. [Eidetic Memory] reminded Priam of the unsolvable mathematical problems and paradoxes he knew. I hope you like Millennium Prize Problems... The rubble covering Sphinx''s body began to shake as Priam pondered. She was healing, and time was running out. The draw proposal would no longer hold when Sphinx was free. "I''ve got a riddle for you," Priam announced. "I hope you know the solution, human. I love riddles, so let me warn you. Asking me a riddle that''s paradoxical or for which you don''t know the solution would result in a... punishment," she warned. "... I''m a good player," Priam cleared his throat. She could be lying, but Priam didn''t want to bet on it. There must have been some very complex mathematical problems, but Priam had never read their solution. He was a physicist and a chemist. He applied mathematics but didn''t play with it. A complex riddle that takes time to solve... I know! "Here''s a simple puzzle. There are five houses. The Englishman lives in the red house. The Spaniard owns the dog. Coffee is drunk in the green house. The Ukrainian drinks tea. The green house is immediately to the right of the ivory house. Your right. The Old Gold smoker owns snails. Kools are smoked in the yellow house. Milk is drunk in the middle house. The Norwegian lives in the first house. The man who smokes Chesterfields lives in the house next to the man with the fox. Kools are smoked in the house next to the house where the horse is kept. The Lucky Strike smoker drinks orange juice. The Japanese smokes Parliaments. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house. In the interest of clarity, it must be added that each of the five houses is painted a different color, and their inhabitants are of different national extractions, own different pets, drink different beverages, and smoke different brands of cigars¡­¡± Priam took a deep breath. One way or another, it was time to end this fight. ¡°Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra? You''ve got thirty seconds," said Priam with a smile. Don''t let me down, Einstein! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 106 Constitution 156 Agility 131 Vitality 190 Perception 217 MENTAL: Vivacity 148 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 98 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 55 Meta-chance 40 Potential: 267 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] load: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 50 hours 10 minutes 37 seconds. Chapter 41: In the end, I win "Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra? You''ve got thirty seconds." Priam''s body came to a complete stop and the debris covering Sphinx stopped shaking. Sphinx''s power worked both ways. Seconds began to tick away as Sphinx searched for the solution to the riddle. Before the apocalypse, Priam had succeeded in solving the riddle. The trick was to create a picture. For example, the Norwegian lived in the first house, next to the blue house. Hence, the second house was blue. Writing down the answers as you went along made it easy to find the solution. However, Priam was betting that Sphinx would be paralyzed and, therefore, unable to use a table. The mythological creature''s physical capabilities were titanic, so logically, her mental abilities, such as Vivacity and Memory, must have been relatively weak. Finally, the riddle was designed to take a long time to solve - thirty seconds wasn¡¯t enough. "The Norwegian drinks water and the Japanese owns the Zebra," announced Sphinx. Priam opened his eyes wide, mouth agape. It couldn''t be! No more than six seconds had passed. Sphinx smiled as she saw Priam''s face. "Riddles are my specialty. Even so, it took me almost seven seconds to solve it. It''s an excellent riddle and I''m glad I heard it," she says. Priam''s body began to tremble. The price of defeat showed: an invisible vise was closing in on him. Sphinx continued. "You''re going to die, Priam, but I want to thank you. That masterful fight made me realize I shouldn''t underestimate my opponents. Concluding on a riddle is very pleasant. I''ll remember my promise. May we become friends in the next life." Sphinx said before pausing. "Any last words?" The vise stopped crushing Priam. Despair disappeared along with it. He had lost and this news almost soothed him. After all the pressure he''d built up over the last few days, he''d still lost. There was a kind of relief in defeat. He no longer had to be perfect - he never was. He remembered a phrase his Dad repeated when he was a little boy."The important thing is not to win, son. The important thing is never to give up and always to progress." He would do better tomorrow than today. He had to survive to do that, which was undoubtedly his specialty. The ball of stress he had been harboring in the pit of his stomach since the start of the Reunion disappeared. Priam decided he would do his best. His family wouldn''t ask any more of him. "I don''t have much to say, Sphinx. You''ve learned from this fight and so have I. You underestimated me and I made the mistake of underestimating you too. I knew it was a trap, but I believed modern knowledge would be enough to defeat you. You specialize in riddles, and I was a fool to fight on your turf. It''s a good lesson..." declared Priam. His brain was already thinking about what to do next. After a defeat, it was better to get up quickly. For him, death wasn¡¯t the end. "I hope you keep your promise. I could use a friend like you in my next lives." Sphinx nodded and returned Priam''s smile. Now that the fight was over and he was going to die, there was no need for her to be so solemn. The majestic veneer was gone and her honest smile was bright. "Wise words, Priam. A creature like me is not meant to have friends in this world, but I''ll be happy to be yours in the next. May your next life be epic," she wished. Priam nodded. The vise tightened again as Priam closed his eyes. The pain was coming fast, but he refused to scream. Sphinx''s friendship could be crucial in the next few days, and every friendship had a dose of respect. If there was a noble way to die, Priam wanted to find it. The pain increased slowly but surely. Priam''s bones ached, his muscles compressed and his eyes squeezed back into their sockets. Soon, his eardrums burst, then his brain began to be compressed. His various organs were oppressed and his heart struggled to beat. Priam tried to think of something else to keep from screaming, but death was never more pleasant the ninth time than the eight times before. I really need to find gentle ways to die... Without [Brainless], Priam would already have lost consciousness; for once, he wouldn''t have minded as the pain was unbearable. The force pressing down on him seemed omnidirectional. It brought every cell in his body closer to his center of mass as if a black hole had appeared in his abdomen. You have gained the skill: [Gravity Resistance - Rare]. [Gravity Resistance] - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. That''s probably why your massive ego attracts so much trouble. Stop triggering Tribulations. The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of strong gravity. Your body becomes more elastic. Be careful, too much gravity may lead to the grave. CONST +3 New Title: [Veteran - Bronze]. [Veteran - Bronze] - You have acquired ten different types of resistance. You''ve fought many enemies. The elements, weapons, magic and even the laws of the universe have left their mark on you. You have bled and hardened. Your path is full of suffering, but you persevere. Your resistances now increase in levels more rapidly. You can acquire new resistances more easily. CONST +10% The notification was the last thing Priam saw before his mind sank into darkness. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day Number of deaths: 9 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Title [Axolotl or Hydra ?]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT +10 CONST +8 Synergy detected with [Veteran]. You have gained the skill: [Karmic Consequence Resistance - Epic]. [Karmic Consequence Resistance] - Under Karma¡¯s aegis, breaking a contract has repercussions, and violating your word carries consequences. However, Karma does not rule alone, and the Soul safeguards free will. This resistance mitigates your karmic punishment when you break an imposed or exploitative clause. If there''s a price to pay to free yourself from unconscionable chains, you now enjoy a discount. CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 2,3,4 CONST +9 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21h 29min 18s. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Time: 49 hours 59 minutes 12 seconds. I have to be very careful with my constitution... Priam''s eyes opened slowly. Moments later, a smile appeared on his face. His last stand was proving incredibly useful. He''d lost to Sphinx, but his instincts told him it was worth it. It was an eventuality he had foreseen from the start, for which he had prepared himself. Priam wasn''t arrogant enough not to contemplate defeat. As in many games, the important thing was to win in the end. If losing a battle meant winning a war, Priam was prepared to sacrifice many lives. Sphinx had a wealth of knowledge - about the Domains, at least - and befriending her would help. Priam was not yet strong enough to do without the help of others. Straightening up quickly, Priam looked around. His resurrection had lasted no more than seven minutes and Sphinx was still there. She had pulled herself out of the rubble and closed her eyes to concentrate on her regeneration. Her wounds were certainly serious, but they were gradually disappearing. Even her limbs were slowly starting to grow back. Even IRL, a Boss''s life is truly ridiculous. I wonder if she has a second phase? The Boss hadn''t realized Priam had resurrected, but he wasn''t planning to attack her. If losing a riddle had killed him so easily, then perjuring himself would kill him too. Perhaps his new resistance would allow him to get away, using his new synergies and Potential to the fullest but somehow Priam doubted it. He remembered his oath. ¡®May that death erase any ill will one may have for the other and allow us to befriend each other in the next life.'' In absolute terms, the oath did not forbid Priam to attack Sphinx. After all, he hadn''t held a grudge against Sphinx the first time he''d tried to kill her. But now they were supposed to befriend each other. Of course, some men might stick a knife in their friend''s back if honor or their family''s safety demanded it. Others might do it for a few dollars, but friendship was a vague concept for them. Priam, however, was not a man who took it lightly. He had been - too - patient with Claire because he believed in a budding friendship. Before the apocalypse, he was the kind of person who would take in a friend for a few weeks to tide them over. He had few friends but shared a unique and strong relationship with all of them. He would never attack Sphinx in a moment of distress for material reward. If he did that, it meant he didn''t consider her a possible friend. He would break his oath and die for it. If Karma were to witness their friendship, Priam would keep his promise. Priam stood up and walked towards Sphinx. He stopped a few meters from her and cleared his throat. "Hey! My new life''s starting sooner than expected," he said shyly. He''d tricked her and hoped she wouldn''t hold it against him. Sphinx opened one eye and stepped back hurriedly. Priam laughed as Sphinx looked like a frightened kitten. "H-How?!" she stammered after a few seconds. Priam shrugged. "Let''s say the movie of my life could be called ''The Many Lives of Priam''." Sphinx lay back on the ground. Her wounds were severe and she hadn''t finished healing. "You knew it all along," she murmured. "... Yes," confirmed Priam. A friendship couldn''t be built on a lie. Without knowing how Karma would interpret his promise, he preferred to do his utmost to treat Sphinx as a true friend. Sphinx remained silent for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Okay. My first friend has to be smart, whether it''s solving my riddles or in life," she said before continuing softly. "I''ve never had a friend, so I''m unsure what to do... Should we continue the fight?" Priam smiled gently. Now that the veil of solemnity had fallen, Sphinx reminded him of a child. She was only a few days old and certainly needed someone honest to guide her. "No, friends don''t fight to the death. They can fight to practice, but you''re in no condition right now, so rest up. For now... Friends help each other," Priam said, pointing at Sphinx and then himself. "I want to become strong enough to survive my triple Tribulation and beat the fiftieth wave of the Colosseum before the end of the week. And you, what do you want to do?" he asked. Sphinx remained silent for a few seconds before replying. "I''m not sure. I suppose I want to become a Queen?" Her voice was almost interrogative at the end, and Priam understood that she had no goal other than the one the Concepts set when she was created. He shook his head gently. "The first thing to do is to know what you really want. You need to live, not just survive. Make friends, read books, and explore the world. Even if you want to become a Queen, it''ll be easier by exploring the world and facing difficulties than by staying here, in this Palace." Sphinx''s eyes sparkled with curiosity and Priam thought she looked like a cat. Fortunately, if curiosity killed the cat, the Sphinx survived. "You''re right!" declared Sphinx. Having a purpose seemed to have boosted her. She tried to stand up, but her body collapsed again. Priam raised his hand to reassure her. "There''s no hurry," he lied. "I''ve got to go and talk to a man to maybe find my family, but I''ll be back soon. Until then, try to heal." Sphinx pouted. "But I don''t want to stay here alone. You said friends should help each other, and here I''m useless..." "You''re not. I need you to be fit enough to talk with me. While you''re waiting for me, you can try to think of how to get me to withstand my next triple Tribulation. I''ll be back in less than an hour, I promise," Priam reassured her as he turned to leave. Sphinx looked like a cat, but he had a feeling that sometimes she''d be as clingy as a dog... "Oh, I''ve got it! It''s a pretty simple riddle," Sphinx replied with a yawn. "What?! How?" It was Priam''s turn to be surprised. Sphinx laughed. "You had a good idea coming to kill me. The Titles would have strengthened you, and the Palace facilities are perfect for training. But the icing on the cake is that the Lord of a Dome can use the barrier to block part of a Tribulation," Sphinx explained. "Even a triple Tribulation?" asked Priam hopefully. If the Dome''s barrier could block the appearance of a Tribulation outside it, then he had a chance. Of course, it all depended on the nature of the Tribulation. Priam had no intention of making friends with every Dome Lord. Maybe by going to Viracocha, I could kill two birds with one stone... Sphinx burst out laughing. "Of course not. But the barrier will buy you time to avoid facing all three Tribulations simultaneously. With several lives, powerful Titles, and following my training, you''ll have a chance," she encouraged him. "Several lives? I only have two," Priam clarified. Sphinx paused. "... I''ll take good care of your family if you die," she promised. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 106 Constitution 194 Agility 131 Vitality 203 Perception 217 MENTAL: Vivacity 148 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 101 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 55 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 278 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21h 21 minutes 46 seconds. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 49 hours 51 minutes 40 seconds. Chapter 42: Mercury Although not grandiose, the building architect had great taste. It looked like it had been carved from a giant block of pink salt, and a few golden scriptures adorned the fa?ade. Concepts hadn''t built the building - it wasn''t perfect enough. It was, however, too perfect to have been created by mankind. So, even before entering, the visitor knew he wasn''t dealing with just any merchant. Priam had no idea how Mercury had been able to transport the edifice, but it seemed that the merchant''s supporters in the world of Concepts were influential. And rich. Whoever had brought this building wanted to impress his customers. Standing before his home, you got a second impression of its owner. The first impression was given by his name. Mercury, the God of contracts, trade, and thieves. During the Tutorial, the System asked the user for their name. A name chosen by parents or society was of no interest to Concepts. Your name was a choice that indicated your ambitions or imagination. Priam was not his birth name. Just behind him, less than two hundred meters away, was the Ducal Palace. Mercury was the only merchant to have succeeded in constructing a building in the central square of the Dome. The residences near the palace were closed to the public, but Mercury had circumvented the ban. It was this kind of detail that showed the man''s true power. He checked that his new hood was up. Sphinx had insisted on giving him new clothes - his old ones had been destroyed during the fight. Dressed in the Dome''s colors, black and gold, Priam entered. He wanted to remain discreet, even if he hadn''t yet been able to learn [Mask]. To identify him from afar, one would have to see him, and the hood helped to counteract this. As for [Mask], Sphinx had confirmed that he would die without adequate preparation. Learning a rare skill through planning was not recommended for Tier 0. When he had asked about an epic skill, Sphinx had laughed. Priam entered the building. The lobby was spacious, and a secretary approached him, wearing a polite smile. She didn''t seem perturbed by the way the young man protected his anonymity. A professional. "Good afternoon, Sir. What can I do for you?" The building didn''t display a sign specifying the merchant''s name or the business that could be done there. Those who came here knew why. Quite naturally, it was word-of-mouth that advertised the information merchant. "I''ve come to see Mercury," Priam announced. "I intend to discuss... business with him. Please tell him a Baron is here." There was no reason not to be polite to the staff. Priam had no intention of hiding his identity from Mercury. The merchant would find out in the course of their conversation, and if he were as good as Tjay had said, then the secretary would hold her tongue. She did indeed seem competent. Priam didn''t detect any sign of surprise on her face - and with his perception, he could see the slightest twitch of her facial muscles. Unless he was already waiting for me... "Of course, Baron. Master Mercury will see you now. If you''ll follow me," she said. A man who knows how to be flexible. That''s a good sign. The secretary led him down a short corridor. He arrived at a covered balcony overlooking a small garden and fountain. The building ran around the patio, ensuring privacy and secrecy for conversations. The house was tastefully decorated, with no display of wealth. A man in his forties, a polite, confident smile on his lips, watched Priam''s entrance. He was dressed in an almost modern Roman toga. The quality of the garment immediately indicated that its owner had been successful in business. Priam instantly appreciated Mercury¡¯s clear eyes. Mercury stepped forward to shake hands with Priam, a golden bracelet on the wrist. The secretary withdrew silently, leaving the two men to talk alone. "Hello, Baron Priam. Welcome to what I would like to be my modest home. Unfortunately, it''s only on loan. For now. We, humans, have received many gifts, haven''t we?" Priam smiled at the merchant''s introduction. He was eloquent and hadn''t wasted a second probing his allegiances. This discussion was already shaping into a battle, reminding him of his talk with Maya, captain of the Mercenaries. "Hello, Mercury. Thank you for your welcome and congratulations for your home. Indeed, some have had good luck with generous patrons. Let''s spare the formalities if you don''t mind," Priam replied. He preferred a direct and fruitful conversation. Sphinx gave him two hours before setting off again while she was preparing his training. "Of course, Priam, the customer is king. Or Baron here. An impressive performance by the way. I was surprised when the announcement was made. It''s rare for a civilization to get a champion so quickly. Let''s sit down in the shade if you don''t mind," said Mercury, pointing to a small table. The setting was intimate and favorable to secrets. "How about a chat while we eat? The chef is preparing an alabhey. It''s a kind of game smoked and then marinated in honey and herbs. I still can''t decide whether it tastes like meat or fish, but it''s delicious." "With pleasure. I always enjoy making culinary discoveries," smiled Priam. Conquering a man''s heart often involved his stomach, but Priam had decided to let himself be convinced. Seated around a low table on which a few servants had placed a few appetizers, Priam and Mercury began to chat, probing each other''s personalities. The young man knew they''d have some time left before the meal was over, so he wasn''t worried about starting negotiations too quickly. They would have plenty of time to discuss more professional matters afterward. The two men took advantage of the aperitif to discuss their lives before the Tutorial - or the Apocalypse, as Mercury called it. Priam was also trying to make a good impression as he was going to ask some sensitive questions. If Mercury didn''t think their interests were aligned, he wouldn''t answer his questions. For his part, Priam had to be sure of the merchant''s seriousness and trustworthiness. Asking for secret information about the System was complicated enough, but he also wanted help finding his family. It would be dramatic if the merchant found them and used them to put pressure on Priam. And so, Priam and Mercury found themselves drinking and sizing each other up. Priam assessed his interlocutor and wondered about the next step in their relationship. Would they become friends, partners, or enemies? When the alabhey was served - it was delicious and [Poison Body] didn''t seem to react, which was a good omen - the two men began to discuss more serious matters. Mercury looked at the young man in front of him, a genuine smile on his lips - which was quite rare. The Baron''s childhood seemed to have been classic. No significant traumas except his parents'' divorce. Priam was frank and at peace with his past. He did not seem to have any mental problems, nor was he alienated, tyrannical with the staff or a megalomaniac. In his experience - before the Apocalypse - those who approached the pinnacle of their art were often eccentric or even insane. Priam, however, seemed strangely serene. Better still, he kept his feet on the ground. He was strong, of course, but only on a human scale. A tiny scale indeed. Besides, being first wasn''t the best position to be in. Breaking the ice for others, exploring new lands, staying ahead, all that was hard. It was much simpler to be number two and follow the example, dodging the mistakes made by the first. Priam was aware of this but had the right attitude. Rather than looking back, he looked forward. His course led him toward the stars. Toward the monsters that waited for humanity''s slightest mistake. Toward the factions waiting in the shadows for the end of the System''s protection. All in all, Mercury found humanity''s current champion interesting. Possessed of great personal ambition, he had no desire to enslave others. Rather, he wanted to gain power out of curiosity. An infinite world was opening up to mankind, and the new Baron wished to explore it. On these points, Mercury agreed with Maya''s analysis. The captain of the Mercenaries shared Mercury''s gift for analyzing her fellow human beings, and the two had discussed Priam. The champion position was too important to be entrusted to an incompetent or madman. However, they differed on one point. Mercury understood that Priam¡¯s family was essential to the young man - Priam''s eyes glazed over when he thought of them. He obviously missed his loved ones and their selfless love. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Nevertheless, Mercury had sensed something that neither Maya nor Priam had yet noticed. The champion wouldn''t be staying with his family for long. This new world was rich in possibilities, waiting to be discovered. Priam vibrated as he spoke of it. Looking at him, Mercury was reminded of the end of his childhood in the countryside, when he had decided to leave his family to seek his fortune in the city. Priam wasn''t looking for wealth; he was looking for adventure. He may not have realized it at the moment, telling himself that his worrisome situation prevented him from living quietly. He was lying to himself. Priam wanted to contemplate worlds that no one had trodden before him. This was doubly pleasing to Mercury - the champion of humanity shouldn''t be constantly meddling in politics. He should be a figurehead, and Priam would do just fine. Mercury raised his glass. "So, Priam, now that we know each other better, what can I do for you?" he asked. Lvl Up : [Negotiation] lvl 16 PERC +1 VIVA +1 CHAR +1 Mercury''s face remained impassive, but his brain was running at full speed. If his skill increased this easily, the System must consider the Baron highly influential. "First of all, I could use some information. My Tribulation is coming up, and I need every push. Eventually, I''d like to buy plans for skills. Finally, I''d like to track down some people who would possibly be in this dome. For payment... I''ve got cores of monsters and Barons. As well as information on the threat the System is talking about." Mercury smiled. He had information, and the Baron had strength. This meeting could turn out to be highly profitable. Mercury finished his sip of wine before answering. "You''ve come to the right person, Priam. I don''t say that to boast but because I''m one of the few humans currently on this Moon who not only knows this kind of information but can also share it. Few humans lucky enough to have landed on a world old enough to have explored the System have received information on this subject. Even among those who have sold their souls to factions," he added. Priam finished his meal while listening to the merchant talk. The alabhey was genuinely delicious. STR + 1 Priam raised an eyebrow at the notification. The meal had increased his strength, and he remembered Maya''s remark. Whether it was the cook''s skill or the rare ingredients, this was Mercury''s way of showing Priam his power. Of course, it also indicated the merchant''s respect and care for him. Mercury poured himself a glass of wine to emphasize the effect of his announcement. "First, I''d like to reassure you about our possible collaboration. I want to help humanity. However, I''m a merchant and I have to help my faction, Olympus. However, I can - and will - sell you information cheaper than to traitors. But remember, I have to make a profit," he clarified. Mercury was a merchant. Priam wasn''t sure what this meant for the System, but non-combatants also had opportunities for advancement. The eighth Concept wouldn''t necessarily be a warrior. Mercury couldn''t sell information at a loss, just as Priam couldn''t purposely miss a quest. He wouldn''t die, but his progress would be impacted - which could potentially be worse than death. "I don''t think you''re under any faction," Mercury continued. ¡°For the System, you support humanity against enemy factions and the threat. With my help, you could remain number one. As you know, in this new universe, strength is everything. If humankind''s ten greatest warriors were the dogs of a slave civilization, it will only be a few years before the entirety of the survivors become slaves." Priam nodded. "Only monsters would want that." "There are plenty of monsters," Mercury grimaced. "Unfortunately, I''m limited. Some pieces of information are unknown to me. Some are too valuable because you could become too strong with them. I don''t know you well enough to take that risk. I''d rather be honest with you," says Mercury. If Priam survived long enough, he''d become powerful enough to give his enemies nightmares. When in doubt, Mercury didn''t want any quid pro quo. The two men had finished eating, and Mercury gestured to Priam. "If you''ll follow me." Mercury stood up and descended an outside staircase into the small garden. The plants and flowers surrounding the small fountain were unknown to Priam. Nevertheless, he squatted down beside a lavender-colored flower that caught his eye. It smelled sweet, like pure winter morning air. Mercury stopped. "Misty lavender. Endemic to foggy regions. I suppose some of its cousins will soon bloom on this Moon. Beautiful, but it doesn''t have enough aether to enhance your characteristics," he explained. Priam looked pensively at the flower. He suspected that even for a merchant as wealthy as Mercury, obtaining a plant that enhanced the characteristics of the person who consumed it was impossible. If by any chance he did, it would be sold, consumed or traded by the merchant, not planted for all to see in a semi-private garden. Mercury was not yet powerful enough to flaunt his fortune this much. But misty lavender intrigued him. He felt a call coming from it and suspected there was more to it than its characteristics. If he had to speculate, his skill [Moon Mist] was reacting. Interesting. The two men continued their stroll, and Mercury resumed. "For your Tribulation, I have two pieces of advice. First, face it alone. They''re a test, and if the System thinks you''re cheating, you''re dead," he warned. Mercury''s gaze was severe, and Priam nodded. "Secondly, face as many as possible before evolving to Tier 1. Tribulations temper your body, offer Titles, Potential and sometimes more... You''ll be rewarded beyond your dreams if you triumph over a triple Tribulation. But don''t be too greedy. A double Tribulation at Tier 0 is almost a legend. Three Tribulations... You''ll be destroyed. Certainly taking some part of the Moon with you. Just try not to die twice..." Mercury looked Priam in the eye and the Baron puckered his lips. "You seem well-informed.¡± Priam wasn''t angry. Mercury must have been referring to the Tear. He had no way - except perhaps with divination - of knowing Priam''s special talent. In any case, Mercury was competent to find this kind of information about him. He needed someone capable to find his family. "That''s my job," the merchant replied before continuing his walk. "Now that we''re a little further away from the various spies that populate this house, let''s discuss the most important thing. Evolution." The merchant''s approach and attitude had not changed. "Spies in your own house?" Priam raised an eyebrow. "I''m not yet powerful enough to execute all the traitors - who would serve me wine then?" laughed Mercury. "It''s also easier when I have to pass on bad information to them," he winked. Priam laughed. Mercury was a wily old fox, but he was likable. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 107 Constitution 194 Agility 131 Vitality 203 Perception 217 MENTAL: Vivacity 148 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 101 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 55 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 278 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19h 7 minutes 9 seconds. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 47 hours 37 minutes 3 seconds. Chapter 43: Heart Supremacies "Evolution, then. I assume it''s the move to Tier 1?" "That''s right. This is one of the few times the System isn''t holding your hand - this choice is crucial. In advanced civilizations, some masters can look at your path and advise you. There are many possibilities, as each individual is unique. Fusion with cores, resources or monsters, cultivation methods, change of species or race, symbiosis, etc. You''ll have to find your own way," Mercury replied with a shrug. The two men strolled through a magnificent patio, but Priam focused solely on Mercury''s words. "You can access Tier 1 at any time. Its first interest is that it pushes back the thresholds of Tribulations. The more Tribulations you''ve gone through in Tier 0, the more margin you''ll have in Tier 1. There are other advantages to changing Tier, but above all, there''s a test of the System at the end of an Evolution. A High Tribulation..." Mercury''s voice whispered the last words, and Priam felt a mingled respect and awe wash over the merchant. After a few seconds of silence, the two men arrived at a fountain. A servant bowed as he caught sight of Mercury before moving away, and Priam thought that humanity was quick to adapt. Of course, bowing was expected in some countries, but the Tutorial had taught most humans the importance of hierarchy in this new world. Never, Priam promised himself. "For your Tribulations..." continued Mercury, pausing to observe the fish. "I can give you a short list of Titles and their acquisition method. I''m unaware of many titles, they''re closely guarded secrets. In addition, Tjay has already given you a list of rare items to... borrow. You can trust it. I''m the one who whispered these things in his ear." Mercury winked. "Thank you, Mercury. What about my family?" asked Priam. "I''ll do everything I can. I won¡¯t lie, I''m already looking for them, but they''re not in this Dome. I''ve asked my men to go through all the Domes with a fine-tooth comb. We''ll find them," Mercury smiled. Priam turned toward the fountain with an impassive face. He was disappointed that his family wasn''t in the Dome. He had also noted Mercury''s innuendo. The factions knew he was looking for his family, and some were already looking for them to control him. Priam was too powerful to be ignored but not powerful enough to be absolutely respected. "What will it cost me?" he finally asked. Mercury was still a merchant. Priam preferred a deal to a gift. He wanted to know the price. "I don''t want cores, resources or artifacts. Of course, I may change my mind if you think you have unique resources, but I assume you''ve already consumed them," Mercury explained. "I want you to do something for me. I want you to steal something. I''d also like to see the owner dead, but I predict you''ll take care of that anyway." He talks so easily of murder. According to their conversation, Mercury had not been involved with the mafia before the Tutorial, and the request surprised Priam. "Why do you think he deserves death?" asked Priam cautiously. Theft was less of a problem for him. Priam understood that he wouldn''t survive long in this world if he wasn''t flexible with his morality. "Anatole is the leader of the Cult of Revenants," Mercury explained with a smile. Priam froze before returning the smile. He''d been busy lately but hadn''t forgotten the Revenants. Everything seemed to fit together for Priam to visit them. "I see you''re up for it. He''s in Viracocha but beware, he''s extremely dangerous. In his possession is an urn corrupted by the Depths. You must know what I''m talking about since I assume you also stole the corrupted Tear?" the merchant asked. Priam nodded. "The urn will protect you from corruption if you consume the Tear of the Deep. But its protection applies only to the bearer. Don''t swallow it among allies... If you accept, one of my agents will wait for you in Viracocha to retrieve the urn afterward." Priam thought for a second. The merchant wasn''t a fighter, but he was undoubtedly a dangerous man. If he refused the offer, he''d have to kill Mercury and anyone else looking for his family. That was impossible, and the deal was honestly rather advantageous for him. Lose a valuable object - the existence of which he didn''t even know a few minutes ago - to find his family? Even his greedy side agreed. "I accept," he replied as Mercury smiled. "Perfect. I propose that we seal our agreement with a contract. My skill will oblige each of us to take responsibility. Does that suit you?" Priam wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. Initially, he thought he should trust Mercury. He remained cautious about his decision because, despite his help, Mercury remained a merchant. After the episode with Claire, Priam was suspicious. A contract was precisely what he wanted. "You help me find my family and possibly protect them while I join them, and offer me your list of Titles. In exchange, I''ll bring you the item you want and kill Anatole. Is that it?" Priam recapitulated. "Exactly," Mercury replied. "Then we have a deal," said Priam, extending a hand which Mercury shook. Priam had left the residence a few minutes earlier when a servant approached Mercury. He was still standing in the middle of the patio, staring into the fountain. A triple Tribulation was no small matter. "We''ve found Claire," reported the servant. Mercury looked away from the pond. "Send a message to Maya. I want her alive," he ordered. Whether Priam survived or not, humanity had to win. Guided by Sphinx, Priam took a corridor to one of the Palace''s great towers. After a few minutes, they arrived in the Palace''s training room. It was spacious, probably the size of a soccer field. Entering the rectangular room, Priam was astonished to contemplate the immense infinity of space behind a transparent ceiling. Far above him, in the middle of this black picture, was Earth. "Why train here and not in the Colosseum?" asked Priam, stamping his foot on the sand-covered floor. "Because the entrance is too small for me," Sphinx replied, moving closer to a pane of glass overlooking a beautiful garden. The walls featured metal plates and glass panes overlooking a lovely sunny garden. That made an excellent reason, and the debate was over instantly. "Have you made any progress in reducing your size?" asked Priam. Currently, Sphinx was so imposing that simply moving around in the Dome would have created problems. Fortunately, the Palace was adapted to her size, as was the portal for Viracocha. Priam planned to find Anatole''s urn with Sphinx''s help before unleashing his Tribulations - an extra Tear would be helpful. Mercury had indicated that the Cultist leader was dangerous, but Priam refused to believe he could harm Sphinx. His friend was therefore working on a miniaturization skill, so she could follow Priam and infiltrate the Cult''s lair. Besides, Priam had no intention of hiding Sphinx forever. She would be better accepted by humans - and their infrastructure - if she wasn''t five meters tall. "I''ll be finished before your training''s over," announced Sphinx, proudly raising her head. "Incredible, you really are the best," Priam congratulated her. He smiled as she gloated, proud of herself. He wanted to pat her on the head, but it was physically complicated right now. During his studies, he had briefly been a teacher and had learned a few things from his contact with children. One of the first was that a child should always be encouraged when they made an effort. Education was a full-time job, requiring many qualities and knowledge that Priam didn''t claim to have. But Sphinx was barely two days old and she needed him now. Priam intended to do his best. Sphinx finally remembered that they had to train. "Enough joking. We don''t have much time to train you." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. This training was a first for Priam. He needed to become more powerful without triggering more Tribulations. If he couldn''t increase his attributes - and therefore his skills - he could still work on his Heart Supremacies: Domain, Micro and Mastery. It was time to prioritize quality over quantity. "What are we going to work on first?" asked Priam. He had barely two days to train, steal a few trinkets and leave for Viracocha. "It''s up to you," said a voice behind Priam, making him turn around. Bechar had just entered the room, hands clasped behind his back, an enigmatic smile on his face. "Hey Bechar," said Priam. "Hey Priam," replied Bechar before turning to Sphinx. "A good day to you, O great Sphinx," Bechar bowed, winking at Priam. Sphinx purred with delight and Priam smiled. Bechar knew how to deal with children. "What are you doing here?" asked Priam. "Our Dome Lord invited me to supervise your training. Watching weak humans struggling without making it past the fifteenth wave gets boring pretty quickly, so here I am," said Bechar. Priam didn''t see the changeling working in an office, so he wasn''t surprised by his answer. Bechar walked over to a window and revealed a table laden with victuals. A few chairs later, a picnic had been prepared by the Colosseum Supervisor. Once seated and stuffing his face, Bechar continued. "The three Heart Supremacies are Domain, Micro and Mastery. Each is subdivided into Stages, and no one has reached their final Stage. You have affinities with all three Supremacies and I don''t want to disrupt your path. So, the choice is yours," Bechar concludes. "Can you summarize my affinities?" coughed Priam to hide his embarrassment. The question was deflected because asking for information known to Sphinx - the equivalent of a two-day-old little girl in a Boss body - made him feel ashamed. Bechar looked at him with a sneer and Priam knew he''d been found out. He put down the thing he''d been devouring. "You can already project your mind into your mist. This will help you create your Domain: a zone where your control is absolute. You''ll be able to know what enters it, block your enemies'' perception, weaken their skills..." "That''s what I was using to block your pathetic attacks," Sphinx added with a laugh. Priam sighed when he heard this. Sphinx was a child without filter and hadn''t said it to be mean. The truth came from children''s mouths, and sometimes the truth hurt. Priam wasn''t sad; he was aware of their power and talent differences. "And the rest?" asked Priam, trying to forget his ego. "Micro allows you to use your body to its full potential. Move your body to the nearest hundredth of a millimeter, use exactly the amount of force you want to use, synergize your muscles, etc. If Dexterity is the software that allows you to use your body, then Micro is your ability to use the functionalities of this software," explained Bechar. "I find it less useful than the Domain..." Priam had never really had a problem with his Dexterity. He knew he could use his body better, but it wouldn''t save him from a Tribulation. "You''re making a mistake. If the Domain is external, Micro is internal. At higher levels, you can better use your internal skills and prevent enemies'' skills from impacting you. You''d be impressive if you could use [Kinetic Control] and Micro. For example, you could perfectly control each of your muscles, strengthening your moves and body. There are even more interesting uses, but more on that later." Priam clenched his fist. This was terrible news for him. If the hoplite warrior had used Micro, he wouldn''t have been able to launch it with [Kinetic Control]. If his future enemies could ignore part of his main weapon, he would have to work on that urgently. Protecting himself or mitigating the effects of skill on his own body - and therefore his mind, thanks to the Merit of [Brainless] - seemed paramount. Micro and Domain were both useful abilities for both defense and attack. "And Mastery?" asked Priam. ¡°Mastery refers to a weapon: your feet, fists, spear... Mastery of a weapon increases your affinity and harmony with it. It bridges your will - your Heart - and the aether. It enables your weapon to perform feats that would otherwise be impossible. For example, you have to use a great deal of energy to pierce a steel plate. With Mastery, you could pierce it as if it were wood. At my level, an unenchanted steel plate holds me back no more than air," explained Bechar. Priam picked up a bowl of fruit that looked like blueberries and began to swallow them mechanically. Their tangy taste helped him to think. "All three Supremacies seem extremely useful. I suppose they''re all useful for overcoming my Tribulation. Is there anything I can do to evolve one of them quickly?" asked Priam. "You could create a Domain instantly by evolving your Title [Brainless]. To do this, there''s a simple solution, but it requires your death," Bechar warned after a second''s thought. "Not now then," refused Priam. "I have something else planned for my next death." Bechar nodded. "Well, that simplifies things. Micro requires training and time, whereas Mastery requires actual combat and time. Micro will strengthen your physical skills and [Kinetic Control], and Mastery will strengthen your spear and connection." Priam quickly consulted his status. "I mustn''t win points in Constitution, or I''ll trigger another Tribulation. I guess the only good real fight in this Dome is against the Viscount under it," Priam asked. Bechar shrugged. "I can''t answer that kind of question. It''s up to you to discover opportunities. But, I would advise against triggering a fourth Tribulation. I''ve only known one warrior who managed a triple Tribulation at Tier 0 and... He''s a monster who became a Diamond Rank Mercenary," Bechar explained. The changeling pointed at Priam. "Your only advantage is your environment if you become Lord of another Dome and your special talent for resurrecting. Be careful to time the arrival of the Tribulations just before your coronation. It would be a shame to die because you got a Title at the wrong time." Priam nodded. He already had a plan to defeat the Lord of Viracocha. "Well, I guess we can start Micro''s training," he replied, rising to his feet. Priam had another reason for choosing Micro. Training would increase the level of his skill [Kinetic Control]. This one was almost level 20, and if he could improve his technique before the Tribulations, he''d have a real chance. Bechar smiled before turning to Sphinx. "I''ll let you start," he said. "Here we go," exclaimed Sphinx, indicating Priam to head for a corner of the room. The Dome Lord was excited and rushed off, kicking up clouds of sand behind her. "Carefu..." Priam began. He quickly found himself covered in sand and had to spit out some that had found its way into his mouth. Looking up, he saw Sphinx happily waiting for him. She was too cute for him to scold her, and Priam laughed before joining her. Moments later, he was sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Where do we start?" "At the beginning!" exclaimed Sphinx, pressing the buttons on a console that had just emerged from the floor. Seconds later, a bubble appeared around Priam. "I am free for the taking through all of your life, though given but once at birth. I am less than nothing in weight, but will fell the strongest of you if held. You have five minutes!" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 107 Constitution 194 Agility 131 Vitality 203 Perception 217 MENTAL: Vivacity 148 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 101 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 55 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 278 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18h 24 minutes 40 seconds. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 46 hours 54 minutes 34 seconds. Chapter 44: Micro management and Macro Will Sphinx had not used her skill and Priam could concentrate on the riddle without risking his life. The answer was breathing. In the first few seconds, Priam realized that the bubble let in light but not air. The gas inside had been replaced, preventing Priam from taking another breath. He would have to make do with the oxygen already in his system. The average human takes twelve breaths a minute. Apnea means cutting off the oxygen supply and gradually building up carbon dioxide in the body. Its concentration quickly became toxic, and the brain sent a signal to resume breathing. Out of the water, the average adult male could not faint just by holding his breath - the survival instinct was too strong. If Sphinx had given him five minutes, it wasn''t to find the answer to the riddle. Priam had to hold his breath during this time. He was confident it wasn''t attempted murder. Sphinx didn''t need this kind of stratagem to defeat him. He closed his eyes to concentrate as Bechar''s voice rang out. "For a normal human, before the Concepts kidnapped you, two biological rhythms were vital and automatic: breath and heartbeat. Your brain constantly sends orders to your body, most of them automatically. To unlock Micro''s first stage, you''ll need to regain control. You have to control your body consciously," explained Bechar. During his explanation, the changeling had sat down behind Priam - conjuring up another chair and then a pack of biscuits. The supervisor began to eat, watching Priam. Sphinx squinted at the nonchalant attitude of her chosen trainer. Bechar soon realized his mistake. Cleverly, he offered the young Lord a giant pack of biscuits. The diversion worked and Sphinx succumbed to the allure of a consumer society. Bechar smiled before turning his attention back to Priam. "It''s more painful than letting your brain take care of everything automatically, but it''s also necessary. If you can control all your body''s reactions, a whole new world will open up. You''ll be able to influence your heart rate, increase the energy allocated to your digestive system to absorb nutrients faster, improve your regeneration speed, use your eyes like binoculars or magnifying glasses, etc.," he enumerated. "In short, you''ll be able to make the most of your physical attributes." Priam, eyes closed and sitting cross-legged, struggled not to let out a breath. Bechar''s explanation was tantalizing and he wanted to unlock Micro quickly. The aim of the exercise was to fight his survival reflexes, spot them and then... What should I do next? With his impressive Vivacity - 148 - it was usually easy for him to understand the meaning of an exercise. But Priam couldn''t see the point. The relationship between his survival reflexes and control of his body was confusing. Soon, another problem appeared. As Priam concentrated on his body and how it felt, he noticed his concentration wavering. This training session was a rare moment since the beginning of the Reunion. It was the first time Priam could genuinely concentrate on himself without using his Potential. Unfortunately, finding no further clues to pursue his thoughts, they began to wander. His Vivacity searched for answers to different subjects, and [Eidetic Memory] wasn''t helping. His talent offered him a thousand and one questions that he had never answered before. With his new abilities, he had a chance to find answers. Unfortunately, none had anything to do with his training. After a minute, Priam was no longer concentrating on holding his breath and let out a gulp of air. He instantly opened his eyes, realizing his mistake, but it was too late. His empty lungs tried to fill as his survival reflex ordered Priam to breathe. The gas in the bubble remained static and Priam began to choke, inflating his lungs without any fluid entering them. As he panicked, the bubble disappeared. Priam collapsed to the ground, hyperventilating. His body and brain needed oxygen, and his lungs complied. Of course, he was used to death and danger, but the animal part of his brain remained terrified. His Vitality took over, and the precious oxygen flowing back into his lungs fed his body. A minute later, as Priam slowly came to his senses, Bechar spoke again. "Sorry for this painful exercise. You come from a species unknown to me and I had to understand some things. Nevertheless, we''ve learned a lot. What do you think?" the Overseer asked calmly. Priam turned to him, catching his breath. He didn''t blame the changeling. He wanted to survive his Tribulations and knew Bechar was his best chance. Priam took one last deep breath to calm himself before answering. "Without Potential, it''s hard for me to control my thoughts for long. My brain needs to think. Finding a better way to use my skills, reviewing my previous battles, speculating on my Tribulations... I just can''t stay focused," Priam confessed. He was ashamed and disappointed in himself. His characteristics made him a superman, yet he couldn''t keep his attention for more than a minute. Bechar nodded, tossed a cake into his mouth and swallowed before resuming. "Why''s that?" he questioned, smiling. Priam took a few seconds to think. Now that he had a concrete problem on which to throw his intelligence and logic, his Vivacity was once again a powerful weapon. After two seconds, Priam clapped his hands. "My mental attributes are not balanced!" he exclaimed in understanding. Bechar smiled and motioned for him to continue his thought. "If I had a thousand points in Strength and Agility, but only a hundred points in Constitution, I''d just maim myself by moving too fast. Mentally, it''s the same. Vivacity gives me enormous computing power, but without Memory to store my deductions and Willpower to focus, I can''t fully exploit my attributes," Priam concluded. His brain had so much energy that he always wanted to think. Priam couldn''t concentrate on the same subject because his Vivacity was twice as great as his Willpower. Bechar applauded politely. "Give or take a few details, you''re right. Except with geniuses, this kind of imbalance is normal. Fortunately, there are solutions. For example, you overcame this difficulty by choosing [Eidetic Memory] as your reward on wave 20 of the Colosseum. Your Memory attribute is so low that it pains me, but it doesn''t bother you right now." Bechar stood up and walked over to a window. Priam could see the ducal garden, but behind its walls lay the Dome and its inhabitants. Bechar pointed to the wall. "Some people look for skills, traits, or Titles to compensate for their shortcomings. However, with your current talent and resources, you can and should rapidly increase your attributes. Some, like Charisma, are not yet important but are a weakness. If a Tribulation exploited this weakness, you''d die," says Bechar before turning back to Priam, snacks in hand. Priam nodded to show he understood. He couldn''t be the best everywhere but had unleashed a triple Tribulation. If Bechar, Mercury and Maya were correct - which seemed likely - every weakness would cost him a life. Unacceptable. "Which brings me to Micro." A heavy pressure appeared and Priam''s eyes widened in astonishment. Bechar was simply looking at Priam, breathing. It seemed harmless, but Priam immediately understood that the changeling was revealing some part of his power. A current of air was created under the powerful suction of Bechar''s lungs. The flow increased and Priam soon began to have difficulty breathing. All the air in the room seemed to be sucked into Bechar''s single breath, and Priam had no time to seek refuge behind Sphinx before Bechar opened his mouth. He clicked his tongue and a white marble instantly flew across the room. A fraction of a second later, the marble reached the back of the training room before striking a pane of glass. The glass shook on impact and the fluid in the marble was released. A gust of wind worthy of the greatest hurricanes struck Priam in the back before he could brace himself, throwing him violently forward. Sphinx caught him just before he hit the glass. Stunned, Priam took a few seconds to get up before thanking Sphinx. "You''re so light," Sphinx giggled before swallowing a new pack of biscuits. Packaging included. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Priam almost explained to Sphinx that swallowing the package was unnecessary but changed his mind. There was no nearby garbage can, and it was unlikely to provoke stomachaches to a monster capable of withstanding the fall of a million tons of rock. Shaking his head, he refocused on Bechar. The changeling hadn''t even attacked him. What a monster. Priam swallowed, thinking about the Overseer who had created a terrifying attack just by inhaling. Seeing Priam concentrating without getting upset, Bechar smiled and explained. "I just used Micro to breathe. I partially inflated my lungs, otherwise the attack would have destroyed the castle. Voluntarily I deactivated my passive skills and Titles. You''ve just seen the effect of thousands of Force points put to good use. In concrete terms, the first Micro Stage will at least double the effectiveness of all your abilities." Bechar pointed to his head. "I''m not just talking about your physical abilities. Micro will help you perfectly control every nerve, muscle, and tendon. But above all, it will help you control your head," he stressed. Bechar walked over to Priam and placed a hand on his abdomen. "Your heart rate is erratic and the shockwave has frightened you," he announced. "When you felt my aura increase, you released adrenaline to focus on the danger. It''s useful for forgetting pain and fear, but it disturbs your thoughts. You''re letting yourself be manipulated by the drugs distilled by your brain. I''ll leave you to imagine what could happen against an opponent who would take advantage of this weakness," warned Bechar. Priam pondered the changeling''s words. He wasn''t lacking in imagination. "Mental manipulation," Priam murmured. Bechar nodded. "An enemy with a skill that enables me to produce adrenalin might induce me to attack him without thinking. Worse, if someone could convince my brain to produce oxytocin, I''d fall in love. In the long run, this would be devastating for my mental health and ambitions." "It''s indeed a possibility," confirmed the changeling. "Micro is unlocked by stages. Its third stage will help you control this kind of thing better and synergize with your resistances. For now, you need to reach the first stage. Mastery of your nerve impulses to control your muscles. Look at your hands," Bechar said, dipping into his packet of sweets. Priam looked at his hands briefly, then closed and reopened them. Evolution has given man great control over the different parts of his body. Now that Priam had to relearn how to control his body, he felt a new respect for life and its miracles. In his hand alone, three main nerves subdivided to control it. "Opposable thumbs have allowed humanity to conquer your planet using tools. But one of the first tools you have is your body. You must control it. You must dominate it. You must be its master. Supremacy over your body, that''s what Micro is all about," explained Bechar. Priam nodded. "I understand the point of this Supremacy. But how I can unlock this kind of thing? If all it took to unlock Micro was apnea, the Olympic swimmers would have dominated the world..." "Sorry, your civilization indeed comes from a very aether-poor region. I should have considered that," Bechar apologized. "Without significant mental attributes, it''s almost impossible to unlock Micro. When your mental attributes exceed a hundred, certain qualitative changes occur. Dexterity allows you to take control of your brain and will enable you to simultaneously control the forty-three pairs of nerves your body houses," Bechar explained. "The higher stages of Micro exist thanks to the aether, but we''re not there yet." Thoughtful, Priam stepped forward to pick a candy but Bechar put the package out of his reach with a smile. "These are winner''s sweets. You¡¯ll have to earn them!" Bechar winked. Priam was speechless for an instant before refocusing. "Okay, but practically speaking?" he asked. "To understand how your brain orders your body, it''s best to immerse yourself in a stressful situation and force your brain to send out strong commands. Apply yourself to feeling and sensing your body. When your brain panics because of the lack of oxygen, it will send commands to force you to breathe. Block it. Then trace this command back to its source: your primal instinct. If you can identify your primal consciousness, you can try to dominate it. From there, we can work," Bechar encouraged. "What about my will?" asked Priam. Bechar laughed. "That''s the second objective of this training. Your will is a muscle. You must use it, polish it, tame it. It''s yours to use. You need Will to use Micro and Micro will help you control that Will by fusing it with aether. It becomes a virtuous circle once you unlock this Supremacy. The hard part is getting there," Bechar explained. Suddenly, his voice changed and Priam once again felt an aura crushing him. "If you don''t have enough Will, give up your quest for freedom right now and wait for the Tribulations. You have enough attributes to do what needs to be done. The only thing holding you back is yourself," he said. Bechar''s voice was harsher and Priam understood that the changeling was helping him because he had seen something in Priam. If that something blossomed, then he would help him again. If Priam failed, Bechar would go back to eat his treats in the Colosseum. Priam gritted his teeth and returned to his seat. The bubble appeared again and Priam took a final breath. His Will was a sword, and Priam would seize it to slice through his imperfections. If Micro existed, he''d get it today. It''s my brain and my body. They will obey me, he decided. Otherwise, he would die. Bechar had finished his packet of sweets but made no pretense of opening a new one. The old shape-shifter was normally a fanatic for sweets, but he loved to see new stars shining even more. "Hmm," Sphinx coughed behind him. "I shall accept another offering of treats," she announced in an adorably haughty voice. Bechar laughed and mechanically grabbed a packet of kibble for Hevlu, which he handed to Sphinx. One of his grandchildren loved those pets, and Bechar had borrowed a few packs from him. If Sphinx found out she was happily eating the equivalent of giant cat kibble, she''d probably be embarrassed and angry. Well, she''ll never find out, decided Bechar. He refocused on Priam, who remained motionless, sitting cross-legged in an asphyxiating bubble. "It''s been over five minutes," complained Sphinx. "I hope he unlocks the first Micro stage before his Tribulations," she murmured worriedly. Bechar laughed softly and Sphinx turned to him, intrigued. "He''ll get there. He found the source of his primal instinct on the second try and without Potential. His encounters with Death helped, but it''s still a feat. He''s already experimenting. His heartbeat is becoming erratic. He''s already trying to manipulate his brain. He''ll have unlocked the first stage by tonight, and alone," smiled Bechar. "It''s still a long time," Sphinx complained, swallowing a kibble. Bechar laughed. "You were born in possession of the three Supremacies so it may seem easy. But for most species, they''re incredibly complicated to obtain. It took me two days to achieve what he''s doing and I''m a genius. He must have found a technique. I can feel his attributes increasing..." The seconds ticked by and Bechar whispered. "If I''m here, it''s to see a miracle. I hope you''ll show me that Priam" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 107 Constitution 194 Agility 131 Vitality 203 Perception 217 MENTAL: Vivacity 148 Dexterity 132 Memory 36 Willpower 76 Charisma 101 META: Meta-affinity 92 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 55 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 278 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 34 minutes 25 seconds. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 47 hours 4 minutes 19 seconds. Chapter 45: Heading for Viracocha When the bubble had closed over him again, Priam had concentrated. All his strength, emotions, and will had been condensed and refined into a blade of will. Unfortunately, a minute later, his thoughts were wandering again. As is often the case, a man''s will was weak in the face of his nature. Priam had very much hoped to receive a letter from Hogwarts when he entered the sixth grade, but it had never arrived. His Vivacity was twice as powerful as his Willpower, and this fact could not be changed. As his thoughts wandered again, Priam realized he had to use all his strengths. He had initially triggered [Meditation] to focus his thoughts, and it had worked. However, [Meditation] required a certain amount of diligence. Before the Tutorial, monks could spend tens of thousands of hours meditating to control their bodies and minds. Priam lacked experience, and his skill was only level 4. His concentration had slipped again and Priam had become irritated. In a fraction of a second, he had devised solutions to keep his attention. He had even been tempted to stab himself in the thigh with a knife - or some other barbaric means of inflicting pain. Priam then mentally brushed the idea aside. He was in this bubble to concentrate on his sensations and find a way to reach Micro. Hurting himself and adding unnecessary painful signals would not increase his chances of pinpointing his primal instinct. He concentrated again, forgetting his anger. Lvl Up : [Meditation] lvl 5 WILL+3 One minute. As his thoughts escaped him again and his lungs burned, Priam had an idea. He invoked [Mirror of the Soul] and looked at his reflection in the pool he had absorbed. A fragment of the concept of purity had dissolved there. Priam plunged his eyes into those of his reflection and contemplated a new chain that was binding him. A metal crown encircled his head, passed through his forehead, and connected to his hand. Metaphorically, Priam held himself back by his choices, impatience, and fear of defeat. By trying so hard to keep failure out of his thoughts, he was inviting it in. Focusing on the negative reinforced his fears. Smiling inwardly, Priam accepted his emotions. He now knew his problem. In the mental space of [Mirror of the Soul], Priam stood up before letting himself fall into the water. The liquid took over his body and began to purify his thoughts. Instinctively, Priam realized that the price he had to pay was the depletion of his fragment of purity, but he was prepared to make the sacrifice. Floating on the water''s surface, he could feel the chains binding him. The pool was losing power, but Priam could finally understand what was blocking him. They were personal chains, due mainly to his fears. His Dexterity also informed him of millions of tiny chains, which seemed to be blocking his meridians, his muscles and his organs... Later, he thought. He now knew his lesson: it was dangerous to spread yourself too thin. Two minutes. His body was still sitting cross-legged and deprived of air. His mind was now cut off from the outside world, concentrated in his mental space. His spiritual body floated on the surface of the hot spring transformed by the Concepts. With another thought, Priam altered the environment. The water became denser and the light disappeared. Priam was floating in a pure pool, without light, sound or external stimuli, as in a sensory isolation chamber. Aided by the purity of the water, [Meditation] reactivated, and the aethereal environment of the training room increased his learning speed. Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 6 WILL+3 Soothed, Priam gradually reconnected with his body. First to his lungs, which were screaming, then to his heart, beating hard to keep him alive. The rest of his body gradually took shape in his mind and he threw all his Vivacity and Dexterity into observing his bodily reactions. The oxygen level in his body was dropping and his instincts were screaming at him to take a breath. Priam stared coldly at the animal part of his brain. Mentally floating on the pool''s surface that existed only in his mind, he no longer felt any pain. In fact, he felt nothing except the din caused by his instincts. Three minutes. Priam¡¯s Dexterity informed him that while his Constitution allowed him to conserve a large reserve of oxygen in his lungs, his Vitality consumed an enormous amount of resources. His impressive Vitality allowed him to heal himself of almost any injury, but his body consumed tremendous energy in the process. His resurrections replenished his stocks and he had only reached his limits once - when Claire betrayed him. If he were to run out of calories - or oxygen - his body would be miserable. That was precisely what was happening right now. If three minutes of apnea wasn''t an impressive amount of time on Earth, Priam''s body couldn''t take much more. He couldn''t measure his body''s consumption exactly, but he knew it used almost five times as much oxygen as an average human to operate naturally. Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 2 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Shit. Carbon dioxide! [Poison Body] manages to transform it into a beneficial substance, but if its level rises any further, I''m going to end up with a fourth Tribulation! For the first time, Priam faced a danger well-known to System users. Tribulations were bound to happen because stagnation was often impossible. The System was constantly pushing its users toward the Zenith. The seconds continued to tick by as Priam''s body weakened. The concentration of carbon dioxide in his blood increased, but [Poison Body] prevented him from suffering too much. Unfortunately, although his body was getting used to it, the lack of oxygen was still lethal. His brain continued to weaken and the tips of his fingers and lips turned blue. His heart began to increase in frequency to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Tachycardia - an increase in heart rate above one hundred beats per minute - was the brain''s response to the lack of oxygen. His brain was panicking, his instincts were trying to force him to breathe and Priam was concentrating harder than ever. His time was coming. Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 7 WILL+3 Four minutes. The situation was becoming critical and Priam didn''t want to damage his brain. If he didn''t manage to detect Micro after five minutes, he would have to end his attempt prematurely. Priam wanted to get it right on his first try. Each failure brought experience but each victory strengthened his momentum. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 3 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 His lungs contracted. Isolated in his mental space, Priam knew this reflex was not his making. His instincts were now begging to live. His Vitality was trying to heal his body but was only making things worse. With no resources to repair his heart, his cells¡¯ efforts were increasing their oxygen consumption. Synergies detected. You have gained the skill: [Asphyxia Resistance - Rare]. [Asphyxia Resistance] - Your body needs oxygen and calories. Without oxygen, your cells can''t convert the nutrients you absorb into energy. This resistance fundamentally alters your cells. They begin to use the ambient aether to transform these nutrients into energy. Are you still human? VIT +2 META (END) +1 Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Priam¡¯s body began to shake and his mouth opened. Now! [Bullet Time]. It all happened in a split second. Excitement canceled out his meditation. His lungs expanded to breathe fresh air, and his mouth and windpipe opened naturally. However, his mind was no longer concerned with his body. From the pool of [Mirror of the Soul], Priam was using all his concentration, Vivacity and Dexterity to get his primal instincts. Now it was his Willpower that was being deployed to master that instinct. He didn''t want to kill it, just take control of it. This primal part had been with him since birth. It was as much a part of him as his hands or his memory. Priam''s conscious will touched his primal instincts. There was a deep connection, a return to his roots. Priam could feel his body as new and unfamiliar sensations appeared. His instincts naturally gave way and Priam found himself in charge, without explanation or help. He was like an amateur piloting a plane. Unintentionally, he touched unfamiliar buttons, giving illogical and contradictory orders. His lungs contracted and his muscles spasmed. After a few seconds, his heart raced even more. Priam tried to control all these changes simultaneously. It was as if a thousand fires had gone off simultaneously in his body. Despite his great Vivacity, he couldn''t handle it properly. I''m going to need some practice. At least a few hours, but my organs won''t last that long... Priam had no more resurrection available. His brain was in danger of failing without oxygen and his heart was beating fast enough to make the sand beneath him vibrate. Using his Potential could speed things up, but he only had a few seconds before he was permanently damaged. Priam wanted to get Micro now. He couldn¡¯t afford to restart several times while slowly familiarizing himself with the supremacy. It was too time-consuming - if not impossible because of the increase in Constitution. Gritting his teeth, Priam gave it his best shot. His consciousness grew denser thanks to [Brainless] and somehow swallowed his instincts. Suddenly, his mind was overloaded. All his receptors were simultaneously sending him a variety of information. He was no longer an amateur in the cockpit of a plane. He was the plane. Thousands of pieces of information were arriving every second, and this sensory assault paralyzed Priam. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. When a human being was in good health, his perception of his body was relatively silent. When a thousand cuts chiseled a body, the pain gave information about every little wound. Every square millimeter of Priam''s skin now sent him information about the temperature, the clothes covering him, the state of his body tissues, etc. The sensations from his skin were already causing his brain to overheat, but he was receiving information from his whole body. The excess information exploded in his mind like a bomb. His Vivacity could not calculate as quickly as his subconscious. The brain was an incredible organ and most of its calculations were carried out in the background, without the human consciousness caring for them. The simple act of smiling at a joke was automatic, but there was nothing simple about the electrical impulses behind it. Trying to take control of his body using only his Vivacity was too ambitious. Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 4 PERC +3 Priam had ridden a wild horse by swallowing his instincts and couldn''t get off. As he began to panic, the bubble enveloping him burst as his body collapsed. His lungs finally swallowed a gulp of air. Bechar''s voice rang out. "Use your potential. Release your instincts slowly, bit by bit. You must learn from it, gradually merge with it, not fight or absorb it. It''s just another facet of you," the Overseer advised in a calm voice. Part of Priam could hear Sphinx mewling, certainly frightened for her friend. Priam connected to his Potential, and the world slowed down even more. He no longer had to be afraid. Fresh, oxygen-filled air was flowing into his lungs again. The Potential would help him and so would [Humanity Adapts]. Two days before his Tribulations, Priam tamed his supremacy. [Supremacy - Micro] - Micro allows the user to control his body down to the smallest detail. Operating in Stages, Micro is used in every Universe. While the first Stages are anchored in organic reality, its link with the aether gradually becomes apparent. The advanced Stages can transform your body into an invincible weapon. Current stage: 0 - Fusion Bonus: PERC +5 / DEX +10 / VIVA +10 / WILL +5 POT - 156 VIT +2 VIVA +4 Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 8,9,10 WILL +9 Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 5,6 PERC +6 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 6 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up : [Osmosis] lvl 3 PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 [Mirror of the Soul] is on an evolutionary path. Continue to explore this talent and strengthen it to bring an evolution. Priam smiled as he read his notification. His ordeal had lasted over six hours, alternating between using his Potential and Meditation to regain his strength. The mental effort had been titanic but necessary. Some of his skills had increased in level, but above all, he was well within Stage 0 of Micro. "Will I have to wait long?" asked Bechar. Priam swam to the pool''s edge before extracting from the heavy aethereal water. Bechar had cackled when he learned that Sphinx had a pool of heavy aethereal water in the Throne Room - the well filled with black liquid. The boy¡¯s luck is insane, he said. Apparently, it was a rare resource that could slow the consumption of Potential and energize the body. It wasn''t used more because it contaminated the user. After several uses, it became impossible to temper the body - and only Legendary rank resistance could reverse this process. Fortunately, Priam''s resurrections prevented him from worrying about these symptoms. Sphinx had therefore transferred him to the heavy water well while he acquired Micro. Priam dried himself off quickly, expelling the droplets beading on his body with [Kinetic Control]. He dressed while answering Bechar. "Delighted. I feel so much more powerful than before and this has nothing to do with my new attributes. I just feel..." Priam hesitated. "More yourself?" offered Bechar. "Yes, my body is mine at last," smiled Priam. The sensation was hard to describe. Like waking up in Olympic shape and knowing that your body would obey your every desire. Bechar approached Priam and handed him a sweet. "Here," he said. "You''ve earned it." Priam smiled as he picked it. He swallowed the candy quickly. Caramel flavor. He loved it. ¡°I''m a little disappointed, though. I didn''t get a Title or an Achievement," he added. Bechar shook his head. ¡°You received an Achievement," Bechar smiled. "I blocked it as the Supervisor of the Coliseum because you didn''t show me respect." "What?!" "That''s the excuse I gave," Bechar shrugged. "With your rewards, you would have triggered a fourth Tribulation. As soon as your Tribulations arrive, you may collect your reward and face the Tribulations at the height of your power. Until then, I''ve blocked it and your Constitution. Three more points and you''re dead kid. Be careful to evade death, my technique will be deactivated then," warned Bechar. "... Thank you," said Priam. He meant it. The changeling surely wanted to see the beginning of a new legend and had undoubtedly saved his life. "How do I unlock this seal?" "By dying. Don''t worry, the Tribulations will help you," Bechar quipped. Sphinx chuckled and Priam sighed. His two companions weren¡¯t betting on his victory. "What are you going to do?" asked Bechar. "I need to practice Micro. Thanks to heavy water and Potential, I''ve pushed back my limits. If I want to master Micro even better, I need a real situation. I''ve got a few trinkets to steal, and then it''s off to Viracocha with Sphinx." Bechar nodded. "I can''t wait to see you in action. By the way, don''t kill the Viscount under the Dome. The Title will cause a Tribulation." Bechar stared into Priam''s eyes. The changeling looked like an old man, sometimes wise, sometimes a little crazy. "The Champion of Humanity versus the Revenants... I wonder who''ll win," Bechar sneered. Priam squinted. If, after seeing his progress and Status, Bechar was still questioning his victory, then there was only one explanation. The Revenants were more dangerous than they appeared. However, Priam was sure of one thing. "It will be me. Death is in my wake," he announced.The Grand Master of the Cult, Anatole Aely''Samael, watched the portal of Viracocha from the top of his tower. The Ducal Palace had the tallest towers in the city, but the Cathedral of the Cult was a close second. His own tower was extraordinarily high and overlooked Viracocha. With 360¡ã windows, his room - which also served as a laboratory - was the ideal place to keep an eye on his sheep. Anatole smiled as he stroked the urn of the depths. He always smiled, even when the news was terrible, but his smile was almost sincere today. The Reunion had been going on for two and a half days and the Revenants had done an excellent job. They had forged alliances with the most problematic factions. They had bought the neutrality of the most powerful factions. They had planned the downfall of humanity in order to rebuild a better society. Finally, they had acquired the power necessary for their plan. Only a few variables were left, and the most symbolic of them had just arrived. Anatole was looking at the portal leading to the other Domes. A distinguished guest had set foot in Viracocha. Priam Azura, the Champion of Humanity, had even brought a Dome Lord with him. Anatole''s advisors had laughed when they heard the level of danger proposed by Claire, but Anatole had been interested. He knew that Priam would be dangerous. Perhaps he would be powerful enough to reveal the Revenants'' plan. Maybe he would destroy Viracocha. Possibly he would kill Anatole. But the Grand Master was not afraid. One man was no match for an idea. "That''s the problem with any genocide. There is always a Champion who rises against the new order. All you have to do is crush him to annihilate the resistance. Don''t keep me waiting Priam," muttered Anatole. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 119 Constitution 197 Agility 132 Vitality 212 Perception 235 MENTAL: Vivacity 162 Dexterity 142 Memory 36 Willpower 98 Charisma 101 META: Meta-affinity 99 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 58 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 151 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 28 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds. Chapter 46: Viracocha, the Crimson City Four kilometers from the portal, standing on a rooftop, Mercury put away his spyglass. Priam had left the Dome. Mercury hoped the Baron would put a stick in Anatole''s wheel. According to his sources, the Cult of the Revenants was prepared for Priam''s arrival, but were they really ready? Trained by the Colosseum Supervisor and accompanied by the Lord of the Dome, the Baron was no simple man. "I don''t think anyone was ready for you Priam..." he said. The merchant turned and stared at his guest. "Especially not you, right Claire?" The young woman gave him an annoyed look. Mercury too, would have been annoyed if a dozen over-equipped Mercenaries had captured him as he tried to leave the Dome. "What can I do to please Mercury, God of Thieves?" she asked in a neutral voice. "Not yet," smiled Mercury. "You can start by answering a few questions about the Revenants."Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 14,15 PERC +8 CHAR + 4 META (AFFI) +6 Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 7,8,9 PERC +9 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 7 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 8,9,10,11,12 AGI +5 Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 4,5 MEM +2 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 16,17,18 PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 14,15,16 AGI +3 PERC +3 DEXT +3 Baron, welcome to Viracocha. Imperious buildings encircled the gate square. The colors were red and black. A hint of gold enhanced the visible flags and standards. Priam took a breath and his blood began to boil. If the Dome was the city of wealth, Viracocha was the city of war. Sphinx grunted on his shoulder. She had managed to create a miniaturization skill and currently resembled an adorable stuffed animal the size of an adult cat. Viracocha''s air seemed to disturb her and she instinctively clawed at Priam''s flesh. "I don''t like this city," she muttered. Priam shrugged. The atmosphere of the city was not cruel but rather merciless. After spending almost a day pacing the Dome, stealing from factions and honing his skills, Priam understood. His enemies would know neither his hatred nor his mercy. Perhaps that was why he found Viracocha just as beautiful as the Dome, despite the colors and the martial atmosphere. The System had created the Domes for humanity, and each city was grandiose. Some were just warmer and more pleasant than others. "Viracocha is beautiful, but I wouldn''t want to live there," Priam confessed. The dome could have been built by an authoritarian regime in the twentieth century. Clean, imperial and inhuman. The Concepts had created domes of various kinds, but Priam preferred the ''Gold, dunes and oases'' ambiance of the Dome. Stroking Sphinx mechanically, Priam realized that her golden coat was tinged with red. In the sky, a blood eclipse had replaced the sun. The dark red light gave a scarlet tint to the young man''s skin. What a charming scene. Priam looked around quickly before noticing a strange detail. Not a single man or woman was visible. However, Priam''s keen senses detected the presence of life. To his right, the unmistakable sound of trade could be heard. This might have sounded reassuring, but Priam frowned. He was outside Viracocha''s only portal - a strategic resource and gateway to other cities. Yet Priam saw no guards, which was strange because Mercury had assured him that Viracocha was in the hands of the Cult of the Revenants. Only fools wouldn''t think of protecting a portal that could teleport their enemies into the heart of their base. Priam didn''t want to overestimate his enemies, but the Cult couldn''t just be full of idiots. Priam carefully scanned his surroundings for an ambush. He took the opportunity to let out thin threads of mist. If there was to be a massive attack, he intended to dodge it. The portal sat at the center of an immense square. It was obvious that the System had planned for this to be one of the city''s commercial centers - perhaps in a future Reunion. However, few people currently had the means - or the interest - to use it. The portal was a means of moving quickly from one point to another. Five minutes ago, when Priam had approached the Dome portal, guards belonging to different factions approached him. Unable to disguise his Titles, Priam had simply given his identity and the guards had easily let him pass. Welcome Baron. Where would you like to travel? The cost of travel is free for this first Reunion, given your exceptional performance. After mentally indicating Viracocha, the portal was activated. Reality beneath the arches blurred, and Priam caught a glimpse of Viracocha''s black and red. A dimensional opening had opened - a wormhole? With a single step, Priam had arrived in a new dome. "What a marvel," Priam enthused, looking back at the portal. "If only I could build one between Elysium and the Moon..." "Only the System can afford such ridiculous expenses," declared Sphinx. "What do you mean?" "Building a portal requires extremely complex calculations and rare resources," explained Sphinx. "The portals that cross the Universe of Concepts often use resources not found in our Universe. Only factions capable of invading and plundering other Universes can build them." Priam was interested in the explanation. Knowing the motivations of the most powerful empires could give clues as to what the System wanted. "If the Concepts are almost omnipotent, can''t they create as many portals as they need?" asked Priam. "Only in this Universe. Creating a portal to another Universe is complicated for the Concepts because they are limited to it. That''s why they push civilizations to create their own hybrid portal technology in order to invade other worlds and then other Universes. Among the technologies used are quantum entanglement to find the right arrival portal and the deformation of dimensional fabric to create the passage." Priam knew that humanity had begun to address these subjects, but often in a theoretical way. So the sciences of this new universe were very advanced. An infinite number of near-immortal scientists with supercomputers'' calculating power helped develop the sciences. The Baron''s eyes crinkled as he looked at the passageway. "I suppose a portal must sell for a lot then," he said innocently. "They''re priceless,¡± Sphinx confirmed. ¡°To protect this device and its advanced technology, a special alloy, alchemical treatments, and runic and ritual protections are added at the end. A single portal costs more than the whole of humanity. For the time being, the moon is equipped with one portal per dome because these portals don''t belong to you. Anyone stupid enough to try and steal them will be severely punished," laughed the adorable creature. Reluctantly unhooking his gaze from the technological marvel, Priam turned back to Viracocha. If no guards were there to stop him, he wasn''t going to wait for them. His Tribulations were coming, and he had much to do. "Let''s go.¡± Seconds later, Priam stood at the intersection of a dark alley and a busy street. Stalls had been set up all along the avenue, and merchants were selling their wares. The current economy was very fluid. A scarce resource in one corner of the universe could be sold at a premium. However, if too many merchants supplied this resource, its price quickly collapsed. Buy, sell, speculate and wait. Good merchants would make a fortune with what they had been lent. The merchants who had made their faction lose money on the other hand¡­ Sphinx was looking around, excited by the hustle and bustle of the market. A few children pointed at her and she stared at them. "They are so small. Are they dwarves?" she asked. Priam burst out laughing. "Usually, your riddles are harder!" Sphinx frowned as Priam smiled. "No, they''re children," he explained, scratching his friend. He couldn''t wait to show her the wonders that could be bought in this Dome. But first, I need a stronger tunic. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Good morning," said Priam, approaching a merchant bragging about his fabrics. "Is it possible to buy high-quality clothing around here?" The man raised his head and grumbled. His expression changed when he saw the core rolling through the young man''s fingers. Priam was running out of normal cores, but fortunately, Sphinx was sponsoring this expedition. The Ducal Palace had a rather massive treasure trove, and Priam intended to find Viracocha''s. "But of course, young man, I have quality clothing available. What are you looking for?" Priam smiled as he looked into the merchant''s avaricious eyes. The more the man concentrated on his earnings, the less he would focus on the Baron before him. He hadn''t yet learned Anne''s stolen skill, so anyone could identify him. "High-quality clothing. My master wants to outfit his champion. Working in textiles, I thought you might have the address of a good tailor?" Priam accompanied his question with another core roll and a big smile. The question was not insignificant. Mercury had told him that Master Boss, humanity''s best tailor, was indeed in Viracocha, but had been requisitioned by the Cult of the Revenants. Finding the tailor would enable him to find some hard-wearing clothes, as well as one of the Revenants'' hideouts. Two birds with one stone. The trick was not to arouse too many suspicions. Priam wanted to remain in the shadows until the last moment so the Revenants wouldn''t have time to set traps. The merchant hesitated, but Priam sensed he wasn''t on his guard. He wondered whether the transaction was profitable or whether the young man could pay even more for a rare piece of information. Priam conjured up a second core. It''s time to hook the fish. "So you can take me straight to the right place. I''m looking for the best," Priam winked. "I''ve wasted enough time already, and my master isn''t very patient." On his flattened palm, the two cores gleamed next to each other. The merchant nodded and grabbed them. "Of course, Sir," he replied before turning to a young boy beside him. "Jacques, watch the stand! If you''ll follow me." On the way, the merchant began chatting with Priam. Apart from the supposed quality of his wares, his main interest was who the famous master was. Priam played along and invented a mysterious master capable of traveling from dome to dome at the head of a private army of elite men. When the merchant learned that this famous master was related to the champion of humanity, the famous Priam, who had managed to kill a Baron with his own hands, his eyes began to shine. He was on the verge of skipping the rest of the way. As they drew closer to the center of Viracocha, the merchant''s exclamations became rarer. A few hundred meters from a massive cathedral, the previously voluble merchant was no longer uttering a word. With a serious look on his face, Priam imitated him. On his guard, Priam observed his surroundings. Sphinx wasn''t too worried since her constitution allowed her to survive a missile. Priam was more fragile. At first glance, Priam noticed a distinction in the way passers-by dressed. Where most of the clothes on the shopping avenue had been motley, passers-by now wore red capes over black suits. Their outfits were more sober, and conversations almost whispered. No longer did anyone shout or harangue the crowd to sell a product or promote their services. Here, people kept their heads down, made little noise and walked quickly. Priam understood that those who ventured here came for a good reason, not out of envy. Looking up, Priam saw the building crystallizing the fear of passers-by. The immense cathedral would have made Notre Dame de Paris look like a chapel. It towered high into the sky, its tallest tower sometimes lost in the clouds. Although the Ducal Palace in the background was taller and larger, it only gave off a vague impression of majesty. The cathedral, half Gothic, half futuristic, inspired awe. The merchant continued, heading for a workshop lining the cathedral square. As he approached, he finally gave Priam some interesting information. "This is Master Boss''s workshop. It is said that he has been given a special talent that enhances the quality of his work. His pieces are reputed to be as light as silk and as strong as steel." The merchant''s tone had changed, and admiration resounded in his voice. He continued his tirade with a shrug. "Unfortunately, this kind of piece is impossible to obtain. The Grand Master reserves all quality pieces for himself." The merchant''s face contorted in terror as he recalled their location. "With good reason, of course, these pieces must help the Cult''s effort!" he added hastily. Priam''s smile cracked as he thought of the misdeeds Anatole must have committed to be so feared in less than three days. Passing through a small back door, the merchant ushered Priam into the sewing room. Spools of thread, wool, silk and other materials were neatly arranged on shelves. The tailor was apparently also a weaver. It was an advantage for Priam. In the center of the room stood a large table displaying several masterpieces. An assistant approached them as the young man analyzed the fabrics. "Good morning, gentlemen. Can I help you?" "Of course, Miss, my friend here would like to..." As the merchant began to embroider an implausible story, in love with his own voice that he was, Priam strategically positioned himself between the assistant and a complete blood-red outfit. It wouldn''t have been out of place if an assassin had worn it from a famous game. Ezio, fashion icon... [Identification] [Florentine assassin outfit] - An outfit made entirely by a talented craftsman. Resistant and supple, the tailor has made the most of the material. Lighter and more protective than armor, it''s a sure bet if you decide to take on the Templars. The ones from the video game, not the real thing. They''d destroy you. Grabbing a sleeve of the outfit, Priam decided to pull on it to test its resistance. With his current strength, he should have easily torn any garment. Yet the sleeve of the tunic barely stretched. Satisfied, the young man turned to the saleswoman who couldn''t manage the merchant. "Thanks for bringing me here. I''ll manage the rest. Good day to you," said Priam, giving a final core to the man whose name he hadn''t even asked. After a few obsequious phrases, the merchant finally took his leave. Priam turned to the saleswoman. "Miss, I''d like to speak to Master Boss. I have here some rare materials, spider silks impregnated with aether, and I''d like to make myself an outfit out of it." Priam had decided that the best way to tempt the craftsman was to present him with an effective way of increasing his skills. For an artisan, this meant working with rare materials and pushing the boundaries of their craft. "I''ll... I''ll tell Master Boss right away, sir," replied the assistant after identifying the glands presented by Priam. Seconds later, the craftsman arrived. Without even taking the time to greet his customer, he rushed to the spider glands. Priam let him snatch them from his hands and analyze them. A passionate craftsman was exactly what he needed. Priam thought back to the glands he''d brought with him. The Trichonephila Aether clavipes came from Elysium. The second came from a Baron. If Boss was as talented as he was said to be, Priam would soon own the best outfit on the Moon. Of course, he could have found materials from Viscount. However, Mercury had confirmed that no craftsman would be able to work a Viscount''s body before the end of the Reunion. The System wanted to see craftsmen push the limits of their skills, not waste scarce materials. A few minutes later, Master Boss turned to Priam. "Thank you for bringing me this piece, young man. I''ll put it to good use. As payment, you can choose any piece from my store, and my assistant will answer any questions you may have." The craftsman turned on his heel, the stranger already forgotten. Priam laughed inwardly. This old fart thinks he will steal from me and leave me with a few lousy coins? Priam accelerated instantly to appear in front of the craftsman. His extreme speed caused a displacement of air and clothes and spools of thread went flying. He wasn''t yet comfortable enough with [Kinetic Control] to manipulate air molecules. Fortunately, his skill was level 19. It would change at level 20, and Priam hoped to obtain a legendary skill that would push his limits. Despite his speed, he noticed that Sphinx hadn''t moved a bit. Priam smiled coldly at the tailor. "Let me introduce myself, Master Boss. I am Priam, humble Champion of Mankind. I want you to produce an outfit using this silk and all your expertise," he smiled. Master Boss froze for a moment before looking at his assistant. She nodded and pulled out a key. Priam followed her with his eyes as she closed the workshop. "You shouldn''t stay here," the craftsman warned darkly. "The Cult of Revenants put a bounty on your head this morning. Millions of people are looking for you, and I don''t want fights in my workshop." Priam was seized with a mirthless laugh. "Don''t worry about the Cult, I''m going to pay them a little visit. It seems they''ve kidnapped you to work for them, right? I''ll set you free as soon as I get my tunic if you accept," Priam said. Boss shook his head with a sigh. "You don''t understand. Revenants are known for resurrecting their members'' loved ones. That''s why people keep joining them despite their reputation and actions. Who wouldn''t want to reunite with a deceased loved one?" asked the craftsman. "Except for the Cult''s enemies, all humanity wants you dead: the Revenants offer to resurrect anyone in exchange for your head."Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 119 Constitution 197 Agility 140 Vitality 212 Perception 263 MENTAL: Vivacity 165 Dexterity 148 Memory 38 Willpower 98 Charisma 105 META: Meta-affinity 108 Meta-focus 80 Meta-endurance 58 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 184 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 27 hours 33 minutes 36 seconds. Chapter 47: Problems, Solutions, and Revelations The craftsman''s words stopped Priam in his tracks. They can raise the dead?! If that were true, it would change everything. Maybe I can sell them my own head? If they can resurrect people and I can revive every day at midnight, perhaps I''ve just discovered a glitch! Priam became serious again. He was ready to make peace with the Revenants if they could resurrect certain members of his family. Perhaps he''d even shake Claire''s hand. Shake her hand very hard. Soon, all the implications of the news became clear. Priam massaged his temples as he insulted them. Resurrecting humans wasn''t impossible - he was living proof of that - but it couldn''t be easy. However, whether this was true or false was of no consequence. The Cult had given hope to all humans who had lost a loved one. All it took was for one person in a hundred to believe in it and be desperate enough to try, and millions would seek to kill him. Priam wasn''t worried about his health; he was far beyond the power of the average man. Even if a few people still had guns, no small-caliber bullet could hurt him - his Constitution and [Kinetic Control] would stop them. What worried Priam was his public image. Most attackers would be desperate, but Priam couldn''t spare them all. He would have no choice but to fight for his freedom. If he had to slaughter thousands of idiots fighting for their families, it would affect him and his relationship with humanity. Maya or Mercury would understand that he had to kill thousands of people. And he would do it to survive. But his family would be shocked by the news. Priam raised his head sharply, clenching his fists. Some people will realize that they don''t stand a chance against me. But I''ve got a weak point, my family... Suddenly, Priam panicked. It wasn''t impossible that the Revenants would resurrect members of his family who had already died. After all, if Mercury hadn''t found any members of his family yet, they might have already died. The idea knotted Priam''s stomach, but he didn''t want to lie to himself. If that were the case, he''d have to ignore what they''d done if he didn''t want his family tortured. But I''ll never work for them, even if they hold my family... "Sons of bitches..." he swore. He looked at Boss again. "Do you believe in this resurrection power?" he asked. "It''s a fact. They''ve resurrected enough people to believe in it. Even someone I know. Unfortunately for them, I don''t love anyone but my wife, and she''s safe in another world ruled by the Lotus Sect," the craftsman explained with a laugh. Priam sighed: if Boss believed it, so would others, and it wouldn''t be one in a hundred, but one in ten. The tailor understood Priam''s thoughts and continued. "I know the others believe in it too. At least, they want to. Despite the Tutorial and [Humanity adapts], it''s hard for most people to deal with this apocalypse. Many were unhappy with their lives and now want to become men and women of exception. For them, this apocalypse is a second chance. But for those who cherish their families... The Revenants'' offer gives them hope." "And when even death can''t stop hope... " The craftsman nodded. He approached a cabinet, took out a bottle and poured himself a glass. "The Cult won''t hurt me. There''s a big difference between forcing an artisan to work and killing him. Anatole is an intelligent man, and he won''t take any risks. He provides me with free resources, so it''s not such a bad deal for me," Boss said, pointing to the workshop around them. Priam sighed, "Good for you, I suppose. I don''t have much time if what you say is true. Will you agree to work on my outfit?" "I''m not planning to report you, but why would I help you?" the craftsman asked, raising his glass. The amber liquor was mesmerizing. "I''d have to make your tunic outside my working hours if I didn''t want the Cult to notice." Priam remained silent for a few moments. He could threaten the craftsman, but there was nothing to stop Boss from agreeing and escaping with the spider glands. Sphinx sensed Priam''s indecision and jumped onto a work table. She glared at Boss, who cowered. Despite her small size, she exuded a majestic aura. Sphinx came from a mythical race and the craftsman instinctively knew he was outmatched. "You will help Priam to accumulate positive Karma," she declared. "You didn''t resist when asked to work for the Revenants. They commit their misdeeds wearing your clothes, and the blood they spill taints your karma. Help Priam defeat their master and atone for your crimes. All other choices lead to your death." When the last word was spoken, Sphinx emitted an aether wave, like a divine judgment. The wave struck the three humans present in the workshop, and instinctively, Priam shivered. Sphinx''s words were imbued with a magic that Priam knew well. The sentence was final: Boss would obey or die. The difference in power and the craftsman''s negative karma enabled Sphinx to activate her power without posing a riddle. Priam clenched his fists. Sphinx was on his side, but how many monsters in this Universe could kill him with a simple thought? I''ve got to get stronger... The craftsman remained petrified for a few seconds as he pondered the situation''s stakes. One of the qualities of those who work with psychopaths is that they are quick to make sensible decisions. An essential quality for staying alive. "I''ll help. As much as I don''t care about strangers, knowing that monsters are wearing my creations bothers me," he admitted before turning to Priam. "I''ll make your tunic." The assistant chose this moment to cough. Priam and Sphinx turned to her. "I overheard some Revenant officers complaining this morning - when I was helping them change their wardrobe," she said as the attention turned to her. Priam smiled as he saw that the assistant also wanted to get rid of her negative karma. "Beneath Viracocha lies an area guarded by a terrifying spider. The Cult is planning a full-scale attack in a few hours to defeat it..." "Its gland could strengthen my tunic," Priam guessed. "Indeed," replied Boss. "But it''s a Viscount. Handling Noble material is too hard right now. I won''t be able to get the best out of it. On the other hand, while those idiots are fighting the spider, you could break into their vault..." "There are quite a few materials I''m interested in for your tunic and myself. I''ll make you a list. They''ve stolen from almost every faction in Viracocha, so there''s quite a lot of interesting stuff." The craftsman''s eyes sparkled and Priam laughed. The last twenty-four hours had taught him that he loved stealing valuables. "Let''s make a contract then," said Priam, winking at Sphinx. The tailor took half an hour to get Priam''s measurements and expectations. Strangely enough, the craftsman was highly qualified in the field of cloth armor. He informed Priam of some of the young man''s preconceptions and guided him towards the perfect outfit. Apparently, the silk was supple and resistant to both physical and magical damage. The artisan explained that the System would evaluate the final product to improve his skills and that he intended to make it his masterpiece. Trusting the tailor to defend his own interests, Priam let himself be guided. "Well, the outfit will be as light as it is strong and won''t hinder your movements. The pockets will be large and secret, and the hood will protect you from the elements." Priam had insisted on a hood. He sensed that the rain in Elysium would be dangerous and insisted on his anonymity. "Finally, I plan to entrust the inscription of the outfit to another craftsman. He''s not a friend, but he''ll accept to increase his skills, he''s also very qualified. These inscriptions are not just stylistic; the runes formed interact with the surrounding aether to increase the silk''s resistance. I know that some grandmasters can inscribe runes so powerful that the garment repairs itself and increases the wearer''s power, but we''ve only been using the System for a few days. I will have an alchemist treat the silk to strengthen it. It will be a masterpiece of humanity," Boss declared. Priam had to admit that, while the craftsman had neither scruples nor empathy, he was very competent. He hoped his equipment would finally be up to the task of his enemies. Arnold, the hoplite champion and all his future rivals were certainly over-equipped. He couldn''t afford to fall behind. "How soon will the outfit be ready?" he asked. "It''s hard to say. I''ve never worked with such impressive materials. I''d say three days," replied the craftsman. Priam frowned. He was facing a Tribulation in a bit more than a day. Even with two lives, he wanted to put all the odds on his side. "Can''t we go any faster ?" he asked. Master Boss laughed dryly. "I''m not teaching you how to kill monsters, so don''t teach me my job. It''s three days of spending all my time on it and betting that you''ll kill Anatole. I''ll give up all my other projects for that. Without my skills, it would be at least two weeks. If you want the best equipment, you''ll have to wait a while." Priam nodded. His paternal great-grandparents had been tailors, and he knew this kind of work took time. "Three days then." He turned to the assistant. "Do you know where this treasure room is?"Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 6, 7, 8, 9 AGI +4 Priam was perched on a cathedral roof. Not the highest, but at a hundred meters or so, he knew he had little chance of being seen. If I''m going to imitate an assassin, I might as well do it all the way! Too bad there''s no straw on the ground for a leap of faith... Dressed in an assassin''s outfit chosen from the tailor - it was more resistant than the one lent by Sphinx - he observed the procession below him. Orphans, widows and lonely men followed a priest chanting litanies. The Tutorial had wiped out a sizable portion of humanity. With no effective communication means, knowing the exact death toll was impossible. Perhaps a quarter of humanity was dead. What was certain was that everyone had a relative, friend or child who had died. Boss''s assistant had filled him in. The Revenants sect claimed that those who had disappeared from the Tutorial had simply been transported to another world, the Revenants¡¯ world. Praying to the god Viracocha meant accumulating points. With enough points, reaching this world and reuniting with loved ones was possible. It sounds more like a capitalist marketing strategy than a religion¡­ Too good to be true? Indeed. However, in a world where Concepts were more or less omnipotent, who could sort the possible from the impossible? This possibility gave hope to the inhabitants. The cult of the Revenants transformed this hope into belief and thus gained followers. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One of the strengths of the Revenants cult was that it had managed to resurrect some people. Master Boss had assured Priam that one of his acquaintances, who had suffered a heart attack two days before the Tutorial, had come back from death. The man wasn''t undead. According to his wife, he was alive, eating, moving, and more¡­ This elder wasn''t the only one in this case, which lent credibility to the cult. Too bad a psychopath leads this cult... When the head is sick, the body often goes wrong too. What''s the purpose of this cult? Priam was surprised. Not by the resurrections: that was his specialty, after all. However, he had to be the first of many worlds to obtain this power - and he had benefited from unique circumstances. Priam shivered as he thought about the proposal he had accepted. He sighed and wondered. A cult that could resurrect several people? Even those who had died before the Tutorial? It was strange, but he''d worry about it later. Priam was perched on that roof, his buttocks resting on an uncomfortable statue to rob the Cult. But before that... Priam took out the crystal Albin had given him. The revenant had been forced to inscribe information about the threat that would be decoded two days later. This time lapsed, and Priam was eager to advance his quest. As he prepared to crush the crystal in his hand, Priam thought better of it. There had to be a less barbaric way to access the crystal''s information. "Sphinx?" "Hmm?" muttered Sphinx. She opened her eyes slowly, and Priam smiled. He had noticed that she spent a significant part of her time sleeping. Children sleep a lot, and cats too. So a baby Sphinx... Priam gently scratched his friend''s fur to apologize for waking her. "Do you know if it''s possible to access a crystal''s information without breaking it?" he asked. Sphinx opened her eyes and looked as if he were a fool. "A crystal is like a chest. You can break it to access its contents, but that''s a brutal solution," she replied. "Or you can open it. Unless, of course, it''s locked, in which case you''ll need a key." Priam coughed. He had a lot to learn. "How can I open it?" he asked. Not knowing wasn''t a crime. But remaining ignorant was. Sphinx yawned until her jaw almost dropped. "Interact with it using your aether." At Priam''s discomfited expression, the Dome Lord sighed. "How can you have unlocked Supremacy before you''ve even unlocked basic skills?" she muttered. She stretched before explaining. "Circulate your aether through your meridians with a skill. It''s easier to detect in large quantities, so don''t hold back. Then try to get it moving. With a bit of Potential, you should get there fast. Easy to learn, hard to master..." At the end of her explanation, Sphinx laid back on Priam''s shoulder. Might as well put this into practice right away. Priam concentrated on Micro and closed his eyes. His dexterity and new supremacy allowed him to focus on his body. Priam activated [Moon Mist] and a film of mist appeared at his feet. He gradually increased the flow of his skill until he felt some pain in his meridians. The pain underlined them and Priam concentrated on them as a puddle of almost liquid mist covered his feet. I need to feel my aether. Priam¡¯s skills allowed him to manipulate his aether in a predetermined way, but he knew it was possible to control it directly. He had known it since he''d created [Kinetic Control] almost a week ago. All he needed was the proper technique. Priam continued to use [Moon Mist] to the maximum, and the mist, which was becoming ever denser, seemed to be reaching a critical point. The pressure of the gas increased and its liquefaction point was reached. Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 14 META (END) +3 At his feet, the mist had turned to liquid. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 16,17 PERC +8 CHAR + 4 META (AFFI) +6 Suddenly, a mental barrier was broken and Priam could feel the aether. It circulated in his meridians and throughout his body. The flow of aether through him was so intense that he wondered how he''d never realized it before. You have gained the skill: [Aether Perception - Rare]. [Aether Perception] - Aether is the fundamental, infinite fluid that dictates the laws of all that exists. According to its configurations and associations, it creates the fundamental particles and vectors of all forces. Perceiving the aether is the right of every living being, but you have to know how to take that right. Yesterday you were blind, today you see. META (PERC) +3 Priam knew it wasn''t that easy to learn. Blood ran through their veins, but if a human never got hurt, they could live their whole life without thinking that a stream of vital liquid was flowing through them. Sometimes, you had to get hurt to understand certain things. Now that Priam knew what to look for, it was evident to him. All that remained was for him to succeed in manipulating his aether. Micro and [Brainless] tried to seize control of this fundamental fluid, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The aether seemed to answer to its own rules. Priam''s will had no more influence on it than the pebbles he had tried to lift with his mind when he was young. Lvl Up : [Aether Perception] lvl 2 META (PERC) +3 Trying for several minutes to control, dominate, master and then cajole this fluid, Priam finally gave up in the face of his lack of progress. Remembering Sphinx''s words, he connected momentarily to his Potential. Magically, Priam rediscovered an ability that all living beings had: the ability to manipulate the aether. The feeling was strange but natural. It was as if Priam remembered that he always had a tail or a third arm. Between aether perception and manipulation, Priam felt he had regained his sight and mobility. POT -5 You have gained the skill: [Aether Manipulation - Rare]. [Aether Manipulation] - Manipulating aether is the key to the Zenith. Everything is possible with aether¡ªeven dominating Dimensions, Karma, Soul, Energy, Matter, Order and Chaos. To control the primordial fluid is to go beyond these Concepts. This skill knows no limits and its potential is infinite. The only limit to your power is your imagination. Aether can be influenced, dominated, mastered and cajoled. Which path will you choose? META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 Priam smiled as he read the description of his new skill. Since the Tutorial, he hadn''t yet had time to explore the wonders of this new world. He''d been reacting more than anything else. But rereading the description of his skill, he almost felt like dropping everything to explore the arcana of magic. The only limit to your power is your imagination. It meant that aether could create talent. There was no mention of work or time spent developing superb skills. Priam concluded that it was possible to get to the top quickly by finding the right applications. I could partition my consciousness to work on several subjects at once. Or maybe, it¡¯s possible to manipulate time and matter to obtain infinite resources? Priam was not lacking in imagination. He couldn''t wait to leave the Reunion to concentrate on these projects. A snoring Sphinx drew him from his thoughts. Priam wasted no time in using his new technique. His skill enabled his mind to grasp the fundamental fluid. Then he used Micro to manipulate the aether flowing through him. An aether jet shot out of the palm holding the crystal and exploded. Sphinx gasped and Priam winced. Using this new skill was almost instinctive, but it would take him some time to manipulate it precisely and meticulously. A second later, he heard Albin''s message echoing in his head. ¡®The Revenants are so-called because we died before the Tutorial. The System captured some souls who drifted on the earth''s surface and had the rage to live. But this new life is temporary. To make it permanent, we need to earn points by completing quests. The main quest that would allow all Revenants to live freely is simple. Destroy or convert humanity.'' Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 119 Constitution 197 Agility 144 Vitality 212 Perception 272 MENTAL: Vivacity 165 Dexterity 148 Memory 38 Willpower 98 Charisma 109 META: Meta-affinity 115 Meta-focus 81 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 7 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 196 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 25 hours 12 minutes 38 seconds. Chapter 48: Bullet Human Immediately after Albin''s message, Priam received a notification. Updated quest: First Quest: Soon to be reunited? You have discovered the origin of the Revenants. Participation: 100%. Two possible choices: 1) Reveal this information to humanity. Reward: Title [Guardian of humanity], POT +50 2) Keep this information to yourself. Reward: Title [Threat Killer], POT +50 Exceptional participation. Reward: Evolution token (Bronze title). Reward chosen. [Threat Killer - Bronze] - You''re not the shield that protects humanity. You are the spear that destroys its enemies. This choice says a lot about you because you didn''t hesitate for a moment. You''re getting to know yourself better, and you don''t look away when you meet your reflection. Humanity fears monsters. Will monsters fear you? You detect threats to humanity. STR +10% POT +50 First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Eliminate as many Revenants as possible. Next reward: Depending on your participation. Bonus: Kill Anatole Aely''Samael, the Grand Master of the Cultists. Reward: You can choose one soul to resurrect. Bonus: Kill at least three of the six Revenant Generals. Reward: Information about your family. Bonus: Kill the Revenant Champion. Reward: [Threat Killer] upgrade. Difficulty: Gold Priam burst out laughing as he read the notification. All he had to do was kill three people and he''d finally have information about his family. Thoughtfully, Priam theorized that the System''s rewards should be tailored to the user. However, the Baron was under no illusions. The reward would be hard to come by. The Revenant Generals might be scattered over several domes or even the entire Moon. But that wasn''t important. The war between him and the Revenants had become too personal, and he had too much to gain. The Revenants had started this war and the System was giving him every reason to finish it. Priam closed his right fist and clenched it. [Threat Killer - Bronze] offered eleven extra Strength points and Priam took a few seconds to get used to his new strength. His Dexterity helped him control his body perfectly, but thanks to Micro, he realized he was no longer entirely in control of his body. Priam constantly used his Supremacy to get used to his body, but this increase in strength was artificial. When Priam gained Strength points with a skill, the increase was gradual and his body adapted naturally to his new physical strength. STR +1'' was simply a System notification informing Priam of his new status. "I wonder if it''s the System or the aether that''s improving my body..." wondered Priam. "Aether and training," replied Sphinx. "The System simply shows you the best way to progress. Your progress is faster thanks to it, but it''s mostly the aether that works its magic." Priam squinted. "Even for the Titles?" he asked. Sphinx remained silent for a few seconds. "I don''t know..." She looked lost and Priam took her in his arms before pondering the problem. Understanding this new world and its rules was paramount if he was to become the best. Not the best player, but the best cheater... Reflecting on his next fight against the Lord of Viracocha, Priam saw two possibilities for improvement. Firstly, stealing Anatole''s urn to use the Corrupted Tear. Secondly, he hadn''t forgotten that [Heartless], [Brainless], and [Axolotl or Hydra?] were ready to evolve and just needed a catalyst. The Evolution Token would do for one of them. But which one...? "You''ve still got some progress to make, but I suppose it''s a start," said Sphinx as she watched the dust from Albin''s crystal blow away by the wind. Priam shrugged. "You know, Sphinx, I''ve just started wielding the aether. For humans, it''s quite normal to make progress. At first, we''re rarely at ease, but with perseverance, we eventually get good." Sphinx looked at him with eyes full of curiosity. "I understand... You''re weak initially but strong in the end, right?" "Right." Sphinx looked at him for a few seconds, then said worriedly. "But you''re still weak, Priam. When will you be strong?" The young man blinked in a stupor. After a second, he answered, "I''m already the best of the humans. And it only took me about ten days," he said, puffing out his chest. "I''ve only got three days and I''m stronger than you though," Sphinx replied innocently. Priam looked at her for a few moments. Sphinx was messing with him. "You''ve got to be..." Thunder echoed in Priam''s skull. The world blurred before disappearing as the Baron was brutally struck on the chin. His body flew from its place, crashing a few meters away. The cathedral''s roof was steep and Priam began to slide down it, half sliding, half rolling. As he reached the roof''s edge, his body toppled over into the void. On the way down, his head fell back and blood rushed to his brain. [Brainless] hadn''t even had time to force his mind to take control of his body. Oxygenated again, his brain woke up and Priam opened his eyes. The pain was intense, but Priam was focused on survival. Almost automatically, he used [Kinetic Control] to halt his fall. He hadn''t seen the attack, so the opponent was good and a trap potentially awaited him below. Five meters from the ground, Priam threw his body sideways with a kinetic charge, landing three meters from his initial point of impact. The cobblestones exploded where he should have landed. Priam raised his head in time, and his inhuman Perception picked out a sniper on a rooftop over two hundred meters away. Without thinking, Priam charged forward. The pain was driving him insane and he wanted to hurt the sniper - he wanted revenge. Micro managed to calm his pain, but it sometimes overcame his control. Using [Kinetic Control] together with movement skills, Priam dashed. He was no longer thinking about Sphinx, the Revenants, or his own safety. He had been attacked and the enemy was going to die. Priam was much faster than his mist, so he couldn''t teleport next to the sniper. The sniper wouldn''t have waited when he saw the mist advancing. It took Priam just under six seconds to run the two hundred meters. With a gigantic leap, Priam reached the balcony on the second floor of a hotel and climbed up to the roof as quickly as a spider-man. The location had served as the sniper''s hideout and part of his abandoned equipment rested against the tiles. Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 10 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 19 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 17 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 "Trying to run?" With no one present, Priam closed his eyes and summoned his mist. It quickly invaded the hotel and the surrounding buildings, seeping into every opening. He would trample every room if he had to, but he was determined to find the sniper. Suddenly, Priam opened his eyes and dodged to the right. A bullet passed by exactly where his head had been a moment before. Looking in the direction of the shot, Priam saw another sniper, and this one wasn''t running away. Clenching his fist in anger, Priam stayed on the roof. A hunter never let go of his prey, and Priam wouldn''t let his opponent escape. Dodging another bullet, Priam continued to concentrate on his fog. He had successfully dodged cannonballs against Galapagos and had made progress since then. It wasn''t a few bullets that frightened him. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 6 AGI +1 As the mist gradually invaded the area, Priam raised his hand to his chin to get an idea of his injury. He was worried because since Micro had given him control over his body, he could - and did - disconnect some of his nerves. However, despite this anesthetic, Priam still felt a handicap and an intense pain. As his hand moved to where his chin was, Priam felt nothing and his heart missed a beat. He dodged a bullet then summoned his mist in front of him. The fog quickly became denser before forming a mirror of water. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 18 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam looked at his face for a moment, shocked. He looked like a Gueules cass¨¦es from the First World War. The sniper''s bullet must have been something special because, despite his constitution, it had torn away the lower part of his face. His chin was gone, and Priam felt nauseous after seeing the damage. Of course, his various deaths had already mutilated his body, but he had never seen the damage - especially to his face. He was disfigured. Priam''s anger redoubled, and he kept the disgust at bay. He wanted to scream but had lost his tongue in the attack. His Vitality was doing its best to heal him, but the wound was severe. The mirror rippled as a bullet passed through it. At that exact moment, his fog touched a human limb hidden halfway up a chimney in one of the hotel''s fireplaces, and Priam rode on the mist. He arrived in the hearth of a fireplace beneath the sniper. Looking up, Priam contemplated the tip of a gun barrel. The sniper fired. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Bullet Time]. [Kinetic Control]. Priam''s anger gave him exceptional clarity of mind and he stopped the bullet as it struck his head at point-blank range. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 20 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 [Kinetic Control] has reached level 20... Later! His skill would wait until he''d slaughtered the fool who''d tried to kill him. Stopping the bullet was so easy now that he was ready. The sniper fired twice more and Priam stopped the bullets one after the other. When his magazine was empty, the soldier drew a knife and fell on Priam, screaming. He looked trained, but the difference in attributes with Priam was ridiculous. Priam stopped the knife blade with his fingers, then dodged the man''s feet before unleashing a titanic punch into the sniper''s ribs. His hand sank into the man''s body. The man was thrown against the chimney walls, and the following cracking sound would have made Priam wince if he weren''t so angry. Priam withdrew his arm and the man''s body slumped to the floor. Priam didn''t need to bend over him to know he was dead. His opponent''s death calmed him for a moment. The man who had wounded him was dead. His new Title had never triggered. So the sniper was not a Revenant but an average human. He''d certainly heard about Priam and the reward for his head, then had decided to take a chance. Priam looked for a moment at the weapon the sniper was using. He''d played enough video games to recognize an anti-materiel rifle. The Baron tried to sigh, but his body preferred to spit blood. Pain called him back to order. A standard weapon could not pierce Priam''s defenses - he was almost twenty times more resistant than an average human. But large-caliber sniper rifles could still wound him. Maybe even kill him if he was unlucky. If hundreds of trained soldiers started hunting him down, he had a real chance of dying. Priam thought about the second sniper. This one hadn''t done anything to him yet and was probably just trying to save his family. But he would certainly try to kill him again. The Baron was faced with a choice. Can I spare those who seek to kill me? Whether they are threats to humanity or not? Priam inhaled through his nose and judged his future enemies. May their deaths be sweet. They were seeking to reunite with their families, but so was he. Between his life and those of strangers, his life would always come first, no matter how many strangers there were. He couldn''t afford to die despite his many lives. It was a new world, and to survive, his morals had to evolve with his strength. What''s more, being ruthless with his enemies would deter some of them. Of course, Priam still intended to hunt down and exterminate the Revenants. They had betrayed humanity and were his enemies. But anyone who attacked him would henceforth be considered an enemy. I want to be respected by my peers and feared by my enemies. Before attacking the other snipers, Priam looked at his notifications. Your Constitution has been sealed. Some of your skills are blocked and cannot be upgraded. These levels are in stasis. Break the seal to unlock them. [Kinetic Control] has reached level 20, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Automatic Absorption] - [Kinetic Control] is automatically triggered to absorb the energy of bodies arriving at dangerous speeds. POT -30 [Agile Domain] - The precision of your control increases. Synergizes with Domain. POT -30 [Nimble Micro] - The precision of your control over your body''s molecules increases drastically. POT -30 Priam observed his choices for a moment. He''d thought his skill would evolve when hitting level 20, but getting a legendary skill was more complicated than he''d expected. The cost in Potential was also annoying. A Common skill gave him one point of Potential per level. Two points for a Rare skill and three points for an Epic skill. [Kinetic Control]¡¯s twenty levels had earned him sixty points of Potential. His skill became more powerful with this bonus, but only yielded thirty bonus points. I suppose it''s a way for the System to increase the scarcity of Potential and manipulate us with quests. The resource was far too scarce to squander. Priam had enough Potential to improve his skill, but he would have cried blood if he hadn''t. Priam reconsidered his three choices. [Automatic Absorption] - [Kinetic Control] is automatically triggered to absorb the energy of bodies arriving at dangerous speeds. POT -30 The bonus seemed practical, but Priam was pretty sure it would become redundant with his future Domain. His mist already enabled him to perceive attacks from a distance, so there was no point in taking this bonus. Of course, if the enemy was too powerful, he could pass through his Domain and attack Priam directly. The automatic triggering of his skill would then save him from a kinetic attack. However, at this level of power, the enemy would certainly have the means to kill him with a non-kinetic attack. Nope, next. The other two were obviously focusing on his Domain or Micro. Priam didn''t have a Domain yet and was likely to die soon. Playing the long game was only helpful if you could do it. He validated his choice. POT -30 [Nimble Micro] - The precision of your control over your body''s molecules increases drastically. Synergize with Micro. Instantly, Priam felt his skill and Micro develop a new bond. He could already feel every part of his body. Now he could also individually influence each of his muscles to use the desired energy. Priam decided to put his new skill to the test. He took a few seconds to search the corpse before rising to his feet. Priam took one last look at the dead man. It was the first human he''d killed. The revenant who had arrived at the Dome didn''t count. She wasn''t human, but more importantly, Priam had been emotionally wounded and tortured a few hours before. He''d had no empathy for the murderess. Conversely, he had empathy for the soldier. He had fought for his family and Priam respected that. He''d killed the man in self-defense, but he had no regrets. The absence of a tongue and lower jaw prevented him from uttering a few words, but Priam knew he wouldn''t forget the dead man. He wouldn''t forget the sniper''s weakness. He had been weak - that was his true mistake. Someone could always kill me to get ahead on his own path. If I want to be free, I have to be the best... Turning his gaze to the second sniper, Priam stepped forward and straddled the mist. Priam stood in front of the snipers'' hideout. After killing the second sniper, he''d heard a walkie-talkie crackle. He''d never been able to find the rest of their team, but Sphinx had come up with something. She''d watched his karma for a second before declaring that she''d discovered the enemies. Priam had followed her for two kilometers before arriving in front of a building resembling a Roman bathhouse. Shrugging, Priam entered and Sphinx followed in silence. Her little tail was dragging on the ground. She seemed sad that she had failed to protect her friend and had sprouted adorable-looking claws. However, this lovely picture was shattered because the claws easily sank into the ground. Priam would have liked to comfort his friend, but pain prevented him from finding the right words. Even if he had the words, he still lacked the tongue to speak. I''m a fool. I''m weak. But that will change...Priam promised himself. Sphinx looked at him for a moment before nodding. She understood him. The interior of the building was quite empty. Sphinx took the lead and Priam followed. After walking for about ten seconds and down a flight of steps, they came to a door. "They''re behind it and there are three of them," said Sphinx. Priam nodded, then lifted his leg before kicking the door open. He dashed inside without waiting for the debris to hit the floor. His eyes adjusted instantly to the dim light, and he spotted three men around a table. On the table was an impressive display of firearms. Priam lunged at them as they each reached for a weapon. Priam threw his spear at one of the men and pierced his head. He reached the second just as the latter closed his hand on a gun. An elbow to the ribs took his breath away and Priam snatched the weapon from his hands. He wanted answers. The third man hadn''t had time to move before Sphinx had decapitated him. His headless body was still sitting on the chair and Sphinx was sitting on the table looking at the weapons. The man Priam was holding whispered, breathless. "You''re going to die. You don''t know who you''ve provoked." Priam''s gaze was fixed on the back of the room and he barely heard him. In the darkness were five open crates filled with hand grenades. Priam smiled. Santa Claus. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 130 Constitution 197 Agility 147 Vitality 212 Perception 278 MENTAL: Vivacity 167 Dexterity 152 Memory 38 Willpower 98 Charisma 109 META: Meta-affinity 118 Meta-focus 85 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 7 Meta-chance 46 Potential: 226 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 24 hours 48 minutes 53 seconds. Chapter 49: Watering a god Priam looked down at his prisoner for a second. He couldn''t speak because of his missing jaw. Sphinx sensed his annoyance. "Do you want me to speak for you?" she asked telepathically. Priam thanked the Concepts for having a friend with this kind of talent. He didn''t count sign language among his many talents. "Yes, please." Sphinx nodded and translated. "Who do you work for?" she asked in an adorable voice as she continued to inspect the weapons on the table. The man looked up at her, surprise evident on his face. After a few seconds, he finally answered. "For the Alliance." "You attacked me because of the senator''s death? It wasn''t me who killed him," thought Priam, raising an eyebrow. Sphinx repeated. The brute spat on the floor. "I don''t give a shit about that guy. I''m working for the future leader of the Alliance, E..." "I''ll stop you right there," Sphinx cut him off. "I don''t care about the Alliance''s internal problems. You''re a tiny faction with no special roots, and the only question I have is: should I kill Alliance members on sight?" Without waiting for an answer, Priam lifted the man before throwing him to the ground. He crouched and put his knee on the man¡¯s solar plexus to keep him down. The Baron began to apply pressure, and the prisoner struggled to escape. Priam wasn''t unnecessarily cruel, but he knew the man had been trained. He hadn''t cracked even when he saw his comrades efficiently killed. Priam wanted to make him talk and to do that, he needed to frighten his opponent. He also wanted to force his opponent to be polite. Being rude prevented someone from feeling fear or respect. Priam wanted to break the man''s resistance. "Are you ready to answer something intelligent?" Priam shifted his weight slightly as Sphinx asked. It was role-playing on his part, as he had no real intention of torturing the prisoner. Perhaps he should have, but he didn''t feel like getting his hands dirty. Besides, torture didn''t always provide the truth, and Priam was far from a specialist. The man took a deep breath before answering through gritted teeth. "You''re not protected by the Alliance. We were interested in the Revenants'' offer, so we took a chance. That''s all," he breathed, looking at Priam and Sphinx. Priam nodded. "How did you find our position?" asked Sphinx. The prisoner hesitated momentarily, and Priam slapped him across the face. He didn''t want to give him time to think. "How did you find our position?" repeated Sphinx. There was something comical and chilling about hearing a child''s voice questioning an immobilized adult, but Priam forced himself to keep a serious face. "The Revenants gave us the information." Priam squinted. They already knew... Either they''d been aware of his movements since his arrival, or he''d triggered an alarm by climbing the cathedral. Priam riveted his gaze on the soldier as he perspired. He looked scared. Does he think the Revenants can torture his soul after his death? If so... "What about this?" Sphinx asked while Priam pointed to the crates filled with grenades. "How did you get these?" "... Will you let me live if I tell you?" The two men stared at each other for a moment. Priam looked away and Sphinx continued. "If you tell me the whole truth and teach me something useful... I won''t kill you." Lvl up: [Manipulation] lvl 4 CHAR +3 The prisoner smiled. He must think I''m weak... "The Alliance has a lot of ex-military people. We all arrived with a few weapons and asked for more as a reward from the Tutorial. Moreover, there are weapons caches scattered around the Domes. One of our diviners found one - here - filled with grenades," Sphinx approached the explosives and Priam stopped her. "Careful! It can explode, and given the number of grenades, it could hurt you." "Those little things?!" exclaimed Sphinx in thought. You''re not very big either, thought Priam. Sphinx glared at him and the young man looked away as he realized his mistake. He still didn''t know how to separate his formulated thoughts from those he sent to Sphinx. He looked back at the prisoner. "Okay. Now you''ve got to teach me something useful," Sphinx announced after a moment. "... The Revenants have a vault too," replied the prisoner after a few seconds of silence. "We know." The prisoner shook his head. "Everyone knows they have a treasure room, they shout it everywhere. But they''re not idiots. When their General briefed us about you, we passed before their vault. It was very well protected, they probably wanted to show us they were competent." "I don''t have all day. I want facts." Telling anything to divert the audience''s attention to think about something else - a lie, an escape plan, etc - was a well-known technique. Politicians did it all the time, but Priam wasn''t about to be fooled. The prisoner cleared his throat. "I have a talent for detecting valuables. This talent was triggered when I passed the treasure room. However, it was pointing toward the floor. The real vault is below the fake one," the prisoner revealed. Priam spat out a little blood. He had tried to laugh, but the pain had called him back to order. Clever, he thought. Two treasure rooms. With the new skills in this universe, who''s to say his stash is untraceable or impenetrable? At this point, a decoy with a reward attached is the best defense technique... "A handy skill for a loser like you. One last question. Where is this general?" asked Sphinx. "He was protecting the treasure room. There''s always one of their generals there. But they take turns, so I don''t know if he''ll still be there." Priam nodded. Having a high-ranking officer stationed to protect the vault made sense. "Can I go now?" the prisoner asked. Priam looked down. Sphinx had said she wouldn''t kill the prisoner, and if Karma was as present in this Universe as Sphinx implied, he intended to make sure she kept that promise. However, Anne, Albin and Claire had taught him never to let an adversary go. One always regretted it. Priam stood up and turned to Sphinx. "Can I take care of it?" he asked. Sphinx nodded and Priam recalled his spear. He stood up and before the prisoner could articulate a word, the spear pierced his heart. Priam gave him a sad look. Sorry. In this new world, mercy is the privilege of the powerful... Looking away, he indicated the grenades to Sphinx. "Do you have a way of carrying them?" Sphinx looked at him for a few moments before answering. "If they''re really useful, yes..." "That doesn''t seem to enchant you but I have a use for them." Sphinx began to grow rapidly and Priam stepped back. A second later, Sphinx was almost three meters tall without having regained her true size. The room couldn''t have held much more. The monster headed for the crates of grenades and swallowed them. If Priam still had his lower jaw, it would have fallen off. He was that surprised. "Spit it out! It''s explosive!" he shouted telepathically. Sphinx finished swallowing the crates in a few seconds, followed by the weapons, before shrinking. "My skill is sealing my stomach. With no air, no reaction and no aether, I''d be surprised if anything happened. Anyway, with Micro, I''ll feel it if it moves." Sphinx jumped onto Priam''s shoulder and he flinched. If she were wrong, the result would be unpleasant. Looking at Sphinx, Priam had an idea. She looked at him quizzically as she saw the young man''s face grimace. It was supposed to be a smile, but the wound made it look terrifying. Sphinx shuddered. With a horrifying cackle, the only laugh he was currently capable of, Priam climbed back up the steps. He had a cult to rob.The procession was entering the cathedral. Priam counted at least a hundred people. The vault was inside the cathedral, of course, and Priam was waiting for the right moment to enter. With Sphinx, he was powerful enough to enter the building directly and loot it. However, his real aim was to obtain information about the Revenants and Anatole. Even if he knew their true nature, there were still too many gray areas for his liking. The System had created a powerful faction to threaten mankind, but the Cult seemed a little too powerful. No rookie faction should have the power to steal from every faction in a dome, even if the strongest ones had already migrated. From his conversation with Mercury, Priam knew that the Revenants had allied themselves with the Cult of Viracocha. Now all that remained was to hope that this alliance would not have tragic consequences for the poor wretches who came to pray, hoping to resurrect their loved ones. Besides, the cathedral was titanic and undoubtedly full of secret passages. Priam had no interest in killing hundreds of Revenants if the officers, generals and Anatole fled. When the last person entered the cathedral, Priam jumped from his hiding place. He landed easily thirty meters below, absorbing the kinetic energy of his fall. Priam heard a snort and turned to Sphinx. "What''s going on?" Sphinx grimaced and seemed to hesitate. "Hey Sphinx, I''m your friend. You can talk to me. Something''s wrong, right?" "Yeah... I just got a quest from the System," she murmured. Her voice was so weak that Priam could barely hear her. Only his inhuman perception allowed him to grasp the girl''s words. He crouched down beside her and stroked her head. "The System doesn¡¯t want you to come with me?" Sphinx nodded. "It''s not forbidden, but the Revenants are humanity''s responsibility. My quest requires me to stay away from this cathedral. If I don''t, the Lord of this Dome will be warned that I''m here. He will use the dome barrier against me, and you will no longer be able to use it to weaken your tribulations..." Priam felt his heart clench as he saw his friend all sheepish. "Don''t worry," he whispered. "Instead, go and observe the Lord in preparation for our attack. We''re friends and we must help each other, but above all, we must respect each other." Priam pointed to the cathedral. "I''ve managed all my life. I''m glad to have your assistance, Sphinx, but you must trust me. It¡¯s my fight," he said, rising to his feet. Sphinx knew time was running out. She nodded and took off in the direction of the Ducal Palace. A final message reached Priam. "Slaughter them for me." Priam''s eyes smiled. I promise. Folding the hood over his head, he entered Anatole''s lair following the procession. Part of his mind was already thinking about the best way to destroy the building. He''d read enough books to know that his day would likely end in a bloodbath. Stolen novel; please report. The cathedral''s interior was keeping with the theme of its host city: black and red. Stendhal''s eponymous novel perhaps gave an interpretation of these colors. The red of blood, war and sacrifice. The black of the clergy, in this case the cult of the Revenants. From the outset, Viracocha was destined to be the city of war and religion. At least, that was Priam''s assumption. Priam threaded his way through the ranks of the faithful. His local suit, on loan from the tailor, enabled him to remain discreet. Taking advantage of the change in light as he entered the building, the young man slipped away to the right. If the cathedral''s exterior was Gothic - albeit futuristic in its choice of materials and gargoyle statues - the interior was quite empty. No chairs or benches for prayer. Large black stone pillars linked the floor and ceiling. In the center of the cathedral was an altar and a statue of a god holding a coffin. This god was depicted as an old man with lightning hair and a foam beard. Viracocha. The mere sight of the statue filled Priam with terror. His Title [Threat Killer] screamed: this god had no love for mankind. The other worshippers seemed unperturbed by the statue while Priam struggled to breathe. Without his latest progress, he would have collapsed to the ground. Priam forced himself to breathe in meditation. After a few seconds, he took the time to reflect. Despite the pressure from the statue, he had nothing to worry about. Mercury had explained to him that the Reunion was a System event that concerned humanity alone. Only a Concept had the power to penetrate the event. And if an omnipotent Concept decided to intervene, Priam wasn''t going to stop it. Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 11 WILL+3 Thus, the god behind the statue could observe him but could not intervene. The young man wagged his finger at the malevolent statue and surveyed his surroundings again. There was nothing like an iconoclastic action to free oneself from the fear of the gods. His terror subsided a little, and Priam decided that more of the same was in order. That said, Priam had no intention of meeting the real Viracocha. Not before Tier 7, anyway. Or 8? He didn''t know what Viracocha''s Tier was, but one thing was sure: if [Threat Killer] could provide information about his intentions, Viracocha wasn''t a true god. As the procession reached the hotel, the priest laid down his censer. He turned back to the finally silent crowd. "My brothers and sisters. I am happy to see so many of you here today. You have seen the truth, felt the power of our god and your prayer is about to be answered. The System is harsh and the Concepts are indifferent! But Viracocha loves you. He believes in you. He believes in your redemption. What the System has taken from you, Viracocha, in his great mercy, will give back to you." Murmurs and prayers rose from the conquered crowd. Priam could feel the hope rising in the hearts of those present. He was witnessing the climax of the ceremony. "Some will be reunited with their families today. Others will have to wait a little longer. But don''t worry: your turn will come. Viracocha abandons no one!" The priest now shouted, and the crowd repeated after him. "Viracocha abandons no one! Viracocha abandons no one! Viracocha abandons no one!" With that, the priest turned and sang a final hymn. The crowd sang along and the voices grew louder, echoing beneath the cathedral''s arches. Thick smoke rose from the censer, numbing the singers and spreading across the cathedral. A few seconds later, just as Priam was wondering whether he should back away from the thick smoke, the priest stopped singing. Priam could barely distinguish the participants through the smoke screen, but five stepped forward, marked by the smoke. It swirled around their bodies, gently enveloping them. Carefully carrying a small bag, the priest brought the ceremony to a close. The smoke dispersed as the disappointed worshippers returned home, hoping to be chosen at the next rite. The priest opened the bags as the doors closed. Cores. They buy their way to their new world... But to get so many cores, they had to sell all their possessions... Most of these possessions certainly didn''t belong to them and had been lent to them by factions. Selling these possessions to resurrect their family was insane. If the Revenants refused them, they would undoubtedly be executed upon returning from the Reunion. Satisfied, the priest closed the bags and invited the poor souls to follow him. The coffin held by Viracocha opened and they descended a hidden staircase. A few seconds after the last worshipper had passed, the coffin began to close, threatening to block the entrance. Priam wondered for half a second before dashing forward. The interior of the cathedral was so empty it was suspicious. Priam hadn''t seen a single door. The Revenants'' headquarters must be under the cathedral, as Boss had assured him that Anatole and his generals lived there. Reaching the coffin, Priam prevented the lid from closing and, by forcing it, blocked the mechanism. Feeling oppressed, he raised his eyes. The pressure exerted by the statue of Viracocha was terrifying, and Priam could have sworn it was watching him. As drops of sweat began to appear on his forehead, he looked up at the false god. His body began to tremble and Priam broke out in a cold sweat. Higher Tiers weren''t just about accumulating more attributes. Qualitative changes were taking place, and he felt overwhelmed by the divine aura. Spasms soon overcame Priam. Yet he refused to look down. His ultimate goal, the one he had chased all his life and for which he had selected maximum difficulty in the Tutorial, was to be free. He refused to bow to a false god. In an instant, [Eidetic Memory] showed him all the moments of his life when he had dreamed of his freedom. Priam groaned, gritting his teeth. Black dots began appearing in his vision, and Priam staggered. Micro had deactivated itself without him noticing. A feeling of absence seized him and Priam slapped himself. The pain woke him up. He was now on his knees, still looking at Viracocha. His chest was numb, preventing him from breathing. The statue and the god behind it threatened to break his will. He would never be free. He was only a weak human¡­ Lvl up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 2 WILL +3 Mobilizing all his willpower, Priam slowly stood up and pulled down his pants. "I''m free." Priam looked Viracocha in the eye and began to urinate on the statue. The divine aura exploded, and Priam''s heart stopped. From the farthest reaches of the Universe, a god was watching him. His attention threatened to destroy Priam. Only the System prevented the god from using his full powers. Priam felt his body split in two. Micro assured him he was fine, yet it felt like a giant was twisting the two halves of his body in opposite directions. As he felt himself dying, Priam tried to access his Potential. His eyes widened as he felt that his Potential was inaccessible. Abandoning everything else, he concentrated on Micro and forced his heart to start again. His entire body was paralyzed, and only his slack bladder continued to empty. His breathing was cut off by the horrifying power of Viracocha''s aura. The synergy of his Titles, resistances, and talents, as well as his proximity to death, kept Priam alive, second after second. Each moment seemed to last a thousand years, but he clung to life. It was his life, and he rejected the promise of a gentle death. Thirty seconds later, Priam finished urinating. A notification appeared, and Viracocha''s pressure became bearable again. It hadn''t disappeared, but Priam could move and think again. The god had turned his attention elsewhere, and Priam took a breath of air. WILL +2 Synergy detected. [Humanity adapts], [Veteran], [Axolotl or Hydra?], and [He Who Eludes Death] have reacted. Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 2,3,4 CHAR +9 META (Chance) +18 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 19 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Achievement - Gold: You have defied a god, insulted him and performed an iconoclastic deed before his very eyes. In his wrath, he sought to capture your soul. A fate worse than death. You fought for your freedom without flinching. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement. Message for Humanity: Priam Azura refused to obey the tyranny of a minor god. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Willpower + 50. Potential + 500. Title received. Talent received. [Iconoclast - Gold] - You urinated on the statue of a god, while he was watching you. You risked something worse than death. Was it courage, madness or idiocy? In any case, you survived after desecrating Viracocha. He''s not all-powerful. No one is. You become more resistant to auras. Your soul begins to crystallize. Skill received. [There is no Heaven - Epic] WILL +10% CHAR +10% META (Chance) +50 [There is no Heaven - Epic] - You don''t like your enemies to be resurrected. When you use this skill on a defenseless enemy, part of their soul is damaged. This error is recognized by most Wheels of Reincarnation. To avoid errors, damaged souls are often crushed. The effects of a shattered soul are manyfold. WILL +9 [He Who Eludes Gods] - Your soul belongs to you. You are now unique. The one and only Priam Azura. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 130 Constitution 197 Agility 146 Vitality 212 Perception 279 MENTAL: Vivacity 168 Dexterity 153 Memory 38 Willpower 187 Charisma 135 META: Meta-affinity 118 Meta-focus 85 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 7 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 736 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 24 hours 11 minutes 36 seconds. Chapter 50: Into the Lions Den Maya''s eyes widened as she read the System''s notification. Stunned by the news, she reacted a fraction of a second too late and Kenzo''s saber stopped just a millimeter short of her eye. The warrior hadn''t held back, Maya had simply prepared the ground. Multiple threads, all thinner than a hair, were blocking the saber blade. These wires were stretched across the duel zone, and Maya''s opponent spent his time getting tangled up in them. In the private training room, the two adversaries looked at each other for a moment. Without warning, Maya activated a skill and a storm of wires was unleashed. Hundreds of wires swirled around the swordsman. The eye of Maya''s cyclone was the most dangerous place. Kenzo tried to defend himself, but the attack was omnidirectional. A few light wounds began to appear as the swordsman''s defensive style began to be overwhelmed. A second later, the warrior was immobilized: hundreds of razor-sharp wires held him at bay. One of the greatest Mercenary fighters had just been easily defeated. Maya smiled and Kenzo returned her smile. "End of training," Maya announced, fetching a towel to wipe off her sweat. A dozen fights stopped in the next few seconds and the Mercenaries left the sand arena. Maya always insisted on selecting a sandy arena. Moving around in the sand was tiring, even more so when gravity artificially increased. In this new aether-filled world, physical exercise was never finished. The harder the training, the better the results and the greater the skills level up. Maya had already evolved [Athletics] and [Fitness] into rare skills thanks to her iron discipline and rigorous training. "Still, it''s not enough to catch up with that monster..." murmured Maya. "Excuse me, Leader?" asked Kenzo. "Nothing. I want everyone in the conference room in five minutes," declared Maya before heading for the showers. "YES!" Five minutes later, Maya entered the conference room. Twenty-three Mercenaries were present. All were fighters, even those in administrative positions. Humankind had around a hundred Mercenaries, but Maya only took the best with her. Only the elite team was currently absent, busy trying to defeat a Viscount. Maya was confident they would succeed before the end of the Meeting. The Mercenary Leader walked around the central table and sat down. She took a second to organize her thoughts before speaking. "I won''t keep you long. You''ve all seen the global announcement. Priam, humanity¡¯s champion, has received a second Completion. This time, he survived after resisting the wrath of a god." Maya marked a second of silence. "In light of this news, a policy change is in order. The Mercenaries are neutral, but we are not pacifists. Quoting from the System, ''Priam Azura refused to obey the tyranny of a minor god.'' Which means he was attacked first. The Cult of Viracocha - since that''s them we''re talking about - lost its right to neutrality. Paolo, what are our options?" Maya asked her assistant. He stood up and pretended to read a file. Maya rolled her eyes. She knew her assistant knew its contents by heart. "An attack on the Champion of Humanity is an attack on humanity. If the majority of this assembly agrees, we can order a Hunt." Exclamations erupted as Paolo sat back. For two minutes, various Mercenaries shouted to be heard. The question wasn''t whether they should remain neutral - they all admired Maya enough to join her. The real question was whether they should start a Hunt: the total annihilation of the Cult. It meant actively invading Viracocha to execute Anatole and all allied factions - including the most important, the Revenants. After two minutes of heated debate, Maya clapped her hands and the assembly fell silent. "I think most of these questions are pointless," she said. "Priam is at direct war with the Revenants. They''ve practically merged with the Cult of Viracocha. At least Anatole is the leader of both factions. This war is the crucible in which Priam will be reforged. If he succeeds, we''ll have an exceptional champion. If not, the Revenants will be weakened," said Maya. She swept her gaze over the assembly. "In the meantime, let''s focus on our objectives. We have no time to lose. If humanity survives this Reunion, later will come the Meeting of Civilizations. We must be ready." The assistant opened his notebook. "Concerning the Revenants, our final position?" "No Hunt," Maya decided. "But they are declared enemies of the Mercenaries and will be executed on sight. Any faction that collaborates with them will suffer the consequences."Anatole sighed as he read the notification. He grabbed a rag and methodically wiped his bloody hands. He could already hear the panicked footsteps of his henchmen in the corridor. They came closer and stopped in front of his door. Anatole sensed their fear. This feeling was a formidable tool for dominating the weak. Revenants were weak. For Anatole, being afraid enough of death to accept a resurrection in exchange for a contract was a sign of weakness. The Grand Master of the Cultists was not scared of death. He had even committed suicide before the Tutorial. When the System offered him the chance to become a Revenant, he refused it. He then made another proposal to the System. He would destroy humanity and die. In exchange¡­ Anatole chased away his useless thoughts as he observed his work. His thirty-seventh Chimera - or Abomination as the System identified them - would not be weak. Anatole smiled as he watched the spirits of a few Revenants writhing in pain as they were gradually fused into the monster''s flesh. Their sacrifice, catalyzed by the Urn of the Depths, was the cement that solidified the Abomination. For Anatole, their sacrifice was an honest ending for these perjurers. They had promised to fulfill their mission and had failed miserably. Some should have brought him Baron cores - indispensable ingredients for creating chimeras. Others had been tasked with stealing treasures from enemy factions. They failed. The price of it was terrible. Fortunately, Anatole would find a use for them if they failed to be useful to the cause. In fact, some of them found an unsuspected usefulness. If Anatole had been a gambler, he''d have bet that his thirty-seventh creation would soon face Priam. In a way, it was his destiny. "I wonder if Priam will be happy to have you back Albin..." he murmured as he watched a face writhing in pain, melted into the Abomination''s flesh. Albin had disappointed him greatly. The Revenant had been so afraid of death that he''d sold important secrets to Priam. Anne, too, had been punished, but her talents could be useful in attracting an Earl. Albin, on the other hand, had been a disappointing subordinate as well as a traitor and a coward. Now he was paying the ultimate price, and his punishment would motivate the other Revenants to succeed. The henchmen were still hesitating and Anatole unfolded his right index finger. The door opened and two officers entered then saluted. It was easier to manipulate men when they were conditioned. Anatole didn''t claim credit for most of his ideas; he had freely drawn inspiration from the worst dictatorial regimes to control his faction. Anatole stared at the two Revenants for a few seconds, and they began to tremble. The Grand Master winced inwardly. Fear was a useful tool, but it often broke the weak. The officer on the right, trembling slightly less than his comrade, cleared his throat. "Grand Master, a global announcement has been made," he announced. Anatole sighed inwardly. He turned quickly to his Abomination, but it didn''t need another mind. "Teach me something I don''t know, will you?" Swallowing, the officer nodded hastily. "Of course, Grand Master. Priam is currently in our cathedral. He doesn''t seem to have been hurt by his confrontation with Viracocha. The Generals are afraid that our allies will become reticent when they see that Viracocha cannot command respect from a Tier 0. Our members might start to wonder..." "He pissed on a statue and survived, that''s all. We''re going to announce that he''s been cursed by Viracocha for his deed and is now easy to kill. All the idiots of this Reunion will rush to do the job for us. I''ll take care of our allies. For those members who are wondering..." Anatole held out his hand. "You need a tongue for that. Give me yours," he asked. The officer widened his eyes and turned back to his comrade, who looked away. Abandoned, the officer swallowed before shakily reaching for his dagger. He took one last look at Anatole''s impassive face before cutting his tongue. Keeping the Grand Master waiting was a bad idea. Anatole retrieved the tongue and threw it in the direction of his chimera. The tongue stuck to the monster''s venous surface and slowly fused with it. Three seconds later, it had disappeared. Anatole turned back to the two officers. "Priam is dangerous but predictable. He''s coming for our treasures, the Urn of the Depths and my life. Tell the Generals present to be ready to intervene. His Achievement increases his value in the eyes of the System, which makes his murder even more lucrative. I''ll dispatch two Viscount-rank chimeras to stop him, along with my new creation. If that''s not enough, set off the trap. I want him dead." Anatole turned to the second officer. He didn''t seem talkative, but he always would be more so than his comrade now. "Have we got hold of his father?" The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "... N-not yet Grand Master." Anatole thought momentarily about creating a thirty-eighth chimera with the help of the two idiots before giving up. He was in a hurry. "Then bring him back. No, you''ll fail, I can feel it," Anatole reconsidered. "Tell our Champion to take care of it. She''d better be careful, Mercury''s men are on the case too," he ordered before dismissing the officers. The two men walked towards the exit with stiff, quick steps. Anatole turned toward his Abomination. Created from three Viscount cores, it almost reached Earl rank. Enough to exterminate any Baron, Champion of Humanity or not. Why confront Priam himself when this was not his forte? Anatole was no warrior. He was a strategist and a creator. A Baron core had enabled him to create a Baron-ranked Abomination. Thanks to this, Anatole defeated other Barons and made more Abominations. The first Viscount killed by the Revenants had beaten eight Abominations before dying. With its core, it was easy to create Viscount-rank Abominations: an unstoppable war machine. Anatole had grandiose dreams. The Champion of Humanity could continue to piss on statues. He grabbed a metal sphere from his worktable. It was directly connected to its twin, held by the General in charge of the Revenants army. Anatole guided his aether into the sphere and activated it. "Get the army ready. We''re going to attack the Earl of the Dark Wood. It''s time for the Revenants to obtain Achievements." Claire sat down on the bed in her cell. She reread the notice a second time before bursting out laughing. "What a son of a bitch... Bravo Priam. I''m counting on you to keep Anatole busy." The young woman straightened up. Locked away in Mercury''s mansion, she was safe from the Grand Master. Their disagreements were numerous. For example, Anatole didn''t value Claire''s life at its fair value. However, if Priam kept him busy enough, she could advance her own agenda. Claire walked to the door and knocked. Moments later, a servant appeared on the other side of the door. "Can I help you, Mademoiselle?" "Yes," Claire smiled, activating her skills. "I must go. Will you help me escape?"Priam sat for a few moments on the cathedral''s stone floor. He needed to catch his breath. The confrontation with Viracocha had undoubtedly been a mere thought for the god. Yet the weight of his attention had nearly killed Priam - or rather, captured his soul. For Viracocha, the incident was no more important than a footnote in the story of his day. But Priam had survived and was stronger than ever. His bravery - and folly - had given him a Gold Rank Title, an epic skill, a few attributes and a unique talent. Right now, Priam was feeling more complete. More legitimate to breathe. The sensation was complex to describe, but Priam could sum it up simply: the aether now accepted him. Priam didn''t yet know what this would change, but he was now unique, which was bound to have great significance. Does that mean I wasn''t unique before? Do Concepts play with our consciousness? Are other Moons, Reunions, and Priams fighting for their freedom? The Baron had no idea how to answer these questions. If he had to make a hypothesis, it was that his theories were wrong. Anyway, the System had now confirmed something: he was unique. Priam sighed for a moment before rereading his status. He would now have to be careful with his Willpower. Who would have thought that suffering the wrath of a God would temper it? He was not far from a fourth Tribulation. Priam summarized what he knew of these events. Deadly, almost impossible to predict, he had just over twenty-four hours left to call the Tribulations or they would erupt at the end of the timer. Certain attribute levels triggered these Tribulations. These levels were three, six and twelve attributes above 100. Then one, three, six and twelve attributes above two hundred. It was the same levels for three hundred, four hundred and so on. The Tribulations could overlap, and Priam sought to use the barrier of Viracocha''s dome to separate them and face them one after the other. Apparently, a triple Tribulation was unimaginably dangerous. Nevertheless, Priam had a few advantages. Firstly, the Tribulations were calibrated to the power of the user when he triggered them. A tribulation was always perilous, but Priam''s first Tribulation was meant to be endurable by the Priam who had just left Anne and Albin. Since then, he had made much progress. The next two would be more difficult. In addition, he had stolen some of the best objects currently in the possession of humanity. If he added to this the various treasures of the Revenants - which would soon be his own - he had a real chance of getting out alive. Priam rose to his feet. The Tribulations were coming and he wanted to be ready. The spiral staircase descended with torches fixed to the wall. Some footsteps¡¯ sounds reached him in the distance. Priam¡¯s bare feet made no sound on the carved steps. The coffin closed behind him. A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps faded and Priam cautiously descended the last few steps. At the bottom, he glanced around using a mirror borrowed from Sphinx''s palace. The staircase led to a twenty-square-meter room occupied by two guards. They looked more like assassins given leather armor, but the shortage of fighters forced even the most powerful factions to use any man-at-arms to protect themselves. The quality of their equipment also seemed to leave much to be desired, but their mere presence was problematic. Priam wondered for a second. Should he try to penetrate the complex discreetly? Or should he kill all the Revenants to not give them a chance to sound the alarm? Another question appeared in the back of his mind. Could he really massacre former men and women, resurrected by the System? There was a difference between killing Generals and leaders and slaughtering henchmen who couldn''t defend themselves. While Priam was still hesitating, he noticed a disturbing detail. The walls of the staircase leading downwards were covered with marks. Dozens of clear lines were carved into the soft rock at shoulder height. Suddenly, Priam understood. These weren''t sordid decorations. They were fingernail scratches. Not everyone who had descended those stairs had done so of their own free will, and some had resisted. Priam gritted his teeth and gripped his spear. He had made up his mind. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 130 Constitution 197 Agility 146 Vitality 212 Perception 279 MENTAL: Vivacity 168 Dexterity 153 Memory 38 Willpower 187 Charisma 135 META: Meta-affinity 118 Meta-focus 85 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 7 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 736 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 24 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds. Chapter 51: Abomination Priam summoned his mist. He had decided to kill the Revenants and intended to do it right. That is, without triggering an alarm in the first few seconds. The alarm would be sounded eventually, but it should be as late as possible. Theoretically, Priam felt ready to trigger the alarm and slaughter any Revenants who crossed his path. But in practice, he had no intention of wasting time. If the underground passages were immense, it would take a long time to find the Treasure Room. Worse, Anatole might take advantage of the situation to flee if he felt powerless. So Priam decided to be stealthy and follow the priest and his followers who had entered the passageway two minutes before him. With no idea where the Treasure Room was, he might as well follow the priest to learn more about the Revenants and their methods of converting humans. If the method depended on a physical object, it would certainly be kept in the Treasure Room. If not... the priest would confess. In the room, the two guards stood facing each other, halfway between the staircase and the exit. A thin thread of invoked mist moved towards the guard on the right - the one on the left was looking opposite the stairs. Priam was betting that none of the guards would notice the misty thread. The light was dim and their work tedious. Few people could spend several hours in a row guarding an empty entrance, let alone one so deep in their domain. Viracocha was their city, and the cathedral was off-limits to the public. The passage was secret - even if it was an open secret. ¡®An intruder would have been spotted before he got there¡¯. It was maybe with this thought in mind that the guard on the right died. One hand grabbed his chin, the other his shoulder. In a quick movement, Priam snapped the guard''s neck after teleporting behind him. Without waiting for the body to hit the ground, he rushed at the second guard, who had been alerted by the noise. Few humans were powerful. Priam estimated that a normal person had, on average, between two and three times the attributes of a pre-Tutorial human. Mental attributes were easy enough to increase by working on a few academic skills. Most humans had transformed their professional knowledge into physical or mental skills. But once these low-hanging fruit had been picked, many began to stagnate. The Revenant guard, trained by his faction, must have had physical attributes between forty and fifty. Exceptional for a human, but ridiculous against Priam. The man-at-arms didn''t have time to draw half his weapon before Priam struck him with a violent elbow to the forehead. Thrown backward, the guard crashed violently against the wall before collapsing. His leather armor partially cushioned the impact, but Priam heard a terrible cracking. Priam, a grim look on his face, watched as the body crashed to the floor, leaving a trail of blood on the wall. Before the Tutorial, the man must have had an office job. Despite his anger and determination, Priam was aware that he had just killed two humans. He took no pleasure in it and knew he''d undoubtedly kill many more. Priam looked at the body to understand his strength a little better. The forehead was smashed in, and the back of the skull had exploded. What a shame... For ten days, the man had been trained by the Cult to become a guard. His training had only recently begun and - fortunately for Priam - shouting for help was not his first reflex. I''ll have to kill the next ones instantly and silently. Priam was annoyed. If the guards had been three, he could probably have killed them without raising the alarm. But he was likely to come across larger groups of guards whom he would have to kill without making a sound. The Baron took a moment to consider his options. He needed a skill capable of eliminating a man without making a sound. He could create a sound control skill using his Potential, but that would have been a waste of this precious resource. Priam leaned over the guard and took his pulse. Nothing. Priam winced as he had an idea he wished he could test. He was almost sure of its viability. After all, he''d used the technique against Orthos, the first Baron he''d killed. Last time, he needed Potential, but this time he wanted to succeed without it. His idea was simple: stop the blood flow to the guard''s brain. But to test this, he needed a live guinea pig. Fortunately, that was not in short supply here. Experimenting on humans wasn''t exactly ethical, but wringing their necks wasn¡¯t moral either. Priam turned towards the back of the room. It was closed by a heavy wooden door, reinforced with metal bars. Priam knew he could break it down, but it might cause some noise. He rummaged through the corpses for a key, before straightening up, empty-handed. The lock mechanism on an old door wasn''t very complicated and Priam moved towards it. [Kinetic Control] was supposed to be able to unlock it. He placed his hand on the handle and his shoulder against the door. Priam then summoned his fog into the lock. The inside of the cylinder was extraordinary, with micro-runes seemingly traced on it. Priam used [Aether Perception] and swore. The lock was magic. There was only one option left. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 3 META (PERC) +3 With his strength, he didn''t need any skill to break down the door, but he intended to hold it back to make as little noise as possible after kicking it in. Priam lowered the handle and prepared to force the door open. He pushed and the door opened without a sound - the hinges seemed well-oiled. Priam released the handle, ashamed. In the lair of a bloodthirsty cult, he''d expected to fight for every inch of ground, but the reality was quite different. Shaking his head, he stepped forward. The carnage would come soon enough. Priam arrived in a spacious hall. It was soberly decorated with a scarlet marble circle inlaid in the floor. The ceiling was shrouded in darkness. Priam squinted and his Perception pierced the inky-black smoke to reveal the rough stone. Nevertheless, he found it hard to believe the smoke was merely cosmetic. Several corridors connected the hall to the rest of the Cult''s lair. From the central one, Priam heard the faint footsteps of a group of six people - surely the priest and the five worshippers. Despite his desire to follow them, Priam stopped. Members of the Cult were arriving from another passage. Priam''s exceptional Perception told him that many men and women were roaming this area. If he ran in dressed as a simple worshiper, the first cultist to come along would sound the alarm. Priam moved towards the corpse of the first guard behind him. He was wearing leather armor, a short sword scabbard and a collection of throwing knives. A black cape embroidered with a totem representing Viracocha was tied behind his back. Priam quickly equipped himself with the cloak and throwing knives. He abandoned the sword and clutched his spear in his hand. If the Revenants didn''t use a spear and it gave him away, so be it. But whoever spotted him had better sound the alarm quickly... Without wasting any more time, the young man returned to the hall, closing the door behind him. Three members of the Cult arrived at that very moment from another corridor. Priam pulled the cloak up over his mouth, hiding his jaw injury, then nodded at them and continued on his way. The cultists quickly returned his greeting, absorbed in their conversation. The first rule of entering a guarded area was to project an image of confidence. Priam had taken to strolling through the Cultists'' lair as if he owned the place. Hiding in plain sight was sometimes the most effective strategy. "The third team got decimated. The Baron rank Abominations got slashed to pieces against the spider," one of the Revenants told his comrades. "General Tian Long plans to send the Viscount rank Abominations. He asked the Grand Master for special permission." ¡°In my opinion, it will take at least three Abominations. The spider is a true Viscount and has the home-field advantage. A surviving scout confided in me that the lair is filled with wires sharper than steel. When they start to vibrate, all you have to do is brush against them to get hacked to pieces..." "I''m an arachnophobe..." said one, shivering. Priam continued to listen to the three cultists with a distracted ear as they moved away. The assault on the Viscount below Viracocha seemed to have begun. The Revenants were unable to advance, but Priam wore a worried expression on his face. Apparently, the Cult had several entities of Viscount rank at its command. The Baron remained confident of victory, but it would not be as easy as he thought. Even worse, the Cult''s creatures were called ''Abominations''. Perhaps they were a rare species of unicorn, but Priam doubted it. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam checked that no cultists were planning to take the stairs back up. Luckily for them, the three cultists disappeared down another corridor, unaware of their good fortune. Priam left them alive. The later the alarm was sounded, the better. Priam accelerated to catch up with the priest''s group. The corridor was several hundred meters long and the young man - running at the speed of a galloping horse - took around ten seconds to catch up. Despite his predicament, Priam smiled as he felt the bare ground beneath his feet. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The tunnel eventually widened into an antechamber with a large stone door. The same door as the one in the temple where Claire betrayed me. It confirmed that the Cult had the power to defeat Barons and that its members could leave the dome. The door opened and the group entered an immense hall. Priam followed quickly behind and his gaze immediately fell on the room''s central object. A grotesque altar representing a pile of human corpses. At a glance, Priam estimated their number at around a hundred. The altar was abominably realistic and Priam winced in disgust. A meter above the altar, two cores levitated, orbiting together. The room seemed made of a stone as black as night - certainly obsidian. A few free-standing torches pierced the room''s darkness as their flames danced. Four ten-meter-high columns supported the ceiling, and an exit was located on the other side of the altar. The room was austere but majestic, with only the altar out of place. As the priest-led group approached the altar, Priam stealthily teleported into the darkness. It wasn''t the Treasure Room, but some kind of sixth sense was whispering to him that something was about to happen. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 13 AGI +1 The improvement in his skill reassured Priam. If it increased by one level, then he hadn''t been spotted. It would have been strange for his skill to level-up when he failed his task. The athletic, pallid-skinned, middle-aged priest strode to the altar before turning to the congregation. He was still smiling, but Priam winced. He felt that the five new worshippers wouldn''t be as well received as they''d expected. Too bad no one''s here to bet with me, because if this priest is friendly and has gathered them here for a welcome snack, I''m willing to hug Arnold. "Allow me to congratulate you again. You are the Faithful, those who will summon an angel," said the priest. He pointed to the altar behind him and continued. "Viracocha believes in you, which is why you are here today. Now, sit against the altar and touch it. The ritual is about to begin." A welcome ritual? This altar is a pile of petrified corpses! Are they drugged or something? Suddenly, Priam understood. The five men and women were indeed drugged, certainly the work of the smoke that had chosen them. No one could fail to react to the demonic altar. One of the worshippers, a man in his fifties, spoke hesitantly. "O Chosen One, I am honored to have been selected today. I assure you my undying devotion. However, I''m thinking of my daughter. She''s young and I''m afraid she won''t be able to manage without me, in the kingdom of our Lord..." The gratitude mixed with sadness in this father''s voice made Priam wince. It would have been simpler to believe that every Revenant was a monster. Death was horrible in its brutality, and Priam would have liked to help this poor man. Concepts were as mysterious as they were powerful. Priam''s Talent proved that the System was powerful enough to bring someone back to life. But was this power accessible to a mere god? The priest stepped forward and took the man in his arms. "Death is a horrible and natural thing. But the very nature of man is to rise against it, to fight, and to survive. The System gives us this power, but it''s strict. Viracocha, on the other hand, is merciful. He lends us his ability. Come brother, join us and accept Viracocha. Give yourself to him and you''ll find your daughter. Let''s not waste any more time. She needs her dad," he said with a smile The man nodded, weeping. The priest positioned himself on the other side of the sinister altar and intoned a chant. Priam couldn''t make out the guttural words and his instincts began to rumble. The five faithful dropped their heads as if a puppeteer had cut their strings. As the chanting grew in intensity, half the altar began to levitate toward the Baron''s core. The altar¡¯s stone began to transform into a black fluid. Priam squinted. The stone looked almost like flesh... Suddenly, the priest began to speak again in an understandable language. He had finished chanting and was now articulating a prayer. "O Viracocha, accept these sacrifices. These living beings wish to enter your kingdom of their own free will. Open your gates to them and honor your chosen one for this offering. Life bows and the Dead serve thee." Shit... Priam hesitated for a second. The five worshippers were in a daze and continued to mumble. Should he intervene? He was here to understand the secrets of the Cult, after all. Was saving the five strangers - who had sacrificed their lives of their own free will - the right thing to do? Priam''s second of indecision cost him his window of opportunity. The five strangers suddenly exploded in a cloud of blood and bone. The clouds converged on the sphere of flesh housing Baron''s core. The ball of blood, flesh, and bone increased in volume and began to twist. A kind of blood golem was taking shape. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 14 AGI +1 Priam was petrified. It was even worse than he''d thought. Revenants are turning humans into weapons. As he tried to draw all possible conclusions from this information, the golem finished creating appendages and fell to the floor. The room shook under the impact of its four legs. [Identification] [Abomination - Depths] - Artificially created during a ritual, the Abomination is a cross between a raging beast and a golem. It results from the unnatural fusion of two cores, linked by the sacrifice of dozens of minds. As the catalyst for the ritual is an object belonging to the Depths, this creature gives off their pestilence. Every second it spends in your world pollutes it further. An abomination evolves by absorbing new genetic material. Stop it while there''s still time. Lvl Up : [Identification] lvl 6 MEM +1 New Quest: Abomination To pursue their dreams, some people will do anything. A madman has sacrificed dozens of men and women to create an Abomination. Avenge them, kill the Abomination. Reward: Potential +50. Abomination essence. Bonus according to your participation. Difficulty: Silver The priest headed for the exit, only to stop when he noticed the Abomination''s immobility. "What''s going on?" The abomination raised its faceless head and stood still. Suddenly, the creature turned towards him. Priam smiled and cocked his spear. "I was just tired of hiding."Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 130 Constitution 197 Agility 148 Vitality 212 Perception 279 MENTAL: Vivacity 168 Dexterity 153 Memory 39 Willpower 187 Charisma 135 META: Meta-affinity 118 Meta-focus 85 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 10 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 741 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 23 hours 50 minutes 45 seconds. Chapter 52: Revenants Madness Priam threw his spear with all his might. The weapon had barely left his hand before it penetrated the Abomination''s head. The room shook as the spear sank into the wall behind with the grace of a cannonball. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 16 DEXT +1 Priam turned to the petrified priest. "I think we have some things to talk about..." His jaw still throbbed with pain, but he forced himself to articulate. The pain was nothing compared to that of some of his deaths. Priam''s words woke the terrified man, and he ran for the exit. Priam set off in pursuit. A few meters from his target, his instincts screamed out and the Baron leaped high. Priam instinctively clung to the ceiling and activated [Kinetic Control] to stay there. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 7 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 11 AGI +1 A tentacle of flesh had sprouted from the Abomination''s body. Like a whip, the appendage had tried to sweep Priam away. Priam''s eyes widened as the monstrosity continued to whip through the void, hoping to hit its target. This thing isn''t dead! The tentacle stood still for a moment and Priam analyzed it. Without its head, it can''t... Suddenly, the appendage charged toward Priam. The young man used a kinetic charge to project himself against one of the room''s pillars. From there, he leaped straight for the priest and grabbed his throat. Priam swung his prisoner towards the Abomination. "If that creature attacks, you die. Tell it to back off," he ordered. The priest struggled as the Abomination reconstituted itself. One of its arms swept across the floor. The bits of flesh, blood and bone that had spurted out when the head exploded were reabsorbed. Within seconds, the creature was complete again. Its capacity for regeneration was ridiculous. Priam shook the priest as the Abomination turned towards them. His instincts told him it was going to attack. "What the hell are you doing?! It''s going to kill us!" ¡°No, it will kill you.¡± The priest struggled harder, "It won''t obey me! It''s a creature of the Depth. It only ignores me because I''ve been blessed by the Grand Master. It won''t protect me, so get off my back!" Priam stepped back, pulling the priest with him. He had begun to summon his mist from the start of the fight and it eventually touched the tip of his spear still embedded in the wall. With a mental bend, he could call it back to him. Priam leaned toward the priest''s ear and said. "If you can''t stop him, then point out his weakness. Otherwise, you''re no use to me..." Priam suspected he had to attack the Abomination''s core - or cores. However, due to the creature''s shifting body, he had no idea where it was. The Abomination was only Baron rank, but it was very complicated to kill and its physical attributes were enormous. For the moment, this thing didn''t use any skills. Or maybe a body control skill? Priam was still backing towards the tunnel when the Abomination screamed. A moment later, the Baron felt a kind of heat on his thigh. Priam pushed the priest away, thinking of an attack. Looking down, he saw that the Revenant had simply pissed himself in fear. The two men looked at each other and Priam understood that the man was terrified. He really had no way of calming the creature. "I... I''m not sure. They have an aether-packed core in the body. Certain skills can..." A slash from the Abomination cut him off - in two. Blood smeared Priam''s clothing. Priam reacted immediately, leaping backward and hurling his spear to wound the monster. It shrieked and Priam took the opportunity to focus on Micro. He needed more power in his throws if he was to overcome the behemoth and its regeneration. The supremacy synergized with his throwing skill to optimize the movement and power of the muscles in his entire body. The result could wipe out the monster with ease, and Priam wanted nothing less. Part of his brain noted the creature''s motions. To attack, the Abomination had propelled its body at a frightening speed. Priam hadn''t seen it coming and realized that the creature could manipulate its body to move inhumanly. It didn''t need to stretch any muscles that Priam could see, making it unpredictable. I''ll have to be careful... The Baron focused, thinking that the Revenants were playing with fire. This creature was far superior to Orthos or Nemea. Galapagos could have killed it by attacking from afar, but in this tunnel, the chimera was superior to the Viscount. Priam was now convinced that Anatole didn''t know what he was doing - or that he was crazy. As if to prove him right, the Abomination moved forward and its arms touched the two pieces of the priest''s corpse. Instantly, the two pieces began to vibrate and then melt. A second later, they had merged with the chimera, which now seemed a little larger. The Revenants had created an unstoppable weapon. If they weren''t killed quickly, these monsters could become veritable cataclysms... The Abomination then stood still, turning its head as if to spot Priam. The mist had finally invaded the underground and the Abomination seemed lost, unable to see or sense the young man. Priam teleported his spear in his hand and activated [Aether Perception] to observe the world in search of the core. The world changed. A new color, unknown to the rainbow, was superimposed on Priam''s vision. The air seemed filled with both golden dust and a silvery fluid. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 4 META (PERC) +3 Priam looked down at his hands and saw new veins irrigating his body. Not veins, meridians. Turning his hands and clenching his fists, he smiled as he discovered a new facet of this universe. He lifted his head and watched the creature turn on itself, uncertain. Priam watched his enemy for a few moments. His own meridians were golden green, and his new vision painted the chimera a dark purple. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 5 META (PERC) +3 Priam''s new vision reflected a block of undulating darkness back to him, and the young man winced. His skill could not pierce the creature''s flesh. There was only one way to find its weak point... Priam thrust his spear with all his might into the creature''s chest. It exploded, opening a half-meter-deep crater in the creature''s body. Squinting, Priam noticed that the spear had shattered the creature''s flesh, but that a bone cage had managed to stop the attack. Protection? It must be where the cores are. Priam used the mist to call up his spear and attack again. The chimera''s flesh was already beginning to regenerate and he didn''t want to give it time to cancel the attack. A new throw cracked the protective cage and sent a few splinters of bone flying. The Abomination screamed and lunged at Priam. Despite the lack of visibility, it knew where the attack originated. The young man stepped back quickly, but the chimera was gaining speed. The tunnel narrowed behind Priam. Far behind was the Revenants'' antechamber, and ahead of him, a creature that must have weighed over three tons was hurtling towards him at the speed of a galloping horse. Priam closed his eyes for a moment and took a step forward. He opened his eyes again and attacked. His spear buried itself in the creature''s back - even if one could have argued that the Abomination didn''t seem to have a back. He had straddled the mist and appeared behind the chimera. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 17 DEXT +1 The attack seemed to destabilize the chimera and it stumbled. Its momentum carried it away and the tunnel shook again as the Abomination slid to the ground, leaving behind multiple pieces of flesh. Despite its speed, it didn''t get very far: Priam had absorbed its kinetic energy. Priam called up his spear again. Until he had been notified of the success of his quest, he had no intention of stopping his attacks. [Aether Perception] told him he had about ten more jumps possible. Priam attacked again. Once, twice, three times, without giving his opponent time to get up. Recalling his spear a fourth time, he observed the creature. It was now moving slowly. Its regeneration had come at a cost, and was on its last legs. A ball of broken bones was now visible in the center of the abominable moving mass grave. Priam threw his spear again. The sphere of bones finally shattered, revealing a purple core, larger than a Baron one. The mass of flesh, blood and bone began to tremble as the core now seemed defenseless. Priam looked at it. Its aether density was exceptional. He was sure it wasn''t a decoy. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 6 META (PERC) +3 Priam''s spear appeared in his hand as he prepared to attack the core. By destroying it, he could surely destroy the creature for good. Suddenly, he stopped and thought. If a priest could create such a dangerous creature so easily, then the Cult could possess dozens of them. Humanity''s greatest warriors could undoubtedly destroy them, but the majority of humans would be slaughtered if these creatures were released into a dome. Moreover, some are of Viscount rank, and I may be the only one who can defeat them... Priam suspended his gesture. The factions and super-factions adopted a policy of neutrality towards the Revenants, as they were a faction created by the System. To avoid incurring the wrath of the System, they preferred not to intervene. At least, that was Priam''s theory. But if the warriors of these factions learned that the Revenants were mad enough to create this kind of Abomination, that could change. For all his power, Priam knew he couldn''t save humanity alone. "We''ve got to show them..." If Mercury and Maya realized the true threat of the Revenants, then humanity would soon be united against this plague. And those who would continue to stand aside... Those who would abandon humankind at the moment of its greatest crisis would be forever banished. The factions would have to make a choice. Having made up his mind, Priam jumped and landed on the shattered bone sphere. He was careful not to touch the creature''s vibrating flesh - he hadn''t planned to merge with this kind of horror any time soon. The core was still connected to the remains of the Abomination by tiny threads of aether. Priam put his hand through one of them, but the thread didn''t react. We''ll have to solve the problem at the root. Priam reached out to the levitating core and concentrated on Micro. He was ready if the core tried to play a trick on him. As he touched the core, it fell into the palm of his hand. Soon, threads of aether, invisible to the naked eye, began to invade his body. The core''s aether was colliding with Priam''s aether, and the reaction was violent. Priam''s hand began to turn black and he almost dropped the core in pain. Priam kept the core in his hand. One of his aims was to gain resistance to the influence of the Depths, to better survive against a higher-ranking Abomination. Unfortunately, the magic of the Depths seemed extremely belligerent. Priam watched as the corrupted threads pierced his skin and tried to spread through his meridians. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 7 META (PERC) +3 Apparently, the Depths are dangerous enough to quickly boost my skills. In the face of adversity, Priam''s body and mind rebelled, making rapid progress in resisting. Rather than release the core, Priam used [Aether Manipulation]. The skill allowed him to manipulate his aether and Priam concentrated on countering the core''s effect. His mind began to draw aether from his body and increase the energy density in his hand. Priam didn''t know how to do anything else. Manipulating the aether was like using a tail that had been grafted onto him. It was supposed to be natural, but he needed time to adapt. As the core struggled to corrupt Priam, the Abomination''s biological remains stopped vibrating. The aether threads connecting the core were gradually destroyed. Priam theorized that they wouldn''t function properly without an organic medium. Triggered by an idea, Priam began to toss up the core in his hand. The aether threads linking the core to his body became more fragile with distance, and their influence diminished. All I have to do is put this core on the ground and it will be inactive from here. Rather than follow this sensible plan, Priam decided to continue his experiments. If he couldn''t resist a Baron core, then he wouldn''t stand a chance against a Viscount core. Over the next few minutes, Priam forced himself to manipulate his aether. Densifying it in his hand, he began to manipulate it gently. At first, just movements, like fluid currents, then in a more advanced fashion. Eventually, he succeeded in creating filaments of aether viscous enough to impede the progress of the Deep. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 2 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 The core''s attacks were also becoming weaker. The threads that had invaded Priam''s hand could no longer find a foothold, while Priam''s aethereal threads repelled them like whips. Five minutes later, the core''s dark aether retracted and the core lost its glow. Observing it with his new senses, Priam realized it was not destroyed but was simply hibernating. Passively, the ambient aether was attracted to the core and recharged its energy. "Within a few hours, it''ll be ready to create a chimera again by invading a human body," Priam murmured. He had a primal urge to destroy the core. His Title [Threat Killer] screamed at him to wreck the thing, but he resisted. Priam tried to penetrate the core with his own aether but was unable to do so. For the moment, his manipulation was confined to the limits of his body. At last he opened his System¡¯s notifications. Quest completed: Abomination Reward: Potential +50. Abomination Essence. Participation: 100%. You have eliminated an Abomination without help. Potential + 50. New skill: [Depths Resistance]. New title! [Fighter of the Depths] Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 140 (+10) Constitution 197 (+2... error) Agility 150 (+2) Vitality 215 (+3) Perception 279 MENTAL: Vivacity 168 Dexterity 155 (+2) Memory 39 Willpower 193 (+6) Charisma 135 META: Meta-affinity 119 (+1) Meta-focus 86 (+1) Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 23 (+13) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 855 (+114) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 23 hours 30 minutes 18 seconds. Chapter 53: Priams Shadow Finally, the creature at his feet was brought down. Its Vitality was ridiculous, but fortunately, it didn''t seem to possess any active skills. It might change if the Revenants improved their rituals or for Viscount-rank Abominations. Priam took a moment to imagine a Viscount Abomination with the nine lives of Nemea and shuddered. Don''t raise flags, you dumbass! Coughing due to the stench, Priam plugged his nose. The Abomination''s corpse was made of the bloody flesh of human cadavers. He had never smelled anything so bad, and only his concentration during the fight prevented him from paying attention to the smell. Priam quickly pocketed the core and consulted his attributes to ensure he hadn''t triggered a fourth Tribulation. Sighing with relief, he froze the next moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he had spotted an anomaly. He hadn''t deactivated [Aether Perception] and it was sending back a different image from his regular sight. With a fluid gesture, Priam called his spear back into his hand and prepared to throw it. Twenty meters up the tunnel, between two light crystals embedded in the wall, laid an intruder. Priam''s extraordinary Perception detected nothing out of the ordinary, but a gold-colored, humanoid-shaped mass of aether was visible. The golden color of the aether made Priam hesitate. Instinctively, he knew it was the color of humans. "Who are you?" Priam chose to confront the unknown rather than play ignorant. After all, he had frozen when he spotted the intruder. The person''s camouflage was sophisticated and betrayed a competent person. They had undoubtedly realized that he had noticed a problem. For ten seconds, nothing moved. Priam waited. He asked "Who are you?" not "Who''s there?". If the stranger wasn''t stupid, they''d know Priam wasn''t bluffing. Finally, after some thirty seconds of staring toward the aether mass, space blurred, and a silhouette appeared. A masked woman in dark clothing slowly rose to her feet. Her short-cropped black hair and a panoply of weapons strapped to her belt screamed assassin. She watched Priam without saying a word. "Are you part of the Assassins'' Guild?" finally asked Priam. "You may consider me so, but I''m not part of the Guild. I serve my master, King Prometheus," replied the assassin. Prometheus... The name of the titanic benefactor of humanity. Arbiter of the quarrels between men and gods. Greek mythology told that he transmitted fire to humans and was punished for it. The name choice was meaningful, and Priam was already analyzing it. "... I''m Priam." "I know you are. I''ve been following you since you arrived at the Dome." Priam''s eyes widened. Surprise gave way to suspicion. If this was true, then this assassin''s skills were extraordinary. Neither he nor Sphinx had been able to detect it. Priam''s heartbeat quickened and he kept his spear at the ready. She''d never attacked him, but he was annoyed at having been followed for so long. When will the day come when I have no more nasty surprises? Not until I became the eighth concept, I guess... "Why?" "By order of my master. An Achievement is rare, and only my King and his first knight can boast of having been graced with this honor. To my knowledge, you are the only human to have obtained two Achievements. My King is interested in a possible rival." Priam greeted the news calmly. Maya had been able to defeat a Baron alone just hours after him. She''d just missed out on the Achievement. It was expected for other humans to have been able to perform actions extraordinary enough to earn an Achievement. After all, Priam knew very little about this new Universe and had certainly missed out on many opportunities. That these humans refused to announce their feat was more surprising. Instinctively, Priam had allowed the Concepts to declare his victory to notify his family. Apparently, some were more timid. Or they''ve got a hidden agenda. "A rival? I''m not looking to be a king," Priam replied. Freedom was hard enough to obtain without chaining oneself to subjects. The assassin nodded. "That''s what I told my King. I also conveyed that you were too freedom-loving to bend the knee. Nevertheless, I''m going to ask you. Do you agree to serve Prometheus and help him unify humanity?" In Priam¡¯s opinion, this Prometheus was shaping up to be another raving lunatic... "I''m afraid I must decline. Nevertheless, you''re competent, and if he gained an Achievement, he must be too. Perhaps we can join forces temporarily to wipe out the Revenants?" asked Priam. If each Abomination required two Baron cores and a few sacrifices, the Revenants possibly had hundreds of these monstrosities. Priam couldn''t stop them all before they devastated a Dome. The assassin shook her head. "My King will destroy the Revenants in due time." "In due time?¡± Priam raised an eyebrow. ¡°They''ll slaughter millions of humans if they release these creatures," Priam said, looking down at the carpet of flesh and blood at his feet. "Humanity never blooms as well as it does under pressure.¡± Sensing that Priam was about to get angry, she added. ¡°Do you know the statistics of civilizations captured by Concepts? Half disappear in less than ten years. Only ten percent survive more than a century." The assassin''s eyes were filled with terrifying conviction as she continued. "Millions will die, and billions will survive. Humanity must win." Priam gritted his teeth. Of course, everyone thought they knew better. But when an opinion condemned or saved millions of humans, one had to think carefully about one''s choices. Priam had thought about it, and apparently, so had Prometheus. "Then I think we have nothing more to say to each other. I''m not a shield or a leader. I''m a Spear. And I have no master," Priam announced. The assassin remained silent, then disappeared. This time [Aether Perception] perceived a thin thread of aether that evaporated directly into the tunnel. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 8 META (PERC) +3 She was gone. As Priam relaxed his vigilance, the assassin''s voice echoed through the tunnel. "Anatole is on his way to defeat an Earl. His Abominations are still too weak. He will not succeed and should return to create an Earl-rank Abomination. To do this, he needs two Earl or Dome Lord cores..." Sphinx! Priam trusted his friend. She was powerful. Yet he''d had a bad feeling ever since his arrival in Viracocha, and the stranger''s words crystallized it. Something nasty is up... Priam concentrated again. He didn''t have much time left. First and foremost, he decided to keep [Aether Perception] permanently activated. It was unthinkable for him to be so blind again. Moreover, the next assassins would certainly be protected against his skill if it remained low level. Before returning to the Revenants'' headquarters, he observed his rewards. It was essential to know oneself in order to triumph. Title received [Fighter of the Depths - Bronze] - The Depths, the deserts between worlds, are a little-known place. Strange creatures reign there. Some harmless, others frightening. You''ve attracted the attention of one of them and succeeded in slaying it. However, this artificial creature would have been too weak to survive the Depths... As you look at the Depths, they look at you. STR +10% [Depths Resistance - Epic] - The environment of the Depths is terrible. They¡¯re located between worlds, and there, the aether has become polluted. It is still usable, but its properties become corrosive and mutagenic. Initial symptoms are a decline in the physical and mental attributes. Rapidly, skills stop working, then death follows. Some adapt but are forever changed. Creatures from the Depths spread this aether. Stop them before they pollute your world. Your body, mind, and soul gain a memory power: wounds will heal faster as long as corruption remains low. Your soul crystallizes further and gains a protective membrane. Even humanity doesn''t pollute as much as the Deep. CONST +2 (error¡­ delayed). VIT +2 WILL +5 Killing strong opponents was a lucrative business. When you survive... After failing to identify it, Priam tucked some sort of obsidian fragment into his pocket. The [Abomination Essence] must have been too high-level. He had acquired a title, an epic skill, a hundred points of Potential, an [Abomination Essence] and an Abomination Core. In an aether-poor environment, an average man could train for a year without achieving this accomplishment. The Concepts wanted to see exceptional performances and rewarded them accordingly. The thought gave Priam pause. Anatole and the Revenants were accumulating power by sacrificing people. Of course, it didn''t belong to them, and no one had said this Universe had to be fair. However, if Anatole was so successful in his endeavors, Priam knew that others would be tempted to use cowardly techniques to gain power and influence... Easy gains could attract people, and that frightened Priam. Why risk your life, fighting monsters, if you could build obedient, overpowered golems by sacrificing a few human lives? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Priam was under no illusions: only personal power would count in the high Tiers. But in the meantime, how many lives would be sacrificed by fools? Shaking his head, he headed up the tunnel. He had a vault to find. Thirty minutes later, Priam was annoyed. He had made his way up the corridor to the lobby where the multiple corridors of the lair were located. There, he''d passed and questioned two acolytes to find out where the treasure room was, or failing that, Anatole''s apartments. These were the two places where he could find interesting trinkets. The two cultists had been uncooperative and he''d had to kill them when they''d tried to manipulate his mind. Apparently, it was one of their favorite skills. Priam had then gone up another corridor - chosen at random - in its entirety before finally arriving at the kitchens... Additional rooms were to be found every thirty meters, but Priam had quickly stopped searching them. Most of them were dormitories, canteens or washrooms. Priam guessed that each corridor in the lobby led to a different part of the complex. Nobody mixed food and dormitories with precious treasures. Insulting Viracocha and all his angels - or any other sanctified creatures affiliated with his cult - Priam had to go back to the lobby. No one had thought to make side corridors - or to show the way to the treasures. Three stupid acolytes later, Priam was pacing a new corridor. After opening a few doors and stumbling across some - almost empty - armories and rooms full of military documents, Priam was smiling again. At last, he was in an interesting part of the den. On his way down this new corridor, he had come across and killed two guards who looked ready to fight. Priam hadn''t bothered to hide the bodies. The Cult of Revenants may not have had all the security protocols of the U.S. military, but even they had finally sounded the alarm. He had killed nine cultists and their absence had finally been noticed. Priam was honestly surprised by their lack of professionalism. Even though most of the Revenants seemed absent - having gone off to attack either the spider or the Earl - he was dismayed by the slowness of their reactions. They''re so bad, it''s suspicious... Before continuing on his way, he loaded one of the corpses onto his left shoulder. No audible alarm sounded, but distant footsteps informed him that he was being spotted. In all honesty, he didn''t care anymore. His skills weren''t developed enough to allow him to infiltrate this complex undetected. But that would change as he was planning to find other skills to synergize with [Stealth]. For the time being, his infiltration was over, and he now intended to slaughter every Revenant who crossed his path. Priam was now walking with his spear ready. Finally, after more than half an hour of searching, he smiled as he reached the end of the corridor he''d been walking down. His Perception detected breathing some thirty meters away. Priam continued forward, stopping about ten meters from the guarded room. Ahead laid the antechamber to the treasure room. A very predictable ambush awaited him. Too bad Sphinx had all the grenades... Releasing his mist, Priam waited a few moments for it to infiltrate the enemy positions. The mist was almost invisible, but it was there, informing him of the presence of humans in front of him. What interested him most was the existence of firearms and explosives. Most humans didn''t have the attributes or skills to hurt him, but he was still vulnerable to an explosion. Priam concentrated as hard as he could on the feedback from his skill. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 19 PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 A small room with a large door opening onto a much larger space. Six guards in front, barricaded behind overturned furniture. One guard on each side of the entrance, ready to pincer me in. No suspicious volumes. Small quantities of modern explosives could be devastating, but Priam didn''t think mere guards - or even a Captain - had the authority to use such a thing. Moreover, [Kinetic Control] - reinforced by a bit of Potential - could ensure his life as long as the explosion wasn''t huge. A few meters from the antechamber, Priam stopped and lied. "Look out, here comes your Grand Master!" Priam accelerated and threw the body of the dead guard into the room. The body crushed an overturned desk and one of the guards screamed before rushing to the body to check its identity. Focused, Priam leaped forward, past the entrance to the room then used his kinetic skill. The first use stole his speed, allowing him to negotiate a right-angle turn to the left. The second use restored his speed and he accelerated towards the guard. His fist slammed into the guard''s stomach. The shock was violent enough to explode the poor man''s organs. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 16 STR +1 After the kill, Priam instantly turned to face a throwing knife. His Perception was struggling to keep up with the weapon¡¯s speed, which had been thrown using a skill. Priam dodged too late and the blade struck his chest. Instinctively, Priam used [Kinetic Control]. The knife lost most of its kinetic energy, and the rest dissipated on Master Boss''s clothing and his hard body without piercing him. Priam watched in disbelief as the knife fell to the ground. The weapon should have pierced him, but level 20 [Kinetic Control] was a milestone and significantly boosted the skill. Priam picked up the knife and threw it back. The weapon pierced the head of the helpless thrower. Turning, Priam saw three guards retreating towards a huge open door. The vault. The last three guards raised their swords in front of them as if to protect themselves. The left guard was even moving rather discreetly to the side. This way, Priam wouldn''t have to deal with him to get through. "I''m sorry, but I''ve seen what your faction is capable of. If I let you live, the System will force you to continue. I''d be a coward to let you live," Priam explained. He wasn''t sure why he was justifying himself, but the six guards before him couldn''t have been more than thirty years old. Seeing six - almost - humans of his age and terrorized left a bitter taste in his mouth. "We... We can let you through!" Priam took a breath to answer before stopping himself. Two seconds later, he sighed. What was the point of talking? Why waste time and humanize these guards by talking when he had to kill them in the end? "Sorry..." As he spoke these words, Priam realized he wasn''t in his right mind. He''d seen a man cut in half. He''d killed people. Many people. Priam didn''t know whether to laugh or cry to overcome the shock, but he knew he didn''t have time. He buried his hatred, his anger, his distress and his fear. Priam disappeared from the guards'' view. Fully using [Kinetic Control], he smashed into them like a bowling ball intent on a strike. The three guards flew in all directions. His spear moved quickly, and he pierced their bodies in the air thanks to Micro. Without stopping, the young man entered the still-open vault. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 17 STR +1 No sooner had he passed through the open gates than Priam suddenly stopped. The three guards who had taken refuge there had disappeared. Only their weapons remained on the ground, testifying to their disappearance. Above the swords, three silent Abominations stared at him. Each was five times more imposing than the horror he had destroyed thirty minutes earlier. Priam backed away slowly before hitting a wall. A glance made him swear. The enormous vault door had closed without a sound. His mist had sensed nothing, and some skill must have manipulated him. The Revenants had succeeded in deceiving his senses after making him lower his guard. He had fallen into a trap the moment he set foot in the cathedral. The central Abomination screamed and Priam clenched his spear. He would admire his enemies'' plan later. For now, he had to try to get out alive to not destroy Bechar''s seal and trigger a fourth Tribulation. "It''s going to be complicated..." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 143 (+3) Constitution 197 Agility 150 Vitality 215 Perception 284 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 168 Dexterity 155 Memory 39 Willpower 193 Charisma 138 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 122 (+3) Meta-focus 86 Meta-endurance 61 Meta-perception 26 (+3) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 862 (+7) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 22 hours 46 minutes 27 seconds. Chapter 54: Drugs are bad New Quest: Abomination II Depths are part of the Concepts. However, not all worlds are ready to welcome these monstrosities. Humanity is too young right now. Kill the three Abominations. Reward: Potential +300. [Depths Resistance] lvl ups. Bonus according to your participation. Difficulty: Gold Beta, Gamma and... Alpha. In his mind, Priam named the three Abominations facing him. Alpha was the central Abomination and more imposing than the other two. Priam concentrated on it. A second later, the fight began. The chimera swung its arm in his direction. It was more than ten meters from the young man, but the limb extended to hit him. Priam leaped into the air and the attack passed beneath him before striking the armored door. It buckled with a terrible noise and a crater about ten centimeters deep was created. Priam, suspended on the top rail of the armored door, swallowed as he saw the damage. His body was now very resistant, but this attack would have killed him instantly. I guess it''s going to be a no hit run. Without giving him a moment''s rest, Alpha opened its mouth and spat. The sputum was terrifyingly black and Priam shuddered as he watched it. For [Aether Perception], the attack was like a black hole: absorbing the aether in its path. Priam leaned on the top of the door and leaped forward, avoiding the spit. The two remaining Abominations tried to intercept him in the air. Priam accelerated with a kinetic charge and dodged the clawed hands of the two monsters. He landed behind the chimeras and looked up. A few meters ahead of him was a terrified Revenant hiding behind a barricade. Throwing his spear with all his might, Priam killed the traitor before quickly observing his surroundings. The vast hall must have been around a thousand square meters, and sections filled with cores and other resources were laid out like a supermarket. A dozen Revenants were barricaded behind a few overturned displays. Priam ignored the majority before concentrating for a moment on the last Revenant. While the first nine seemed almost transparent when he observed them with [Aether Perception], the tenth appeared tangible. [Identification] [Revenant General - Mathis the suicidal] - One of the Revenant Generals. Mathis agreed to be resurrected in order to get a better death. Before the Tutorial, he was a serial killer who preferred to end his life rather than surrender to the police. He won''t hesitate to drag you to the grave. A general... Priam had a quest asking him to kill three Revenant Generals. Apparently, one of them had presented himself to him. Mathis looked at him with a demented stare. "You will die here Priam. Grand Master Anatole knows all about you.¡± Priam ignored him. He would grant this madman''s wish when he''d finished dealing with the Abominations. Priam''s sixth sense kicked in, and the Baron stepped forward, merging with the mist. Reappearing in front of the vault door - behind the chimeras'' backs - Priam watched his previous location explode. Alpha had rushed to attack his position. A fraction of a second after his disappearance, the ground had exploded. Priam squinted as he saw the Abomination''s fist. It had tripled in volume and mass, causing a terrifying attack. These creatures can manipulate their bodies very easily, he analyzed. The room was beginning to be covered in mist. [Moon Mist] consumed a lot of aether, but Priam needed the mobility the skill offered. Bringing his spear back into his hand, he registered a few kinetic charges. Having lost him, the three chimeras stood still momentarily before turning towards him. They had spotted him through the mist. Are they detecting my aether? My heat? My soul? An upgrade of [Moon Mist] was necessary. Among the three Abominations, Priam chose his prey. Gamma, the monster on the left, was the smallest. It''s the weak link. All he had to do was reach its core. Unfortunately, the mountain of flesh, blood, and bone didn''t seem to agree. Without asking her opinion, Priam raised his spear and threw it. The next instant, it struck the chimera''s torso with the force of a small cannonball. Gamma retreated a step before stabilizing. Seeing the result, Priam''s eyes widened. A few pieces of flesh had been annihilated, but the hole was no bigger than Priam''s fist. Shit. [Identification] [Abomination - Depths - Viscount] - Artificially created during a ritual, this is the superior version of a basic Abomination. Able to adapt and evolve, it is advisable to eliminate this monster before it becomes unstoppable. High pollution capacity. Although weak due to an imperfect ritual, it is a Tier 1 creature. Its Vitality and Constitution are over 500. Its core is very well protected. Holy shit... The Abomination''s constitution was far superior to its Baron version. Priam quickly calculated that it would take dozens of attacks to reach the cage protecting the core. It would then have to be destroyed. Moreover, if the flesh was so resistant, the bones would be excruciatingly difficult to break. Pondering his options, Priam dodged a spit by leaning to his right. The attack grazed him. Even so, he felt a burn on his left arm a moment later. The saliva had hit the door behind him, and a few drops had splashed onto his arm. Cursing his bad luck, Priam wiped off the polluted drops. The pain began to increase rapidly. Priam concentrated on Micro to block the pain without success. It wasn''t just his physical sensors that were transmitting the pain. As he watched, he realized that his aether was becoming polluted. The Depths were breaking his aether. Gamma screamed and leaped towards Priam, bringing him back to reality. With one leap, he found himself on the ceiling and stayed there thanks to [Kinetic Control]. Carried away by its momentum, the chimera crashed against the door with a sound like the end of the world. It was not a fight he could win by conserving his resources. His only advantage was that the three Abominations didn''t work together. Since the Abominations didn''t seem the type to play fair, there had to be a reason - other than their stupidity. Priam connected to his Potential. [Focus], [Aether Manipulation], [Depths Resistance]. Under the exhilarating effect of the Potential, Priam began to smile. The skills worked together to repel the pollution of the Depths. [Depths Resistance] trained his cells to passively repel the invader. Unfortunately, the breakdown seemed as much aethereal as physical. [Aether Manipulation] and [Focus] attempted to actively use his aether to repel the pollution. Still clinging to the ceiling, Priam opened his eyes and split his efforts in two using [Focus]. One part of his consciousness focused on slowing down the corruption, the other on the fight in progress. Half-focused on the fight, Priam leaped from the ceiling towards Alpha. As Priam left Gamma''s proximity, Alpha tried to sweep him away, transforming its arm into a whip of bone and ligaments. The air snapped, and the blow struck the Baron''s outstretched hand. [Kinetic Control], aided by his Potential, almost absorbed the entire attack. His constitution was close to two hundred, and Priam took the rest of the strike with his body. He was thrown on the floor, between Alpha and Gamma. Priam called up his spear and aimed at Gamma. He didn''t want to give the creature time to heal. Already, not a trace of his previous attack remained. The spear produced a supersonic boom as it accelerated and struck the Abomination. A crater twenty centimeters deep formed. A smile came to Priam''s lips as he realized he had a chance to win. He had to use the energy of Alpha and Beta to attack Gamma. Suddenly, Priam turned and held out his hand, palm flattened, toward Alpha''s massive fist. Seen up close, the attack was terrifying. The fist must have been the size of an SUV and developed colossal power. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 21 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Priam''s meridians protested as he absorbed the blow. His other hand closed on his recalled spear. Priam then teleported to Alpha''s shoulder and immobilized it. He intended to absorb its kinetic energy in real time. The chimera had insane physical strength, but [Kinetic Control] boosted by Potential was the ultimate weapon against this kind of monster. Priam cocked his spear, aimed at the wound he had just caused - which was beginning to heal - and attacked again. Part of his Potential imbued his [Throw] skill and his movements automatically corrected themselves. A second supersonic boom sounded and the chimera screamed in pain. The hole was now almost forty centimeters deep. Priam estimated that he would have to dig another two meters - a dozen attacks - before reaching the bone cage protecting the core. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 18 DEXT +1 His spear reappeared in his hand as Priam leaned to the side to dodge a spit from Beta. He straightened up and turned back to Gamma, the wounded chimera. One enemy at a time. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 8 AGI +1 As he prepared to attack again, Priam looked down. He was standing on Alpha''s shoulder, and his skill immobilized the chimera. Despite this, the flesh beneath his feet seemed to move slowly. Priam''s heart sank. Since the tutorial and thanks to [Humanity Adapts], he wasn''t afraid of much anymore. His racial talent gradually erased his fears when he faced them. However, being absorbed, fused and digested by an undead monstrosity terrified him. Only the Potential that ran through his veins and the feeling of omnipotence that accompanied it kept Priam from leaving the Abomination''s shoulder. If he hadn''t activated his skill, he would have been absorbed by the monster. Anatole, I need someone to blame, and you''ll pay for everything... Alpha kept passively supplying him with kinetic energy as it tried to move. Priam was stealing its energy. This ambush would cost him dearly in Potential, but he would survive. A second later, he attacked. Gamma screamed again, thrown against the door as its wound grew larger. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 19 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 15 META (END) +3 Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl ... Delayed. Thirty seconds later, Gamma was lying in front of the armored door. A titanic hole almost three meters deep adorned its chest. Priam, still perched on Alpha, was gasping for breath. He had managed to maintain a status quo by consuming his Potential, but he was at his wits'' end. His meridians were screaming in pain, his aether weakening from creating mist and sustaining his growth. The war between his aether and the Depths was not looking good. Despite the influx of Potential, the pollution was terrible. Priam''s left arm was now black and unusable. His heart was now in the path of corruption. The third chimera seemed to be spamming its spit, and Priam was steadily losing aether as he teleported from one shoulder to the other of the central chimera. He attacked again, concentrating on Micro, [Throw] and [Eidetic Memory] to rapidly improve his skill. It was now terrifying, and his spear pushed the air back through the sound barrier. A split second later, Priam winced. His spear had just collided with a hard material. Very hard. Gamma screamed, and Priam understood: his spear finally found the bone cage. The Abomination''s core - its weakest point - lay behind. Priam recalled his spear and stepped forward before reappearing on Alpha''s left shoulder, dodging another spit. His mist warned him of the third chimera''s every move. Priam waited. One second. He stored the chimera''s muscular energy. Two seconds. He wanted a powerful attack. Three seconds and Priam Dodged. He would need the most powerful attack of his life to break through this protection. Four seconds. He would then have to die or consume one of his treasures. His meridians were in a disastrous state. Five seconds. Priam cocked his spear. Six seconds. With a grunt, Priam summoned all the skills he could muster. Seven seconds after starting to steal Alpha''s kinetic energy, Priam attacked. Lvl Up: [Throw] lvl 20 DEXT +1 [Throw] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Great Throw - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Spear Throw - Rare] - You have exclusively thrown your spear. You specialize and learn more about your weapon. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 15 [Supersonic Throw - Rare] - Your throws have broken the sound barrier at Tier 0. You like speed. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 15 Later... His muscles ripped under the power of the movement. The throw was perfect, but Micro had drained all the energy from Priam''s body. The spear spun faster than ever before. The young man''s eardrums burst and the shockwave threw him backward. His body flew before crashing into a barricade erected by the Revenants. A few seconds later, Priam slowly got to his feet, massaging his head. A titanic headache had set in during the fight, his Vivacity and brain not powerful enough to keep up with the demands of [Focus]. At last, he looked up as he heard heavy footsteps. The Revenants had been blown away and Priam saw Beta heading towards him. Behind him, Alpha was finally moving its shoulders, stretching. Priam''s gaze fell on Gamma. The monster was slumped over. A gaping hole revealed a cracked sphere of bone. In the crack lay Priam''s spear, twisted. The attack hadn''t been enough. The Abomination was wounded but not dead. Priam sighed as he realized he wouldn''t get out of this alive. His body was in a terrible state, and the pollution of the Depths was unstoppable. He would die, and the seal of Bechar would break. A fourth tribulation was inevitable. "While we''re at it, I might as well die with a Title and a new Achievement..." With his eardrums pierced, Priam couldn''t hear his own voice, but he''d made up his mind. He quickly reached into one of his pockets. It took a few moments for his trembling hand to catch one of the treasures he had stolen. [Essence of Silver Catha Edulis - Tier 1] - A powerful stimulant. Your body and mind will rise to fight with vigor. Beware, this medicine will not heal your wounds. Nothing beats natural rest... Swallowing the liquid, Priam recalled his spear. His body was in a pitiful state and the pollution would soon kill him. His heart was already beginning to slow down. Priam grabbed a second bottle and swallowed its content. [Last stand of the Warrior - Tier 1] - A decoction swallowed by brave warriors. Temporarily doubles the attributes of the drinker. After a few minutes, the effect dissipates, leaving behind a broken warrior. In the best-case scenario, you''ll end up disabled. Is it worth it? Yes. The drug let Priam stand up proudly. For the next few minutes, he would be unstoppable. Less than five meters away was Beta. The chimera brought its arm down on him. The volume of the fist was so massive that it filled Priam''s vision. With a flick of his hand, the Baron stopped the attack, absorbing its energy. Beta''s flesh opened up to suck him in and Priam disappeared into the mist. He reappeared in front of Gamma. The creature was in bad shape and Priam wanted to finish the job. Looking at his twisted spear, Priam sent it an apologetic thought. The good thing is, the more damage you take now, the stronger you''ll be. The spear didn¡¯t answer. Priam concentrated on Gamma. He inhaled, then attacked. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 18,19 STR +2 The tip of his spear sank into the previous crack. Priam activated [Kinetic Control] to keep himself from flying off, and the ground shook. He winced as he felt his right hand. Although he had absorbed the backlash, it had caused many of his blood vessels to explode. His spear was now wholly bent, and an attack would shatter it. Priam observed his handiwork. The bone cage was now open. Unfortunately, the opening was tiny. Enough to fit a few fingers, but no more. The core was so close and yet so far away... A dark aether was escaping from the hole and corrupting the atmosphere. Using his left hand, Priam grabbed a luminous pebble hidden in one of his pockets. Another thing he''d stolen. [Make a Wish] - A wish is made while watching a shooting star. Someone has wished to capture this star. Grant the star¡¯s wish and set it free. Be careful, a shooting star moves at tens of kilometers per second. Do not use it in a house. Not suitable for children under three years of age Priam placed the pebble at the entrance to the hole. He had burned his Potential, resources, and promises during this fight. But it didn''t matter. At least, he would win. "Make a Wish." The world turned white. Then the light disappeared. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day Number of deaths: 10 Ten deaths detected. Message from your patron: You''re progressing too slowly. You must put aside your fears and abuse this power. Don''t forget your promise. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 145 (+2) Constitution 197 Agility 151 (+1) Vitality 215 Perception 284 MENTAL: Vivacity 170 (+2) Dexterity 161 (+6) Memory 39 Willpower 193 Charisma 138 META: Meta-affinity 122 Meta-focus 90 (+4) Meta-endurance 64 (+3) Meta-perception 26 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 766 (+11)(-107) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 23 min 55s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 22 hours 43 minutes 49 seconds. Chapter 55: He Who Rose From The Ashes Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 10 Ten deaths detected. Message from your patron: You''re progressing too slowly. You must put aside your fears and abuse this power. Don''t forget your promise. A seal breaks. Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Title [Axolotl or Hydra ?]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT +5 CONST +7 WILL +3 META (END) +10 [Tribulation]: Three characteristics above 200 were detected in Tier 0. A quadruple Tribulation is coming. Time: 22 hours 43 minutes 49 seconds. Synergy detected with [Veteran]. Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 2,...,8 CONST +14 VIT +14 WILL +35 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 16,17 META (END) +6 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 15,16,17 VIT +3 Lvl Up : [Thermal Resistance] lvl 5,6,7,8 CONST +4 Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 18,19,20 CONST +3 [Blunt Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Blunt Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Armored - Rare] - You have tanked a large-caliber bullet. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Star Iron Body - Rare] - You''ve endured the fall of a million tons. You survived the impact of a meteor. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Star Iron Body - Rare]. POT -20 [Star Iron Body - Rare] - Your flesh is transformed. Your body has taken its first steps on a mythical path. Star Iron is a cosmic metal, naturally forged in the heart of a Tier 1 star. The high aether density and terrible physical conditions under which it was created make this metal extremely resistant. Increase the level of this skill and temper your body to complete your Star Iron Body. Your enemies will despair facing your constitution. You are pushing back the Tier 0 limits of tempering. CONST +3 You have selected the skill [Spear Throw - Rare]. POT -15 [Spear Throw - Rare] - You specialize in throwing. Leaving behind other weapons and projectiles, you become more familiar with your Bound Weapon. Together, you can make your enemies tremble. Your bound spear will always find its target. DEXT+3 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 22 hours 43 minutes 49 seconds.Priam opened his eyes. The room was still shrouded in mist as he began to get his bearings. His body - or rather, the pieces of it - must have been thrown to the back of the vault. That was where he had been resurrected. A glance allowed Priam to pinpoint its original location. Where the meteor had struck was now a huge hole. His mist was slightly disturbed as it approached the crater. A draft... It must be the real vault. Priam noted the information in his head while rubbing his nose mechanically. It tickled. The tiny white flakes floating in the air were undoubtedly the cause. They were the residues of the cores stored in the room that had shattered in the explosion. Nothing remained of the shelves and racks that had previously occupied the room. The cores had been shattered and the air was saturated with aether. Lvl Up: [Osmosis] lvl 4 PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 Without wasting time, Priam spotted his enemies. Gamma had been destroyed. Pieces of flesh and splinters of bone were scattered around the room. Some must have belonged to the Revenants. Among them, only the body of Mathis, their General, was more or less intact - meaning in one piece. The corpse was so charred that Priam only recognized it thanks to [Identification]. The last two Abominations had been... Priam widened his eyes and straightened up. They were healing at full speed. Or rather, Alpha was regenerating by absorbing Beta. The explosion and shockwave had heavily damaged it. Alpha had always been more imposing, and Beta''s wounds made it impossible for it to resist. That''s why they stayed away from each other... Alpha absorbed Beta very quickly, and Priam gritted his teeth. He was far more resistant than a few seconds earlier, but the Abomination was growing stronger and more polluting by the second. Moreover, its resistance to kinetic absorption had increased as Priam immobilized it. His flagship skill was now less useful. Priam wasn''t the only one to come out of the fight stronger. "Damn it," he muttered. Now he''d have to deal with a quadruple Tribulation and a Viscount-rank Abomination whose power kept increasing. Speaking of Viscount... Priam had notifications, which he opened. Special conditions met: Title upgraded! [Moon Viscount - Silver] Congratulations! [Moon Viscount - Silver] - Alone, you slayed a Viscount. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted. A Viscount is a powerful Title of Nobility for a new civilization. Enhance this Title to have the right to actively participate in decisions concerning the future of your species. The Earl is getting impatient. He summons you to his court. If you don''t find him soon, he''ll turn hostile. Wherever you are, the Moon Mist is. You can make your mist undetectable, invisible, odorless, and untouchable. Additionally, it would be concealed from the ethereal senses. Achievement - Silver: You are the first human to eliminate a Viscount without help. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Message for humanity: Priam Azura single-handedly eliminated a Viscount. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 300. Personalized message for humanity. Tailored reward. ... Tailored reward: A third Achievement has been detected at Tier 0. You are the first of your kind to achieve this feat. The Concepts are watching and deliberating... Chance of death during your quadruple Tribulation: 96%. Choose one reward to increase your chances of survival. Priam looked up at Alpha. The Abomination had finished absorbing Beta and was now devouring the scattered pieces of Gamma and the Revenants. It would soon arrive for him. The monster was titanic and horrible. For Priam, it was a symbol of his difficulties. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Yet it was nothing. 96% chance of dying... Statistically, Priam was a walking corpse. He trusted himself, of course, and knew there was a chance of survival. He''d always survived. However, that wasn''t enough for him. He was like a man jumping off a building. Before impact, it was easy to say, "so far, so good". But he wouldn¡¯t lie to himself. The Concepts, quasi-omniscient entities, had little hope for his survival. Despite all his advantages, despite all the challenges he''d met, despite all the pain he''d experienced... It wasn''t enough. For a few moments, Priam''s confidence cracked, and his eyes moistened. His half-length hair fell over his face, unable to hide his tears. He was tired. He was doing his best, but it was never enough. Suddenly, he saw himself as a kid and remembered his mother. Despite all his efforts, she had never praised him... Priam sighed and brushed aside his gloomy thoughts. As usual, he would take it in his stride. One day, when it would be over, he''d allow himself to break down and cry. But right now, he had to concentrate on the moment and enjoy it. This new world might be relentless and brutal, but it was also incomparably beautiful and magical. Alpha was still advancing, now swallowing the corpses of the Revenants. They had given everything they possessed to stay alive. To manipulate magic. They were dead, and their death was ugly. Absorbed by an undead monstrosity to grow it. Priam didn''t want to die like that. "I don''t want to die," he murmured. Priam closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his features had become hard. The rules were against him - he was close to a quintuple Tribulation - but he had a chance. His reward could get him through. Priam took a moment to think it over. He didn''t want to make any more mistakes. There were five choices, and only one would allow him to emerge strong enough to live. Priam had never really trusted others. But he trusted himself. If he gave it his all, he''d survive. He had to believe that. Deciding to proceed by elimination, Priam crossed out the last opportunity, Lord Fourth. Increasing his attributes could be helpful, but it wouldn''t be a few dozen points that would drastically change his survival percentage. Back in Time... Priam crossed it out too. He''d read enough novels to know that repetition was an excellent way to improve and learn. Unfortunately, one more chance wasn''t enough. If I could go back a month to be woken up by my little sister, maybe I would select it... Memoir of a Survivor looked interesting on paper. He could see examples of Tribulations and how to counter them. Plus, someone who had survived four Tribulations had to be an absolute monster or a genius aided by a super faction. The skills and techniques used during the Tribulations could help him better understand the possibilities offered by the System. Maybe he''d even gain a terrifying skill. "There''s no way I''d choose that," Priam grinned. If Priam trusted anyone, it was himself. The last two awards allowed him to capitalize on that confidence. Only one elimination was left, and Priam didn''t hesitate for a second. 5 seconds of Glory was discarded. Priam wouldn''t risk letting a future Priam materialize. He didn''t know how the future would change him, but he knew his survival would almost always be his priority. It would also be the priority of a Priam created by the System. The chances of the Priam of the future trying to take possession of his body were high. "I know myself well enough to know when not to trust me," laughed Priam. Survivor Tips: You can ask twenty questions to an assembly over the next twenty-four hours. This council is formed by an infinite number of hypothetical Priams who have just survived their Tribulations. These questions must concern your survival. Each answer will consist of a single short sentence. Priam smiled as he selected his reward. If an assembly of an infinite number of surviving Priams could answer his questions, then he would have an excellent chance of survival. If he died anyway, it would be his fault. The trick now was to ask the right questions and understand the limits of the answers. The first question seemed obvious. "What must I do to be as ready as possible for my Tribulations?" Answer: Get closer to Mathis and Cry over the Abominable Essence. Ten words and a credible sentence. That was the Concepts'' definition of a short sentence. The sentence could have been shorter, but Priam''s assembly had wanted to show their limits. The sentence also had a meaning, even if Priam didn''t necessarily understand it. He hated cryptic prophecies. In a novel, it was mostly a way for the author to muddy the waters. Unnecessary mystery. If a real God needed to spell an incomprehensible message, he''d have to choose a hero other than Priam. The Concepts had set limits on advice, and Priam had to play with them by understanding himself. Ten words were too short to convey several messages directly. But by playing with capitalization and Priam''s knowledge, the advice became understandable. Without missing a beat, Priam teleported to Mathis''s side. He didn''t know why he needed to get closer to the Revenant, but he trusted his own advice. The Abomination was only a few meters away from the poor General. Mentally summoning his spear, it appeared in his hand, gleaming. Priam pierced the Revenant''s heart in one swift movement. The General looked dead, but it cost Priam nothing to make sure. A split second later, he grabbed the corrupted Tear and swallowed it. With his other hand, he clutched the Abomination Essence he''d received as a quest reward for killing the first Baron rank Abomination. Corruption was triggered directly, and Priam massaged his heart. The pollution of the Depths burned him from within, and the pain was unbearable. Where chimera spittle was terrible, it was still created by a Viscount. The Tear had been created by a Phoenix of the Depths. [Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths] - The Depths is a terrible place, containing the cataclysms to come. Long ago, an evil god locked up a child Phoenix there. Lost, abandoned, and tortured, the Depths won him over. His distress made him cry one last time. Here is his diluted tear. This Tear tainted by the Depths allows influencing the consciousness of a Phoenix. Its consumption promises a rebirth. Beware: when consumed, the influence of the Depths will arise to corrupt the surrounding environment. Priam concentrated on staying awake despite the pain and almost missed the fateful moment. As Alpha raised a colossal arm to attack, Mathis opened his mouth, and Priam''s perception caught his words. "My heart''s on the right, you idiot. It will be your last mistake... After me, the Deluge." Priam''s sixth sense screamed out, and for the second time that day, the world turned white. In the final instant, Priam realized the room had been booby-trapped all along. Hundreds of explosives of all kinds had been hidden in the vault by Mathis. Mathis''s skill - or perhaps his talent - triggered an explosion the likes of which Priam had never seen. First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Updated. Revenant General - Mathis the suicidal is dead. Keep up the good work! The world''s colors coalesced as Priam''s body was blown to the ceiling by the explosion. The horizon shook and the howl of the fiery flowers was deafening. Yet Priam felt no pain. The destruction around him released an insane amount of energy, which was transmitted to Priam. His body was reduced to ash, nothing more than a shadow on a wall. The corrupted Tear shattered. A miracle occurred. A Phoenix rose from the ashes. [Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths - Mythical] acts as a catalyst: [Pseudo Phoenix] evolves. Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Titles [Axolotl or Hydra ?] and [Veteran]. Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 9,10 CONST +4 VIT +4 WILL +10 Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 18,19,20 VIT +3 [Heat Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 2 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 22 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The blast and the heat were absorbed by Priam. His body recreated itself, transforming destructive energy into creative forces. Already, his bones were reforming, stronger, and more resistant to the heat. His muscles reappeared, more supple and vibrant with potential. His skin came to clothe Priam in a coppery color as if it had imprisoned the fire. Priam opened his eyes and revealed to the world the reflection of the flame within. The flame that now burned within him. In the depths of his irises, a deflagration danced, playing with the mist. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 3 CONST +3 The first beat of his heart sounded like the roar of a monster. Neither Phoenix nor Human. Priam was a Survivor. Congratulations! Improved title: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver]. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 147 (+2) Constitution 245 (+48) Agility 152 (+1) Vitality 254 (+39) Perception 286 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 172 (+2) Dexterity 167 (+6) Memory 39 Willpower 251 (+58) Charisma 138 META: Meta-affinity 126 (+4) Meta-focus 94 (+4) Meta-endurance 80 (+16) Meta-perception 26 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1089 (+358)(-39) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 20 min 55s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 22 hours 40 minutes 49 seconds. Chapter 56: The Chaos Sorceress Alberto Boss was sipping his coffee, watching the Cathedral of the Revenants tremble. He had started work on the Champion''s outfit as soon as he had left his workshop. The old man had always had good instincts. This time, it whispered to him not to disappoint his new client. The tailor looked down at his coffee. Black and sugarless, it reminded him of Anatole. The master of the Revenants was not a man to be crossed lightly. Alberto didn''t consider himself a coward, but rather a pragmatist. Yet he had to face the truth: he was afraid of Anatole. The man was crazy, and you didn''t negotiate with the mad. You didn''t try to understand them. You ran away from them. The craftsman had almost succumbed to his fear. He had thought of running away from Viracocha - he was rich enough for that - and then waiting for the end of the Reunion, in hiding. His instincts had prevented him from doing so, and Alberto now understood why. Priam was fighting to be the sole master of his destiny. The old man wasn''t that ambitious. But if he had to be a piece on the chessboard, he might as well not be a pawn. A new tremor shook the Revenants'' lair. So violent was the shock that the craftsman thought for a moment the cathedral was about to collapse. The stained glass windows at the cathedral''s base glowed red before exploding. Alberto realized why he had decided to create the outfit in the first place. Anatole was a fool, but Priam was a dreamer. He wouldn''t let anything come between him and his dreams. "You can kill a madman," he muttered. "But you can''t kill a dream." "... Meaning?" Alberto Boss turned back to the woman who had come to disrupt his work. "Meaning I''ll deal with your King''s request when I''ve finished the Champion''s." "You would put a Baron before my King?" asked the assassin in a neutral voice. "A Viscount." "He draws light to himself. He''ll burn his wings in the end. We can kill dreams now, Master Boss." "With the System, maybe. But I doubt you could kill the Viscount so easily," Alberto smiled. "That said, I''d be honored to take care of your King¡¯s request as soon as possible." The tailor had rubbed shoulders with enough dangerous characters to know when to back off. Besides, the work promised to be interesting. Whoever this Prometheus was, he''d gathered an impressive amount of different materials. Nothing Viscount-level, of course, but the amount of resources from Barons was truly mind-boggling. Faced with the assassin''s silence, Alberto continued. "It''ll be ready before the end of the Reunion, don''t worry. Your King won''t have any complaints about the quality of his attire." The assassin nodded. Alberto blinked as he felt a draft around his neck. A warm sensation made him frown. Did I drink my coffee wrong? He touched his neck for a moment before checking his hand. It was blood-red. Alberto looked up at the assassin, but she had disappeared. A voice rang out in the workshop. "He''s also your King. Prometheus is the only one who will save us. You have until the end of the week." Alberto gritted his teeth. Outside, the cathedral trembled. In his hand, his coffee was getting cold. Its surface was agitated. Congratulations! Improved title: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver]. [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - All that was left of you was ashes. Yet here you are. It''s not the first time you''ve cheated death - something you have in common with the Phoenix. The Tear of the Phoenix, purified by [Essence of Abomination], flowed through your veins. Your reconstitution and the synergies of your various Titles have integrated it into your ethereal code. You''re not quite human anymore. It''s almost impossible to become - even partially - a Phoenix. This proud race leaves only two choices for half-bloods. Bend down and rejoin the clan, or die. You control some fires. Flames naturally temper you. Being on the verge of death has a tiny chance of triggering Nirvana. VIT +20% As Priam''s eyes finally focused, and even before the immediate aftermath of the explosions had subsided, [Soul Mirror] reacted. Priam blinked and found himself back in his mental lair. It was the first time he''d been forcibly drawn there, and he had a bad feeling about it. His soul pond was boiling. Priam''s reflection was blurred by the bubbles, and the heat was terrifying. Priam looked up for a second, then looked away instantly. In the skylessness of his mental space laid a Phoenix. Priam had never seen a Phoenix, of course, but not for a moment could he have been mistaken. The creature was as sublime as it was deadly. A golden-tinted flame had taken on the appearance of a legendary bird. Two piercing sapphire eyes gazed majestically out over the world. Priam had not looked away out of fear but out of instinct. He was facing a force of nature. The mythical creature standing before him was no mortal and deserved his respect. Sphinx''s existence had alerted Priam, but the Phoenix was shaking him. Despite his best efforts, he was nothing compared to this creature. His mere presence gave off a terrifying heat. The water in his pond was infused with a fragment of the Concept of Purity. Upon detecting a stranger in its mental space, the fragment would burn itself away, trying to chase the intruder away. However, Priam was no fool. The Phoenix was far more powerful than the fragment and wouldn''t harm it - the council of surviving Priams wouldn''t put it at risk. With a thought, Priam calmed [Soul Mirror] and inclined his head towards the Phoenix. How can we get the most out of this meeting? According to his analysis, it was in his interest to ask vague questions to give his clones a chance to interpret his words. Answer: Accept politely, swear on your last feather, and ask for an Apprenticeship. Priam wanted to smile. The sentence was so cryptic that it was bound to contain an exciting reward. The last feather... I suppose alopecia is a serious matter among Phoenixes. Although it''s probably called something else in the bird world. "O Phoenix, what can I do for you?" Priam asked. He was pragmatic enough to be humble when the situation called for it. Perhaps one day, he would be powerful and famous enough to avoid bowing to any tyrant. On that day, his pride would no longer suffer. Until then, he would do his best to stay alive. I didn''t suffer a dozen horrible deaths to die now. As the silence stretched on, Priam remained inclined, patient. He knew nothing about his interlocutor. Perhaps the Phoenix were accustomed to observing a minute''s silence before speaking, and Priam had no intention of inadvertently breaking a tradition. It was, after all, the fourth time he had communicated with an alien. The first two had tried to kill him - and Arnold had somehow succeeded. The third worked for the System and had learned about human customs. Almost a minute later, Priam was still bowing. At least I''m still alive... That''s good progress. Dad was right, you should always be polite. The Phoenix drew him out of his thoughts. "Who are you?" The Phoenix spoke in a strange, musical language that Priam¡¯s soul instinctively understood. "I''m a human. My name is Priam Azura. I used your Tear when I died, and its corruption was drained by an Essence of Abomination - given by the System as a reward for a quest." A brief but fair and complete answer, followed by a summary of events. Priam could have tried to partly answer to gain information by analyzing the Phoenix''s words, but he wasn''t stupid. The Phoenix''s first question could indicate two things. The first was that the legendary beast had no idea what was happening. By presenting the facts succinctly and dismissing all the damning evidence against him, Priam presented himself in a good light. Above all, he wanted to avoid the Phoenix deciding to attack him by finding him in possession of an Abomination Essence. After all, only two kinds of people carried such trinkets in their pockets. Terrorists working with the Depths and kind heroes trying to free poor Phoenixes trapped in those same Depths... The second hypothesis was more disturbing. The Phoenix knew what was happening and tried to analyze Priam''s character. In this case, it was better to appear honest and fair. Few people liked a liar. "Pleased to meet you, Priam," replied the Phoenix. "I''m... My name doesn''t matter anymore. I am a small fragment of a vast consciousness corrupted by the Depths." The legendary bird paused, and Priam remained silent. After a few seconds, he resumed. "I''d like to thank you for releasing this fragment. An ''Abomination Essence'' capable of absorbing the corruption of my Tear... It''s a perfect object, right?" Priam frowned as a supernatural force gently lifted his head. Earlier, the mythical bird''s presence had shaken his mental space. Now, its gratitude healed and regenerated his soul. Priam didn''t need to breathe in his mental space. Yet he took a breath, and it filled him with energy. He felt great. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "I''m sorry, but I''m not sure I understand," he replied. "We humans are a new civilization with little knowledge." "A new civilization? Strange... I meant something created by the System. Did you kill a monster of the Depths in a System event?" "Indeed," nodded Priam. "But why strange, if you don''t mind my asking?" "The System would never have placed this monster before a young civilization. One of your compatriots must have brought a corrupted object with him. If the System let him, it must have been an opportunity he won." Priam nodded and thought for a second. "Anatole Aely''Samael has in his possession an Urn of the Depths. He certainly obtained it from..." "Who?!" The temperature rose suddenly, and Priam shielded his face with his hands. "Anatole Aely''Samael!" That was the name the System had given him in his quest to bring down the Revenants. The Phoenix looked up at the sky and blew. A spray of fire, as magnificent as it was deadly, shot up. A few seconds passed before he stopped and stared at Priam. "You have to kill him," the Phoenix ordered. "Anatole?" "He''s an Aely. He''s part of the nobility of the Depths. That''s highly unlikely coming from a newcomer, but there''s no point in denying it. You''ve got to stop him. If you leave him alone, he''ll vampirize your civilization, then others. In a few million years, a new God of the Depths will appear, and my clan will be in danger." "In danger?" asked Priam. "Phoenixes are a manifestation of the cycle of life, light, and heat. The Depths parody life, taking advantage of their semi-impunity from the Concepts. This empty, corrupt place is our antithesis. All living creatures abhor the Depths, and especially the Phoenixes," explained the legendary bird. He snorted before continuing. "That''s unimportant for now. You must kill this Anatole and retrieve his Urn. Make sure you destroy his Abominations." Priam bowed his head. "I will, O Phoenix. I swear it on my last feather." Head bent, Priam couldn''t see the Phoenix''s reaction, but he seemed to sense surprise. "You know our customs and have my blood running through you. How strange. What do you ask in exchange for your promise?" Now''s the time. "I humbly ask for an Apprenticeship." The Phoenix sighed. "I suspected as much. Unfortunately, it''s impossible." Priam raised his head in surprise. Have I done something wrong? "Don''t get me wrong, Priam. I''m just a fragment of a broken consciousness. I cannot offer you what you desire." The mythical animal approached Priam. Its warmth seemed both lively and comforting. Wild but benevolent. The young man felt wrapped in a soft cocoon that reminded him of the moment before his resurrection, when he knew that in the space of [He Who Eludes Death], nothing could happen to him. The Phoenix resumed. "You''ve purified this part of my consciousness, which deserves a reward. Now that you''re sharing my bloodline - even if it is extremely diluted - I''m going to teach you an attack of my clan. Normally, we use our talons, but your spear will do." The Phoenix moved even closer to Priam. "If my gratitude is one thing, your promise is another. In agreement with the System, I will offer you a long quest to combat the influence of the Depths. At each level, you''ll earn rewards, provided by the System and by a portion of my personal fortune. Do you accept?" Priam nodded. "I renew my oath." "Good. System, witness our arrangement." New Quest: A Light in the Depths. You''ve released part of the consciousness of a Phoenix Prince. You''ve defeated the spawn of the Depths. Free your civilization from this infestation. All Abominations on the Moon must be destroyed. Reward: The Phoenix Prince''s flame will light your soul. Difficulty: Legendary Recover or destroy the Urn of the Deep. Reward: Your Bound Weapon will be tempered by the grace of the Phoenix Difficulty: Legendary Kill Anatole Aely''Samael. Reward: Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline. Difficulty: Legendary Priam opened his mouth before closing it again. "The rewards are incredible..." and the difficulty of killing Anatole increased. "The System is fair. The rewards could be better, but you already have a quest asking you to kill this man. I am providing all the rewards, but the System guarantees them. The last reward is exceedingly rare and only possible because I seek to weaken my main consciousness." "I''m going to be transfused from your real body?!" A mirthless laugh seized the Phoenix. "No, I don''t have that power. But I have a few drops of Primordial Blood in one of the System banks. Since I''m the only uncorrupted party, I''m the only one with access to them. Corruption has deprived my original of certain rights... But that''s not important now. Just know that your bloodline is currently too poor to have any real effect. If it were purified... It''s an exceptional reward, believe me." Priam grinned, then felt a wave of heat warm his face. "Concentrate on the present. This Anatole must be complicated to kill for the difficulty to be so high. For now, learn. My technique is called [Earth of Ash, Sea of Steam, Infinite Firmament, Phoenix pierces all Tribulations]." The Phoenix laughed at Priam''s stunned gaze. "We Phoenix like long sentences. My people would capture you if they found you, so I permit you to rename it. Don''t worry, this attack complements your current skills. Now, watch and learn." Priam opened his eyes. The explosions had stopped, and the cathedral was no longer shaking. His haze told him that he had dropped one level. He was now in the treasure room. The thought made him smile, but not as much as his last notification. You have gained the skill: [Tribulation Piercing spear - Rare]. He had named the attack himself. Right now, it was a little presumptuous, but Priam knew he wouldn''t always be this weak. If he didn''t die on the way, he''d eventually reach the Zenith. Claire was running through the alleyways of the Dome. She had managed to escape Mercury by using her Potential to strengthen her mental skills. It hadn''t been easy, and when she arrived in front of the hotel housing her little sister, she had smiled in spite of herself. All the sacrifices had been worth it. Unfortunately, the reunion hadn''t gone as planned. No sooner had she knocked on the door than men appeared in the alley. Claire had hesitated: should she flee or protect her sister under unfavorable circumstances? As she hesitated, she recognized one of them. It was Mercury''s sommelier, and Claire realized she''d never escaped. Five minutes later, a dozen men were after her, and her sister had surely been captured. I led them to her, she cursed herself. Eyes glistening with tears and anger, Claire arrived at a marketplace. The Market. A few meters away stood the pyramid she had left after betraying Priam. A plan began to form in her head. The only way to get her sister back was a hostage exchange. Mercury might not love anyone, but Priam wanted his family back. "But first, I''ve got to get away." Mercury''s men were just a few yards away, and Claire knew she couldn''t escape them without a fight. She dashed into the crowd. Thousands of men, women, and children were trying to buy and sell their goods. They were all trying to adapt to this cruel new world. These poor people will die in the war that''s coming soon. The guards were almost close enough to touch her, and Claire made a decision. [Bloodthirsty madness] The crowd fell silent before shouting. The gold of the Dome turned red. The chaos sorceress had a plan. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 (+1) Constitution 245 Agility 153 (+1) Vitality 273 (+19) Perception 286 MENTAL: Vivacity 172 Dexterity 168 (+1) Memory 39 Willpower 251 Charisma 138 META: Meta-affinity 126 Meta-focus 94 Meta-endurance 80 Meta-perception 26 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1091 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 8 min 42s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 22 hours 28 minutes 36 seconds. Chapter 57: To Make a killing Priam straightened up and quickly consulted the Tribulations timer. Twelve minutes had passed since the explosion. In his mental space, he had suffered for several hours under the Phoenix''s guidance. The Phoenix had demonstrated its skill over and over again. Apparently, the Phoenixes had excellent aether perception, enabling them to observe the exact functioning of a skill and then emulate it. Any Phoenix was expected to understand the basics after seeing it just once. Some were able to improve their new skill directly to level 10. Priam was far from having that kind of perception. Fortunately, in his mental space, his perception was high. Even so, it had taken him almost three hours to acquire the skill. At least his aether perception had improved. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 9,10 META (PERC) +6 Priam now understood that not all races were born equal. He could increase his Vivacity and Memory to exceptional levels, but no attribute ruled talent. Only specific resources, Titles, Talents, and opportunities could profoundly alter an individual''s mind and soul. According to the Phoenix, improving one''s bloodline was one of them. Sighing, Priam dusted off his pants - his jacket had been reduced to ashes. What mattered was where Priam ended up, not where he began. The Viscount quickly checked his notifications. Lvl Up : [Thermal Resistance] lvl 9,10,11,12 CONST +4 Sleeping in an inferno did help. Priam smiled as he read his notification. He''d had to be burned alive fighting ants to gain a few resistance levels. Today, his Title [Infantile Phoenix] gave him a pseudo immunity to weak flames. Sleeping surrounded by flames strengthened him rather than harming him. With this kind of advantage, the gap between him and most humans would only widen. Priam then consulted his other notifications. [Heat Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available¡­ [Infantile Phoenix] detected. Merging [Thermal Resistance]. Upgrade. [Heat Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare] - Your body has burned more than once. Phoenix blood runs through your veins. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 100 You have selected the skill [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare]. POT -100 [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare] - Your body is transformed. Your cells become half material, half aethereal. The chemical reactions your body needs to function change. Slowly, you''re letting go of your humanity. It is the path you have chosen in order to survive. You can now convert part of your thermal energy into pure aether. The water in your body remains liquid even at over 100¡ãC - 1 bar pressure. VIT +2 CONST +1 Priam had been surprised by the cost of the upgrade - 100 points of Potential. He suspected that something was different this time. The skill description wasn''t very long but indicated that each of his cells had changed. And so did he. The Potential opened a bridge between the Concepts and Priam''s body. He felt a flame rising in his heart and spreading through his veins. The next instant, some kind of electric current ran through his whole body and Priam spasmed. He lost consciousness for a second as [Brainless] tried to disconnect his consciousness from his brain. The next instant his brain reconnected, and Priam took a deep breath. The intense pain had only lasted a second. His Title had already prepared him and his body was simply adapting to the new blood flowing through his veins. After all, Phoenixes were more aethereal than material. After a second breath, Priam reread his notification. He wasn''t really human anymore. With his Titles, his Constitution, and now this skill, he could run his hand through a flame without feeling pain. Priam wondered for a second what this meant. Would his family recognize him? Where would the changes stop? Was he still able to procreate? And how do I feel about it all? Priam didn''t yet know how to answer this question. He was doing what he had to do to survive, and wouldn''t have taken a less powerful option. Above all... Beggars can''t be choosers. In order not to die and to remain free, Priam knew he would have to make many sacrifices. His third inhalation triggered a coughing fit that prevented Priam from feeling sorry for himself. He took a second to try and breathe, but the smoke and dust made it difficult. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 2 VIT +2 META (END) +1 Grimacing, Priam stood up to observe his surroundings. Rubble surrounded him, and the mixture of smoke and dust prevented him from seeing much. Flames had also broken out on the carpet and some furniture decorating the room. His new title conferred him some fire immunity, and the heat comforted him. Surrounded by the fires, he felt good despite the lack of visibility. Only [Aether Perception] and his mist gave him some information about the surroundings. Firstly, above him, the ceiling was over ten meters high. Priam realized that the explosion had partially destroyed the separation between the two vaults. He was now in the real Revenants'' treasure room. This one was smaller and decorated in red. According to his aethereal perception, there were five pedestals in the room. Before dealing with the treasures they contained, Priam recalled his spear and moved towards a mass of flesh and bone a few meters away. Alpha was at death''s door. The explosion had charred most of the Abomination''s flesh. Its remaining muscles, ligaments, and bones were too heavy to move correctly. The chimera dragged itself pitifully along the ground, trying to escape the flames. Priam stopped at his level and looked at the monster, the result of the unnatural fusion of humans, cores and black magic. He had nothing against black magic as long as it was used against his enemies. As he watched the creature to guess where to strike, a detail stopped him in his tracks. One of the recognizable faces in the still-intact mass of flesh was familiar to him. [Eidetic Memory] gave him the information he was looking for. The features bore some resemblance to Albin. A screaming Albin. "Albin?" whispered Priam. The Abomination stopped. Only the crackling of flames and the creaking of the last beams holding up the rest of the ceiling disturbed the silence. Seconds later, the Abomination began to move again. Priam shook his head and cocked his spear. Gloomily, he brought it down on the chimera. He didn''t feel sorry for Albin but for all the humans caught up in this madness. The hoplite weapon found a crack in the bone cage and split it open. Priam bent down to pick up the six cores inside. A new creak was heard, and he hurried towards the first pedestal. It wouldn''t be long before the ceiling collapsed utterly, and he had no desire to improve [Admirer of Atlas]. Quest completed: Abomination II Reward: Potential +300. Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 11,12 Participation: 62%. You have eliminated three Viscount rank Abominations aided by the Cult of Revenants. Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 11,12 CONST +4 VIT +4 WILL +10 Priam sorted and put the various treasures back into his pockets. He was delighted with his haul and even more so with his quest reward. All the treasures were fascinating, and two were equivalent to a Phoenix Tear. As the ceiling creaked more and more, Priam wondered what to do next. Sphinx was waiting for him to fight the Lord of the Dome. On the other hand, he still had over ten hours before he had to kill the Lord. He could also try to get new rewards from the Colosseum. Or he could try to kill Anatole during his fight with the Earl. He had several options, but only the best would increase his chances of surviving the Tribulations. Fortunately for him, he had access to the solution. "What must I do to be as ready as possible for my Tribulations?" Warning: You''ve already asked this question. Seventeen questions left. "Shit!" That complicated things. Now he had to be careful with his questions. After a second''s thought, Priam tried something else. "Should I join Sphinx, go to the Colosseum or find Anatole?" He might be missing a good opportunity by not broadening his question enough, but Priam wanted to save broad questions for the future. Answer: Join the Earl and warn Sphinx that Anatole is attacking. Priam stopped just before the sacrificial hall. No one had yet cleaned the corpse of the Abomination. He wasn''t a churchgoer, and the existence of the Concepts must have contradicted most religious texts. Nevertheless, he hoped these poor souls would find rest. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Reaching the back of the room, he grabbed a torch from the wall, then pushed open the door. Behind it lay a natural corridor similar to the one he had used to enter the Dome. Priam quickly climbed up it. He had to leave Viracocha to find Anatole and the Earl. Fortunately, a reward from a previous quest had shown him the location of the Earl''s courtyard. Anatole would be there - and his army with him. With a bit of luck, completing most of his objectives in one go would be possible. All he had to do was kill all the Abominations, two more Generals, a Champion, the Grand Master of the Revenants and maybe even the Earl of the Dark Wood. Easy win... Fortunately, he wasn''t alone. Sphinx would undoubtedly arrive soon. To warn her, he had an idea. The message for humanity could be a broadcast resonating all over the Moon. Humans who couldn''t attend the Reunion would just receive a notification. Priam was quite proud of his message. For humanity: Hi Papous, hi sis, it''s Priam. It''s an apocalypse and as expected, I''m doing fine. Some friends of mine are coming to reunite us. They know your age, Papous. I love you. Sphinx, change of plan, join me. With the information he''d given, his family would be able to confirm that he was alive. Priam felt a brief twinge of sadness as he sent the message. He would have liked to tell them a thousand things, but the message was limited. Nevertheless, he had managed to say the most important things. He may have been a paranoiac, but he was wary of Revenants¡­ After the stone door, the tunnel leading out of the dome took many detours. Using his skills and attributes, Priam moved quickly, but the tunnel was too dark to go very fast. The wall had been attacked with pickaxes, and there were no luminous crystals left, as there had been in the tunnel he''d traveled through with Claire. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 18 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 The tunnel was coming up at last, and Priam prepared himself. As he emerged from the ground, the sun momentarily blinded him. Priam looked away and swore as he heard the sound of weapons. He should have known the exit was guarded. "Halt!" resounded a man''s voice. The Viscount sighed at the idiotic order. He was already at a standstill. "Disclose your identity." Priam''s eyes began to adjust to the light as he spread his fingers to check his surroundings. He was well outside Viracocha - the Earth perched high in the sky was evidence of that - and at the bottom of a crater. On its ledges, twenty armed men were present. Their commander looked like an old military man, coolly observing Priam. He smiled. Less than three days had passed since he had returned to the Dome. Since then, everything had changed. His mist, now invisible, invaded the crater and would soon reach the enemy''s positions. All he had to do was gain a few seconds. Priam raised his hands. "I-I... Don''t shoot! He''s coming, he''s right behind me. We''ve got to run, or he''ll kill us!" The military man frowned. "Who''s ''he''?" "Priam Azura!" Lvl up: [Acting] lvl 4 CHAR +3 "What? But why would he come here?" Priam answered with a shudder. "To kill Anatole and the Abominations!" Instantly, the military man''s eyes hardened, and his facial muscles twitched. Priam relaxed and smiled. "What betrayed me?" "... It¡¯s Grand Master Anatole for us. Disrespect is severely punished among the Revenants." "Too bad. I''ll know next time," replied Priam. "There won''t be a next time. Attack!" Priam disappeared and reappeared behind the leader. A blow from his spear decapitated the commander, and chaos ensued. Bullets flew in his direction as Priam activated [Bullet Time]. His perception of time accelerated so much that he could see the trajectories of the projectiles. His haze gave him information on each of the hundreds of bullets targeting him. Priam concentrated on his body and activated Micro. A notification appeared, but he ignored it. Bullets were flying in his direction and the Viscount focused on the nearest one. When it came within two meters of him, he pointed his spear in its direction. The large-caliber bullet grazed the tip of his weapon. Priam thrust his spear slightly so as to hit the side of the shot. In a fraction of a second, he stole the bullet''s energy, changed its trajectory with his spear, and returned its momentum. The bullet''s trajectory was altered by just a few degrees. That was enough. Priam''s Vivacity had enabled him to calculate its future trajectory. The shot continued on its way, passing just a few centimeters from his jaw. A meter further on, it entered the nose of the Revenant who had approached to stab Priam. You have gained the skill: [Battle Flow - Rare]... Priam''s lips stretched. He leaped forward, dodging some bullets and deflecting others. The number of projectiles was such that he sometimes couldn''t avoid them all. At such times, Priam let the smaller bullets hit him. [Kinetic Control] prevented him from taking damage. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 9 AGI +1 The third adversary unloaded five bullets, each striking the same spot on the young Viscount''s torso. The sharpshooter''s eyes widened in horror as he saw that his attacks had not left a mark. Priam''s spear brought him peace. The age of firearms is over. Priam lunged at the next Revenant, who had drawn a sword. Priam dodged a thrust by moving to his right. The opponent turned his movement into a horizontal strike. The staff of the hoplite spear stopped the blow, and Priam held out his hand. The Revenant leaped back. Priam smiled as he watched him flee. The poor man was fast, but Priam was a monster. He used a kinetic charge to accelerate, and his finger touched the Revenant''s chin. Discharging part of the kinetic charge he had absorbed during Mathis''s explosion, the Revenant''s body broke the sound barrier. The acceleration killed him instantly, and the corpse exploded, striking one of the Revenants on the other side of the crater. The fifth Revenant chose this moment to pounce on Priam, a cooking grenade in his hand. Disappearing with a wink, Priam rode through the mist to the other end of the crater. A young Revenant watched the carnage with horrified eyes. Priam pierced his heart before hearing a grenade explode. As he withdrew his spear, he felt a pang of pain in his right cheek. Priam instantly teleported thirty meters above the crater and brought a hand to his cheek. The scarlet color covering his fingers was familiar. His constitution had protected him from the worst, and to him the wound was superficial. With a stern look, Priam observed the battlefield. [Kinetic Control] allowed him to float for a few moments. Under [Bullet Time], less than a second had passed since his disappearance, and the Revenants were looking for him. Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 8 META (AFFI) +3 Scanning the crater with his eyes, Priam''s gaze came to rest on a man lying on the ground, a sniper rifle in his hands, wearing a ghillie suit. His eyes could barely see him, and his mist failed to detect him. Only [Aether Perception] highlighted the sniper''s presence. Priam cocked his spear and threw it before disappearing. He reappeared on the crater''s crest, on the sniper''s opposite side. The sniper instantly changed his line of fire, and Priam waved his hand. The man died a tenth of a second later. The spear passed through his body and exploded the rock he was standing on. Priam reached into his pocket and jumped out. He had appeared in the midst of a five men team. They had opened fire immediately. These Revenants were clearly adept with firearms, for, despite the crossfire, no one hit an ally. Anatole had the entrance to Viracocha professionally guarded. No man could have left the town. Unfortunately for them, Priam was no longer just a man. At the top of his leap, almost five meters high, Priam, feet up to the stars and head down, opened his hand toward his opponents. It contained a handful of grains of sand from the Ducal Palace training room. Priam charged them with all the kinetic energy at his disposal. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 5 AGI +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 23 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The tiny grains of sand disappeared from Priam''s sight due to their terrifying speed. The resistance of the air was enormous, but so was their energy. This kind of attack would lose all power after a few dozen meters. But Priam was close to his enemies. A fraction of a second later, the cone-shaped attack reached the Revenants. All five bodies exploded, and so did the ground beneath them. The explosion raised a cloud of dust, and the few surviving Revenants attacked the cloud. A few seconds later, out of bullets, they stopped to reload. The calm only lasted a second. One of the Revenants dropped his weapon and put his hands to his neck. A two-centimeter diameter hole had appeared there. He collapsed to the ground, and Priam continued his work. The sound of gunfire resounded again. Like the rising sun, Priam advanced, unstoppable. To these Revenants, he was more a force of nature than a man. He was their Tribulation. At last, he stopped. His spear had just tasted the blood of the last Revenant. Priam looked one last time in the commander''s direction. "I was right, Commander. There will be a next time..." Looking in the direction of the Earl''s courtyard, Priam began to run. The fight hadn''t lasted more than two minutes. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 251 (+6) Agility 156 (+3) Vitality 284 (+11) Perception 288 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 174 (+2) Dexterity 176 (+8) Memory 39 Willpower 263 (+12) Charisma 141 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 129 (+3) Meta-focus 98 (+4) Meta-endurance 81 (+1) Meta-perception 32 (+6) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1323 (+232) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 17 hours 1 min 16s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 21 hours 21 minutes 10 seconds. Chapter 58: Bear with it At the Dome, Mercury was having breakfast. The schedules of many humans had been turned upside down. On the Moon, the sun wouldn''t set for another ten days. It would remain daylight throughout the rest of the Reunion. Or night, depending on where you were. Despite his Vitality, Mercury preferred to continue listening to his biological clock. In his opinion, man needed a framework to be truly effective. You didn''t work in bed, you didn''t sing sitting down, and you got up early - after at least eight hours'' sleep. Just as he was enjoying a croissant dipped in chocolate milk, his secretary interrupted him. "Master Mercury, news from Viracocha." Biting into his croissant, he beckoned her to continue. "Viscount Priam met with Artisan Boss before entering the Cathedral of the Revenants. They reached an agreement that the tailor respects. He postponed an offer from Prometheus to keep his word. According to our divinators, Priam has left Viracocha and is preparing to face Anatole and his army," reported the secretary. "What''s the last news about the clashes between the Earl and Anatole?" "The Earl is certainly restricted by the System. His Viscounts are gradually losing the upper hand, and Anatole''s chimeras are gaining power daily. If war were declared on the spot, Anatole would lose. But he''s getting stronger every second, and every loss on the Earl''s side strengthens the Cult. Add to this the mass kidnappings taking place in many domes, and the Revenants are more and more numerous. By tomorrow, Anatole will certainly launch a massive assault." Mercury shook his head as he analyzed the situation. Everything was rushing ahead as the Reunion was ending in about three days. The Earl of the Dark Wood, the Revenants, and the Champion of Humanity were preparing for battle. Sphinx, the Lord of the Dome, was also likely to show up. Mercenaries and all warring factions would try to profit from the chaos. It was enough to be the last to plunge one''s sword into the weary heart of an Earl or Champion to be rewarded. The Merchant had no trouble imagining all those currently sharpening their swords. The first being Prometheus. "Still no news of this Prometheus?" "Nothing he hasn''t revealed himself. Thanks to his Talent, he''s gradually building up the most powerful human army. Only the Alliance has been able to compete since Victoria took over." Mercury nodded. His own Talent had managed to partially inform him of Prometheus''. [King by Divine Right] made it possible to accept loyalty from anyone, thereby breaking the chains and contracts previously in place. Prometheus was currently using it to release certain warriors attached to alien factions from their promises. The man was charismatic enough to attract human fighters to him. But even without that, between centuries of servitude in the service of aliens and a few decades in the service of a human, the choice was obvious. Mercury''s Talent and skills were geared toward setting up contracts between two parties. To him, Prometheus was a natural enemy. But worse than that, this man was painting a target on humanity. No alien empire, faction, or guild would agree to work with humans who could easily renege on their promises. Worse still, these factions would seek to kill Prometheus to ensure that the foundation of their power would not be impacted. After all, certain champions of young civilizations had been bound by harsh contracts thousands of years ago. Today, these slaves were immeasurably powerful and dreamed only of revenge. If Prometheus offered them this opportunity... Thousands of worlds would burn, and the collateral damage would be titanic. But we might as well concentrate on the present. Mercury used his napkin to clean himself up and concentrated on the present. Having a trace of milk in the corner of his mouth was the kind of small mistake that could affect the image his subordinates had of him. It was unthinkable, as he drew his power from the trust others placed in him. In the ancient world, Mercury had already understood that there was a fine line between being and appearing. When a man looked rich, he attracted investment. When a company looked stable, people put their money into it. The world had changed, but not humans. Calmly - why get angry when he couldn''t control the situation? - he gave his orders. "Share our information on the Revenants with as many domes as possible. We must take advantage of the absence of Anatole and his Abominations to crush the rest of the Revenants. As for Priam... Tell our agent to be careful. Priam is about to unleash his Tribulation, which will be humanity''s first. If it''s as impressive as I think, he''d better watch from far away." The secretary bowed and left. Mercury took the time to finish his hot chocolate before getting up. He had letters to write and webs to weave. His power came from men, not from himself. The Reunion was progressing much faster than expected. But before all that, he had one thing to confirm. "Now, is the little sister telling the truth? Would Claire really have died several days before the Tutorial?" Anatole watched his henchmen build a new camp. Among the Revenants, some mercenaries knew how to build efficient camps. They may have run out of excavators, but the Abominations were an excellent workforce. Battles against the forces of the Dark Wood were being won more often, which meant that the Cult had to advance into the Wood. Anatole knew that the Earl awaited him in its depths, but he wasn''t afraid. He had seen the absolute Depths. The Urn trembled in his hand, and Anatole poured some water into it. He had tested with blood and noticed no particular effect. Water was more convenient, didn''t smell foul, and didn''t clot. It was perhaps less terrifying for his subordinates, but Anatole had stopped paying attention to them. The water''s surface blurred and Anatole saw the Crater - one of Viracocha''s natural exits. A team of highly-trained, heavily-armed ex-soldiers protected the entrance. They were all dead. Anatole mentally asked the Urn to give him the appearance of the murderer, and the water became cloudy. Anatole vaguely distinguished a young man running across a lunar plain. All details were blurred, and the young man was blurred. Anatole stopped his divination as he felt a headache coming on. He knew who had done it. There were very few humans capable of blocking his perception. The only one who could run unhindered and at the speed of a car was the Champion of Mankind. "Viscount Priam Azura..." The question wasn''t what he''d come here to do. Like all idealists, the boy must have thought that the sacrifices caused by the Revenants were horrible and indefensible. Anatole had no desire to argue with the Champion. He had an Earl to kill. "But he proved to be as powerful as he was stubborn." If Priam had managed to survive his trap, he deserved to be taken seriously. The Master of Revenants'' instinct never betrayed him. It hadn''t betrayed him when he''d arrived in a Judge''s prison after the Tutorial. It hadn''t betrayed him when he retrieved a fragment of that same Judge''s essence. He had navigated the murky waters of Viracocha - the real city, where a God sat - had dodged the wrong places and questions. He had survived and allied himself with the Revenants, then converted himself. For his instincts told him this: it was the only way to realize his dream. To do so, he had to complete a feat and make a wish to the Concepts. Some quest rewards or Achievements offered the user rewards related to their dream. Anatole had found his feat: defeating an Earl. According to his calculations and the progression curve of nobility titles - Baron, Viscount, Earl - an Earl must have been the equivalent of a monster at the end of Tier 1. Perhaps even a weak Tier 2. Asking humans, users of the System for less than ten days, to defeat a Tier 2 was ridiculous. But it was the kind of impossible feat that would please the Concepts. To achieve the impossible, you sometimes had to get your hands dirty. "Sometimes the end justifies the means. Anyone who says otherwise hasn''t experienced a real dilemma." Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 19 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 9,10 META (AFFI) +6 You have gained the skill: [Battle Flow - Rare]. [Battle Flow - Rare] - You were born in a time of peace. Today, you live in a time of war. Your temperament changes when the sound of battle resounds. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Can you hear the song of war? Follow its rhythm and triumph. Battle Flow isn''t Battle Rap, but you should still be the MC... PERC +1 DEXT +2 Achievement - Bronze: You are the fifth human to unlock the Micro - Supremacy. To control your body is to control your world. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +50, [Meditation] lvl up! Bonus (Achievement) - Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 12,13,14 WILL+9 Two hours later, Priam stopped, out of breath but smiling. I see my Achievements are of interest to some people. He had also noticed that the rewards were much greater when you were first. Being fifth to unlock Micro had briefly disappointed him before he gave it a moment''s thought. Some monks spent their whole lives working their bodies through exercise and meditation. Micro was an obvious step once they had access to a bit of aether. Priam quickly consulted his Tribulations timer. He didn''t have a second to lose and had run as fast as he could. He hadn''t stopped to kill the few monsters he''d encountered nor drink or rest. His reserves of endurance were so monstrous that he had crossed three-quarters of the distance separating him from his objective. He thought he''d covered at least a hundred and fifty kilometers - and could have done more if the terrain had been less uneven. After all, his skills were optimized for this kind of feat. During his run, he had climbed hills, dodged monsters, crossed swamps, rivers, and impact-ridden plains. Perhaps he could have ended up at the Earl''s base, but a discovery had stopped him. Opposite him was the remnant of a memorable battle. He was crossing a fairly young boreal forest - the System must have grown it recently. Firs, pines, and spruces covered the taiga. Still young, they had not withstood the recent confrontation, and an artificial clearing now opened up before Priam. In the center of the clearing, an Abomination had been torn apart. It looked rather like the ones he''d killed a few hours ago. Flesh, muscle, sinew, cartilage, and human bone had blended to create a hellish chimera. The bone cage protecting its cores had been torn and shredded with violence. The culprit stood not far away. A titanic bear leaned against an imposing fir tree. [Identification] [Blueberry - Viscount]- An ancient inhabitant of the Canadian forests. The only time this bear ever dealt with men, they wanted his hide. Literally. As a loyal follower of the Earl of Dark Wood, he hates humans. He''s currently wounded, poisoned, and driven mad by pollution. You should put him out of his misery. But don''t sell the skin till you''ve caught the bear. Lvl Up : [Identification] lvl 7 MEM +1 Priam approached cautiously and with good reason: the bear was still breathing. Sensing that he was being approached, it opened his eyes and growled. "Easy, friend. I''m not going to attack a wounded bear. You might want to keep your claws put away. Your species is already endangered, so don¡¯t be stupid, okay?" The bear must not have shared Priam''s love of biodiversity, for it began to rise to his feet. It must have thought that a swipe of its paw would be enough to silence the impudent man. It wasn''t wrong - a single claw would have been a long dagger for Priam. "I''m looking for the Earl''s court. Can you show me the way?" The bear snarled in earnest, rearing up on its hind legs. Priam watched the monster in front of him for a moment. The ursid was over five meters tall, and each of its limbs was the diameter of a full-grown pine tree. Despite the rivers of blood running down the beast''s body, it was impressive in its majesty and savagery. Priam had never felt so small. Two weeks ago, Priam might have lost control of his bladder when he came face to face with this monster. He wasn''t afraid to admit that he hadn''t always been brave. Besides, being fearless in front of that bear wouldn''t have been courage. It would have been madness. Watching the ground redden at the animal''s feet, Priam hesitated to move on. He had little to gain by facing it and could certainly run faster than a multi-ton monster - especially when wounded. But it''s also an opportunity to face a real Viscount. It''ll give me an idea of how powerful the Earl really is. "I''m not going to lie to you, I don''t intend to kill a conscious being who''s done nothing to me. If you don''t attack me, I''ll leave Bluebeary," Priam finally declared. The animal howled and lunged at Priam. Priam''s French accent had made a mockery of his first name, and it shall never know that the man hadn''t been trying to make a fool of him. With a kinetic charge, Priam dodged the attack. Blueberry must have been blinded by rage, for his wounds barely slowed him down. He was losing a lot of blood, and Priam noticed that the dark color of his fur hid exceptionally deep gashes. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to wait for his wounds to take him. As he prepared to activate [Bullet Time], Priam changed his mind. A glance at his attributes told him that a few extra Perception points would be enough to trigger a fifth Tribulation. Thus, he would have to be careful to avoid leveling up skills based on his Perception. Which means I''ll be crippled for almost twenty hours... Unless I trigger my Tribulations early. Blueberry snapped Priam back to reality as he returned to the charge. The warrior dodged again and attempted an attack with his spear. He quickly extended his arm, using every muscle to make a clean stroke. Priam smiled as he felt Micro and [Battle Flow] activate. Their combination allowed him to use his body fully while taking in his surroundings. The sensation of being closer to the world and his body was euphoric. The hoplite weapon hit its target - the Viscount''s back - and came to an abrupt halt. Despite Priam''s strength, the Viscount''s dense fur and thick skin were enough to stop the hoplite weapon. Priam squinted as he analyzed the monster in front of him. At least 500 of constitution and certainly some resistance, Priam analyzed. Priam realized that the battle between the forces of the Revenants and the Earl was decimating their ranks but strengthening the survivors. The Viscount in front of him must have evolved rapidly over the last few days. Priam had just become a Viscount, and even if his power was great, he still had a long way to go before being the top dog. Priam got into position, expecting another charge. Less than ten meters away - an insignificant distance for such fast opponents - Blueberry was sizing him up. Despite the pain, the beast was on his guard. Priam''s expression hardened as he realized his opponent wasn''t letting its instincts precipitate its downfall. The bear had realized that charging would be useless. After several seconds of waiting, Priam provoked it. "So Teddy, are we tired?" Blueberry opened its mouth and the world shook. Priam put his hands to his ears as his vision blurred and his inner ear malfunctioned. The beast''s howl was so powerful it paralyzed the young man. When his ears gave way and silence fell, he staggered. Looking up, he saw the bear glow. The blood it''d lost floated towards the animal, drawing runes on its body. Its wounds were still terrible and the monster was trembling. Despite its condition, Priam instinctively sensed that his adversary had just applied a buff. Priam controlled his breathing and concentrated on Micro. Blueberry was undoubtedly the most powerful opponent he had ever faced and had just triggered a skill. There was no indication that it didn''t possess others. Without an extra life, Priam intended to be careful. In spite of himself, a smile spread across Priam¡¯s lips. It was in this kind of tough fight, with no safety net, that he felt most alive. That he felt himself growing. Man and beast watched each other in silence for a few seconds. Priam concentrated on his mist, then tightened his grip on his spear. He had spotted a wound on the monster''s back and intended to exploit it. The beast''s flesh must have been less resistant than its skin. He took the initiative by raising his hand and struck forward. Simultaneously he activated [Moon Mist] to ride it. Backstab! The Boss lunged at him and prepared a titanic paw strike. The two opponents were now only three meters apart. The hoplite spear struck empty air. Priam''s eyes widened as he felt the mist resist. He hadn''t been able to ride it. The area around Blueberry seemed to be locked. It''s a Lunar Viscount too! As Priam realized his skills were not absolute, Blueberry swallowed the distance between them. Its monstrous, sharp claws filled Priam''s field of vision. Shit. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 251 Agility 158 (+2) Vitality 284 Perception 289 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 174 Dexterity 177 (+1) Memory 40 (+1) Willpower 274 (+11) Charisma 141 META: Meta-affinity 135 (+6) Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 81 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1389 (+66) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 14 hours 54 min 8s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 19 hours 14 minutes 2 seconds. Chapter 59: A Bear-Able Decision Priam mobilized all his energy reserves. He had no extra life and no intention of dying now. The attack was coming too fast for him to dodge. I''ll have to tank it. With all his senses alert and [Focus] redoubling its efforts, Priam waited for the last moment. The claws were closing on him, and Priam momentarily thought about his death. Blueberry possessed titanic power, capable of tearing through an Abomination''s protective cage. With its new buff, Priam was unlikely to fully absorb the blow. To absorb the attack without being cut in half, Priam had several ideas. [Kinetic Control] enabled him to absorb the kinetic energy of an object moving in relation to him. For example, he couldn''t currently absorb the kinetic energy of the Moon''s rotation because the satellite was immobile in Priam''s frame of reference. Even if he could have, such a quantity of energy would have instantly reduced his body to rubble. If he couldn''t cheat like that, then only one solution was left. Priam would simultaneously absorb the Viscount''s energy and instantly release it in the opposite direction. Theoretically, if he absorbed 40% of the attack and instantly released this kinetic energy back into his claws with a vector in the opposite direction, he could cancel 80% of the attack! He could thus survive the attack. Better still, if he absorbed more than 50% of the attack, then it would be the bear taking the damage. It was Priam''s objective. Blueberry was just a Viscount, and he intended to win this fight. Of course, the timing had to be perfect. A fraction of a second too early, and Priam would miss Blueberry''s claws. He''d just push air out of the way, creating an unnecessary gust of wind. A fraction of a second too late, and the monster''s claws would already be halfway into his torso. Now! It all happened in a split second. Priam waited until the last moment to use his skill. After all, it was better to wait too long than not long enough. Placing his arms in front of him, he waited for the pain to warn him. Finally, Blueberry''s left paw touched him. [Kinetic control]. On the first use of his skill, Priam felt liquid fire coursing through his veins. Blueberry''s attack was so swift and his mass so imposing that the monster developed an insane amount of energy. The lines of blood traced across the monster''s body seemed to increase its strength still further. Priam''s meridians were being damaged by the aether flowing through them. The kinetic energy absorbed at every moment was enormous. Keeping his skill active, Priam activated a second instance. [Kinetic Control]. Instantly, Priam expelled the energy he was continuously absorbing. More meridians began to burn, and Priam screamed. Apparently, each meridian had a precise role. There also seemed to be an analogy between the system of veins and arteries and that of the meridians. Some meridians led the aether from the outside to the inside, while others made the reverse trip. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 18 META (END) +3 As Priam screamed, Blueberry''s claws penetrated his right arm, biting into his skin and flesh. Priam''s muscles were harder and denser than steel, and [Kinetic Control] tried to repel the Viscount''s claws. Yet they advanced inexorably, slicing through Priam''s arm. His shredded muscles slowed down Blueberry. Priam connected to his Potential for a moment and redoubled his efforts. Blueberry''s claws decelerated until they reached the bone. POT -3 Priam''s frame was too strong, and Blueberry''s attack had lost all speed. Priam activated [Kinetic Control] a third time. Some of the stolen kinetic charges propelled him backward. With his mass relatively low, Priam flew off. Blueberry now towered over the young Viscount, and he didn''t want to be crushed under the beast''s weight. Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 6,7 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 8,9 CONST +2 Priam landed several meters away in an uncontrolled somersault. Before he could stop, he felt an immense pain piercing his side. I''m hurt! The wound inflicted by the wolves a few days earlier had healed, only to be replaced by Nemea''s own. No sooner had he healed that damage than a new, more serious injury was inflicted. Straightening his head, Priam saw that Blueberry''s claws had broken. The creature had invested more in Strength than in Constitution. The bear seemed stunned, observing its own damage. Priam took the opportunity to drop to his knees before diagnosing his flank. A deep but clean gash was visible. Priam was no expert in human anatomy, but he was no fool. With his Vitality and Constitution, he should have been able to breathe easily. Yet his breathing was labored and painful. I must have punctured my right lung. Looking at the ursid''s intact claws, Priam understood. They were curved. Even blocking most of the damage with his hands and skills, the tips of the claws had penetrated his flesh and right lung. Priam regretted for a moment that it hadn''t been the left lung. It was smaller and therefore transmitted less oxygen to his body. Priam''s Vitality was already beginning to heal him, but the process would be long. He had noticed that at one hundred points and then two hundred, his Vitality had received a qualitative boost. But rather than increasing his regeneration speed, this boost allowed him to heal things that a human couldn''t heal. For example, after the sniper''s attack destroyed his lower jaw, he could feel some of his teeth growing back. Currently, Priam had twenty-eight times the Vitality of a human. He didn''t know whether the System increased his regeneration speed linearly. If it did, it would take about a day to heal him. The tribulations would come before... "Moreover, there''s no guarantee I won''t be injured again," Priam winced. He took a quick look at his arms. The claws had bitten severely into his right arm, but the bone was intact. This kind of injury would cripple him briefly, but he could still throw his spear, which was the most important thing. He struggled to his feet, leaning on his weapon. He had to heal quickly. For that, he had little choice. He could use one of the treasures he''d stolen from the Revenants. Unfortunately, only one treasure could heal him, and he intended to use it during the Tribulations. But I have another possibility... Priam backed slowly into the trees. The boreal forest around him was coniferous and quite humid. The presence of water prevented a fire hazard. But once the fire started, the conifers made excellent fuel. [Infant Phoenix] can heal me by absorbing flames. While Blueberry was still contemplating its claws, Priam grabbed a gourd and emptied it on a nearby tree. It had come from one of the Crater guards he''d just killed and smelled of strong alcohol. Priam didn''t know whether it was rum, vodka or some other ethanol-based beverage, but he did know that a match would be enough to create a nice flame. Priam didn''t have a match, but he had something better. He had grenades. As he picked up a grenade, Priam looked up. Blueberry was watching him. "You''re strong for a human," growled the beast in English. Priam''s eyes widened as he heard the bear speak. He knew the monster was intelligent but didn''t think he was intelligent enough to speak. "Are you surprised? I don''t see why not. We also gain Memory, Vivacity and Willpower from our skills. After a certain threshold, the System suggests a quest we instinctively understand. Those who succeed can awaken and become truly sapient. Alternatively, they can choose to remain beasts and benefit from attribute bonuses." "It''s going to create problems if most animals gain intelligence...," Priam winced. Many humans would refuse to hunt animals gifted with speech. But worse than that, if these animals could communicate, nothing would stop them from gathering together and ganging up on humans. Given the power of Orthos, Nemea and now this Blueberry... Humanity will have a hard time surviving. The air began to vibrate, and it took Priam a few seconds before he realized that the Viscount was laughing. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Do you think the majority of animals can succeed in this quest? Certainly not. Even among those who do succeed, most lack the knowledge to dominate their instincts and refuse immediate power. Few animals develop true intelligence. Even so, we''re still sometimes dominated by our instincts." "But you did it," remarked Priam. "I succeeded. Thanks to men, I knew intelligence would be more useful to me than more attributes," growled the bear. His posture had become menacing, and Priam suspected that the lesson had been learned the hard way. "So why talk to me now?" Priam put his finger in the pin. He was ready to set the forest on fire before continuing the fight. If he did it right, he could heal himself while blinding Blueberry. The bear remained silent for a few seconds before continuing. "Because you''re holding an explosive object that I recognize. You''re planning to set fire to the forest, and that''s an unbearable crime. Normally, we''d stop it quickly, but our forces are concentrated against the false humans. I don''t want to see half the forest go up in flames, and I can''t stop you from starting a fire if you decide to. So get lost. I won''t hunt you," Blueberry promised. Priam took a few seconds to think. Obviously, the bear didn''t want him to set fire to the forest. But he also needed to heal himself. His life was his priority, and he had no shame in finishing off the wounded bear while letting the forest burn. On the other hand, Priam knew that hasty decisions and short-sightedness would not help him defeat his Tribulations. Killing Blueberry was a sure way to oppose the Earl. If he arrived in the middle of a war between the Revenants and the Earl''s forces without any allies... His quests would be more challenging. Priam wasn''t arrogant enough to take on all his enemies at once. Fortunately for him, he had an infinite number of Priams who had already tested all these scenarios. What should I do with this bear? Answer: Accompany him to the Earl and look for the Spring. Priam didn''t know the word but was willing to bet it was one of the Revenants'' strategic points. "I don''t want to burn down this forest. I think we both got off on the wrong foot, Blueberry. We''re not enemies, and I''ve never seen a bear before the System," said Priam, putting the grenade away. It wasn''t true, Priam had seen bears in zoos before, but he wasn''t stupid enough to tell Blueberry. "So we share no karma. Yet we have an enemy in common. I am the Champion of Humanity, and I have a plethora of quests asking me to slay Anatole, the Grand Master of the Revenants. I also have other quests asking me to purify the Moon of these Abominations," continued Priam, pointing to the grotesque corpse and the bear''s polluted wounds. "I propose an alliance of circumstances. We don''t trust each other, but we don''t need trust to crack Anatole''s skull." Lvl up: [Acting] lvl 5 CHAR +3 His speech contained truths and lies, but Priam felt this was necessary. To survive, he would no longer hesitate to lie blatantly. Of course, he had no intention of lying to his friends or family. But until now, he''d often been too frank, and what had that gotten him? A betrayal by Claire and the Revenants. No, if the others want me to tell them the truth, they''ll have to prove themselves trustworthy first. Priam clenched his fist, thinking back to Claire. He could still feel the poison coursing through his veins and the pain of his death. I hope for your sake that you run away from me, Claire... Some, like Maya, Mercury, Boss, and Bechar were beginning to be worthy of his trust, but Priam remained on his guard. Only Sphinx had managed to break through his shell. It was easy for her because the young Lord had the means to kill him a hundred times over. In their relationship, she was the strong one. Even so, the mythological creature was unfailingly innocent, and Priam smiled as he thought of her. Blueberry remained silent for a few moments before growling. "I don''t trust you, human. But I sense that you are not a false one. That''s enough for now. If you want to defeat the degenerate at the head of his macabre army, we have an enemy in common." The bear turned to the tracks left by his previous fight. "Accompany me to the court. The Earl will want to see you and verify your words. If you''re telling the truth, then you''ll keep your life. If you help us... The Earl may reward you. Let¡¯s go, there''s no time to lose." Priam smiled. Few words and many actions: exactly what he was asking for. Blueberry''s last sentence caught his ears. "What do you mean, no time to lose?" "The false humans are preparing their great offensive." Priam was running behind Blueberry, holding his right flank. His lung injury was getting worse from the running. The bear was also wounded, but he seemed to ignore it to get home as soon as possible. Behind him, an impressive amount of blood flooded the ground. For the fifteenth time in twenty minutes, Priam pondered that the ursid should have lost consciousness. He''s going to die soon if he keeps pushing himself... Despite this, the animal moved forward at a frenetic pace, and Priam was forced to follow closely. The animal''s backside filled most of Priam''s view. The taste of blood in his mouth and his shortness of breath prevented him from concentrating fully. After several minutes of running, the bear stopped and Priam almost ran into him. "Wahh iz hapnnhg." Priam spat blood on the ground before wiping his mouth and starting again. "What''s happening?" Priam circled Blueberry - careful to stay out of reach of the monster''s claws. He opened his eyes wide at the sight before him. A few hundred meters away stood a grove of titanic trees. Most of them must have been over a hundred meters tall. On their trunks and branches, huts and liana bridges had been built. The creatures that crowded along these infrastructures were anything but human. Without being a city, it was more than a camp. The animals were organized. "Welcome to the Earl''s Court." For a moment, Priam was speechless as he watched the hundreds of animals wandering around. He turned to Blueberry. "Are they all smart?" he asked. The bear shook his head. "Almost all the beasts are wild. It''s thanks to the Earl''s aura and power that they obey. Without the Earl, they''d be nothing more than animals, fighting over a few resources..." Priam nodded. It was reassuring for humanity. But if this Earl can dominate so many beasts, he must be mighty... Suddenly, Priam frowned. "Why didn''t I notice that grove before?" Blueberry shrugged in a very human way. "It''s protected by the Jubokko." "The Jubokko?" replied Priam. "The Earl will explain if you need to know about it." Blueberry stepped forward again, breathing heavily. "Enough wasted time. Let''s go meet the Earl. It''s almost time for his meal, and you wouldn''t want to leave him hungry, right?" The beast''s laugh was cruel and Priam rolled his eyes. This kind of phrase wouldn''t be enough to scare him. Fixing his eyes on the grove''s center, Priam felt his pain flowing back, for he had a purpose. You may be hungry, Earl, but I''m thirsty for freedom... Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 255 (+4) Agility 158 Vitality 284 Perception 289 MENTAL: Vivacity 174 Dexterity 177 Memory 40 Willpower 274 Charisma 144 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 135 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 87 (+3) Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1394 (+5) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 14 hours 25 min 25s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 18 hours 45 minutes 19 seconds. Chapter 60: Night at the Zoo Priam felt the difference in atmosphere as soon as he crossed the border. Technically, there was no real separation between the woods and the Earl''s courtyard. The trees grew progressively taller, and the aether in the air became more concentrated. Yet Priam could have felt the difference with his eyes closed. His instincts told him that he was in the territory of a predator and being watched. The change in atmosphere could, of course, be linked to a particular resource such as Spring. But most annoying of all was the mist, which seemed to keep its distance. Like a stranger, his friend refused to speak to him, and he knew he couldn''t ride it. It reminded him of a specific memory: his fight with Sphinx. There too, he had been prevented from riding the mist. The sensation was extremely unpleasant, and he felt part of his freedom had been taken away. In this grove, his control over the mist had greatly diminished. Only the fog within a ten-meter radius was still sending him information - reluctantly. The phenomenon could have several explanations, but Priam was convinced he was in a Domain. An immense Domain, belonging to a being capable of manipulating mist over hundreds of meters. It was unlikely to be the work of the Earl. He was undoubtedly powerful, but Priam refused to believe he could be much superior to Sphinx. Even the Lord of the Dome''s domain covered only two meters around her. Walking alongside Blueberry, Priam theorized that the Earl had placed his court here for a reason. There was a potentially intelligent resource here, endowed with terrifying power. The Jubokko, Blueberry spoke of? As he walked, Priam remembered one of the Merits that interested him most. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Moon Viscount] - Tier 3: The mist protects you. You''re not alone, Mistchild 7 Unused Merit Points. By upgrading his Title to Viscount, Priam had finally unlocked the rest of the Tree of Merit. This one suited him, and he validated it without modifying it. Instantly, he felt the mist around him become friendly again. He was still unable to ride the mist over long distances, but within a zone of about three meters around him, he was its master. I suppose it''s better than nothing... [Moon Viscount] - Tier 3: ACQUIRED. [Moon Viscount] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. 6 Unused Merit Points. Priam took one last look at his Merits and decided to choose them after seeing the Earl. With his new Titles, he had the opportunity to improve many of them. The question now was what he should prioritize... Blueberry turned to glance behind him, prompting Priam to concentrate. The two companions had walked several hundred meters through the courtyard, taking detours, crossing suspension bridges, and passing under colossal tree roots. They now found themselves among numerous animals. Dogs, cats, pigs, horses, cows, and exotic animals were walking fast. With a glance, Priam knew that all the animals were wild. Where Blueberry moved gracefully, stood up straight, and radiated pride, the animals that crossed their path were hunched over and focused on their task. They pushed bundles or carried resources - usually meat or vegetables - walking with their heads down. Suddenly, Priam understood. The Earl didn''t come from a human society. These animals weren''t just an army destined to fight Anatole''s Abominations. They were slaves! The signs were all there. None of them looked at Priam or Blueberry, and all hurriedly moved aside as they passed. Seeing the meat being transported, Priam wondered if they weren''t regularly sacrificed to feed the Earl''s officers. "I see these animals don''t have many rights," he said, wincing in pain. Talking with a punctured lung was not a pleasant experience. Blueberry growled. "They''re beasts. The law of nature remains in force. Those who deserve it will gain intelligence and can then be accepted into our ranks. For the rest... They''re food on legs. If I didn''t have to take you to the Earl, I''d have bitten one already." The bear turned back to Priam. "But I think, as a human, you''re in no position to talk about animal cruelty, right?" Priam hesitated for a moment. "Indeed, some factories didn''t respect animals, but that wasn''t the case with most farmers. Some really loved their animals and treated them well." The bear snarled. "Who knows if there are good reasons to kill? Not me, anyway. I was a wild bear, and frankly, I don''t care. Whether you like animals or not, it makes no difference to me. A wild animal does what it has to do to survive. Now hurry up, I''m hungry," Blueberry finished and started walking again. Priam looked up at the Viscount. If this were the subordinate''s way of thinking, it would certainly be the master''s. The Earl was an intelligent animal with little respect for the life of his fellow man - or animal. Priam intended to keep this in mind during their discussion. If I don''t show my usefulness, there''s a good chance he''ll try to kill me... Five minutes later, after climbing a sort of vegetal staircase spiraling around the largest tree in the grove, they reached the level of a cavern carved into the wood. Priam spoke no more, concentrating on his alert senses. He''d felt stressed, scrutinized, and pressured ever since he''d started climbing the tree. The mist around him was now hostile. His protective bubble - the mist that still obeyed him - seemed compressed by the surrounding Estate. Is it possible that this tree is the owner of the Domain? It seemed possible. After all, a tree couldn''t easily move or attack. It was likely that the tree specialized in defense and control of its environment. If a mighty tree were to unlock Supremacy, it would undoubtedly be a Domain. Speaking of the tree, it was majestic. Priam had never had the chance to admire the world''s tallest trees before the Tutorial, but the sight of this specimen humbled him. Nature was always both splendid and terrifying. Despite his powers, he was still far from rivaling the Creation. Perhaps one day... Blueberry paused at the entrance to the cavern before turning to Priam. "The courtyard proper is at the end of the cavern. You should bow to the Earl and tell the strict truth. Disrespect is severely punished: you would serve as nutrients for the Jubokko." "The Jubokko?" Priam worried. The Domain pressing down on him left him no escape. "The tree." Without giving any more clues, Blueberry turned and started down the steps. Priam watched the bear leave, before focusing on the dark cavern. Despite his perception, he couldn''t make out any light at the bottom of the tunnel - it was inky black. The tree''s diameter was exceptional - around twenty meters - but Priam should have seen the end of it. Sighing, the young Viscount hesitated to waste one of his questions. Perhaps there was nothing dangerous here, and his previous answers had indicated that he should come here to join the Earl. But maybe he needed to make a good impression. If there were a test, he''d rather know about it. After all, he had no extra life left and didn''t intend to die rushing into a trap. If this is an ambush, I swear I''ll burn down this forest, he promised himself. Reflecting for a second on the wording of his question, Priam made up his mind. What mattered most now was his survival and the benefits he could gain from his encounter with the Earl. How can I get the most out of my encounter with the court? Answer: Ultimately, the Poisoner may consume the Crimson Fruit. Priam squinted and analyzed the answer. The sentence was in three parts. The first certainly meant that the benefits or rewards would be obtained at the end of something. Perhaps he''d have to finish the war or kill the Earl before getting the best rewards. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The third part of the sentence also seemed obvious: the best reward would be the fruit of a tree - surely this one. A crimson-colored fruit was suspicious after Blueberry had mentioned sacrifice. Priam restrained a laugh. As long as it''s not my blood... Finally, the most crucial part was the middle of the sentence. The Poisoner. Priam had to poison something, but what? The tree? The Earl? The entire court? Was this a literal expression or not? If so, where to find the poison? The answer raised many questions, but Priam trusted himself and his doubles. He would find the answer in the next few hours, before his Tribulations. In any case, the fruit and the tree on which it stood seemed to be at the center of it all. Priam quickly identified the tree. [Identification] [Sequoia Sempervirens Aether - Jubokko - Earl] - A majestic, thirsty tree. Although not the most outstanding representative of its species, it was one of the largest trees in the ancient world. Transplanted to the Moon, it now lacks the natural resources to survive. So this sequoia evolved to adapt to its new environment... Its red fruits are rare treasures. Be careful: the sweetest fruits don''t grow on the nicest trees. Priam wasn''t completely stupid: all the clues suggested that the tree consumed meat and blood to keep growing. It certainly lured its victims with its fruit before crushing them and extracting their nutrients. If the identification and its conclusions weren''t clear enough, [Aether Perception] also warned Priam. Seen through his new senses, the tree was an aether beacon in the mist. The amount of aether it contained was properly terrifying. Next to it, the Viscount-ranked Abomination was ridiculous. Is this Anatole''s goal? This tree should be able to create an Abomination more powerful than an Earl... Only one question remained: what was the nature of the relationship between the sequoia and the Earl? The Viscount focused again. If Blueberry hadn''t lied, the court and the Earl would be waiting for him at the end of this tunnel. Thinking for a few seconds was expected, but if Priam hesitated too much, he might be seen as a coward. The Earl didn''t seem to be the kind of animal who forgave this trait. Taking a final breath, Priam stepped into the dark tunnel. The human had just entered the Path of the Mist. The Earl growled. In his mind, he preferred to call it the Path of Blood. The tree''s appetite was hard to keep at bay. However, every court member had taken this path. It was one of two ways to get to the court and by far the most dangerous. It allowed the Earl to test his officers'' abilities and determination. At present, this gave him time to decide the human''s fate. A war was coming, and the noble lion had no intention of dying out of arrogance. The Earl looked down at the bear bending his knee before him. Despite his injuries, Blueberry was aware that he had to be more respectful than ever about court etiquette. After all, the court was made up of monsters who, even a week earlier, would have pounced on the bear, sensing his weakness. At present, it was Blueberry¡¯s only means of survival. His subordinate was wounded, but despite the call of his stomach, the Earl had no intention of devouring him. On the one hand, the stench of the Depths made him want to vomit. On the other hand, the Viscount had shown intelligence and almost loyalty. Two qualities all too rare in this assembly. Moreover, with the imminent attack of the possessed human and his monstrous army, the Earl needed all his subjects. But not all the bear''s wounds were caused by the Abomination. His claws were broken, and that was the human''s doing. Most of the men the Earl had seen from afar were weak, but this Priam seemed powerful - for a human. Suddenly, the noble lion roared to silence the murmurs of the dozen or so subjects surrounding him. A new scene had just appeared in the clear water of the Spring. A lady had just entered his courtyard. The lion Earl straightened up, obsessed with the majestic figure of the newcomer. He had forgotten all about Priam. "What stature. What beauty... I''ll make her my wife!" Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 11 META (AFFI) +3 Priam had been walking slowly for a few seconds when he realized why he couldn''t see any light at the end. It wasn''t that the tunnel was particularly long or that it was enchanted to prevent light from escaping. The explanation was more straightforward: the tunnel was spiraling upwards. After ten meters or so, Priam realized he was gaining height. The exit was certainly higher up, and the young Viscount pressed on. As the light disappeared behind his back and darkness gained ground, Priam felt the pressure on his mist bubble increase. The tunnel had been dug into the tree''s heart, and here, its power was at its maximum. Priam''s next steps became more and more complicated, and he finally came to a halt. Behind him, the light had finally disappeared and his breathing was becoming quite labored. The air felt heavy, and whenever he made an effort, his left lung could no longer supply enough oxygen for his body to function. Taking advantage of a moment''s pause, Priam analyzed his situation. He was in a dark tunnel, the exit of which undoubtedly led to the Earl''s court. This meant several animals of Baron and Viscount rank awaited him at the end of his journey. Arriving there exhausted from his journey seemed a bad idea. Another critical point was that the pressure on his mist bubble was stagnating. If the force exerted by the tree on Priam''s mist had increased as he walked, it had now ceased to grow since he had stopped. The further I go, the stronger the pressure will be! Priam smiled. It seemed obvious, thinking back on his situation. In Elysium, there was nothing to stop a dragon in a bad mood from flying over his position and nuking the area around the portal. In the ''real'' world, the System didn''t hold Priam by the hand. However, the Reunion had been created by the System to help humanity progress. The Colosseum, Bechar, the Hideout, the possibilities for exchanging information and resources, and even the hidden treasures on the Moon were there to boost humanity. Priam wasn''t surprised by the tunnel''s existence - that was just another test. Obviously, the greater the danger, the greater the reward. If he passed all his trials, he was sure to obtain another trump card for surviving his Tribulations. Smiling in spite of the pain, Priam decided to cross the tunnel quickly. The Viscount resumed his walk. It''s even possible that this tunnel is a reward in itself... Sphinx frowned as she entered a Domain. More like a pseudo-Domain. The difference was slight to a neophyte, but Sphinx knew a copy when she saw one. The tree''s Domain was spatially weak, but one of its skills was extending it over the entire surface of the grove. This pseudo-domain was a diluted version of the real thing, but it had the advantage of being massive. Sphinx shook her head, and her beautiful mane shimmered in the sunlight. She''d think about that after she''d found Priam. He was close, she could feel it. Stepping towards the central tree, she shivered. Without knowing exactly why, Sphinx sensed that she wouldn''t like the master of the house. I feel like I''m being¡­ watched? Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 255 Agility 158 Vitality 284 Perception 289 MENTAL: Vivacity 174 Dexterity 177 Memory 40 Willpower 274 Charisma 144 META: Meta-affinity 138 (+3) Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1396 (+2) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 14 hours 7 min 23s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 18 hours 27 minutes 17 seconds. Chapter 61: Indecent Proposal The Domain seemed to be pressing down physically on Priam, trying to force him to bend his back. Submissive positions led to submissive habits. Priam refused to give in. As he advanced, he could feel the pressure building. Here, in the tree''s heart, his ability to manipulate his mist was diminishing with every step. His bubble had gradually shrunk to a sphere barely a meter across. A few meters further on, Priam stopped again. He had no idea how long the tunnel was, but his sphere would soon be reduced to nothing if he went on like this. It was impossible to know what would happen then - certainly nothing pleasant. Inhaling calmly, Priam used Micro to slow his beating heart and save oxygen. There was no point in being stubborn, and this ordeal had to have a solution. Priam tried to take manual control of the sphere around him. He pushed back his mist to enlarge his breathing space. The ambient fog, supported by the Domain, pressed on him. After a few seconds, he realized that his efforts had no effect. Reflecting for a moment, Priam recalled his scientific knowledge. His mist was still a gas. It could therefore be compressed up to a certain limit. Beyond that, he remembered, the gas changed state and became a liquid. The more pressure at a constant temperature, the closer the gas was to a liquid state - and vice versa. It was why it was possible to boil water at just 72¡ãC at the summit of Mount Everest - because atmospheric pressure was so low. Smiling, Priam focused with [Focus] and produced more mist. What interested him here was compressing it as much as possible while keeping it in vapor form - Priam hadn''t yet learned to breathe underwater. Once the pressure in Priam''s sphere exceeded that of his surroundings, the mist would push back the tree Domain. The trick was to keep control of his mist during the operation. Priam sat down on the bark of the tree and began to meditate. The presence of the Domain was pressing on his mist and body. Only Micro and his new resistance skills enabled him not to flinch or give in to panic. The pressure on his body was as physical as it was mental. Fortunately, Priam''s body was adapting. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 4 CONST +3 Priam thought for a moment before activating [Meditation]. The skill promised to help him concentrate, and he didn''t expect to be physically attacked in the tunnel. In any case, if the tree wanted to kill him, Priam would already be dead. Legs crossed, breath slowed, [Meditation] and [Focus] working in concert, Priam used [Moon Mist]. His meridians had recovered a little since his fight with Blueberry. They were activated to transform the aether in Priam''s reserves into steam. The aether circulated through Priam''s body down to his skin and seemed to magically create a mist outside his body. Priam knew that one day he''d have to find out exactly how his skill worked, but that would be for another time. The mist began to densify in his sphere, and some naturally flowed out. Instantly, Priam lost his control and frowned. He had just increased the amount of mist in the tunnel and thus strengthened the tree''s domain. Priam took a breath and refocused. A white haze began to materialize on the surface of his body. This time, he controlled it to prevent it from moving away. Over the next few seconds, he increased the amount of mist in his sphere while preventing it from leaving. After a few seconds, his sphere was saturated. If he continued to produce mist, it would become liquid. Priam stopped and concentrated all his Will into [Moon Mist]. He wished to take conscious control of all his mist. The seconds passed slowly as Priam''s consciousness tried to completely dominate the mist that belonged to him. Initially, he had tried to befriend it. It was a good technique as it allowed Priam to manipulate the fog without expending a lot of mental resources. But when a better friend arrived - here, the Earl Jubokko - the friendly mist refused his orders. A few minutes later, Priam began to lose patience. As his Will tamed one part of the mist, another part slipped out of his control and sphere of authority. He then had to recreate the fog, losing aether in the process. The tree''s domain prevented him from naturally recovering his aether. Priam''s number of attempts was therefore limited. The young Viscount''s mood was darkening despite [Meditation]. His frustration wasn''t helping his concentration, and Priam was making more and more mistakes. Finally, after several minutes of failure, he decided to spend his stolen resources. They would be useless if he died as a result of his next Tribulations. He wouldn''t take these treasures to his grave, so he might as well spend them. From one of his pockets, he reached into the small purse that accompanied him everywhere and pulled out one of the trophies he had borrowed from the Revenants. The treasure took the form of a small tea case. Priam took out a leaf of a blue he would have called temporal for want of a better adjective. [Identification] [Da Hong Pao Aethereal] - A leaf of an extraordinary orchid-flavored tea. As an emperor''s beverage, Da Hong Pao enables you to sequence your thoughts and focus your attention. This leaf permanently purifies the mind. Best consumed as an infusion, it can also be swallowed directly. Priam swallowed the leaf - he didn''t have a teapot next to him. He winced as he swallowed. Blueberry''s claws did a number on him. After a second, Priam allowed himself a smile. The tea''s description was brief, but its effect was fantastic. His mental capacities seemed unlocked, similar to when he used his Potential - minus the divine inspiration. Suddenly, it was easy to manipulate his mist, and Priam''s mind covered his entire sphere. He imagined himself mentally locking control of his sphere, and suddenly his mist seemed to freeze. The pressure of the tree''s domain had almost disappeared as Priam rose to his feet. He resumed his progress through the plant tunnel, his sphere now protecting him from the Jubokko Domain. His breakthrough was artificial, and he knew it. The aether in the tunnel was as dense as the pressure of the Domain was intense. As the seconds ticked by, the effects of the tea leaf disappeared. But like a child with the little wheels removed from his bike, Priam had managed to dominate his sphere once. He''d managed to ride and had no intention of falling again. His mind now knew how to dominate the mist close to him, and Priam concentrated on keeping control. The Jubokko Domain continued to compress his bubble of steam with every step. He may have covered two hundred meters since the beginning, but the tunnel seemed endless. Drops of sweat beaded on his forehead as he pushed back against the tree''s efforts. Suddenly, the effects of the tea disappeared, and Priam stopped. The pressure of the Domain was now colossal and threatened to crush Priam. Only his mist saved him, and the young Viscount concentrated with all his might to keep it under control. Priam had been motionless for several seconds. Slowly, time passed as his mental effort became more and more intense. His strength was wearing thin, but he wasn''t giving up. Mentally, he kept telling himself that he would become the best. He had faced the rabhorn, the hoplite warrior and even Abominations. He had always survived. In the end, he would save his family. He would be free. Fists clenched, Priam put all his Willpower to work, taking control of his mental attributes to fight against the Domain that was crushing him. Vivacity, Dexterity, Perception... All these attributes came to life under the impulse of his Will, and helped Priam focus on his survival. He didn''t know what he was fighting for. He didn''t know if there was a way to win. But he was fighting death. It was what he had always done. Finally, after a while, the moment''s intensity triggered a change. Something clicked. Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 20 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 [Focus] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Greater Focus] - Reinforces the advantages and disadvantages of [Focus]. POT -30 [Body Focus] - [Focus] works best when focusing on your body. Synergizes with Micro. POT -30 [Mental Focus] - [Focus] works best when focusing on your mind. Synergizes with Domain. POT -30 Priam gave himself a moment''s thought, which almost proved fatal. The Domain swallowed part of his mist, instantly reducing the volume of his protective bubble. Death was less than fifty centimeters from his face. Closing his eyes, Priam made up his mind. It was still too early to choose between Micro and Domain. Micro was a Supremacy he''d already unlocked. However, Priam found Domain extremely useful. He didn''t intend to be a brute who could only destroy his enemies with his bare hands. Priam aspired to do more than that. [Greater Focus] - Reinforces the advantages and disadvantages of [Focus]. POT -30 This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Instantly, Priam''s thoughts disappeared. His mind was now exclusively focused on survival. His protective sphere began to expand again. Before long, Priam had regained a one-meter bubble around him. Coldly, like a robot, he analyzed the last few minutes. The attributes given by [Focus] during a level-up were those he had consciously used just before upgrading [Focus]. The obvious hypothesis was that by focusing on specific attributes, it was possible to increase the learning speed of a skill. To survive in the Domain, Priam now needed to improve [Moon Mist]. The skill increased his Perception, Charisma and META - Affinity. Priam had no idea how to manipulate the last two attributes or what they were for. But he knew that Micro and [Focus] would allow him to focus on his Perception. In the dark tunnel of the tree, the Viscount concentrated on his mist and the pieces of information it communicated to him. Sphinx, in her adult guise, stared at the Earl. Not the carnivorous tree, but the old lion. She must have heard wrong. "Could you repeat that?" she asked in a neutral voice. The lion straightened. "I''m asking you to join my troop. You''d be the main wife, of course," he declared. Sphinx directed her gaze towards the few lionesses behind the Earl - a remnant from before the System. The lion was, of course, exceptional to have become an Earl so quickly. There couldn''t have been more than thirty Earls on the Moon''s surface. He was perhaps the most powerful animal on the planet. But I''m a proud sphinx. Her bloodline gave Sphinx a significant advantage in the long term, but she wasn''t stupid: the lion was more powerful than she was right now. Yet, perched on one of the sequoia''s branches, Sphinx looked down on the courtyard. She refused to submit to this long-haired tyrant. Her friend Priam had managed to survive against her while being frighteningly weak. He had shown her the way, and she too, would fight for her freedom. With head held high and bearing haughty, Sphinx activated her power. "You''re the king of animals, but you''re afraid of one of them. Which one?" The lion growled. "A riddle? I''m not afraid of anyone." "Wrong. You were afraid of the lioness," Sphinx replied. "Soon, you''ll be afraid of me." Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 20 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 [Moon Mist] has reached level 20. As an epic skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Bullet Mist] - [Bullet Time] is automatically triggered when bodies traveling at dangerous speeds pass through your mist. POT -30 [Mist Bullet] - Allows you to turn a small part of your mist into ice. Requires a lot of energy. POT -30 [Mist Domain] - The precision of your control and perception increases. Synergizes with Domain. POT -30 Easy. [Mist Domain] -The precision of your control and perception increases. Synergizes with Domain. POT -30 Priam smiled as he felt his control over his mist increase still further. He could now distinctly feel the influence of the Domain trying to corrupt his mist. Priam could fight an opponent he could perceive. That was all he needed to confront his Will with the tree''s Domain. The mental exercise was exhausting, but a smile played on his lips. Priam was winning. Its Domain was heavy, but the Jubokko''s Will seemed weak. It was certainly exceptional for a tree, but Priam was a human who had spent his life fighting not to be crushed by the personalities of the extroverts he rubbed shoulders with. Refusing to give a tree his living bubble was pretty easy. I suppose every Earl, and every user of the System in general, must have strengths and weaknesses... Humans seemed to have fairly general builds, but Priam understood this wasn''t the case for all species. Blueberry had titanic strength and a relatively weak constitution. The Jubokko had a pretty weak will but an exceptional constitution - its bark seemed indestructible. Improving [Moon Mist] had also helped Priam to better understand META - Affinity. The attribute allowed him to manipulate his mist more finely - and aether in general. It was still too early to take full advantage of this knowledge, but Priam knew every piece of information about the System was vital. As Priam prepared to move forward again, the ground shook beneath his feet. He quickly steadied himself and put his ear to the ground - or bark. Through the thick mist, frightful sounds were coming to him. Shit, Anatole''s attacking already?! Priam began to run. The Domain continued to crush him, but his newfound mastery kept him going. Congratulations! A hidden trial has been passed! You passed the Path of Blood in 0 hours 26 minutes 47 seconds. Exceptional circumstances: Tier 0, time less than one hour. Selecting your reward... Sequoia Sempervirens Aether seed. [Identification] [Sequoia Sempervirens Aether - Seed] - A high-potential tree seed. Adapts perfectly to the soil in which it is planted. Lives in symbiosis with the flora and fauna of its environment. Priam sighed as he put the seed away. It wasn''t totally useless, and Log-a-rhythm would certainly be happy to absorb it. However, he would have liked a more explosive reward. Darkness finally gave way to light as Priam ran toward the end of the tunnel. He stepped outside and shielded his ears as he heard a titanic noise. His mist - partially freed from the influence of the Jubokko Domain - warned him that a colossal mass was bearing down on him. Priam squinted and stretched out his hand. [Kinetic Control]. The body crashed into his outstretched hand before losing all speed. Opening his eyes, the animal looked briefly at Priam. "We''d better run," muttered Blueberry. "... What are you doing here?" asked Priam. "I was reporting to the Earl before a catastrophe occurred." Blueberry straightened, exposing a right arm that was at an odd angle. The Viscount caught his arm and pulled it back into place with a swift movement. Priam winced at the sound before looking around. They were high, almost to the top of the tree, and the branches formed a kind of natural bowl. Seats were carved into the wood at the sides. A promontory - also carved - dominated the assembly. Above them, in the canopy, the redwood''s leaves trembled - the result of a titanic battle. But Priam''s eyes were on something else. At the bottom of the bowl, an amber liquid stagnated. [Identification] [Spring] - The quintessence of blood absorbed by the Jubokko, mixed with its sap. Contains a mighty regenerative power. Priam almost rushed to bathe in the several thousand liters of sap that lay before him. His lung was still hurting, and the Blood Way hadn''t helped. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you," Blueberry warned without moving. Priam stopped and watched the bear. He knew he was faster than the Viscount, and the latter was in no condition to stop him. Looking around, Priam detected a few animals hiding and watching the fight above them. Each one looked powerful, and some were Viscounts. None looked at him. "Why not?" "Because the Earl sacrificed thousands of beasts to feed the Jubokko and create this Spring. That''s why the areas around the Domes are empty. Every liter of this pond comes from countless sacrifices. If you touch it, he''ll sacrifice you too to atone for your sin." The Jubokko''s trunk trembled as the fight above them reached its climax. "And why would the Earl need this resource? Does Anatole scare him so much?" Blueberry growled. "Don''t be stupid, human. You can feel the vibrations of the fight all the way here. The leader of the false humans would die just by hearing the Earl''s roar." Priam looked up. The redwood tree he was standing on was an Earl specialized in defense. Even Priam''s most powerful attack would not have been enough to sever one of its branches. And yet, the fight between the Earl and the stranger made its whole trunk vibrate. Lions are known for the power of their roar. I''m not sure I''d survive that kind of attack either. Sighing, Priam turned back to Blueberry. "So what''s the purpose of this Spring?" Blueberry shrugged in an almost human motion. "The Earl also uses the System. His tribulation is coming. It''s his trump card." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 (+3) Agility 158 Vitality 284 Perception 295 (+6) MENTAL: Vivacity 175 (+1) Dexterity 178 (+1) Memory 40 Willpower 274 Charisma 146 (+2) META: Meta-affinity 141 (+3) Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1343 (-53) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 25 min 6s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 17 hours 45 minutes 0 second. Chapter 62: The Apocalypse belongs to the Elders The fight had started well. [Battle riddle] gave Sphinx an early advantage, and if her prediction came true, the lion would be severely wounded. Taking advantage of the fact that the Earl was briefly stunned by the skill, Sphinx had drawn first blood by biting the Earl''s neck. Unfortunately, this woke him up, and he retaliated violently. Sphinx then realized she had a problem. For the first time in her short life, she wasn''t the one with the most attributes. Worse, while their physiques were roughly equivalent, the Earl had far more experience. Sphinx had spent the next five minutes absorbing the Earl''s techniques like a sponge. She''d managed to hold her own, but the lion was no fool. He had noticed that his opponent was analyzing his fighting style and had stopped holding back. From then on, the fight had taken a wrong turn, and Sphinx had received several serious wounds. Faced with the lion''s rage, she finally decided to use a technique Priam had taught her. The Hit and Run. Sphinx was now leaping from branch to branch, preparing her riposte. A complex riddle, which Priam had taught her. It was the only way she could gain a decisive advantage. Just as the Earl was about to catch up, she declared. "What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows? You have thirty seconds." Her skills immobilized the lion, and he squinted. "A good skill. It''s time to end this fight. Lie down when you''re ready to surrender." Sphinx didn''t reply, and the two adversaries waited for the time to run out. After thirty seconds, the lion''s left forepaw trembled and twisted like a wrung-out rag. The muscles must have torn, and the Earl winced in pain. Sphinx was ready to leap back. It was not yet time to finish the fight. But the Earl took her by surprise by staying put. Rather than pursue her, he muttered an incomprehensible word. Instantly, Sphinx felt the wind pick up. Strong gusts, carrying with them dead leaves, wrapped around the lion. Is he manipulating the wind? The air? The air currents reached the Earl''s ears before swirling around. Sphinx growled. She was pretty sure the lion could no longer hear her. The Earl''s domain also prevented her from mentally communicating with him. "How can I ask him riddles now..." No way was she marrying that big tomcat. She hated bad sports. Priam''s lips stretched into a smile at Blueberry''s words. He, too, had a problem with Tribulation. Tribulations. He turned back to Spring. The description of the System was simplistic - certainly the fault of the common rank of his [Identification] - but the most important thing was noted. The liquid had a regenerative power, potent enough to interest an Earl. Priam looked away quickly, not wishing to alert the bear. He considered the pond his already, but his Tribulations were still hours away. Until then, the lion would be an excellent guardian. Looking in the direction of the canopy, Priam asked. "Who could give an Earl such a hard time?" The bear sighed. "A woman. A lioness. Well, a bit of both," Blueberry hesitated. "What do you mean, a bit of both..." Priam suspended his sentence. [Eidetic Memory] and his Vivacity instantly brought him the answer. "A sphinx?" Blueberry looked up, surprised. "Yes. How do you know?" The sequoia tree trembled again under the intensity of the fight and Priam swallowed. Should I reveal my relationship with Sphinx? She''s fighting the lion, which makes us his enemies. Priam hesitated for half a second before clenching his fist. Sphinx was his friend, there to help him after he''d asked for her help. A friendship was precious, and that was why he had hated Claire''s betrayal. Moreover, with Sphinx''s help, Priam was confident they could defeat the Earl''s court. All he had to do was get Sphinx to deal with the Earl. With his mind made up, Priam summoned his spear and pointed it at Blueberry. The bear looked at him in silence. "She''s my friend. If any of the Viscounts ever try to attack Sphinx, we''ll find out together if there''s a [Butchery] skill." The green roof shook for a few moments before calming down. But Blueberry''s laughter continued for a few seconds longer. Priam remained silent, jabbing into the void to increase his kinetic charges. Blueberry finally calmed down and replied, "Nobody''s going to fight the Sphinx but the Earl. She challenged him to a duel, after all. If any of us intervene, it''ll be the Earl himself who rips us to shreds. He values his honor," said the bear. The tree shook again, and a deafening roar sounded. Priam''s vision blurred. He regained his senses a few seconds later, out of breath. Another tremor made him open his eyes again, and Priam concentrated on his surroundings. His eardrums were perforated. Again. Suddenly his mist caught a familiar presence, and Priam looked behind him. Sphinx, both wings torn off, was standing there. Her mouth was full of red blood and... mane hair? Priam''s stomach knotted as he watched her body lacerated in too many places to count. She''s seriously hurt. Despite everything, the young sphinx had fought back valiantly. She looked behind Priam, and the young Viscount turned. Behind him stood a majestic lion. Titanic, at least the size of Blueberry, he gave off a terrifying aura. Priam was confident of facing Blueberry or any other Viscount. However, the Earl opposite him was in a different league. Priam''s instincts told him he had little chance of escaping the Earl alive, let alone facing him. Priam noted with relief that, despite his regal posture, the Earl was bleeding too. One of his front paws was in such a sorry state that the lion avoided putting his weight on it. A weakness to capitalize on... The Earl moved his muzzle, and Priam realized he was speaking. Because of his perforated eardrums, he couldn''t hear a thing. Sighing, Priam tightened his grip on his spear and prepared himself. If the lion attacked, he would retaliate by burning his Potential. Or his life. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. But first, let''s try to stay alive... As she entered the fog-shrouded village, the young woman frowned. The dwellings were very rudimentary, simple wooden huts. But finding a hamlet outside the protection of the domes with a dozen or so houses was odd. The Reunion had only been underway for about four days, and it was puzzling that the inhabitants had already managed to build a place to live. They seemed to be getting by in this new world. At least, that''s what the wisps of smoke rising from the central building''s chimney indicated. Either their stupidity goes hand in hand with their luck, or they''re not afraid of corrupted animals... Moving towards the largest building, the newcomer hesitated for a moment. Music and the smell of grilled meat wafted from inside. Finally, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. It swiftly opened, revealing a kindly granny who beckoned her in. "Hello, my little darling. You look so tired! I''ll get you something to eat," said the grandmother before trotting away. The young woman couldn''t get a word in edgewise. That said, I am hungry... As she was waiting, an elderly man approached, smiling. "You remind me of my great-granddaughter... My name is Louis. What are you doing here, little one?" he asked. "I''m... I''m Claire, looking for a friend''s father," Claire explained, smiling innocently. With any luck, the old man wouldn''t notice that she''d walked alone through a wood populated by dangerous creatures. "May I know his name?" inquired Louis. "Priam''s father." "Oh, I''ll get him," smiled the old man before walking away. Looking around, Claire realized that the building consisted of just one room, built around a fireplace. A cauldron was positioned over the fire, and the kindly granny set about slicing a piece of the bread efficiently. A dozen seniors, all at least in their eighties, were in the room. They''d probably been decrepit less than two weeks ago, but the arrival of the System had given them a new lease of life. They all looked energetic. Most were chatting as they prepared their equipment. Another little granny was mending some animal-skin armor. Such resourceful little oldsters... On closer inspection, Claire realized they were all handling at least one weapon. Apparently, the System had rescued them from the clutches of death, and they weren''t planning to meet it soon. We''re not so different after all. Except, I was well and truly dead... The little granny approached, brandishing a plate full of victuals. Claire thanked her and began to eat. All she had to do was nod occasionally to answer the steady stream of questions. Suddenly, the door opened, letting in Louis and a stranger. Claire looked at the newcomer. He looked like Priam, if Priam had aged sixty years. The man stepped closer and held out his hand. "Alain, delighted to meet you. So, young lady, you''re a friend of my son''s, aren''t you?" "Yes sir, he asked me to..." "Let me stop you for a second. This new world is a little wild, so we have to take precautions, right? My son told humanity that you knew my age. How old was I when my son was ten?" Claire reflected that father and son had the same charming smile. The father seemed a little more sure of himself, but the young girl suspected that the son would soon be brimming with confidence. The apple and the tree, right? "Yes, of course." Claire had led her investigation, spending her Potential and exhausting her contacts to find Priam''s father before Mercury''s men did. She''d left a trail full of corpses behind her, but now knew who was in front of her. Her bargaining chip for her sister. "You''re eighty-two years old. Your son is twenty-three, so when he was ten, you were sixty-nine. Depending on the day, maybe sixty-eight but..." Alain''s eyes darkened, and Claire felt her mouth go dry. The cozy atmosphere had disappeared, and only the sound of the fire was still audible. Conversations had died down, the dozen or so old people were now staring at her. Alain had lost his smile. "I suspected that by becoming so well known, my son might make enemies... Sorry young lady, but when my son was ten, I lied to him about my age to not let him worry about my health. He loves telling that story and knowing him, that''s why he left that message. Yet you compared us when you saw me come in. You know my son. Who is he to you?" Without answering, Claire leaped forward, throwing her plate in Louis'' direction and grabbing a dagger from her belt. "[Confusion]!" she cried. Claire wanted to put her dagger under Alain''s neck, deciding to take him hostage. Her senses screamed for a moment, and Claire''s eyes widened. Moving with impossible speed, Alain grabbed her wrist and catapulted her. She crashed hard against the hardwood and slid to the floor. Shaking her head to regain her composure, she tightened her grip on her dagger... which had disappeared. Claire looked up to see the grandmother stroking her dagger and winking at her. As Claire prepared to get up, Louis, who had received the plate, threw it. The vessel disappeared in a blur of speed. Claire felt a draft to the right of her face. The ceramic plate had sunk about ten centimeters into the hardwood without breaking. A second draft and her dagger sank so close to the left of her face that a few hair strands fell out. "[Exhaustion]." Claire couldn''t see who had said these words, but her strength left her. She could no longer move her body; only the fear of death gave her the mental strength to try. As her eyes closed, Claire realized that none of the old had been disturbed by [Confusion]. Alain moved closer to her. "Get some sleep, and then we''ll talk." Claire forced herself to speak. She hated to lose. "Who... Who?" "Sleep," Alain replied. A hand rested on her head. "[K.O]." A dark veil covered Claire''s vision. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 Agility 158 Vitality 284 Perception 295 MENTAL: Vivacity 175 Dexterity 178 Memory 40 Willpower 274 Charisma 146 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1343 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 19 min 12s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 17 hours 39 minutes 6 seconds. Chapter 63: The System Unveiled Sphinx took advantage of the respite offered by the Earl to rest. Her body was durable, but the lion''s claws were extremely sharp. His strength was also formidable, and six minutes into the fight, Sphinx could feel her body suffering from multiple internal injuries. But worst of all, the lion immediately understood that Sphinx''s power required the enemy to be aware of the riddle. Without this, her power had no hold on the Earl. Sphinx had tried to find a way around this by writing her riddles on the tree trunk. Unfortunately, the Earl was either illiterate or too clever to read a text written by his enemy in the middle of a fight. Sphinx would have bet on the first solution: the lion''s mane was too ugly for him to be intelligent. As she hesitated to attack, Sphinx became aware of Priam''s presence. A few meters away, he was looking toward the Earl. Without seeing him, Sphinx knew that her friend had a determined expression on his face. She was proud to be fighting alongside him. Unfortunately, despite the progress she sensed in him, Priam was wounded. The Earl would easily sweep him away if he interfered. "If I feel your skill activate, I''ll block my hearing again," warned the Earl. Sphinx nodded as she saw the gusts of wind surrounding the lion. "I don''t understand you, sphinx. You''re weaker than me, and you know it. Accept your defeat and join me. I''ll cherish you, and together we''ll dominate this Moon. At the next Reunion, we''ll descend to Earth to regain control of the lands where I was born." As Sphinx prepared to retort with a scathing reply, a voice cut her off. "Noble Earl, the fake humans are coming. They intend to pollute the Jubokko and your Spring. I beg you to reconsider your priorities." "What?!" The Earl roared as he heard Priam. Sphinx was ready to defend her friend. The lion glanced at her before momentarily calming down. "If what you say is true, this is indeed a priority. Bala, go and check this out," he ordered. A bird of prey took flight after waving to its master. The Earl turned to Sphinx. "We''ll talk about my proposal again," said the lion, looking at Sphinx. Sphinx nodded, grinning inwardly. Well done Priam! The Earl then addressed a Baron-rank monkey, previously hidden behind a branch. "Gather the nobility. I''ve decided to exterminate the polluters." "Of course, Your Majesty. When must we gather?" "NOW!" The sycophant gasped before scurrying off. The various Barons and Viscounts approached, and the Earl climbed onto his promontory before turning to Priam. "What do you know about these false humans?" Priam fulminated. He''d had to spend two questions to find the right wording to defuse the situation. The lion had no interest in fighting now, but neither did Priam. He had no extra life and preferred to let the Earl and Anatole fight it out before coming to reap the benefits. Perhaps their fight would even reveal a few hidden players. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, right? As the court gathered in front of him, the lion asked a question and Priam pointed to his ears. With an annoyed movement, the Earl created a draft, and two drops of liquid rose from the Spring. They shot towards his ears. For a moment, Priam felt like a thousand ants were throwing a party into his head. A few seconds later, he heard the wind blowing again. His mind was clear and Priam clenched and unclenched his hand. He hadn''t slept in days, and despite his resurrections, he missed the habit. Yet he felt great. His mental fatigue, the result of the Path of Blood, had disappeared. Better still, most of his wounds had healed. All that remained was a pain in his right lung, but Priam felt ready to fight. The Earl could have totally cured him with a third drop but had chosen to be stingy. Priam hid his frustration behind a smile and was careful not to look at the Spring. He didn''t want to arouse the Earl''s suspicions. Stretching quickly, Priam turned slightly towards Sphinx and winked. I''ll take care of this. Then, he quickly bowed to the Earl. Despite his less than cordial feelings towards the Earl, Priam had no qualms about bowing to him. In his mind, the Earl was already dead. "Thank you very much, Earl. I am now ready to answer your questions." "What do you know about these false humans?" asked the lion. "These are former humans, resurrected by the System after betraying humanity. These traitors are numerous and are converting humans to their cause. So it''s an evil that gets worse until it''s purged. Their hierarchy includes five generals, a Champion and a Grand Master. I''ve already killed one of their Generals. They''re relatively weak individually, but their power comes from their chimeras. They can use Noble cores to create their Abominations. " Priam pointed to the gigantic tree that hosted the court. His doubles had revealed that Anatole was poisoning the Jubokko with a ritual. "Their master is polluting the Jubokko, seeking to turn it into an Abomination. If he succeeds, the Spring will be unusable, and the thousands of animals in the Grove will join his army. Surrounded, your court will fall..." Priam didn''t finish his analysis. If the Jubokko fell, the Revenants would become impossible to dislodge, and the Earl would flee. It was the worst-case scenario for Priam and humanity. Why the hell do I have to deal with this?! Hundreds of alien factions were present on the Moon. Among them were dozens of super-factions with trained fighters. Priam knew these factions had only their own interests at heart, but he was nonetheless annoyed. Of course, he could be wrong. Maya might be marching towards Anatole and the Revenants at the head of an army. But Priam didn''t believe in Santa Claus, nor did he believe in miracles. To change his destiny, he had to fight. Priam looked up at the Earl and the Jubokko. There must be a way to kill three birds with one stone... The Earl took a moment to think. "If you''re telling the truth, then he attacked me first. The System won''t stop me from retaliating. I''ll slaughter them within the next hour." Priam gritted his teeth. If the Earl left alone, the Spring would be guarded by the nobles. Maybe even stolen if Anatole succeeded in defeating their leader. Unacceptable. "Your Majesty, if I may¡­" A Baron''s rank monkey shouted. "Your Majesty! This pathetic human wants to manipulate you for his own ends! You can''t trust him, he..." "Silence!" The Earl turned to the Baron. "If not for him, I''d have waited for the Revenants'' ambush, listening to your sycophancy. Not another word unless you want to help me through my Tribulation," the Earl threatened, pointing at the Spring. The monkey tucked his head into his shoulders, and Priam smiled. "I''m listening, human." Lvl Up: [Comparison] lvl 1,...,7 MEM +7 Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 8 MEM +1 Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 6,7 AGI +2 DEXT +4 Lvl Up: [Sense of smell] lvl 2,...,7 DEXT +6 POT -284 Perched on a titanic branch, Priam played with Sphinx, ignoring Blueberry''s cackling. The Earl hadn''t wanted to keep them unattended in the grove and had healed Blueberry to keep an eye on them. The bear was proving a pleasant companion when he wasn''t irritated by pain. Priam had even discovered that the bear loved to play. More than just playing, the bear liked to giggle loudly at Priam''s defeats. The young man was amazed that a multi-ton beast could giggle like a schoolgirl. Apparently, the ursid''s Dexterity enabled him to manipulate his vocal cords effectively. Priam pointed to one of the pebbles in front of him. "This one." "Lost!" exclaimed Sphinx cheerfully, much to Blueberry''s delight. She pointed to another pebble, and Priam took it in his hand and weighed it. It was the one he should have found. Without Perception approaching three hundred, he would have been almost unable to feel the difference in mass between this pebble and the one he had chosen. "This game is stupid!" He knew he was a bad player at the moment, but Priam hated to lose. Yet he kept playing for his honor, but also because it was worth it. Stolen story; please report. The aim of the game was relatively simple. The player chose a white pebble from among a hundred or so. Each had a slightly different smell and mass. All their other characteristics were virtually identical. For example, their external volume remained unchanged, the pebbles having been emptied at the center. They were visually similar. The stones were then shuffled, and the player had to find the stone he had initially chosen in less than a minute. To do this, he could weigh and smell them. That''s what made the game so interesting. Indeed, despite his [Eidetic Memory], Priam had great difficulty finding the right pebble. His hypothesis was that - his main sense being vision - his memory was more photographic than eidetic. This game enabled him to work on his olfactory and tactile memories. For the System, this translated into Memory, Dexterity and Perception. That was why Priam was sorting pebbles rather than resting or sparring. For him, this game was training, and he had a lot to learn. Two hours earlier, he had asked Blueberry how animals increased their Memory. According to the Viscount, they had to reach a certain threshold of Memory, Vivacity and Willpower to trigger a transformation and become sapient. "We play games," the bear had replied. "Before the System, our days were occupied by rest, hunting, reproduction and play. We''ve kept those habits, and our games have given us some essential attributes." So Priam jumped at the chance to play to increase his Memory. He didn''t want to trigger a fifth Tribulation but aimed to optimize his status. Many of his attributes could still gain around fifty points. Each point could be decisive in the coming Tribulations. Priam, Sphinx and Blueberry had been playing for two hours, waiting for the Earl''s marching orders. "Again," muttered Priam. Sphinx overturned the pebbles in the hollow of her gigantic paw, and Priam chose one. He lifted it, closing his eyes to concentrate on its exact mass, trying to imprint the sensation in his mind. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 8 AGI +1 DEXT +2 As well as increasing his skills, Priam had learned to understand them better. Balance wasn''t just a skill that enabled Priam to move and stabilize himself - often after suffering damage to his inner ear. It also gave him an excellent understanding of the forces exerted on his body. Having harnessed the strength of his various muscles to lift the pebble, Priam brought it to his nose. It had undoubtedly been rubbed against a wildflower... Elderflower. Lvl Up : [Sense of smell] lvl 8 DEXT +1 [Fine sense of smell] was originally a skill based on Perception. But Priam was so close to a new Tribulation threshold - 300 points - that he had initially refused to use it. It was then that [Eidetic Memory] truly revealed its power. After his last battle in the Colosseum, Priam had realized that it was possible to use his Potential to influence the System. He used this information to modify his Trees of Merit and make them his own. Thus, little by little, his build became unique, preventing future enemies from seeking out his exact capabilities. But if Potential allowed the System user to fine-tune his build, what were the limits? It was the question [Eidetic Memory] had raised, and Priam wanted to answer it. He had started some tests, and the results were incredible. The skills were indeed modifiable. These modifications followed some rules, and Priam had freely spent his Potential to discover them. Firstly, a skill always had a general purpose, and that purpose could not radically change. [Athletics] couldn''t allow Priam to fly - he''d tried. Potential sent him back an error, and Priam understood that skills had to stay on a particular course. On the other hand, [Athletics] could specialize in running, jumping or rolling. Priam had not validated these changes. Secondly, skills had inertia. The higher the skill, the more complicated - and expensive - it was to change it. According to the System, transforming [Athletics] lvl 19 into [Jumping] lvl 1, cost 190 points of Potential. That was ten points per level. Since a common skill gave one point of Potential per level, a modification cost ten times as many points as the skill yielded. Transforming a skill had to be done as soon as possible. Thirdly, modifying a skill was an exercise that required finding a link between the basic skill and the new one. It was close to the first point, but Priam had not been able to determine whether this link fundamentally existed or depended on the user. Priam could see the relationship between [Athletics] and [Jumping]. But perhaps a bird would see a link between [Athleticism] and [Flight]. If so, could Priam learn [Flight] by hypnotizing himself to think like a bird? Or were there necessary prerequisites, like having wings? Depending on the answer to these questions, Priam had many ideas. Finally, a skill could not be reset easily. It was possible, but painful. It had been excruciating, and Priam had almost smashed his skull against the floor. Sphinx had to stop him from hurting himself. He remembered the acquisition of his skill two hours earlier. You have gained the skill: [Sense of smell - Common]. [Sense of smell - Common] - Some theories give man five basic senses. Others give them nine or more. The important thing is that your sense of smell can recognize molecules floating in the air and inform you about your environment. Your sight is fallible, but when all your senses are alert, the world appears without illusion. You may look stupid lifting your nose to smell your surroundings, but it will save your life. However, you''re not a dog, so avoid sniffing the asses of your fellow creatures. Or, at the very least, ask their permission. PERC +1 It had taken Priam several minutes to try and modify this skill. Using his knowledge, he had bet that switching the gain from Perception to Dexterity was possible. To do this, he connected to his Potential and formulated his modifications. His tests had been long, and Priam had used his Potential almost continuously. The loss of Potential was unfortunate but necessary. [Sense of smell] gave Perception. This attribute enabled his body and soul to receive information from the outside world. The basic skill would have helped Priam to smell a wider range of odors in lower concentrations. At a high level, he could have sensed the presence of lavender several hundred meters away, just by detecting a few molecules in the air. [Sense of smell] was a good skill. But by connecting to Potential, Priam''s objective was to gain Dexterity. In his experience, this attribute enabled him to better perceive his own body. For example, to feel the heat of an object, it was his Perception that came into play, and to feel his own heat, it was his Dexterity. So Priam, connected to his Potential, had tried to communicate a change of direction to his skill. Rather than smelling a wide range of odors, he wanted to be able to easily distinguish between them. He wanted to be able to differentiate between the scents of several humans, to stalk his prey like a hunting dog. The sense of smell was not the most highly developed of human senses. Yet the nose was a very powerful organ, theoretically capable of detecting over a billion different odors. Perfumers and oenologists had a highly developed sense of smell. Unfortunately, most humans didn''t train this sense - and Priam was no exception. Rather than focusing [Sense of smell] on the outside world, Priam chose to distinguish between the smells he smelled. His nose wouldn''t be sensitive enough to detect tiny quantities of molecules, but it would be better able to determine the different odors he smelled. In practical terms, Priam would smell humans from a shorter distance, but he would be able to distinguish and recognize them instantly. With this thought in mind, he used his Potential and reforged [Sense of smell]. You have lost the skill: [Sense of smell] lvl 1. You have gained the skill: [Sense of smell - Common]. [Sense of smell - Common] - Your sense of smell can now distinguish finely between several similar odors. It''s up to you to compare them. You''d make an excellent perfumer. By the way, it''s been a long time since you took a bath, hasn''t it? You don''t mind your own smell, but others do¡­ DEXT +1 POT -10 Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 Agility 161 (+3) Vitality 284 Perception 296 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 175 Dexterity 192 (+14) Memory 48 (+8) Willpower 274 Charisma 146 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1072 (-271) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 11 hours 4 min 3s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 15 hours 23 minutes 57 seconds. Chapter 64: Siblings but not Twins His mind was overwhelmed by pain as his Potential changed the foundations of his skill. But once the pain passed, Priam burst out laughing. Changing skills and their attributes opened up a whole new field of possibilities. Better still, he had kept the Perception point from his old skill. Which meant something important to Priam. Notifications of attribute increases were not System rewards. Priam had sharpened his Perception by focusing on his sense of smell, and his body had adapted. He had gained that point of Perception the way you gain muscle by lifting heavy weights. Priam knew how to make better use of his sense of smell and the System had translated this into a skill. But even if the System disappeared, Priam now knew he''d keep his skill - his experience, his memory, and his ability to smell better. Is this because it''s a common skill? Or could I also manipulate kinetic energy without the System? Anyway, he had no intention of modifying common skills again. Creating [Kinetic Control], an epic skill, had cost him a mere 84 points of Potential. This meant that modifying a skill was excessively expensive as well as being relatively useless. After all, he could have kept the first [Sense of Smell] and tried to focus his sense of smell on the scent differentiation part. He could then have created a new skill [Sense of Smell] - the one he currently had - and merged the two with a little Potential. For the same cost, he would have had a rare skill, giving perception and dexterity. Of course, this was still what Priam planned to do, but it took time to build up a skill. Time he didn''t have. In the end, modifying a skill was certainly only useful for rare or epic skills. But it was useful information. Even the pain had taught him something. Micro had been powerless to stop it, meaning it wasn''t linked to his body. Priam theorized that his skills were related to his soul and meridians. He had shrugged, suspecting that this kind of subject went far beyond Tier 0. Priam had then spent almost two hours playing with Sphinx to increase his attributes and learn to better use his great olfactory sense. He felt as if a new dimension was opening up to him. Above all, he suspected that human assassins and thieves would prefer visual rather than olfactory camouflage. So Priam had a head start - two with [Aether Perception]. Priam refocused on the game and placed the pebble gently back into Sphinx''s paw. He closed his eyes while she mixed the stones and waited for her signal to open them again. The young Viscount began to stir the pebbles, sniffing one after another. After about thirty seconds, his nose was saturated, and Priam had limited his choices. Three pebbles remained in front of him, each smelling of elderflower. His nose was not yet sensitive enough to detect their subtle difference, and Priam took them in his hand. He lifted them one by one before looking up at Sphinx, who was watching him. His friend had managed to win all their previous games, and Blueberry had quickly declared that he had no wish to play against her. The talent of a mythical creature was truly exceptional. "This one," declared Priam, pointing to a pebble. Lvl Up: [Comparison] lvl 8 MEM +1 Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 9 MEM +1 Blueberry straightened up and looked at the pebble before looking at Sphinx. The legendary monster smiled, and Priam smiled back. "Bravo Priam!" Priam stood up with a smile. It had taken him two hours to increase his Memory, and it had finally reached 50. He had learned much about the System and had several ideas for improving his power. Moreover, he was pretty sure that this kind of knowledge was scarce. Most factions used their members'' Potential to create specific skill sets. Nobody had too much Potential, and certainly not enough to use it in such an outrageous way. "But these tests were necessary..." "Excuse me?" asked Blueberry. "Nothing," Priam replied, stretching. "I''m hearing more and more commotion below, and I think we''re about to march on the Revenants. Before that, I''ll need your help, Sphinx," said Priam. "What should I do?!" asked his friend, still enthusiastic. "Attack me. It''s time to see the limits of [Kinetic Control]. I want to surprise Anatole." The training had paid off. The Earl had even granted Sphinx three big drops of the Spring to heal her wounds. The proud creature had refused to use these treasures but had entrusted them to Priam. The young Viscount gloated as he analyzed them a second time. With the drops, the price in Potential to Enhance [Axolotl or Hydra?] had fallen. [Axolotl or Hydra?] is ready for evolution. Absence of a catalyst detected. Use Potential (2786) to trigger evolution? Priam nearly choked on the number. Fortunately, with three drops, the System was kinder. [Axolotl or Hydra?] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 3 [Spring Drops] and Potential (2783) to trigger evolution? It was still far too expensive for Priam, but the Spring made it possible. After all, there were a lot of drops... So Priam decided to change his plan. [Axolotl or Hydra?] was necessary to survive his Tribulations - and the ones to follow. But thanks to the Spring, he had another option. Of course, it was dangerous not to directly improve his better Title by using the Evolution Token - a quest reward he''d received for discovering the true identity of the Revenants. But Priam wanted to gain as much as possible before his Tribulations. Go big or go home, right? Well, it''s rather: go big or go die. Priam felt that he would not have a moment''s rest before his Tribulations. He wanted to improve his Titles before the battle against the Revenants. Priam decided to ask an open question. Why limit the question when he didn''t know what lay ahead? Which Title should I improve now? Answer: Ask for a second heart, yet don''t choose one. Another cryptic phrase. But if Priam didn''t understand the purpose, the meaning was very clear. He took the Evolution Token in his right hand and injected it with his Aether using [Aether Manipulation]. The Token lit up for a few moments, and a notification appeared. Bronze Title token used. Choose a Title to upgrade to Silver rank: [Heartless] [Brainless] [Axolotl or Hydra?] [Hermes'' apprentice] [Upgrade] [To the Moon] [Admirer of Atlas] [Veteran] [Threat Killer] [Fighter of the Depths] Priam selected [Heartless]. Had he not asked, he would undoubtedly have chosen [Veteran]. But his doubles must have known something he didn''t. The token activated, and Priam fell to his knees. He had lost all control of his body, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. [Heartless] is evolving. No catalyst detected... Detection of multiple Achievements... Selection of five compatible evolutions. [Heartless - Silver] [Silver Heart - Silver] [Human Heart - Silver] [Bloodline Engine - Silver] [Double Heart - Silver] Priam''s first heart sank as he read about the possible developments. He wanted to buy everything. Bloodline Engine could perhaps refine further my Phoenix bloodline... He bit his tongue to stop thinking. His duplicates must have had a good reason. [Double Heart - Silver] chosen. [Double Heart] confers a second heart. The heart is a vital organ, and extremely important in more ways than one. The choice of affinity is crucial. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Choose an affinity. [Human] [Death] [Energy conversion] [Mist] [Depths] [Phoenix] ... Affinities denied. Priam had hesitated when he saw the possible affinities. [Death] had to refer to his Talent [He Who Eludes Death] and could potentially boost it, or facilitate his patron''s request. [Phoenix] was self-explanatory. Priam had seen an echo of Phoenix''s power and wished to reach that level. But his doubles would not betray him. Priam had to trust himself and clung to this idea. A second heart without affinity will be created. Warning: [Double Heart] requires affinity. In the absence of an affinity, the surrounding aether will seek to fill the void. The System will protect your second heart for the next forty-eight hours. A catastrophic event will occur if an affinity is not found by then. The empty heart can absorb any affinity without an owner. Priam only had time to read the notification before the System descended. Time stopped, and the Potential in Priam trembled. The divine passage he knew so well opened wide. The divine tunnel widened from a trickle to a stellar river. This time, no inspiration, no miracle arrived to water Priam''s soul or body. Seven Concepts took charge. Perhaps the creation of a heart without affinity was a bigger taboo than Priam realized? Perhaps the Evolution Token was simply this powerful? Perhaps a succession of choices had piqued the Concepts'' interest? Whatever the reason, they had momentarily turned their gaze to the Moon, humanity, and Priam. Seven consciousnesses as old as the Universe arrived. The young man forgot even his own name in the face of the Concepts'' divine attention. The Moon disappeared, leaving his body, mind and soul floating in space. In the middle of the infinite firmament, the anonymous soul contemplated the Universe. The distant stars were no longer the same as he had known them. The constellations had changed. Continued to. All around him, the billions of visible stars changed position, taking on impossible shapes before bending over him. The attention of the Universe was focused on him. If his thoughts hadn''t been manipulated, his mind would have fractured. The Sun, the nearest star, approached the young man. In one thousand years or one second, the fireball traveled one hundred and fifty million kilometers or a few meters, then imploded. All that remained of the giant was an aether sphere. The seven constellations embroidered and seven threads sprang from the solar orb. The anonymous body''s thorax opened. Skin, blood vessels and bones vanished. His right lung diminished in volume, leaving space beneath the young man''s floating ribs. Symmetrically to his left side, an absent heart appeared in his torso. A mirror symmetry had taken place, and an empty space now lay in the right side of his ribcage. The seven threads, drawn from the astral ball, invaded this cavity. Forming esoteric runes, they exhausted the stellar globe until it evaporated. In the young man''s torso now lay a cage designed to house a heart. The skeleton of the second heart was formed. Their work done, the Concepts'' attention dispersed. The stars in the sky returned to their places, once again forming natural constellations. The divine bridge broke, and the young man''s chest closed. As the Moon called to him once more, the young man, in a final epiphany, became aware of his surroundings. The Universe was the sum of the stars and the void. This void sought to be filled. The infinite blackness trembled. "Priam!" The young man - Priam was his name - opened his eyes. Above him stood a terrifying monster, with teeth the size of his arm. Priam groaned. His body was so sore he could barely move. The right side of his torso was burning, begging to be filled. Priam felt empty, and the sensation was horrible. "Hey Sphinx," he greeted weakly. "What do you mean ''hey Sphinx''?! You tripped and fainted. I''ve been trying to wake you up for almost two hours now. And how did you lose almost five hundred grams?!" Swallowing, Priam straightened up, placing a hand on his right pectoral. Underneath, an aether cage created by sacrificing a sun waited for him to choose a heart. Instinctively, Priam sensed that the frame would accept any concept and affinity. As long as he could claim its ownership. This future heart could be anything¡­ The pain ebbed away as Priam understood its actual cause. The emptiness in his body wasn''t just physical. His soul, too, needed to fill the void. Priam stood up fully and dusted off his pants with his left hand. "Sorry Sphinx, I underestimated a reward. I feel fine now," he lied. "Are you sure?" asked his friend. Priam looked at his notifications for a moment. Improved title! [Heartless - Bronze] becomes [Double Heart - Silver]! [Double Heart - Silver] - You now have a hole in your chest and are waiting for a transplant. The potential of this second heart is almost infinite. Make the right choice. It doesn''t mean you can become a bigamist. Bonus¡­ Error. Bonus dependent on the second heart chosen. VIT +10%. "Sure," smiled Priam. There''s nothing like an excellent notification to get you back on track. No sooner had he uttered these words than the air trembled. The Earl''s roar resounded, and Priam opened his fingers, letting out a little dust. It was the remnants of his token. "That must be the signal," said Blueberry, hearing the roar. "No, are you sure? Perhaps the Earl is roaring to woo another sphinx." "You think so? It''s unlikely but not impossible..." hesitated the bear. Priam sighed, realizing that irony was an art that couldn''t be acquired in a few days. "No, I think that was the signal, you''re right. Let''s go," said Priam, trying to pat the bear''s shoulder. The bear was too big, and Priam''s hand caressed his knee. His fur is soft... Priam, perched on Sphinx''s head, observed the future battlefield. Before them, the forest was dead. The few remaining trees were shedding their last leaves. Countless trunks were lying on the ground. About two kilometers away, huge trenches had been dug and fortifications erected. Made of earth and wood, they would not hold the nobles, but would effectively contain the wild animals. Finally, hundreds of holes lined with stakes were hidden two hundred meters before the fortifications. Invisible to the naked eye, the Earl''s scouts had noticed them. Priam could already see the rivers of blood they would soon provoke. On the Revenants'' fortifications, Priam could make out hundreds of men and women armed with rifles, grenades and spears. Behind them, beyond their walls, huge Abominations waited. The Earl''s scouts had counted around eighty of them. It was too much and too little at the same time. Priam sighed. He knew that every Abomination was the result of the sacrifice of many humans. Yet the Revenants certainly wished they had more. "Anatole is running out of Baron and Viscount cores," Priam realized. "How so?" Priam turned to the newly arrived Earl and saluted. He pointed to the Abominations. "There are about eighty of them. Anatole needs human sacrifices and noble cores to create them. If he could have raised an army of a thousand Abominations, he would have. Which means he''s running out of Baron cores. Too few are available for purchase, and native Barons are rare." Of course, it was also possible that Anatole was hiding part of his army, but Priam didn''t want to arouse the Earl''s caution. The lion nodded his massive head. "There are ten Barons per dome. Some are guardians, and others are hidden. Yes, there must be a shortage of cores. But eighty Barons or a thousand, it doesn''t matter. They can''t stop me." Priam remained silent, listening with interest to the Earl''s information. He looked toward the Revenants'' camp, pondering the coming battle and its significance. For the Earl was right: no matter how many Abominations there were, they wouldn''t stop him. Although the Grand Master of the Revenants was arrogant, he wasn''t stupid. Each title of nobility was more challenging to acquire than the last. A Viscount could easily sweep aside Barons. A hundred Barons wouldn''t even slow down the Earl. Priam suspected Anatole had a plan, but kept quiet. After all, his interest was not necessarily the same as the Earl¡¯s. Priam and Sphinx were the Earl''s allies for the time being, but this was a temporary status. Whether to acquire the Spring or to obtain a new Title, Priam and the lion were destined to be enemies. But first, I''d appreciate it if Anatole could weaken him a little... The Earl turned to Priam. "My court will take care of the small fry. This battle will strengthen my army, sorting the wheat from the chaff. But are you sure you can keep your word?" Priam nodded, "I need this urn, and I''m sure it''s the object that allows Anatole to corrupt the Jubokko. I''ll wait until the battle begins to infiltrate the camp and steal it." "Good. Get into position; we''ll attack in a few minutes," replied the lion. Priam bowed slightly and excused himself. It was undoubtedly the last time he''d have a friendly chat with the Earl. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 Agility 161 Vitality 284 Perception 296 MENTAL: Vivacity 175 Dexterity 192 Memory 50 (+2) Willpower 274 Charisma 146 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1074 (+2) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 7 hours 6 min 36s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 11 hours 26 minutes 30 seconds. Chapter 65: Keep your enemies close How to approach a military camp without being spotted? That was Priam''s question. The Revenants'' fortifications were complete. The side opposite the Earl''s army was protected - though less guarded. The camp floor had been hardened to prevent the Earl''s moles from creating galleries to invade the Revenants'' position. All in all, the Cult''s officers had done an excellent job. There were still two solutions: infiltration, taking advantage of the distractions offered by the start of the battle, or flying. By night, he could have glided to the enemy camp using [Kinetic Control]. Unfortunately, the night would fall in nine days, and humanity would already have left the Reunion. So Priam decided to wait for the battle to begin. With the help of the mist, he knew he could teleport into the enemy camp if he got close enough. By projecting his consciousness in a single direction, Priam could teleport almost a hundred meters away. The near-absence of wind and the omnipresence of natural fog on the Moon allowed him to consider this feat. Unfortunately, a hundred meters was not enough. Pollution from the Depths had ravaged the forest. The nearest living trees that could have sheltered and camouflaged Priam were at the level of the Earl''s army, two hundred meters from the Revenants'' camp. On the other sides of Anatole''s camp, the trees were dead and lying on the ground for kilometers. In short, Priam had no way of approaching without being spotted except by summoning a huge sphere of opaque mist. A strange occurrence that would surely alert Anatole. In the end, it was what Priam feared. If the master of the Cult decided to flee or hide his urn, Priam would miss out on great rewards. Not to mention having one of his enemies free to continue plotting. Worse still, Priam had promised Mercury the urn. In exchange, the merchant had to find his family. His father, for example, was an old man, and Priam feared that the Tutorial and then the Reunion had tired his heart out. If he took too long to find him, his enemies would surely try to find his defenseless father to force Priam to obey. So Priam was waiting for the battle to begin. The diversion would allow him to infiltrate the camp. As the Earl''s army finished preparing, Priam felt his breathing quicken. He was stressed. The battle was about to begin, and his Tribulations had never been so close. Priam had done all he could to grow stronger, but would it be enough? "Calm down," Blueberry said. Priam turned back to the bear still accompanying him. "I can feel your fear and anxiety. Yes, we may die today. But it''s that fear that keeps us going. It''s that fear that tells us we''re alive. Without it, without the possibility of failure, life wouldn''t be as exciting. Have a little faith in yourself." Opening his mouth to reply scathingly to the philosopher bear, Priam changed his mind. He was right. This fear was proof that he was alive. It was proof that he could fail. But fear wasn''t despair; he could succeed too. He could survive, realize his potential and enjoy life. Despite his positive thoughts, Priam could feel the stress paralyzing him. He would need time to accept these truths. In the meantime, this stress is bad. Priam concentrated on Micro and instructed his body to slow down its production of adrenalin and cortisol. Before long, his hands stopped sweating, and his stomachache faded away. Better still, the absence of these hormones made him want to embrace the trials ahead. Over the next few hours, he would write his legend''s second chapter. Or the final one. "It''s all in my hands, right? Thanks for the advice, Blueberry." "Bah... Fear is important to us wild creatures, but it should serve us, not dominate us. It''s a good friend and a bad mistress, Priam. Don''t let yourself be killed by becoming too reckless." Priam laughed. "I promise. Is it me, or are you getting strangely sentimental? I remember you trying to kill me only a few hours ago." The bear remained silent for a moment before replying. "My memories from before my ennoblement are... confused. But I remember the fear I had about men. That''s why I attacked you when I was suffering. Yet I don''t want to waste my intelligence by succumbing to that fear." Blueberry hesitated before continuing. "Above all, I don''t want to die here and become an Abomination." Priam squinted at his companion. "I''m a bear, not a fox, but I''m not stupid. False humans are dangerous, no matter what the Earl thinks. I won''t die here, a victim of the hubris of a lion who thinks himself a king." "... You''re talking about treason, Blueberry." "Don''t play that game with me, Priam. I know you a little and don''t intend to fight the Earl. Precisely, I intend to obey him. That is, to survive by accompanying you, thus avoiding the trap of false humans. It''s in your best interest because you''ll need me for the Spring." [Bullet Time]. Time slowed for Priam, and he took a second to think. If Blueberry told the Earl about his suspicions, he would try to kill Priam. Priam could flee using mist, but Sphinx had no such power. Despite her strength, she lacked the Title to augment this Tree of Merit. A second solution was to summon his spear and execute the Viscount on the spot. Priam had accumulated a super-powerful attack thanks to Sphinx. But this was his trump card for killing the Earl- or possibly Anatole, if he had a special technique to protect himself. Priam calmed down. The bear wasn''t stupid and was holding out an olive branch for him. He deactivated [Bullet Time] to avoid triggering a fifth Tribulation. He was very close to three hundred in Perception. "Why on moon would I need you?" "I know you want to use the Spring. If the Earl is occupied by the Revenants, you''ll have no trouble defeating his guards, especially with Sphinx. But the Jubokko and the Earl have some kind of pact. It''s not a very clever tree, but it won''t let you steal its Spring." "And you, as the Earl''s confidant, could allow me access, is that it?" guessed Priam. "No. The Earl is paranoid, and no one can take more than a liter in the Spring without being attacked by the Jubokko." Priam swore inwardly. He needed much more than that. Blueberry leaned toward him and whispered. "But I know how to poison the tree..." Blueberry''s words were music to Priam''s ears. He remembered the response of his doubles. Ultimately, the Poisoner may consume the Crimson Fruit. "Now you interest me, Blueberry..." The Revenants decided to take the lead. Just as the Earl''s troops seemed ready for battle, shots rang out. Snipers on the Revenants'' side had positioned themselves on the fortifications. Two hundred meters away, without wind and with skill, they began to shoot helpless animals. Of course, a dozen snipers were no threat against an army of a thousand animals. Unfortunately, the Earl''s troops were not an army. Fear of death gripped them. One animal retreated, then two, then ten, and soon the ranks were totally disorganized. The Earl realized at once that he''d never get anywhere this way. He seemed to ponder for a moment before making his decision. Straightening up, he puffed out his chest before roaring at the Revenants. The attack wasn''t aimed at him, but Priam winced in pain - and he was behind the Earl. Looking at the enemy camp, he widened his eyes. An Earl''s potential for destruction was terrifying. The roar was a sound, the propagation of a wave in a medium. The air rippled as if a wave were passing through it. Or a tsunami. The Earl must have manipulated the air with his talent, and a titanic shockwave rushed past the Revenants. At the speed of sound, the wave took less than a second to travel the two hundred meters. The attack crashed into the Revenants'' fortifications. Priam thought it was mortar rounds. The wooden and earthen walls, almost five meters high, exploded. Thanks to his Perception, Priam observed the death of the Revenants posted on the fortifications. The shockwave turned their bodies to mush. For the first time, Priam truly understood the effect of his high Constitution. He knew he would have made it out alive. Meanwhile, the bodies of the Revenants had disappeared. "Attack!" roared the Earl. With a howl, the animals charged toward the Cult army. The destruction of the fortifications had revealed the Abominations lurking behind, but the animals charged forward all the same. After all, between possible death against the Revenants and certain death against the Earl, they had made their choice. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Priam turned to Blueberry and Sphinx. "I''ll go. Blueberry stay with Sphinx." The bear nodded, and Priam walked into the mist. He reappeared fifty meters further on, hidden behind a buffalo, and began to run. Around him, thousands of animals were migrating towards the Revenant camp. Most had improved their physical attributes thanks to the System. They ran at seventy kilometers per hour or about twenty meters per second. In the rush, Priam could make out nothing but mist and dust clouds kicked up by hundreds of animals. He counted in his head. After five seconds, Priam calculated that he was less than fifty meters from the Revenants''s camp. At the same time, he began to hear the howling of the first animals stupid enough to walk into the traps. [Bullet Time], [Focus], [Moon Mist]. Priam concentrated on the surrounding mist. His [Moon Mist] skill enabled him to manipulate, sense and control mist within a radius of around fifty meters. On the Moon, the fog was ubiquitous, and Priam could use any mist that wasn''t already owned. At the far end of his sphere of perception, he sensed a few tents in the enemy camp. One of them was empty, and Priam straddled the mist. He opened his eyes to discover a tent filled with barrels. Priam''s eyes widened, and he straddled the mist again. The first tent appeared to be a trap, containing a flammable liquid that would surely devastate some of the Earl''s troops. Emerging again from the mist, Priam confirmed that he was alone before magically observing his surroundings through the mist. He was close to the center of the camp. The young Viscount frowned as he sensed some strange zones in his sphere of perception. Suddenly, he understood. There were four Barons present in the camp. Revenant Barons. Or humans... Priam breathed in for a second, realizing that he was going to kill these people. Anyone in this camp - other than in prison - was an enemy. He focused on his physical surroundings. He was in an officer''s quarter, owned by two women - given the clothes on the floor and the configuration of the tent. Looking over the small tent, Priam made a quick inventory: two beds, two desks and a bathtub. He moved closer to the tent opening, scanning the surrounding area. Priam had decided to ask some passers-by for information about Anatole. After all, he did not intend to search the whole camp or teleport directly into the central tent. He was powerful but not stupid. Priam planned to wait until Anatole was present in the command post before slaughtering its occupants and retrieving the urn of the Depths. That was his rough plan. Sensing through his mist that a Revenant was approaching, Priam stood close. The geometry of the approaching Revenant suggested a man, walking rapidly towards the central tent. Priam waited for him to reach the tent and exclaimed loudly. "Hey, you! Come here." The man stopped outside the tent, bewildered. "Me?" "Yes, you!" Priam had no idea who the man was, but walking fast and alone toward the command post could only mean one thing: the man was a messenger. After all, an officer would have been accompanied. Sensing the messenger''s indecision, Priam raised his voice. "Hurry up, I''ve got a message for the Grand Master." The messenger, unwilling to incur Anatole''s wrath, lifted the tent entrance and entered. Inside, he looked around, unaware of Priam coming up behind him. The young Viscount neutralized the messenger from behind, one hand over his mouth and his arm in a chokehold. "Don''t move, don''t shout." Instantly, the messenger decided to disobey and tried to throw his assailant to the ground to free himself. Priam didn''t move an inch. A part of his consciousness analyzed the situation before deciding that his increased Constitution must increase his density and, therefore, his mass. I''ll have to weigh myself and check my hypothesis. Sensing the futility of his efforts, the messenger then set about biting his attacker''s hand. Priam was so close to laughter that the situation seemed so far-fetched. The Revenant''s bite was almost like a caress. Priam swept up the messenger''s legs and laid him face down, accompanying his movement. His strength enabled him to continue gagging his prisoner while twisting one of his arms behind his back. Priam placed one of his knees on the Revenant''s upturned hand and pressed down. The man, his head on the ground, groaned in pain, and Priam stopped pressing. "Now that we both understand what''s going on, I''d like you to refrain from shouting. Otherwise, I''ll break your arm. Understand?" Priam waited a few moments, and the prisoner nodded painfully. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 3 CHAR + 3 "Good. What''s your name?" "Corentin, sir." Priam identified his prisoner to make sure he was telling the truth. He didn''t need to ask the question to know the Revenant''s first name, but he knew Corentin wouldn''t betray all his secrets at once. Priam planned to increase the level of importance of the questions, starting with benign ones to get Corentin used to telling the truth. Once his prisoner was used to answering, Priam could ask him about the urn and Anatole. If he''d started directly there, there was a good chance that the terror Anatole inspired in his troops would have prevented him from answering. "Okay, Corentin, can you tell me what you were going to do before I invited you to chat?" "I... I was on my way to the command tent. To say the assault had begun." Priam rolled his eyes. The roar of an average lion could be heard over three kilometers away. The Earl''s roar must have been heard almost thirty kilometers away. If that wasn''t enough, Priam could hear the battle raging from here. "I think they already know." "I share your opinion, sir..." Sir. Priam winced as he sensed the Revenant''s fear. Yet, if this torture session didn''t inspire him, it was necessary. "Now Corentin, can you tell me why the System resurrected you?" Priam felt Corentin''s body stiffen before collapsing. The messenger had mentally surrendered. He suspected that if Priam knew this, then he knew everything. "I died following a car accident. A driver cut me off and hit my car. At the hospital, they did everything they could, but I''d lost too much blood..." The man paused, and Priam let him recall his memories. "Afterwards, I had a dream. A being offered to resurrect me. In exchange, I would no longer be a human but could become one again by accomplishing feats. I accepted." "A being?" "We, I mean, the Revenants, all saw the same thing. We assume it''s one of the System''s moderators." Interesting... "Didn''t the System warn you that you''d be the enemy of humanity, Corentin?" asked Priam. "... Yes." "Please don''t try to lie to me by omission. I''m sorry you died and I understand why you accepted the System''s proposal. But you knew that you would become the enemy of humanity. You knew that your actions would cause millions of humans to suffer. You made a mistake, Corentin, and mistakes are like taxes. In the end, we pay them." The Revenant trembled, and Priam realized he was crying. "I... I''m going to die, aren''t I?" Priam remained silent for a few moments. "Yes. If I let you go, the System will force you to betray humanity or kill you. I don''t make the rules and am too weak to change them. I''ll destroy the Revenants, Corentin, and you''ll die. But first, you can redeem yourself." Some time ago, Priam felt that it wasn''t up to him to decide the fate of the Revenants, that these decisions chained him. That''s why he had let Anne go. Since then, he had given it some thought. His first conclusion was simple: freedom was about making choices. He had chosen to kill the Revenants. "... I''ll answer your questions." "Good. How does Anatole intend to go about killing the Earl?" "He wants to force his Tribulation." Priam flinched and looked around in panic. If Anatole had this power, he was also in grave danger. Detecting no trap, he redirected his attention to Corentin. "How?" He forced himself to speak in a calm voice. "I don''t know. Only the Generals, the Champion, the Manipulator and the Grea¡­ Anatole, know. I think the two guests know something too." One of these words aroused Priam''s suspicions. "The Manipulator?" "Anne the Manipulator. She''s in charge of brainwashing some of our members. The plan revolves around her. With Mathis'' death, she''ll certainly soon be named General." Priam''s lips stretched into a cruel smile. He''d found Anne again. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 Agility 161 Vitality 284 Perception 296 MENTAL: Vivacity 175 Dexterity 192 Memory 50 Willpower 274 Charisma 150 (+4) META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1076 (+2) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 42 min 25s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 11 hours 2 minutes 19 seconds. Chapter 66: Pride comes before a Fall "Where is she?" asked Priam. "I don''t know. Anatole, Anne and two Generals have been missing for several hours." "Gone to set their trap, right?" "That''s what we think. The last order I got from the two present Generals was to tell the snipers to force an attack." Priam watched his prisoner for a moment. He seemed to have made peace with his death, and was beginning to give him information on his own. Priam stood up slightly to allow Corentin to breathe. "You''re with me now. If you do anything, I''ll kill you straight away. Between now and the end of this battle, you''re going to help me destroy the Revenants. Okay?" "Okay," replied the messenger in a clear voice. Either he''s a good actor, or he''s out for revenge and redemption. "Swear on your Potential that you will follow my orders to the letter and do your best to destroy the Revenants." Corentin swore, and Priam relaxed slightly as he felt the Concepts'' magic. He stood up and held out his hand. Corentin took it, and Priam helped him to his feet. "Good. Any idea where Anatole is?" "No. There are underground passages beneath the camp. Some Abominations have been specially created to dig the ground, but the entrances are hidden. Even though we''re linked by a common cause and a desire to live, information is pretty partitioned. In case one of us decides to betray the cause, I suppose," Corentin sneered. Priam looked at him for a moment. The man in front of him was going to die, and he knew it. Yet he smiled. The pressure of death and the horrors he endured had made him unstable... "Any idea how to find these underground passages?" Priam had no desire to prevent Anatole from provoking the Earl''s Tribulation, but he didn''t want Anatole or Anne to run away afterward. After all, it was unlikely that Revenant officers would stay close to an Earl''s Tribulation. The collateral damage promised to be titanic. Corentin thought for a second before answering. "There may be a way. There are two guest officers representing factions allied with ours. They''ve invested a lot of resources, weapons, and cores in this conflict. I suppose if they asked to see Anatole, the Generals would lead them..." Priam took only a moment to think. With every passing second, he risked being caught in the same trap as the Earl. I need information about their trap. "Right. You''re going to tell them that a Viscount is coming their way, so they need to evacuate. Then you leave and let them panic. They''ll go straight to the Generals and ask them for a way out. Normally, one of them will warn Anatole, or he''ll lead them to him. I''ll just have to follow them." Priam noticed Corentin''s grimace. "Is there a problem?" "Why not do as you did with me? Threaten to kill them and tell them to ask the Generals to take them to see Anatole?" "Because they come from a real faction," Priam explained. "The difference between them and you is that aliens who have been enslaving people for thousands of years don''t want their recruits to betray them. They''ve undoubtedly signed a contract, taken an oath, or are hypnotized not to betray their faction. Even if they wanted to, they couldn''t help me." Corentin nodded. "These factions are deceitful." The System made you promise to kill your fellow man Corentin. It''s this world that''s deceitful... "No time to lose. I''m watching you." Silvio Bianchi was biting his nails in his tent as he heard the howling in the distance. These were not the howls of men, but of animals. Thousands of animals were howling to their deaths as they fought the chimera of the Revenants. He''d seen the monsters those madmen had created. Those Abominations. The name suited them, and you''d have to be stupid to go near them. Anatole was insane, and Silvio wanted nothing to do with that kind of man. Unfortunately, his boss didn''t think so. He''d gambled that the Lame di Randuo could take advantage of a schism in humanity created by the Revenants. So Silvio had loaned them dozens of Baron cores, as well as a rare treasure. A Spiritual Sapphire. Silvio had been sent here to check that the Revenants were making good use of the Sapphire. "Someone''s coming," said Gloria. Silvio looked up for a second at the woman sharing his tent. He wasn''t too fond of his temporary roommate. She was gorgeous but had firmly refused his advances. Silvio was honest enough to admit that this had hurt his pride. The tent flaps opened, and a messenger entered. "Sir, Madam, I''ve come to warn you that the Abominations are overwhelmed. A Viscount has passed their surveillance and is heading this way. You should take cover," said the messenger before leaving the tent in a hurry. "What? Wait!" Silvio leaped to his feet. He rushed to the tent entrance to look out, but the messenger had disappeared. "He''s fucking with us!" he exclaimed. "No... The mist doesn''t respond anymore," Gloria murmured. Silvio turned to his pale comrade. Gloria was a Baroness and controlled part of the Moon''s ubiquitous mist. If her power was ineffective... "Shit. We gotta go." "Where?! There are thousands of animals surrounding the camp," Gloria replied, her face contorted with fear. How could she have killed a Baron? "Calm down. Anatole and his henchmen are preparing a trap thanks to the Sapphire. I have a method of spotting it in case of theft, and it''s currently underground. Anatole is crazy, but he values his life. If we can get to him, we''ll be safe." Gloria nodded weakly and moved closer to Silvio. He smiled, sensing the Baroness''s fear. If she sees me as a savior, maybe... "Let''s go," he said, opening the tent aperture and beckoning Gloria through. Maybe the whole thing wasn''t so bad after all... Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 21 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Priam sighed at his failure. He had tried to listen in on the conversation between the two guests by translating the disturbances running through his mist. When he spoke, the man''s voice was deeper than the woman''s, translating into a different frequency. Priam was able to tell who was speaking by observing the mist vibrations. Unfortunately, even with a brief connection to his Potential, he hadn''t been able to translate the disturbance in his mist - the sound - into information. It would have been useful for eavesdropping on conversations. I''ll have to create a technique for that... Fortunately, his main plan was working. Priam was currently following the movements of the two outside officers as they made their way to the command post. Once inside, Priam forced himself to meditate. If they could get through the underground, so much the better. If not, Priam would attack head-on. While the guests were demanding to be taken to Anatole, Priam spotted Corentin. The young man had picked up several grenades and was approaching one of the Abominations guarding the camp. Moments later, the young Viscount closed his eyes and felt a sudden emptiness in his mist. One of the Revenants was dead. Corentin had accepted the System''s offer without imagining the consequences. Today, he had found the courage to refuse to sink any further into horror. Two minutes later, the two officers emerged from the tent, accompanied by another woman. Priam concentrated as he watched them head for a makeshift hangar. They went inside, and Priam''s consciousness followed. Suddenly, some of the mist in the hangar began to penetrate the floor. They''ve opened a hatch! Priam waited a moment for the hatch to close, then straddled the mist, appearing outside the hangar. He opened the door and came face to face with two soldiers. "What..." Without giving them time to say a word, Priam''s spear quickly found their brains. Priam picked up the corpses and entered the almost empty hangar. He noticed a large trapdoor on the floor and a few tarpaulins to cover it. He camouflaged the bodies with the tarps and opened the heavy trapdoor. A black well appeared, along with a rope ladder. Priam jumped. His Perception quickly became accustomed to the darkness, and Priam slowed his fall a dozen meters by activating [Kinetic Control]. The skill made him wince. He''d built up an incredible energy charge while training with Sphinx, and together, they''d discovered a limit to how much energy he could absorb. Priam wasn''t sure how much power he had at his disposal, but he knew this ultimate attack would be cataclysmic. For the opponent, and for my meridians... Looking around, Priam found only a dark, horizontal tunnel, about three meters in diameter. A glimmer of light shone in the distance, and Priam cautiously moved forward. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The open trapdoor at the entrance to the tunnel provided little light. Fifty meters in, his perception was no longer strong enough to pierce the darkness. Priam had no torch, and the only light-generating objects he carried were grenades. With his Constitution, he wasn''t risking much by throwing them away, but this kind of explosive wasn''t known for being silent. Am I really thinking of using fragmentation grenades to produce light? The apocalypse changes a man... Priam stopped walking. Far ahead, the torchlight began to fade. The tunnel must have turned. What made Priam hesitate was Anatole''s madness and the slowness of the trio ahead of him. The two officers and General Revenant certainly had exceptional physical attributes. One of them was even a Baroness. Yet they hadn''t run. Priam feared the tunnel might be booby-trapped. Sighing, Priam decided to drown the tunnel in mist. He could have used his kinetic charges to levitate to the end of the tunnel. The problem was that this kind of clever new use risked increasing the level of [Kinetic Control]. This increase would be accompanied by four points of Meta Focus, propelling Priam to one hundred and two points in this attribute. It would be his twelfth attribute above one hundred and would trigger a fifth Tribulation. Damn. I really need to start my Tribulations soon! Closing his eyes, he directed his consciousness eighty meters ahead and straddled the mist. He appeared eighty meters further on, floating in the air. Quickly, he straddled the fog again and found himself just beyond the bend, at the entrance to a large natural cavern. In front of him, a dozen Abominations were busy watching a trio pass between them. Without missing a beat, Priam looked up and spotted a large stalactite. He teleported to it and clung on, wrapping himself in mist. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 15 AGI +1 Priam observed the cavern. It must have existed before the Revenants'' arrival and was certainly why Anatole had chosen to set up camp here. In the center of the cavern was a small pond. Observing it, Priam felt [Mirror of the Soul] react. A fragment of Concept had been scattered there. From the tremor of his Talent, the fragment was pure. Very pure. The Moon must be teeming with these kinds of treasure-filled caverns, and Priam thought back to his questions, the rewards of his Achievements. Perhaps he could pick up a grid map and ask where the best place to get treasure would be. Later... Knee-high in the water, a man and a woman watched a precious stone - a sapphire? - levitating a meter above the water. Priam instantly recognized the woman as Anne. The man''s back was to the water, but Priam felt his stomach knot. He was pretty sure it was Anatole. Priam''s fingers were itching. It would only take him a second to pick up his spear and pierce the man responsible for all this butchery. Priam stood still and watched as the trio he''d been following stopped at the bank. Two other Revenants were already there, observing the pond. "Your Abominations are getting swamped," said the man in a thick Italian accent. "It doesn''t matter," replied Anatole. "Your men up there are dying too." "It. Doesn¡¯t. Matter." The Revenant''s icy tone sent shivers down Priam''s spine. The Master of the Cult turned, and Priam gazed into his face for the first time. The man was handsome, tall and of multiple origins. His clothes were plain enough, and Priam understood that the Grand Master of the Revenants attached no importance to his cult or his men. He sought absolute power and knew that the fear or admiration of his fellow men were merely tools. In fact, his eyes seemed pensive; Anatole wasn''t focussed on his interlocutor. But what stood out for Priam was his aura. He exuded a terrifying sense of corruption. The Depths... Priam squinted at the urn in his right hand. The object looked harmless, but Priam held his breath as he looked at it. It was not an object a man should possess. Anatole turned to the new arrivals. "The ritual is about to begin. The Earl will unleash his Tribulation, and then I will attack him. Our pact obliges me to advise you to leave," says Anatole, pointing to another tunnel. "And the sapphire?" asks the Italian. Anatole shrugged. "The ritual will allow me to manipulate the Earl for a while. One or two seconds, in my opinion. All the components of the ritual will certainly be consumed. If there''s anything left of the sapphire or this puddle at the end, feel free to help yourself. Now be quiet." Anatole turned and snapped his fingers. Anne placed her hands on the sapphire and began to chant. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 16 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 12 AGI +1 Priam began to think furiously. By manipulating the Earl, Anatole intended to accept the Tribulation in advance. Anne knew how to control minds and had already used her gift against Priam. But against an Earl, that wouldn''t be enough. That was why Anatole had allied himself with the Italian¡¯s faction. He needed the sapphire - and the Concepts-infused pond - to increase the power of his ritual. But even so, Priam couldn''t imagine the lion bowing easily... Priam began to wait. A question was burning his lips. How did Anatole intend to finish off the Earl alone? Anatole quickly forgot about the two idiots behind him and faced Anne. Or at least the thing that used to be Anne. The manipulator had quickly realized that the ritual would destroy her consciousness. After all, even depleting part of the Concept fragment from the pond and using the full power of the Spiritual Sapphire might not be enough to overcome the Earl''s will. Fortunately, the Urn had the answer to his problem. By sacrificing Abominations, he could use some of their spiritual energy to strengthen the ritual. After all, the Depths were naturally adept at manipulating spirits. Anne had no desire to be in contact with the Depths, which Anatole could understand perfectly well. Yet he had left her no choice. The Revenant now chanting was but an empty shell, a shadow of the manipulator she had once been. Anatole focused on the ritual. Anne''s skill, boosted by the ritual and her Potential, created a sublime rune at the heart of the sapphire. Anatole delicately placed a Kanaz''h pearl on the sapphire, which melted into the gem to fortify it. The rune''s construction approached its climax as Anne''s Potential drained away. Anatole closed his eyes and took over. [Deep Connection]. With one hand on the Urn and the other on the sapphire, he connected with his Abominations and used their deformed minds as spiritual armor. The next instant, he opened his eyes, seeing through one of his creations. The Viscount-rank chimera was currently on the battlefield, devouring its enemies while confronting a colossal rhinoceros. Anatole looked away from the charging rhinoceros and up at the Earl. He stood regally at the center of the fray. No trace of blood marred his coat, and an invisible tornado swirled around him. This automatic defense was enough to cut through any approaching Baron-ranked Abominations. Behind him, Anatole could feel his human troops fleeing. The battle had only been going on for a few minutes, but it would take a dozen Revenants to defeat a single wild animal. Without the Abominations to slow their charge, the camp would already have been reduced to rubble. The Viscount Abomination was brutally thrown to the ground by the rhinoceros'' charge, and Anatole lost contact. The Viscount''s horn must have penetrated the Abomination''s protective cage. Cursing, he connected with a second Abomination and quickly stood back. He turned his gaze back to the Earl and manipulated his aether to link with the Earl''s mind. A Domain stopped his aether, and the lion came to a halt. Anatole concentrated on his urn and sacrificed a dozen Abominations to create a surge of aether. For an instant, the Domain folded, and Anatole sensed the Earl''s spirit. [Deep Connection]. Anatole connected the Earl to the Spiritual Sapphire and gave the order to Anne. The rune glowed, and the ritual was activated. The battle was a butchery. A hundred animals had died in the early stages, falling into the Revenants'' booby-trapped trenches, which had annoyed the Earl. These were stupid losses that could have been avoided. If he hadn''t been present and the Revenants had had more time to dig out defenses, the battle''s outcome might have been different. But there he was. An island of calm amidst the storm, the Earl advanced slowly, pushing back the enemy lines. A few Abominations had tried to stop him but to no avail. His tornado had also repelled several explosives, but nothing dangerous. He almost wanted to yawn. Of course, he wouldn''t do that in front of his subjects - or he would cover the movement by miming a roar. Perhaps he''d reacted too quickly? The little man had frightened him by mentioning the Spring, but the Earl saw nothing dangerous here. Suddenly, his Domain tipped him off. An enemy? As the Earl tried to locate the intruder, a wave of intense pollution appeared before him. His Domain bent, and he felt a spirit connect with his own. Mentally roaring, he used his Domain to crush the consciousness of the insect that dared to defile his sacred spirit. The insect faded, but another took its place. Then another. Suddenly, the lion felt himself being watched. A hundred deformed consciousnesses stared back at him. What the...? One of these consciousnesses shone brightly, attracting his attention. The lion detected that it was underground and attacked. A meter of rock, dust and earth flew with each stroke of his paws. A second later, he had already dug a five-meter hole. At that moment, the consciousnesses disappeared as if blown by the wind. All that remained of them were auras, which merged into an arrow that flew toward him. Passing through his domain and up through the link between them, the arrow struck his mind. The Earl froze, his consciousness paralyzed. A foreign spirit took over his body and consciousness. The proud lion trembled with anger and drove the intruder away. But it was too late. Tribulation summoned. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 148 Constitution 258 Agility 164 (+3) Vitality 284 Perception 297 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 176 (+1) Dexterity 193 (+1) Memory 50 Willpower 274 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1081 (+5) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 27 min 14s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 10 hours 47 minutes 8 seconds. Chapter 67: The Disgrace of an Earl The horizon brightened, bathed in light as millions of wisps appeared. Appearing from nowhere, they fell like flaming snow. Despite the unique spectacle, the phenomenon stirred a terrible feeling in the hearts of the spectators. Recognizing the divine origin of the manifestation, the battle came to a halt. The two armies had moved apart, as if a truce had been called. Each combatant looked up in solemn silence, disturbed only by a few gusts of wind enveloping the Earl. Without them, one could have heard the short breaths of the tired animals, and noticed the disturbing mutism of the Abominations. Sphinx watched the scene from a hillside a few hundred meters from the violent theater. With uncertain eyes, she watched the countless wisps descend. Their bluish light reflected off every shiny surface, and Sphinx''s mane seized the opportunity to shimmer. The picture was superb. Yet, despite the beauty of the landscape, Sphinx felt nothing but primal fear. Her instinct told her to leave, to get away from those tiny, trembling lights. They looked so frail but promised great disaster. Like a snowflake, the first wisp landed near the Earl. It touched the ground and dispersed noiselessly. A second flickering flame struck one of the Earl''s Barons - a monkey whom Sphinx found unpolished. The Baron was paralyzed for a moment before blossoming like a fiery rose. Sphinx''s eyes widened. One second, the monkey was a living Baron. A second later, his body was fuel for an infernal pyre. The flame rose to a height of five meters, and the panicked animals scurried away. A large, empty circle formed around the immolated monkey, growing larger as his cries grew weaker. Sphinx instinctively stepped back, looking up at the sky. Millions of wisps were falling over a vast area, centered around the Earl. At her level, the wisps were scattered enough to be easily avoidable. As Sphinx pondered whether to leave - should she wait for Priam? - the surrounding aether began to move. Sphinx focused on the origin of the event: the Earl. Proudly erect, the lion blew, and a gigantic air mass appeared. The aerial wave was colossal, more than capable of uprooting hundreds of trees. Half the sky seemed to move, taking countless wisps with it. It pushed hundreds of thousands of deadly flakes toward the Revenants'' camp. Within moments, the air tsunami crashed into and destroyed the enemy camp. A second later, thousands of men, women and dozens of Abominations were transformed into flying torches. The fire was so powerful that Sphinx had to momentarily close her eyes. She was glad she wasn''t currently the Earl''s enemy. If he could manipulate such horrors... Looking at the furnace, Sphinx began sweating while feeling the heat from several hundred meters away. Sphinx turned her attention back to the Earl, who was breathing heavily. The battle was won. Yet the Earl''s aura was weak... Sphinx squinted for a second before recoiling in horror. The burning monkey was rising. Nothing remained of it but a glowing skeleton sheltering a devouring flame. The former Baron hurled itself at the Earl in frightening silence. With a kick, the lion swept aside his undead adversary. Or was it an elemental? The monkey took off, crushing several animals in its path, which then burst into flames. A second later, it was back on its feet. Sphinx squinted as she saw the skeleton moving toward the Earl again. A Baron should have been reduced to ashes by the power of the blow. [Identification - Rare] [Simiiformes - Semi Elemental - Tribulation touched] - A former Baron corrupted by a Tribulation. The sacrifice of its life, Potential, and body allows him to temporarily increase its power. Affected by the Curse of St. Helens, it will transmit this plague to any living being too weak to resist. Transmission threshold: VIT+CONST < 400. Resistances and Afflictions can modify this threshold. St. Helens only has eyes for the Earl. The monkey lunged at the lion again; this time, its former master landed a devastating blow with his paw. If the first attack had been a reflex, the Earl was now determined to crush his opponent. Literally. The monkey was pressed to the ground, and Sphinx heard its bones being crushed. When the lion lifted his paw and blew on it, all that remained was black dust. Sphinx''s attention turned away from the Earl. In the background, the Revenants'' camp was swarming. Or rather, a horde of flaming skeletons and Abominations were heading for the Earl. Sphinx swallowed hard. Either the wisps could curse beings more potent than the ape, or the Abominations were weak against the Tribulation. Either way, thousands of semi-elementals were advancing. Worse still, some Abominations were merging, creating gigantic monsters of flame. Sphinx shivered. Watching the infernal legion gave her a feeling of dread. There was something deeply disturbing about a corpse walking in silence. The animals were as shocked as she was, and none spoke. There was a deathly silence floating on the deforested plain. The Earl roared, waking up the spectators, and sent wind blades toward the horde. The Earl''s majestical silhouette was emerging against the burning horizon. He roared again. "My loyal subjects, we must fight! Let me be your guardian, your protector. Stay away from these creatures. Stone them, and together we''ll win!" As if hypnotized, the animals howled and began to help their master. Boulders, tree trunks, even corpses, the Earl''s subjects, from the simple animal to the mighty Viscount, threw everything they could at the corrupted multitude. The situation quickly improved, reinforcing the animals'' conviction. Between the wind blades and the dozens of projectiles crashing into the lines of Revenants, the elementals were gradually pushed back. A human, even one burning up his potential, could do nothing against a tree trunk hurled by a giant moose. Despite this, Sphinx knew that the hardest part was yet to come. The infernal Abominations continued to merge... On the front line, the tired Earl was doing a titanic job. Every corrupted being was destroyed as they approached his army. The few Abominations that had not merged, Barons or Viscounts, were swept away, powerless in the face of the lion''s monstrous strength. "We must flee." Sphinx turned to Blueberry. "What? But we''re winning!" Sphinx exclaimed. Blueberry shook his head. "Right now, ¡®we¡¯ means me, you and Priam. Moreover, look carefully. Every two or three seconds, a wisp sets an animal ablaze. In a few dozen minutes, there won''t be anyone left," said Blueberry, pointing to the sky. Sphinx turned back to the battlefield and watched intently. Suddenly, she saw a flame. Then two. Regularly, animals spontaneously burst into flames. Their neighbors would quickly stone them before resuming the fight, not caring about what happened. Looking up, Sphinx turned pale. The firmament was full of wisps. Many had been spent converting the Revenants'' army, but three-quarters were still quietly falling. It was hopeless. "The Earl used one of his skills to manipulate his troops. They no longer feel fear," explained the bear. "... Why?" "I don''t know, but he''s planning to sacrifice our army. His army. I guess it has to do with his Tribulation." Sphinx growled and instinctively created a mental bridge to the Earl. For some unknown reason, she didn''t meet his Domain and activated the communication by touching the lion''s mind. "Earl, order the retreat. Your subjects are dying because of the wisps." After a second of silence, an answer came. "I know... Of course, I know, but I have no choice. I used a quarter of my aether reserves blowing those wisps at the enemy camp. These flames turn aether into heat. Because of this, my Domain can no longer absorb ambient aether. Every attack I use weakens me and draws on my reserves." "Then run. The wisps will follow you." "You think it''s so simple? Look at the floor." Sphinx focused her aethereal vision on the ground before widening her eyes in amazement. An immense rune, several hundred meters in diameter, had formed underground. Based on a concept close to fire, the rune''s meaning was esoteric for Sphinx. But she knew a cataclysm when she saw one. From time to time, the rune gained in intensity. It was slight but visible. "Every wisp that touches the ground strengthens this rune. By allowing my subjects and enemies to be transformed, I reduce its ultimate power." The Earl said as he crushed an Abomination of Viscount rank. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "The Concepts are omniscient and confront me with my fears. They¡¯re giving me a choice. To be a martyr King, able to protect my people by placing myself as a shield between them and this divine fire. Or survive, sacrificing enemies and allies alike. Sole survivor, reigning over ashes..." The lion paused, and Sphinx saw his head droop slightly. "I guess I''m afraid of death..." Sphinx roared in anger. "I thought you were a real Noble. That you wanted to become a King. It''s the only thing I liked about you. Coward." The lion didn''t answer, and his Domain cut the mental bridge. Sphinx wanted to rip his throat out. Blueberry drew her attention with a growl. "It''s dangerous, and we have other things to do. It''s time to leave. We must stick to the plan," he urged her. Sphinx hesitated for a second before turning to the Earl''s army. She had one last thing to do. [Karmic Link], [Communion]. "Proud beasts, you have survived the arrival of the Concepts. Your intelligence sharpens with each passing day, and your strength increases. Today dumb animals, who can say what you will be tomorrow? But no one will know if you die." Sphinx''s skills forced the Earl''s army to listen. No matter how intelligent they were, every beast present understood the intention behind her words. Sphinx felt the animals'' attention weigh on her shoulders. "Your Earl knows this, but he feels your sacrifice is necessary for his survival. He''s not fighting for you, he''s fighting for himself. These flakes of death fall only around him. Flee, and you will be spared!" Sphinx raised her head and turned around. She felt she had done her duty as a superior race. The Earl''s geas was now null and void. Those who remained would do so of their own free will. The last thing she heard was the Earl''s defiant roar. The Abominations had finished merging and intended to punish the one who had accepted his Tribulation. Priam felt the descent of the Tribulation as Goosebumps appeared on his forearms. He took a breath to calm himself. [Focus]. He''d waited long enough, and Anatole had played his part. It was time for the Revenants to withdraw. Feet first. Priam picked up his spear and threw it. [Spear Throw], [Kinetic Control]. His new skill enabled Priam to make a fluid movement adapted to his weapon. After all, a spear wasn''t thrown like a stone. His skill was now specialized, and Priam felt his muscles tense up elastically and optimally. Boosted by a slight dose of kinetic energy, the weapon went off like a bullet. Priam winced as he heard the supersonic boom and wasted no time observing his attack''s consequences. He had to make the most of his surprise effect. Priam dropped from his stalactite and fell into the void. In the air, he grabbed three grenades from his belt and threw them at the Revenant Generals. To eliminate as many people as possible, Priam would have had to reverse his actions, but he wanted to be sure of interviewing a survivor. No sooner had he touched the ground than Priam rushed towards the nearest Abomination. Of the ten Abominations, nine were Barons and only one was a Viscount. Reaching the chimera, Priam was surprised to find that the Abomination was motionless. Perhaps Anatole''s death had deactivated them? Teleporting his spear back into his hand, Priam attacked the Abomination without missing a beat. Each one was different, and their protective cage was not in the same place. Their thick bodies prevented Priam from detecting the cages with [Aether Perception]. Despite this, Priam struck, his instincts guiding his arm. [Strike], [Kinetic Control]. Lvl Up: [Strike] lvl 20 STR +1 [Strike] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Great Strike - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Heavy Strike - Rare] - Your strikes are capable of destroying Tier 1 materials. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Spear Strike - Rare] - You have exclusively struck with your spear. You specialize and learn more about your weapon. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 15 His spear penetrated the Abomination''s flesh and muscles, barely slowing before destroying the cage protecting its cores. Like a disjointed puppet, the chimera crashed to the ground. Priam quickly validated his notification before continuing his work. You have selected the skill [Spear Strike - Rare]. POT -15 [Spear Strike - Rare] - You specialize in striking. Leaving behind other weapons and projectiles, you become more familiar with your Bound Weapon. Together, you can make your enemies tremble. Your bound spear becomes even more familiar. You feel your link growing stronger. An evolution is in sight. STR +2 DEXT +1 Speeding towards another Abomination, Priam saw it begin to turn. Too slow, it didn''t have time to finish its move before Priam came to hand-to-hand combat. He attacked and, once again, his spear found the small bony cage within the huge mass of flesh. Priam frowned. It wasn''t luck. Something was whispering in his ear and guiding his hand. Rushing towards the nearest monster, Priam felt a mental alarm go off. He stopped for only a moment before deciding to straddle the mist. Retreating, he reappeared high up, perched on a stalactite. A moment later, the Abomination exploded. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 2 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Priam understood as he read his notification. His new fighting instinct did have a source. Without it, he would have been seriously injured, as the pollution of the Depths was no small matter to solve. Further down, his grenades finally exploded, and the System informed Priam. First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Updated. Revenant General - Talia the reaper is dead. Keep up the good work! Priam closed the notification and directed his gaze toward the person who had blown up the Abomination. Anatole had not moved and was looking in Priam''s direction. An annoyed expression was painted on his face, but there were no scratches on him. "Well, what have we here?" Priam didn''t reply. He had little to say to this madman and preferred to analyze the situation. How did he block my attack? "Um, you''re not very talkative, are you? That''s fine with me; less bullshit to talk about. I''ll get right to it then. Get the hell out of here. If you refuse, I''ll order Viracocha''s Revenants to massacre the whole dome." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 152 (+4) Constitution 258 Agility 164 Vitality 284 Perception 299 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 196 (+3) Memory 50 Willpower 274 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1071 (-10) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 26 min 46s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 10 hours 46 minutes 40 seconds. Chapter 68: Body Jacking Priam''s blood boiled at Anatole''s words. The knuckles of his hands turned white and he had to hold back with all his might to avoid directly smiting the evil man facing him. [Focus]. [Focus]. [Focus]. Despite using his skill, Priam''s thoughts remained disturbed. His anger prevented [Focus] from truly calming his thoughts. Realizing his anger would not be easily quelled, he embraced it and redirected it. Anatole had to die. His threats were futile, and by doing nothing, his web would eventually suffocate all humanity. The Revenants would convert more and more humans, and a schism would be created. Priam knew that Anatole was far more dangerous as Master of the Revenants than as creator of the Abominations. The Viscount could destroy a thousand Abominations a day, but he couldn''t stop Anatole''s propaganda from manipulating weak minds. For many humans, resurrecting a loved one was a possibility too sweet to ignore. Anatole had to be killed while there was still time. Priam intended to do it with his own hands, so his rage would be calmed by his revenge. If he was going to be angry, it might as well be in the service of his violence. This thought calmed Priam and allowed him to reactivate [Focus]. Slowly, his seething ire turned into a cold, dark river. You have gained the skill: [Emotional discipline - Rare]. [Emotional discipline] - The human being, a creature with an organic brain, is a species that feels seven emotions - joy, surprise, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, and contempt. It is not the case for all species, and this emotional capacity is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Some of your mental attributes - Vivacity, Willpower, Memory and Charisma - are affected by and affect your emotions. You discipline yourself to regulate your emotions. You begin to impose your Will on them. Note: Tier Evolutions are a way of removing these emotions. WILL +3 Priam blew out his breath and loosened his grip on his spear. "I suppose Anne told you about me, right? It''s true, I let her get away when I should have killed her. But this world punishes us quickly for our mistakes. I''m different now, unfortunately for you," said Priam, raising his spear. "I don''t negotiate with bastards." When Priam threw his spear, he paid close attention to the result. Anatole had blocked his first attack, and he wanted to know if it was a fluke. The weapon disappeared from his hand, shot into the air, and hit Anatole about a tenth of a second later. The Urn of the Depths glowed, and some translucent shield materialized, blocking his attack. "It''s useless. The Urn protects its wearer passively, and no Tier 0 attack can escape it," announced Anatole, an almost bored expression on his face. "Too bad for the people of Viracocha, but my word is absolute." The Grand Master of the Revenants pulled a metal sphere from his clothes and brought it to his mouth. "Gather the civilians in the cathedral square. Start with Priam''s father." Priam gritted his teeth in rage. Is my father in danger? Answer: Papous is doing really well and will soon find you. Priam sighed with relief before feeling his anger rise again. He''d just wasted a question for nothing. Anatole had mentioned his father and seemed to be looking for him. He''d threatened him directly to throw him off balance. You''ll pay for that, you little fucker! The Viscount teleported his weapon into his hand and attacked again. Whether an artifact was powerful enough to stop all Tier 0 attacks seemed impossible to him. The System had never suggested that Tier 0 had a limit. His conversation with Mercury had proved that the System controlled user performance through Tribulations. But at no point did an evolution to Tier 1 seem imposed. If that were the case, some monsters must have spent thousands of years in Tier 0. Their power would undoubtedly be greater than a Tier 2 or 3. How could an artifact found by a mere human resist that? Priam was more than skeptical about Anatole''s statement. "If I were to believe an opponent I''m fighting against, I''d really be an idiot," he spat as he attacked. His spear smashed against Anatole''s shield, and Priam recalled it. He returned to his firing position. Throw, observe the shield invoked by the urn, recall his weapon, and throw again. The cycle only took a second, and Priam had already attacked the master of the Cult a dozen times. He could have executed a more powerful attack by expending his kinetic energy, but a level up in [Kinetic Control] would trigger a new Tribulation. He was at almost 100 in META (Focus), and already had eleven attributes above this threshold. "It''s useless. You''re wasting your time and mine," said Anatole. "I doubt it, or you wouldn''t just be a Baron. If my attacks really had no effect, you''d have defeated a Viscount by now," Priam remarked. Anatole closed his eyes, and the Abominations collectively turned their attention to Priam. One of them screamed and leaped towards Priam. The chimera must have weighed several tons, but it managed to jump more than ten meters into the air. Seeing the monster approach, Priam leaned on his stalactite and pushed himself back. The chimera struck the ceiling with full force, sending tremors through the cavern. Priam landed in a roll in the middle of the Abominations on a rocky floor. He drew back his spear to defend himself. With surprise, he noticed that no attack was raining down on him. In fact, not a single Abomination was moving. Using [Aether Perception], Priam saw that they were all linked. One of the links also connected them to Anatole. The man stared at him, his hand on the sapphire. Shit. An aether arrow appeared and struck Priam instantly. The world disappeared, a black veil covered Priam''s eyes, and he lost control of his body. The Viscount panicked momentarily before sensing a presence trying to invade him. [Brainless] allowed his mind to possess his entire body. Now, another consciousness was trying to manipulate his body. Fortunately, Priam''s Tree of Merit allowed him to resist. [Brainless] - Tier 1: Your mind is bound to your body. Any external manipulation on your mind must first pass the protection of your physical envelope. Thanks to this, the hostile spirit struggled to take control of Priam''s body. Rather than being manipulated, Priam stood his ground, and his powerful body helped him. The Viscount activated his Potential and concentrated on his defense. First, he tried to use Micro. Unfortunately, his Heart Supremacy was not developed enough to repel the invader. Right now, Micro only gave him information about his body, and the attack was mental. Priam hesitated to activate [Bullet Time] to gain time but changed his mind. It was too dangerous when a single level-up would trigger a fifth Tribulation. Priam then focused on formidable willpower and let his instincts guide him. He had accumulated more titles and more power than any other human. He would defeat Anatole. Lvl Up [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 3 WILL +3 His rage and Will found an outlet when the skill was raised to a higher level. Priam gloated, pouring his Potential into the resistance. At last, he had the beginnings of a solution and hoped it would be enough. Priam felt defiled and violated as he waited for his natural resistance, racial talent, Titles and Potential to fight the enemy. He tried to focus on his resistance, hoping to boost it with his Will. He was unsuccessful. Lvl Up [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 4 Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. WILL +3 There was something profoundly terrible about leaving one''s body to fend for itself, watching a war in which one could not take part. Is this really the case?" the Phoenix''s voice echoed in his head. Activating [Mirror of the Soul], Priam rushed into his mental space. His reflection stared back at him, chained as usual. But a new chain was visible. Huge but frail. Black but insubstantial. It connected his reflection to the sky. Looking up, Priam saw a purple swirl, reminiscent of the Depths. Surely a tunnel connecting the chain to Anatole. Without missing a beat, he physically tried to free his reflection. His hands passed through the intangible chain. "What can I do..." He then recalled his training with the Phoenix. Priam summoned his spear and prepared his attack. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] was a prelude to Mastery, another Heart Supremacy. The skill aimed to pierce all defenses with a highly penetrating attack. The skill drew heavily on the user''s aether reserves, weaving a weft along the shaft and ending in a knot at the tip. The weft stabilized the knot, allowing maximum aether to accumulate, without destroying the weapon. The tip of the spear could then annihilate all defenses. Priam concentrated and drew on his reserves. He had already spent more than half his aether on teleportation. Nevertheless, he persisted. His aether pool must have been close to his mental space, for the aether only crossed one huge meridian, burning it in the process. Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 5 WILL +3 The hoplite spear began to glow. The weave on its shaft was reminiscent of a Phoenix tail. Priam smiled as he watched the aether bring the skill to life. Only one question remained. Should he attack the chain or the tunnel? In one fluid motion, Priam attacked the tunnel. Like an extension of his arm, his spear flared up in a flash of fire before reappearing before the tunnel. Priam was not a defender, he was an attacker. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 2 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 2 DEXT +3 The spear struck the whirlpool and disappeared inside. An instant later, the tunnel exploded, and Anatole''s presence vanished. Priam opened his eyes and swerved to the right, dodging a collapsing Abomination. Around him, six other Abominations fell pathetically to the ground. Only the Viscount Abomination remained standing, closing in on Anatole. He was holding his face with both hands, screaming. It was the first time Priam had seen him lose his composure. Without waiting, he accelerated towards the master of the Cultists. Reaching the pond''s edge, Priam prepared to jump before coming to an abrupt halt. Less than a meter from him, a sphere invisible to the eye but glowing with aether had just appeared. Priam had to absorb his own kinetic energy to come to an emergency stop. He analyzed the sphere with [Aether Perception] as the Abomination finally reached its master. The sphere was connected by a thin wire to one of the bodies that had been hit by his grenades. Apparently, one of them was feigning death. Priam retrieved his spear and threw it at the corpse. The latter rolled away, dodging the attack, and stood up again. One of the guests, Priam recognized. The woman with fiery hair was wounded, and one of her arms seemed to have been badly hit by the shrapnel from the grenade. "Do you really want to die that badly?" asked Priam coldly. He was in a hurry and would certainly only have confirmed the deaths of the Revenant Generals before joining Sphinx and Blueberry. After all, he still had an active quest to kill Generals. According to his notifications, only one of the three Generals had died. The other two just seemed to have lost consciousness. So, if the young woman had played dead, she would have survived. "Mmh, my boss has a lot of questions, and Anatole has some answers. If he dies now, I''m gonna get yelled at. My name''s Gloria, by the way!" A bloody smile painted itself on Gloria''s face as she played with her earrings. Prim sighed. "I''m surrounded by madmen¡­ And madwomen," he muttered. A noise to his left caught his attention. Anatole had disappeared, absorbed by his Abomination. The latter was now staring at them in silence. "Shit," Gloria swore as the monster stared down at them. Priam had defeated this kind of horror before and didn''t feel particularly threatened, but he was the only human who could say that right now. The Abomination howled, and Gloria took a step back. "I''m not sure it''s in the mood to answer your boss''s questions," Priam sneered. "... Indeed." The chimera - or was it Anatole? - charged at Priam, who readied his spear. He didn''t have much aether left, but it would suffice. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]! The last drops of Priam''s aether flowed into his meridians, igniting them in the process. Priam cried out in pain, but continued to use his skill. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] was not an instantaneous skill - at least not yet. The colossal amount of aether it required forced Priam to channel it, eroding his meridians. That, plus the tremendous amount of aether needed, were the two reasons Priam hadn''t used the skill in a real-life situation. Unfortunately, Gloria''s presence and the Earl''s Tribulation meant he couldn''t take his time to defeat the chimera. The Abomination seemed no more intelligent than usual and rushed at Priam. The Viscount raised his spear just as his aether reserves were running low. [Battle Flow] guided his arm, and the spear struck the chimera. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 3 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Priam was thrown brutally backward. He activated [Kinetic Control] to stabilize himself after several dozen meters before raising his head. The chimera had a big hole in its belly, and Priam could see the cavern floor through it. The penetrating power of his skill was terrifying. The Abomination collapsed. Priam stretched for a moment, checking for any major injuries, before trotting off in the direction of the corpse. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Gloria. The young woman seemed content to remain in her corner, analyzing the situation. Had he been able to, Priam would have attacked her directly, but without aether, he could no longer call back his spear through the mist. Worse, he could no longer use [Aether Perception] to check whether she was setting a trap for him. If he could kill her by hurling a rock at supersonic speed, that would be perfect, but he suspected she''d have a way of protecting herself. Fighting an opponent manipulating invisible traps was a stupid idea just before his Tribulations, and Priam decided to wait until he''d recovered some aether. Reaching the Abomination''s level, Priam bent down and began to search the corpse with his hands. His resistance to the Depths allowed him this madness. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 (+3) Constitution 258 Agility 166 (+2) Vitality 284 Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 (+5) Memory 50 Willpower 288 (+14) Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1085 (+14) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 22 min 36s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 10 hours 42 minutes 30 seconds. Chapter 69: Promesse "Well?" asked Gloria as Priam rose to his feet. "Nothing. It''s a mass of flesh, muscle and bone. If Anatole merged with this creature, he was dead before my spear touched him," Priam said gloomily. Gloria nodded. "Too bad. Besides, you''re out of aether, aren''t you? I was wondering why you didn''t attack me," Gloria said mischievously. Priam remained silent. Gloria harrumphed. "You''re not very talkative. Too bad, I have no desire to confront you either after seeing your attack. I''ll be going before you get your aether back, then. Until next time, Priam!" Gloria waved him off, then moved off toward a tunnel. It wasn''t the one Priam had come through and must lead to other revenant camps. The young Viscount turned his attention back to the corpse of the Abomination. Anatole had run away. Or had never been there. It was the only explanation for the absence of a quest reward. Priam had contracted two quests calling for Anatole''s death. Neither of them had been validated. However, all was not lost. Priam leaned back towards the Abomination and plunged his hand into the vile mass of muscle and putrefied flesh. The smell was unbearable, but his new sense of smell enabled him to ignore it. After several seconds of searching, his hand found what he had hidden from Gloria. An urn. Priam searched the mist for Gloria. When he found no trace of the young woman, he pulled it out. It appeared to be made of bronze, but Priam would have bet that his most powerful attack didn''t have the power to scratch its surface. The lights from the torches set out by the Revenants reflected off its surface. Leaving aside the wisps of black smoke that hugged its luminous reflections, the urn looked almost normal. It should also be noted that it was too clean. There were no traces of blood or dirt on it. [Identification] [Funerary Urn of the Depths] - A mysterious urn. Contains the soul fragment of an Earl of the Depths. His skill wasn''t powerful enough, and the description was terse. Despite this, a smile appeared on Priam''s face. Anatole might have run away, but he had to abandon the Urn. Update: A Light in the Depths. You''ve released part of the consciousness of a Phoenix Prince. Recover or destroy the Urn of the Depths. Reward: Your Bound Weapon will be tempered by the grace of the Phoenix Priam smiled as the notification confirmed his conclusions. His spear appeared in his hand, and Priam felt a question coming from it. "You can evolve," said Priam. His spear was slowly developing a consciousness. He''d realized this during his fights. It was becoming increasingly familiar to him, and he was handling it better. Today, his bound weapon had the possibility of evolving, increasing its power and their compatibility. Priam just hoped the transformation would be completed before his Tribulations. Out of nowhere, a flame appeared. It seemed immaterial and gave off no heat. Yet it exuded a noble and potent aura. Winding around itself, the flame transformed, gradually taking on the shape of a Phoenix. The mythical animal took to the air, circling the cavern before coming to rest before Priam. Quietly flapping his wings, it opened its mouth, and the hoplite spear levitated into it. The Phoenix opened its copper-colored eyes, and time slowed down. Priam''s heart had stopped beating, and only his consciousness now observed the spectacle before him. In his mind, a distant star, barely visible, began to shine. His Talent [Bound Weapon] was resonating with the Phoenix. The legendary bird changed color. Its flames evolved according to the wavelengths of the rainbow. From red, they became yellow, green, blue and then violet. Without stopping, they continued towards the ultraviolet, and Priam''s eyes adjusted. He felt a skill building up. Panicking, he connected to his Potential to prevent its creation. You have gained the skill: [Broad-spectrum v... Delayed. POT -42 Priam would have sighed with relief if he''d been able to move. In a second, he would have winced. Apparently, blocking the creation of a skill was as costly as creating it... Unmoved by the Viscount''s thoughts, the Phoenix continued his transformation. Before long, it became invisible. Priam could still feel its presence. [Aether Perception] was deactivated to save his aether, but his META-Perception attribute enabled him to passively detect aether. After a time Priam couldn''t measure, the Phoenix reappeared. Its feathers were now incandescent white and Priam was blinded by its light. The Phoenix opened its mouth and screamed. Moments later, the world began to spin again. Priam felt reality reconnect and regained his sight. In front of him, floating a few centimeters above his hands, there was a long spear. Its shaft, about two meters long, was silvered. Runes resembling phoenix feathers caught the eye. The spear''s copper tip seemed capable of piercing any material. Moving closer to admire it, Priam noticed the light playing with the blade, creating flamboyant reflections. After seeing the transformation with his own eyes, the Viscount didn''t know what to think. A flame had been imprisoned in his spear, and the weapon seemed blessed by a Phoenix. Priam stretched out his hand and grasped it. It vibrated between his fingers. He smiled at its natural, firm grip. With this spear, he knew he was capable of incredible feats. Sensing his thoughts, the weapon vibrated, nestling perfectly between his fingers. It couldn''t yet communicate with him, but he knew he could count on it. Killing the Earl or surviving his Tribulations were no longer such impossible goals. Smiling, Priam identified it. [Identification] [???? - Bound to Priam Azura] - A spear from another world. Bound to its bearer by the Concepts, baptized by battle, blessed by the Phoenix and repeatedly reforged by a mysterious power. Its potential is linked to its wielder. Like the Phoenix, the flames temper it. As a [Bound Weapon], it benefits from a small portion of its wielder''s Titles and Talents. Improves the effectiveness of spear-based skills. Would you like to name this weapon? The System was right, his spear needed a name. Priam was neither bad nor good at finding names. But if this weapon was to accompany him throughout his life and grow with him... Priam reflected on what he had experienced, fought and survived. This spear would be his weapon, a tool made to attack and defend. A weapon representing a fight and an obsession. To survive, to explore the world and to be free... His weapon would be a means to remain the master of his own destiny. Being free was a constant struggle. That''s what Priam didn''t want to forget. Tomorrow, a year from now and an eternity from now, Priam didn''t want to forget who he was. "Promesse. It means promise in my native tongue." [Identification] [Promesse - Bound to Priam Azura] This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The spear vibrated and Priam smiled. "Well, and now..." Priam directed his gaze to the human bodies that had been blown up by the grenades. Having moved closer, Priam took the pulse of the various bodies. Two were dead - a man and a woman. The woman was certainly Julia, one of the Revenant Generals he''d been notified about. The man must have been the guest. The other two Revenants were simply passed out and Priam finished them off. He had briefly considered questioning them, but time was now his enemy. First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Updated. Revenant General - Marie, the poisoner, is dead. Revenant General - George, the silent one, is dead. Bonus: Kill at least three of the six Revenant Generals. Four Revenant Generals killed. Congratulations! Reward: Information about your family. A notification appeared in the System interface and Priam hesitated for a moment. His family information was available. But should he consult it now? His Tribulations were coming soon, and if he learned that his family was in danger... What would he do? Would he go and save them, risking his own life? Would he ignore their ordeal? Priam knew he would save them. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Running away from reality was not his style. He selected the notification. Your father, mother, sister and half-brother are alive. Your half-sister is dead. Bonus (4 dead Generals instead of three): Your father and mother are on the Moon. Laughter echoed through the cavern. Tears began to roll down Priam''s cheeks. "What a shitty System. I almost single-handedly dismantled one of the biggest threats to humanity and got three sentences?" Despite his words, Priam was relieved. His father and sister were alive. His half-sister was dead, but the news barely affected him. He should have been sad, but the happiness of knowing his family was alive surpassed everything. As his laughter began to subside, Priam refocused. Now that he knew his family was all right, he intended to survive and get them to safety. A hint of fear came over him as he reread the information. His sister wasn''t on the Moon. Did you refuse to come? Or are you a prisoner? I''ll find you, Twinkle, he vowed. Priam quickly searched the corpses. Their weapons looked okay, but didn''t interest him. Their possessions were limited to a few cores, and Priam abandoned them when he realized they were common. Only one of the Generals kept a curious object in her pockets. Some kind of fossil. [Identification] [Primo Dinosaur Fossil - Earth] - A fossil of a once-extinct dinosaur... The description alerted Priam. The object had something to do with Earth. Okay System, I''ll keep this with me, I guess. Priam got to his feet and turned at last to Anne. The young woman hadn''t moved since the ritual. He moved closer to her, stepping into the water. The splashing he caused as he approached didn''t seem to disturb her. Finally arriving in front of the woman who had manipulated him, Priam sighed. The woman in front of him was an empty carcass. No glimmer of intelligence emanated from her eyes. Priam passed his hand in front of her face, and she didn''t react. She''d been lobotomized. Or worse. "Can you hear me?" he asked. No reply. Priam shrugged before stepping behind Anne. With a flick of his hand, he pushed her over. The young woman fell headlong into the water. The pond couldn''t have been more than forty centimeters deep, but she made no effort to get up. Five seconds later, her body began to spasm. Priam watched the spectacle for a few seconds, wary. Anne was a manipulator and could pretend to be lobotomized. Finally, Priam put an end to her ordeal. He watched pensively as the Revenant''s blood dispersed into the water. His revenge against Anne would never be complete. He''d pierced her heart, but she''d died long before that. Anatole... Sighing, Priam laid Anne''s corpse on the bank before retrieving the sapphire. He then observed the pure water of the cavern. Under the light of the few torches present, the pool sparkled with energy. Anatole''s technique for triggering the Earl''s Tribulation had drained some of its power. Despite this, his meta-perception whispered that it was far from exhausted. Priam sat cross-legged in the water. Instantly, he felt a gentle wave caress his mind. The water was stagnant, but he could have sworn the tide was rising, filling his being with mental energy. Priam felt as if waking up after a long sleep. Only a few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Priam ran his hand through the pure water. It continued to give him energy, but time was running out. That said, leaving such a treasure unguarded would have been a shame. Priam was not one to see such a marvel soiled by greedy men! He briefly connected to his Potential. You have plunged into the heart of a natural pond infused with aether. By the grace of the Concepts, your mind has rested. Presence of a Concept fragment - Mental Stamina Capture the fragment? Cost: 130 Potential Absorb the fragment? Cost: 260 Potential Priam decided to absorb the fragment. [Mirror of the Soul] was an instrumental talent and he felt he had everything to gain by strengthening it. Without the Concept fragment, improving this Talent would cost him a lot. At the center of his being, his reserve of Potential split into two parts. The smaller piece created a tunnel to... somewhere else. Like the first time he''d absorbed a fragment, an infinite consciousness descended briefly. The shimmering pool became ethereal before disappearing. [Mirror of the Soul] shook and Priam connected with it. His mental space had changed. The spring housing his reflection had quadrupled in size. The chains impeding his movements were clearer and their origin more obvious. But above all, the reflection was smiling. If the chains had gained in clarity, he had gained in strength. Priam met his own gaze and smiled. "Time to raise the curtain." Seraphine pushed aside a last branch and grumbled. She had finally arrived. Her jaw was clenched due to shame and anger. Despite her best efforts, she had lost track of Priam''s father. She and Anatole didn''t always see eye to eye, but she wasn''t stubborn enough to refuse to listen to a good idea. Finding leverage against the Champion of Humanity was a good idea. Ahead lay a small village. A dozen roughly-built wooden dwellings. A waste of time when you knew that the next Reunion wouldn''t be announced for several months. Moreover, the bravest humans wouldn''t ask to spend the Reunion on the Moon. After all, why settle for a satellite when a new planet awaited humanity? And Revenant... The Revenants'' Champion made her way through the village. She might have lost track of Priam''s father, but all was not lost. She''d found Claire. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 258 Agility 166 Vitality 284 Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 Memory 50 Willpower 288 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1085 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 1 min 21s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 10 hours 21 minutes 15 seconds. Chapter 70: Is it a comet? No, its the MC! The hangar housing the hatch had been partially destroyed. Only a few corpses lay nearby. No one saw any part of the hangar tremble. The collapsed roof began to move before slowly lifting. Seconds later, it tilted to one side, releasing a dark well. A head popped out, soon followed by the rest of the body. Looking left and right, a young man surveyed his surroundings before jumping out of the hole. A luminous flake fell to his right and disappeared into the ground. Blinking, Priam raised his head to contemplate an unknown meteorological phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of snowflakes were falling all around him. Yet there were no clouds at all, but a rather strange aurora borealis. Priam reached out to grab one of the little lights but decided against it. His instincts told him this was a bad idea. Suddenly, he felt a wave of heat. Priam turned toward the forest, and his eyes widened. Only a few hundred meters away, the Earl was confronting a flaming titan. Their battle was terrifying. The lion moved gracefully and swiftly, while the fire monster was slower but developed colossal power behind each of his attacks. The Earl often dodged, seeming to dance around his enemy. Priam hadn''t sensed their fight until a wave of heat - a titan¡¯s attack - reached him. The choreography of the two giants took place in absolute silence. The cause was apparent. The Earl had banished the air around them in an effort to stop the titan''s flames. It worked partly, as the monstrosity''s flames found no hold on the lion. "We have to help him." Priam turned and smiled. For once, he had sensed the animal''s arrival but chosen to ignore it. His high perception and the presence of mist were beginning to pay off. Detecting his surroundings through the fog had become an automatism for Priam. The eagle was one of the Viscounts in the lion''s court. Yet he hadn''t come to the Earl''s aid during the early stages of the fight. The coward had waited for Priam''s arrival before daring to show his face. I''m sure he''ll want me to go first... Priam didn''t waste a second thinking. Sphinx and Blueberry were waiting for him, and he had no intention of wasting time confronting a Viscount. "Of course. I''ve just improved my spear and think I can seriously wound the titan. But I need a good angle of attack. Could you drop me above him?" asked Priam. The eagle looked at him for a moment, and Priam gave him his most innocent smile. "Human heads are weird. Your beak is deformed. It''s so ugly..." commented the eagle. Priam blinked. Did I really just get insulted by a bird? The ground shook again, and the eagle gazed toward the titanic battle before nodding. "I don''t want you to ride me, but I''m willing to take you in my claws," he said. Priam nodded. It slightly altered his plan, but it was a concession he was willing to make to appease the raptor. The eagle took off, and Priam jumped. With his left hand, he grabbed one of the eagle''s talons. The bird gave a mighty flap, and Priam almost let go of his grip because of the acceleration. Within seconds, the two Viscounts were several hundred meters high. Priam looked around him, smiling like a child. The new moon looked magnificent from the sky. The eagle had first chosen to move away from the battle so as not to collide with the wisps. Above them, the sky, half hidden by the eagle''s body, was sublime. The atmosphere was thin, and the black sky allowed the stars to shine brightly. In the background, the Earth stood out against the sidereal void. Priam looked at his home planet, smiling fondly. He would return there one day. Despite this thought, he knew he might not recognize anything. The earth was constantly changing. No doubt thanks to the System, nature was reclaiming its rights at a surprising speed. Priam''s Perception enabled him to see as if through binoculars. He could make out continents, oceans, forest fires, titanic storms, abandoned cities and even what appeared to be a plane... The plane looked at him. Priam''s eyes widened. A creature with a wingspan of a hundred meters was crossing the sky, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. A dragon? That seemed unlikely. If the Phoenix was such a rare animal, a dragon couldn''t already be present on Earth. But the reptile certainly had draconic blood. The next Reunion was shaping up to be an eventful one... Suddenly, Priam felt a tug. The eagle was changing direction, about to fly over the aurora borealis, the source of the wisps. "Get ready," said the eagle in a voice weary from his aether consumption. At their altitude, the atmosphere was not thick enough to support conventional flight. The bird was expending a great deal of energy to soar higher and higher. They must have been almost eight kilometers high, and the moon''s atmosphere must have stopped at around ten kilometers. I wonder if there''s a Title for the first human to reach it... Priam smiled. Knowing the System, such a Title surely existed. The northern lights were approaching, and Priam prepared himself. He would only have one chance. The lights were blinding, and the amount of aether present was terrifying. His peach fuzz bristled on his forearms and Priam swallowed. Suddenly, a hole in the phenomenon appeared. "Now," cried the eagle. Priam let go of the claw and turned in the air. The two Viscounts were less than ten meters apart. Priam cocked his arm and prepared a tenth of his accumulated kinetic energy. He concentrated on Promesse, their connection and [Spear Throw]. His muscles snapped, and Promesse left his arm. Towards the eagle. The eagle''s eyes widened as he saw the attack coming and he tried to dodge. Unfortunately, the weapon was too fast, and he had no time to maneuver. Like a comet, the spear of fire streaked across the sky before striking the eagle. The Viscount must have specialized in agility and perception. His constitution didn''t allow him to tank the attack, and Promesse passed through him, piercing his heart. Priam mentally recalled his spear. Update: Predator - Viscount The peasant fears the Baron but the Baron fears the Earl. Do you fear the Earl? Prove your worth and your ambition. Overcome the Earl''s guards, the Viscounts. Alphalia, the Lion''s Wings, is dead. Reward: Potential +50. Participation: 100%. You have eliminated a Moon Viscount without help. An outstanding performance. Bonus: Potential + 20. Skill [Friction Resistance]. You have gained the skill: [Friction Resistance - Common]. [Friction Resistance] - Friction is an interaction that opposes the relative movement of two bodies in contact. The aetheric composition of your skin changes slightly to reduce the electromagnetic interactions it exchanges with its environment. As a result, the conversion of your kinetic energy into thermal energy is lower. You¡¯ll run and swim faster. Soon you''ll be flying faster too. Are you really planning to make an atmospheric entry without a parachute? AGI +1 Priam squinted as he read his notifications. Killing a Viscount-rank Abomination under the Revenants Cathedral did not validate this quest. Was it because it was polluted by the Depths? Because it was artificial? Or because the quest specifically mentioned the Earl''s guards? In any case, Priam had a new objective. If the quest for the Viscounts was similar to the one for the Barons, he still had two Viscounts to farm... I''ll deal with that later! Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Priam focused on his fall. By the time he had read the notification, he had accelerated, falling at terminal velocity toward the ground. Calculating such a speed in an alien atmosphere was complicated. Before the Tutorial, Felix Baumgartner had jumped from the stratosphere at a height of almost thirty-nine kilometers. During this jump, which lasted four minutes and nineteen seconds, he reached a speed of three hundred and seventy-three meters per second, thus exceeding the speed of sound. Indeed, at a certain height, atmospheric pressure was too low to really limit the speed of a man''s fall. To give an order of magnitude, Priam recalled that the maximum speed of a man in free fall after jumping from an airplane was seventy meters per second. Currently heading for a hole in the destructive northern lights, Priam was laughing. Without knowing his exact speed, he knew he was falling at over four hundred meters per second. Passing through the hole in the auroras borealis, he entered the domain of Tribulation. Now he had to watch out for the wisps. The wind was ruffling his hair, creeping up his body and beginning to slow him down. Far below him, the Earl was battling a titanic Abomination. Thousands of animals were uselessly helping their leader. Regularly, some would burst into flames, but they remained united. Priam contemplated the forest, which stretched for dozens of kilometers. In the distance, immense domes stood out against the horizon. The Dome, Viracocha, and the others... His father was certainly waiting for him in one of them. A wisp lay beneath him, and Priam dodged it using a small kinetic charge. For now, he was determined to survive. To have fun. A few moments ago, Priam could almost have touched the boundary between the Moon and outer space. One day, he would leave the atmosphere and explore other worlds. For now, he was skydiving from ten kilometers up, looking down at his target. Not the Earl or another Viscount. Priam was looking at the Jubokko, eight kilometers below him, and ten kilometers to his right. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 2 AGI +1 Priam had accumulated a lot of kinetic energy and decided to use some of it to redirect his fall. The aim was to fall diagonally - for every meter closer to the ground, he had to move one meter to his right. Unfortunately, he couldn''t use the kinetic energy of the wind caressing his skin. In the Moon''s frame of reference, Priam was moving, but the air molecules were almost immobile. The sensation of wind against him was, therefore, artificial. If Priam had tried to absorb their kinetic energy - in his frame of reference - the wind molecules would have stopped moving. Priam would have hurtled at over four hundred meters per second into a wall of air. An excellent way to commit suicide. Priam jotted it down in the back of his mind. It could earn me a lot of levels... It was always good to have a few ideas for committing suicide when you were immortal. Remembering his own mortality, Priam began to use his energy to slowly shift to his right. The operation went smoothly and Priam smiled as he turned his head slightly. Behind him, Promesse was beginning to catch up, linked to him by his Talent. Priam refocused on his maneuver. He was gradually increasing his horizontal speed, but his vertical speed was decreasing due to the air. Indeed, atmospheric pressure increased as he fell, and Priam''s eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. At five kilometers altitude, when he was almost halfway down, the concentration of air molecules reached a critical threshold. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 3 AGI +1 Priam felt resistance building up in front of his face. He quickly closed his eyes. A second later, he thought he was plunging into the water. The storm noise that had deafened his ears until then had disappeared. Suddenly, the world was silent. Or close enough, as Priam could still hear the rapid beat of his heart and the blood rushing through his brain. Title won! A notification sounded, but Priam ignored it. He had just broken the sound barrier! With a huge grin on his face - barely distorted by the colossal air currents holding him back - Priam laughed. He realized he couldn''t hear himself laugh, and giggled harder as he felt the tremors in his ribcage caused by his laughter. Four kilometers below, most of the surviving army looked up. Thunder echoed across the desolate plain. In the sky, the Earl briefly made out the silhouette of a man against the sidereal blackness. Behind him, a sort of cone stretched out. The Abomination attacked, and the Earl refocused. For Priam, the attraction only lasted a few moments longer. Air friction became more pronounced, and Priam lost speed. A moment later, the sound returned to reality. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 4 AGI +1 The Jubokko was getting closer, and Priam prepared to slow down. Two kilometers from the tree, Priam had an idea. Leaning headfirst towards his target, he began to slowly absorb the kinetic energy of the air molecules beneath him. A surfer could glide on water because friction was greater between the board and the liquid than between the athlete and the air. In the same way, Priam artificially increased friction with the molecules beneath him to slide naturally toward the Jubokko. He was now falling diagonally. You have gained the skill: [Glide - Common]. [Glide] - A skill common to many animals. Rarely found in humans. Modifies your positioning to ensure the best aerodynamics. One day, you''ll fly. Maybe. Bravo, you''re on the same level as a dodo. AGI +1 Priam altered the application of [Kinetic Control] and his positioning slightly to better glide toward his target. Five hundred meters from the tree, Priam began to make out certain things under the canopy. Sphinx and Blueberry were having what appeared to be a heated discussion with two Viscounts. They were guarding the Spring and preventing Blueberry from approaching. Priam knew they''d have to kill them. Blueberry was undoubtedly waiting for Priam to do just that. Indeed, the bear seemed to think one of the Viscounts could temporarily control the Jubokko. If so, they''d have to kill them without giving them time to retaliate. Priam had no desire to confront an Earl-tree hundreds of meters tall and possessing a Domain. Priam looked back one last time and had an idea. There might be a way to defeat both Viscounts simultaneously. The plan was perilous and would seriously injure him, but the Spring would heal him if he succeeded. Now was the time to take risks! Two hundred meters from the canopy, Priam positioned his left arm in front of his face. He had slowed down, but his speed was still phenomenal. At almost a hundred meters per second, Priam slammed into the canopy. Leaves scratched his arm and the rest of his body, tearing his clothes. Two small branches lacerated his belly and tore off part of his scalp. Priam grunted in pain and reopened his eyes a quarter of a second later. He had broken through the branches and was looking down at the two Viscounts below him. With a final burst of [Kinetic Control], Priam corrected his trajectory. His target - a sort of gorilla - looked up at him. Priam smiled at him and readied his knees. The key was to land well. At one hundred meters per second - three hundred and sixty kilometers per hour - Priam managed to execute a flying knee kick to the center of the gorilla''s face. Dunk! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 258 Agility 171 (+5) Vitality 284 Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 Memory 50 Willpower 288 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1160 (+75) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 48 min 38s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 10 hours 8 minutes 32 seconds. Chapter 71: The One Who had his Legs pulled Sphinx was annoyed. The two Viscounts in front of her refused to let them pass. At first, she had returned with Blueberry to secure the Spring. Unfortunately, the Earl was a paranoid old lion who''d thought to put a guard on his treasure. After seeing the Earl''s Tribulation, Sphinx told herself he was right to be paranoid. But he couldn''t have known that before! Unless one always had to be paranoid while preparing for the worst? That sounded downright tiresome. Sphinx decided not to be paranoid. Priam certainly would be for both of them. "Go back, Blueberry! The Earl needs you!" "He asked me to bring him back some sacred liquid," the bear lied. "He''s hurt. If you don''t do what he''s asked, be prepared to suffer his wrath." "The Earl asked us to let nobody through under any circumstances," replied the gorilla. Sphinx growled at the impudent animal. She wasn''t a nobody, she was a sphinx. The fact that these little Viscounts dared to express their disagreement with her was unforgivable. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. She and Blueberry could win this two-versus-two any day of the week, but something was up. The two Viscounts knew how powerful they were, yet they remained stubborn. "They certainly have a way of controlling the Jubokko," Blueberry had telepathically reminded her at the first refusal from the two idiots. Sphinx had no desire to confront a giant tree. The two Viscounts had to be killed or disabled, and at the same time. Of course, Sphinx had the means to take care of one of the Viscounts. She had pondered an extremely difficult riddle and was prepared to sacrifice much. All she had to do was bet one of her limbs to kill Priam. By betting three or four members, she was sure to exterminate one of the Viscounts. The problem wasn''t her - she was too perfect for that - but Blueberry. The bear was a formidable warrior but not an assassin. In the best-case scenario, killing his opponent would take him almost a minute. Far too long. "You''re free to take another step, Blueberry, but you might not like the consequences," threatened the hyena. Sphinx hated this Viscount. She stank, making her want to cough. If I have to attack, you''ll die first, thought Sphinx. As the situation approached a critical point, Sphinx felt one of her two karmic bonds quiver. Looking up, she saw a man crossing the Jubokko canopy. Sphinx began to smile. Her friend had just arrived, and things always got more exciting when he was around. Priam slammed into the gorilla with both knees forward. Sphinx winced as she heard multiple cracking sounds. Priam screamed before colliding with the Jubokko''s trunk, which took his breath away. Before succumbing to the pain, he activated Micro to cut it off. Raising his head briefly, he watched the gorilla fall backward. The Viscount was some ten meters away and had - quite literally - lost his head. A little behind him was a hyena Priam had never seen before. Mentally, he concentrated on her. Their eyes met and Priam saw stupefaction give way to understanding and then rage. A split second later, the hyena''s gaze lost all expression. Promesse had just made its entrance. The flaming spear easily pierced the hyena''s skull before sinking deep into the wood. The wood began to smoke and Priam grunted. Three-quarters of the weapon had disappeared into the Jubokko. Priam felt he''d have to reenact King Arthur to get it out. Or cheat by dispersing it in the mist. The System sent him a few notifications, which Priam ignored for the moment. Raising his head, he met Sphinx''s gaze, who seemed delighted to see him. "Hey Sphinx! My family''s fine!" announced Priam, still lying on the ground. "Great!" exclaimed Sphinx. Priam had confided his worries to her before. He then turned to Blueberry, who was making a funny face. "Is something wrong, old bear?" asked Priam. Maybe these two Viscounts had some interest and he shouldn''t have killed them. "I... Do you want me to bring your legs back? I hope the Spring can cure that..." "My legs?..." Priam then checked his wounds. Micro informed him that he had a small cerebral hemorrhage, a dislocation of the right shoulder, a lung punctured by one of his ribs, and a few broken vertebrae. A false move threatened to sever his spinal cord. To make matters worse, about a tenth of its body mass had disappeared. Looking at his legs, Priam understood. They were gone under his knees. He raised his head momentarily and took a closer look at the gorilla. Three bones protruded from its neck. The first was the remnant of his spine. The other two were his shins, firmly planted in the ape''s body. Despite Micro, Priam felt unwell. "I... the Spring," he murmured before losing consciousness. Title won! [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Your body has exceeded the speed of sound without using tools or artifice. Nobody will steal this thunder! Don''t worry, the next step isn''t to exceed the speed of light. Not yet. AGI +20% Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 5,6,7 CONST +9 Completed Quest: Predator - Viscount The peasant fears the Baron but the Baron fears the Earl. Do you fear the Earl? Prove your worth and your ambition. Overcome the Earl''s guards, the Viscounts. Kerchak, the Lion''s Hands, is dead. Shenzi, the Lion''s Savagery, is dead. Reward: Potential +100. Participation: 100%. You have eliminated two Moon Viscounts without help. An outstanding performance. Bonus: Potential + 40. Skill [Hemorrhage Resistance]. New Quest: Predator - Earl You are moving up in the hierarchy of the Court. Congratulations on your progress Moon Lord. You rebelled against the yoke of the Earls. You''ve defeated their bodyguard. Now there''s just one step left. Kill an Earl. Will you be a liberator or just a bloodstain on the sword of tyranny? Reward (per Earl): Potential +500. Customized bonus depending on your participation. Difficulty: Gold [Hemorrhage Resistance - Common] - You''ve lost a lot of blood. A high Vitality increases blood loss, and closes wounds more rapidly. In addition, this attribute has the side effect of reducing blood clotting speed. This passive skill slows your heart rate when your wounds are severe. Your blood will clot faster in the open air. VIT+1 Priam could feel his body, but he couldn''t move it. He felt good and bad at the same time. It was certainly the emotion felt by a carnist enjoying a soy steak or an Italian devouring a pineapple pizza. Am I dreaming? The experience seemed bizarre. He could only see a few light spots, and realized his eyes were still closed. He could hear very little, noises being muffled. A soft, cool current caressed his whole body - except his legs. Recent memories flooded back. Ah, I must have fainted, he realized. His mind had woken up before his brain, thanks to [Brainless]. Priam concentrated for a second before realizing his condition. His heart had slowed its blood flow to stop losing blood. His brain had then... gone to sleep. Yet it was time to wake up. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Focusing on Micro for a moment, Priam quickened his heart rate. A few seconds later, his brain was oxygenated again. He opened his eyes with difficulty. Pain flooded in and he activated his Supremacy to silence it. Priam remained inert for a moment, staring into space. In his entire life, he had only fainted twice. An average person might panic on regaining consciousness, but Priam remained serene. Finally awake, Priam looked around. He was currently bathing naked in a small pond. The Spring. Priam tried to sit up before realizing the stupidity of his action. He sighed and saw Sphinx appear in his field of vision. He greeted her. "Hey..." "Oh, Priam''s awake already!" exclaimed Sphinx. Priam wasn''t concentrating on his friend. Through his haze, he was watching his legs. Blueberry was in the process of extracting them from the gorilla''s head. Unfortunately for Priam, they looked like mush. The gorilla was an actual Viscount, and his constitution was far superior to Priam''s. The ultra-violent shock had enabled Priam to kill him instantly, but his body had suffered severe injuries. Of course, he could have avoided this injury by activating [Kinetic Control] to absorb the aftershock of the attack. But this kind of ingenious use of his skill would surely have caused a level-up and, thus, his death... Still, I could have used Micro to constrict my blood vessels and stop the bleeding... Priam berated himself for a moment. If he had received this wound during a fight rather than at the end, he would have died of hemorrhage like an idiot. "Forget it, Blueberry. I''m not going to glue my shins back. My legs will regenerate, don''t worry," he said. The bear turned and nodded. He looked at Priam''s shins momentarily, hesitated, then tossed them away. "I don''t eat my friends," he explained. "That''s very kind of you..." Taking a deep breath, Priam calmed down. He was now bathing on the surface of the Spring, and could feel his wounds closing on their own. His legs were also starting to grow back. His Title [Axolotl or Hydra?] allowed him to restore his entire body. All he needed was time and energy. Unfortunately, Priam was running out of time. "Will it take you long to regenerate?" asked Blueberry. "I wouldn''t want to rush you, but the Earl could finish his Tribulation any minute. Not sure he''d appreciate you taking a dip in his Spring." Priam nodded. "My regeneration speed is more than tenfold thanks to this liquid, but it''s not enough. I''ll improve my Title." Blueberry shrugged. "Okay. I''ll check my plan in the meantime." Priam nodded before opening the System. [Axolotl or Hydra?] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 2786 [Spring Drops] to trigger evolution? Can I improve my Title without triggering a new Tribulation? Priam still had thirteen - twelve now - questions for the council of his doubles. His Vitality could jump to over three hundred if the Title increased it further. He''d rather lose a question than die stupidly. Answer: Ask for the Hydra''s power rather than its Vitality. Priam validated the evolution. His brain disconnected again, but his mind remained conscious. Fascinated, he felt the Spring quivering around him. The pores of his skin opened wide and began to absorb large quantities of liquid. After a few seconds, a part of Priam''s consciousness began to worry. His body was too greedy. Typically, one drop of water was equivalent to an average of one-twentieth of a milliliter. In practical terms, 2786 drops of water were equal to just over 139 milliliters. But not all liquids were the same. In printers, ink drops had a volume in the picoliter range. Priam remembered the size of the drops the Earl had entrusted to him. They were larger than drops of water. His body was absorbing several liters of liquid, and he wondered where this was stored. Finally, the Spring calmed down. The young Viscount''s body began to heat up, and his legs to regenerate rapidly. His body was changing in real-time as his aethereal code was altered. Priam had been wounded many times, and his body had been damaged by many elements. At last, his suffering and determination were paying off. The System was creating a Title worthy of its bearer. Connecting briefly to his Potential, Priam made a request. Hydra''s power. Hydra''s power. Hydra''s power,... Continuing to heat up, Priam''s cells began to multiply. A great power invaded him. [Axolotl or Hydra?] is evolving into [Two-headed Hydra]... Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts]. The Spring began to boil again, and Priam''s body continued to evolve as it absorbed energy. Humanity''s true strength was starting to reveal itself. Compared to many mythical and legendary races, humans were weak. Sphinx was more powerful than humanity''s Champion, and only a few days old. Yet, despite the gifts and Talents these races received at birth, humanity had one Talent that shone over the long term. Becoming the Eighth Concept, attaining divinity or simply evolving between each Tier wasn''t a sprint. It was a marathon. Priam accepted the challenge. A small vortex formed around him as liters of precious liquid disappeared into his body. Thanks to Micro, Priam could feel some of the changes taking place within his body. His skin was becoming more elastic. Moles and scars disappeared. Some micro-injuries that had never really healed were finally curing. His body was expelling many toxins and heavy metals he''d ingested since swimming with Claire. The Spring began to vibrate, and Priam felt the Jubokko move. The tree was warning Priam. Had he still fully controlled his body, the young Viscount would have broken out in a cold sweat. Unfortunately, he couldn''t stop, even if he wanted to. A Domain descended on Priam, trying to crush him - unsuccessfully. The evolution of his Title protected him for the time being. Priam was even willing to bet that this adversity was strengthening his body. Suddenly, the domain disappeared. The tree had withdrawn its presence. Priam sighed with relief and focused on the changes affecting his body. After about ten liters, its pores began to close. The Spring regained its calm, while the influence of the System disappeared. Priam''s body was restored to its optimal state. His legs were as good as new. Priam opened his eyes and smiled. CONST +7 Your body has been purified. Your affinity for the Concepts has increased very slightly. Title upgraded! [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] Congratulations! [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - In mythology, the Hydra of Lerna was defeated by Heracles. Its powers of regeneration were mythical, and its blood was poisonous. Sound familiar? Beware of demigods A newborn hydra has one head. At one year, they acquire a second. At ten, a third, and so on in multiples of ten. You''re as strong as a ten-year-old orphan hydra. Each new head increases the hydra''s power tenfold. Time is its best ally, but it is your worst enemy. Your vitality allows you to regenerate any body part as long as you have the time and energy. You can restore a limb or organ once a day, extremely quickly. Your blood is already poisonous, so this Title increases its lethality. VIT +10% "Impressive," said Blueberry. "Priam is unkillable!" exclaimed Sphinx. "Maybe not, but it will come," laughed Priam as he rose to his feet. Then he remembered he was naked and glanced furtively at Sphinx. The mythical animal smiled at him and Priam laughed, relieved. I suppose it''s like showing myself naked to a cat. "Did you feel the Jubokko getting angry, by the way?" he asked. Sphinx nodded. "Yes, the trunk opened above the Spring and vines approached you. I think it wanted to eat you," she explained. Priam shuddered. Being digested by a tree might be an excellent way to die, but he had no desire to try it today. "And?" "Blueberry had the idea of throwing the bodies of the two Viscounts into its giant mouth. The offering calmed it down," Sphinx replied cheerfully. Priam gave the bear a thumbs-up. The bear looked at him strangely, questioningly. "... That means you''ve done a good job," explained Priam. "I already know I''m doing a good job," replied the bear. "Well, what do we do now? Kill the tree? The Earl? The Dome Lord?" "Now we''re asking ourselves the right questions," Priam replied. He had twelve questions left, and he''d found the perfect one. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 276 (+18) Agility 193 (+22) Vitality 286 (+2) Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 Memory 50 Willpower 288 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1307 (+147) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 4 min 28s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 9 hours 24 minutes 22 seconds. Chapter 72: Dear Spy and Spiders Survivor tips: You can ask twenty questions to an assembly over the next twenty-four hours. This council is formed by an infinite number of hypothetical Priams who have just survived their Tribulations. These questions must concern your survival. Each answer will consist of a single short sentence. Sitting on one of the huge branches of the Jubokko tree, Priam reread his reward description. He didn''t want to leave anything to chance - or rather, he tried to leave nothing to chance. Waiting for his new pants - a gift from Blueberry whose provenance seemed bloody - to dry, he was thinking of a trick. Something he could exploit by twisting the words of his reward. There were an infinite - or almost infinite - number of questions to ask, some of which could decide his life or death. Hardly stressful, he quipped. So, whenever the opportunity arose, Priam thought about which question to ask. He had recounted; there were still twelve questions available. It was both a lot and too little. Another critical point was the duration of this assistance. Survivor Tips would expire after twenty-four hours. It gave Priam just under eleven hours to spend his questions. His Tribulations would begin in just over nine hours, allowing him to ask questions during them - or at least their beginning. A golden opportunity to understand the dangers of his Tribulations and how best to survive them. Priam ran a hand through his hair, staring into space. The System was not his friend. If he could know the method of defeating its Tribulations, then it was a safe bet that the method was simple: be strong enough to survive. Even so, if there was a way of overcoming his Tribulations more efficiently, he had to know it. Priam decided to reserve at least five of his questions for his Tribulations. It left him with seven available questions. He had an idea for the first question. What question should I ask now? It was a shame to waste a question like that, but at least he was sure he wasn''t missing out on something important. Answer: Ask about Anatole Aely''Samael''s plan, position and weaknesses. It confirmed his hypothesis. Like the cockroach he was, Anatole was good at staying alive. Priam checked the urn hanging from his belt. One could never be too careful. Where is Anatole Aely''Samael, and what is his plan? Answer: Araneaes would poison the Jubokko to grant Anatole a wish. One of the advantages of Survivor Tips was that the council formed by his clones didn''t have to answer precisely the question he''d asked. It gave them some leeway in directing their answer. Of course, a ten-word answer still sounded bizarre. Fortunately, Priam knew that his clones communicated mainly by keywords. He reread the sentence several times before asking another question. What other events do I need to know about? Answer: The tree''s fall heralds a battle, the factions brace themselves. Only nine questions remained, four of them before the Tribulations. However, Priam was satisfied. Turning to his friends, he outlined the information he possessed. Firstly, the Crimson Fruit - the reward for poisoning the Jubokko - seemed to interest a lot of people. Secondly, the grove, or the area around it, was about to become the scene of a major battle. It would certainly be the climax of the Reunion for the various factions of the Dome. Obviously, whoever came out on top would use the end of the Reunion to maximize their advantage and crush their enemy. For the time being, Priam''s goal, and by extension Sphinx¡¯s and Blueberry¡¯s, was to kill Anatole. One of his quests offered to resurrect someone in exchange for Anatole''s life. The other promised to increase the quality of his Phoenix bloodline. Anatole was a monster, and Priam needed no further reason to act. "Anatole wants to kill the Jubokko. So he must be close by," said Priam. Sphinx and Blueberry agreed. "How did you intend to poison the tree?" "A few days ago, the Earl sent me to destroy some fungi that were parasitizing and poisoning some of the trees in the grove. They reproduce at an astonishing rate and love the sequoias. I was thinking of throwing some spores of this fungus into the Spring. The pond would make them overgrow the tree in a few minutes," Blueberry explained. "That¡¯s smart!" exclaimed Sphinx. Priam nodded. "The Jubokko''s main weakness is that it''s static," Priam admitted. "My Tribulations are coming fast. Can''t we kill him faster? By burning it, for example?" "Impossible. The forest is weak against fire, but most trees develop resistance to this disaster when they become ennobled. I''m not saying it can''t burn, but it would take extreme temperatures." "Too bad," Priam replied, rubbing his shins. They had grown back, but he needed to ensure they were there. Despite his Willpower, his deaths and wounds sometimes weighed on the young man''s mind. Sphinx touched his shoulder, and he smiled back. "It''s all right, don''t worry. By the way, Blueberry, do you know of any spider colonies nearby?" Blueberry froze. "Why?" Priam raised an eyebrow at the ursid''s discomfited expression before bursting out laughing. "You''re five meters tall and afraid of little spiders?" The bear frowned, and Priam apologized. "Sorry, I shouldn''t have made fun of you. If Anatole wants to use spiders to poison the Jubokko, I don''t think he''s importing them from Earth. There must be a nest nearby." "There aren''t a few little spiders. There''s a gigantic colony of huge spiders," Blueberry replied, shivering. "Where?" asked Priam. His doubles seemed to think Anatole was ready to manipulate spiders to poison the Earl. "Everywhere." At the confusion on Priam''s and Sphinx''s faces, Blueberry explained. "The Moon has been renovated. Not just the surface but the whole Moon. Underground, there are caverns, galleries and monsters. Under the grove, there''s a colony of spiders as big as wolves. Their webs stick to my fur, and it''s an ordeal to get them off..." grumbled the ursid. Priam then explained to his friends the clues his doubles had given him. "Anatole wants to use the spiders to poison the Earl, and that would give him access to a wish?" he concludes. "But why would the lion keep spiders under his precious tree? Either they''re harmless and Anatole plans to make them toxic, or there''s another Earl out there..." Looking up at Blueberry, Priam saw the bear even more puzzled than he was. "I know!" exclaimed Sphinx before laughing as her two friends turned to face her. "Really?" "I''m rather gifted at puzzles and riddles!" "That''s right," laughed Priam. "Excuse me, Sphinx. Give us the answer then, please." "There may be an Earl under there, but there''s another explanation for the lion''s inaction. By defending the tree against its natural enemies, he was taking advantage of the Spring. Without spiders, the Jubokko would have had no reason to allow the lion access to the Spring. They''re more partners than allies," concluded Sphinx. "That makes sense," Priam said, clapping his hands. "If Anatole really is trying to poison this tree, we''re going to help him." "What?" said Blueberry. "Yeah. My Tribulations are in about ten hours, and I want to finish this as soon as possible. We kill the Jubokko with Anatole''s help, and then we kill him. We get the fruit, kill the Earl and I survive my Tribulations. Easy!" announced Priam with a smile. "... I don''t believe that for a moment," Blueberry murmured. "Don''t raise flags!" The entrance to an underground passage was at the foot of the Jubokko, between two roots the size of the fuselage of an A380. Blueberry had accompanied them to this point before slipping away. His job was to look after the mushrooms. For their part, Priam and Sphinx had ventured into the dark tunnel. Despite the tunnel''s comfortable size - three elephants could have walked through it abreast - Sphinx had chosen to shrink. She was currently perched on Priam''s shoulder, purring as he was petting her. To be perfectly honest, Priam had no idea how to deal with a sphinx. Perhaps petting his friend was considered a grave insult, but Priam couldn''t bring himself to stop. Sphinx purrs were too cute. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Smiling, Priam soon arrived in a large hall. Above him, the base of the trunk flared out, forming roots that sank into the ground. With a torch in his left hand, Priam observed the ceiling, particularly the line that separated it in two. It gave the impression that the tree could bend in two.... Or open. "There''s a lot of fear and rage lingering here," murmured Sphinx. Priam looked at her for a moment before resuming his petting. It was certainly the ''mouth'' of the tree. After all, he knew the lion regularly sacrificed animals to increase the Spring''s volume. Shrugging, Priam turned and probed the darkness. His perception was exceptional, and despite the dim glow of the torch, he could make out several tunnels descending into the darkness. "Any preferences?" he asked Sphinx, pointing to the various tunnels. The adorable creature picked out one of them - certainly at random - and the two friends entered. The circular tunnel was not abandoned. On the earthen walls, lines of some kind produced a faint bluish glow. Reaching out, Priam touched them with his fingertips. Bringing his finger to his nose, [Sense of smell] activated. A scent of flour filled his nose and [Eidetic Memory] manifested itself. Priam had smelled these odors before, walking through forests in autumn. They were characteristic of mushrooms. "Luminescent mushrooms," he whispered. Sphinx remained silent. Priam had warned her that spiders could hear sounds thanks to silk spread over their bodies. They were clearly not the creatures with the keenest hearing, but Priam didn''t want to take any chances until he found Anatole. Reassured, Priam continued on his way. Under his bare feet, the soft earth was cool, almost cold. It couldn''t have been more than a few degrees, which seemed normal, given that the Moon''s core was almost five times colder than the Earth''s. The ground was slightly sloping, moving away from the surface, as the spider colony was certainly hiding outside the Jubokko Domain. After about ten minutes of walking, Sphinx raised her head and Priam stopped. In front of them, stretched across the middle of the tunnel, was a thin silk thread. It was Sphinx who had alerted him. Despite his keen perception, Priam wouldn''t have noticed it until he touched it. "Well done, Sphinx," he murmured, observing the wire. The low luminosity made it more or less invisible to the naked eye. Consulting his aether reserves for a moment, Priam decided to reactivate [Aether Perception]. The thread began to glow. A skill had undoubtedly been used to place it here. Any careless adversary would have broken it while walking, alerting the entire spider colony. Which might come in handy soon. His Tribulations would be triggered in less than nine hours. By then, Priam intended to finish off the spiders. What could be better than intentionally setting a trap to lure in his enemies? With a bit of luck, he might even have time for a micro-nap. Bending down to dodge the wire, Priam continued on his way. A hundred meters further on, the tunnel turned. Priam concentrated on [Stealth] and decided to stick to the wall. He walked the next three meters, paying particular attention to his surroundings. Suddenly, he stopped. His foot had just moved a bit of earth, and [Aether Perception] detected something. Priam blanched as he observed the ground. The wires in the tunnel were decoys. The real traps were buried. Satisfied to have detected an obvious trap, Priam had let his guard down. Shifting a little earth with his toes, Priam discovered a multitude of buried threads separated by a few centimeters. Sphinx stirred on his shoulder and Priam bent down. "Priam..." "Wait." Placing the torch on the ground, Priam gently lifted the earth beneath his feet. His right foot had crushed and broken three wires. "Priam," Sphinx repeated. "One second..." he said, turning around. As he gently cleared the earth beneath his last footprints, Priam realized that he had broken threads with every step. Certainly, from the start. Sighing, he straightened up. "You¡¯re smelling spiders, right?" "Yes. I''ve been trying to tell you for ten seconds already," Sphinx frowned. Priam scratched her head behind her ears and apologized. "Sorry." "Do you need help?" "I don''t think so." He could hear them at last. Priam grabbed Promesse, and his spear nestled in the palm of his hand. Head held high, Priam moved forward, then turned the corner. Ahead of him, some fifty meters away, he saw a dozen spiders. White as snow, each one must have been about a meter high. Two weeks earlier, Priam would have closed his eyes watching the spiders in the second Harry Potter film. Today, he was smiling. "Bring it on!" Using every last drop of his reserves, the Earl roared. His aether, guided by his skill, formed a circle in front of his mouth. Within a radius of thirty meters, all the air molecules were sucked up and concentrated in a sphere created at the center of the circle. The Abomination approached in silence, its howls banished by the absence of air. It raised its arm to strike a decisive blow, and the Earl took advantage of the opening. [Wrath of the Wind]. The sphere exploded, and the circle directed the energy toward the chimera. Just below the armpit, a plasma tunnel pierced the monster. The flames parted, the flesh disappeared and the attack met a bone cage two meters in diameter, tearing it like paper. Despite the material''s resistance, the lion''s ultimate attack annihilated all defenses. The battlefield took a brief respite as the chimera collapsed to the ground. Gasping, the Earl collapsed too. "Sir, Sir! Pull yourself together, we''re winning!" exclaimed one of his Barons. Indeed, most of the Revenants'' army, transformed into flaming skeletons, had been reduced to ashes. The lion opened one eye towards a monkey whose name he hadn''t even tried to remember. "Run away, boy. Your presence is useless here," he breathed. He''d defeated the giant Abomination, but at what cost? He was exhausted, drained by the battle. Underground, the rune was becoming more and more charged by the minute. St. Helens was angry with the Earl, and everyone who stood beside him would suffer. The Baron stood stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "I refuse." The lion coughed in surprise. "Excuse me?" he asked, growling. "Sir, I refuse. You are my Earl and you will be my King. I may be a coward and tremble with fear," he said, showing his trembling hands. "But you give me the strength to fight my fears. I will follow you to the death!" "You fool," roared the lion. "You''re useless. The only reason you''re here is to die absorbing these flakes! I¡¯m using you to facilitate my Tribulation!" The Earl had not tried to be discreet, and for the second time, the battlefield fell silent. His subjects looked at each other, uncertain, and the lion sighed. He felt better; honesty was taking a weight off his shoulders. In any case, it was better this way. Better to die alone than take thousands of lives with him. "Mmmmmh!" Raising his head in surprise, the lion saw a buffalo run into a flake and burst into flames. The next second, a dozen animals began jumping, trying to catch wisps rather than run from them. "I''m not the only one keen to protect you, Sir," remarked the Baron. "I''m glad. I thought my death would be useless, but it''s not. Please survive." With that, the monkey jumped in the direction of a wisp. The Earl stepped forward and tackled him to the ground. "You... I... What do you think you''re doing?!" "I sacrifice myself for you? If I''m going to die, I might as well do it for a noble cause," replied the monkey. "Please, this is the first time in my life that I''m proud of myself and not afraid. I''ve lived as a coward but want to die as a hero." The Earl opened his mouth before closing it again. What right did he have to prevent his Baron from sacrificing himself? None, he was doing his duty. And I didn''t do mine... Straightening up, the noble lion took a breath. "My people, listen to me! Flee. I''m sorry, but I don''t think I''ll survive the second part of this Tribulation. You obey me, and I protect you. It is my honor as a Noble. I had forgotten it, and you reminded me. Let me be proud of myself one last time. Let me believe that Safamu, Earl of the Dark Woods, deserves your allegiance." The animals were silent. Most were unable to speak, but all understood the Earl''s intentions. For a few moments, no one moved. Just as Safamu was about to speak again, the monkey bowed. "I''m sorry, but I still refuse. I feel your conviction Sir, and it makes me want to fight for you even more. If you don''t give me another opportunity to help you, I''ll throw myself between you and the next death flake." Safamu growled. Opening his mouth to scold his subordinate, he stood still. The wind was blowing a secret in his ear. The next moment, the breeze continued on its way, and he sighed. "What crime have I committed to deserve such subjects..." The monkey had the good sense not to answer. The lion resumed and extended a paw. "Humans are coming this way. These wisps take lives, but they don''t have to be ours." He turned and looked at the monkey. "What''s your name?" "Borza, Sir" "Borza will guide you. Lure them here. Kidnap them. I want a human alive under every one of those flakes," Safamu roared. Thousands of animal cries shook the battlefield. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 276 Agility 193 Vitality 286 Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 Memory 50 Willpower 288 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 90 Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1307 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 27 min 39s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 8 hours 47 minutes 33 seconds. Chapter 73: Arachnicide The tunnel eventually widened before opening up, revealing a vast cavern. Several hundred meters underground, the giant cavity was home to hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of cocoons. Clinging to the rock walls, their white color contrasted with the surrounding darkness. About the size of a soccer field, the cavern must have been almost ten meters high. At this depth, the only light available was the bluish glow of the mushrooms. The density of their lines had increased considerably. Many lines intersected, forming impressive geometric figures on the floor and walls. They seemed to imitate spider webs. The unique scenery might have been magnificent had it not been for the sound of clattering mandibles and high-pitched spider cries that shattered the silence. A destroyer was in the room, and the occupants were trying to chase it away. Dozens of spiders pounced on the human, attacking ferociously, with no regard for their own lives. There was no fear in the minds of those whose job was to protect the cocoons. Unfortunately for them, their destroyer was too strong. His physical attributes had long since surpassed those of an average human. Each of his blows sent an arachnid flying. Priam was dancing just outside of the tunnel. His spear exterminated one spider after another, aimed resolutely at the creatures'' brains. Promesse was wreaking havoc as the spiders'' blood dripped to the ground. A barrage of his victims'' bodies was gradually rising in front of him. Channeling his Potential to prevent [Battle Flow] from leveling up, Priam jumped. Leaning his foot against the cavern wall, he plunged horizontally into the air. Passing over the still-living spiders, he lowered his spear sharply to pierce the last one. The blow killed the spider and brought Priam to a halt. With a pirouette, he landed lightly on the ground, behind the spiders'' backs. The spiders kept moving in the direction of the tunnel for a moment before realizing that the human had disappeared. Their eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and one of them quickly spotted him. With a shrill cry, it rushed towards him. Priam blocked the attack before striking back. Promesse tasted the opponent''s brain. Without missing a beat, the other spiders redeployed themselves. Some charged at him, while others scaled the ceiling. Priam parried backward. A spark was created when the spear came into contact with the sharp leg of one of the monsters. The spider raised one of its eight legs and tried to pierce him. The hard black chitin covering the tips of its legs seemed capable of penetrating the Viscount''s constitution. Rolling backward, Priam dodged the blow and two balls of slimy thread shot toward him. As he rose, he swept the spider with his spear and hurled it to the ground. Before its allies could save it, Priam pierced its head. Another spider pounced on him. Priam had no time to disengage his spear, as the spider had already penetrated his guard. He raised his left arm and touched the spider''s leg. Discharging some of his kinetic energy, he catapulted the monster. Its carapace exploded against the wall, its blue blood covered the rock. Freeing Promesse, Priam dodged another swipe before counter-attacking. With a thrust, his weapon penetrated the spider. The creature froze before collapsing to the ground. Behind it, five others awaited their turn. Their paws clicking on the stone floor informed Priam that he was surrounded. A distinctive noise was heard above him. Looking up at the last moment, he saw the bright ceiling darken, hidden by a spider''s falling body. Pulling out a grenade, Priam straddled the mist the next instant. He reappeared behind the barrier created by the spiders'' corpses and bent down. An explosion resonated, and Priam rose to his feet. A dozen spiders were lying on the ground, their legs curled up. The monsters had made the mistake of charging into the spot he had occupied only moments ago. Looking up, Priam counted three more adult spiders. Hundreds of babies were waking up and tearing open their bags prematurely. The sound of a grenade exploding near them must have disturbed their dream... Priam raised Promesse and whistled. The three spiders came running as the Viscount retreated into the tunnel. A second after him, each carried on eight legs, they approached at full speed. Their starting position forced them to position themselves one behind the other, making Priam smile. His hand lowered, and Promesse disappeared. If his spear reminded him of his desire for freedom, it was a promise of death for his enemies. The three spiders collapsed, and Priam caught his breath. He''d been fighting for several minutes and was using his energy quickly. Despite his great Vitality, Micro was exhausting his stamina by demanding the maximum from every one of his muscles. Or almost. Thanks to his Vivacity and Dexterity, Priam realized he wasn''t using all of Micro''s abilities yet. Controlling every muscle in his body individually during a fight was complicated. Inspecting himself, Priam confirmed that the spiders hadn''t injured him once. "Fuck..." sighed Priam as he saw the hundreds of little spiders arriving. He had no time to lose. "Do you want me to take care of it?" offered Sphinx. "Yes, please." Priam concentrated on [Aether Perception], curious how Sphinx would do it. His skill enabled him to see a sphere materialize around his friend. In the area concerned, the aether seemed more stable, less mobile. Sphinx''s Domain had spread out in a three-meter radius around them. Advancing towards the spiders, Priam watched in fascination as their tiny bodies twitched. As soon as one of them entered the Domain''s sphere of action, it would die. "How do you do that?" "I scramble their aether. Concretely, their meridians burst, and their minds dislocate," Sphinx explained. Priam''s heartbeat quickened. The power of a Domain over a weaker being was terrifying. Promesse''s tip lifted one of the corpses. Although not big, the baby spider must have been around twenty centimeters high. For Priam, this was twenty centimeters too high. The creatures were dead, but the Domain didn''t make them disappear. Priam grimaced with disgust as he returned to the nursery. With every step, he felt corpses crushing underfoot. He stopped twice to remove pieces that had become wedged between his toes. "It''s disgusting..." he complained. Sphinx laughed, perched on his shoulder. For a moment, Priam imagined grabbing her and throwing her onto the carpet of spiders. In the end, common sense prevailed. He was the oldest and had to be the wisest. Above all, he had no desire to test Sphinx''s limits. If she decided to take revenge by making him eat those spiders... Priam shuddered. The grenade had started a fire that was quickly brought under control. Some spiders didn''t hesitate a second before slicing off the flaming parts of the cocoons and throwing them aside. Apparently, silk caught fire very easily. Priam stepped back into the room and waited. After about thirty seconds, no monster had yet attacked him. However, he had observed some spiders wandering between the cocoons. "The soldiers are dead, but workers are still looking after the babies... Sounds like a division of labor based on ant colonies," remarked Priam. "What''s an ant?" asked Sphinx. Priam began to explain calmly, bending over the corpse of the largest spider he could find. The specimen must have been almost a meter and a half tall. Its fangs - from which the venom emanated - were almost ten centimeters long. Priam activated [Focus] to combat his disgust. He pulled the corpse to him and planted the hook in his arm. Part of it was already filled with venom, and the liquid penetrated his body. Under the effect of [Focus] and Micro, Priam''s face remained impassive. He waited a few seconds before releasing the hook. "Why did you do that?" asked Sphinx. She didn''t seem worried that he might have hurt himself. Priam was pretty sure she thought he was more or less immortal, despite him assuring the contrary. Tribulations worried her, but not a small - or large - spider bite. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 4 CONST +1 VIT +1 If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. META (END) +1 "I don''t know where Anatole is, but there are certainly hundreds of caves like this one. If these spiders can poison the Jubokko, then I want to be able to do it too. [Poison Body] allows me to strengthen my body by testing different venoms. I''m pretty sure my blood also takes on the characteristics of the poisons I''ve tested," Priam explained. There was no clear indication about that in the skill description, but Priam had long understood that the System didn''t give all the answers. [Poison Body] - In your body flows poison. Your blood is harmful to most organisms. You are resistant to the poisons of your Tier, and they strengthen your organs, bones, and muscles. Smoking is now good for your health. Too bad there are no more cigarettes. "In addition, I''m resistant to this poison, but they''re still Viscount. I would not be surprised if their poison could overcome my defenses to some degree. Might as well start immunizing myself." "Then I''ll get you the biggest spider ever! By the way, I think I know how to find Anatole," said Sphinx. "No thanks. What about Anatole?" Priam asked, intrigued. "The poison of these little spiders won¡¯t defeat an Earl, even if that is his weakness. Anatole must want to use Barons¡¯ and Viscounts¡¯. All we need to do is find the strongest spiders and we''re done!" "You¡¯re a clever girl, you know that?!" exclaimed Priam while petting her. His friend had the ability to step back from the situation, and the solution became obvious. There had to be a cave full of Barons and Viscounts somewhere, and it was a safe bet that Anatole would be there. "I''ve got an idea how to get the Barons out of their hiding place..." Priam turned his gaze to the various white cocoons. A grenade had ignited several of these cocoons before the workers had extinguished them. "Say Sphinx, do you still have the grenades you swallowed at Viracocha?" His friend opened her mouth and a dozen grenades fell. Panicked, Priam barely caught them. He knew they wouldn''t explode so easily, but he wasn''t stupid enough to test their safety. "That answers my question..." he said, looking around the dark room. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 3 VIT +2 META (END) +1 You have eliminated more than 10,000 members of the same race. You and the [Araneaes Venarbor] are hostile. You can spot this species more easily. This species spots you less easily. The twelve grenades had ignited an inferno worthy of hell. Thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of baby spiders had died. The smoke had nearly killed him. Without breathing, he had sought out a downward tunnel - as the smoke was rising - and entered it. Looking at the fire behind him, Priam felt an impulse. The flames looked comforting. If Sphinx hadn''t been there, he''d undoubtedly have bathed in them. The fire devoured the corpses of his enemies, and its glow danced in Priam''s eyes. A few clicks were heard behind him. Priam prepared Promesse, turned and threw it. Micro and [Spear Throw] activated to deliver a throw worthy of an Olympic medal. The Baron had no time to dodge before dying. Priam recalled his weapon as he watched the spider fall to the ground. He had already killed two Baron-rank spiders just before arriving in the Dome. At the time, Priam''d given his all to kill the first, and the second had killed him - with Claire''s help. Today, a single throw was enough to kill opponents of this level. Smiling, Priam broke the spider''s hook before smelling it. His sense of smell would guide him up its trail. Anatole was waiting at the end. Prometheus was watching the Tribulation. Several kilometers away, a titanic lion had just destroyed one of the Revenants'' Abominations. The final attack, resembling a super-powered laser, was lost in space after piercing the chimera. Despite the distance, Prometheus had briefly felt the energy contained within. His conclusion was distressing. "Humanity is far from ready," he said, turning around. "Shall I go and slay that lion, Sir?" A man, kneeling on the ground, awaited his orders. Had Priam been present, he would have recognized his armor as hoplite. "A wounded creature is dangerous. Let''s wait until his Tribulation is over. Take control of our army and decimate any animals that come near," ordered Prometheus before returning to his tent. Guandi straightened up as he saw his master''s back disappear under the tent. Not so long ago, he would never have thought of bowing like this. But Prometheus was more devoted to humanity than any other man. The warrior was proud to serve a fighter as powerful as he was just. Part of him - the part that loved war and chaos - wanted to face him again. Guandi wanted to measure himself against what he knew to be one of humanity''s greatest fighters. Maybe he could win this time. Just this morning, he had unlocked a second Supremacy - Mastery. Almost seventy years of daily martial arts practice had proved their worth. Prometheus'' general used his greatsword mainly for fighting. He liked its length but also its power. The weapon''s long blade enabled him to multiply the power of his blows with a simple lever effect. Archimedes had said, ¡®Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world¡¯. Guandi¡¯s only wish was to shake his enemies and those of the Divine King. But before that, he had a mission to carry out. He turned to look at his brothers and sisters in arms. An army of a hundred men and women was waiting near the tent. Each of these fighters had been spotted and trained - briefly - by powerful factions. Each had enormous potential. Prometheus had freed and assembled them. Guandi commanded them. "Attention, comrades! The Earl''s army is coming. I want ten teams: five in defensive position and five in attack. No one goes near the Earl or the Tribulation!" thundered the general. His two hundred points in Strength allowed him to shout loudly when needed. "Bring me back some cores!" The army saluted before dispersing. The cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me of humanity was under his command, and Guandi was proud to be the best of them. Yet he didn''t want to be overconfident. He had seen humanity''s rival civilizations with his own eyes. For his armor, he had paid the price of blood. Humanity was destined to bleed. But the man in the tent behind him could change everything. His name was Prometheus. Guandi closed his visor. In the distance, he had spotted a Viscount. It was time to show this Priam Azura that he was not alone at the top. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 277 (+1) Agility 193 Vitality 290 (+4) Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 201 Memory 50 Willpower 288 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 141 Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 92 (+2) Meta-perception 32 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1311 (+4) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 7 min 37s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 8 hours 27 minutes 31 seconds. Read this free on SH and RoyalRoad! Chapter 74: A mans sacrifice Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 5 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Lvl Up: [Sense of smell] lvl 9 DEXT +1 Every hundred meters or so, side galleries opened onto the main tunnel. At each junction, Priam stuck his nose to the ground, trying to catch the scent of the spider. Inevitably, it was coming from the front. The tunnel went deeper and deeper into the darkness. Finally, after some twenty minutes, he reached the end. Before him lay a dark well. For a spider, the path simply continued vertically. Priam leaned over the edge and peered down. To the naked eye, almost nothing was visible. The lines of luminescent mushrooms continued, but giant webs quickly obscured the light. "Shall we burn them?" asked Sphinx. Priam thought for a second before shaking his head. "No. I''d rather not warn Anatole of our arrival. If he dominates the spiders, he knows an intruder is coming, but he has no way of knowing it''s me." "Except by divination," says Sphinx. "Yes, except by..." Priam suddenly stopped. It had been several hours since he had received a level-up from his divination resistance. The climax of the Reunion was approaching, so it was more than strange: it was suspicious. "Sphinx, protect me for a few minutes, please," he asked. Sphinx nodded as she leaped from his shoulder and grew to almost four meters tall. In these narrow tunnels, she could defend one side against hundreds of spiders. Priam sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. Activating [Focus] and [Meditation], he reviewed his memory. He was pretty sure there was a problem. [Eidetic Memory] obeyed, and Priam slowly went back in time, scrutinizing his memories. The fight against the spiders, the descent into the tunnels, the discussion with Blueberry and Sphinx, the questions to his clones and... The questions! Answer: Ask about Anatole Aely''Samael''s plan, position and weaknesses. Where''s Anatole Aely''Samael and what''s his plan?" he had asked. Priam gritted his teeth. His clones left nothing to chance, yet he hadn''t listened to them: he hadn''t asked for Anatole''s weakness. He hadn''t even thought about it, despite his inhuman Memory. There was only one possible explanation: he had been briefly manipulated. It was undoubtedly one of the only times as Priam''s Titles, Trees of Merit and Talent synergized to increase his resistances. Trying to control him was a very complex undertaking, and he doubted any human had the strength and finesse to do it. "Unless it''s not a human," Priam murmured. He closed his eyes and invoked [Mirror of the Soul]. His reflection looked back at him, a mocking smile on its lips. It took you long enough... he seemed to say. Priam winced as he saw the chain that crowned his head. It was attached to a jar. Or rather, an urn. The chain was a metaphor, symbolizing Anatole''s power over Priam. Gritting his teeth in rage, the Viscount activated the purifying power of his Talent. The pond that held his reflection flickered for a moment, and the water receded a bit. The chain linking him to the urn shattered into a thousand pieces. POT -8 Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 6,7 WILL +6 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 12,13 META (AFFI) +6 Priam was torn between anger and relief. Had it not been for Sphinx''s intervention and his clones'' phrase, he might have walked into a trap. According to [Eidetic Memory], the urn - or Anatole - had been very thrifty. To prevent Priam from resisting manipulation, they had only manipulated him twice. The first time, so he wouldn''t question Anatole''s weakness. The second, so that he wouldn''t notice the increase in his resistance. "I would have realized it straight away if I dived into [Mirror of the Soul]! From now on, I''ll be checking my reflection at least once an hour," Priam swore to himself. His Talent was mighty, but it couldn''t shine in the hands of an idiot. Taking the urn between his fingers, the Viscount admonished himself. What kind of fool would pick up a cursed item carelessly? Gollum had thought he''d outsmarted the ring and paid the price. Fortunately for Priam, he was more powerful than Gollum. Before anything else, Priam obeyed his clones. What''s Anatole''s weakness? Answer: Anatole seeks to resurrect his wife and their daughter Rose. Priam sighed. As usual, love was the cause of great sacrifice. A man like him, capable of creating chimeras by merging people, loves his family? The idea seemed ridiculous, but if Pablo Escobar could burn thousands of bank bills to warm his daughter, then anything was possible. The urn in his hands glowed darkly and Priam wondered for a moment if Anatole had always been mad. If a well-known ring could corrupt its wearer, why not the urn? Observing the corrupted object from every angle, Priam refocused. Now was not the time for guesswork but for action. He began by raising Anatole''s danger level in his mind. The man was an outstanding manipulator, but above all, he was an incredible magician. Watching and manipulating someone from kilometers away was impressive. But perhaps he could be caught at his own game? Priam closed his eyes, keeping the urn in his hand. He projected himself back into [Mirror of the Soul] and invoked the image of his jar. If Anatole had been able to monitor and manipulate Priam through the urn, perhaps it wasn''t just a receiver. The Grand Master of the Revenants certainly had to check regularly that Priam remained a good puppet. If that was the case, if the urn could communicate with Anatole, it had to be able to find him... Connecting to his Potential, Priam observed his reflection. Using [Eidetic Memory] to recall the shape of the chains, he visualized them. The Potential invaded his mental space and he materialized the chains again, crowning his reflection. They were projections, but their power was real. Priam nearly forgot the danger represented by Anatole. Only a surge of willpower prevented him from innocently continuing on his way. POT -15 Priam wished to continue observing the chains without succumbing to their power. Looking at his reflection, he had an idea. His Potential vibrated, and the mirror image trembled for a moment. A weight lifted from Priam''s shoulders. The chains still existed, but they now exclusively chained his reflection. The reflection and Priam were temporarily disconnected. The disadvantage was that if an enemy manipulated him again, his image would not be chained. Thus, [Mirror of the Soul] would no longer warn him when his freedom was hindered. It was a dangerous decision, but Priam had to take risks to deceive Anatole. However, it did have one considerable advantage. [Mirror of the Soul] was powerful because it did not concern itself with the link between cause and effect. In practical terms, the reflection was chained by the urn, and thus under Anatole''s yoke. By restoring the chains, Priam had restored Anatole''s skills, so he would see no change. He would manipulate the memory of Priam''s reflection - thus increasing his resistance - without affecting the real one. But it gets even better... Back in the real world, Priam analyzed the cursed urn. By channeling his Potential into [Aether Perception], the jar revealed a kind of thread, so fine it was almost invisible. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 11 META (PERC) +3 POT -3 The wire was taut, disappearing into the ground and connecting the urn to another point below Priam. Moving the urn from left to right, he watched the immaterial thread follow the movements. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Bingo." Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 12 META (PERC) +3 POT -4 "Sphinx, no need to be discreet after all. I''ve found our friend." "Is Blueberry here?" "... No, I''m sorry. I mean I found Anatole. He''s our enemy, but I call him friend ironically." "Why?" asked Sphinx. For a moment, Priam was tempted to tell her to forget their conversation, but he remembered that she was very young. Sphinx had no parents to explain such things to her, and if he wanted to be a good friend, he had to help her. "Well, it was ironic. Simply put, we humans love to laugh, as it makes us happy. There are several mechanisms for making someone laugh. One of them is to say the opposite of what you think. It marks a contrast between reality and what you''re saying. When it''s done on a subject that''s not very funny in the first place, it''s often ironic," he explained. "Get it?" "Not at all, you''re explaining it extremely badly," Sphinx replied in a neutral voice. "Ah. Uh... Then I''ll find an example," Priam said, scratching his head. Suddenly, Sphinx burst out laughing and Priam looked at her, dumbfounded, before understanding. "Okay. That was pretty good," he laughed. "It wasn''t really irony, but it was funny. I must be an excellent teacher." Sphinx laughed harder and Priam smiled before squinting. "Wait, that wasn''t ironic, though!" Sphinx''s laughter echoed through the tunnel. The shaft went down for almost a kilometer. Titanic cobwebs covered it, and Priam had to destroy them regularly with Promesse. Fortunately, no web remained clinging to the tip of his spear for long. The Phoenix''s blessing enabled him to summon small flames along the weapon''s length, burning away the accumulated threads. For the moment, the flames were too weak to be dangerous, but this could change in the future. Clutching Promesse in his right hand, Priam tried to communicate with it. Indeed, until it lit itself, he had no idea of its ability to ignite. The System''s description didn''t mention it. Perhaps there were other techniques hidden at the heart of his spear. If so, Priam wanted to find out. Unfortunately, the weapon only sent him a happy feeling. It was glad to fight and be with him. That''s already something, Priam comforted himself. The end of the shaft soon appeared, and Priam carefully placed his foot on the ground. Four tunnels were visible, but Priam didn''t hesitate for a moment. The wire linking Anatole to the urn pointed toward one of the tunnels, and his instincts told him that his enemy was relatively close. Without missing a beat, Priam began to run. Using Micro and [Athletics] to the maximum, he shot like an arrow. Sphinx was on the lookout for possible traps, and he was no longer afraid of being spotted. Indeed, the rock had replaced the earth beneath his feet. Spiders could no longer place alarms every centimeter. After a few minutes, he saw the end of the tunnel. Slowing down, Priam concentrated on [Stealth]¡¯s directions. Crossing the last few meters in a crouch, he stopped at the edge of a cliff. The young Viscount''s eyes widened. Before him was a gigantic hall, larger than a hundred soccer fields put together and almost a kilometer high. Oval in shape, the top of the hall was occupied by a titanic root. Priam stood at the edge of a tunnel that opened halfway up the cavern. The walls were lined with spider cocoons. At the very bottom of the cavern was a veritable army of arachnids. Some were gigantic and exuded powerful auras. So many Nobles are packed here... Gigantic silk threads enabled the spiders to traverse the room both vertically and horizontally. The room''s brightness was very low, and all Priam wanted to do was create a spark. Perhaps there was a Title for killing hundreds of thousands of enemies? But first, he had to take care of Anatole. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 17 AGI +1 Lying on the tunnel''s edge, Priam watched the spiders move about. The urn in his hands indicated that his enemy was below. Priam had no way of getting there without being spotted. Even if he was the most invisible, there were too many threads stretched out on all sides to dodge them. Suddenly, all the spiders came to a halt at once. An order had been given. The next instant, the largest specimens began to climb the cave walls toward the root. Behind them, their fellow creatures followed. Priam retreated into the tunnel and surrounded himself with mist, camouflaging his presence. Seconds ticked by, as spiders continued to climb en masse. Seconds gave way to minutes, and Priam stood still, attentive. Finally, the stream of spiders dried up. The ground shook as if an earthquake of great magnitude had been unleashed. The tunnel cracked, and fissures appeared. The epicenter was in the spider cave, and Priam stepped forward again to inspect the damage. The ceiling was now covered with these vile creatures. Under the carpet of spiders, Priam could barely see the root of the Jubokko. Suddenly, a few spiders jostled each other, and he understood. The tree had moved. Or rather, the root had moved. The spiders were biting the Earl en masse, and it seemed powerless to stop them. As soon as one spider had finished pouring its venom into the root, it retreated and another took its place. The sap circulation system carried the toxin throughout the tree. The Earl was immensely powerful, but being static was his weak point. Still, it wasn''t completely defenseless. Every few seconds, spiders were falling. Most fell to the bottom of the cavern and exploded against the rock. But some were stopped by the taut wires. Their legs, retracted under their abdomens, betrayed their death. "The Jubokko kills with its Domain," explained Sphinx. Priam nodded. He was witnessing a fight between an elephant and ants. The spiders were numerous, but the tree was immense. It would eventually heal itself and resist the venom if it didn''t die soon. It was possibly the creatures'' only chance. Priam turned to Sphinx. "Why doesn''t it destroy them as easily as you destroyed the little spiders?" "Its Domain is vast. It chose size over power. Besides, killing adult spiders is a lot harder than killing babies. I don''t know if I''d be able to do it," Sphinx admitted. "Mmh." On average, a spider died every second. About a hundred thousand adult spiders were in the cave. The fight would therefore last around twenty-eight hours. Priam didn''t have that much time. Taking advantage of the raging battle, he decided to find Anatole. A glance downwards confirmed that reaching the bottom of the cavern with his mist was impossible: the distance was too great. Priam then observed some of the tunnels below him. It should be possible to reach Anatole in several jumps. Unfortunately, most of the tunnels produced spiders every ten or twenty seconds. Choosing the wrong tunnel would instantly reveal him. Priam swore. He lacked an opportunity to descend undetected by hundreds of thousands of spiders. With eight eyes each, the Viscount wasn''t sure of his chances of reaching the bottom of the cave unseen. Suddenly, an opportunity presented itself. A massive spider fell from the ceiling, and no wires were in its path to stop it. Priam quickly placed Sphinx on the ground. "Wait here." "Okay!" With a wink to his friend, Priam straddled the mist. He reappeared a meter below the spider and clung to its back. The monster was quite hairy, and Priam pressed himself against it, almost disappearing into its fur. Turning his head, he ignored his disgust and watched the ground rapidly approaching. Twenty meters from the end of the fall, he teleported behind a cocoon. A second later, a disgusting noise informed him of the fate of his means of transport. Priam shivered at the thought of the monster he''d just hugged and looked into the urn to find Anatole. Anatole was right underneath him. Priam looked up, admiring the titanic oval one last time. Five hundred meters above, his eagle eyes caught sight of Sphinx, shaking one of her paws in greeting. Priam smiled as he returned her greeting. She really is adorable! The bottom of the cave was covered in cocoons. Priam couldn''t take a step without crushing spider eggs and decided simply to stand still. After all, his mist could tell him a lot about the geometry of the place. Priam found the passageway in a matter of seconds and teleported there. A sort of perfectly circular shaft lay at the center of the cavern. The walls were smooth and cocoon-free. The System had artificially created the area, and it looked like a Boss''s antechamber... Priam chose to float down. After a hundred meters or so, he came to a second cavity. Much smaller, this one was essentially occupied by a ten-meter long spider. Hundreds of workers harvested the eggs it laid every second before transporting them to auxiliary tunnels. The layer - or Queen? - was sitting in a whitish liquid that gave off a pestilential odor. In front of it, workers were continuously dropping off food. Yet none of this caught Priam''s gaze. His horrified eyes focused on the layer''s forehead. Just above its eyes, a human torso appeared. Anatole, half-fused into the spider, watched Priam back. "You''re faster than I expected," he sighed. Seeing Priam''s gaze, he added. "Why are you looking at me like that? You know I''ve fused men to build chimera. I''m willing to make sacrifices too." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 155 Constitution 278 (+1) Agility 194 (+1) Vitality 291 (+1) Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 202 (+1) Memory 50 Willpower 295 (+7) Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 147 (+6) Meta-focus 98 Meta-endurance 93 (+1) Meta-perception 38 (+6) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1297 (-14) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 58 min 27s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 7 hours 38 minutes 21 seconds. Chapter 75: The Hero, the Madman and the Legend "You''re faster than expected," sighed Anatole. Seeing Priam''s gaze, he added. "Why are you looking at me like that? I''ve created chimeras by fusing humans. I''m ready to make sacrifices too." Priam floated to the ground and raised his spear. Knowing Anatole, a trap could happen at any moment. The giant spider lowered its head slightly so that Anatole and Priam could exchange a glance. "... Why?" Priam didn''t know what else to say. That a man could willingly merge with a creature of horror seemed impossible to him. "Because it''s the only way to control these spiders. They listen to their progenitor - and now to me." "All this to turn the Jubokko into an Abomination?" Anatole shrugged. "When the tree will perish, I''ll be rewarded by the System commensurate with my efforts." Priam was stunned for a moment. The conversation seemed outlandish to him. Anatole had tried to take control of his body only a few hours ago. Now he was talking as if nothing had happened. Why am I talking to this lunatic? "I find you very calm, knowing I''m here to kill you." "You can try. My body is currently fused with an Earl. This spider is weaker in attack than the lion and less resistant than the redwood. But it''s still an Earl." Anatole must have succeeded in replacing or dominating the Earl''s mind. Priam observed his opponent. The Revenant could be bluffing, of course, but his instincts told him that Anatole was more of a chess player than a poker player. Why bluff when you could weave a dozen backup plans? "The more I get to know you, the more similarities I find between you and spiders," commented Priam. The sentence drew a smile from his enemy. "Yet, I''m arachnophobic. But I have to fight my weaknesses." "I''m not sure you''re fighting all your weaknesses. For example, I''ve heard you wish to resurrect your wife and daughter?" No sooner had the words left his mouth that the atmosphere froze. The light dimmed, and the mushrooms closed. The distant sound of battle faded. Anatole was in complete control of his domain. Perhaps even his Domain. Maybe I should have attacked without wasting time... Part of Priam''s brain pondered his possible attacks and escapes. After about ten seconds, Anatole unlocked his jaw. "How?" Priam looked at him as if his opponent were an idiot. "You think I''m going to answer that?" "... Your bait worked. I¡¯ll hear what you have to say. Think carefully about your words." Silence filled the room as the workers withdrew. In the distance, the high-pitched cries of spiders could be heard. The ground shook occasionally when the Jubokko tried to hide its root. Priam didn''t know what to say. His clones had given him Anatole''s weakness, which must have been complicated to find. It had undoubtedly taken thousands of hypothetical interactions between Anatole and Priam for the secret to be revealed. But if there was just one chance - even in a billion - that Anatole could explain his weakness, then one of his clones could learn it. I could ask for the perfect phrase to keep the conversation going... He had eight questions left, three of them before his tribulations. It wasn''t much, and he didn''t want to waste one now. His doubles had given him all the cards. All he had to do was play them well. Priam had not forgotten his primary objective: to survive his Tribulations. Secondarily, he also wanted to save as many people as possible, succeed in his quests and kill Anatole. All three objectives were linked... The silence dragged on until Priam raised his head. "I have the means to resurrect Rose as a human without side effects. I swear it on my Potential." Priam''s heart missed a beat as a horrible sensation rose inside him. Like the tide, it invaded his body before receding, leaving him breathless and amputated of part of his Potential. POT -50. His oath was accepted by his Potential. After all, he was telling the truth. The System had offered him an excellent quest reward. First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Eliminate as many Revenants as possible. Next reward: Depending on your participation. Bonus: Kill Anatole Aely''Samael, the Grand Master of the Cultists. Reward: You can choose one soul to resurrect. For a moment, Priam wondered if everything had been planned. His instincts told him no. The Concepts gave young civilizations a great deal of freedom, certainly in the hope of a miracle. Anatole¡¯s eyes widened. "I... How?" "Let''s be honest, yeah? What''s your interest in destroying the Jubokko?" Of course, being in command of a Viscount-rank spider army and having an Earl to protect his base was positive for Anatole. However, the man hadn''t done all this to accumulate some little power. Above all, he wanted to resurrect his family. The Grand Master of the Revenants remained silent for several seconds. The news seemed to have disturbed him greatly. "I want to use the Jubokko to kill Safamu - the Lion Earl - that spider and then kill the sequoia. Killing three Earls would create enough of a feat for the Concepts to give me a personalized reward. I... I''d like to resurrect Rose." Anatole''s voice was so soft as he spoke his daughter''s name that Priam surprised himself with compassion. The man was a monster, but his love seemed genuine. Priam took some time to ponder the revelation. On his third Achievement, the Concepts had interceded to modify his reward and increase his chances of survival. So, Anatole might have been telling the truth: certain feats made it possible to formulate a wish. But would that be enough? "You''re not sure it''ll work," Priam realized. Faced with Anatole''s silence, Priam continued. "Even if killing those three Earls would allow you to resurrect your wife or daughter, there''s little chance you''d succeed. After all, everyone is against you. I''m not easily killed and... My Tribulations are about to begin." Priam had a plan that required Anatole''s cooperation, and he intended to be honest. You couldn''t teach an old dog new tricks, so Priam had no intention of lying to his enemy. Truth was his weapon. "I have several Tribulations coming at once, and they will destroy the plans of most of the factions that gather here." Anatole raised an eyebrow. "So I''m talking to a dead man." "That''s what we''ll see. But even without that, the most powerful human fighters are coming and intend to reap some benefits. The chances of you killing those three Earls on your own are... slim." "You think I don''t know that?!" Priam raised his weapon when he heard Anatole''s angry exclamation. The man was losing his temper when his family was at stake. "I have no choice! I''ve accumulated two Achievements using the Revenants, but nothing is good enough for the System," Anatole caught his breath before sighing. "The more time passes, the more powerful fools will become by finding treasure or selling their souls to super factions. If I want to impress the Concepts, it''s now or never!" Thanks to the urn, Anatole had met an early opportunity, but he knew that others would soon meet their own. Humanity was a competitive species, and staying ahead would be harder and harder. The only way was to make the most of his winnings and reinvest them quickly. "Then I''ll make you a deal. You help me and I''ll resurrect your daughter in exchange. Rose will enjoy life once again." Priam felt dirty using a little girl''s life to achieve his ends. Anatole''s appearance suggested a man in his forties. His daughter must have been barely in her teens. Anatole watched him for a moment, and Priam took the opportunity to review his plan. The decision was not a hasty one. Anatole currently controlled both an Earl and thousands of spiders. If a fight broke out, he''d have a hard time winning. Even in the event of victory, his injuries would handicap him during his Tribulations. Priam was not a fool blinded by the presence of an enemy. Anatole was a monster who deserved to die, but Priam had no intention of sacrificing himself to avenge strangers. "How can you be so sure it will work?" Anatole asked at last. "Well, I swore on my Potential and..." Anatole cut him off. "It means you think it will work. Not that it will work." "It''s a quest reward. Kill Anatole Aely''Samael, the Grand Master of the Cultists. Reward: You can choose one soul to resurrect''," read Priam. Anatole looked him straight in the eye, and Priam tightened his grip on Promesse. After several intense seconds, the man smiled. "Good." "What?" "Good. What do you want in return?" smiled Anatole. "... You¡¯re sure?" asked Priam. Perhaps this was yet another trap set by his enemy. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "My family is the most important thing to me. I know I have little chance of resurrecting them myself. Almost none, in fact. Some super factions are waiting for the lion to show any sign of weakness. Your proposal assures me of resurrecting my daughter. I¡¯m glad to accept." A smile lit up his face and he continued. "My wife would die of grief without her baby, so better resurrect my daughter." "... Perfect then," replied Priam after a pause. Anatole seemed capable of dying for his daughter, but something was fishy here. Perhaps he had a way to resurrect himself? If so, Anatole would be disappointed. By pissing on the statue of Viracocha, Priam had acquired a particular skill. [There is no Heaven] was capable of damaging the souls of his enemies. Priam had no desire to let his enemy live a third time. "Let''s make a contract to bind us," proposed Anatole. "That''s what I was going to suggest." Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 13,14,15,16 META (PERC) +12 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 3 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 6,7,8,9 CONST +4 VIT +4 META (END) +4 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 11,12 STR +2 A spider approached and sank its fangs into Priam''s forearm. Its venom invaded his bloodstream. The toxin was magical, its purpose being to burst the victim''s meridians. Priam was careful to inject only small doses. Tribulation was coming, and he needed to be in top form. The spider backed off, and Priam started doing push-ups again, with Sphinx lying on top of him. Her miniaturization skill wasn''t reducing her mass. Sphinx was constantly using a skill that allowed her to manipulate gravity to reduce her weight. At the moment, Priam felt as if an elephant was sitting on him. I know you don''t ask a girl her weight, but my hands are sinking into the rock right now! "Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Priam breathlessly. "If you''re not going to kill your friend," Anatole said, pointing at Sphinx. "That''s the best plan." Priam growled. "Your daughter won''t be resurrected if you lie to me." "I know." Anatole''s idea was based on Priam''s plan: to obtain the Earl Title just after triggering his Tribulations. The timing had to be perfect. Killing the Noble too soon would trigger a fifth or even sixth Tribulation. If the Earl survived too long, the Tribulations would keep Priam busy, leaving him no time to finish off his enemy. "I don''t understand why you''re so bent on killing Safamu. The mushrooms that cover the Jubokko are highly flammable. We could kill it very easily now that it''s weakened," sighed Anatole. Priam shook his head. "The tree must die poisoned." His clones had spoken of a Crimson Fruit, obtained by the Poisoner. It was a safe bet that the tree would put all its energy into creating a fruit as it felt itself dying. The flames would kill it quickly but destroy the fruit. "You want it to die slowly, but it''ll take almost ten hours with the poison. It would be closer to twenty hours without the mushrooms; that''s still too long for your Tribulations," remarked Anatole. Priam set about finishing his push-ups. "Too bad," he muttered, arms outstretched to face the ground, before starting another push-up. The Crimson Fruit could wait until his Tribulations were over. Priam had high hopes of it synergizing with Log-a-rhythm... So he needed another target. Of course, killing the spider controlled by Anatole seemed more straightforward than destroying Safamu - even if wounded. "And you, sure you can''t control your spider better?" gasped Priam. Anatole looked down at the creature of horror that served as his mount. "I wish I could solve our problem right now, but I can''t. If you attack it, it''ll fight back. I can influence it and attack the Jubokko, for example, but it retains its survival instinct. What''s more, its death means mine. If I die, the Concepts may ask you directly who you should resurrect. I don''t want my daughter to be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of giant spiders. She''s arachnophobic," he explained. "Like her Dad." "Yes," smiled Anatole before recovering himself. "Which leaves us with the lion. I''m keeping an eye on his Tribulation. We''ll come up as soon as it nears the end." "To kill him directly if his Tribulation is too dangerous or to ambush him," Priam finished. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 13 STR +1 "Okay, that''s enough!" he declared. Sphinx jumped down, and Priam sat cross-legged. "Show me the exercises again, please," he asked Anatole. Priam had been waiting for nearly three hours but hadn''t rested. The first thing he had done was to fetch Sphinx to witness their contract. The mythical creature told him she could create the contract herself, and Anatole agreed. The terms were simple. Anatole would do everything in his power to ensure that Priam survived his next Tribulation. In exchange, Priam would kill Anatole a few moments before triggering his Tribulations. He would then resurrect Rose directly - Anatole had no confidence in Priam''s ability to survive his Tribulations - and entrust her to Sphinx. Once the Tribulations were over, a certain Seraphine would come to fetch Rose, and Priam would let her collect the child and leave. The contract was very basic, but according to Sphinx, it was for the best. Finding a loophole in a complicated contract was possible, but a simple one didn''t have this problem. On the whole, Priam was satisfied. His resistance to poison was increasing and he would be able to resist the egg-laying mother more easily when he would have to kill Anatole. However, the real opportunity laid elsewhere. Priam didn''t know the Revenants'' master''s background, but he was a genius when it came to manipulating aether. By explaining a few tricks and giving Priam a few exercises, the young man had made a giant leap forward in aether manipulation. During the first hour, Anatole had taught him how to color his aether and force it into specific shapes. Thanks to his mental attributes, Priam had quickly mastered a few simple exercises. Anatole didn''t comment, but he sensed his opponent''s surprise. Priam had unlocked level three of [Aether Manipulation] when he succeeded in making the still image of a Rubik''s Cube. The exercise may have seemed simple, but the reality was quite different. Priam had to materialize nine threads of aether and bend them in such a way as to imitate twenty-seven cubes that then formed one. Because of the level-up, Priam had to temporarily stop his experiments. META (Focus) was at 99, and just one more point would trigger a new Tribulation. Priam was disappointed to stop there and asked for exercises to improve [Aether Perception]. Handling aether reminded him of real magic. Talking to Anatole, he had learned that aether could produce different results depending on the form it took. Apparently, System skills were extremely complex runes of aether engraved in a person''s soul. The master of the Revenants and Priam had exchanged theories on aether, the System, the eighth Concept and even various hypothetical Titles or Achievements. Priam found himself admiring the Revenant''s brilliant mind. If only he weren''t a complete psychopath... "I sense useless thoughts. There''s not much time left, the Earl''s Tribulation is nearing its end," Anatole announced, ending his demonstration. "Okay. I think I''m ready," Priam replied. It was only half true, as he had waited a little longer than necessary. Indeed, the Viscount-rank spiders'' poison had lost its effectiveness almost a quarter of an hour ago. But despite their contract, Priam wouldn''t have gone near an Earl-rank spider without a fail-safe. He smiled as he read his latest notification. [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Anatole nodded, and the colossal spider slowly approached Priam. Its mandibles opened, and he held out his hand. The spider''s fangs closed, and Priam clenched his teeth with all his might. The Earl stepped back, and Priam began to breathe again. He ran his tongue along his teeth. One of his molars had cracked under the effort. The spider''s venom was slowly spreading through his veins. Priam tried to concentrate his aether but to no avail. [Moon Mist] was equally useless, and no mist was created. However, I can still control the existing mist... A few minutes later, his body had analyzed and destroyed the poison. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 10 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 "I suppose it worked?" guessed Anatole, noticing Priam''s smile. "Yep. What do we do now?" "Now we go to the surface. We have to stop Safamu from joining the Jubokko. If we don''t, they''ll help each other, and we''ll lose everything," concluded Anatole. "We go up, and I kill the big lion," Priam summed up. Sphinx climbed onto Priam''s shoulder, and he leaped towards the surface. Behind him, Anatole followed. Priam''s heart clenched with excitement. In less than two hours, he would be unleashing his Tribulations early. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 159 (+4) Constitution 284 (+6) Agility 194 Vitality 298 (+7) Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 202 Memory 50 Willpower 295 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 148 (+1) Meta-focus 99 (+1) Meta-endurance 98 (+5) Meta-perception 51 (+13) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1270 (-27) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 4 hours 33 minutes 15 seconds. Chapter 76: The Curse of St. Helens Safamu roared. His Tribulation was reaching its climax. As proof, the northern lights were beginning to disperse, and the last of the wisps were falling like cursed snowflakes. Unfortunately, most of them were touching the ground, reinforcing the final rune of the Tribulation. The Earl felt both enraged and hopeful. Three different human armies surrounded him. One of them, the last to arrive, had been largely massacred by the animals. Knocked unconscious and transported under wisp fire, thousands of stupid humans had greatly helped the lion. Thanks to their unwitting sacrifice, the buried rune of St.Helens was far from having reached its full potential. A colossal amount of energy was building up in the ground, but Safamu was optimistic about his chances of survival. However, not all humans had the IQ of a mosquito. A strategist clearly commanded the second army. Positioned in the shelter of a small pine wood, the human troops attacked and defended intelligently. Their commander exploited the animals'' weaknesses. Mainly, Safamu''s subjects didn''t work together. Worse, they regularly split up and found themselves isolated. In addition, their physical advantages often made them careless. Many were lured into rudimentary traps - camouflaged holes lined with stakes, snares placed on the ground, or thin ropes stretched between two trees. Their mobility was reduced, and their attacks blocked. Most humans were individually weak, but a thousand wounds would eventually overcome the animals. Nevertheless, some of the animals were thinking things through and managed to make the army bleed in return. The survivors would also be wary of traps in the future, which was positive from the Earl''s point of view. Unfortunately, there was a third army - the source of the lion''s rage. Made up of around a hundred men and women, this group really wreaked havoc. The red-and-gold-clad warriors moved in small groups and effectively eliminated his troops. Each human was individually strong, and some were of Baron rank. Faced with their teamwork, the animals didn''t stand a chance. Safamu turned to his last Viscount. The latter was wreaking havoc in the ranks of the first army. Whispering to the wind, the lion ordered his subordinate to change targets. He would have taken care of it himself, but the humans were far from his Tribulation. Suddenly, the ground shook. The last wisp had disappeared. The Tribulation was coming to an end. The lion stood up proudly and roared. Crouching on a branch, Guandi threw down his scabbard and grabbed his greatsword. A smile spread across his face as he saw the monster approaching rapidly. Some giant crocodile was planning to take one of his teams by surprise. The beast was nearly ten meters long and could have swallowed ten men without flinching. Guandi had no intention of letting him get away with it. The commander had never killed a Viscount alone, but his two Supremacies gave him the confidence to try. The wind rushed through the trees and blew in his direction. No scent would betray his ambush. The swordsman held his breath as the animal approached the fighting group. His men moved stealthily through the forest without concern for the Viscount. The reptile had good camouflage and must have thought himself invisible. When the beast was no more than twenty meters from his men, Guandi turned his sword, catching and reflecting a ray of sunlight. The beam was lost in the canopy. The sword continued to turn, changing the angle of the reflection until it reached the beast''s eye. The beast blinked - a basic reflex. [Sun Rush]. Transported through the beam, Guandi reappeared a meter away from the Viscount, his greatsword falling like an executioner''s axe. The weapon must have weighed close to a hundred kilograms and came down with all the warrior''s power. [Heavy Strike]. His Strength exceeded two hundred, and the result was bloody. The blade sank almost twenty centimeters into the crocodile''s eye. Covered in fluids, Guandi stepped back instantly. He hadn''t had time to withdraw his sword, but his swift reaction saved him from being crushed by the crocodile''s roll. "General, shall we..." "Get the hell out!" As his men scurried away, Guandi winced. It was going to be a tough fight. The reptile howled before shaking his head one last time. The greatsword was violently ejected from his eye and flew some twenty meters away. Guandi''s strength was monstrous for a human, but it seemed insignificant in the face of his opponent''s power. "You''re going to die, human," the beast articulated with difficulty. Guandi raised an eyebrow. He was impressed that a monster with such an impractical mouth could speak. "You''re the one bleeding right now," he remarked. A sort of laugh escaped from the beast''s throat. "Your most powerful attack barely pierced my eyelid and part of my eye. I wonder how you intend to penetrate my scales," laughed the Viscount. Guandi shrugged and walked towards his greatsword. The crocodile stepped aside, and Guandi began to run. Ten meters from his weapon, the Viscount seemed to accelerate magically and almost teleported between the sword and its owner. [Steel Call]. The sword shot toward its owner before striking one of the crocodile''s hind legs. It was one of Guandi''s most deadly techniques. The blade failed to pierce the reptile''s scales. Shit. [Sun Rush], [Sun Rush]. Using his rectilinear movement skill twice to get behind his enemy, Guandi retrieved his weapon. He moved into a defensive position just in time: the crocodile''s tail was about to lash out at him. [Micro]. His leg muscles protested as Guandi jumped. The tail passed beneath him before slamming into a tree. The pine trunk burst into pieces, offering no resistance to the Viscount. Guandi knew that a single blow like this meant death. The Viscount charged at him with supernatural speed, and the general used [Sun Rush] to hurry backward. Without moving at the speed of light, the skill allowed him to follow a ray of sunlight. When the air temperature was constant, this meant moving quickly in a straight line. Unfortunately, each use of his skill cost him around one-twentieth of his aether reserves. The crocodile attacked again, and Guandi dodged, using Micro to fully exploit his body. It was dangerous, as his attributes were relatively inhomogeneous. His Strength and Agility were over two hundred, but his Constitution could not exceed two hundred without triggering a third Tribulation. Therefore, each movement under Micro threatened to rupture his muscles or ligaments and break his bones. Guandi couldn''t do anything about it at the moment. He was ambitious but not crazy. Braving a double Tribulation would guarantee him a bright future. Perhaps, for his next Tribulation, he could even face a triple one before reaching Tier 1... The Viscount''s next charge exploded eight trees of a respectable diameter. The difference in attributes between the two adversaries was ridiculous. The crocodile''s physical attributes must have approached the five-hundred mark. I can¡¯t wait anymore. As the crocodile advanced once more, Guandi closed his eyes. [Natural Focus], [Great Battle Flow], [Warrior Trance], [Mastery - Greatsword]. The world slowed down, and Guandi''s useless thoughts disappeared. Micro was a terrifying Supremacy that allowed him to feel his body and command it finely. His body was a weapon, and Mastery turned that weapon into a nuclear bomb. A crimson aura covered his blade. Guandi imagined it capable of slicing through the world. Opening his eyes, the warrior detected a movement, and raised his sword. Blood spurted. Without giving the crocodile time to understand, he took a step forward and lowered his weapon again. The crocodile stepped back too late to dodge completely. The greatsword sank into its snout like a hot knife through butter. The crocodile disappeared briefly before reappearing twenty meters away, snout bloody, tail shortened and short of one eye. Guandi smiled as he confirmed the effect of [Mastery - Greatsword]. His Will was now superimposed on his blows, making them as sharp as his mind would allow. The reptile''s constitution was not up to the task. The two adversaries stared at each other for a second. The crocodile''s able-bodied eye moved for a moment to look at the piece of tail he had lost, and Guandi took advantage of this. The alligator panicked as he saw his opponent approaching and opened his mouth. Hundreds of water pellets shot out, each projected at the speed of a bullet. The beads shattered a tree trunk before continuing toward the warrior. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Guandi planted his sword in the ground and crouched behind it. [Bulwark]. A giant ghostly sword superimposed itself on his blade. Reinforced by Mastery, the skill stopped the Viscount''s attack. A second later, Guandi straightened up and burst out laughing. The reptile was fleeing. Time to hunt. Priam and Anatole were seated about a kilometer away from the lion. The two men watched in fascination as the grand finale loomed. The underground rune was accumulating energy and seemed to follow some blueprint. The more energy it absorbed, the more complete and deadly it became. Sphinx slept peacefully in Priam''s mass of hair. Her heritage, combined with her age, meant she had to sleep a lot. Priam coughed and thanked Anatole when he handed him a handkerchief to wipe up his blood. Usually, coughing up blood wasn''t good news, but Priam wasn''t worried. He had created the situation himself by asking Sphinx to attack him physically. Not being a masochist, there was a reason behind this request. Priam intended to kill Safamu in one shot. If one of his Tribulations caused him to lose consciousness or made him vulnerable in any way, the lion had to die before. So Priam had overloaded [Kinetic Control] again until one of his meridians had failed. Fortunately, his Vitality and a few drops borrowed from the Spring were healing him. "I feel like I''ve overeaten," he said. Anatole shrugged. "I''ve calculated that you''ve racked up about a billion Joules. That''s about one fifty-thousandth of Little Boy, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Concentrated in a single piercing attack, I wouldn''t put much stock in the lion''s skin." "That''s two hundred and forty thousand calories. The equivalent of one hundred and eighty-four kilograms of cooked white rice. You bet I feel full!" said Priam. "I don''t know what amazes me more. That it''s true, or that you thought to do the math..." Priam smiled but didn''t comment further. [Kinetic Control] wasn''t exactly a secret, but he wasn''t foolish enough to confirm Anatole''s assumptions by answering his roundabout questions. Priam had read enough books to know that bragging, even to a soon-to-be-dead man, could be dangerous. "It''s about to start.¡± "You''re right. I could hardly dream of a more beautiful sight before I die." Priam frowned for a few seconds before asking a question that was burning his tongue. "You''re a genius, Anatole. You could have helped humanity, especially in these difficult times. Instead, you decided to destroy it to save your family. Was it worth it?" Anatole materialized an aether Rubik''s Cube before answering. "My daughter loved this kind of game. She was very clever. She was our pride and joy with Nora - my wife." He turned to Priam. "You must have dreamed of your soul mate, right? Someone who understands you in an absolute way. Who supports you, motivates you, and pushes you to excel. Someone you''d love without limits and for whom you''d be ready to give everything, without it even being an effort for you..." Anatole''s eyes gazed into the past. The melancholic smile on his face was for people who were already dead. "I didn''t believe in all-consuming love. I was resolutely rational. I thought that unconditional love could only be one-way. That love without limits was dangerous. Yet Nora was my soul mate." Anatole looked at Priam with an intensity that shocked the young man. "For them, I''m capable of anything." Priam swallowed. Dialoguing with a fanatic was impossible. He knew he''d kill him soon - and Anatole knew it too - but he wanted to understand. "Honestly, I hope to meet someone like that someday. But deep down... I also know this soulmate would hate it if I sacrificed billions of lives to save her." Anatole remained silent for a few moments before turning to the oncoming Tribulation. Priam thought he wouldn''t answer, but a soft voice surprised him. "You''re right. That''s why I''m glad to die. I don''t want my daughter to know what I did to buy her resurrection." The sky turned red, and the earth began to tremble. Nature''s wrath was gathering momentum before exploding. Priam asked one last question. "Do you regret your actions?" "Hahaha." Priam turned to Anatole, who was laughing. His heartfelt laugh almost made Priam forget the crimes he''d committed. "Not in the least, Priam," he finally smiled. There wasn''t a trace of cruelty in Anatole''s eyes. Before his family, the rest of humanity was just worthless. "I wanted to resurrect my daughter, and I succeeded. Without my actions, without my crimes, the System wouldn''t have asked you to kill me. By killing myself, I resurrect my daughter. The Concepts have kept their word." Priam''s eyes widened. "What?!" The world exploded. The cloudless sky allowed Safamu to see the Earth. His birthplace. He was born a simple lion, with no real intelligence. He snorted. No, he had been intelligent and conscious. But he knew now that his intellect had been limited. The lion smiled, thinking wistfully of his former life. He had happy memories of that time but wouldn''t have gone back for anything in the world. His ego sometimes made him sad, but it was his own. He had been King of the Savannah, but now he was Safamu, the Earl. Today was just one step on the way to becoming King again. The underground rune materialized. The Noble concentrated exclusively on it. His subjects, like the human armies, had retreated. To attack him now was to invite the Tribulation. The lion knew that if he survived, they would all return like hyenas sensing weakness. But for now, he was alone. The Earl''s eyes could detect aether. He saw the rune begin to turn slowly on itself. Its diameter had grown to almost two hundred meters, and its color was reminiscent of the flames of a forest fire. The rune sank into the ground, modifying the soil it passed through. Rock and dust turned to lava. Under the Earl''s paws, the moon began to tremble. The air came to a standstill, and Safamu took a final breath. More than two hundred meters deep, the giant rune stopped. Esoteric writings began to appear, their white color blinding the lion''s aethereal perception momentarily. He blinked. Suddenly, the mental chains that had been holding him back gave way. At last, he was free to flee. But it was too late. End of the Tribulation: Curse of St.Helens The world turned red. Then white. Then black. Prometheus''s hand trembled as he watched the volcano. Or rather, the volcanic explosion. He''d never seen an atomic blast, but it had to look like this. Debris, magma and ash were projected on a vertical axis only. A column two hundred meters in diameter was the stage for absolute destruction. A pillar of black clouds soared skyward. Galloping faster than sound, the ash billows were occasionally overtaken by red, orange and white blazes. At the center of this spectacle, a blood moon seemed to have risen, mixing magma, explosion and rage. St. Helens glared down at her prisoner. The bloody Moon and her pyroclastic blast remained confined, imprisoned. Without the System, few spectators would have survived. The line between life and St. Helens'' wrath was clear. Beyond this boundary, calm returned instantly. Apparently, the Tribulation was personal, and the System had no desire to destroy the Moon it had just created. In short, anyone stupid enough to get within two hundred meters of the Earl would have been vaporized. But at two hundred and five meters, the person would have suffered only from the sound wave - which would have been enough to kill any pre-System human. "Fascinating," he breathed. Only Guandi''s grunt answered him. Now a Viscount, the general grumbled at the loss of his left arm. Ignoring his subordinate, the King focused on the pillar of cinders and magma. One day, his Tribulations would look like this. The System would make him a god. And I''ll make humanity a divine civilization. The curtain of ash parted. A black, smoking mass advanced toward the woods. Prometheus smiled. It was time to become an Earl. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 159 Constitution 284 Agility 194 Vitality 298 Perception 299 MENTAL: Vivacity 176 Dexterity 202 Memory 50 Willpower 295 Charisma 150 META: Meta-affinity 148 Meta-focus 99 Meta-endurance 98 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 1270 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 3 hours 57 minutes 12 seconds. Read free - with the correct formatting - on RR and SH! Chapter 77: The Beginning of the End Alain looked up at the sky. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and a gigantic ash cloud rose into the atmosphere. Or rather, a column. "A volcano? But the ash should disperse. Curious..." "I''ve seen stranger things," Louis muttered. "Once, one of my students wanted to show me a circus trick. He swallowed alcohol to spit fire... through his nose. His nose hairs burned off." "... I don''t see what this has to do with the volcano," commented Mirscella. "That''s because you didn''t see him spitting fire from his nose. He must have had a bit of a blocked nostril, by the way, because..." "Anyway!" Alain interrupted his friend. "Something strange is happening. Certainly a Tribulation. I don''t know why, but I''m thinking about my son..." "That''s normal. He''s about to unleash his own." The three seniors turned to look at the newcomer. "Juana," greeted Louis and Mirscella. "What did you say?!" exclaimed Alain. The blind woman came closer, leaning on her cane. Alain stepped forward to help her, annoyed. The Tutorial had somehow cured them of their old age. With her attributes, Juana could do a somersault. Instead, she enjoyed playing the grandmother. "You''re cute, Alain. I''m sorry about Priam, I didn''t know before. But you have to believe in him. Maybe he''ll be the first man to withstand a Tribulation. To be honest, I can''t see much, but that''s not a bad sign, you know?" "What do you mean?" asked Alain with patience. Juana was a hundred years old, as well as the senior of their group. Everyone respected her, not only for her wisdom but also for her Talent. She could see things. "I don''t read the future. I see probabilities, knots, places, or moments that could change history. Your son is a knot heading for another knot..." There was silence for a second before Louis spoke. "Am I the only one who understands nothing?..." Juana laughed. "I sometimes speak in Delphic ways on purpose." Louis grunted, and Mirscella clarified. "It means enigmatic." "Juana, please," pleaded Alain. "Sorry sorry, you''ll have to excuse an old lady''s eccentricities. Well, two things can happen. If your son survives, he''ll form a giant knot. A kind of star with intense gravity. But of course, his thread can also break..." A deafening noise rang out, and the air shook. The four elders turned towards the pillar of ash. Alain turned first and headed for the main building. "Where are you going?" shouted Louis. "To see my son. I might not be able to do anything but look at him, but I want him to know that his father has his back." "But you don''t even know where he is?!" "I don''t, but this Claire should know." Alain entered the building, and Louis sighed before looking at Mirscella. "I''ll go with him. He can manage, but he''s not the best fighter. Maybe we¡¯ll stop some rascals from disrupting his son''s Tribulations." "Why are you telling me this?" "... No reason," said Louis, moving away. When he disappeared, Juana laughed. "You should go too, you know?" "... To help Alain and his son?" "For Louis, you stupid girl. Your husband''s been dead for half a century, and it''s a new world." Mirscella remained silent. Suddenly, a blow from the cane struck her shin. "Ouch! That hurt!" "What hurts me is seeing your indecision. I won''t see Louis again until the next Reunion, but there''s a good chance he''ll die without you. The woman who came for Claire and then ran away..." "Seraphine." "Maybe she''ll kill him." "We defeated her last time," Mirscella replied scornfully. "She had to flee, and I almost caught her." "Louis barely had the advantage, and she escaped when she saw that Louis wasn''t alone. Besides, you almost caught her." "... Louis is better than her." "I''m glad you''re standing up for him, but that''s only in a fair fight." Juana sighed. "You''re too stubborn, Mirscella. It''s snack time, so see you." Mirscella stood alone, watching the ash cloud. The trees shivered in the wind, and one of the world''s oldest assassins was hesitating. Victoria was moving toward the lion to intercept him. The animal was a sight to behold. His fur was totally burnt, and his flesh had been ravaged by the flames. A layer of ash stuck to his skin, which surely made him suffer terribly. By some miracle, he had managed to save one of his eyes. Noble despite his wounds, the Boss headed for the forest. The leader of the Alliance knew that, despite his injuries, he remained a dangerous adversary. Victoria had no problem pouncing on the wounded animal. Pity was a fatal weakness in this new world and Victoria knew how to adapt. She wasn''t the only one. On her left, a man was running parallel to her. She had heard of Prometheus, the Divine King. His army was extremely well-trained, and his second-in-command had just become a Viscount. A phenomenal feat. However, she was confident. A king was only as powerful as his subjects. Victoria was not a Queen but a Leader. That was why she was here. To prove to the Alliance and humanity that men and women could progress. That the human race could win and prosper. Fifty meters from the Earl, she raised her sword. [Mastery - Sword], [Dash]. Reappearing a meter from the beast, she slashed. Her sword bit into the lion''s muzzle, and he seemed almost surprised to see her. The Tribulation appeared to have genuinely exhausted him. "I''ll make this quick..." Victoria stopped before finishing her sentence. A force was pushing her toward the ground. Turning her head slightly, she noticed Prometheus leaning on her shoulder to jump. The king leaped towards the lion, throwing Victoria backward. This bastard! The man''s sword was relatively simple but descended with the fatality of death. The point of the blade was aimed at the lion''s glabella, and Victoria gritted her teeth. If Prometheus possessed Mastery, the sword would pierce the lion''s brain, and that would be the end. Suddenly, Victoria''s instincts screamed. She brought her shield against her, but she knew it wouldn''t be enough. [Statue]. The world went dark for a second. Opening her eyes again, the Alliance leader realized she was over fifty meters high. Her skill had absorbed the instant damage, but the attack had propelled her a long way. Despite his fatigue and injuries, the beast remained monstrously powerful. Below her, the Earl continued his walk toward the forest. [Redirection]. Her trajectory changed, and Victoria charged toward the lion. Prometheus had disappeared - certainly blown away by the wind attack - and the field was clear. The Title was hers. Gathering all her Willpower in [Mastery - Sword], Victoria prepared to pierce the beast''s skull. Just as she was getting near, the beast looked up at her resignedly. At that exact moment, a notification appeared in Victoria''s field of vision. Announcement to Humanity: A Moon Earl died by the hand of humankind. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement. Zone Announcement: Congratulations to Priam Azura for finishing a Zone Guardian. Saghtjp, the Queen Mother, has passed away. Humanity will receive a bonus at the end of the Reunion for this achievement! "You humans don''t give us a chance, do you?" the Earl said. Averting his gaze, the lion raised his mouth and roared with all his might. Victoria urgently plugged her ears with cotton. She had come prepared. Less than a meter from the lion, she held up her sword to deliver the fatal blow. The Earl made no attempt to defend himself. Suddenly, the world turned red. Liters of blood and cerebrospinal fluid showered over her body. An instant later, thunder cracked, rattling her eardrums despite the protections. A terrible gust of wind pushed her back for the second time. In the air, Victoria recovered her balance thanks to Micro. The ground was approaching and she rolled to cushion her landing. Quickly wiping her eyes, she observed the carnage. Some thirty meters away, the noble lion had almost disappeared. Zone Announcement: Congratulations to Priam Azura for finishing a Zone Guardian. Safamu, the Noble Lion, has passed away. Humanity will receive a bonus at the end of the Reunion for this achievement! The crushed grass was red with the animal''s blood. Pieces of bone, skin and organs were scattered over a wide area. The animal''s legs were still more or less intact, but far apart. A projectile had gone right through the animal''s body. The ground shook and Victoria saw a cloud of dust form in the distance. The shot had hit the ground a few kilometers away. Despite not being a ballistics expert, Victoria turned in the direction the lion had looked before dying. Her enhanced eyes immediately detected the author of the kill steal. About a kilometer from her position was a young man who physically matched some of the reports she''d read. Tall, rather muscular, with tanned skin and messy hair, Priam Azura had a striking face. Clearly not the most handsome man Victoria had ever seen, it was undeniable that his face had character. The Champion stood perched on the corpse of some kind of horrible spider. Another Earl... Suddenly, he opened his eyes and their eyes met. For a moment, Victoria''s rising anger subsided. His eyes didn''t seem arrogant. They were complex, and his lips moved. Victoria frowned and concentrated. She could read lips but he was far away. "Fly? No..." Priam repeated the word, and Victoria understood. "Flee?" A nod. "But why?..." Thunder rumbled, and the sky darkened. For the second time that day, Victoria''s heart sank. Priam stood up and swallowed. The explosion had totally absorbed him. He was about to unleash his own Tribulations at any second, and the thought terrified him. The volcanic blast would have reduced him to ash. Literally. He had a bonus life, but the Concepts would take this into account. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Moreover, he would have to survive not one, but four Tribulations. Of course, they were customized. His would therefore be easier than the lion''s. At least, he hoped so. The ash curtain opened, as Safamu stepped forward. Behind him, a vision of hell briefly appeared. Fire. Ashes. Destruction. As he was returning from the underworld, the Earl''s wounds were critical. Priam turned to Anatole. It was time to move on to the next part of the plan. "Time to die," said Priam. His tone was light, but he was on his guard. If anything was going to happen, it would be now. Anatole chuckled. "Now''s the time, yes. Two last things. The first is my name and, therefore, my daughter''s. If the System ever wants you to know the name of the person you''re resurrecting," he clarified. "My name is Anatole Ameline. My daughter''s name is Rose Maria Tacha Ameline." "Pretty," commented Priam. "It was her mother''s choice. The second thing is a warning." Priam clenched Promesse. Anatole shook his head. "Humanity is in deep shit because our racial Talent is very powerful in the long run..." "Our Talent? You''re a Revenant, you shouldn''t have [Humanity Adapts] anymore," Priam remarked. Anatole grimaced. "It''s more complicated than that. I was a human, and right after my Tutorial, I had the opportunity to become... more." Aely''Samael... A Nobleman of the Deep. "Still, because of this Talent, humanity has enormous potential. Clearly not on the level of a mythical beast," he clarified, pointing at Sphinx. "But quite exceptional for a race with our reproductive capacity." Priam looked up, worried. A woman and a man were rushing to finish off the lion. "We''re running out of time, Anatole." "Humankind is going to be enslaved," cut in Anatole. Priam raised an eyebrow. "You''re worried about the fate of humanity now?" "My daughter will be human, so yes. You better perform at the next System events." "... I assume that as a Champion, my actions have consequences?" "Exactly. Now do what you have to do." Priam scowled at Anatole. The man was creating more questions than answers - and just before his death. But time was running out. Priam nodded and plunged Promesse into Anatole''s heart without wasting any time. No need to give up time to prepare for the Grand Master of Revenants. [There is no Heaven]. The skill was to prevent Anatole from resurrecting. [There is no Heaven - Epic] - You don''t like your enemies to be resurrected. When you use this skill on a defenseless enemy, part of their soul is damaged. This error is recognized by most Wheels of Reincarnation. To avoid errors, damaged souls are often crushed. The effects of a shattered soul are manyfold. A tiny part of his aether disappeared into the skill, and the System manifested itself. Update: Soon to be reunited? Anatole Aely''Samael, Grand Master of the Cultists, has died. Reward: You can choose one soul to resurrect. Priam sighed. It was over: Anatole Ameline, author of war crimes and exceptional father, was dead. "Rose Maria Tacha Ameline," he said, thinking of his reward. A young girl instantly appeared at his side. Slightly shocked, she staggered and Priam helped her stabilize. "What..." "Sorry, I''ll explain later. Sphinx!" Sphinx grew instantly and swallowed Rose. Priam opened his eyes wide, and his friend laughed. "Don''t worry, I put her in my special space, with the grenades!" "That... That doesn''t reassure me at all. Run!" "Good luck!" said his friend, scurrying off. Priam smiled and refocused. From now on, everything was going to happen very quickly. The spider beneath him was free again and beginning to stir. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 3 hours 54 minutes 48 seconds. I want to start my Tribulations early. Would you like to trigger your Tribulations? Yes. Under Priam, the spider trembled. He released Promesse from Anatole''s lifeless body and activated [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. His aether shot naturally into his spear, fusing with the various lines drawn. The compatibility between his skill and his weapon was immense. Priam thrust his spear violently into the spider''s head. The heat released by the attack boiled the creature''s brain. It trembled for a moment before collapsing. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 4 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Update: Predator - Earl Saghtjpthe, the Queen Mother, is dead. Reward: Potential +500. Participation: 80%. You have eliminated a Moon Earl without much help. An outstanding performance. Bonus: Potential +400. Talent [Chimera]. [Chimera] - Your body can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological system will adapt to many changes. Priam frowned as he read the talent. He wasn''t sure what it was for. Maybe for my second heart? Achievement - Gold: You are the first human to eliminate an Earl in a group. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Message for humanity: A Moon Earl died by the hand of humankind. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 1000. [Moon Mist] level-ups. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 21,22,23,24,25 PERC +20 CHAR +10 META (AFFI) +15 [Tribulation]: An attribute above 300 was detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Before its achievement, Priam burst out laughing before stopping in amazement. His perception had undergone a massive change as he exceeded three hundred points. In addition to the enhanced perception of his mist, his senses seemed¡­ Better. Sharper. Stronger. As a result, Priam''s body was sending him a deluge of information. The young Earl smiled. He sensed that something was coming. By dint of improving his attributes, his body was being reshaped. At four hundred or five hundred, something would happen... His sense of smell woke him up. The fragrance of roasted brains coming from the hole in the spider''s head was unbearable, but Priam ignored it. He looked up at Safamu and swore. Prometheus had been thrown several hundred meters, but the unknown woman was coming back into the fight. Priam raised Promesse and mustered almost a tenth of the kinetic energy he had stored inside him - it would be enough. He smiled as he mobilized his strength. At last, he was no longer shackled by the fear of Tribulation. He could go beyond his limits and increase his attributes and skills. The battle ahead would be challenging, but Priam was ready to give his all. Smiling, he met the Earl''s gaze. The lion roared, and Priam roared back. "[Kinetic Control]!" Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 24, 25 VIVA +4 DEXT +6 META (FOCUS) +8 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 3,4,5 DEXT +6 [Tribulation]: Twelve attributes above 100 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming Time: ??? Delayed. The spear disappeared from Priam''s hands with the lion''s final roar. Promesse, bearer of death, swallowed the distance between the two adversaries. By now, the weapon weighed around twenty kilograms, and its speed reached two kilometers per second. It took half a second for it to hit Safamu. The lion exploded, and Priam grunted in pain. His meridians were burning atrociously, and he took the opportunity to drink from his gourd. The Spring''s liquid flowed down his throat, and its freshness soothed Priam. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 19 META (END) +3 Update: Predator - Earl Safamu, the Noble Lion, is dead. Reward: Potential +500. Participation: 21%. Bonus: Potential +60. Title upgraded! [Moon Earl - Gold] Congratulations! [Moon Earl - Gold] - You have participated in the elimination of several Earls. The sum of your participation is greater than 100%. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted to Moon Earl. You are now one of the most powerful nobles of this Reunion. Be proud of your achievements. To stop running for a second is to lose the race. Mist is everywhere you are. You are a representative of the Moon. Its blessing is with you. Can you sense it? His skill had changed. More than the various rewards, his new proximity to the mist pleased him. Priam could feel it all around him, ready to obey his every command and thought. At last, Priam sighed as he read the notification. His plan had worked. All he had to do now was survive his Tribulations. He met the young woman''s gaze, who seemed angry at not being able to kill the Earl. "Sorry," he mouthed. "You should run." Seeing her discomfited expression, he simplified his message. "Flee." She nodded, and Priam looked up at the dark sky. The rain began to fall. A whirr of wings approached. A shadow flew through the black clouds. The Tribulations were here. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 160 (+1) Constitution 284 Agility 195 (+1) Vitality 298 Perception 323 (+24) MENTAL: Vivacity 180 (+4) Dexterity 218 (+15) Memory 50 Willpower 295 Charisma 161 (+11) META: Meta-affinity 163 (+15) Meta-focus 107 (+8) Meta-endurance 101 (+3) Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3761 (+2491) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Glossary - Q&A Titles: [Heartless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your heart, one of the vital organs of your species. In the future, you will be able to stay alive for a while without this vital organ. But a word of advice: try to keep it anyway. VIT +10% [Double Heart - Silver] - You now have a hole in your chest and are waiting for a transplant. The potential of this second heart is almost infinite. Make the right choice. It doesn''t mean you can become a bigamist. Bonus¡­ Error. Bonus dependent on the second heart chosen. VIT +10%. [Brainless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your brain. Your mind gradually becomes more than a few neural connections. This is the first step to unlocking your domain. Try to use this organ more. It will help you lose it less. WILL + 10% [Quester - Bronze] - You completed a Concepts quest successfully. All given quests have a solution. Potentially more. It''s up to you to find them and come out stronger. Imagine, some will entrust you with a vital quest. Poor souls... PERC +10% [Quester - Silver] - You have completed seven Concepts quests. While not particularly interested in helping your fellow man, your willingness to explore the world by going above and beyond at every turn made it possible. Your instincts are sharpening and will now push you in directions that may interest you. PERC +20% Meta (CHANCE) +20 [Pseudo-Phoenix - Bronze] - You have been burned to death. Your entire body turned to ashes. Impossibly, you survived. You follow the path of the Phoenix and learn from your failures. Be careful that they do not cost you your last life. Or worse. Flames that don''t hurt you heal you. Honestly, most flames still burn you. Maybe not the ones from the matches? VIT +10% [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - All that was left of you was ashes. Yet here you are. It''s not the first time you''ve cheated death - something you have in common with the Phoenix. The Tear of the Phoenix, purified by [Essence of Abomination], flowed through your veins. Your reconstitution and the synergies of your various Titles have integrated it into your ethereal code. You''re not quite human anymore. It''s almost impossible to become - even partially - a Phoenix. This proud race leaves only two choices for half-bloods. Bend down and rejoin the clan, or die. You control some fires. Flames naturally temper you. Being on the verge of death has a tiny chance of triggering Nirvana. VIT +20% [Axolotl or Hydra - Bronze] - You have regenerated your arms, legs, organs, and even your heart! Your vitality now allows you to restore any body part as long as you have the time and energy. VIT +10% [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - In mythology, the Hydra of Lerna was defeated by Heracles. Its powers of regeneration were mythical, and its blood was poisonous. Sound familiar? Beware of demigods A newborn hydra has one head. At one year, they acquire a second. At ten, a third, and so on in multiples of ten. You''re as strong as a ten-year-old orphan hydra. Each new head increases the hydra''s power tenfold. Time is its best ally, but it is your worst enemy. Your vitality allows you to restore any body part as long as you have the time and energy. You can regenerate a limb or organ once a day, extremely quickly. Your blood is already poisonous, so this Title increases its lethality. VIT +10% [Hermes'' Apprentice - Bronze] - There''s no point in starting on time when you can run faster than the wind. Today the light foot, tomorrow the winged foot. You''ve broken all the running records, but you''re still accelerating. Keep going and find your way. No more need to take the bus: you run faster! AGI +20 [Lunar Baron - Bronze] - For outstanding performance in the Reunion, this title of nobility is granted to you. Being a Lunar Baron opens many doors for you, and you can enter any dome without a toll. Beware, as a Baron, you arouse the curiosity of other Nobles. FOR + 10 CONST +10 AGI +10 VIT +10 PERC +10 [Moon Viscount - Silver] - Alone, you slayed a Viscount. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted. A Viscount is a powerful Title of Nobility for a new civilization. Enhance this Title to have the right to actively participate in decisions concerning the future of your species. The Earl is getting impatient. He summons you to his court. If you don''t find him soon, he''ll turn hostile. Wherever you are, the Moon Mist is. You can make your mist undetectable, invisible, odorless, and untouchable. Additionally, it would be concealed from the ethereal senses. [Moon Earl - Gold] - You have participated in the elimination of several Earls. The sum of your participation is greater than 100%. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted to Moon Earl. You are now one of the most powerful nobles of this Reunion. Be proud of your achievements. To stop running for a second is to lose the race. Mist is everywhere you are. You are a representative of the Moon. Its blessing is with you. Can you sense it? [Upgrader - Bronze] - You have pushed a common skill to its limits at Tier 0, then increased its rarity. You are on the right track. POT +100 [Forerunner - Skills - Silver] - You are the first of your kind to have earned the title [Upgrader]. Keep it up. Whatever you desire, you will need power. Choose to free your people or put them in chains. But if you want to choose, stay first. CHAR +20 META (Chance) +20 POT +100 [To the Moon - Bronze] - You launched a projectile at over a thousand meters per second. Faster than the thunder on your home planet. Your enemies don''t hear the death knell. They are already dead. Always faster, always further. Skill received. [Bullet time - Rare] [Admirer of Atlas - Bronze] - The Titan Atlas held up the world. You didn''t bend the knee in the face of death or a few million tons of rock. You failed to sustain your burden, but as a Tier 0, your effort was significant enough to grant you this Title. Keep pushing your limits; one day, you''ll have the strength to break your chains. STR +10%. [Veteran - Bronze] - You have acquired ten different types of resistance. You''ve fought many enemies. The elements, weapons, magic and even the laws of the universe have left their mark on you. You have bled and hardened. Your path is full of suffering, but you persevere. Your resistances now increase in levels more rapidly. You can acquire new resistances more easily. CONST +10% [Threat Killer - Bronze] - You''re not the shield that protects humanity. You are the spear that destroys its enemies. This choice says a lot about you because you didn''t hesitate for a moment. You''re getting to know yourself better, and you don''t look away when you meet your reflection. Humanity fears monsters. Will monsters fear you? You detect threats to humanity. STR +10% POT +50 [Iconoclast - Gold] - You urinated on the statue of a god, while he was watching you. You risked something worse than death. Was it courage, madness or idiocy? In any case, you survived after desecrating Viracocha. He''s not all-powerful. No one is. You become more resistant to auras. Your soul begins to crystallize. Skill received. [There is no Heaven - Epic] WILL +10% CHAR +10% META (Chance) +50 [Fighter of the Depths - Bronze] - The Depths, the deserts between worlds, are a little-known place. Strange creatures reign there. Some harmless, others frightening. You''ve attracted the attention of one of them and succeeded in slaying it. However, this artificial creature would have been too weak to survive the Depths¡­ As you look at the Depths, they look at you. STR +10% [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Your body has exceeded the speed of sound without using tools or artifice. Nobody will steal this thunder! Don''t worry, the next step isn''t to exceed the speed of light. Not yet. AGI +20% Trees of Merit By continually pushing your limits, you have unlocked the Trees of Merit. Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 0: Once a day, one heart can regenerate instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 0: Your mind is no longer confined to your brain but to your entire body. ACQUIRED [Brainless] - Tier 1: Your mind is bound to your body. Any external manipulation on your mind must first pass the protection of your physical envelope. ACQUIRED [Brainless] - Tier 2: Your mind opens up to the world. You begin to use part of it to interact with your environment. ACQUIRED [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - Tier 0: Your flame affinity allows you to manipulate fires. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 0: Following a regeneration, your body becomes more resistant to what has damaged it. ACQUIRED [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 1: The Tier 0 Merit synergizes with all resurrections, recreations, regenerations, and other means of restoring your body to its optimal state. ACQUIRED [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted by traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. ACQUIRED [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 1: The Mist hides you. You are one of its own, Mistwalker. ACQUIRED [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 2: The Mist helps you. You begin your adventure, Mist Rider. ACQUIRED [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 3: The mist protects you. You''re not alone, Mistchild. ACQUIRED [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 4: The mist becomes a part of you. You are the mist, Mist Adept. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the ethereal workings of your skills. [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving the standing of humanity. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: [Bullet time] is automatically triggered when you are in danger of death. [Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Veteran] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. Talents: [He Who Eludes Death] - ? [Humanity adapts - Silver] - Humans'' racial talent. Increases adaptability in all circumstances. [Touched by aether] - Your body has begun to adapt to the aether. This primordial fluid will change you. [Mirror of the Soul - Bronze] - In the center of your mental space is now a pond, and its water purifies your soul. As you approach the shore, you contemplate your naked reflection. The pond does not reflect lies. Who are you? Lean in and look at the truth. Sweet or hurtful, don''t be Narcissus or Dorian Gray. To accept your identity is to move forward. [Citizen of the Aether] - Your body is partially adapted to the aether. You are now eligible for tempering. Tempering your body brings you closer to the aether and perfection. Warning: Your mind is not adapted to the aether. [Eidetic Memory] - You used to have a poor memory. A simple shelf to store the sum of your knowledge. Your mental space now has a vast library of information storage, half organic, half spiritual. Your memory is directly connected to your mind, and the loss of your brain will no longer result in the loss of memories. You can now access all your knowledge at any time. [Promesse - Bound to Priam Azura] - A spear from another world. Bound to its bearer by the Concepts, baptized by battle, blessed by the Phoenix and repeatedly reforged by a mysterious power. Its potential is linked to its wielder. Like the Phoenix, the flames temper it. As a [Bound Weapon], it benefits from a small portion of its wielder''s Titles and Talents. Improves the effectiveness of spear-based skills. [He Who Eludes Gods] - Your soul belongs to you. You are now unique. The one and only Priam Azura. [Chimera] - Your body can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological system will adapt to many changes. Skills: Skills acquired during the Tutorial: [Geometry - Rare] VIVA +1 MEM +2 [Algebra - Rare] VIVA +1 MEM +2 [Physics - Waves - Rare] VIVA +3 [Physics - Matter - Rare] VIVA +3 [Physics - Quantum - Rare] VIVA +3 [Physics - Forces - Rare] VIVA +3 [Physics - Energy - Rare] VIVA +3 [Gymnastics] AGI +1 [Swimming] STR +1 [Athletics] AGI +1 [Acting] CHAR +3 [Manipulating] CHAR +3 Skills acquired after the Tutorial: [Heat Resistance] - Some people spend their day at the foundry, others at the stove. Some like their baths very hot. Either way, slight resistance to temperatures above your body''s internal heat can''t hurt. For each level in this skill, your biochemical reaction system and your cells will be able to adapt to a higher internal temperature. The thermometer indicates 42¡ãC. Go to work, you lazy bastard! VIT +1 [Thermal Resistance] - Thermal energy is the kinetic energy of agitation of the molecules and atoms of a body. From now on, your body is more resistant to heat energy transfers by conduction, convection, or radiation. However, it was a bit extreme to immolate yourself to gain this skill. CONST +1 [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare] - Your body is transformed. Your cells become half material, half aethereal. The chemical reactions your body needs to function change. Slowly, you''re letting go of your humanity. It is the path you have chosen in order to survive. You can now convert part of your thermal energy into pure aether. The water in your body remains liquid even at over 100¡ãC - 1 bar pressure. VIT +2 CONST +1 [Identification] - One of the natural skills of natives. Using your senses to identify a substance, a material, an object, or a living being can be handy. But be careful young seeker; touching poison or swallowing molten metal is not a good idea without some solid skills. In the meantime, this should help you in the future. If you survive. MEM +1 [Osmosis - Epic] - A rare skill, unique to natives of non-aetheric regions. For complex reasons, your system used to refuse the passage of ambient aether through your skin. Only specific mucous membranes could allow the aether to diffuse into your body. With this skill, your body can capture ambient aether and circulate it passively. At high levels, this skill can be critical to your survival. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 [Stealth] - Years of slowly walking down the stairs to get a snack in the middle of the night have taught you to calculate your every step carefully. You pay attention to where you put your feet. You control your breathing. Flexed on your feet, your movement is deliberately silent. Entities in your environment have a harder time detecting you. You manage to outdo yourself when a cupcake is at stake. AGI +1 [Climbing] - Excellent sport activity using the whole human body to move. The sedentary lifestyle has forced most men to move only with two legs. You have begun to question this axiom. Monkeys aren''t your cousins, but your skill level puts them to shame all the same. AGI +1 [Meditation - Rare] - A mental practice that focuses on a certain state of thought, emotions, and the body. You seek mental calm, relaxation, and, ultimately, physical control of your body. The art of meditation is ancient, and yet there are still secrets that humans have not discovered. The road is long, but this skill could be instrumental if practiced diligently. Possible synergy with a title detected. Stop thinking you are a Buddhist monk. Your distracting thoughts do not help with meditation. WILL+3 [Strike] - Not all conflicts can be settled with words; you understand that. Your ancestors spent millennia resolving their disagreements by penetrating their enemies with foreign bodies. If they could see you today, they would be proud of you. Now get dressed and stop showing off your spear. STR+1 [Spear Strike - Rare] - You specialize in striking. Leaving behind other weapons and projectiles, you become more familiar with your Bound Weapon. Together, you can make your enemies tremble. Your bound spear becomes even more familiar. You feel your link growing stronger. An evolution is in sight. STR +2 DEXT +1 [Kinetic Control - Epic] - Absorb, use, channel. Control. Kinetic energy obeys you. Motion energy is more than you think. Massive potential for evolution. VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Bonus: [Nimble Micro] - The precision of your control over your body''s molecules increases drastically. Synergize with Micro. [Perforation Resistance] - The finger penetrates the butter, and the iron penetrates the finger. You fight more against the iron than against the butter; now, the iron will penetrate you less. The arrangement of your body''s molecules is optimized to give you better protection against puncture. There will be no jokes about penetration. But stop. CONST +1 [Cut Resistance] - Life has tried to separate your body into different pieces. Obviously, you disagreed. The arrangement of your body''s molecules is optimized to give you better protection against slicing. If you don''t pay more attention to your head, you will lose it permanently¡­ CONST +1 [Blunt Resistance] - Have you ever tried to kick down a door with your shoulder? Or missed the nail with the hammer but not your finger? Then you know what blunt damage is. Put the hammer down now. Your body''s cell membranes are optimized to provide better protection against bluntness. CONST +1 [Star Iron Body - Rare] - Your flesh is transformed. Your body has taken its first steps on a mythical path. Star Iron is a cosmic metal, naturally forged in the heart of a Tier 1 star. The high aether density and terrible physical conditions under which it was created make this metal extremely resistant. Increase the level of this skill and temper your body to complete your Star Iron Body. Your enemies will despair facing your constitution. You are pushing back the Tier 0 limits of tempering. CONST +3 [Poison Resistance] - The body is a fragile machine, and certain substances can cause it harm. Chemical reactions, injuries, or illnesses, these toxins cause reactions that can range from indisposition to death. But remember, nothing is poison, and everything is poison: only the dose matters. Your body accepts larger doses of potentially harmful substances and filters them out faster. Now you can stuff your face with chocolates without worrying about diabetes. VIT +1 [Poison Body] - In your body flows poison. Your blood is harmful to most organisms. You are resistant to the poisons of your Tier, and they strengthen your organs, bones, and muscles. Smoking is now good for your health. Too bad there are no more cigarettes. CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 [Focus - Rare] - You are focused on your goal. All of your consciousness is focused on accomplishing your purpose; your focus highlights the path you must follow. Your productivity and the quality of your work increases, but this may be at the expense of your creativity¡­ Don''t forget to eat and rest. PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Bonus: [Greater Focus] - Reinforces the advantages and disadvantages of [Focus]. [Shadow Boxing - Rare] - An imaginary opponent is your training partner. Arnold? The hoplite champion? Yourself? You may look silly throwing punches in the air, but you''re confident. You are self-correcting. You feel yourself getting stronger. But remember, some shadows return the blows¡­ STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 [Intimidation - Rare] - Your words and actions, coupled with your strength and anger, have intimidated someone. You have dominated one of your fellow human beings by provoking fear and desire to please you. This desire originates in a survival instinct, but what is certain is that he fears you. If you lose your dominance, this feeling may turn into hatred. Any increase in characteristics is good, but be careful what your skills say about you. The power you have over others transforms the person who uses it. CHAR +3 [Balance - Rare] - Some tightrope walkers walk on a rope 500 m high. Others never find the courage to leave the earth and dust. Born dust, you will return to dust. So until then, walk with confidence. AGI +1 DEXT +2 [Moon Mist - Rare] - By modifying the environment of the Moon, the Concepts have chosen to artificially increase the weight of the atmosphere. A semi-permanent haze has been placed on the surface of the satellite. Made of aether, oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny water droplets, it hinders the inhabitants'' perception. You now control this mist and are almost immune to its effects. Be careful, if the mist is already manipulated, your total immunity turns into partial resistance. PERC +1 META (AFFI) +2 [Moon Mist - Epic] - By modifying the environment of the Moon, the Concepts have chosen to artificially increase the weight of the atmosphere. A semi-permanent haze has been placed on the surface of the satellite. Made of aether, oxygen, nitrogen, and tiny water droplets, it hinders the inhabitants'' perception. You can easily control the moon mist and are immune to its effects. Beware, if the mist is already manipulated, your total immunity turns into partial resistance. You can now materialize and control this mist. If you remain motionless, the mist envelops you and camouflages you. PERC +4 CHAR + 2 META (AFFI) +3 Bonus: [Mist Domain] -The precision of your control and perception increases. Synergizes with Domain. [Rhetoric - Epic] - Sometimes, the pen is mightier than the sword. You master the art of words. You slay your enemies with your words and enlighten your allies with your verve. Your path will not be that of a barbarian. One more string to your bow. You will spill as much ink as blood VIVA +4 MEM +2 CHAR + 3 [Manipulation Resistance - Rare] - Pheromones, drugs, chemicals, optical or sound illusions, mental skills... They all have one thing in common: they are a bridge between your free will and an external order. They are means used by your enemies to manipulate you. This resistance cements your free will, mind, personality, and consciousness. It is now harder to subtly force your hand. Some manipulations are still allowed by your subconscious. You will continue to fall under the spell of the pretty woman winking at you. But don''t forget that she may also be trying to manipulate you... You fall into her trap with a smile, you fool! WILL +3 [Throw] - Some people keep their spear close. But you know that true love is to set the other free. Set your spear free. Free your enemies from this unjust world. DEXT +1 [Spear Throw - Rare] - You specialize in throwing. Leaving behind other weapons and projectiles, you become more familiar with your Bound Weapon. Together, you can make your enemies tremble. Your bound spear will always find its target. DEXT+3 [Divination Resistance - Rare] - Every soul has a signature connected to the rest of the world by many links. Divination seeks out these links, including your Akashic signature. Your exploits have not gone unnoticed. Many people are looking for you. Your signature is now harder to follow. META (AFFI) +3 [Dodge] - Avoiding an attack is easy. Consciously planning the attack''s trajectory, analyzing the different possibilities of dodging, and calculating the future movements of all the players in a fight is more challenging. You are a chess player who must play five moves ahead. You are also a pawn on the chessboard. To dodge is not to be in check. Win this game. AGI + 1 [Bullet time - Rare] - After a certain speed, the senses can no longer follow your attacks and those of your enemies. Nothing is more annoying than lag, especially when the culprit is your brain. You are not stupid. You are just slow. In exchange for high energy consumption, this skill will help you keep up with the fight. You can now see the bullets. Can you dodge them? PERC +3 [Erosion Resistance - Rare] - The passage of ether through the meridians - the channels that carry energy through your body - strengthens them over time. But like anything else, too much Aether flow can damage your meridians. This phenomenon, called Erosion, can be irreversible if repeated. Your titles, perks, and merits synergize to create this rare resistance. Your channels strengthen faster and are more resistant to erosion. Continue to use your aether to increase your reserves and channeling abilities. META(END) +3 [Gravity Resistance - Rare] - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. That''s probably why your massive ego attracts so much trouble. Stop triggering Tribulation. The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of strong gravity. Your body becomes more elastic. Be careful, too much gravity may lead to the grave. CONST +3 [Consequence Resistance - Epic] -You have lost to a Karma user. Contracts are not something to be signed lightly. Remember that every action has a consequence. As your personal Karma begins to flow, consequences have less of a hold on it. If there''s a price to pay, you now enjoy a discount. CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 [Asphyxia Resistance - Rare] - Your body needs oxygen and calories. Without oxygen, your cells can''t convert the nutrients you absorb into energy. This resistance fundamentally alters your cells. They begin to use the ambient aether to transform these nutrients into energy. Are you still human? VIT +2 META (END) +1 [Aether Perception - Rare] - Aether is the fundamental, infinite fluid that dictates the laws of all that exists. According to its configurations and associations, it creates the fundamental particles and vectors of all forces. Perceiving the aether is the right of every living being, but you have to know how to take that right. Yesterday you were blind, today you see. META (PERC) +3 [Aether Manipulation - Rare] - Manipulating aether is the key to the Zenith. Everything is possible with aether. Manipulate Dimensions, Karma, Soul, Energy, Matter, Order and Chaos. To control the aether is to go beyond these concepts. This skill knows no limits and its potential is infinite. The only limit to your power is your imagination. Aether can be influenced, dominated, mastered and cajoled. What''s your path? META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 [There is no Heaven - Epic] - You don''t like your enemies to be resurrected. When you use this skill on a defenseless enemy, part of their soul is damaged. This error is recognized by most Wheels of Reincarnation. To avoid errors, damaged souls are often crushed. The effects of a shattered soul are manyfold. WILL +9 [Depths Resistance - Epic] - The environment of the Depths is terrible. They¡¯re located between worlds, and there, the aether has become polluted. It is still usable, but its properties become corrosive and mutagenic. Initial symptoms are a decline in the physical and mental attributes. Rapidly, skills stop working, then death follows. Some adapt but are forever changed. Creatures from the Depths spread this aether. Stop them before they pollute your world. Your body, mind, and soul gain a memory power: wounds will heal faster as long as corruption remains low. Your soul crystallizes further and gains a protective membrane. Even humanity doesn''t pollute as much as the Deep. CONST +2 VIT +2 WILL +5 [Tribulation Piercing Spear - Rare] - ? [Battle Flow - Rare] - You were born in a time of peace. Today, you live in a time of war. Your temperament changes when the sound of battle resounds. Can you hear the song of war? Follow its rhythm and triumph. Battle Flow isn''t Battle Rap, but you should still be the MC¡­ PERC +1 DEXT +2 [Sense of smell] - Some theories give man five basic senses. Others give them nine or more. The important thing is that your sense of smell can recognize molecules floating in the air and inform you about your environment. Your sight is fallible, but when all your senses are alert, the world appears without illusion. You may look stupid lifting your nose to smell your surroundings, but it will save your life. However, you''re not a dog, so avoid sniffing the asses of your fellow creatures. Or, at the very least, ask their permission. PERC +1 [Sense of smell - Common] - Your sense of smell can now distinguish finely between several similar odors. It''s up to you to compare them. You''d make an excellent perfumer. By the way, it''s been a long time since you took a bath, hasn''t it? You don''t mind your own smell, but others do¡­ DEXT +1 [Emotional discipline - Rare] - The human being, a creature with an organic brain, is a species that feels seven emotions - joy, surprise, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, and contempt. It is not the case for all species, and this emotional capacity is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Some of your mental attributes - Vivacity, Willpower, Memory and Charisma - are affected by and affect your emotions. You discipline yourself to regulate your emotions. You begin to impose your Will on them. Note: Tier Evolutions are a way of removing these emotions. WILL +3 [Friction Resistance] - Friction is an interaction that opposes the relative movement of two bodies in contact. The aetheric composition of your skin changes slightly to reduce the electromagnetic interactions it exchanges with its environment. As a result, the conversion of your kinetic energy into thermal energy is lower. You¡¯ll run and swim faster. Soon you''ll be flying faster too. Are you really planning to make an atmospheric entry without a parachute? AGI +1 [Glide] - A skill common to many animals. Rarely found in humans. Modifies your positioning to ensure the best aerodynamics. One day, you''ll fly. Maybe. Bravo, you''re on the same level as a dodo. AGI +1 [Hemorrhage Resistance] - You''ve lost a lot of blood. A high Vitality increases blood loss, and closes wounds more rapidly. In addition, this attribute has the side effect of reducing blood clotting speed. This passive skill slows your heart rate when your wounds are severe. Your blood will clot faster in the open air. VIT+1 Achievement: Bronze: You are the first human to eliminate a Baron without help. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Gold: You have defied a god, insulted him and performed an iconoclastic deed before his very eyes. In his wrath, he sought to capture your soul. A fate worse than death. You fought for your freedom without flinching. Silver: You are the first human to eliminate a Viscount without help. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Bronze: You are the fifth human to unlock the Micro - Supremacy. To control your body is to control your world. Gold: You are the first human to eliminate an Earl as part of a group. You lead the way, and your species admires you. Supremacies: [Supremacy - Micro] - Micro allows the user to control his body down to the smallest detail. Operating in Stages, Micro is used in every Universe. While the first Stages are anchored in organic reality, its link with the aether gradually becomes apparent. The advanced Stages can transform your body into an invincible weapon. Current stage: 0 - Fusion Bonus: PERC +5 / DEX +10 / VIVA +10 / WILL +5 Questions and answers: What are the Tribulation thresholds? Triggering a Tribulation involves exceeding certain attribute thresholds. The system offers a certain - variable - preparation time before the Tribulation occurs. The user can choose to trigger his Tribulation at any time during this lapse of time. Thresholds - Tier 0: 1/3/6/12 attributes above 100,200,300,etc. The only exception is if the first attribute exceeds 100. At this point, a warning is issued to the user. Priam has currently triggered a quadruple Tribulation. The thresholds he has exceeded are: Moreover, their power depends on the thresholds to which they are attached. The first Tribulation is supposed to be survivable by a user who has just exceeded 200 points in one attribute. As a result, Tribulations become increasingly harder. This is the Tier 0 soft cap. Would Priam be Tier 1 if he survived his Tribulations? No. Tribulations fall into two categories: Why hasn''t Priam created more skills yet? Jack of all trades, Master of None. The Reunion only started about 4 days ago. In that time, he has received a wealth of new data and information. He has also received an impressive number of skills. Priam intends to use his Potential to unlock new skills, but first he''s looking to understand where his gaps lie so he can fill them. Moreover, Elysium is a special world. The enormous density of aether allows users to catalyze the formation of skills. As a result, Elysians have huge Potential discounts. This is not the case on the Moon - which is why [Eidetic Memory] cost so much. How do Title bonuses behave when they evolve? If a Bronze Title evolves into a Silver Title, its bonus is overwritten if it is a percentage. This means that only the Silver Title bonus is taken into account. Often, the bonus is improved. For example, [Pseudo Phoenix] gives +10% Vitality. By upgrading to [Infantile Phoenix], the Title now gives +20% Vitality (overall +20%, not +30%). Please note that raw bonuses (such as Moon Baron, which gave +10 for all physical attributes) are retained after an evolution. The explanation lies in the nature of the Titles. Without spoiler, the power they grant is permanent. You can''t lose Title bonuses, nor the associated Attributes - even if you lose the Title. How is Potential calculated? This is part of the information that the reader can easily deduce. Skill level-ups provide Potential Points according to their rarity. Common skill: +1 POT/lvl Rare skill: +2 POT/lvl Epic skill: +3 POT/lvl The calculation changes when the legendary threshold is exceeded. Why does VIT +3 sometimes appear on the chapter and VIT+4 on the status page? Priam''s attributes are boosted by the benefits of his Titles. His raw attributes in chapter 77: PHYSICAL: Strength 123 (+30% = 160) Constitution 258 (+10% = 284) Agility 163 (+20% = 195) Vitality 213 (+40% = 298) Perception 269 (+20% = 323) MENTAL: Vivacity 180 Dexterity 218 Memory 50 Willpower 246 (+30% = 295) Charisma 146 (+10% = 161) META: Meta-affinity 163 Meta-focus 107 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 You can refer to the individual Titles to see where the percentages come from. Chapter 78: Priam against Mythology A few hours earlier. Priam climbed back up to the surface, Sphinx nestling comfortably on his shoulder. Ahead of him, the tunnel continued into the darkness. Behind him, a creature of horror was trying to catch up. Fortunately for Priam, Saghtjp, the Queen Mother - the spider''s name - was being controlled by one of his allies. On second thought, ally might have been a bit strong. Rather a temporary helper. Anatole''s gaze never left his back and Priam could feel it - perhaps an effect of his high Perception? Either way, it made him uneasy. For this reason, the young man accelerated even more. If part of his attention was on Anatole, most was on his next Tribulations. A quadruple Tribulation was coming, and it was no small thing. Bechar himself had never witnessed more than one triple Tribulation. But one thing gave Priam hope. His personalized reward, Survivor Tips, allowed him to ask questions to an assembly of clones who had themselves passed Tribulations. Some had necessarily passed quadruple Tribulations, and Priam followed their advice to the letter. Their objective was his survival. Priam had two more questions to ask them before the fateful moment. One of his plans was to separate his Tribulations using the protection of the Domes. Another viable idea was to defeat two Earls at the start of his Tribulations to get an instant power-up. Unfortunately, the two plans were contradictory. Priam planned to rely on his doubles to solve his dilemma. What''s the best way to start my Tribulations? Answer: First, kill the Earls, then rush toward New Earth''s dome... A new name. Certainly the name of the nearest dome. Priam jotted down a mental note: ask Anatole where New Earth is. The ellipsis at the end of the sentence was suspicious. Perhaps there was a problem at the dome? Or on the way? The word ''toward'' could have been replaced by something else after all... His last thought almost made Priam stop. He refocused for a second on his race before analyzing his behavior. He liked to use suspension points to indicate that his reasoning should continue. His clones'' response had a sequel! What follows the last answer? Standing over an Earl''s corpse, Priam watched the sky darken without moving. In his hand was a bloody core. Wonderfully brilliant reflections were created when a ray of sunlight struck it. Priam cleaned the core, pleased that [Aether Perception] made it easy to find a core when the owner was dead. Priam had detected it through several meters of flesh and bone, in the center of the spider''s brain. It was surprising. In most beasts, the core was protected and located in the center of the torso. Despite the beauty of the crystal, Priam''s thoughts wandered elsewhere. His heart was racing - even more than when Safamu''s Tribulation had been triggered. One explanation was that he was the target of the System''s attention this time. A sustained attention. After all, a quadruple Tribulation was not just the sum of four Tribulations. The proof was in the time it took to prepare the Tribulations. Priam blew out his breath and concentrated on Micro to regulate the drugs his brain was producing. He then continued his analysis. He needed to know the differences between his Tribulations and Safamu''s. Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 2 WILL +3 The Tribulation of the noble Lion had affected an area of around one hundred and twenty-five thousand square meters - a circle with a radius of two hundred meters centered on Safamu. As far as Priam was concerned, the System was mad at him. Indeed, a titanic cloud was being created above him. The cloud resembled a circle with a radius of one kilometer. More than three million square meters, or three square kilometers, were about to receive divine retribution. Unlike Safamu, Priam was free to move. The reason for his immobility was his greed. Behind him, the Jubokko was slowly perishing. At the top of its trunk, Blueberry was watching a fruit grow. Priam had only glimpsed it from a distance, but his body had screamed. It had to eat this fruit. Blueberry felt no particular impulse regarding the plant organ, making him the ideal guardian. Sphinx was running towards the Dome, protecting Rose and returning the Urn of the Depths to Mercury. Priam had a quick thought for his family as he watched the various armies flee. Every human felt deep down that the cloud was unnatural and that death was coming. Prometheus and Victoria - the names of the two main commanders - had chosen to protect their army rather than go deeper into the woods. Priam didn''t want anyone near the grove. Blueberry could hold off any of them, but would be powerless against an alliance. So Priam waited alone to face the end of the world. Armies were fleeing, deciding to try their luck elsewhere. Deep down, Priam wondered if he''d made a mistake. Perhaps he should have abandoned the Crimson Fruit and run for New Earth... ¡®You made the right choice. This Fruit is a real treasure,'' commented the Phoenix, and Priam nodded. If a Phoenix spoke of treasure, then he would trust it. "With all due respect, Anatole is dead, and I still haven''t received my reward..." tried Priam. ¡®We''ll talk about my quest later. Your priority should be to survive. My first Tribulation was a quadruple one too and I almost died...'' Priam''s heart leaped in his chest. It was possible to resist a quadruple Tribulation! ¡®I can feel your joy, but don''t forget that I was one of the Princes of a mythical clan. I may not have been the best of my generation, but my preparations were of a completely different level," Phoenix clarified. The reminder was like a cold shower for Priam. The young Earl closed his eyes and refocused. Promesse vibrated for a moment in his hand, and Priam stroked his spear before looking up at the sky. What are my Tribulations, and how can I survive them? Answer: Damocles'' Tears are to be resisted with a Mist Domain. Priam looked at the answer for a moment. Damocles was a mythological figure referring to the Sword of Damocles. This sword floated above heads and could come down at any moment. Damocles'' Tears surely had something to do with a falling object that could do damage. A tear... Rain? The second part of the sentence was even more annoying. Apparently, the reason for his clones'' insistence on killing the Earls was that Priam was supposed to create a Domain to withstand the first Tribulation. Which seemed odd since it was intended for someone whose attributes barely exceeded a hundred. Unless there are different ways of defeating a Tribulation, but this is the easiest one for me? Priam eyed the gathering black cloud suspiciously. After a second, he decided to stop wasting time. Four Tribulations, four questions. How can I overcome my second Tribulation? Answer: Locusts'' Plague disappears after a day; don¡¯t stop, run. Priam nodded. He wasn''t stupid enough to try and destroy thousands of locusts. This second Tribulation was also inspired by Earth history, and Priam wondered if he could deduce anything from it. How can we overcome the Third Tribulation? Answer: Pride''s Shadow lives in symbiosis with the fourth Tribulation. One of the seven deadly sins. Another synergy, and this one was pretty obvious. How can I overcome my Fourth Tribulation? Answer: While the Sun observes it, the Heaven Wyvern lives on. The last and hardest of his Tribulations. Shadow and Sun. Apparently, the third Tribulation erased the weaknesses of the fourth. A wyvern... Priam had always loved dragons. But just as he liked panthers, he didn''t want to meet one. At least, not a hostile one. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Just like that, Priam had only two questions left. Looking off into the distance, he saw the armies disappearing behind the hills. Waiting any longer was dangerous, and Priam turned on his heels. Gathering a small dose of kinetic energy, he leaped from the spider''s corpse and began running toward New Earth. The nostalgic name said a lot about the dome''s inhabitants. Above him, the black clouds grew darker and darker. A deluge was brewing as the sun, symbol of hope, was covered. His strides grew longer and longer, and Priam''s emotions calmed as he ran. He carefully spent a bit of kinetic energy with each step to increase his speed. Each stride propelled him further and further, while [Athleticism] and [Art of Movement] helped him optimize his movements. After about thirty seconds, Priam looked up and winced. The cloud was following him like a plague. A minute after his departure, Priam saw a drop of water fall in front of him. Only a few meters away, he easily dodged the projectile and turned briefly to observe the result. The drop of water hit a stump and went right through it. Priam opened his eyes wide. The wood may not have been very solid, but the drop of water had passed through it like a bullet through a sheet of paper. Deciding not to waste another second, Priam turned and accelerated. Ahead of him, the forest had given way to a large open valley. The grass was fresh and medium-high. It might have hindered another man, but Priam''s every step carried him twenty meters ahead. The characteristic sound of rain began to hover over the sea of grass. Priam gritted his teeth, concentrating on his skills and Micro. Dodging the various drops, he continued to accelerate. At last, the chains of the System were broken. He could finally spread his wings. I''d better spend my Potential... Priam connected to his Potential. He now had only one goal: to reach New Earth alive. A drop was about to fall on him. Priam raised his head slightly. All around him, the omnipresent mist gave him information about his surroundings. It would have been painful if he''d had to move with his own misty sphere: he was running faster than his mist was moving. POT -2 But here, on the Moon, he was at home. Priam held out his hand toward the drop. He wanted to know what it would cost him. After all, he was tougher than a stump of dead wood. The drop of water fell in front of him and Priam held out his hand. The shiny, pseudo-spherical liquid possessed a sharp gleam. As he moved his hand closer, Priam thought he was touching quicksilver. A fragment of Concept impregnated the drop, giving it a piercing property. POT -2 A little pain made him wince as his hand closed over the drop. Unfolding his fingers, Priam observed the result. He was bleeding, but the wound was superficial. The young Earl continued on his way, relieved. He could make mistakes without dying. And as the clouds continued to swell, he was bound to be hit by the deadly rain. Damocles''s Tears were his first Tribulation and were supposed to be lethal for a man with attributes just over a hundred. Some of Priam''s physical attributes exceeded three hundred. The Tribulation was still dangerous - Priam had no desire to stand in the pouring rain - but it was its synergy that worried Priam. A whirr of wings sounded behind him, and Priam sighed. To think of a problem was often to invoke it. POT -2 To please an unseen onlooker, Priam turned around, already knowing what was waiting for him. Behind him was some kind of grasshopper, struggling to keep up. There were two fundamental differences with a conventional locust that identified it as a monster. Firstly, its three pairs of legs were metallic and looked sharp. Secondly, the horror was about ten centimeters tall. Which didn''t seem like much for an opponent. Unfortunately, a locust was never alone. One of the ten Plagues of Egypt was the Locusts. Capable of devouring everything in their path, these creatures were a harbinger of death. Indeed, their swarm could exceed a billion individuals. This one was alone for the moment, but his mutation gave him a unique Talent. [Identification] [Blade Hydra Locust - Tribulation touched] - A Tribulation-transformed insect. Has the annoying property of creating two clones after death. Each death makes its clones more powerful than the original. Among the ten plagues of Egypt, this is one of few that really existed. No sooner had Priam finished reading the insect''s description than a drop of water fell on it. It passed efficiently through the thorax, and the locust fell before disappearing into the grass. POT -2 A second later, Priam had advanced forty meters. The grass moved briefly, and two grasshoppers leaped in his direction. Priam understood instantly what was about to happen. The mathematical law governing the reproduction of these creatures doubled their numbers with each death. Of course, as they became more and more powerful, a drop of water would no longer be enough to kill them. But by then, millions, if not billions, would be after him. Ants had almost eaten Priam, and the experience still didn''t interest him. Using [Kinetic Control] to move away as quickly as possible, Priam leaped forward a hundred meters. A thought crossed his mind. Perhaps if he could outrun the locusts, the Tears of Damocles would no longer kill them. POT -2 Over the next five minutes, he accelerated faster and faster, dodging the lethal drops. One of them struck Promesse and exploded into tiny droplets. The clash between spear and drop produced a sound similar to the clash of two swords. Priam applied himself to running even faster. His body could now withstand enormous effort, and Priam was soon approaching two hundred kilometers per hour. He wanted to conserve as much kinetic energy as possible for the last two Tribulations. Deciding to test his hypothesis, Priam turned, and his face darkened. The rain cloud was stretching out. Apparently, he would have to fight off a stupid number of locusts... The only solution was to keep his lead for twenty-four hours. Suddenly, Priam dodged to his left. The rain began to fall harder and harder. The drops multiplied and avoiding them became complicated. Reaching the top of a hill, Priam jumped. His leap took him some fifty meters, and the young Noble burst out laughing. Death was running behind him, but he was staying ahead. Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 20 AGI +1 [Athletics] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Super Athletics - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Moon Jump - Rare] - You''ve jumped on the moon. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Iron Marathon - Rare] - You ran over two hundred and forty kilometers without stopping. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 Priam winced. No improvement was satisfactory. Yet behind him, the locusts were accelerating. Sighing, Priam chose the solution best suited to his current situation. You have selected the skill [Iron Marathon - Rare]. POT -10 [Iron Marathon] - You run without stopping. Over hill and dale, you use your body as a means of transport. Keep running, and you''ll catch the wind. Seriously, keep running. Locusts don''t feel tired. AGI +3 Priam applied the System''s advice. His new skill constantly corrected his trajectory, movements, breathing, and how his body managed its energy. No skill was useless. Suddenly, the plain lit up despite the clouds that were now blacker than the sidereal void. Priam looked up and swore. "Shiver me timbers!" Fifty meters above him, a dragon hovered. Priam corrected himself - it was a wyvern. Its appearance was terrifying. The majestic reptile, with two enormous wings, gleamed in the sunlight. No, its scales are golden, Priam corrected himself. Four massive legs ended in claws big enough to grip a buffalo. Its long tail enabled it to make tight trajectory changes. No one turned their back on such a predator. You had to fight head-on and hope to get the upper hand. Unfortunately, he had to outrun the locusts. The young warrior gritted his teeth as he continued his run. Some twenty meters across and of European inspiration, the fantastic creature looked at him with contempt. Priam swallowed. The Tribulation was conscious and capable of reflection... The wyvern dived towards him. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 160 Constitution 284 Agility 199 (+4) Vitality 298 Perception 323 MENTAL: Vivacity 180 Dexterity 218 Memory 50 Willpower 299 (+4) Charisma 161 META: Meta-affinity 163 Meta-focus 107 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3645 (-16) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 79: Sun and Shadow The wyvern was diving in his direction as Priam connected fully to his Potential. The source connecting each user to the System opened like a diaphragm. [Bullet Time], [Battle Flow]. Time slowed down, and Priam raised Promesse before frowning. [Battle Flow] and his eyes told him that the wyvern was at a specific position, while [Moon Mist] gave him another, slightly to the right. The Earl decided to listen to his most advanced skill. Before using his most powerful attack, Priam wanted to get the measure of his opponent. The wyvern drew closer, and Priam rode the mist to dodge. Or rather, tried to. Unnatural panic paralyzed him as he met the creature''s gaze. The monster in front of him was descended from dragons. It was invincible, and Priam had no chance of... Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 8 WILL +3 Priam leaped to the side with the help of [Kinetic Control]. The dodge was ugly and graceless. Priam couldn''t stop his acceleration and ended up rolling uncontrollably. The ground shook as he struggled to his feet. Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 10 PERC +3 Before him stood a terrifying monster. If Safamu had been the embodiment of a noble and mighty lion, the wyvern was that of a destructive mythological monster. Its dimensions were roughly the same as those of an Airbus A320. An aura of violence and power was palpable when observing the wyvern. When Priam met his gaze, the primal part of his brain ordered him to flee. Only Micro and [He Who Eludes Death] kept his hopes alive. The wyvern''s eyes met Priam''s, and it hissed. Its piercing gaze froze Priam on the spot as it opened its mouth. Shit! Trembling, Priam concentrated his Potential on his resistance. The reptile''s mouth began to glow. Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 9 WILL +3 POT -5 His muscles began to respond again, and Priam let himself fall backward, straddling the mist. Some thirty meters away, Priam watched the wyvern''s breath. Like a gigantic laser, a column of light was sweeping the plain. Five seconds later, the creature closed its mouth, panting. The attack seemed to be tiring. Understandable, given the destruction caused. "Holy shit..." Priam was flabbergasted. In front of the wyvern, a small canyon ten meters wide had appeared. All matter - earth, grass, pebbles and stones - had been annihilated. Priam had expected this after seeing the lion''s Tribulation. What he didn''t expect was the penetrating power of the attack. The Hyper Beam had ravaged the plain for at least five hundred meters. If the attack could evaporate a hundred meters of earth in a second, Priam had no doubt that his Constitution would not be enough to stop it. The beam was clearly inspired by the breath of the Dragons and was terrifying. The reptile turned towards Priam, and the paralysis activated again. The wyvern propelled itself in his direction. The two opponents were only thirty meters apart, and Priam had to mobilize Micro, boosted by his Potential, to react. The monster raised an arm and swung its claws at Priam. Raising his arm at the last moment, the warrior blocked with his spear, absorbing the kinetic energy. Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 11 PERC +3 POT -5 His meridians screamed, and Priam howled before sending back the kinetic energy. The creature was pushed back. Surprised, it blinked. "Well, the big lizard isn¡¯t happy to lose?" A howl answered him. Priam felt the aether condense in the monster¡¯s throat. He quickly teleported behind it, dodging another death ray. The plain shook, and Priam caught his breath. Clearly, he couldn''t defeat this monster without using one of his trump cards. In addition, if his clones'' answers were accurate, the wyvern''s greatest power was its immortality. The creature took a deep breath and looked back, astonished to find Priam there. He winced. The opaque mist should have made him invisible. His various Titles and Merits made him extremely difficult to spot in the mist. Yet the wyvern could feel his presence. Either one of his greatest advantages was useless in the face of the monster''s raw power, or it had another way of detecting him. Priam thought back to his clones'' answers and looked at his shadow. If he was right, there was little he could do¡­ The rain continued to fall, and the drops became more and more numerous. For the time being, Priam could feel them piercing his mist and dodging them in advance. He wouldn''t be able to avoid them for long. Avoiding eye contact with the creature, Priam trembled as he felt it open its wings. A new attack was coming. The deployed membranes began to glow intensely. Priam had to look away, and this almost proved fatal. His mist could perceive many things but not light. I''d have to be able to feel the agitation of the molecules¡­ A lance of light shot towards his liver, but Priam had already disappeared. The wyvern''s wings created hundreds of spears of light at a 90¡ã angle. They looked relatively unpowerful but impossible to dodge. Observing the spears, Priam realized that the mist - and therefore the micro-droplets of water - reflected the light and weakened them. His belly was hurting him, and Priam analyzed the damage. He swallowed as he saw a two-centimeter-deep wound. The intense light had completely cauterized his injury, which made healing more complicated. The wyvern turned in Priam''s direction, continuing to bombard the plain. Riding through the mist, Priam played cat-and-mouse with the reptile. He soon decided to attack. His aether reserves were almost depleted from teleporting several times a second. Priam reappeared at the creature''s back and raised Promesse. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse charged in a second, and the fire spear slammed into the monster''s tail. Its size was too great to aim at anything else without getting on top of it. The spear pierced the tail, and Priam jumped back, dodging a whiplash. Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 12 PERC +3 Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 10 AGI +1 The monster howled, and Priam swallowed as its shadow began to vibrate. The reptile was angry, and the Third Tribulation was manifesting itself. Without warning, the world began to lose its color. The golden wyvern turned black, and the shadow spread rapidly. Priam tried to back away but to no avail. In a second, the plain had become as dark as a piece of Vantablack. More than the creature''s destructive powers, the transformation of the landscape filled Priam''s heart with fear. How could he defeat an immortal creature who, with a thought, could change its environment? The shadow on the ground trembled for a moment, then disappeared. With it, all colors vanished, and the world was plunged into absolute blackness. Priam''s enhanced eyes were useless. Fortunately, his mist sensed the wyvern approaching in silence. Priam''s breath was controlled as he was preparing himself. Static, he let his body regenerate his meridians until the last moment. When the reptile was no more than five meters from him, Priam sprang into action. Taking a quick step boosted by [Kinetic Control], he instantly appeared under the monster''s throat. In complete darkness, Priam drew on his kinetic reserves, Micro and [Spear Strike]. Augmented by his Potential, the blow was sublime. Lvl Up: [Spear Strike] lvl 2,3,4 STR +6 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 26 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The attack pierced the monster''s defensive scales and opened its windpipe. Priam wasted no time in stepping back to avoid a riposte. The dragon clawed at the air, trying in vain to scream. That should prevent him from launching any more Breaths... Suddenly, Priam''s eyes widened. The wyvern had just flapped its wings powerfully, dispersing the mist. Perhaps it''d been thinking about Priam''s different skills. Or maybe it was a coincidence. Either way, it was terrible news. [Battle Flow] switched on, and Priam threw himself on the ground. The disturbance in the mist prevented him from knowing the wyvern''s exact position and riding it. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 3 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 13 PERC +3 [Eidetic Memory] then reminded him of one of his notifications, and Priam released some of his Potential. You have gained the skill: [Broad-spectrum vision - common] The human eye can detect electromagnetic wavelengths between 380 nm and 780 nm. Not all animals have the same capabilities; some can see in the infrared or ultraviolet. It is now the case for you. How will your human brain decode X-rays or gamma rays? By the way, don''t try to look through clothes, an X-ray of your crush isn''t sexy. PERC +1 It was a skill Priam had blocked so as not to exceed three hundred points of Perception. Now he was no longer limited and smiled again as he opened his eyes. The plain was now lit in a strange and indescribable way... His eyes could now see infrared and ultraviolet. Pride''s Shadow hadn''t thought to banish wavelengths outside the visible range. The wyvern took off. The wound seemed to have annoyed it, and Priam began to stress. Behind him, the locust swarm was closing in. Combined with the deadly rain, the weather was - as always - against him. If the wyvern glided without attacking him, his nerves would eventually give way under the stress. He had to disable the monster before running back to New Earth. Trying to reach the dome - over a hundred kilometers away - while dodging wyvern Breaths was impossible. Screaming, the wyvern dived, and Priam sighed with relief. The monster was heading straight for him, determined to destroy him. Ten meters from the monster, Priam concentrated. It was time to get down to business. [Focus], [Spear Throw], [Kinetic Control], [Micro]. Activating several skills simultaneously, Priam cast Promesse. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 22 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 6,7 DEXT +6 Lvl Up: [Bullet time] lvl 14 PERC +3 A tenth of the energy he had accumulated was in the weapon. This attack had succeeded in exploding a badly wounded Safamu. Priam smiled as the spear left his hands. The projectile''s speed created a tunnel in the air. A fraction of a second later, a cone was formed, and a supersonic bang sounded. The throwing weapon''s aerodynamics were almost perfect, and its unnatural acceleration filled Priam''s heart with joy. The pain caused by the fire burning his meridians failed to make him wince. Priam watched the result of his attack attentively. How would the creature symbolizing his third and fourth Tribulation manage to survive? The wyvern tried to turn, recognizing the danger, but Promesse was too quick. The weapon struck the animal''s neck and passed through its body before exiting on the other side. Priam scrambled through the mist to dodge the titanic body as it crashed. Reappearing fifty meters away, Priam felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. The flying reptile was on the ground. The creature''s shaking and groan told Priam it wasn''t dead yet. Promesse was returning to him, and he wondered for a moment whether he should try to finish the wyvern. Probably not. He only had eight special attacks left, and according to his clones, the creature was immortal as long as the Sun could see it. Priam looked up at the enormous black clouds covering the earth and turned [Bullet Time] off. Perhaps they were blocking the Sun''s rays? He had relatively little hope, as the Tribulations were supposed to synergize with each other, not cancel each other out, but he had to try. Racing towards the body, Priam leaped into the air, preparing his attack. Aether flowed along his meridians, and the fiery runes running across Promesse lit up. "[Tribulation Piercing Spear].¡± Falling like a comet towards the wyvern, Priam aimed for its head. The spear penetrated the monster''s skull and destroyed its brain. The Earl landed on the reptile''s corpse and watched his notifications. Nothing. Either the System wasn''t interested in his Tribulations, or the creature was still alive. Bending over to observe the beast''s wounds, Priam noticed its blood pulsating. The wyvern''s brain had been destroyed, and Priam''s perception couldn''t feel its heartbeat. Yet the vital liquid was still circulating, regenerating the beast. Its wounds were closing in real-time. Looking up, Priam realized the wyvern was absorbing the surrounding light. Infrared and ultraviolet rays converged on the body before being absorbed. The sun''s rays, filtered by the clouds, regenerated the monster. Without clouds, Priam was willing to bet that its regeneration speed would have increased tenfold. Boom... Priam''s eyes widened. The boss'' heart hadn''t stopped, it had just slowed down to about ten beats a minute. Dodging the still-falling raindrops, Priam tried to locate and destroy the heart. Circling the corpse, Priam stopped in front of its chest. Boom... The buzzing of the locusts drew nearer, and the chilling sound invaded the plain. Without wasting any time, Priam raised his spear and brought it down. Without skill, Promesse failed to penetrate the wyvern''s scales. He tried again with Micro. This time his attack penetrated the scales. Priam decided to use [Spear Strike]. The skill helped him pierce part of the flesh beneath the scales. Given the size of the monster, Priam theorized that it would take him around fifty attacks to get to the heart. That was far too long. Lvl Up: [Spear Strike] lvl 5 STR +2 DEXT +1 The monster began to move, and Priam gritted his teeth. He didn''t have the luxury of saving his aether. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The spear created a twenty-centimeter diameter hole in the beast''s chest. At the bottom, the heart glowed brightly in the infrared. More than a heart, Priam had the impression of seeing a star. Boom. The overpowering thump exploded Priam''s eardrums and knocked him to the ground. Dazed by the shock, it took him a few seconds to regain his senses. Already, the wound was closing. Priam quickly searched his pockets for grenades. Fortunately, he had remembered to borrow a few from Sphinx. Pulling out three grenades, Priam threw them into the hole he''d created and moved off. An explosion sounded, and the wyvern''s body spasmed. The night dissipated, and the world regained its colors. Priam sighed at the lack of notification. The rain became almost impossible to dodge, and two drops fell on Priam''s skull. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead and onto his eyelid. Wiping his face mechanically, Priam watched the locusts approaching quickly. There were already hundreds of them. Priam hesitated about what to do. The wyvern''s heart had exploded, but the System remained silent. The lights dimmed, bending to strike the corpse. His instincts told him that the heart was regenerating. He''d bought himself some time, but as long as the sun''s rays could find the body, it was useless. The Heaven wyvern was immortal under the Sun, his clones had said. Without believing in it, Priam tried to use [There is no Heaven] on the corpse. A thin stream of aether left his body before returning empty-handed. The wyvern didn''t seem to have a soul. "I don''t have time to bury it. With some luck, they''ll eat its corpse..." murmured Priam. Turning on his heels, he sped off in the direction of New Earth. Behind him, the Apocalypse followed. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 170 (+10) Constitution 284 Agility 200 (+1) Vitality 298 Perception 344 (+21) MENTAL: Vivacity 183 (+3) Dexterity 234 (+16) Memory 50 Willpower 306 (+7) Charisma 161 META: Meta-affinity 163 Meta-focus 111 (+4) Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3847 (+0) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 80: To err is human As Priam fled in the direction of New Earth, the wave of locusts reached the wyvern''s corpse. The hive mind created by the Tribulation was programmed to pursue three objectives. To increase the volume of the swarm. To devour everything in its path once it had reached a certain critical mass. To focus on the one who had triggered the Tribulation. That''s why the locusts stopped for a moment, hesitating between pursuing Priam and devouring the wyvern''s body. The insects'' ability to split was linked to their energy consumption. As a Tribulation, the System allowed them to absorb ambient aether to use their Talent, but this aether was not infinite on the Moon. Although not unlimited, the amount of energy contained in the corpse was colossal. Enough to considerably increase the size of the swarm. Finally, the hive-mind decided that the current priority was to increase the number of locusts. The insects began their feast, devouring the exposed body parts of the monster. A second later, most of the grasshoppers exploded. The energy in the wyvern''s meat was pure enough to kill them in moments. The next second, the locusts¡¯ swarm doubled in size. A cycle was created. The swarm proliferated, multiplying its initial numbers a hundred times over in just a few minutes. Tens of thousands of insects blocked the sun, artificially creating an impenetrable cloud. While the Sun''s rays could pierce the Damocles cloud, they were unable to penetrate the locust''s metallic body. The Sun''s protege thus lost its regeneration power. Soon, all that remained on the ground were the wyvern''s scales and bones. Defeated by thousands of insects, the mythological animal died for good. The satisfied swarm flew off in Priam''s direction, letting the deadly rain wash away the shiny bones. Only one locust remained behind. Drawn in from the start by a shadow, the insect slowly disappeared, as if consumed by a puddle of liquid night. Pride''s Shadow, the shadow of one of the seven deadly sins, digested its prisoner, analyzing and blocking its power. The locusts'' power had succeeded in killing its host thanks to their immortal spirit and adaptation. This power interested it. Pride''s Shadow, like its origin, had to be the best. Its host had to be at the peak of evolution. If a locust could resurrect and double its power, so could it. As the cloud of insects disappeared over the horizon, the shadow of the carcass trembled. A second later, two Heaven Wyverns appeared on the desolate plain. Their glare was brighter than before and their power was greater. One of the reptiles pounced on its clone to devour it. Its black shadow seemed to be sleeping, exhausted. Purifying its bloodline by absorbing the other¡¯s, the Heaven Wyvern roared with rage, then took to the air. Priam had been running for half an hour. Behind him, the cloud of locusts had disappeared, masked by the hills. Only the rain now kept him company. Or rather, the downpour. The young Earl was now running in a deluge. Head down, he drew on his Potential to keep running, while his skin was falling apart. Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 10,11,12 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 2,...,6 VIT +5 POT -6 Twenty minutes earlier, the raindrops had become too numerous to avoid. Priam had tried to use [Kinetic Control] to repel the drops as soon as they touched his skin. It had only half worked. The water brushed against his peach fuzz before being sent off in another direction. Yet Priam continued to be wounded. The water wasn¡¯t the problem: it was the supernatural power. The drops were chemically made up of H2O molecules. Their piercing power came from a conceptual fragment. Would you like to absorb the Concept fragment - Steel? Priam accepted once. By spending a single point of Potential, the drop that hit him returned to normal, and Priam gained a - small - Concept fragment that joined [Mirror of the Soul]. The Tribulations were both a test and a reward. Unfortunately, he didn''t have infinite reserves of Potential. Priam had therefore chosen to refuse to accept the other fragments. As a result, his injuries had worsened. POT -3 The young Earl continued to run in the rain. If it hadn''t been for the other three Tribulations, he would quickly have taken shelter under a rock or tried to dig an underground shelter. On their own, the Damocles¡¯ Tears weren''t that dangerous. But he knew that death was on his heels. Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 13 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 7 VIT +1 As he ran, Priam reviewed his various Trees of Merit. The torrential rain was eroding his skin and flesh. The only way to stay alive was to create a Domain or resist the rain. Priam had little hope of unlocking his Domain quickly, but he knew how to survive. He summoned his Trees of Merit. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 0: Once a day, one heart can regenerate instantly. [Brainless] - Tier 3: Locked. Requires a Silver Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - Tier 0: Your flame affinity allows you to manipulate fires. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 4: The mist becomes a part of you. You are the mist, Mist Adept. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity''s standing. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: [Bullet time] is automatically triggered when you are in danger of death. [Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Veteran] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. 7 Unused Merit Points. As usual, Priam''s greedy side awakened as he looked at his options. There were so many exciting Merits! For example, [Veteran] could save his life, depending on the Merit''s effectiveness. Unfortunately, Tier 0 was unlikely to be immensely powerful. Priam needed power now. Some of the Merits had changed with the upgrading of his Titles. Some now seemed rather... useless. Starting with [Three-Headed Hydra]. Thanks to the Title upgrade, Priam could regenerate one of his limbs almost instantly. Moreover, thanks to his unique talent, he could restore his body every day. Above all, Priam was not a hydra. He had only one head, and losing it meant a quick death. On the other hand, other Merits seemed incredibly valuable. For example, [Iconoclast] allowed one to feel one''s soul. In the future, the Title would certainly enable Priam to better understand [He Who Eludes Death]. It also seemed evident to him that feeling and protecting one''s soul was essential in this new world. The soul, and therefore the uniqueness of a being, had to be paramount when ascending to Tier... A drop fell into his eye, and Priam screamed. Stumbling, he fell to the ground. Panting, exhausted by his run, Priam lay still for a moment. Mud smeared his wounds. He could feel the pebbles rubbing against his raw flesh, as the rain continued to flay him. Dying slowly, Priam decided to take care of the rain. He wouldn''t make it to the dome if he continued like this. The young Earl quickly analyzed his options. [Veteran] could be good, but Priam didn''t want to spread his Merits too thinly. The further a tree progressed, the more influential the Merits became. Giving up his future for a few minutes of life was pointless. Especially when there was a better option. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 4: The mist becomes a part of you. You are the mist, Mist Adept. ACQUIRED. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. 6 Unused Merit Points. Lying on the muddy ground, Priam shielded his face with his arm. The mist had changed again. Within a hundred-meter radius, Priam could feel everything. Every falling drop. Every blade of grass torn up and destroyed. The blood flowing from his wounds. Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 14 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 8 VIT +1 Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 26 This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam concentrated. The wind stopped for a moment. In the sphere of mist, nothing moved. He gave an instinctive mental command, and the fog converged on him. A half-sphere, about ten meters in diameter, formed. The mist swirled gently, creating an artificial current that deflected the drops. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 27 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam opened his good eye and stood up. Bloody, half-naked, he felt dirty and weak. Like a protective cloak, the mist drew closer and enveloped him. Its embrace was both soft and wet. Priam felt as if he were cuddling a cloud. A cloud that caressed his skin and pushed the world away. The opposite of a cyclone or tornado. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 28 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 In the distance, the sound of the locusts closing in eclipsed the sound of the rain. Priam stood up and activated the regenerative power of [Three-Headed Hydra]. The ability could target an organ or a limb. Priam imagined his skin healing. Of his original seven kilograms of skin, he had certainly lost four. This organ would protect his body and allow his flesh to heal. It would also enable him to conserve his blood, which was currently flowing freely. Anemia and dehydration were still problems, despite his attributes. The Title triggered, and Priam winced at the tingling sensation. He felt as if a million invisible nanobots were helping his skin renew itself. Ten seconds later, Priam looked human again - at least on the outside. His flesh was still bruised, and he was now bleeding internally. He finally swallowed a few gulps of the Spring''s liquid. Stretching, he smiled confidently. In a few minutes, his only injury would be his punctured eye. Seeing with only one eye impacted his estimation of distances, but it wasn''t vital thanks to the information gathered by his mist. Looking back at the vengeful clouds, Priam continued on his way. His mist¡¯s cloak now protected him. A quarter of an hour later, the silver dome of New Earth sparkled before him. Rain fell on it before trickling helplessly to the ground. Priam caressed the protection for a moment. Under his fingers, it seemed indestructible. "I only need half an hour. Just enough time to evacuate the ducal palace and defeat the Lord," Priam murmured. Welcome, Moon Earl. Would you like to enter New Earth? Priam turned around briefly. The horizon was black with locusts. The swarm must now number in the millions. The sky was black, too, covered with clouds thick and vast enough to cause an ice age. The rain fell harder and harder, gradually eroding the mist. The only speck of light was a lightning bolt, steadily breaking through the cloud. Yet Priam heard no thunder. The wyvern was alive. He couldn''t keep running away. The Tribulations were accelerating and would remain for at least another twenty-three hours. Plenty of time for him to die many times over. Decisive, he turned and accepted the proposal. ... Error. Tribulations in progress. Please finish your Tribulations before entering the dome protection. Priam''s eyes widened. The world was now invaded by the whirring of the locusts. If he stayed here, he wouldn''t survive more than a few minutes. He had to get into the dome! There was only one way: find an entrance guarded by a Baron. But how? The situation called for him to use his penultimate question. How do I get into the dome? Answer: 8 o''clock, a guardian is waiting two kilometers away; run! [Kinetic Control]. Priam dashed in the direction given by his clones: 8 o''clock. Without knowing whether there was a north, how to give an indication? With a clock. Noon meant ahead, 6 o''clock behind and 3 or 9 o''clock, the right or left respectively. The landscape unfolded as Priam''s meridians screamed. His running was barely controlled, but a few uses of [Kinetic Control] were enough to keep him from falling. Lvl Up: [Iron Marathon] lvl 2 AGI +3 After a few seconds, Priam saw a promontory of some kind before him. The structure looked strange and he headed towards it. Unfortunately, the swarm of locusts arrived first. Fifty meters from the cape, Priam was advancing towards a veritable wall of insects. Gritting his teeth, he accelerated, surrounding himself in a cloud. A fraction of a second before contact, his mist detected the entrance. Pulling the pin out of a grenade, Priam threw it into the mist before teleporting it in front of the cavern entrance. He couldn''t teleport in place of the insects, so he had to create a space for himself. The grenade''s explosion would do the trick. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 29 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 The next instant, the cloud of locusts crashed into his cloak of mist. Priam, wielding Promesse, pierced ten of them in less than a second. Twenty more appeared, and he swore. For a second, the insects tried to penetrate his protection, but Priam manipulated the mist to make it swirl around and annihilate their effort. Glancing at his enemies, Priam swallowed. They were more imposing than before. Suddenly, one of the insects swallowed a tiny part of his mist. Priam wouldn''t have noticed if the thousands of other insects circling him hadn''t then had the same idea. They share the same mind! Priam turned livid. After just one second, a tenth of his haze had disappeared. If it went on like this... An explosion sounded, and Priam straddled his mist. The explosion had released a pocket of air in the middle of the insects. It only took a moment for Priam to teleport again. He arrived in a cavern at the heart of the promontory. The room appeared to be a carbon copy of the one occupied by Anne, Albin and Claire when he had defeated the first two Barons three days before. Only three days... The main difference with the last time was that the guardian was present, and a hundred insects had already found the room. The giant pig was being devoured. Priam gave him a quick glance before hurrying towards the sealed door, hoping the locusts would forget about him. Placing a hand on it, he ordered it to be opened. ... Error. Tribulations in progress. Please finish your Tribulations before entering the dome protection. "FUCK!" The noise of the locusts became deafening. The perception that the mist offered him within a sphere of fifty meters radius was terrifying. Millions of insects had gathered. They were following the passage leading to the cavern and would arrive in the room in a few seconds. Priam knew that staying here meant his death. Then, half an hour later, he would rise and die again. For good this time. As panic mounted inside him, Priam forced Micro to calm him down. [Focus]. Some clones had made it through the Tribulations. He could do it. Taking a second to observe his surroundings, Priam sprang into action. Five of his grenades flew toward the entrance to the room. The priority was to keep more insects out. The giant locusts in the room began to approach Priam. Manipulating his new cloak of mist, Priam protected himself while summoning an inverted steam vortex around him. The reversed tornado repelled the locusts. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 30 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Priam then turned to the sealed door and contemplated his new abilities. He could fire spears at almost three kilometers per second. The dome was too resistant for him, but a few centimeters of rock should no longer impress him. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse reduced the central part of the sealed door to dust. Priam grimaced as he looked at his aether reserves. He couldn''t use this skill more than three times without recovering his strength. Behind him, the locusts were already devouring his mist. Priam teleported into the dark passage, then began to run through the path leading to New Earth. Behind him, the grenades exploded, partially destroying access to the cavern. The Locusts Plague could no longer enter the cavern, but a few thousand locusts were still following Priam. The young warrior pulled the pin on his last grenade as he ran. Seconds later, he threw it behind him. Boom. The explosion triggered another collapse, and Priam stopped to watch. The rockfall stabilized after about ten seconds. By chance or coincidence, several meters of the passageway were now blocked. Priam could no longer hear the insects behind him. He sighed with relief. His goal was to survive his Tribulations, not to take millions of carnivorous insects into the dome. Turning on his heels, he headed for the city. There wasn''t a second to lose - after all, the System wouldn''t accept Priam unfairly dodging his Tribulations. He didn''t think he had more than an hour before the System got angry. A few minutes later, he arrived at the replica of the underground temple where Claire had betrayed him. Two Barons were waiting - bat-like creatures - and Priam one shotted them. Leaping to the top of the stairs, he opened the temple door. A market awaited him. The colors of this dome were green and silver. Its protective barrier, which illuminated the city, was the color of a leaf. New Earth was covered in trees and greenery. The dome was sublime, but Priam had no time for sightseeing. He turned in the direction of the ducal palace. He had to kill the Lord quickly. A hesitant voice stopped him just as he was about to go for it. "Lord Priam?" "I''m in a hurry," Priam replied quickly. "Please forgive me, I''ll be brief. My master, Mercury, has found your father. He is in this dome, and I can take you to him whenever you like." For a moment, Priam froze. He must have heard wrong. The chances of his father being in that dome were minimal. Unless... Dad was looking for me! he realized. That was just like his father. "I..." Without warning, the city''s light intensity increased tenfold. The dome barrier was blinding, and most of the market''s shoppers and merchants shielded their eyes. Priam looked up, his heart beating heavily in his chest. A shadow loomed outside the dome. The wyvern wouldn''t wait for him to kill the Lord. Priam had made a colossal mistake... "The dome has to be evacuated!" "Where?!" shouted the Mercury man. Where indeed? Outside, millions of locusts waited. Every drop of rain would kill any human. Only the barrier protected its inhabitants. The dome lit up again. A crack appeared. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 170 Constitution 289 (+5) Agility 204 (+4) Vitality 308 (+9) Perception 368 (+24) MENTAL: Vivacity 183 Dexterity 234 Memory 50 Willpower 306 Charisma 172 (+11) META: Meta-affinity 178 (+15) Meta-focus 111 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3876 (+20) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Chapter 81: Spear versus Bow The fissure was small, but it was there. Priam turned quickly to Mercury¡¯s man. "Get my father to safety," he said before running off toward the Ducal Palace. Mercury had promised to find Alain and keep him safe until his reunion with Priam. Only until then. Of course, Priam wanted to see his dad again, but the situation was terribly dangerous. His father''s safety was more important. With a heavy heart, Priam raced towards the Ducal Palace. Located in the center of New Earth, the building sparkled under the light of the wyvern''s attacks. Its green and silver reflections would have blinded most men, but not Priam. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding the panicked crowd running through the streets, Priam pondered about his last question. It was due to expire in a few minutes, and a thousand questions were on his mind. How to survive my Tribulations? How to overcome my Tribulations? How to get the most out of my Tribulations? Running across the green roof of a stall, he looked up. Before him, a wide street separated his building from the next. Stepping on a few flowers, he jumped. His shadow silhouetted against the trees lining the street below, Priam asked the most open question possible. What do I need to know? Answer: Set aside your flesh, absorb Damocles'' cloud into your Domain. The last answer had been given. As usual, it was cryptic, but Priam nodded. He understood. Landing on the next building, Priam heard a terrible creak. He wasn''t yet dense enough to cause structural damage to the building. The sound resembled that of an iceberg fracturing, and its source was high up. A second crack had appeared at the top of the dome. Clearly, the wyvern wasn''t tired. In response to the fissure, a terrifying roar was heard. Looking up towards the Ducal Palace, Priam chuckled. Apparently, he wouldn''t have to make the whole trip. In the distance, the Palace gates opened. Priam resumed his course, modifying his trajectory. The Lord of the Dome was coming to meet him, and he had no intention of confronting him in the middle of the city. The loss of life would be tragic... Five steps later, his Perception screamed. Throwing himself to his right, Priam barely dodged a projectile. Raising himself in a single movement, he spotted the arrow finishing its course in a building, exploding it. The attack had almost impaled him in mid-air. Closing his eyes momentarily, Priam understood how his Perception had alerted him about the supersonic attack. He''d never noticed it before, but the dome was also covered in a mist, so fine as almost imperceptible. His new Title and Perception gave him heightened sensitivity. It was this mist that had saved him by spotting a fast-approaching projectile. At the origin of the shot, a colossus was once again bending his bow. Or rather, a cyclops. A few meters from the heavy Palace gates, the Lord of New Earth had decided to take matters into his own hands. Far from resembling his stupid cousin Polyphemus, his single eye sparkled with intelligence. His movements were graceful, and Priam found himself admiring the dexterity with which the Lord was once again bending his bow. If Sphinx had unlocked Domain, cyclops had unlocked Micro. Maybe less magical at first sight, this Supremacy was terrifying when its user knew how to use it. Priam straddled the mist to dodge a second shot that destroyed several buildings behind him. Nobody could have said how many humans had died from this single attack. Shit. Confronting the cyclops on open ground seemed a mistake, and the rooftops offered no security. Priam jumped into an alley below to cut off the archer''s line of sight. So far from the Market, the fleeing men and women were fewer. But there were enough of them to keep Priam from running at full speed. Quickly looking up at the walls, he gained momentum and attempted a wall jump. The idea was to move from facade to facade. His right foot brutally crushed the stone of a beautiful house, leaving a trace in the rock. Taking off toward a house on the opposite side of the street, Priam smiled as he flew over the crowd. His other foot landed on a ledge before his powerful muscles, manipulated by Micro, propelled him again. In a matter of seconds, Priam crossed a hundred meters, flying above the street. It''s working! The sensation was exhilarating as he discovered a new way of getting around. In the distance, the silhouette of the Colosseum loomed like a growing shadow over the luminous dome. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 20 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 [Art of Movement] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Great Art of Movement] - You perfect your art. POT -30 [Spatial Movement] - You consider the three spatial dimensions of an environment to optimize your movements. POT -30 [Micro Movement] - You learn to use your whole body to optimize your movements. Synergizes with Micro. POT -30 Priam hesitated for a moment. The three upgrades looked tempting, but only one of them was possible. As one of his wall jumps destroyed a window frame under the power of his leap, the mist detected a projectile. [Kinetic Control]. Priam accelerated while in air, dodging an arrow that would undoubtedly have been fired from above. The Concepts must have downloaded a wealth of ballistic knowledge into the monster''s head, for the shot was perfect. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 11 AGI +1 The arrow penetrated the ground in an explosion of dust and rock debris. Fragments of cobblestone flew, penetrating defenseless bodies. Several people fell to the ground screaming. Priam gritted his teeth as he saw a shocked little girl staring at the headless body of what must have been her mother. Hundreds of frightened humans were running in all directions. As a man with the build of a rugby player threatened to crush the little girl in his panicked flight, Priam straddled the mist, going back. He lifted the child before heading for a nearby building. His Perception detected two whispering voices inside - one relatively high-pitched. Knocking for a moment on the building door, Priam sighed as he heard the voices fall silent. Nobody wanted to open their door just after an explosion. Yet Priam''s proximity was currently dangerous. Deciding to leave the door intact, he jumped out, causing the little girl to hiccup with surprise. Clinging to the first-floor balcony, Priam broke the window. Pushing the child inside, he shouted. "Ma''am, there''s a little girl upstairs. I''m going to take care of the monster, so help her!" With one last sad smile for the traumatized child, Priam leaped out into the street. He hadn''t taken the time to say a word to the orphan or reflect on his responsibility. His attention refocused: the next arrow was already coming. Boom! Another dodge and other screams. The precision and power of the cyclops'' attacks were incredible. The shots were also getting faster and faster, and if [Aether Perception] wasn''t lying, they were only physical. The Lord was a force of destruction without even magically reinforcing his shots. It is Micro''s true power, Priam thought. The Supremacy could transform a body into an indestructible weapon, and for the moment, he had only scratched the surface of its possibilities. Referring to the descriptions of his Supremacy and his conversations with Bechar, Priam validated an improvement to [Art of Movement]. [Micro Movement] - Learn to use your whole body to optimize your movements. Synergizes with Micro. POT -30 Instantly, he corrected himself slightly as he prepared his next wall jump. Not the position of his foot - his movement skill took care of that - but rather the way his muscles positioned themselves. Tibialis anterior, soleus, extensor retinaculum, triceps surae, and other muscles in his legs were repositioning themselves to improve his jump. His foot outstretched, Priam arrived on a new fa?ade and executed a perfect wall jump. The cushioning was softer, the support more solid, the extension more powerful. Thanks to the upgrade, Micro now synergized with [Art of Movement]. Priam flew between the buildings. Heart racing, he accelerated even more. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Two attacks - accompanied by tragic cries - later, he arrived in the square surrounding the Colosseum. It was empty of people, most of whom were trying to flee to their homes. A third crack appeared in the barrier protecting the dome as if to urge Priam on. Priam charged forward, aided by [Kinetic Control]. [Micro Movement] allowed him to use Micro to run even faster. Thanks to his high density - and therefore greater mass - his strides didn''t send him skyward. The air pressed against his skin, like a film of fluid trying to slow him down - vainly. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 5 AGI +1 Priam''s different skills were beginning to work together, gradually creating a monster. The mist whispered of a new attack, and Priam, focused on his run, leaped. As real artillery fire destroyed the ground behind him, he flew some twenty meters before landing at the end of his run in front of the Colosseum gates. His objective was to fight the Lord in the arena, in order to limit collateral damage. Placing his hand on one of the doors, he pressed heavily to enter. The door remained closed. "Sorry Priam, but you can''t enter the Colosseum with a Tribulation in progress... At least not without the Lord''s approval," Bechar''s voice whispered in his ear. "Shit. Thanks Bechar." This was one of the System''s advantages: all problems had violence as a solution. Priam was in a violent mood. A new arrow was coming. Raising Promesse, Priam brought it down on the projectile to deflect it. [Micro], [Spear Strike]. With an ultra-violent shock, the arrow flew back like a baseball. Home Run! The backlash threw Priam a meter before he absorbed it. As he landed, Priam shook his right hand, grimacing. Trying to stop - or deflect - a Lord''s attack with just one hand was still too early; the message was clear. About two hundred meters away, positioned on a four-story building reminiscent of a small Byzantine palace, the cyclops watched him, his bow down. Priam clutched his spear with both hands, determined to protect the Colosseum from another arrow. He still needed it, and he considered the building to be his property already. After all, it would be as soon as he became the Lord... "You''re powerful for a human. I respect that. But using my dome to temporarily dodge your Tribulations is cowardly," declared the cyclops. He must have used some technique to project his voice, because it was clearly reaching Priam. Priam let out a growl. "Do you think I have a choice? There''s a fucking wyvern out there gunning for me. The locusts will devour my mist and then me. Without the dome and its protection, I don''t stand a chance," he shouted. There had to be a technique to project his voice as the cyclops did, but he didn''t know it. "You want to kill me to take control of the barrier," understood the cyclops. "Clever, but it won''t hold forever. The locusts are absorbing its energy, the rain is sapping its defenses, and the wyvern is on the verge of creating a breach." The cyclops was far away and Priam hesitated to attack. His most powerful attack could certainly reach his opponent before he could dodge, but it would leave him in critical condition. A less powerful attack would be parried or dodged. "I''ll get them in one after the other, don''t worry about the barrier." "Really? The locusts will massacre the humans in the dome in a matter of minutes, do you realize that?" "No, they''ll attack the one who started the Tribulation," Priam countered. "In priority, yes," agreed the cyclops. "But there are millions of them right now. You won''t attract them all. The Tribulation isn''t just a test of strength, it''s also a test of character. Will you let your kind die? I guess we''ll never know, because you''re going to die here," he said, raising his bow. Priam gritted his teeth. The cyclops'' words were designed to unsettle him. It was working. He had seen the frightened little girl. He knew his father was somewhere in the dome. The System wouldn''t let him get away easily. Blood would be spilled today. The question was: whose? "Damn it!" he swore, raising Promesse. [Focus]. [Emotional discipline]. The skills allowed him to focus on the present. The important thing was to face one trial after another. The cyclops was right, it all started now, with their fight. [Aether Perception] pulsed, and Priam''s eyes widened. All the aether in the square was shaking. Some of it began to flow towards the bow. The cyclops was continually stringing his weapon, and the amount of energy he was accumulating was awe-inspiring. Priam grimaced as he looked at his reserves. Thanks to the physical attacks he had absorbed from Sphinx, he had access to far more energy than his opponent. The difference between him and the cyclops was that his enemy concentrated his energy for several seconds, whereas Priam had no choice but to release his energy instantly. It was annoying, as his meridians would explode if he used too much kinetic energy. Impossible, therefore, to snipe at the Lord from his current position. He needed to get closer. Concentrating on his mist, Priam created a screen of water vapor. In a second, a massive half-sphere of steam appeared. He then focused on [Moon Mist] and [Stealth]. The mist was meant to mask his physical and magical presence. The aether stopped shaking, and Priam smiled. The cyclops seemed surprised not to find his opponent. Suddenly, a flash appeared in the mist, and Priam''s previous position exploded, bombarded by an arrow. The attack had been too swift to detect or dodge. Priam swallowed and approached the cyclops, preceded by the mist. All he had to do now was get closer. Bechar, leaning against one of the Colosseum''s windows, watched the amateur fight. Priam had made progress since the last time, but it was mainly quantitative. His attributes and skills had increased, but his Supremacy remained pathetic. The only positive point was the control he exerted over his mist and the improvements he made to it. The Colosseum administrator had no problem detecting the human. The cyclops, for his part, was confused. The mist was disturbing his unique eye. The Lord began to attack randomly through the mist, and Bechar shook his head. The cyclops had a significant attributes advantage over Priam, but he didn''t have enough luck. Or rather, META (Chance). The attribute had many effects, and luck would be on Priam''s side in a fight. In addition, trying to hit him blindly was unworthy of a warrior. As the mist advanced toward the cyclops, he remained static. Bechar sighed at the Lord''s confidence - hubris, even. Of course, his bloodline was far superior to those of Priam. But the young human was used to combat, and the Lord''s inexperience made him overconfident. Less than twenty meters from the mist, the Lord put away his bow and pulled out a knife before leaping into the mist. Bechar sighed. Cyclops were a terrifying race when they gained experience, but they had the flaw of being reckless. Stupid, even, thought Bechar. Of course, a Lord had an image to maintain, but there was nothing cowardly about repositioning when you were an archer. Nevertheless, Bechar wondered how Priam intended to defeat his adversary. Despite his questionable decisions, the cyclops was still a formidable opponent. The Lord lay in wait in the mist, trying to force his eye to penetrate the obstacle. It was an excellent idea, for their power came from their eye. Every time a cyclops developed their visual organ, they gained power, just as when a Hydra gained a head. Of course, this kind of evolution was rare and required a tight and bloody duel. Only extreme willpower tempered by senseless violence could help. Smiling, Bechar watched Priam stealthily approach the cyclops, observing its movements and copying them with Micro. The human was weak, but he knew how to adapt. This character trait, coupled with his Talents, could take him far. A few meters from the cyclops, Priam charged forward, seeming to merge with his mist for a moment, and Bechar burst out laughing. He might have had a chance after all. "Tribulation Piercing Spear." The name of the skill resounded under the dome as a fourth crack opened up because of the wyvern. Both attacks were successful. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 170 Constitution 289 Agility 206 (+3) Vitality 309 Perception 370 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 183 Dexterity 235 (+1) Memory 50 Willpower 306 Charisma 172 META: Meta-affinity 178 Meta-focus 111 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3850 (-26) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Chapter 82: The Second Dawn Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 18 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 31 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 5 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Promesse struck the cyclops'' eye before sliding across it. The weapon continued its trajectory, following the visual organ''s curvature before striking the eyebrow''s arch. Smashing through the bone, and the brain behind it, it burst the cyclops'' head. Priam raised an eyebrow at the result of his attack. He had been careful to strike from the cyclops'' blind spot: his back. After all, his eye seemed capable of miracles, and Priam hadn''t wanted to risk being detected despite being in his mist. However, at the last moment, the cyclops'' eye had appeared at the back of his head, spotting Priam. Too late. Had the cyclops been a little stronger, his one eye would not have been a weak point. It is the true power of a mythical race. His thoughts were interrupted by a terrifying noise. The wyvern had finally succeeded. There was now a hole in the top of the dome, through which the monster struggled to get its head through, contorting itself. WARNING: New Earth''s barrier has been breached. Complete regeneration will take two hours. Any additional damage will increase this time. Gritting his teeth at the sight of the monster that would cause many casualties today, Priam turned to the cyclops'' corpse. He still hadn''t received a reward and had an idea why. Leaning over the destroyed body of the former Lord, Priam searched the shredded flesh. Plucking the cyclops'' eye from the bloody mass, he tried it out with the back of his hand. The eye was incredibly hard, spherical in shape and the size of a handball. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] hadn''t left a trace on it. Priam injected his aether inside. His aether penetrated the object for a moment before encountering resistance. Pursing his lips, Priam activated [There is no Heaven]. A fraction of his aether disappeared into the thing and then returned to him. Instinctively, Priam sensed that it would take a large part of his aether to damage the cyclops'' soul. He accepted the price, and more than half his remaining aether penetrated the eye. Lvl Up: [There is no Heaven] lvl 2 WILL +9 Instantly, a horrible scream was heard. Priam dropped the eye and plugged his ears to no avail. It''s in my head! Announcement to Humanity: Priam Azura becomes the new Lord of New Earth. Title Won! [Land Owner - Silver] - You become a true Noble, owning Land. You receive certain benefits when you are on it. Your Title of Nobility is linked to it. Losing your Land will affect your Title. Increasing the size of your Land will improve your Title. When you are on your Land: Allows manipulation of specific specialized infrastructures. Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Bonus (Viscount): Aether regeneration x2 Bonus (Earl): Knowledge about your land Instantly, Priam felt a flood of information and aether invade him. Millions of humans were currently in New Earth. Most were holed up in buildings, but some were still searching for their loved ones or homes. Priam shuddered as he felt first-hand how many lives were currently in danger. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. Except by committing suicide, he wouldn''t be able to stop the Tribulations - and he cared too much about his life to do that. Suddenly, Priam had an idea. Being a Count gave him access to information on the individuals currently present in the dome. Maybe I can do a manual search? He thought of his father. The next moment, the System informed him about him. He was in a beautiful house near the Market and not alone. With him were several people, including one of Priam''s acquaintances. Claire?! An explosion forced Priam to focus again. The wyvern was tired of being blocked by the barrier and was making its discontent known. A laser beam had vaporized a building, wiping out its inhabitants. Twelve deaths, informed the System. Priam would have preferred to ignore this number. After all, it was he who had brought the Tribulation here. Without wasting any more time, Priam retrieved the eye of the cyclops and connected himself to the dome barrier. The barrier was constantly losing energy, sapped by the various Tribulations. Priam intended to spare it by allowing the Damocles¡¯ Tears to pass through. The wyvern attacked again, and Priam gritted his teeth. Thousands of humans continued to roam New Earth¡¯s streets, panicking as they heard the sound of explosions. Priam hesitated for a moment to let the Tribulation through. If he couldn''t warn these men and women, carnage would ensue... The System proposed a solution that Priam immediately accepted. With a bit of aether, the barrier could deliver sound announcements. "Inhabitants of New Earth." Priam''s voice thundered throughout the dome. "A deadly rain is coming in ten seconds, and a single drop will be enough to kill you. Stay inside or take shelter right now. Don''t come out under any circumstances! You''ll have time to find your loved ones later." It wasn''t true. Now that the wyvern was attacking the city directly, the barrier still had several minutes ahead. However, most inhabitants would do no more in ten minutes than in ten seconds. Better to conserve the barrier''s reserves to fight off the locusts. A deadly rain was one thing. Bugs actively searching for survivors was quite another. ¡®I can only hold it for another ten seconds¡¯ was a half-lie. Priam wasn''t holding back the Tribulations; he was causing them. But even if he had no intention of remaining the Lord of New Earth, he had no interest in alienating humanity. For a split second, Priam felt dirty. His actions were going to get a lot of people killed. The next moment, his anger rumbled. It wasn''t he who had asked to invoke Tribulations. It was the System. It was also the System that had forced Priam to use the barrier to mitigate his Tribulations. The fault wasn''t solely his, and if the System asked him to choose between his life and others''... Is it selfish to wish to live? Priam closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe calmly. It was the moment of truth and he would have the opportunity to reflect on his responsibilities later. He had to create a Domain now. Or perish trying. Ten seconds later, he opened his eyes again and concentrated his mist around him. Satisfied with his protection, he allowed the first Tribulation to enter with a thought. The barrier shook for a moment, becoming intangible to Damocles¡¯ cloud. The dome was several kilometers high, and the entire cloud pressed in, as if eager to punish whoever had tried to escape it. A rainbow appeared under the combined effect of the black cloud and the light from the dome. Outside, the furious locusts¡¯ swarm redoubled its efforts to destroy the barrier. Seconds later, the rain hit the ground. Priam mentally felt the lives of many humans disappear. Those who had not heeded his advice were no more. Sighing, he refocused on his own ordeal. Only the living could mourn the dead. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A flood was falling on New Earth and his mantle of mist. His aether reserves dispersed as he tried to connect more deeply to his mist. [Moon Mist] had become the skill he knew best. His Titles and Merits synergized to help him tame the fog. Every swirl was noted by Priam. Every foreign body was highlighted in his mind. The mist responded to his thoughts, eager to obey. It wouldn''t be enough to earn a Domain. Domain... The Supremacy he was supposed to be able to unlock with his mind and mist. He''d first heard of it when he''d upgraded [Brainless]''s Merits. The System had then told him that he had taken his first step in the direction of the Domain. After talking it over with Sphinx and B¨¦char, the explanation was clear. A Domain was a spatial zone dominated by the user''s mind. According to Bechar, acquiring a Domain was a two-stage process. First, you had to perceive your environment - which Priam''s mist did. Secondly, you had to influence that environment. It required the application of willpower. This was where Priam struggled. Yet he had no choice but to succeed. Unlocking his Domain would allow Priam to control the Damocles cloud and perhaps¡­ Shaking his head, Priam refocused. His aether reserves - even regenerated by his new Title - were not infinite. He had to get his Domain now. With one last glimpse of his surroundings through the mist, Priam sighed. Despite his best efforts, he couldn''t impose his will on the world. Something was missing. It was a different experience for everyone, but Bechar had confirmed that it was easier when his mind could invade the desired space. Geniuses like Sphinx could do it without help, but Priam needed a helping hand. He already knew what: [Brainless] had to be improved. For this, there was only one possibility, which his clones had confirmed. He had to let his spirit bloom, freed from the prison that was his flesh. "Here we go," he murmured, watching his Tribulation swell. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam leaped toward the titanic cloud. Pulses of kinetic energy propelled him higher and higher as water drops trickled down his misty mantle. Priam would have liked to absorb their kinetic energy, but he could only absorb the energy of the objects in contact with him - or Promesse. That would change with his Domain. At a height of almost five hundred meters, Priam could only see the immense cloud above him. A black ocean of water vapor, crisscrossed by frightful waves. Yet there was no wind beneath the dome''s barrier. Damocles¡¯ cloud exuded a dangerous, implacable aura. An aura of steel. Taking one last look at the city below him, Priam gritted his teeth. The continuation of his Tribulations depended on this moment. If there was ever a time to spend his resources, it was now. He reached for the small purse that accompanied him everywhere and pulled out one of the trophies he had stolen. Between his fingers was a leaf of a blue that Priam would have described as temporal, for want of a better adjective. [Identification] [Ethereal Oolong Leaf - 10 years] - A very special yet relatively young tea leaf. Produces exceptional mental clarity and permanently purifies the mind. Best consumed by infusion but can also be swallowed directly. Priam plunged his hand back into his purse and retrieved a fragile-looking case. Inside was a piece of cloud. [Identification] [Atlalis Circle Pearly Cloud] - A very rare polar cloud. These clouds have the property of stealing happy dreams. After a million years, these clouds become terrifying elementals. This is a fragment of a defeated elemental. Its consumption can transform a desire into reality. Permanently increases your resistance to mental attacks. Priam swallowed both resources. Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 10,...,14 WILL +15 After a second, he opened his eyes and laughed. The descriptions of the two treasures were brief, but their effect was incredible. His mental capacities seemed limitless. He dominated his various attributes and harnessed the full potential of his body. To create a Domain, it was perfect. Bechar had told him that the Supremacies were somehow decorrelated from the System. Burning his Potential wouldn''t help much. A second later, Priam entered the cloud. Despite his misty cloak, the transition was rough. If each drop was like a blade falling from the heavens, the inside of the cloud was like a mountain of metal pressing down on Priam. Without his cloak, every meter would have ripped through his skin, flesh and bones as effectively as a blender. Priam gritted his teeth and summoned his Potential to further strengthen [Moon Mist]. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 32 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 POT -5 His aether reserves were dwindling, and the amount of mist he was summoning was less than what he was losing to the cloud. Even so, Priam was making progress. He had only a few hundred meters to cross before reaching his destination. [Focus]. In the meantime, the warrior tried to concentrate on his mind. For most humans, the seat of thought was the head. The sense of vision being the most developed, the head, housing the brain, was considered by many to be the home of the mind. Thanks to [Brainless], Priam had overcome this limitation. His mind was in his entire body. Closing his eyes, Priam felt his body as a single, homogeneous entity. No part was more important than another. Sure, he''d rather stub his little toe on a bedside table than get the furniture in his eye; but it made no difference to his consciousness. It was part of what had enabled Priam to unlock Micro so quickly. Feeling his whole body was a huge advantage, a way to increase his proprioception. But to unlock the Domain, it wasn''t enough. Despite his best efforts, Priam''s mind remained confined within his body. His skin acted as a protective membrane but also as a prison. His consciousness manipulated his mist, but his mind refused to truly possess it. If my body is a prison... If it''s blocking the acquisition of my Domain, then all I have to do is listen to my clones. Set aside your flesh, absorb Damocles'' cloud in your Domain. The clones'' response was a no-brainer. Besides, Priam was one of the few who could use this shortcut to unlock his Domain. A second later, light triumphed over the darkness of the ocean. Priam had reached the top of the dome, the boundary between the cloud and the barrier. In front of him was the wyvern, looking incredibly angry. In the background, the sound of locusts was horrifying. Priam burst out laughing. "This is your moment, lizard... Show me what you''ve got!" Roaring, the furious wyvern opened its mouth and the world went dark. The surrounding photons seemed to be absorbed into the monster''s maw. For several seconds, the fantastic creature prepared its attack. Priam then grabbed his purse and threw it towards the barrier, where it disappeared. Apparently, it could confiscate some objects. Promesse could withstand a lot of punishment, but not the treasures he''d stolen. I''m going to get naked again, he sighed... Shaking his head, Priam refocused on the spectacle before him. Few people could boast of receiving a wyvern''s Breath with a smile. With his heart at peace, Priam simply levitated, placing himself between the empty Colosseum square and the enraged monster. In those strange moments, his heart calmed. A smile naturally came to his lips. He, an almost ordinary young man just a few weeks ago, was now fighting a wyvern. Almost a dragon. "I love this life..." A second sun rose. Dawn broke, and the flesh disappeared. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 172 (+2) Constitution 289 Agility 209 (+3) Vitality 309 Perception 379 (+9) MENTAL: Vivacity 183 Dexterity 236 (+1) Memory 50 Willpower 335 (+29) Charisma 176 (+4) META: Meta-affinity 184 (+6) Meta-focus 111 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3867 (+17) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Chapter 83: He Who Never Gave Up Louis could feel the drops of water trickling gently down his body. Their path, guided by gravity, took them relentlessly to his feet, where they joined a small puddle. Surely the only drinkable one in the whole dome, he thought. Everywhere, the lethal deluge was falling. Even without Priam''s warning, Louis had directly felt the immense weight of the cloud. The source of the rain was a cloud in appearance only. Louis saw it as a vast, heavy mountain. Or perhaps the graveyard of a million weapons, like a battlefield. "What a bloody day..." Every drop hid a sword, a dagger, a bullet. Louis had lived through many wars, and liked none of them. He appreciated the violence of a good fight. That was why he had devoted his life to the martial arts. Their violence was pure and full of philosophy. The violence of war disgusted him. It killed more innocents than warriors. Louis was always ready to put his life on the line. But he had no desire to confront the weak and oppressed. His passion made him hate the apathy of war. "Lives cut short by indifference..." Perhaps that was what he hated most about this new world - and this cloud. All around him, the drops were falling, raising appalling screams. They quickly died away, like silent testimonies to the horror of the rain. In the adjacent streets, the water running down the gutters was red. The steel rain was finishing off the bodies of those who had not heeded the new Lord''s advice. From the roof of the building that housed his friends, Louis looked down on his street. The rain was attacking the white of the bones of what had only a few minutes ago been a young woman. He hadn''t been able to save her. With the exception of a few bones, teeth and hair, nothing was left of her. A drop had penetrated her skull, then passed through her brain and on. The power had dissipated only after digging a hole through her intestines. A quick death. A useless one. On the streets of New Earth, hundreds of anonymous people were disappearing at this very moment. In someone else''s war. Louis sighed as he felt his strength decline. Each drop was imprinted with the concept of steel. The concept gave them steel properties, making them artificially heavy, hard, piercing and deadly. Without the concept, they were just standard drops of water. That was how Louis felt about them. The old man had spent almost his entire life perfecting his art. Practicing a kind of mixed martial art, Louis had traveled the world to perfect his movements and techniques. Lucid, he had never sought to be the best fighter. He wasn''t tall enough to have excellent reach, or sufficiently imposing to take the most powerful blows. An MMA champion would have beaten him nine times out of ten. However, Louis'' body remained a formidable weapon. Coupled with his reflexes, techniques and knowledge, he was a Master. He had spent his life observing the bodies of others - and his own - meditating and following the philosophy of his art. He''d never thrown the fastest punches, but he knew how to execute the best submission holds. At almost ninety, he was supple, agile, dexterous, lively and optimistic. Upon arrival, the System had given wings to an old tiger. The curtain of rain continued to obscure the world, and while Priam fought his way to the top of the dome, some inhabitants tried to take advantage of the situation. Three hundred meters from Louis, a man pressed up against the buildings, moving slowly towards a house. A woman''s silhouette was silhouetted against one of the house''s windows. When the man knocked on the door, the shadow froze. After a few seconds, the man pulled out a crowbar he''d been holding, hidden under his baggy clothes. "Hard times reveal human nature," mumbled Louis. Maybe the man wanted to steal an empty house. Maybe he was there for the woman. Louis thought for a moment of Mirscella. She didn''t need his protection. In this new world, gender conferred little advantage. The burglar was possibly attacking a tigress. But when in doubt... Raising his right hand, Louis caught a drop of water on the fly. His Mastery annihilated the steel fragment inside, transforming the drop into ordinary water. In one swift movement, Louis positioned it on the nail of his index finger before infusing it with his will. His whole body was dangerous, but the man could also work with tools and weapons. It was the ability he had unlocked when reaching stage 1 of his Mastery. Today, this drop would be his weapon. [Mastery - Body]. [Fire-arm]. With a flick of the wrist, the drop flew away. Louis'' mastery allowed it to retain its shape and speed, crossing the air as if in a vacuum. Two seconds later, as the door opened under the burglar''s action, the drop hit him in the back of the neck. The man stood still for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Tipping backward, his body fell halfway into the gutter. In a few minutes, there would be nothing left of him. Louis nodded before turning away. It was time to go home. As he placed his hand on the handle of the roof door, his instinct shook. A second later, the sky lit up. Priam felt no pain as the attack vaporized his body. Vaporize was perhaps too strong a word. After all, the beam of light had some difficulty in annihilating him. He didn''t really count, but his Constitution, resistances and various Titles enabled him to gain three or four seconds. Seconds during which his nerves screamed in pain before liquefying. [Three-Headed Hydra] gained him another second, trying to regenerate his bones. The breath of a wyvern, calibrated to be the fourth Tribulation of a Tier 0, had the power to sublimate the armored door of a bank vault. From solid metal to gas in a matter of moments. Priam had withstood disintegration for several seconds - giving him significant benefits. Diamonds are created under intense pressure... Lvl Up: [Osmosis] lvl 5 PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Veteran]. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 8,9 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 2,3,4 VIT +6 CONST +3 You have gained the skill: [Light Resistance - Common]. [Light Resistance] - Light is a phenomenon that has enabled the birth of most civilizations. It has a strong symbolic value and is associated with knowledge. However, you know that light, as electromagnetic radiation, constitutes only a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Source of life, hope... and sometimes destruction. By approaching the sun, you''ve burnt your wings. Will you continue your journey, or will the intensity of your dreams blind you? The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of intense light. Your molecules vibrate rapidly and remain in excited states to not absorb most photons. You have the green light to face your enemies. CONST +1 ... Priam mentally smiled as he watched the notification list continue to grow. Finally, he ignored the scrolling rewards with a thought. His next resurrection would bring another batch of level-ups, and he''d have time to analyze them later. For now, there was something more important. His body had disappeared, leaving his mind floating in the void. One of his first Titles allowed him to survive without a body. [Brainless] gave him a few seconds before death closed its fingers on him. Before he eluded it again. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The Damocles cloud regenerated after the wyvern''s violent breath. It seemed surprised. Its adversary had disappeared, but the System Order remained active. The Tribulation had not finished its mission. For a moment, Priam marveled at still being able to feel the wyvern''s presence. His eyes - and all other sensory organs - were gone. His mind was blind, yet he could perceive his surroundings. Partly thanks to [Aether Perception], but mostly thanks to his mist. Priam deactivated [Aether Perception]. Here and now, it was his mist that interested him. It was his mist that would allow him to unlock his Domain or not. To live or to die. Only his mist now informed his Perception. It was his only link with the outside world. Priam smiled as he deployed his sense. He could feel the world so clearly... Perhaps even better than before. Around him, air currents were evident. Other data was arriving continuously. Water molecules, in the form of vapor or suspended micro-droplets, vibrated periodically. A moment later, Priam''s liveliness translated the phenomenon: the wyvern was roaring, creating a sound wave that propagated near him. His senses were so acute that he could feel the disturbances in the air associated with sound. He realized it was the obvious consequence of living in a human body. The five main senses - vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste - as well as the lesser-known senses - heat, pressure, location,... - were constantly flooding his brain with tons of information. His Perception further increased the volume of data delivered. After that, a new sense - his mist - could only be stifled. Freed from his body, Priam finally opened his eyes - figuratively - and enjoyed the sensitivity of his mist. When a man went blind, his other senses developed to take over. His hearing became sharper, his sense of smell finer and his touch more sensitive. That''s why humans sometimes closed their eyes to enjoy music. Undisturbed, the mist was now free to confide its secrets to Priam. And what secrets... A second after his death, Priam could already feel the vibrations of the molecules, more or less important according to the temperature gradient. Some vibrated more rapidly as they picked up photons, before calming down as they left their excited state. Priam''s scientific knowledge enabled him to understand what his mist was feeling. As the seconds passed, his Perception automated these processes, creating new connections within his brain. It was the true power of an attribute that had surpassed three hundred points. It was moving towards a qualitative evolution... The world was regaining color and sound. It was changing. Only Priam and his perception had changed, but that was enough to make his world evolve. Every water molecule in the atmosphere was an eye. It changed everything. As Priam marveled at his new abilities, an unearthly pain shot through his body. Panicking for a moment, Priam almost severed the link with his mist. The pain amplified, until it became terrifying. For a moment, Priam wished all would stop. His formidable will awakened him. Screaming mentally, he spent his Potential in [Focus]. The pain gradually receded and Priam understood. His mind was dissipating. He wasn''t meant to live without a body. It was his corporeal envelope that usually protected his spirit. Passively attacked by the world, by fundamental particles and by a billion different electromagnetic radiations, the shape of his mind was failing. Reactivating [Aether Perception] for a moment, Priam observed himself. Crap. His spiritual body, still vaguely human in form a few moments ago, was now perforated, eroded, and exhausted by the hostile environment. It looked like an iron statue deposited fifty years ago at the bottom of an ocean. Panic set in, and Priam forced himself to calm down. There had to be a solution, and he would find it. He was no longer the young man who had been captured by an alien System and plunged into a bloody Tutorial. He had survived and learned. And I''ll survive again. [Meditation] and [Focus] helped him to clear his mind. [Emotional Discipline] helped him put aside his fear. Priam first activated his Potential. If the resource was useless for creating his Domain, it could give him a clue to stabilizing his mind. He didn''t need to regenerate it, just survive long enough to make his Domain. POT -5 POT -5 POT -5 Had he still possessed sweat glands, Priam would have been perspiring profusely. His Potential drained away, disappearing like rum entrusted to a pirate, and his mind continued to dissipate. His disappearance had barely slowed. [Bullet Time]. Priam needed time. His aether reserves seemed to have disappeared and activating the skill caused him to grimace mentally. Time had slowed down, but his body was fading as fast as ever. Or rather, time had slowed in proportion to the acceleration of his disappearance. The obvious became clear to Priam. Without an aether reserve, his mind consumed the surrounding aether to activate his skills. It was good news because he could activate his skills without a bodily envelope. It was horrible news because the ambient aether dissipated his body when it came into contact with him. An aether-intensive skill could kill him as surely as the wyvern''s breath. Priam deactivated [Bullet Time], [Focus], and all his other active skills. Floating in front of the wyvern, who continued to stare at him, he sighed with relief. Without spending any aether, his spirit body seemed able to stay for a few seconds longer. Thirty seconds... That was how long he had before he disappeared. Perhaps less - the disappearance of more than half his mind would perhaps cause his cognitive functions to shut down. With no active skill, Priam concentrated. There was only one thing left to do: improve [Brainless]. Mentally, Priam cut himself off from his Perception and mist. The world disappeared as Priam felt his mind gradually dissipate. As if immersed in acid, his ego eroded. The world condemned him. It rejected his presence. His identity. Priam wished he had a body to shout out his defiance. He existed, and his body was not the most important thing. His spirit was the sacred refuge of his soul. He had the right to be. And if the world denied him that right, he would take it. The System responded to his request. [Brainless] is ready for evolution. No presence of a catalyst detected. Use 2963 Potential to trigger evolution? He refused. He could pay, of course. But who paid for a right? He would fight for them. Selling them was the beginning of the end. Priam concentrated on his spiritual body. On his memories. On his rage and his will to live. Maybe it was his imagination, but the destruction of his mind seemed to slow down. Priam clung to this hope like a castaway to a buoy. It might have been a mirage in the desert, but he wanted to believe it. In any case, in this new world, perhaps a spirit''s solidity came from its experiences? It was what his instincts, boosted by Potential, were telling him. Priam thought back to his experiences. He thought back to his frantic flight, pursued by his Tribulations. To his fight against the wyvern and the Earl. To Anatole and the sacrifices he was willing to make for his daughter. To his father, who was waiting for him somewhere in this city. To his sister, absent from the Reunion. Priam wanted to go and find her¡­ What was her name? The destruction of his mind was eroding his memories. The System held out another hand. [Brainless] is ready for evolution. No presence of a catalyst detected. Use 1574 Potential to trigger evolution? Priam refused. His rage for life, his resistance to death, to the onslaught of the world, was having an effect. Eroded by the world, fractured under pressure, his spirit was solidifying. A diamond in the making. He kept thinking about all his battles. His desire to survive. His passion for exploration. To his ideals of freedom. He knew he was still young. He wanted to be free, but didn''t really know what that meant. He remembered his shaky speech to Anne and Albin. At the time, his ideas were confused. Even now, he didn''t have enough experience or philosophical knowledge to grasp what freedom was. But what did it matter for now? He had the right to change his mind, learn, and grow. His mind was weakening and the sensation now felt like a mental asthma attack. A feeling of intense oppression took hold of him, like a press trying to crush all hope. His ego struggled. He wanted to live. He realized he didn''t even know his own name but knew he wanted to live. For he had seen death. The real thing. At the end of the Tutorial, he had contemplated the horrible truth. He''d failed, and without them, he''d be dead. He could forget everything but that. After contemplating the consequences of his failures and death, he was ready to fight with all his might. With all his soul. Some struggles were worth every sacrifice. Because defeat was worse than anything else. Nameless, he threw himself into battle one last time. As a fragment of spirit, he fought against the world. To live. For life was freedom and hope. [Brainless] is ready for evolution. No presence of a catalyst detected. Use 458 Potential to trigger evolution? Yes... [Brainless] is evolving... Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 (+1) Constitution 301 (+12) Agility 210 (+1) Vitality 319 (+10) Perception 380 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 183 Dexterity 236 Memory 50 Willpower 335 Charisma 176 META: Meta-affinity 188 (+4) Meta-focus 111 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 3371 (-496) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Chapter 84: Domain [Brainless] is evolving into [Enduring Spirit]... Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and [He Who Eludes Death]. Recalculating¡­ Title upgraded! [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] Congratulations! [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - You had a mission, and your unfailing willpower enabled you to accomplish it. Even in the face of death, you continue to fight. You won¡¯t let your body be a burden any longer. Never forget: more than your body, your will makes you who you are. You can begin to manipulate and train your mind. Your mind becomes more resistant to environmental erosion. WILL +20% As he finished reading his notification, Priam reflected that his pain had disappeared. Or rather, that it had lessened. His memories had returned - at least partially. My name is... Priam. Yeah, that''s my name now. Priam activated [Aether Perception] to check his condition. Instantly, a wave of relief washed over him. In order to improve his mind, the System had regenerated part of his spirit. At least enough to give him a chance to create his Domain. Priam watched his spirit body for a second, calculating its fading speed. About two minutes. Maybe more once I''ve deactivated [Aether Perception]. Which he did before consulting his Trees of Merits. He intended to take every advantage he could. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit and allows you to upgrade a Tree of Merit once. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Titles and thus condemns 9 other Trees. Be careful which trees you upgrade... [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 3: Your spirit begins to break free from your bodily limitations. It can now travel for a few moments outside your body. ACQUIRED. [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. 6 Unused Merit Points. Satisfied, Priam felt his mind stabilize further. If he understood the Merit correctly, his Title now allowed him to leave his body. The possibilities were numerous: he could spy on his surroundings, detach himself from his body to increase his concentration or rename himself Casper. From now on, Priam would no longer need to find a wyvern to vaporize his body before setting off on a spiritual journey. Baby steps... Without wasting any time, Priam tried again to perceive his mist. It seemed even closer to him than before. The increase in willpower enabled him to better manipulate [Moon Mist]. After a few moments, Priam stopped his experiments. Sighing mentally, he faced reality: his mental state was still agitated. He had just come close to death, and the ordeal had been shocking. [He Who Eludes Death] had not yet been triggered to heal his mind. The best cure for this kind of emotion was time. A resource Priam didn''t have. I''ll meditate on my feelings later. For now, I might as well postpone the problem. Priam knew not listening to himself could be dangerous, but the situation left him no choice. [Emotional Discipline]. Priam took ten seconds to observe his emotions calmly. He felt his fear, anger, rage, and then his relief. He had won - at least temporarily. Slowly, his harmful emotions began to dissipate, giving way to his excitement. He couldn''t wait to test his new limits. His willpower crushed all negative emotions, and Priam''s mind threw itself back into work. All around him, the cloud of Damocles had closed in. Priam deployed [Moon Mist] again, using his Title and Merits to reconnect fully with his mist. Hesitating for a moment, he also activated his Potential. It wasn''t the time to cut corners. The mist welcomed him back. A feeling of fulfillment emerged in Priam. His different assets were synergizing, strengthening the connection between him and the mist. Despite Damocles'' hostility, the cloud seemed almost a friend. It confided in Priam, revealing its secrets and those of the steam. A notification arrived, but Priam ignored it. The only impulse left in him was to merge with the mist. Create a Domain and ascend. Since the Tutorial, most of his evolutions had been quantitative. Now, at this very moment, a qualitative change was within his grasp. A transformation. A metamorphosis. [Focus]. [Meditation]. Both skills, boosted by the treasures he had previously swallowed, increased his concentration to an all-time high. With each passing moment, the world took on new colors, hitherto invisible to his eyes. The mist became more familiar. His new sensitivity even allowed Priam to see beyond the dome''s barrier. Until now, it had always been denied him. To communicate, he''d needed a way through the mist. That was no longer the case - something had changed. The wyvern attacked again. Indeed enraged, it delivered a second blast to the city below. Priam''s emotions remained unaffected by the destruction caused. Right now, all that mattered was the mist. A mist that whispered even in the heart of the attack, where the blast had pushed back the air. A mist that existed even when there was nothing left. A mist that occupied the void. Priam''s mind trembled as a realization crystallized: the Mist was everywhere. More than just water in different states, the Mist was a concept. A final barrier gave way in the face of this understanding. A special, intimate bond opened up between Priam and the mist concept. From this bond, an epiphany emerged. Priam began formulating thoughts, ideas that the mist was breathing into him. Mist is an expression of aether at a given moment. If a higher being saw the world as it really was - an ocean of aether, the fundamental particle at the origin of everything - then this ocean could take on an infinite number of forms. A cloud, a tower, a single living being, a universe and... a mist. Everyone''s way of seeing the world was different. Perceptions, shortcomings, and brain wiring altered how the world looked. To each their colors and tastes. The color red was not perceived in the same way by two different humans - without even mentioning color blindness. Similarly, an ant couldn''t distinguish a lake from an ocean. The worldview was a matter of perspective. Sometimes, the truth was absolute: early men thought the earth was flat and were wrong. Sometimes the truth was multiple and in everyone''s heart. Priam''s heart opened to the world and to the mist. More than just the water molecules of the atmosphere, it opened up to the mist of aether. An infinite fog in every sense of the word. A Mist that shaped Universes and Worlds. A haze that created lives, dreams and concepts. A destructive Mist, symbol of entropy. For an instant, in a sublime epiphany, Priam saw a tiny fraction of this mist. A simple soul drifting on a misty current, Priam enjoyed the vision for a moment, transforming his mind and soul in the process. Every aether particle, all interconnected, was transforming the world. The software and hardware of all existence became one. For the first time, a human was contemplating the Truth. Priam''s soul smiled, evolving under the impulse of the Mist. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The next moment, as if reluctantly and for safety''s sake, his soul disconnected. His will was too weak. A mere human was not meant to gaze into infinity. One day... Priam''s heart raced at the thought. If his deep connection with the Truth of the Mist had been broken, Priam felt that this vision had changed things. Feeling the mist and the Moon again, he smiled as he sensed the changes that had taken place within him. Firstly, he could now feel his soul. He no longer had to slip into [Mirror of the Soul] to see its reflection. His soul, the pure aether sphere at the heart of his mind, was weak. Small. Fragile. That would change. In the heart of this sphere, a stream trembled. Its Domain was waiting. Instinctively, Priam knew there was only one thing left to do. Turning outwards, he perceived Damocles'' cloud, the dome barrier and the furious wyvern. Smiling, his Will connected to the stream of mist cradled by his soul. The fruit of his deep connection to the world. A tool capable of manipulating aether. Able to dominate the world. A future Supremacy. Priam grabbed the misty current and pulled it out of his soul. With a mental command, the misty volute gravitated around his soul. Priam shaped the mist to resemble a cloud. It enveloped his soul, protecting it and hiding it from the world. Tiny aether runes appeared in the mist before disappearing. Connecting himself once again to the surrounding mist, Priam tried to use his new Supremacy. His Perception encompassed part of the Damocles cloud. Priam gathered his will and pulled to him. The Tribulation¡¯s cloud trembled. Congratulations, you''ve unlocked a Supremacy - Domain. Achievement - Silver: You are the second human to unlock the Supremacy - Domain. In your Domain, you''re a god. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +300, Mist Affinity, [Moon Mist] lvl up! Achievement - Gold: You are the first human to approach a minor Concept. This Concept will change you as much as you change it. Tame it. Shape yourself. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +1000, Mist Harmony! New entry in the [Glossary]. Esm¨¦e raised her eyebrows slightly as she felt her skill activate. With a gesture designed to be perfectly neutral, the Princess reached for her notebook. The artifact was in the form of a grimoire covered in gold and precious stone. However, no connoisseur would have been mistaken. The enchanted ancient wyvern leather protecting it was far more precious than the metals that set it. An expert would have recovered the leather, discarding the paper after analyzing the writing on it to no avail. This would have been a crime, for a thousand-year-old tree had given its life to create these pages. Pages that now supported Esm¨¦e''s skills. One of them, harmless at first glance, was a great help to Esm¨¦e. The [Glossary] allowed her to keep an eye on every character in her Story. Knowing that the Princess wrote about everyone she met, she was privy to many secrets. Not the darkest, but many small details often ended up creating a picture representative of reality. For example, when a noble from house Altaru unlocked a skill from house Priviit, the two houses were not as neutral towards each other as they would have you believe. Usually, [Glossary] worked like most information-gathering skills. The greater the distance between Esm¨¦e and her target, the less information she received. This time, the target was very far away. Priam Azura obtained a Silver Achievement. Priam Azura obtained a Gold Achievement. The princess''s eyes widened as she looked at the character''s name. Priam Azura was the first to arrive in Elysium. Esm¨¦e had avoided all contact with the alien and was glad of it. At first, he had been rather wise and harmless - until he captured one of their rivals. Underestimating the First was stupid. The man seemed weak at first glance, but she knew it was a trap. No weak man could easily survive a fight with Arnold - another monster. Esm¨¦e had gathered information on all her Elysian rivals. The System - and therefore the Concepts - had something planned for them. That was her theory. Why else send the ten strongest newcomers to the most dangerous world in this new Universe? But danger was synonymous with reward. Esm¨¦e was ready to take the risks necessary to change her destiny. "What''s the matter Esm¨¦e?" Esm¨¦e looked up at her father and bowed her head respectfully. "News of my rivals, my King." "Our rivals," corrected the King. "Any good news? A death, perhaps?" "I''m afraid not," replied Esm¨¦e, shaking her head. "The First has just obtained a new Silver Achievement." The King sighed. "It''s not the first one for nothing. Any further information?" "No, his divination resistance is too high." Esm¨¦e felt her heart speed up before she calmed down. Knowing someone was ruining her plans was painful. The First developed resistance extremely quickly. Esm¨¦e was therefore careful to use her divination as rarely as possible. Unfortunately, Priam had to have asked his henchmen to help him increase his resistance. A man willing to do anything to progress. I should learn from him, she thought. "The fact that your skills are unable to break through his defenses remains a failure on your part, my dear sister." Esm¨¦e turned to Aydan, a smile on her lips. Initially fourth in the order of succession, the new Crown Prince - thanks to her - was somewhat pathetic with his attacks. "I believe you''ll have a chance to show the First your skills very soon, dear brother." "Indeed," said the King, gesturing to one of the servants. "Our best agents have finally succeeded in the series of quests required to obtain the artifact we''ve been coveting.¡± The servant brought a box before Esm¨¦e. ¡°Esm¨¦e, using this artifact, you will open a passage between Elysium and this dome once the Reunion is over. Aydan, you will use your rewards to stay another day in this Reunion. With your guards, you will cross the passage created by Esm¨¦e and set up an outpost in Elysium. The rarest resources in this new Universe are there, and we want them. Do not disappoint us, my son." "Yes, Father." Esm¨¦e remained silent, respecting her role and not making herself more noticeable than necessary. It was easy, considering that women were not usually allowed to speak. Only her position as a princess and her results in the Tutorial permitted her to be more highly regarded than an animal. That will change, vowed Esm¨¦e. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 301 Agility 210 Vitality 319 Perception 380 MENTAL: Vivacity 183 Dexterity 236 Memory 50 Willpower 363 (+28) Charisma 176 META: Meta-affinity 188 Meta-focus 111 Meta-endurance 101 Meta-perception 51 Meta-chance 114 Potential: 4359 (+988) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Chapter 85: Damocles’ Sword and Priams Spear [Mist - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 1 Concept. Affinity - Your connection now allows you to capture certain truths about Mist. Harmony - The source of aether is infinite. Allows you to use Aether Mist while expending more energy. Cost [Moon Mist] x10. [Supremacy - Domain] - A Domain allows its user to control his environment through his mind and one or more concepts. Operating in Stages, Domains are used in every Universe. You''ve managed to dominate your environment with your mind - stage 0. You''ve successfully aligned your domain with a concept. The Mist permeates your Domain. Your Domain''s characteristics evolve. - stage 1. Current stage: 1 - Concept Imprinted Bonus: WILL +10 / META (Affinity) +10 / META (Focus) +20 / META (Perception) +20 Bonus (Achievement) - Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 33,34,35,36,37 PERC +20 CHAR +10 META (AFFI) +15 ... The cloud vibrated, acknowledging Priam''s effort. Around him, the drops turned to ink. No more light came through as the Tribulation''s aura changed. A cold, hard impression bewildered Priam. This cloud was not his friend. Snorting, Priam activated [Moon Mist]. The cloud of Damocles may have been a Tribulation, but it was, above all, a mass of water vapor and micro-droplets. In short, mist. Though infused with the steel concept, water droplets were still water droplets. Tribulation didn''t think so. Despite his Titles and other improvements, [Moon Mist] encountered difficulties manipulating the mist. Dominating a Tribulation... The task seemed monumental. As [Moon Mist] continued to fail, Priam was not discouraged. It was time to flex his Domain. With a thought, the mist bubble surrounding his soul awoke. Microscopic runes ran through it as the Supremacy activated. The next moment, Damocles'' rage seemed far away. Around Priam''s spirit body, a sphere with a radius of about one meter - or four cubic meters - had appeared. The bubble was the materialized image of the spherical cloud surrounding his soul. Priam sighed with relief as he felt the erosion of his spirit subside. Although intangible and invisible, the protection was efficient. Inside the bubble, the Tribulation''s influence seemed almost non-existent. With a thought, [Moon Mist] was activated. The water vapor confined within the Domain did not move, but Priam sensed it would be easy to convert. He needed to create a breach in the Tribulation''s defenses. Let''s start with a molecule. Unlike his sight, Priam''s Domain allowed him to focus easily on the infinitely small. The mist was made up of molecules, and the Supremacy highlighted each of them. Priam randomly selected one of the molecules floating inside him and locked it. The next second, he threw all his formidable willpower behind [Moon Mist]. Boosted by his Potential, the unbridled skill released its claws. In just a second, it took control of the molecule. Tribulation was powerful, but it controlled billions upon billions of molecules while Priam focused on one. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 38 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Furious, the cloud rumbled. Thunder without lightning roared. Damocles screamed in rage as Priam struggled. Black cloud masses, driven by violent winds, pressed against Priam''s Domain. To no avail. The Supremacy was a bubble of calm in the storm. Priam gathered his Will, locking and dominating another molecule. Just as he was about to tackle a third, he changed his mind. There were billions of molecules in his Domain, and he had no intention of spending the rest of his short life capturing them. I must be missing something... His clones had insisted that he unlock his Domain, and there had to be a reason for this. Priam synthesized his knowledge. The Supremacy largely negated the influence of Tribulation. It was a passive power, the same one Sphinx had used to purge Priam''s hold on his mist. Rather than fighting the Tribulation''s influence on every molecule... Priam concentrated on his Domain. The aethereal bubble floated in the air, imperial, indifferent and... passive. Priam focused on his Supremacy, and activated it. The Domain vibrated, then weighed down the imprisoned molecules. The next second, Damocles'' influence was purged. It took only a moment for [Moon Mist] to take control of the billions of now ownerless water molecules. Smiling, Priam opened the borders of his Domain. Without being deactivated, it now let the wind through, allowing the molecules to move and leave Priam''s sphere of authority. Despite their departure, Priam''s hold on the mist he had captured remained absolute. Damocles defended its influence but did not attack Priam''s. Over the next few seconds, the cloud of Damocles pressed ineffectually against Priam''s Domain. Fortunately, it seemed absolute, keeping its creator safe. Periodically - every half-second - new water molecules replaced the old, pushed along by the wind. Priam purged the Tribulation''s influence before converting the mist to his cause. In an excellent mood, he wanted to laugh. There was something exhilarating about stealing power from the heavens and making it one''s own. After ten seconds or so, he paused, tired. Each purge cost him mental energy, and the cloud was immense. It would take me hours to convert it all... And for what purpose? The Domain made him invulnerable to the Tribulation, but it was too small to allow him to convert the whole cloud. As Priam hesitated, the enraged wyvern sent a terrifying attack of light on the city below. The din of the Damocles storm covered the sound of the explosion, but Priam knew that dozens of people had just died. The number had been in the hundreds since their confrontation began. His ethereal eyes hardened. Damocles wasn''t the only Tribulation. He had to deal with the wyvern... without killing it. Suddenly, he had an idea. Manipulating [Moon Mist], Priam began to spin the mist in his Domain. His sphere wasn''t huge, but by rapidly increasing the mist''s speed, Priam absorbed and dominated part of the nearby cloud. At the same time, [Moon Mist] held his mist close. The idea was to create a cloud within a cloud. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 39 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Within ten seconds, a vortex had formed, effectively attracting the Damocles cloud. Priam consulted his resources. He had managed to dominate several hundred cubic meters of mist. Now it was time to test his plan. Drawing his mist to him, Priam condensed it before transforming it into a liquid river. All he had to do was increase the pressure of his steam to change the state of the water. The technique still seemed incredibly complex a few days ago, but [Moon Mist] was now level 39. As a result, the operation came naturally. If an inhabitant of New Earth had been able to see through Damocles¡¯ cloud, they would have seen a kind of liquid ring, reflecting the light of the barrier, and rotating around the invisible spirit of a man at death''s door. Priam looked up at the wyvern and guided the ring of liquid water in its direction. The wyvern scurried away as it saw the river approaching. However, only half of its body had managed to pass through the crack in the barrier. Blocked and without support, it was difficult for it to muster the strength to free itself. The water reached the beast and began to submerge it. Instantly, the wyvern''s movements came to a halt. The Domain had purged the Tribulation''s influence, but not the steel concept infused within it. Priam could easily manipulate water, but the innocent-looking river concealed metallic properties. For the wyvern, it was the equivalent of trying to swim in a molten steel bath - minus the temperature. The extreme viscosity of the liquid bound the creature more effectively than any chain. Seconds later, the legendary half-creature was covered. Some of the water vaporized before being covered again by liquid water. The wyvern had tried to fire a laser beam, but to no avail. Priam, proud of himself, looked at his work for a moment. The monster was out of action, but half of its body was still intact on the other side of the barrier. The Earl allowed the wyvern to enter the dome. He knew he would soon die, and his liquid trap would fall uselessly to the ground, crushing several buildings in the process. Deactivating the barrier around the wyvern for a moment, it fell. Priam''s spirit manipulated his river to guide the monster as it fell. Seconds later, the monster landed at the bottom of a new crater in front of the Colosseum - a result of the wyvern attack. It dug its own grave¡­ Priam guided the monster to the bottom of the crater before filling the hole with infused steel water. He lacked the eyes to study the wyvern''s expression, but his mist - in the form of water - informed him that the monster seemed enraged. The only problem was that the metallic water was too clear, allowing the sun to shine through. The beast was poisoned by carbon dioxide then healed by the sun. Despite its atrocious condition, it would not drown. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Disappointed, Priam turned back to the sky. The Tears of Damocles continued to fall on the city. No one was going out anymore, but some of the buildings were beginning to show signs of damage. The rain was eroding them as surely as it was eroding Priam''s spirit. Gritting his teeth, he pondered. Every Tribulation could be destroyed. The locusts would be gone in a day. The wyvern had to be killed - and would take its shadow with it. The Tears of Damocles... In mythology, Damocles was a courtier who envied a tyrant. He realized the trade was dangerous when the ruler offered him his place for a day. Only an authoritative person could survive the sword. To survive... Do I have to be tyrannical? Taking a breath, Priam hatched a stupid plan. His spirit flew towards the cloud. [Kinetic Control] couldn''t propel his spirit body, but it seemed capable of naturally defying the laws of gravity. As expected for a body without mass. Priam spun towards the cloud and entered it. Using [Moon Mist], Priam extended the perception of his mist in all directions. It enabled him to calculate the size of the cloud. Compressed by the barrier, Damocles'' domain must have measured around 125 000 000 cubic meters. A giant compared to Priam''s mind, which had a volume of 0.09 cubic meters. Priam waited a moment before taking action. His Potential couldn''t improve his Domain, but he could use it to alter his perception. Priam decided to do something stupid. I''d like to connect temporarily to the Mist Concept. Cost: 1,000 POT per second... Presence of Harmony - Mist detected. ... Cost: 100 POT per second. One thousand of Potential to try and unlock a Concept with the help of the System, Priam noted. In any case, I accept. The next moment, divine inspiration was released. Not like a trickle or a tiny stream, but like a river. Every second, an almost infinite power coursed through him. Priam''s vision changed, and he regained the magical sight that had unlocked his Harmony. POT -100 Without wasting time, Priam used this connection to get closer to the mist and try his luck. If mist was everywhere and if everything was mist... He too was mist. POT -100 Priam''s spirit body turned to mist and merged with the cloud. His perception encompassed the whole thing. A kind of artificial consciousness was already controlling the cloud. Priam detected it with his Domain. Damocles - the Tribulation''s intelligence - was both everywhere and nowhere in the cloud. In a mental space, the Tribulation spotted Priam. Too late, it had no time to react before the Earl activated his Domain. The Supremacy vibrated, supported by Priam''s entire Will. The next instant, Damocles'' intelligence was purged. All he had to do was attack the Tribulation''s weak point. His clones had given him the key all along. POT -100 Tribulation: The Tears of Damocles are vanquished! Complete your other Tribulations to earn your score and rewards. In a mental space, Priam smiled. The cloud began to dissipate, the Tribulation drawing to a close. Not so fast! First, Priam retrieved a kind of white sword, levitating in place of Damocles. The weapon merged with him, disappearing into [Mirror of the Soul]. Satisfied, Priam used [Moon Mist], taking control of the cloud¡¯s molecules. Its size complicated the action, but Priam''s control, boosted by the very concept of mist, was exquisite enough to pull it off. POT -100 Priam then gathered up the cloud, pulling in all directions to give it the shape he wanted. POT -100 POT -100 POT -100 The experiment was laborious, but Priam gritted his teeth. Potential was a precious resource, but his current control over his mist was a memory that could enable him to upgrade [Moon Mist] to the gates of legendary rank. POT -100 POT -100 Secretly, Priam hoped the shape would help him unlock his Mastery later. POT -100 POT -100 Finally, after eight seconds, Priam was pleased. A liquid spear, eighty meters high, floated in the sky over New Earth. Weighing nearly a thousand tons, the two-meter radius cylinder threatened every city inhabitant. POT -100 More than a sword of Damocles, the spear was waiting to fall on the wyvern. The spirit of his creator floated a few meters above the weapon, proud of himself. If all went well, the wyvern would be destroyed by the attack, buried underground. Without sunlight, it would die in darkness. Priam planned to eliminate three out of four Tribulations this way - the third Tribulation being linked to the fourth. His attack lacked just one final touch. A liquid spear was useless now that he''d absorbed the concept of steel. POT -100 Priam, whose mind was waning, opened a second passage for his Potential. Using [Eidetic Memory], he recalled his battle with Orthos. At that moment, he had frozen the air. [Kinetic Control] was able to manipulate all kinetic energy. Thermal agitation had so far eluded Priam, but the creation of his Domain and his Harmony with his Mist would allow him to change that. For the time being, he decided to use his Potential to fill this gap in his abilities. POT -156 Slowly, the titanic spear began to reflect the light of the barrier. [Moon Mist] detected the water molecules, and [Kinetic Control] slowed their vibration. The thermal energy disappeared, absorbed by Priam. His mind screamed as he felt the aether invade him en masse. A stupid amount of energy, dozens of times greater than his previous reserves, began to store up inside him. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 27 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 POT -184 Eventually, his reserves were torn apart and Priam lost consciousness momentarily. He was now a cripple, unable to store his own aether. His mind vaporized as the gigantic spear gained in solidity. Lvl Up : [Erosion Resistance] lvl 20 META (END) +3 [Erosion Resistance] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available... Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 28 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 POT -238 Priam''s thoughts were fading. His consciousness gradually faded, and only his will followed his last orders. His tenacious spirit fought to the bitter end. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 29 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 POT -345 Finally, the Earl''s mind snapped, letting the spear fall. With a final sigh, Priam''s spirit vanished. [Spear Throw]... Guandi was aware that he looked unprofessional. Around him, the special operations group kept a watchful eye on the surrounding area. Despite their loyalty, the five men and women were on edge. Their role - to kill the new Lord - was stressful, to say the least. Prometheus had nothing against Priam - he even admired him - but the Divine King did not wish humanity to have as its Champion a man capable of condemning an entire city to survive his Tribulations. For Guandi, such considerations were superfluous. He was content to obey. "But I''m afraid we''ve underestimated the target..." In front of him, a colossal spear floated in the sky. Its aura was as sharp as steel and as inevitable as mist. The spear whirled quietly several hundred meters away, ready to strike down its creator''s enemy. Guandi had seen the power of the wyvern. He knew he could never defeat such a beast. But if that spear fell off, the beast''s leather would be used as a handbag before the day was out. Suddenly, Guandi squinted. Was the spear starting to freeze? Supernaturally, the escaping steam seemed to be heading back toward the weapon. The creator seemed determined not to waste a single drop. Guandi''s heart was beating fast. The sight before him was worthy of a Tribulation. No human should ever have had this kind of power. A smile spread across his face. As a fight fanatic, he really wanted to confront the creator. The glow of the barrier made the weapon shimmer, then it abruptly dropped. The movement surprised Guandi, who had become accustomed to seeing the giant mass suspended. Picking up speed rapidly, the weapon hit the ground a few seconds later. The point of contact - a sort of water-filled ditch - exploded, releasing a visible shockwave. Guandi watched, fascinated, as the wave of air blew through the surrounding houses, penetrating the streets, and destroying everything in its path. Two seconds later, the blast arrived. Raising his weapon, Guandi performed a slashing motion. His Mastery, ready to cut through air, dust and wave, froze. A moment later, the shockwave magically parted. The warrior''s eyes widened at his failure before he was lifted and swept away by the attack. It was hard to cut through the mist. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 301 Agility 210 Vitality 319 Perception 414 (+34) MENTAL: Vivacity 189 (+6) Dexterity 245 (+9) Memory 50 Willpower 376 (+13) Charisma 189 (+13) META: Meta-affinity 216 (+28) Meta-focus 143 (+32) Meta-endurance 104 (+3) Meta-perception 71 (+20) Meta-chance 114 Potential: 2168 (-2191) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Read this free on SH and RoyalRoad! Chapter 86: Reunion Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 11 Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Veteran]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT +6 CONST +18 WILL +3 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 10,11,12 CONST +9 Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 5,6,7,8 VIT +8 CONST +4 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 8,...,15 DEXT +24 [Erosion Resistance] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Strong Meridians] - Your meridians gain in sturdiness. POT -30 [Flexible Meridians] - Your meridians become more elastic. POT -30 [Healing Meridians] - Your meridians use a tiny fraction of the aether that flows through them to regenerate over time. POT -30 You have selected [Healing Meridians]. POT -30 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 21,22 META (END) +6 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 2,...8 CONST +7 You have gained the skill: [Tribulation Resistance - Epic]. [Tribulation Resistance - Epic] - All Tribulations come from the System. These tests are calibrated, and their consequences limited. A Tribulation is a test made by the System, and its resolution offers many rewards... Find them. The survivor withstands his Tribulation. The genius defeats his Tribulation. Allows you to spot weaknesses in your Tribulations. META (Chance) +9 ... [He Who Eludes Death] and [Karmic Consequence Resistance] synergize¡­ [Tribulation Resistance] is evolving. Incorporation of external elements. Protocol Eight: Next notifications hidden from moderators [Tribulation Resistance - Epic] becomes [Tribulations Hunter - Unique - Epic]. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] - Message from administrator Thaal: You owe me one. Each Tribulation is powered by a Concept fragment or a treasure. You may spot the Tribulations'' weaknesses. You may temporarily hide your connection with the Concepts to become invisible to the Tribulations. Use this power to the fullest, but don''t talk about it. [Identification] will show [Tribulation Resistance]. META (Chance) +9 POT -1000 Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 5,6,7 CHAR +9 META (Chance) +18 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 20 hours 18 minutes 4 seconds [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Your soul has contemplated the power of the spear. You glimpse a path. His consciousness returned to reality. The world seemed to have changed as a flood of information assailed him. His Domain, mist and physical senses were sending him too much data. [Focus]. The skill helped him filter his new stimuli. He knew it would take time to get used to it. Taking a second, Priam reviewed his rewards. Most of them were self-evident. He had chosen [Healing Meridians], considering the synergy with [Three-Headed Hydra]. His last skill, however, was unique. Thaal, the administrator who oversaw Humanity¡¯s Tutorial, was playing some games. Priam knew he was just a pawn for now. But as long as he survived, he could become a player. And the skill looks incredible... A distant noise drew him from his thoughts. Priam opened gray eyes on the world. Mist lurked in them, giving them a unique, disturbing color. These eyes watched the ground approaching at full speed. [He Who Eludes Death] had recreated his body where his mind had dissipated. Several hundred meters separated him from the ground. Priam stretched into the air, a satisfied smile stretching his lips. His Talent made his deaths extremely profitable and restored his mental form. Technically, it was a form of mental manipulation, but Priam accepted it. After all, many things manipulated the brain. For example, half an hour''s running provoked a sensation of intense satisfaction linked to the production of endorphins. Yet doing sports was seen as positive. As long as it makes me happy and is good for me, I can accept it, decided Priam. With the wind whistling in his ears and ruffling his hair, Priam observed the city below him. A titanic spear had pierced the ground, burying the wyvern''s corpse under dozens of meters of rubble. Unfortunately, the ice weapon let through a few photons sent by the sun. Priam could dissolve the spear and bury the wyvern for good. It would only take him five minutes. Minutes he didn''t have. His resurrection did take about three minutes - the time for him to decide on his upgrades. Meanwhile, insects had found the hole created by the wyvern. A breach that was now unprotected and letting locusts through. The insects were descending on the city at this very moment. Not a few hundred, but tens of thousands. In an hour, there would be a million of them. The Tribulation had about twenty hours left before it would disappear. Priam felt his stomach knot up. Twenty hours was more than enough time to annihilate the city. He could flee, of course. Most of the swarm would pursue him. But some would stay behind, devouring the city to the bone. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "No... They won''t even leave the marrow..." murmured Priam, gently touching the ground. In front of him, the ice spear gleamed, a symbol of his power. A power without effect in the face of the locusts'' numbers and voracity. After one last glance in the direction of his creation, Priam headed for the Colosseum. Arriving in front of the building, he pounded on the door. Bechar''s voice rang out. "Well done for the Domain, and the spear is pretty neat- if rather crude. Nevertheless, I still can''t let you in, son." "What about the others?" "The others?" "Will residents be safe in the Colosseum?" "Ah! Well, yes, the locusts won''t get near the official buildings. The Colosseum, the Hideout and the Ducal Palace are secure." "Thank you, Bechar!" cried Priam, scurrying away. Now he had hope. Many would die today. Priam promised himself that his father wouldn''t be one of them. Alain looked worriedly at the sky. The cloud, the source of the deadly rain, had disappeared. But a new one was coming, and his instincts told him it was hungry. This calamity was growing by the minute. "We should go." Alain turned to the grumpy grandmother. "You can go Mirscella, but I''m staying. My son is in that dome and I want to see him." The grandmother sniffed but remained silent. Louis opened his mouth for a moment before closing it again. Sighing, he headed for the window. "We''ve got no more than twenty seconds before they arrive. We''d better get ready." Alain nodded and placed his hands on the floor. [Stabilize], [Strengthen], [Transmute]. The building shook for a moment, the stone densifying and strengthening. Alain collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Most of his skills were not combat-based. He was proud of his building skills. As an old architect, a Tutorial based on creation had seemed attractive to him. Although he had finished the Tutorial in record time, what followed forced him to remember his karate lessons. Without being an exceptional fighter, Alain had had to make efforts to stay alive. The building would remain standing for some time. Reassured, Alain accepted Mirscella''s help to get up. Sitting down on the sofa, he smiled at Claire. "This could be an opportunity to redeem yourself, young lady." "Just because you''re old doesn''t mean you''re wise, Grandpa. Keep your advice, will you?" Alain was just opening his mouth to reply when the manor house began to shake. The locusts were here. Priam ran from rooftop to rooftop. Ahead of him, the horizon was filled with insects. Wrapped in a cloak of mist, Priam ignored most of the creatures, focused on his run. There were so many of them. His Domain, still active, counted almost thirty in his immediate vicinity. Gaining momentum, Priam leaped over a street. He smiled for a moment, feeling the power of his physical attributes - he hadn''t even needed to boost his jump with his kinetic energy. Landing on the other side of the street, Priam continued his run towards the mansion where his father was waiting. On his way, locusts continued to swarm. His mist repelled them effectively, but gradually succumbed to the creatures'' voracious appetite. Bored, Priam crushed one under his foot. The corpse lay inert on the ground. Continuing on his way without noticing a thing, Priam soon reached his destination. The massive wooden edifice shimmered under [Aether Perception]. The locusts must have sensed it too, for a thousand insects as big as a cat''s head gravitated around it, looking for a way in. Priam opened his mouth and shouted. "Papa!" The sound shook the windows momentarily before the insects pounced on him. Priam swept them away, invoking a wave of semi-liquid mist. One of the windows opened. "A... Priam!" Priam burst out laughing at the slip of the tongue and leaped for the window. Entering the building, he barely had time to close the window before an embrace took his breath away. "Have you invested in Strength, Dad?!" exclaimed Priam after a few moments. "Right now, it''s a safe investment," replied his father. Priam took a step back and stared at Alain. The System seemed to have done an excellent job. His progenitor didn''t look a day over sixty, almost twenty years younger than his actual age. "You look great," he remarked. "You too. Congrats, the thousands of hours you''ve spent reading have finally come in handy." Priam raised an eyebrow with a laugh. "Is that an excuse? Who are you and what have you done with my father?" His father had always found his hobby useless. "Very funny. We''ll see what you say to your kids when you see them straining their eyes over books after midnight." Alain winked at him. Priam stepped forward and hugged his father once more. "I''m glad to see you, Papous..." "Me too, son..." His father''s emotional voice touched Priam. Seeing his family again triggered an explosion of happiness in him. The intensity of this emotion was matched only by his fear of losing his father in a Tribulation of his own making. A few seconds later, Alain patted his son on the back and released himself from the embrace. His father had always been quite discreet. Some things never change... Priam turned to the rest of the room. "Excuse me for barging in like this. My name is Priam." One of the occupants stepped forward. "Pleased to meet you Priam, my name is Louis," the elderly man introduced himself. Priam smiled as he shook hands with the stranger. Certainly a friend of his father''s, the man shone in his Domain vision. His Supremacy informed him that the man was remarkable. But in what way? "This is Louis, a martial master. We''ve only known each other since the end of the Tutorial, but he''s already a friend. Behind, the grumpy grandmother is called Mirscella. She''s got a temper, but she has a heart of gold." Priam nodded in Mirscella''s direction. "Ma¡¯am, thank you for looking after my father. It couldn''t always have been easy," he smiled. Mirscella let out a small laugh. "It''s been a pleasure. You can call me Mirscella." In Priam''s opinion, making a grandmother like you was quite simple. All you had to do was be polite and compliment them on their passions. Mirscella seemed no exception, but Priam decided to wait a while before asking her about her hobbies. The impressive collection of blades on her belt indicated an exotic answer. Priam turned back to his father, his face serious. "We have to leave. A swarm of locusts are arriving. The only secure buildings are the Ducal Palace, the Colosseum and the Hideout. The closest is the Palace. There''s no moment to lose as their numbers will increase exponentially." His father frowned. "It''s dangerous to go out. I''ve reinforced this construction, which should hold up against a few insects." Priam felt slightly annoyed. His father didn''t understand the seriousness of the situation. "The locusts will devour everything in this dome within hours. Most of the city is doomed. Trust me, please." Alain hesitated for a moment before succumbing to his son''s gaze. He knew his son had already thought the situation through and trusted him. "We''ll have to warn the city then. There are millions of people here." Priam hesitated for a moment, and his father noticed. "What?" "If I warn people, there''ll be panic. There will be traffic jams in the streets and we''ll be stuck. Worse, the panic will create stampedes, and there will be many deaths..." Mirscella stood up, dusting off her long skirt. "Honestly boy, there''s going to be a lot of death either way. A Semi-truth would be for the best. Ask people to hole up in their underground shelters - every house has one - and barricade themselves in. I''ve just received a quest to help civilians. You too, Louis?" "Yes." "What about you, Alain?" "Nothing." "Then it concerns fighters. I¡¯m sure the more powerful factions will pick up the civilians and bring them to safety." "I haven''t received anything," said Priam. "This is your Tribulation. You''re here to survive, not to save others. Now hurry up, there''s no time to lose." Priam nodded. "People of New Earth, a second cataclysm is coming. Barricade yourselves in your underground shelters, help is on the way." His voice echoed through the dome as the roar of insects grew in intensity. "Now, off to the Palace!" declared Priam. "One last thing," Alain said as he opened a door to another living room. Priam sighed. He knew who was in the next room - his mist had warned him from the start. Priam gritted his teeth and stepped forward. He didn''t feel like wasting time arguing. Entering the new room, he looked at Claire. The last time he''d seen her was three days ago. His last memory of her was the cold temple floor, which he''d watched as he died of poisoning. The locusts must be starving... "Hi, Claire. Do you like insects?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 343 (+42) Agility 210 Vitality 339 (+20) Perception 414 MENTAL: Vivacity 189 Dexterity 269 (+24) Memory 50 Willpower 380 (+4) Charisma 199 (+10) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 143 Meta-endurance 110 (+6) Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 150 (+36) Potential: 1194 (-974) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 20 hours 11 minutes 52 seconds [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Read this free on SH and RoyalRoad! Chapter 87: What is a Sin? Hyshana wiped her sword on the monster''s fur. Turning towards the exit, she sheathed her weapon. The sand crunched under the metal of her armor, and the smoke rising from it was not only due to its high temperature. "The thirty-fifth wave is not a walk in the park, right?" No sooner had the new Champion emerged from the arena than a vulture was already trying to unsettle her. Sighing under her mask, she turned to one of Ishaka''s subordinates. "Your master took twenty-seven minutes to finish his fight. His wounds were so severe he almost had to be amputated. My juggernaut armor is still working, and I''m barely out of breath. I still have enough energy to challenge you to a duel." The armor masked the subordinate¡¯s expression, but Hyshana could sense his fear. The man bowed. "I''m sorry, Champion. My words were out of place." Hyshana swept the excuses aside with her hand. Words were useless in Hoplite society; only actions counted. "What do you want?" "Supreme General Ishaka requests the expertise of Champion Hyshana. If you''ll follow me," he said, bowing again. Hyshana nodded and followed the fool. His lack of courage was disappointing, but he knew she''d have killed him if he''d accepted the duel. A few minutes later, Hyshana and her escort arrived at a heavy door. The Hoplite headquarters were inside the Colosseum. What better place for a warrior civilization? Without waiting to be announced, Hyshana opened the door. Behind it, a vast room filled with computers, technicians and scientists awaited. The Champion moved quickly through the room, stopping regularly to return the greetings of the men and women working to improve the future of their race. None of the hoplites here were skilled in warfare. Yet they were respected. Hyshana felt no disdain for those who had chosen the path of science. Sacrificing much of their physical training, the scientists concentrated on supporting the Hoplite soldiers. It was a noble vocation, and the Champion knew they were needed more than ever. After all, the ''threat'' sent to them by the System couldn''t be cut with blades. At the far end of the room, a second door was waiting. A secretary tried to stop her, but Hyshana entered quickly. Her time was too precious to be sacrificed to bureaucracy. "Ishaka, you wanted to see me?" she asked in a neutral voice. Sitting behind a desk, the Supreme General looked up from a document. "Come in, Hyshana. Thank you for coming so quickly. Please sit down," he said, pointing to a chair Hyshana had already pulled towards her. The chair creaked under the weight of her Mecha armor, but didn''t break. Hyshana didn''t bother to lower her mask. Her attitude was rude, but she didn''t like the general. The feeling was mutual. After a few seconds of silence, and as Hyshana began to entertain the thought of cutting the desk in half - a way of expressing her displeasure at the wait - Ishaka spoke up. "We think we''ve found Kazushi." Hyshana gasped. A second later, the Hoplite Champion stood up abruptly, destroying the chair with her acceleration. "Where?!" Ishaka lowered his hands to calm the situation. "Let''s calm down. I..." The general paused. The tip of Hyshana''s sword lay against his throat. The Champion had unlocked Micro at Stage 1. Ishaka was one of the most powerful hoplites, but he had no chance of escaping alive at this distance if she decided to kill him. He also knew that, despite her proud and upright nature, Hyshana could commit folly when her family''s well-being was concerned. Placing his hands firmly on his desk, Ishaka looked into the eyes of the Champion. "I know our history has impacted our relationship, Hyshana. The scientific and protective factions'' admiration for you is a thorn in my side. However, you know I''m loyal to our race. This is not an attempt at manipulation on my part. He¡¯s your husband and our Champion. Terrible wars are coming, and we''ll need him. Sit down and listen to me. Please." Hyshana''s heart rate began to drop. A second later, she slowly put away her weapon, calmed her emotions with Micro, and took another chair. Taking a breath, she repeated her question. "Where?" "A world called Elysium. One of our Prophets was able to make contact using the reward of an Achievement. Your husband was the first hoplite to pass the Impossible Tutorial. He was chosen to enter a unique and perilous world: Elysium. According to him, only Titan-class soldiers could have a chance of survival there in the long term.¡± Hyshana frowned at the news. Only one Hoplite in a million could qualify for the Titan class. Trained from an early age, genetically modified and cybernetically enhanced, the Titan classes were the elite. Most were already Barons, and the best were Viscounts. If this level of power was barely enough to survive... "How is he?" she asked, trying to mask her concern. "He''s alive. I don''t have any more information at the moment. However, he was able to give us another piece of information." Ishaka must have had a reason for helping the Hoplite Champion. Kazushi''s political clout was significant, and the general would normally have been delighted to ''lose'' his rival. "I''m listening." "The resources in Elysium are exceptional. Any blade of grass can be used to craft an elixir. Certain plants, growing naturally, have the ability to boost attributes by dozens of points. The environment itself can unlock resistances," announced the general. Hyshana nodded. The Supreme General was greedy. But if it could save her husband... "There is more," he continued. "The environment is saturated with aether. We could save our people." Hyshana''s eyes widened. The System had introduced a deadly virus, a ''threat'', which attacked and caused aether hemorrhage in hoplites who had undergone genetic manipulation. A constitution greater than two hundred was required to survive the virus. It was obviously a trap. Exceeding two hundred in constitution triggered a Tribulation. Fortunately, the virus killed slowly. For the time being, the dead were children and the elderly. Despite this, the entire civilization was paralyzed. A trip to Elysium would solve the virus problem. After all, if the environment had more aether than a hoplite''s body, he wouldn''t lose his aether... "You want to open a passageway to Elysium," asserted Hyshana. "And for that, I suppose you need me?" Otherwise, why would he call her? "Indeed. There is an object capable of creating a passage between Calisto and Elysium. But Kazushi has to use it." Callisto was one of the satellites orbiting the Hoplite homeworld. It was currently home to the Hoplite Reunion. "How do you intend to send this item to my husband?" "The wave forty-five reward is a wish. That should be enough," smiled Ishaki. Son of a... Hyshana forced herself to remain calm. The basilisk of the thirty-fifth wave had nearly killed her. Wave forty-five was impossible. Ishaki knew her chances of survival were slim, but he had nothing to lose. If the new Champion died, no one would be left to challenge his orders. If she succeeded, she would use her precious reward to offer him passage to a world that would change their civilization. But that didn''t matter to Hyshana. She finally had a chance to reform the most powerful Champion duo in Hoplite history. A chance to reunite with her husband. Hyshana stood up, deep in thought. To stand a chance, she had to survive her Tribulations, then unlock Mastery. First, I need to repair my armor. The door closed behind her. Supreme General Ishaka looked down at the report concerning Kazushi. According to the Champion, other civilizations were present in Elysium. "It''s been a long time since the Hoplites have had an enemy. A war would be excellent..." Claire watched Priam for several seconds before opening her mouth. "You should be dead." Priam took a deep breath. Either the young woman had a death wish or was trying to throw him off balance. The only reason her head was still on was because his father was standing next to them. Decapitating a young woman in front of his family was not a polite thing to do. The System had changed the world, but his father''s presence brought back a semblance of education in him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "I died," Priam acknowledged. Claire''s eyes widened, but Priam had already turned around. He didn''t need to humiliate her: he just wanted her to die quickly. Priam looked Alain straight in the eye. "I don''t know what she told you, but she tried to kill me. She almost succeeded. I..." Finding the words was complicated. What should he say? Ask permission to kill the young woman? He had suffered so much, lying on the stone floor, desperately waiting to be resurrected. [Eidetic Memory] reminded him of the immense pain she caused him. Three days had passed since then. So much had happened. Priam felt as if he''d met Claire months ago. Yet Claire had taught him an important lesson. Trust had to be earned, and the world had changed. The seething rage had dissipated with time, but a deep, dark anger had replaced it. Priam held a grudge. He wanted her to die. "She''s a dangerous manipulator who''s been transformed by the System. As a Revenant, she must kill or corrupt humans,¡± explained Priam. He looked at his father before turning to Louis and Mirscella. In his imagination, Priam had thought of executing Claire at first sight. Faced with his family and other humans, the words were stuck in his throat. It was difficult to ask for the death of a human. Yet it was necessary. I''m not the same as I was before. She deserves death and I won''t be such a coward as to refuse to execute her. "I intend to kill her," Priam announced. The silence lasted a few seconds. Alain seemed to hesitate. Finally, his father looked him in the eye and nodded. "The world has changed, but you are my son. If you think it must be so, then you have my support." Priam''s heart clenched with emotion as he heard his father say this. It felt good to be accompanied. Mirscella coughed. Approaching Priam, she put a hand on his shoulder and drew him close. "You must have suffered a lot, and I sympathize. But you can''t kill her. Not now." Priam looked up and pushed the grandmother away. She was his father''s friend, but that didn''t give her the right to decide his life. "Why?" he forced himself to ask. Claire didn''t deserve for him to provoke an argument between his father and Mirscella. "Do you hear that noise?" asked Mirscella. The locusts were attacking the city. There was no screaming or yelling, just the muffled sound of insects whirring. Outside, the noise must have been deafening. Then there were some strange sounds. As if pickaxes were attacking the building. "The locusts are trying to devour the walls," Priam replied. "We''ve got no time to lose." "Exactly. You''re their main target, and we''re in danger by staying close to you. It''s too late now, but you shouldn''t have joined us. At least we know the safe places. How were you planning to get us there alive?" asked Mirscella. "I have a Domain that can protect us, and my mist would be able to keep the insects away." The grandmother nodded. "All the way to the Palace?" "Not in one shot." Insects would devour his mist, and only his Domain could then protect them. Priam had considered the problem and thought about a solution. "However, by stopping at houses occasionally so I can replenish my reserves, we''ll get there." "Good, but you''re forgetting two things. The first is that Claire''s power could allow us to reach the Palace easily. She can order the insects to leave us alone. Not you, because you''re their target, but we aren¡¯t." Priam looked at Claire, who remained silent. "She would betray you." "She''d die first. But there''s a second reason why she should stay alive for now." "..." "Her power could allow her to go back and forth between the Palace and the most attacked dwellings. She could help evacuate whole groups of people. The lives of millions are at stake, and her contribution could save thousands of lives." Priam gritted his teeth. "I know her well¡­ She''ll say anything to stay alive, but she''ll run away as soon as she gets the chance." Mirscella stared at Priam. "Perhaps. But in the meantime, we would save hundreds of lives. Lives you''ve condemned," she reminded him. Instantly, Priam stood still. Mirscella''s sentence resonated in his head. He hadn''t wanted all those deaths, but... He knew he had a responsibility in this tragedy. Everything had happened so fast, he hadn''t really had time to think about it. Running for survival, listening to his clones, and following the path that offered him the best chance of survival¡­ When had he realized that people would die? He couldn''t say. He knew there would be deaths and had avoided thinking about it. Now, the Locusts were invading New Earth. Was it his fault? He hadn''t asked the System to create Tribulations! Could he have survived without using the dome barrier? There was little chance. Yet people were going to die. What had he done wrong? Thoughts raced through his head. His hands trembled, and suddenly, he felt himself embraced. "Dad..." "Shh. Listen to me, okay?" Priam buried his head in his father''s shoulder. It seemed lower than before. He''d grown taller. Yet he had never wanted a hug more. His father''s voice soothed him, chasing away his dark thoughts. "There''s going to be a lot of death because of your actions, son. I know you didn''t mean it that way, but it''s a fact. It was certainly the only way to survive, but you brought a swarm of millions of immortal locusts here. I''m sure you didn''t have all the information or much choice. Still, people are going to die." Priam trembled as tears streamed down his face. His father was right. His clones hadn''t told him because Priam was selfish. He had put his own survival above that of New Earth. And if I had to do it again... "Am I a monster for wanting to survive?" "No, son," replied Alain, a fierce gleam in his eyes. "If today''s deaths allow you to survive, I gladly sacrifice them." Priam held his father close. Few things were more precious than a parent who stood by you through thick and thin. "What do you want to tell me, Dad?" "I want to tell you that your survival is most important. However, that doesn''t mean these people''s lives are unimportant, right?" "Of course!" Alain pushed Priam back and looked him straight in the eye. "Claire has killed many people, but that''s a drop in a bucket compared to the blood that will flow today. It is not the time to find out who''s responsible. It is not the time to think about that. You''ll find your own answers later and act as you see fit," he smiled. "For now, find a way to kill these fucking bugs, and let us worry about saving as many people as possible." Priam nodded before looking at his father, his stomach in knots. He had a bad feeling. "When you talk about saving people..." "I intend to work with the factions inside this dome. Accompany people to safety. Save those who can be saved." Priam took a deep breath. "You''re not planning on getting to safety." "I don''t intend to put myself in danger either. The dome is full of underground tunnels, and I''m going to open passages between them and the houses. People will be able to borrow them for shelter. Louis will accompany me for protection. Mirscella will coordinate the rest of the factions, accompanied by Claire if you let her live this day." Priam glanced at the traitor and clenched his fists. A second later, he controlled himself. The situation was exceptional and deserved exceptional decisions. Claire would live through another day. And if she tried to flee, he''d find her. "Good. I''ll leave you to deal with the situation. Thank you, Mirscella," Priam said, turning to the smiling grandmother. She knew everything but didn''t seem to hate or despise him for it. His father had found loyal friends. "I''ll try to find a solution to kill these insects," he continued. "Louis, take care of my father." The old man smiled. "You can rely on me." Priam took one last look at Claire. The young woman hadn''t uttered a second sentence. Her eyes were full of defiance and anger. Deep down, Priam thought he read sadness. Mirscella spoke up, looking at Claire. "She will not escape, do not worry. By surviving this Tribulation, you will become the undisputed Champion of humanity. Then you will be able to condemn her in a public trial and explain the danger of the Revenants to the public. She will die then. Too many humans would be ready to join them without understanding." Looking at Priam, she added. "You''ll make enemies, but then humanity will understand your firm conviction. It''s the right decision you''re making here. Quick revenge would be easier, but getting to the top is never easy. You can be proud of yourself." Priam remained silent for a moment before nodding. Claire wasn''t exactly powerful, whereas Mirscella and Louis were strong enough to make his instinct notice them. If she could save a few lives before her death, why not¡­ Priam kissed his father before descending the stairs. Down to the first floor, he pondered his next actions. His first goal was to get as many insects away from the mansion as possible. Then he''d have to kill them. Between his new skill and Domain, there had to be a possibility. Time to hunt a Tribulation. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 343 Agility 210 Vitality 339 Perception 414 MENTAL: Vivacity 189 Dexterity 269 Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 199 META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 143 Meta-endurance 110 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 150 Potential: 1194 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 20 hours 5 minutes 13 seconds [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 88: The Innocents always suffer Priam had never had a clear choice to make between surviving and saving New Earth. Simply, his actions had gradually led him down the way of survival. A path he now had to follow. He briefly questioned himself. Was it selfish to put his own life and his family¡¯s before others? Perhaps. But Priam understood this was his personality. He was beginning to accept the consequences. Should he be ashamed? He didn''t think he was a monster. A monster would have no qualms about killing people. For Priam, the lives of the dome''s inhabitants were valuable. Enough to postpone Claire''s death. She would live to see her trial and execution. Now that he had left his father, Priam also realized how difficult it was to reconcile his new life with his old one. He couldn''t really see himself beheading a young woman in front of his family. It might come someday, but Claire wasn''t worth shocking his father. In fact, his hatred was devolving into contempt. She was just another enemy in his path, and he was already leaving her behind. We''re not playing in the same league anymore¡­ Of course, she would certainly try to escape or manipulate his loved ones. Priam''s instincts told him she was born a century too late to manipulate Mirscella. As he went down a street, it was also his instinct that made him turn his head. Through the window of a house, Priam saw a father fending off locusts with a quilt. Behind him, a small child trembled. The window exploded, revealing the shape of a human. Passing in front of the father, Priam stepped in. His Domain deployed like a barrier between the locust and the family of two. Instinctively, Priam triggered [Kinetic Control]. The locusts froze in mid-air. His skill required contact, but Promesse and Domain could circumvent this rule. It was the power of a Supremacy. Priam''s hands began to shake. He was faster than the locusts, and his Domain made him almost invincible. He would survive his Tribulations. "I... Who are you?" Hearing the father, Priam''s shaking stopped. He would survive, but how many would die? His Tribulation had become the Tribulation of millions. "My name is Priam. I''m some kind of superhero," he replied, winking at the child. The child calmed down upon seeing a composed adult. He couldn''t have been more than three years old. Priam turned to the father. "You had the right reflex to keep them at bay with a quilt." The father took his son in a hug and shook his head. "No, I''ve already made a mistake. At first, there was only one. It bit me," he pointed to his right index finger. Or rather, the phalanx that remained. Priam swallowed, thinking the man in front of him would certainly live the rest of his life with two phalanges missing. "I managed to kill it with a shovel while it devoured my finger. Two more bugs appeared." "They multiply by dying." "Indeed. I then tried to bury them under cushions. Unfortunately, several more came down from the chimney flue. I took Thomas with me and... You''ve arrived," finished the father. "Thank you, sir," added the child. Priam offered a faint smile of reassurance. "You''ll be fine, don''t worry. Just give me a few seconds." Clearing his throat, Priam connected to his Lord''s powers. "People of New Earth. The locusts raining down on the city are multiplying as they die. Stay in your homes, avoid all openings and wait for help. The insects will be gone in about twenty hours." The aether drain was severe, and Priam stopped. Looking at the father and son duo, he waved his hand. "Come, I''ll take you to safety." On the way to the Palace, Priam observed the houses. The System had done things right. Most could withstand the onslaught of a small number of insects. He had noticed that locusts attacked first and foremost by biting. Moreover, they tended to stay in groups. Once a certain number was reached, the swarm devoured its environment. Not even stone was spared. Nevertheless, their size was a handicap. Only a large cloud of insects could consume a house, for example. Many inhabitants would escape by staying in their cellars. The problem was that a deadly rain had preceded the locusts. The skylights had all been blown out, allowing the locusts to penetrate many homes. In addition, their numbers were increasing due to the hole in the dome barrier - which was closing very slowly. Catching an insect frozen between his fingers, Priam identified it again. [Identification] [Blade Hydra Locust - Tribulation touched] - A Tribulation-touched insect. Has the annoying property of creating two clones after death. Each death makes its clones more powerful than the original. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] - A locust possessing a concept fragment - Vengeance. Each death strengthens the fragment, multiplying and resurrecting the insect. Its burning vengeance is mighty, but its destruction spares no one. The user of this concept exposes himself to a tragic death. Time remaining: 20h 47 min 19 seconds. Priam sighed and buried his hopes. He had entertained the idea of absorbing the power of the locusts into his second heart. Of course, a clone would have been too dangerous, but with potential, he thought he could modify this power. Unfortunately, the vengeance concept seemed incompatible with [He Who Eludes Death]. If the two Talents synergized... He would have been invincible. His instincts told him this was not the case. Affected by his misty Domain, Priam felt the vengeance concept trembling inside the bug. Closing his fingers like pincers, he exploded the exoskeleton. A second passed with no sign of resurrection. Priam smiled. The power of a concept was not absolute. It can be fought with another concept. Supremacies could also be used against them. At least, that was his budding theory. Priam was now in a position to slaughter the locusts. Unfortunately, his Domain was a one-meter radius sphere, and there were tens of thousands of insects in the dome. Hearing a shout, Priam sped up momentarily before turning to the father and son. "Daniel, take your son and go into a house." Nodding, the father lifted the child and quickly locked himself in the nearest house. The next moment, Priam was riding his mist. Reappearing at the end of an alley, he watched a teenage girl run. Behind her, three locusts were in pursuit. Priam leaped forward, clutching his spear. The cobblestones exploded under his acceleration, and he quickly caught up with the girl. The tip of Promesse skewered the three insects. Turning to the teenager, he ran a few meters to catch up. Grabbing her lightly by the arm, he forced her to turn around. "You''re safe now. Foll..." Mouth still open, Priam paused. The young woman must have been fifteen, and her features distorted by fear made her look even younger. Priam noted the presence of braces and freckles. Going further up, his heart sank. She was missing her left eye and part of her nose. It''s my fault. "Save Mommy, please!" she implored. The call for help woke him up. His thoughts raced again, and Priam frowned. His mist covered the entire neighborhood, and no one was outside. "Where is she?" he asked. "I... House," she stammered, terrified as she pointed behind Priam. Priam nodded. "Show me." The teenager hesitated for a moment, paralyzed. Perhaps her love for her mother helped, for she began to run in the direction from which she had come. A few seconds later, they stopped in front of a large red brick house. The sky-blue front door was ajar, and his mist was slowly penetrating the home. Priam pushed open the door, beckoning the girl to accompany him. Thousands of locusts were flying in the sky, and one could have finished the job. He closed the door behind him and looked around. Nothing moved. Priam''s hearing was unaffected, and his sense of smell... A blood smell permeated the room. The source was on the second floor. "Wait for me here," Priam asked softly. Climbing the stairs quickly, Priam''s heart sank. The staircase creaked at the fifth step, and a sound echoed back. Someone had heard it. Or something. A small corridor awaited at the top of the stairs. On either side of it, two closed white doors concealed rooms. Priam''s heart raced. He knew he had nothing to fear for his life but didn''t know what he''d find here. Priam stopped in front, observing the floor. Near him, the carpet had soaked up a red liquid in front of the left door. The metallic smell was strong enough to be smelled by a normal human. Priam analyzed the scent. Human blood. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lvl Up: [Sense of smell] lvl 10 DEXT +1 Priam placed his hand on the handle and turned. The door slowly began to open inwards. Barely ajar, Priam felt resistance; something was blocking the door. With a flick of his shoulder, he half-opened the door. The room was blood-red. The scarlet color stood out against the yellow of the tapestry. The furniture was overturned, and the bed unmade. A dozen giant locusts were strewn about the room. Priam stepped forward to see the rest. One of the windows was broken and had certainly allowed the creatures in. Priam closed the door behind him as the locusts stared silently at him. None were attacking, and the Earl understood why as he lowered his eyes. The object that had blocked the door was a half-eaten torso. Only a barely recognizable leg was still attached. The skull had rolled away when he opened the door. Observing the body''s position for a moment, Priam reconstructed the events. The teenager''s mother had sat behind the door and stretched her legs towards a dresser, blocking the opening. The action had certainly enabled her daughter to escape. The sated locusts now looked at Priam, as if hesitant. The Tribulation and their concept demanded vengeance, but they''d overeaten and couldn¡¯t fly easily. Their bloated bodies disgusted Priam. His knuckles turned white as he gripped Promesse. The next second, he attacked. The insects exploded under the violence of the blows. The fight lasted only a second, and Priam wanted to scream with rage. These kinds of mobs represented no difficulty for him anymore. His wrath demanded an outlet, but no serious opponent presented itself. In the distance, more cries were heard, and Priam turned to the corpse. "Sorry... Your daughter will be fine, I promise." Quickly opening the door, he stormed downstairs. The teenager hadn''t moved, and was staring at him imploringly. Priam opened his mouth and hesitated. The girl burst into tears. "I''m sorry... we have to go." Nodding weakly, she followed him outside. On the doorstep, Priam looked up. His perception warned him when he was being watched. There was an observer in the house opposite him. He had hurriedly backed away when he saw Priam look up, but the young man had spotted him. Priam''s instincts kicked in. "Do you know the man who lives here?" he asked. The teenager nodded. "He''s weird and scares me. He wanted to accommodate me and my mother, but she refused. She told me to stay away from him." "Mmh..." Priam narrowed his eyes. The broken window was directly opposite the man''s window. "Wait for me a moment." Wrapping the girl in mist to protect her, Priam opened the peeper''s door. He draped himself in mist and teleported in front of the man. His instincts kicked in again. Without a word, Priam raised Promesse. "I... I... No, please!" cried the stranger. Priam struck before teleporting back into the street. Anne had proved to him that one couldn''t remain insensitive in the face of crime. If blood was to be shed today, it might as well be the blood of a murderer. "Let''s go." Priam guided the teenager to the house housing Daniel and his son. Knocking on the door, it opened instantly. Without a word, the four of them headed for the Palace. A nearby howl rang out, and Priam gritted his teeth. He turned to Daniel, and the man took his son and the teenager by the hand, leading them to a nearby house. Priam rode the mist. Guandi''s day had started well. He had become one of humanity''s first Viscounts and had witnessed an incredible Tribulation. It was what followed that had gone wrong. His King had failed to obtain the Achievement and the Earl¡¯s Title. The thief had then unleashed his Tribulations, forcing their army to flee. Ordered by the Divine King Prometheus, he had then pursued the Champion to New Earth. Running for over a hundred kilometers in hoplite armor was great for his skills, but not for his mood. Especially when his heavy armor had lost its energy unit. Once there, he realized that the difference in power between his squad and the target was... terrifying. Demoralized, he then noticed locusts descending from a hole in the dome barrier. The voracious insects must have realized the futility of their hunt, for most of them had abandoned the Champion for the inhabitants of New Earth. Guandi had no intention of letting civilians die before his very eyes. So, for the past thirty minutes, he and his men had been defending groups of terrified innocents, bringing them to the Colosseum. It was the start of their third round trip, and one of his men pointed south. Nodding, Guandi waved goodbye. The squad accelerated rapidly, dodging several groups of locusts. A few hundred meters further, a covered market had been built in the center of a square. "I hear noises inside. Screams," whispered Alban. The scout had excellent perception and was a valuable asset to their group. "Let''s go." An insect approached Guandi as he slowed down. [Mastery - Greatsword]. The two halves of the locust fell, and Guandi''s sabaton - an armor piece covering the foot - crushed it to the ground. The Viscount turned to the building''s heavy door. On rails, the metal leaf could have withstood bullets. Placing a hand on the handle, he pulled without success. Locked from the inside. Raising his voice at the risk of attracting locusts, he shouted. "Open the door. We''ll escort you to safety." No response. "The screams have stopped. But... It sounds like they''re muffled," Alban said, frowning. Not all monsters were insects. In a crisis, humans were capable of the worst and the best. Guandi turned towards the gate and drew his weapon as he stepped back. Micro helped him optimize his strength and movement, allowing the heavy sword to shatter the metal panel. Advancing rapidly, the warrior observed his surroundings. The indoor market covered some two thousand square meters. In one corner, a dozen people were crammed together. Among them were three children. One of the men was on the ground, subdued by a colossus resting on top of him. With his hands behind his back and his mouth gagged, the prisoner looked at Guandi, his eyes imploring. The Viscount put on a neutral face, while his unit explored and secured the perimeter. "What''s going on here?" His authoritative voice made everyone tremble. The colossus turned to a man in his forties. He stepped forward. "My name is Rayan, and I''m a merchant for the Dawn Federation," he introduced himself. Guandi had never heard of this federation, but that was hardly surprising. Millions of factions had invested in humanity. Prometheus¡¯ general remained silent. He was the one asking the questions, not the other way around. His silence prompted the merchant to continue. "We''ve been here since this morning. When the rain came, we stayed in this building because it''s quite resistant. Unfortunately, the drops destroyed the ceiling glass," he explained, pointing to the skylights. Guandi turned to look again at the covered room. Out of the corner of his eye, he analyzed the merchant''s behavior. He''s nervous. The man didn''t have a clear conscience. Reviewing the room once again, Guandi noticed a few disturbing details. Beneath the central shaft of light was a butcher''s stall. Meat quarters still hung behind it, and the work surface was stained with blood. The metallic smell was strong. Too strong. Guandi squinted. There was far too much blood. A bad feeling rose inside him, and he turned back to the trembling men and women before him. "What were you planning to do with this man? And release him," he ordered, pointing to the prisoner who had been subdued. The colossus hesitated, and Guandi dropped the tip of his sword to the floor. Under its own weight, the hoplite blade sank three centimeters into the paving. Swallowing, the giant slowly rose to his feet. The man on the ground got up quickly and ran towards his savior. Pointing at the merchant, he shouted. "They wanted to sacrifice me!" "He agreed!" replied the merchant. "We all agreed. The bugs come back every ten minutes. We simply decided to draw lots to see who would die next. Otherwise, we''d all be half-eaten!" Guandi sighed. The roar of insects was getting closer. Moments later, some fifty insects descended from the shaft of light. "[Mastery- Greatsword], [Storm]." In one swift movement, Guandi gathered the air in front of his blade. The result was a mini-tornado hurtling toward the locusts. The attack reduced the insects to lint before striking the ceiling. The metal girders fell to the floor, sliced to shreds. With an end-of-the-world crash, half the roof collapsed. Guandi turned back to the stunned group. "I feel less and less like taking you back to safety," he declared. Even without training, a score of individuals could have dominated the insects. "You could have locked them in ovens or covered them with sheets and tarps. It is a market, after all. Instead, you sacrificed individuals..." "We''re not fighters," pleaded the merchant. "Three weeks ago, I was selling household appliances. We did our best to protect the children." Guandi looked at the young children in silence for a moment. "We''ve wasted enough time. Follow me," he sighed. The group before him wasn''t perfect, but they''d done their best to protect the youth. Everyone was doing their part, and he would do his. Humanity would survive. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 343 Agility 210 Vitality 339 Perception 414 MENTAL: Vivacity 189 Dexterity 270 (+1) Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 199 META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 143 Meta-endurance 110 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 150 Potential: 1195 (+1) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 56 minutes 37 seconds [Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 89: Revenge is a dish best served without insects Priam sat down abruptly on the steps leading to the Ducal Palace. He massaged his temples for a moment, exhausted but happy. He''d done his best. The heavy doors had just closed behind him. Despite being the Lord of New Earth, he couldn''t get inside. Well, not without endangering thousands of lives. The Colosseum and the Hideout were firmly off-limits to him, but not the Palace. Unfortunately, the locusts would only stay away if he didn''t enter the grounds himself. After more than nineteen hours of going back and forth searching for survivors, Priam was exhausted, both physically and mentally. If he had to be honest with himself, the sight of the hundreds of victims he had rescued had shocked him. Intellectually, he knew what thousands of deaths meant. In practice, seeing traumatized faces was different. It was even worse when the victims were seriously injured. He would have liked so much to flee, taking those pesky insects with him. But he couldn''t. According to his clones, he had to stay within the city walls until the end of his Tribulations. That was the second part of his clones'' answer. Answer: First, kill the Earls, then rush toward New Earth''s dome... Answer: ...Stay there and wait for the locust timer to end. Despite the horror their advice had unleashed, Priam trusted them. He knew his clones were trying to keep casualties to a minimum. Hands stained with blood - he''d just carried a little girl barely five years old who''d lost an arm - Priam watched the cloud of locusts descend on the city. The insects were countless. He had killed thousands of them. The geniuses with Mastery had also killed a number of them. In addition, several dozen factions had gathered around the three impregnable buildings and diligently captured tens of thousands of insects. Rumor had it that fighting a Tribulation was excellent for leveling-up skills. When word of this spread, thousands of volunteers began trapping the locusts. After all, even an average human with a quilt and an oven could capture an insect. Thinking back on the rumor, Priam laughed. It was he who had started it, almost unintentionally. It had happened during the fifth hour, when he had tried to reassure a little boy. "Carrying you here, I leveled up [Art of Movement]. Thanks to you, I''m stronger!" Priam had always loved children and wanted to become a teacher before the System. Seeing the boy''s face light up had done him good. He''d even smiled - his first smile in a while. Someone had overheard him and asked if facing insects helped develop his skills. Priam confirmed, and everyone listened. After all, he was the most powerful human present. Suddenly, a lot of people had started fighting and doing favors. Priam didn''t regret his lie. In fact, it wasn''t false. Fighting insects, putting one''s life on the line, and concentrating on survival were more effective ways of increasing one''s fighting skills than shadow boxing. Even with skills as high as his, this kind of rescue was profitable. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 21,22,23,24 AGI +4 PERC +4 DEXT +4 Lvl Up: [Iron Marathon] lvl 3,4,5 AGI +9 Lvl Up: [Manipulation] lvl 5,...,9 CHAR +15 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 30,31,32 VIVA +6 DEXT +9 META (Focus) +12 However, despite all their efforts, the locusts'' swarm continued to grow. The hole in the barrier had never fully closed - the locusts devoured its edges when it became too small for many to pass through. Worse still, Priam could feel the insects getting restless. Over the past hour, it had become increasingly difficult for him to rescue people. The insects were now following him en masse. Their numbers were becoming too great for him to escape them. Priam understood what the problem was. The Tribulation would self-destruct in less than an hour. The vengeance concept was becoming more and more powerful as their end drew near. The good news was that the assault on the city was now drawing to an end. The last of the locusts had left the inhabitants to concentrate on their original objective: devouring Priam alive. The warrior didn''t quite agree and planned to strike back. "One way or another, it''s the last dance," Priam murmured as he rose. Fatigue could wait. In an hour, he''d have a chance to sleep. He missed the sensation and needed it to gain perspective on the situation. For now, he''d finished his role as rescuer and had to return to being a fighter. Priam clutched Promesse and turned to the titanic spear he had used to defeat the wyvern. The lack of notification worried him slightly, but he had an idea to get rid of the locusts for good. Lowering his head, Priam leaned on the steps and leaped towards the Colosseum. Using Micro to control his muscles, he accelerated in the space of a few meters. Twenty meters from the Palace gates, a wall of insects awaited him. Instead of slowing down, Priam accelerated further, reaching a hundred kilometers per hour. From zero to a hundred faster than a sports car! He was now close enough to see the insects and study their anatomy if he wished. Summoning his Domain, Priam slammed into the cloud like a cannonball. His sphere of authority hit the first locusts, making them disappear. Gone, but not dead. How to kill thousands of insects without the proper skills? Priam was currently unable to inflict AOE damage. That would need to change in the future. For now, he decided to use the tools at his disposal. He had linked his Domain and [Kinetic Control]. Each locust touching his sphere was charged with a certain amount of kinetic energy and projected in the opposite direction. The calculation of the insects'' expulsion speed took into account the kinetic energy transmitted and their mass. As the latter was low, Priam sacrificed a tiny fraction of his reserves for each insect expelled. He could have done this for hours. At present, Priam''s Domain was a glorified bowling ball. Insects were thrown in all directions, bouncing off their cousins, which were in turn jostled. The chain reaction was almost comical. Moreover, thanks to their resistance, the violent acceleration stunned the locusts without killing them. Priam continued into the swarm, landing a memorable Strike. Two meters after penetrating the wall of insects, their density began to decrease. Priam accelerated further using [Kinetic Control]. A few seconds later, he reached the edge of Palace Square. His momentum enabled him to jump, and an additional kinetic charge landed him on the roof of a hotel. He hit the ground running, and continued across the rooftops. Occasionally, a few insects came crashing down on his Domain, but most of his pursuers were in the cloud behind him. A cloud containing at least a hundred thousand individuals. Priam accelerated again. His large mass enabled him to keep his feet on the ground, without soaring too high with each stride. [Art of Movement] changed his habits. When reaching the end of a roof, for example, Priam was careful to place his foot on the edge, pushing almost horizontally rather than vertically like on flat ground. This kind of technique allowed him to accelerate even faster. Of course, as his speed increased, so did air resistance. Priam felt as if he were running through a liquid. Far behind him, the sound of locust''s flights terrified the entire city. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 6 AGI +1 Priam smiled at the terrifying synergy of his skills. Suddenly, while dodging rain-damaged furniture stored on a roof, Priam had an idea. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Rather than just repelling locusts, Priam instructed his Domain to repel air molecules in the direction of his travel. Instantly, the air''s resistance disappeared utterly. His speed increased again, but Priam winced. His reserves of kinetic energy were dwindling fast. Provoking a wind - even over a small area - of over three hundred kilometers per hour was costly. Sighing, Priam canceled his experiment. All he had to do was get in front of the locusts, not lose them. A minute later, he leaped from the last roof, crossing half the Colosseum square before landing in front of his ice spear. Instantly, he looked in the direction of the trapped wyvern. A feeling difficult to explain linked him to his mist and the ice he had created. His soul was in harmony with the Concept of Mist and sent him certain information. [Moon Mist] reinforced his perception. Their synergy enabled Priam to sense the state of his ice spear and the lake imprisoning the wyvern beneath it. Or rather, from the lake that had imprisoned the wyvern. The monster had managed to free itself and was currently devouring the ice of his spear. It must have been several hours since the wyvern had tried to climb back up, for it was now in perfect health. Perhaps even more so. Priam squinted. The fragment of concept metal that had permeated the lake had disappeared. Pride''s shadow... It was the only explanation Priam could think of. The virtual absence of light and its physical state should have prevented the beast from rising. Priam turned back to the locust cloud. It didn''t matter. No, it''s even positive for me. It was time to put an end to his Tribulations. The spear would hold the wyvern for another few dozen minutes. Enough for revenge to consume the insects. They approached before stopping a hundred yards from Priam. The face-to-face lasted a few seconds, and a bad feeling came over the Earl. I''m wondering¡­ Grabbing the corpse of a locust he kept in his pocket, Priam identified it. [Identification] [Blade Hydra Locust - Tribulation touched] - A Tribulation-touched insect. Has the annoying property of creating two clones after death. Each death makes its clones more powerful than the original. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] A locust possessing a concept fragment - Vengeance. Each death strengthens the fragment, multiplying and resurrecting the insect. Its burning vengeance is mighty, but its destruction spares no one. The user of this concept exposes himself to a tragic death. Time remaining: 0h 30 min 02 seconds. Time remaining: 0h 30 min 01 seconds. Time remaining: 0h 30 min 00 seconds. The cloud trembled. Like any respectable Boss, the Tribulation was entering its second phase. The swarm gathered around itself to form a swarming sphere of insects. Pressed together, the volume occupied by the locusts was no longer so impressive. A transformation seemed to occur, and Priam was content to watch. After all, his skills weren''t designed to damage a big volume. One of the objects he had stolen could be used as a grenade, but Priam had no desire to double the number of his enemies. Another reason for his inaction was that fighting a hundred thousand weak opponents was a chore. If the locust''s final form was a single enemy, that was fine by him. A minute later, the swarming mass of insects came to a standstill. The next instant, it burst into flames, and the heat produced knocked Priam back despite [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism]. Steam began to rise from the ice spear. Pointing Promesse toward his future enemy, Priam prepared his throw. The heat dissipated as the flame disappeared, revealing a dark bubble. The charred exoskeletons of the insects seemed to form... a shell? With an agonizing crack, a fissure appeared. A second followed, before the shell exploded completely. Falling heavily to the ground, a massive praying mantis unfolded its limbs. Black and red, the insect measured over three meters in height. It didn''t look like much, but its aura made Priam wary. The praying mantis seemed to hesitate momentarily, turning its antennae in all directions before pointing them at Priam. Instantly, its attitude changed, and its two raptorial legs planted themselves in the ground. The force of the impact split the stone. The beast must have weighed over two tons. It seemed logical from the point of view of mass conservation. Tribulation locusts weighed ten times more than an ordinary locust; a hundred thousand equated to around two tons. The count was right. The beast''s striking force was monstrous, and its spikes seemed sharp. Priam decided to amputate it directly. He had no intention of killing it before analyzing it. If the concept of vengeance fragment still allowed him to split into two, he had no desire to face two praying mantises. Micro helped him into firing position, and Promesse was ready. The mantis stood still for a moment before jumping off. Its speed was formidable, and Priam took no chances. Once in the air, dodging was more complicated. [Spear Throw], [Kinetic Control]. The weapon disappeared, flying towards the mantis''s right rear legs. Breaking the sound barrier, Promesse announced her fury with a supersonic bang. Priam''s mist caught the rest of the fight, which was too fast for his eyes. The Boss spread his wings and shifted slightly to the left. Promesse grazed its legs without really hurting them. The artillery fire reached the far end of the square and exploded the buildings behind. Priam automatically called back his weapon and threw himself backward. The mantis was extremely fast, and one of its raptorial legs tried to decapitate him. Priam stepped back, using rapid boosts of [Kinetic Control] to stay out of the monster''s reach. In one second, the Boss attacked ten times, splitting the air in a promise of death. Priam concentrated on [Dodge] and Micro, avoiding the attacks with difficulty. The Boss was too fast. I must immobilize it. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 12 AGI +1 Summoning his Domain, Priam moved forward, braving his fear. His sphere encompassed the front quarter of the insect, and he triggered [Kinetic Control]. The mantis froze, and Priam smiled. Without Supremacy, his opponents were powerless. Stepping forward to identify the Boss, Priam stopped before throwing himself backward. A raptorial leg passed within a centimeter of his throat, nearly decapitating him. The mantis turned red, and his Domain trembled. Shit, I spoke too fast. A Domain could be ignored by a powerful enough Concept. Priam noted the information in his mind and continued to back away. Being a pioneer was exhilarating, but the lack of knowledge was painful. The mantis lunged at him, and Priam stepped back again, furiously thinking. His spear was still far away, and he would have to do without it for the time being. [Kinetic Control] should be able to immobilize it. It worked in theory, but his timing would have to be perfect. Without Promesse or his Domain, he would have to touch his swift opponent. Without [Kinetic Control], the mantis was about twice as fast as Priam. This gap made the action perilous. Triggering his skill a tenth of a second too early would be useless. A tenth of a second too late, and Priam would lose his arm. Unfortunately, the Colosseum would soon be at Priam''s back. It was now or never! Riding the mist above the insect was impossible - his wings disturbed it. Instead, Priam stepped back, merging with the fog. He reappeared behind the mantis. Instantly, the mantis began to turn. Its color turned scarlet, and its speed doubled. Its raptorial leg descended in a deadly arc. The attack stopped ten centimeters short of decapitating the Earl. His hand touched one of its hind legs, and [Kinetic Control] petrified his opponent. Priam noticed that, for the first time, the skill required aether. The vengeance concept was fighting against it. Priam calculated that he had enough aether to immobilize his opponent for over half an hour. It wasn''t that hard... As if summoned by the thought, yet another catastrophe descended on New Earth. The dome barrier shook. A crack appeared at the top, followed by a second. A second later, the entire barrier shattered, like a punctured soap bubble. A monster fell from the sky. Priam looked up at his new adversary. If the male mantis had been created from a hundred thousand locusts, the female had required several million. Fifty tons of enraged monster were falling toward Priam. Vengeance was here. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 343 Agility 228 (+18) Vitality 339 Perception 422 (+8) MENTAL: Vivacity 198 (+9) Dexterity 286 (+16) Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 216 (+17) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 155 (+12) Meta-endurance 110 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 150 Potential: 1236 (+41) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 90: The blood of your enemies shall water your Heart Promesse landed in his hand, and Priam turned to the male mantis. [Identification] [Blade Legion Locust - Tribulation touched] - A Tribulation-touched Blade Legion Locust. The fusion of a multitude of Blade hydra locusts. Extremely fast and merciless, its sole aim is to kill you. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] - A locust possessing a concept fragment - Vengeance. The final phase of vengeance has begun. Its power grows as its destruction approaches. To be eliminated as soon as possible. Warning: His desire for vengeance transcends death. Weakness: only vengeance keeps him alive. Time remaining: 0h 29 min 48 seconds. It won¡¯t split anymore. Without missing a beat, Priam focused on [Spear Strike]. Splitting the air, the spear penetrated the frozen insect''s head. As the female mantis rapidly approached, Priam frowned. [Kinetic Control] was still absorbing kinetic energy, proof that the mantis was still trying to move. Destroying its brain wasn¡¯t quelling its desire for vengeance. I have to attack the concept or destroy its entire body... His skill set did not allow Priam to destroy the mantis. All that remained was to target the concept. To do this, Priam had two options: use another concept or a Supremacy. Gathering his Domain, Priam mentally detected a burning flame inside the monster. The image of the vengeance concept. Gathering his will, Priam dominated the flame with his sphere of authority. Once the fire had subsided, he materialized his own concept inside the monster. His mist surrounded the frozen flame and began to suffocate it. "SCREEEEEEEE!" A high-pitched noise arose, a sign of the second mantis'' anger. Pressed by time, Priam enveloped the flame in his mist and pulled. The blaze didn''t move a muscle. A Tribulation concept couldn''t be stolen. An explosion resounded in the dome. The real boss had just hit the ground. Howling with anger, it dashed toward Priam. He kept his eyes closed. It was time to end it all. The System had long tested his patience, but it was over. "I''m going to win," he declared. His willpower contracted once more, and two skills were awakened. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 2 META (Chance) +9 Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 8 CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 The flame trembled, secured by a chain of mist, and began to move. Unknowingly, Priam had achieved the impossible. Gradually leaving the mantis'' body, the fire metaphorically approached Priam. [Mirror of the Soul] opened, ready to accept the offering. It was the moment the second boss chose to arrive. The mist informed Priam of the boss''s position, speed and characteristics. Fifty tons of angry mantis were rushing to meet Priam. The clash promised to be as violent as an accident between two trucks at full speed on the freeway. Priam didn''t deign to turn around. His kinetic energy reserves were filled almost to the brim, having absorbed the kinetic energy of the ice spear, freezing it in the process. Wanting to confront me with brute force? Dumb idea. [Focus]. Dividing his attention, Priam positioned Promesse behind him, then let go. [Kinetic Control]. The spear remained frozen in the air. His bound weapon was connected to his kinetic reserves. Trying to make it move was tantamount to depleting his resources. In other words, transferring one joule of energy to the hoplite spear would not make it move, but would cause Priam''s reserves to lose one joule of kinetic energy. With part of his mind still drawing the fragment of vengeance to him, Priam waited for the mantis to attack. The latter didn''t delay. One of the creature''s raptorial legs slammed into his spear with cataclysmic force. Priam gritted his teeth as he felt Promesse twitch slightly and his meridians protest. [Kinetic Control] had failed to absorb the full blow. Reforged and tempered by the flames of a Phoenix, his weapon had nevertheless managed to block the rest of the impact without breaking. Angered, Priam turned around and touched the second mantis with his free hand. Instantly, he realized it would not be possible to absorb the kinetic energy of both monsters simultaneously. His meridians would melt first, and [Kinetic Control] wasn''t high level enough. For the time being. Deciding to avenge his spear, Priam wasted no time. With a deliberately disdainful hand movement, Priam slapped the mantis''s leg. [Kinetic Control]. A third of his kinetic energy was sacrificed. The next instant, the world shook. Guandi was watching the fight from a window in the Colosseum. The Lord of New Earth was currently immobilizing a Viscount-level monster. Behind him, the equivalent of a high-level Viscount was rushing towards its prey. A fifty-ton insect - hard to imagine a worse abomination - shook the square with every step. Preternaturally fast, the mantis reached Priam Azura and brought down one of its front legs. Guandi braced himself for the shock that never came. "Impossible," murmured Alban. Impossible or not, the mantis'' assault had been nullified with disconcerting ease. Guandi noted in his mind that physical attacks seemed powerless against the Lord. Suddenly, Guandi felt his instincts tremble. The Earl was angry. He turned and struck the boss. There was a flash, and the supersonic bang nearly deafened Guandi. Looking back at the square, he found himself dumbfounded. The mantis had disappeared. Or rather, fifty tons of the monster had just been hurled through the air with ease. Like a cannonball, the insect traveled seven hundred meters before crashing violently, destroying a neighborhood and shaking the entire dome. "No casualties, this is one of the evacuated areas," Alban informed. Guandi nodded absently. My King, am I still supposed to fight this monster? Priam was vomiting blood. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 23,24 META (END) +6 What he''d done had been stupid, and he knew it. Without [He Who Eludes Death], it was the kind of mistake that could cripple someone for life. His meridians, on the verge of rupture, burned as he continued to freeze the first mantis. Fortunately, the flame was on the verge of touching [Mirror of the Soul]. On contact, the concept''s reticence vanished, and the fragment disappeared into Priam''s mental space. Releasing his skill, the boss collapsed. "Only one more..." said Priam, turning around. The second mantis was struggling to get up. Priam understood why when his eyes detected numerous cracks in her exoskeleton. The mantis''s violent acceleration and uncontrolled fall seemed to have seriously injured it. It was to be expected, as the greater the mass of a living being, the more dangerous the drop. An ant could fall from a skyscraper without danger, whereas an elephant couldn''t jump without breaking its knees. The giant ice spear shook as Priam picked up Promesse, determined to finish the mantis. Dismayed, the Earl watched cracks appear in the frozen weapon. The wyvern was ruining his splendid creation! "You..." "SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The mantis seemed to be getting angry, and Priam winced. He''d thrown it into an empty neighborhood, but the monster was too powerful. Any attack on its part risked causing collateral damage. The death toll was heavy enough as it was. I''ll check on the wyvern later. Spear in hand, Priam began to run. Behind him, a piece of the iceberg - his spear - broke away, collapsing before the Colosseum. The ground shook beneath his feet as Priam concentrated on the mantis boss. Leaping onto the roof of a building, Priam used his movement skills to slalom between the chimneys. Five seconds later, he took off. Three strides brought him to the edge of a building and he didn¡¯t stop. The void beneath his feet was soon replaced by the mantis¡¯ body. Promesse severed one of the creature''s raptorial legs, and Priam landed on its head. Taking advantage of the monster''s wounds and difficulties, Priam quickly looked for a weak point in its exoskeleton. There! He raised his spear high and brought it down. Penetrating the fissure with ease, the weapon turned the insect''s brain to mush. Instantly, his mist seeped into the creature, invoked at Promesse''s tip. Priam closed his eyes, spotting the flame of vengeance. Or rather, the blazing inferno. The Tribulation seemed to hate him with an intensity that made him physically recoil. His instincts kicked in, and Priam swallowed. He remembered his skill''s warning. Warning: His desire for vengeance transcends death. Sensing a possible nasty surprise, Priam reconnected to the boss''s conceptual space. His mist wrapped around the flame, and he tried to draw it to him. The rebel fire gained in intensity, dissipating his mist. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] trembled, trying to overcome the difficulty - without success. Priam then decided to connect to his Potential. Opening the gates, divine inspiration invaded him, and he tried again. The flame stood firm. POT -5 Continuing to summon his mist, Priam tried to draw the concept¡¯s fragment. Unfortunately, its intensity only increased. POT -20 Gritting his teeth, Priam unclenched [Moon Mist]. Increasing the amount of mist could only help. POT -30 The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Time passed, and despite his efforts, the inferno continued to dissipate its mist. Worse, vengeance was gaining momentum, fighting successfully against the object of its hatred. In the distance, a gigantic crack appeared in the ice spear. Inspired by his Potential, Priam had an insane idea. Withdrawing Promesse from the mantis corpse, he aimed for the ice spear. His ice. [Spear Throw]. Without looking at the result of his throw, Priam plunged his arm into the mantis'' wound. With his fingertips, he summoned [Moon Mist] again. Two seconds later, Promesse hit the ice spear. His proxy was in place. Completely opening up to his Potential, Priam regained control over his ice and dispersed it. Or rather, Promesse sucked it up. The giant spear that had dominated the dome for the last twenty hours disappeared in seconds. Passing through the link between Priam and his bound weapon, the ice materialized at Priam''s fingertips. The boss''s body exploded. POT -40 An iceberg had appeared in the mantis''s conceptual space. The heat of vengeance evaporated the solid water. An immense quantity of mist now surrounded the glowing inferno. Priam pulled with all his will. Aided by his mist, his action finally had an effect. The raging fire advanced towards [Mirror of the Soul]. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 3 META (Chance) +9 POT -60 Priam continued to pull as pain appeared in the corner of his consciousness. His instincts were stirring, but the Earl had a goal. [Focus]. POT -100 Finally, the fragment of concept vengeance disappeared, sucked up by [Mirror of the Soul]. A notification sounded. Tribulation: The Locust Plague is vanquished! Complete your other Tribulations to earn your score and rewards. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 23,24,25 PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 Finally. Relaxing [Focus], Priam winced. An abominable headache was ripping through his skull. It was as if part of his soul had been amputated. Holding his head with one hand, he turned around. Two hundred meters away, on the roof of a half-destroyed hotel, the wyvern was watching him. Its appearance had changed again. Almost twenty-five meters long, its solar color was now streaked with a metallic red. Somehow, the semi-dragon had ingested a fragment of concept metal and other things... [Mirror of the Soul] vibrated. The wyvern''s eyes looked at him with an air of Tribulation-forced hatred but also of... familiarity. Suddenly, Priam''s eyes widened. Promesse! "You... you devoured my spear?" he stammered. For several days, the weapon had become a companion for him. An instinct was developing inside, the premise of consciousness. Quite naturally, Priam expected to spend the rest of his life accompanied by his spear. Promesse would become his faithful companion, helping him to slay gods and dragons alike. Yet Pride''s Shadow had devoured it, incorporating the Phoenix bloodline into the pitiful draconic excuse that lay before him. [Mirror of the Soul] opened, and a vengeance spark ignited Priam''s anger. A promise betrayed deserved that he avenges it. Priam roared as his blood boiled. Using Micro to draw on his reserves, Priam grabbed the severed raptorial leg of the deceased mantis and lifted it. The titanic mass left the ground as Priam''s knuckles cracked. Turning on himself, he gained speed. Two turns, three turns... The wyvern roared back. Priam released his makeshift weapon, not forgetting to incorporate a tenth of his kinetic reserves. His meridians burned once more, sabotaging the work of [Healing Meridians]. Priam didn''t care. He wanted blood. The wyvern tried to fly away, and Priam rode the mist twice in succession. Landing on the monster''s back, he used [Kinetic Control] to immobilize the beast. The mantis''s raptorial leg sank into the wyvern''s chest, splattering the hotel with liters of blood. The wyvern screamed in pain. Priam began to climb up the beast''s spine. He needed to get close to the monster''s head. He yearned to hurt it. The boss took to the air, the sun''s rays already beginning to heal his wound. Gaining altitude, the creature roared as it felt the human continue to climb it. Deciding to get rid of the insect, it performed an aerobatic maneuver. A slow roll to the right almost sent Priam staggering. Finding a hold between two scales, he clung on as he saw the ground coming closer. The wyvern suddenly stalled, and Priam knew he was in for a hard landing. The rest proved him right. Vengeance and Micro increased his strength, allowing him to pass his hands between two scales. Taking advantage of his grip, he tore off a scale with his bare hands, bursting into wild laughter. The wyvern''s red flesh throbbed. Vengeance altered his state of mind while increasing his physical strength tenfold. His body was falling apart, but Priam didn''t care. Closing his hand to mimic the tip of a spear, Priam continued to laugh as he brought his arm down into the bloody hole he''d just created. [Spear Strike]. His arm tore through the wyvern''s tough flesh, drawing a scream from the monster. Priam rummaged around inside the boss until he found a vertebra. Tightening his grip around it, he glanced underneath. Just in time, as the buildings were less than a meter away. The wyvern, belly to the sky, was preparing to scrape its back against the buildings. Priam latched onto the vertebra, causing another roar of pain. He summoned his Domain and programmed an automatic repulse. BOOM! The world shook with the violence of the shock. Shock waves ran through the wyvern, transmitting themselves to Priam. His arm clutching the giant lizard''s spine threatened to snap. His meridians were bursting one after the other. His Domain was consuming his will and reserves to push the stone away from the buildings. Priam''s vision was a kaleidoscope of colors. Ground, building, tree, house, fountain, ground, ground, ground. The wyvern finally stopped, and Priam released his grip. His body was ruined. Some torn muscles refused to obey his commands, and his right arm was fractured in multiple places. One of the wyvern''s scales had bitten deep into his leg, causing extensive hemorrhaging. Most of his meridians were useless. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 25 META (END) +3 The wyvern turned, leaving Priam on the ground. Groaning, he struggled to his feet. The blood from his internal hemorrhaging threatened to choke him. A violent cough enabled him to spit vital liquid onto the ground. The wyvern seemed to be in pretty bad shape too. One of its wings had been torn off and almost all the scales on its back were gone. Its gaze met Priam''s and it moaned in despair. For the wyvern, Priam was now a brother. The Tribulation was forcing it to fight a member of its family. A sneer twisted the warrior''s features. "You dare? YOU DARE?!" Conceptual vengeance had taken hold of him, and his anger fueled this flame. But vengeance had to be total. [Mirror of the Soul] opened again, releasing the whole vengeance fragment. Priam''s soul burst into flames. The furnace made him lose his mind, and Micro activated. Priam''s last muscles activated, propelling him towards the boss. The wyvern''s body and eyes turned black and its scruples disappeared. Pride''s Shadow was in control. Boosted by [Kinetic Control], Priam''s body crashed into the mass of the wyvern. His hands turned a blazing red, different from the color of blood. Fists clenched, he began to pummel the wyvern''s torso. Roaring in anger, the boss attacked. Its right forepaw slammed into Priam before stopping dead in its tracks. [Kinetic Control] used the last meridians to protect him. Meanwhile, Priam''s hands deformed the chest defense. Suddenly, he grabbed one of the scales and ripped it off. The wyvern screamed. Gathering his breath, the ambient light flickered before heading for its throat. Priam continued to tear away the monster''s scales. When its flesh was exposed, he had time to see its torso palpitate. The heart was right underneath. The world lit up. Briefly, all the dome''s inhabitants closed their eyes. Only the most powerful human weapons were capable of unleashing an attack of such luminous intensity. The wyvern''s breath was a light attack more terrifying than a megajoule laser. A second later, the light shook, flickered, and then went out. Priam, straddling the beast''s skull, stared at his right arm in amazement. Using Vengeance and Micro freely, he had delivered a titanic punch to the boss. Micro had ripped through his muscles, from his shoulders to his forearms. Worse, the bones of his hand had embedded themselves in the wyvern''s head. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 13 CONST +3 His phalanges were now implanted in the wyvern, and his hand was unrecognizable. Priam burst out laughing. If his death meant his opponent''s, then his vengeance would be complete! Stunned half to death, the wyvern was wobbling. Leaping to the ground, Priam used the ulna and radius - two forearm bones - to dig into the wyvern''s flesh. His instinct was to reach the beast''s heart. Smiling, Priam continued his butcher''s work, feasting on his pain. He could have silenced it with Micro, but the pain increased his vengeful desire. Finally, after digging into the wyvern, he reached its heart. Palpitating, the giant organ seemed to be calling to him. [Identification] [Wyvern Heart - Tribulation touched] - A heart with a titanic amount of aether and vitality. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] Detection of concept fragments: Detection of bloodlines: Priam smiled as he brought his face closer. Opening his mouth wide, he took a bite. Naturally, his empty heart awoke. [Double Heart - Silver] detects an affinity. Choose an affinity. [Sun] [Shadow] [Pride] [Phoenix] [Draconic] EVERYTHING! Request denied. Insufficient potential to absorb several affinities. Choose an affinity. Priam howled in rage. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 347 (+4) Agility 228 Vitality 339 Perception 426 (+4) MENTAL: Vivacity 201 (+3) Dexterity 289 (+3) Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 219 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 155 Meta-endurance 119 (+9) Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 165 (+15) Potential: 1004 (-232) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 91: After the End, a new Beginning "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Priam roared in anger. His scream stopped moments later when his vocal cords almost snapped. Rather than calming him, the pain and pathetic state of his body enraged him all the more. Choose an affinity. His anger boiled over. His vengeance demanded power. How could he take revenge when he was so weak? The System insisted. Choose an affinity. The wyvern trembled, slowly regaining consciousness, and Priam''s instincts urged him on. He had to choose quickly. His Potential continued to drain. Anything will do!... At that moment, a part of himself rebelled. So far, the young man had been preoccupied with survival. Yet his nature was as much that of an explorer as a seeker. The two often went hand in hand. If a mystery existed, Priam wanted to unravel it. If a perfect solution was hidden, he had to find it. Vengeance consumed his intellect, but his profound nature rebelled against a hasty choice. He had to find the best match. Priam''s will began to control the flame of his irrational desire for vengeance. If this emotion came between him and power, it was useless. The vengeance concept began to recede as Priam regained enough lucidity to feel ashamed. Beasts let their instincts guide them, and Priam refused to sink so low. He forced himself to think coldly. He understood that he had to gain time. Activating [Kinetic Control], Priam used the last of his strength to immobilize the beast. Every extra second was precious. Micro made him forget the pain in his meridians, and Priam looked again at the available affinities. Pride... The wyvern''s adaptability had to come from this aspect. Besides, this kind of deadly sin was too compatible with him. Pride was one of his main flaws; he was aware of it. He accepted it because it was also one of his qualities. Without it, he would never have attempted a quadruple Tribulation. Priam mentally crossed out the option. He didn''t want to accentuate this trait. Sun certainly had excellent synergy with Phoenix and the regeneration provided by Hydra. Moreover, as a physicist, Priam had an excellent knowledge of celestial bodies, light, plasmas and stars in general. Regeneration and power: that could be an exceptional choice. Shadow was an affinity with a lot of potential. It would undoubtedly be an affinity that would marry well with his mist, making him a silent assassin and an exceptional thief. Priam hesitated for a moment before crossing out the possibility. If he had to choose between Sun and Shadow, it would be Sun. Phoenix was an interesting choice. Strengthening his existing assets was a good thing. However, Priam was hesitant. The affinity came from Promesse and, therefore, from him. Chances were, the affinity wouldn''t give him anything he didn''t already have. But it could strengthen my heart... Priam noted the possibility of modifying his main heart by incorporating his Phoenix bloodline. It would be complicated, but he was confident. To be researched later. Finally, Priam set eyes on Draconic. His imagination ran wild as he read the name of the latest affinity. Dragons were mythical on Earth. All civilizations had worshipped the legendary creature. Symbol of power, wisdom and prosperity, Dragons were often the equal of a god. Sometimes even more terrifying. Priam''s perfect memory reminded him of the wyvern''s breath. The terrifying destruction it had caused had a certain beauty. The same terrible beauty evoked by a gamma-ray burst. Comparing affinities, Priam hesitated. His heart swayed between Draconic and Sun. Rationally, Sun was a no-brainer. But Priam was unearthly awed when he read the word ''Draconic''. Phoenix had no such effect on him. The System respected Dragons, and that mattered. Priam was faced with a dilemma. Sun was an affinity that Priam could advance himself. Maybe even improve it and one day create a black hole? It was hard for Priam to imagine anything more powerful than that without thinking of the Big Bang. But the thought of creating a Universe... He had confidence in himself, but not that much. Draconic would certainly require treasure and death. Their power was innate. Acquiring it would undoubtedly be a never-ending quest. Would he have to hunt a dragon for it? Could he? Not for a long time, as even a wyvern was complicated right now. But in Elysium, there should be no shortage of them... Torn by the choice, Priam decided to take a step back. There had to be a solution. As his meridians continued to melt, Priam suddenly forgot the pain. He had an insane idea, the origin of which was simple: Pride''s Shadow was based on the sin of pride. Could it be that... A plan was born in his mind in the blink of an eye. Perhaps there was a good answer. "Hey Shadow, can you hear me?" he said in a broken voice. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, he continued. "I''m going to steal something from you. You can do nothing about it, so let''s trade." Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 9 VIT +1 The shadow had devoured all the concepts it had encountered. However, Priam didn''t believe it had the power to steal them forever. Otherwise, Metal and Mist would have been among the affinities available in the wyvern''s heart. If so, he was willing to lend one of his Concepts in exchange for something far more valuable. The draconic heart turned black, and Priam smiled. The Tribulation had taken the bait. The colossal heart continued to beat despite [Kinetic Control]. Thanks to Domain, the skill could now stop someone''s heart or breathing, but the wyvern was too mighty. And I¡¯m tired¡­ Where Priam had bitten, a trickle of golden blood flowed. Slowly, the stream froze, turning black and changing texture. A murky ink, half liquid and half gas, had replaced the vital fluid. The dark tentacle sniffed the air for a moment before charging toward Priam. The young Earl did not attempt to dodge. On contact, the world disappeared. Blinking, Priam noticed the change of location. He was now inside [Mirror of the Soul]. The usual landscape had changed with the appearance of the stolen concept fragments. A sheet of mist now covered the pond. In the sky, a cloud of Damocles at Priam''s command awaited the order to cause a deluge. A campfire burned dimly beside him. The vengeance fragment had been expelled when Priam regained his lucidity. Lowering his head, Priam watched his reflection, his gaze penetrating the mist. New chains had appeared, and others had broken. That was not what caught his attention. The black eyes of his reflection were those of a stranger. Inhuman eyes, from the edge of the cosmos. The Tribulation may have lacked a soul, but Priam was ready to swear it was endowed with intelligence. Priam knelt, and the black eyes followed him. "What an interesting body..." murmured his reflection. Priam didn''t bother to reply. The shadow wasn''t the only one looking for an opportunity. His hand blurred the calm surface of his soul, gripping the throat of his reflection. It chuckled as Priam winced. The shadow was simply a parasite. Damaging the image of his soul to hurt the shadow was like burning down his house to drive out the rats. Despite the pain, Priam smiled. He could feel the link within his soul. During Anatole''s mental attack, he''d understood that a passageway was two-way. Metaphorically, he seized the connection created by Pride''s Shadow and dived in. His body crossed the surface of the water. His consciousness appeared in a strange space. His perception, flooded with contradictory signals, made him wince before he silenced it. Only his Domain seemed able to understand the geometry of the place. Focusing on his Supremacy, Priam spotted a huge heart. The organ possessed a strange duality. It seemed both virtual and real. Conceptual and draconic. Priam tried to physically touch the object before realizing he no longer possessed a body. He tried the mental equivalent of a shoulder shrug, and failed. Amused, he imagined himself in contact with the organ. A moment later, [Double Heart] was interacting with the draconic heart. [Double Heart - Silver] detects affinities. Choose an affinity. [Sun] [Shadow] [Pride] [Phoenix] [Draconic] [Tribulation] Yeah, that¡¯s the one. Priam smiled as he read the new affinity list. He didn''t know what a Tribulation was, but this Concepts weapon was scaring the whole universe. The System had to jealously guard this secret, but Pride''s Shadow had helped Priam. After all, if it was the shadow of his own pride, how could it accept the chains of the System? In his chest, the cage of the second heart opened and pulled. The [Tribulation] affinity did not resist for a moment. The draconic heart trembled and expelled Priam''s consciousness. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 4,5,6 META (Chance) +27 Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 9 CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 Opening his eyes, he watched light flakes leave the wyvern and enter [Double Heart]. The cage created by the System had opened, eager to welcome this extraordinary affinity. Extremely compatible with the System''s work, the light flakes were placed in the center of the [Double Heart] frame. The wyvern''s heart spasmed and stopped. The extraction of the affinity seemed to have severely damaged it. The monster''s body froze, black as night. Despite the boss''s wounds, Pride''s Shadow prevented the Sun''s rays from reaching it. The beast let itself die. Part of his mind was suspicious, but Priam had bigger problems. The [Double Heart] had closed after absorbing the [Tribulation] affinity. Since then, nothing had happened. He wasn''t sure what to expect, but he wasn''t expecting that. Worried, Priam checked his Title. [Double Heart - Silver] - You now have a hole in your chest and are waiting for a transplant. The potential of this second heart is almost infinite. You have chosen an affinity: [Tribulation]. Error... [Tribulation] is, by nature, a support affinity. No support detected. Without correction, the host architecture will implode. Priam''s face lost color. All Tribulations were based on a theme: a monster, a cloud, a fire,... He had to find a support, a new heart to accommodate the affinity. If his clones had set him on this path, there had to be a way. Perhaps he had to grow the heart himself? I know! Trees of Merit Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Merit points. Each Title only gives 1 Merit point, thus upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 condemns 9 other Titles. Spend them wisely. [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 0: Once a day, one heart can restore itself instantly. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. 6 Unused Merit Points Priam bought the upgrade and used it immediately. His battle-weary heart instantly recovered. Its powerful beat began to repair his body. Despite this, Priam was not satisfied. His instincts hadn''t even suggested creating a second heart. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the rest of the Merit. [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 1: Your blood modifies your heart. 5 Unused Merit Points The Merit looked interesting. Undoubtedly helpful in transforming one''s heart with an affinity. Totally useless at the moment. Priam connected to his Potential, trying to modify the Merit to create a new heart. Error: Potential insufficient to modify Merit as instructed. Priam paled as he read the notification. There was only one chance left: the Tribulations¡¯ rewards For that, he had to finish his Tribulations first. Priam clenched his left fist, concentrated [Kinetic Control] and prepared to destroy the wyvern¡¯s heart. Simultaneously, the dark link vibrated. All this time, the Pride¡¯s Shadow had been searching inside him. Now it had found what it was looking for. Priam felt as if his skull had just been split in two. Crumpling to the ground, he screamed, clutching his head. The pain was intense, as if the shadow was trying to tear out part of his soul. The next instant, the boss withdrew, severing the link between him and Priam. Priam gasped, and looked at his latest notification. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 29 min 54s "Wha..." The shock made Priam stammer. Inhaling slowly, he forced himself to calm down. The rest of the fight was going to be complicated. Now was not the time to be ruled by his emotions. Change of plan. The wyvern was willingly perishing, refusing to heal its wounds, and Priam decided to back off for the time being. His Tribulations were not over, indicating that the wyvern was still his enemy. Priam analyzed the situation. The boss was going to die. Without [Tribulation] affinity and once resurrected by an alien Talent, it would be free. Free to leave, or free to try to kill him. If it tried to kill him, Priam would defend himself. If it tried to flee, should he stop it? After a moment''s reflection, Priam decided he didn''t like the fact that a wyvern dominated by a shadow modeled on him existed. For the same reason he didn''t want to be cloned, he didn''t want the wyvern to exist. I¡¯m unique and I intend to keep it that way. Let¡¯s kill it. With his mind made up, Priam thought about how to defeat the monster. The coming battle would have no safety net. He''d win incredible rewards, but the System would no longer limit the shadow. If it decided to take his father hostage, for example... Priam''s initial plan was messed up. He hadn''t anticipated that the shadow would manage to use [He Who Eludes Death]. The Talent was supposed to be protected by its Patrons, but if the System had access to it, so did Tribulations. Not being able to modify his Talent didn''t mean not being able to use it. He sighed as he watched the monster calmly perish. The fight would have to be quick. His kinetic energy reserves were half-filled, but that should be enough. On the other hand, he might receive the System''s rewards on the wyvern''s first death. Depending on their nature, the fight might be easy. Kidding, I know it¡¯s gonna be hell¡­ Preparing for the worst, he activated [Three-Headed Hydra], he regenerated his meridians. Without them, the next fight wouldn''t even be a fight. He felt invisible cables twisting inside him, reconnecting and repairing. A second later, Priam looked up and ordered the dome barrier to release its treasures. Now was the perfect time to use his consumables. The second mantis destroyed the protection, but the runic architecture remained. Several kilometers up, a purse appeared, falling towards the Colosseum. Priam stepped back, concentrating on the wyvern. It was about to breathe its last. Suddenly, the world froze. The wind stopped, sounds disappeared and colors faded. In a world of shades of gray, the inhuman attention of the System descended. End of a Quadruple Tribulation. Account of the Tribulation: Priam Azura, belonging to the human civilization. Special notes: Bonus: Civilization newly introduced to the Concept Universe and System. Bonus: Third human to trigger a Tribulation. Bonus: First human to survive. Bonus: Factionless. Bonus: Tribulation triggered in advance. Bonus: First Tribulation. Malus: Heavy use of Potential. Neutral: Use of one instance of [He Who Eludes Death], alien Talent. Summary : User tested by a quadruple Tribulation. Performance: System report, proposed by Administrator Thaal: For his first Tribulation, without any special knowledge, Priam Azura survived a quadruple Tribulation. His chances of survival were minimal, but his victory owed nothing to luck. Unlocking a Supremacy and a Concept during the ordeal, Priam Azura faced adversity head-on. Triumphing in a unique way over the last two Tribulations, the user''s keen mind is to be applauded. The use of elements external to the Concept has been kept to a minimum. Some break under the pressure of the Tribulations; you shine. An exceptional performance. Noteworthy remark: REDACTED. Taking into account the various bonuses and penalties... Ranking - Tier 0 Tribulations: Sector - year: 1 Sector - decade: 7 Sector - century: 56 Sector - eon: 2,589,143 Sector - All time: 2 589 143 Universe - year: 10 459 General awards: Achievement - Legendary Title - [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] Rewards - customized: Quadruple Tribulation: four rewards selectable from the following list: Next Tribulation delayed by six months. Return of ''Promesse''. New opportunity for [Double Heart] absorption. One soul to resurrect. Time stasis - duration: 23 hours 29 minutes. POT +10,000. Access to humanity''s knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 500,000 words). Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline (1%) Four drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years]. Free attributes (+100) Free skill level-ups (+10) Seed of experience Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree Perfect Tribulation Run Memories Evolution Token - Title Evolution Token - Talent Evolution Token - Legendary skill Racial Upgrade - Human Priam''s laughter echoed through the frozen ruins. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 347 Agility 228 Vitality 340 (+1) Perception 426 MENTAL: Vivacity 201 Dexterity 289 Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 222 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 155 Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 198 (+33) Potential: 998 (-6) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 26 min 47s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: ??? Delayed. Chapter 92: Last Round The list of rewards was incredible! Priam was both happy to have four possibilities and pained. He wanted them all. If I''d known, I''d have gone for the quintuple... Scratching his chin, Priam changed his mind. He knew that he would probably have died attempting a quintuple. "Next time!" he exclaimed. In an excellent mood, Priam took his time. The world was frozen, and he was tired of running all the time. Taking advantage of the system, Priam moved his arms and tried to take a few steps. After about ten meters, he felt a sort of warning. The System wouldn''t let him explore the world with impunity. His wounds weren''t healing either, but he wasn''t feeling pain anymore. The System let him think about his choices in peace. Refocusing, Priam looked at his rewards. He winced as he read about Promesse. If the System was offering this reward, that meant he had no chance of getting it otherwise. Perhaps Pride''s Shadow was more dangerous than he thought... Priam validated two options with a sigh. Promesse appeared in his hand and vibrated. Sensing its contentment, Priam stroked his spear with a smile. It had fought well. Seeing a fighter stroking his weapon would have seemed odd to him, but he was different! After all, his weapon was developing a consciousness, so he was almost a child, and it was essential to take care of them. By making them kill dragons, for example... Shaking his head, Priam refocused. The second option he had chosen was a new opportunity for [Double Heart] absorption. His heart could now obtain a second affinity that would be supported by [Tribulation]. Well, he still had to choose between [Sun] and [Draconic]. Priam also barred the purification of his bloodline. The Phoenix had promised to purify it if he killed Anatole. He would certainly receive his reward after his Tribulations, so it was redundant. The last two options were more complicated. Without help from the System, he had to imagine the scope of the rewards. Time stasis was probably a way for the System to overcome its inability to control [He Who Eludes Death]. Priam refused to choose such an option. He had fought with all his might to survive his Tribulations. Now he wanted the best options for the future. Recovering the charge of his Talent was suboptimal. Similarly, he quickly eliminated Free Attributes and Potential. He saw this as a shortcut to immediate power. What interested him was the long term. With this in mind, he reduced the number of choices until he had the following list: Rewards - customized: Quadruple Tribulation: two rewards selectable from the following list: Next Tribulation delayed by six months. Access to humanity''s knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 500,000 words). Four drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years]. Seed of experience Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree Perfect Tribulation Run Memories Evolution Token - Title Evolution Token - Talent Evolution Token - Legendary skill Racial Upgrade - Human "Ah, it''s so hard! Let''s proceed by elimination. Elixir of Eternity..." This potion could undoubtedly be exchanged for a favor from a powerful faction. Priam knew his strengths and weaknesses. Haggling was not one of his strengths. He crossed out the Elixir. Then he scratched the Memory option. A hypothetical Priam who had succeeded perfectly in his Tribulations... He could imagine what would happen. If he could go back in time with his memory, he too would have succeeded perfectly in his Tribulations. As soon as Tribulations began, he''d rip the legs off the first locust and bury it under Safamu¡¯s body. Without delay, he would unlock his Domain and mist concept by committing suicide thanks to the wyvern''s laser. He would then use the Damocles cloud to defeat the wyvern and absorb its power. With the right knowledge, he could have speedrun the Tribulation. The trouble was, had he known this in advance, the System would have created other Tribulations. Priam froze, thinking of a possibility. Could his Tribulations have been programmed to force him to make Cornelian choices? The Concepts remained fairly low-key, but they could be looking for something in particular. For example, a spirit of steel. After all, his and Safamu''s Tribulation had forced them to put their survival before their race¡¯s. Were the Tribulations as much mental as physical? Priam shook his head. He didn''t want to try and clear his name. The dead were on his conscience, and he would have to think about them later. As for his theory, he would ask Bechar. Maybe he was wrong, and maybe he wasn''t. What was certain was that the ways of the Concepts were as inscrutable as those of God. Could a mere human understand the plan of such deities? Priam looked at his rewards again and sighed. He wanted more choices. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. There was an obvious way to have more choices: withstanding new Tribulations. New Tribulations were just three days away. That was far too short to get a sextuple one. I should be careful not to bite off more than I can chew. Priam selected ¡®next Tribulations delayed by six months¡¯. One more. Priam decided to forget human knowledge. He had access to everything he wanted right now. He was interested in strengthening his scientific knowledge, but the other rewards were too incredible to pass up. The list had already been whittled down. Rewards - customized: Quadruple Tribulation: one reward selectable from the following list Seed of experience Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree Evolution Token - Title Evolution Token - Talent Evolution Token - Legendary skill Racial Upgrade - Human The first two rewards were for Log-a-rhythm. Priam hadn''t forgotten that he''d be back soon in Elysium. Seed of experience was vague, and Priam wasn''t prepared to bet on its usefulness. Branch of Garoa - the Mist Tree - was to enable a tree to gain a mist affinity. Next to Log-a-rhythm, Priam would be much more powerful. The mist would be permanent near his house. However, this would be an artificial affinity. My connection with Log-a-rhythm should be able to help me change it in the long run, and I''ll save myself a reward. Priam didn''t lose sight of one important thing: in a free, magical world, most of these rewards were shortcuts. What interested him were the rewards he couldn''t get without the help of the System. Reluctantly, Priam ignored those two possibilities. He already had a gift for his tree, and he suspected the Crimson Fruit would be compatible with it too. All that remained were the evolutions. Title, Talent, skill and race. The dilemma was terrible. Let''s continue with the eliminations... Priam had ideas for upgrading most of his Titles. After all, his Resurrection Talent was mighty to farm improvements. The only Title he was interested in was [Iconoclast]. It concerned the soul. Enhancing it promised to be interesting. Even so, he changed his mind. He already had a lot to do, and spreading his attention too thin wasn''t necessarily a good idea. The only Talent Priam found powerful enough to enhance it was [He Who Eludes Death]. Unfortunately, it was alien - originating from another universe - and the System couldn''t help him. [Humanity adapts] was also interesting, but it was a racial Talent. If he wanted to improve it, he might as well improve his race directly. Priam hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. His two best skills, [Moon Mist] and [Kinetic Control] still had the potential to evolve quickly and get him some attributes. What''s more, he was familiar enough with both to be sure he''d manage to upgrade them. It may have been arrogant of him, but he was confident. All that remained was to improve his race. Priam had no idea of the potential of this enhancement, but he knew that his Racial Talent was extremely powerful. Priam sighed hesitantly. All the options were excellent, but some would be more so than others. I''m in a quandary... Just before selecting his racial upgrade, Priam decided to ask for advice. "Lord Phoenix, may I ask you a question?" Priam remained courteous, remembering that the mythical creature loved politeness. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®I''m here.¡¯ "Um, I have to choose a reward, and I''m hesitating," confessed Priam. ¡®Give me the list of rewards.¡¯ Priam complied, describing his preferences to the Phoenix. ¡®You''ve analyzed the situation well. You may underestimate the difficulty of upgrading a Legendary skill, but I''ll give you the benefit of the doubt. If I were you, I''d hesitate between improving your race and two Talents, [Bound Weapon] and [He Who Eludes Gods].¡¯ Priam looked at Promesse. "Can I make my spear more powerful?" The possibility interested him. ¡®Indirectly. You can strengthen your bond and accelerate its growth. It''s something that will happen naturally, but this will save you months. It will also allow you to unlock Mastery quickly,¡¯ the Phoenix clarified. "I think I''d rather take my time," decided Priam. If it were up to him, he had nothing against torturing himself to become more powerful. However, forcing a childish consciousness to grow up faster was at odds with his values. If Promesse was to be his partner, he intended to treat it better than he treated himself. "[He Who Eludes Gods] would strengthen my soul I suppose? Why not upgrade [Iconoclast] instead?" The Phoenix managed to sneer majestically. ¡®Because this Title is an insult to Viracocha. If you improve it, he might decide to pay the necessary price and reduce you to ashes. Even if he fails, he''ll destroy your family, your civilization and make your life a living hell. A Tier 0 should stay away from gods,¡¯ advised the Phoenix. Priam gritted his teeth at the advice but remained silent. If he''d made so much progress in the space of a few weeks, an ancient god could snuff him out like blowing out a candle. ¡®[He Who Eludes Gods] is linked to your alien Talent. It would indeed strengthen your soul, but... Let''s just say it depends partly on the entities who entrusted you with your resurrection power. They must have modified your soul to enable you to resurrect so easily, so I can''t say how effective the enhancement will be.'' Priam thought of his Tutorial. The words he had exchanged with them. It was still too early. He was still too weak. "I''ll take the race enhancement instead," he decided. "One last question, between [Sun] and [Draconic], which would you recommend?" The Phoenix remained silent. A second passed, then two. Ten seconds later, Priam cleared his throat and prepared to validate the race upgrade. The Phoenix finally replied. ¡®[Draconic] is superior. A Dragon can create a star, the reverse is not true. But a Dragon is a creature made to reach the Zenith. Do you know why the System respects this option?'' The Phoenix''s voice was perfectly neutral. Such a powerful creature wouldn''t have let his fear show, yet Priam could sense it. A question was burning his lips. Was the most powerful Phoenix as powerful as the most powerful Dragon? Priam wasn''t stupid enough to ask the question and preferred to answer the truth. "No." ¡®Because some Dragons are powerful enough to change the laws of the Universe. They are alien creatures traveling between Universes, sowing civilization and destruction in their wake. Fortunately, Ancient Dragons are as rare as their descendants are numerous. If you choose [Draconic], prepare to face hordes of mixed bloods. Devouring their hearts will increase the purity of the bloodline.'' Priam looked at the wyvern corpse for a moment. Basically, the draconic bloodline was a battle royale that spanned several Universes. Without realizing it, his lips stretched. If he had a gift, it was that of surviving. "Thank you, Lord Phoenix. System, I¡¯ll take Racial Upgrade - Human." His nerve receptors were in a sorry state. Yet when the wave of pain came, Priam had only time to scream before collapsing to the ground. The bed shook. The mattress was hard, but at least his feet weren''t sticking out. Priam turned, reaching for his blanket, and his hand touched Promesse. The best spear in the world vibrated, and its master smiled. What could be better than waking up with a faithful partner? He opened his eyes and sighed. He had fallen asleep, or rather passed out in the rubble of a building. Straightening up, he grabbed Promesse and wondered for a moment. Had his spear shrunk? His immature part chuckled for a moment before he pulled himself together. His favorite weapon hadn''t shrunk, he''d grown. An exceptional growth spurt, especially after puberty. He compared his size to the ruins of the buildings around him. "I must be two meters tall... My voice!" His voice was deeper and more musical than before. It would undoubtedly have been a hit in an opera. Rather than simply reading the System''s notifications, Priam observed himself from every angle and listed the differences. Firstly, he was as naked as a worm and in perfect health. Secondly, his proportions had remained the same, but he''d gained about fifteen centimeters and at least fifty kilograms. His scars, even the oldest ones, had all disappeared. His skin had kept its coppery color, characteristic of the Mediterranean climate. It seemed firmer, and its imperfections had disappeared. The System had literally photoshopped him. ¡°I¡¯m looking good!¡± smiled Priam. In addition to his appearance, Priam had undergone a profound change. His thoughts were sharper, his senses more alert, and his movements more fluid. Yet the sensation was different from an increase in attributes. It was as if he was taking greater advantage of his body and its possibilities. For example, his hearing seemed sharper. Between two people with normal ears, the one who practiced and spent his life making music had better control of his hearing. Priam now felt able to exploit his attributes to the full. Before he could check his notifications to ensure he hadn''t forgotten anything, he felt a movement behind him. His mist informed him that the lizard was waking up too. Priam turned and smiled with all his teeth - which were now as white as snow. Nothing like a good fight to test my new limits. He twirled Promesse between his fingers and took up a fighting stance. His mist wrapped around him, densifying to hide his nakedness. "Last Round!" The wyvern howled, and Priam leaped. His body disappeared, swallowed by the mist. His sudden acceleration had split the stone slab beneath his feet. The wyvern turned its head to the right, looking for Priam. Nothing. It turned its head to the left, missing Priam''s reappearance on its right. He could now delay his reappearance for a few moments. Promesse penetrated the wyvern''s eye and continued on its way. Just as it was about to penetrate the boss''s brain, the wyvern turned into a light beam. Reappearing on the roof of a hotel fifty meters away, the wyvern opened its mouth and blew out a laser beam. The light was too fast for Priam to dodge. His Domain automatically and instantly materialized a meter of opaque mist in his sphere of authority. The water vapor deflected most of the attack. Priam teleported behind a building, grimacing as he saw the deep belly wound. He had already used his regeneration skills and grumbled. Had he known... The laser turned the ground into magma, creating a terrible din. The boss''s attack then set fire to the surrounding buildings, and Priam gritted his teeth. Determined not to face another hyper beam, Priam had an idea. Looking up at the sky, he launched Promesse. The weapon quickly rose to over two hundred meters, and Priam closed his eyes. His fog gave him a vision of the surroundings as if he were playing a strategy game. Except that the fog of war was now on his side. Priam materialized a kind of mist golem some fifty meters away. The harmless creation attracted the wyvern''s attention and received a light spear for its trouble. Masking his presence with his mist, Priam transmitted half his remaining kinetic energy to Promesse. Direction: big lizard! The weapon exceeded the speed of sound in an instant. It penetrated the wyvern at over eight kilometers per second, shattering its head and shaking half the dome. The shockwave destroyed buildings within a forty-meter radius. Without waiting for the wyvern to retaliate, Priam teleported to its chest. Clenching his fist, he delivered a powerful blow to the monster''s scales. The attack made him wince. The monster''s scales seemed to be in perfect health. Priam sighed, looking down at his hand. [Strike] had evolved into [Spear Strike], and he felt that hand-to-hand combat was now unnatural. I''ll have to unlock [Fist Strike]. There must be such a thing. The wyvern''s neck began to attract the sunlight. In a second, the wyvern had regained a quarter of its head. Priam plunged into [Mirror of the Soul] and mentally ordered the steel concept to reinforce him. Instantly, his body seemed to weigh more. Simultaneously, [Moon Mist] began to create vast quantities of mist. If the wyvern liked the sun, he was going to give it shade. Clenching his fists, strengthened by the steel concept, he began to pummel the lizard''s torso. Promesse could have done the job quicker, but he wanted to test his limits. He felt invincible! The deluge of blows was cathartic for Priam. A human eye couldn''t follow his movements; they were too fast. Micro allowed him to feel his muscles. Gradually, Priam corrected his position. His powerful intellect optimized his movements. Three seconds later, the wyvern reared back with a terrible roar. Delivering a final strike that finally shattered a scale, Priam materialized mist at his fingertips. He quickly condensed it and connected to his Potential. [Kinetic Control]. A moment later, the water had frozen, preventing the boss from healing himself. Satisfied, Priam smiled before taking a swipe from the tail. Staying too long around an enraged wyvern was a bad idea. The blow threw him into the air, half knocking him unconscious. Finally, the hard landing put him back on his feet. His body ricocheted off the ground like a pebble on a lake. A hundred meters from the wyvern, he finally came to a halt. His instincts kicked in, and despite the pain, Priam melted into the mist. An instant later, the ground under him was vaporized, swallowed by a beam of light. Near there, in an abandoned kitchen, Priam winced as he checked his wounds. He had half a dozen broken ribs and a punctured lung. The internal bleeding was severe, but fortunately, the steel concept was useful. Maybe it saved my life. "It has invested in Strength," grimaced Priam. Mentally, he contacted Promesse, still embedded beneath the boss. Sacrificing a tenth of his reserve, he summoned it again. Eighty meters away, the ground beneath the false dragon''s head shook. Like an erupting volcano, it lifted and Promesse closed the wyvern''s beak. The laser ray died along with the gleam in the monster''s eyes. Priam teleported twenty meters from the boss, ready to resume his deadly dance. The wyvern was lying amidst ruins. Haze merged with the smoke from the fire. Suddenly, his perception picked up intruders. Civilians here?! No, they''re getting closer. Turning, he watched a group approaching. The eight men and women seemed unafraid of death. Armed with swords and firearms, seven people stood before him. A hundred meters away, a sniper had him in his sights. As the wyvern regenerated behind his back, Priam welcomed the fools. Hopefully, they would not be killjoys. "Hey, are you maybe lost?" asked Priam. At the center of the group, a man stepped forward. Rifle in hand, he pointed at the wyvern. "We want our share," he coughed through the smoke. Priam''s ribs throbbed, but the pain didn''t stop him from laughing. Status: Race change detected. Please read the notification regarding attribute calibration. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 25 min 38s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 182 days 23 hours 58 minutes 51 seconds. Chapter 93: Kids, dont just eat anything! The man''s face darkened as he heard Priam''s laughter. His subordinates were nervously handling their weapons. The wyvern began to scratch its face, trying to free Promesse. Priam quickly calmed down. "Sorry, it''s just... Maybe you didn¡¯t notice, but it¡¯s an angry wyvern. You want a cut? I''m not stopping you from trying," Priam declared, pointing at the boss. At that moment, the wyvern shook its head and hiccupped. Priam turned, astonished. Another hiccup, and Priam called back Promesse. The weapon disengaged from its maw before melting into the mist. The spear was lying in wait, ready to emerge at Priam''s first command. A third hiccup lifted the wyvern, and it vomited a torrent of black liquid onto an abandoned building. Instinctively, Priam stepped back. The substance resembled some kind of petroleum. Without knowing what it was, the Earl was willing to bet that its origin was the shadow concept. The wyvern snorted, and Priam turned to the group of arrivals. "You''d better run if you don''t want to die," he advised. The man shook his head and pulled out a kind of pokeball. He threw it at the wyvern. On contact with the monster, the ball expanded, creating a giant sphere of metal that engulfed it. The nightmare beast was trapped. Masterless, the dark liquid dissipated, revealing a half-dissolved building. Acid... The chef now wore a smug smile. "We can manage," he said. "My name is Tommas, pleased to meet you, Lord Priam." Priam didn¡¯t reply, too busy analyzing the newcomer''s equipment. "... Where did you get that Imprisonment Sphere?" "Oh, do you recognize this object?" smiled Tommas. He was observing Priam carefully. Priam felt uncomfortable under the man''s steady gaze. After all, he was naked under his cloak of mist. Moreover, the man''s falsely innocent air annoyed him. "That''s right. In fact, I had one in my purse. You didn''t happen to find it, did you? A leather purse that must have fallen from the sky in front of the Colosseum?" said Priam, pointing in the direction from which the newcomers had arrived. "Hmm... doesn''t ring a bell, sorry." Tommas must have had a skill that helped him lie, as his face betrayed nothing. Unfortunately for him, his subordinates were less trained. Priam''s keen hearing detected their accelerating heartbeat. They''re scared. Guilty. With a useless movement of his right hand, Promesse reappeared at the liar''s side and sliced through his combat vest. It looked like a military tactical vest, but the protection didn''t stop the spear for a moment. Surprised, Tommas raised his arm and leaped to the side. The torn pockets took advantage of the movement to release half a dozen objects. As the newcomers drew their weapons or hesitated to fire, Priam teleported away and nimbly retrieved the various treasures before they hit the ground. Peter Parker would be proud of me... "What are you doing?!" cried Tommas outrageously. Priam looked at him, jaded. "It''s mine, and we both know it. Don''t try to steal from me again," Priam threatened. "Steal from you?! I found this purse on the floor and picked it up. It''s mine!" Priam didn''t bother to reply and turned back to the metal sphere. The prison was beginning to glow red. It was easy to imagine that the wyvern was unleashing hell inside. "Hey, I''m talking to you! I represent the Militia, and you''d better answer if you don''t want to get in trouble with the law." Priam sneered. Who was enforcing the law now? What justice still existed in a world where Anne had murdered dozens of people without being bothered? In a world where Anatole could conduct chimerization experiments on humans without any faction budging? In a world where a human could unleash a Tribulation in the heart of a city without the victims being able to do anything about it... "Justice and law... I hope for their return, but right now, it''s just survival of the fittest," Priam murmured. ¡°Do you mean it?¡± "Yes." "Survival of the fittest¡­ You may be right. However, it''s up to the strongest to set an example. That''s the only way justice will return," said Tommas. Priam detected movement behind him and turned, catching an object on the fly. Opening his hand, he recognized one of the two scarce treasures he had stolen from the Revenants. Raising his head, he looked at Tommas, intrigued. "Humanity¡¯s Champion unleashed a Tribulation in the middle of a city. You must admit that your desire to help your fellow man was questionable. If you still consider yourself human?" Priam swallowed. He''d scorned the men and women before him, but the feeling was mutual. The man seemed to have completely changed. From an arrogant jerk, he revealed his true nature: a man concerned about innocent people, ready to risk his life to confront the cause of their misfortune. To make matters worse, they all had dark circles under their eyes and looked tired. They''d undoubtedly spent the last twenty hours rescuing the inhabitants he himself had put in danger. As if that wasn''t enough, the man had enough integrity to give him back all his treasure. Damn, I''m the bad guy in this story... "I still consider myself human," Priam finally replied. The System may have given him a new name, but he still retained human values. "And I didn''t know about the Tribulations." "As I thought, but that''s not what some factions are peddling..." Priam froze. "... What are they saying?" "I''d rather not influence you. Let''s just say that now that the storm has passed, some people are trying to profit from the victims'' distress. You have enemies," Tommas explained. "And do I have any friends?" asked Priam, staring into his interlocutor''s eyes. "If you wish to right your wrongs, you can count on me." The man was smiling, the frank smile that only those with nothing to reproach themselves for can summon. The metal dome vibrated. Priam took up a fighting stance, his weapon aimed at the prison. The least he could do was protect these men and women. "You''d better run, the wyvern will be free soon, and I can''t exactly protect you from the light beams," Priam warned. Tommas nodded, and with a gesture, his subordinates began to flee. He hesitated a moment before asking. "What do you plan to do about the dead?" "... I don''t know. It''s not like I can resurrect them, right?" Well, is that true? I''d spend a hell of a long time, but perhaps I could do it? With his eyes on the trap, Priam asked himself the question. He thought about it for a second before admitting the truth. I could, but I won''t. I regret those deaths, but I don''t intend to spend the rest of my life serving them... I want to live my life. Facing the truth felt good. He didn''t intend to ignore his mistakes but wouldn''t spend his life atoning for his sins. "No, indeed,¡± replied Tommas. ¡°However, you could compensate the families who have lost property or a loved one." Priam nodded. You had to pay for your mistakes, sometimes literally. "I agree. We''ll talk about it later if you don''t mind." Tommas smiled before walking away. The wyvern''s prison exploded, and Priam felt the Militia leader start to run. He''s more comfortable lecturing me than facing a super monster. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I''m the opposite," laughed Priam. The wyvern turned to him. Its night-black eyes made Priam wince. The resurrected body was that of the wyvern, but the spirit was that of the shadow. The boss opened its mouth, and Priam saw a dark light at the back of its throat. With a thought, Promesse reappeared in his hand. Raising his spear, he teleported to the base of the monster''s tail. A moment later, a black beam struck one of Tommas'' men as he fled. The poor soul crumpled into a heap on the ground, his howl echoing through the dome. Priam winced and aimed at the wyvern''s tail. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The aether passed fluidly through his meridians before reaching Promesse. Filaments of energy crossed, forming a sheath around the weapon. The next instant, the spear''s tip met the wyvern''s scales and pierced them with ease. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 6 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 The wyvern roared as blood flowed profusely. Its tail was on the ground, severed by the power of the attack. Priam spun Promesse around, got back into position, and parried a clawing blow with [Kinetic Control]. His left hand grabbed the paw, and he used his iron grip - reinforced by the steel concept - to absorb the monster''s kinetic energy. Immobilized, the beast had no time to dodge a second [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse sank deep into the brain organ. For the third time in less than two minutes, the boss found itself without a brain. Priam turned to the boss'' chest, determined to finish the job. Suddenly, the wyvern''s jaws opened. The monster''s head, still impaled, pounced like a snake on its prey. The shadow didn''t need the beast''s brain to manipulate its body. Priam had no time to dodge and found himself gobbled up by the monster. Inside the giant gullet, he had only a moment to prepare himself. The wyvern had decided to use a pseudo draconic breath with its mouth closed. Its power of regeneration allowed this madness. Priam was not so lucky. He tried to teleport away, to no avail. The wyvern''s body was blocking his connection to the outside world. Aware that he had little time, Priam put himself in the fetal position, protecting his treasures, and covered himself in a cloak of mist. Using his Potential, he slowed down the water molecules to create an ice armor. At the same time, he connected to the steel concept fragment, drawing all the power he could from it. With his eyelids closed, his body strengthened, and surrounded by an encasement of ice that continued to cool, Priam concentrated. POT -10 He had faith in himself, he''d be all right. His Potential flowed out, cooling the water molecules. His ice became so cold that it damaged his body. POT -10 His eyes caught the light. The next moment, the ice temperature began to rise. POT -20 [Moon Mist] operated at full speed, creating immense volumes of mist. The temperature inside the wyvern''s gullet was soaring. The monster must have been seriously injured. However, relying on its powerful regeneration abilities, it continued to attack. I''ll need an anti-regeneration skill. POT -30 Priam¡¯s eyes began to burn. His ice remained frightfully cold thanks to his intense efforts, but heat wasn''t only transmitted by conduction and convection. Photons also transferred heat by radiation. Despite all his efforts, half his body was heating up. Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 9 CONST +1 Seconds ticked by as Priam felt his cells dying. His light-exposed skin burned. The other half of his body was freezing. Despite his precarious position, his high Vitality and stamina kept his body fighting. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 9 VIT +2 CONST +1 POT -30 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 33 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Priam smiled as he felt his mastery of kinetic energy increase. The day when he could manipulate temperature without Potential was near. Suddenly, Priam had an idea. Using Micro, he detected his own dying cells. With precision, he began to manipulate his molecules. Where light struck, he slowed thermal agitation. Where ice bit, he increased it. Soon, his situation improved. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 34,35 VIVA +4 DEXT +6 META (FOCUS) +8 There was nothing like a new, intelligent use of a skill to level it up. The wyvern''s attack seemed endless, but Priam remained hopeful. According to his fog and Domain, the cavity he was in was increasing in volume. The wyvern was destroying its own throat. Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 10 CONST +1 Suddenly, the light disappeared. A moment later, Priam''s body was moved. Then silence set in. His connection with the mist was still severed. That left only one possibility. It swallowed me. I must be in the stomach... Priam knew the tale of Pinocchio and saw an opportunity here. The wyvern now had few tools with which to attack him. He canceled his ice cloak and immediately regretted it. A foul smell assailed his keen nose. Pressed on all sides by the stomach walls, he tried to get his bearings. His hearing quickly detected a powerful beat to his right. The wyvern''s heart was close. Suddenly, he looked down at his feet. The absence of light rendered the action useless, but Priam sensed something was wrong. His feet were burning. You have gained the skill: [Acid Resistance - Common]. [Acid Resistance] - Acids are dangerous, especially from a wyvern''s stomach. There are several acid types, but you should know that this one has a really high acid dissociation constant. Useful for digesting humans. In the future, remember to avoid acid baths. It''s a pretty basic rule. CONST +1 Priam winced and canceled out the pain. Without Micro, the acid burn would have driven him mad. A few more minutes in the stomach, and he''d die. Definitely. Pointing his spear at the beast''s heart, Priam concentrated on his Domain. Feeling the wyvern''s structure, summoned Promesse, then attacked. The spear bounced off the stomach wall. Annoyed, Priam decided to do something drastic. Even if I destroy the heart, it''ll regenerate it anyway. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] pierced the lining of the digestive system, creating a hole seventy centimeters deep. Priam had been careful not to use his skill at full power. The monster howled, and a movement of the stomach informed him that it was trying to vomit him up. Priam chuckled, freezing his surroundings. You shouldn''t have swallowed me! POT -50 Spamming six more times [Tribulation Piercing Spear], Priam came within centimeters of the beast''s heart. He stored Promesse in his mist and crawled into the tunnel of flesh he had just created. The tunnel was already closing, and Priam hurried on. He had no desire to die of asphyxiation, trapped inside the reptile''s flesh. Five seconds later, he placed his hand on the wall protecting the monster''s heart. A sort of bone cage protected the organ, and Priam froze it. A few elbow blows - reinforced by the steel fragment - shattered the protection. The heart was within reach. A shadow threw itself at Priam. He casually overpowered it with the help of his Domain. Without giving it another glance, he stretched his body to place a hand on the heart. [Double Heart - Silver] detects an affinity. Owner under Domain domination. Authorized extraction. Choose an affinity. [Sun] [Shadow] [Pride] [Phoenix] [Draconic] Status: Race change detected. Please read the notification regarding attribute calibration. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 21 min 26s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 182 days 23 hours 54 minutes 39 seconds. Chapter 94: Once Again, the First - End of the Tribulations As soon as Priam selected [Draconic], [Double Heart] began its work. His rib cage opened. The experience was highly unpleasant, and Priam activated Micro to suppress the horrible pain. Without the Supremacy, he would have fainted. His main heart shifted slightly to the left, to make room for the future organ. The [Double Heart] framework vibrated before doubling in size. More precisely, a mirror image of the cage emerged from Priam''s thorax. The illusion quickly gained consistency and increased in volume as it moved towards its target. It took it just two seconds to envelop the wyvern''s heart. Once in position, the image became solid. The appearance of a solid aether cage around the organ severed the veins and arteries connected to it. From these veins, blood streams began to flow, invading the cavity. Priam paid no attention, too busy watching [Double Heart] glow. Target: Heart of Heaven Wyvern - Shadow Touched. Starting purification protocol. ... An intense light emanated from the cage, and Priam''s eyes filled with tears. A heavenly light smote the heart. A moment later, the light dispersed. The golden heart had turned crimson. Affinities purged. Organ: Young wyvern heart. Beginning adaptation process... The cage diminished in volume, compressing the organ. Despite this, the heart seemed to retain its proportions. Priam had the impression of seeing a zoom-out. Space and dimensions were unaffected, but the muscle was becoming more compact. More dense. The System''s magic was at work. Seconds later, the heart was just slightly larger than a man''s. Beginning assimilation process... The framework containing the wyvern organ disappeared. The next moment, Priam felt an immense weight inside him. The heart was now inside him. It had shrunk, but retained its mass - around three hundred kilograms. The ultra-dense muscle now disturbed his balance and Priam leaned against the tunnel to stabilize. Without his powerful attributes, the heart would have killed him by crushing his other organs. Fortunately, Priam''s constitution was exceptional. Grimacing, he accepted the new weight and concentrated on what would come. The operation wasn''t over yet. Within him, two frameworks were now superimposed in space. At least, that''s how his Domain saw it. One contained the wyvern¡¯s heart, and the other the flakes of Tribulations. Merging two affinities... The two cages began to transition onto the same plane of reality. The flakes merged with the new heart, which then changed color. From crimson, it became silver. Every second, the System modified Priam¡¯s body, connecting veins and arteries to this new organ. Priam felt profound changes taking place within him. His mist was even more familiar. The steel concept fragment naturally obeyed his commands. His connection with the concepts seemed firmer and more natural. New affinity unlocked: [Tribulation Dragon]. Both affinities seemed equally powerful, but [Tribulation] decided to support [Draconic]. Priam saw in it a clue about the Tribulation''s nature. New organ: [Heart of Tribulation Wyvern - Seraph] Congratulations! Warning: due to the difference in rarity between your race and this organ, there is a possibility of an incompatibility. Calculating compatibility with your body¡­ Bonus: Racial Talent +20% [Chimera] +10% Micro +5% ... Compatibility assessed at 52%. Compatibility over 50%, little chance of rejection. 100% compatibility is required to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by [Heart of Tribulation Wyvern - Seraph]. Title changed! [Double Heart - Silver] becomes [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)]. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart] - Your second heart has the power of a wyvern, a distant descendant of the Dragons. That alone would be impressive, but it also possesses a [Tribulation Dragon] affinity. While not unique, this affinity is exceedingly rare and creates a mighty heart. Only your body''s extreme adaptability allows you to accommodate this organ without perishing. The power of the Dragons now flows through your veins. Their bloodline awakens in you. Their power strengthens you. Be careful to remain the master of this power. The Dragons'' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation. The Dragons'' second gift... Delayed until compatibility exceeds 90%. VIT +20% (30%) Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100% New bloodline Talent! [Draconic Instinct - Bloodline Talent] - Your instinct can detect your enemies'' mistakes. Your talent for manipulating aether increases. New Title obtained! [Dr... Insufficient bloodline purity. The framework created by the System dispersed, joining the ambient aether. A second passed, and then the heart began to beat. Priam''s whole body trembled. His blood now possessed a powerful affinity that nourished his body. The numbers given by the System did not do justice to the feeling of power that invaded him. For the second time that day, Priam felt invincible. His smile quickly disappeared. He had a lot to do, and the Reunion''s end was approaching. Seizing Promesse, he used [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The wyvern''s chest exploded, allowing daylight to bathe him in light. Priam turned to the shadow he had trapped in his Domain. With a thought, he compressed the filament of darkness. A moment later, it disappeared, crushed by the warrior''s will. Priam''s draconic instincts whispered to him that the battle was over. He had triumphed. Covered in blood, acid and fluid, Priam climbed out of the wyvern''s corpse and looked around. All around him, buildings laid in ruins. The battle had ravaged this part of the city. The dust was slowly settling, and silence replaced fighting noises. Taking a few steps, Priam turned to his right. About three hundred meters away, one of Tommas'' men was huddled on the ground. Priam approached, trying to walk straight, which was complicated with a three-hundred-kilogram heart in his chest. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 9 AGI +1 DEXT +2 Pale-skinned, the man''s tendons were taut enough to deform his skin. His hands had been torn off, and his eye sockets seemed to stare at the sky. For a moment, Priam wondered what this man would have become without the System. "And me... what would I have become?" Only the wind answered. His new instinct remained silent. Priam already knew the answer. He would have been an ordinary man. Maybe exceptional in some ways, but his flame wouldn''t have set the world ablaze. The System had left him no choice, but if it had, Priam would have answered like Achilles. He had no regrets about the old world. Behind him, the wyvern''s body was creating a pool of blood. Priam headed for the Colosseum. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Bechar''s office had red and ochre tones. The decor was a clever blend of imperial Japanese woodwork and futuristic metal objects. In the center of the room, a globe slowly turned on itself. A green satellite, covered in a film of micro-water droplets, orbited the planet. Priam was trying to remember all the changes that had taken place on Earth. The first was immediately evident. "Did the Earth get bigger?" "A little," replied Bechar, handing him a glass. Priam thanked him. "To your victory!" "To my victory!" They toasted and emptied the glass in one gulp. Once empty, Priam looked at his glass in astonishment. "Mango and mint soda?" "I don''t think so," laughed Bechar. "It''s a drink from my planet. You look surprised. Did you think I was going to serve you alcohol?" "Well... We humans usually toast with alcohol. But I like this stuff," Priam replied. He meant it. "I like your booze, but I have to concentrate to get drunk. My constitution is too high." Bechar bulged his chest as he raised his glass. "This stuff here is Gombubitchapila, and it costs as much as the blood of the wyvern you just killed." Priam looked out of the window. His eyes were powerful enough to check the beast¡¯s corpse in the distance. To think I used to wear glasses... "I suppose its body is expensive?" Bechar grimaced. "Yes and no. Like everywhere else, it''s the law of supply and demand. Nobody can afford to offer you much here. I could buy it for you, but until you have access to a civilized world, you won''t be able to spend the money." Priam shook his head. "I''ll give it to the victims'' families." Bechar remained silent, opened his mouth and then closed it again. Finally, he nodded. It was for Priam to decide. "You wanted to see me?" asked Priam. "Indeed. You haven''t opened your notifications yet, have you?" Priam nodded. "I thought so. A quadruple Tribulation... The rewards must be exceptional. I hope you''ve chosen to postpone the next ones?" "Yes. I''m heading back to Elysium in less than three days, and I don''t think unleashing four or five more Tribulations is a great idea..." "Indeed. Now that you''ve survived, I can tell you a bit more. You''ll have to prepare yourself. Your attributes increase linearly, but the power of Tribulations follows a square function." Priam frowned. "You mean that if my first tribulation has a power of... say one, then the second has a power of four and the third nine?" Bechar smiled with all his many teeth. "Exactly! I like talking to people who know some mathematics." That explained why the shadow had such an influential power but had used it so little. It must have had many limitations. On the other hand, despite all its advantages, the wyvern had nearly killed him for good. By contrast, the first two Tribulations were relatively straightforward. With his attributes, he could have crushed them. Priam thought about the future. If it were true... "Retrying a quadruple Tribulation is madness," he realized. Bechar shrugged. "It was already madness the first time. But indeed, it''s better to try as many Tribulation as possible at the start of a Tier. The difficulty resets during a Tier up. It is why there is no Tier 0 capable of killing gods. The soft cap gets terrifying pretty quickly." Priam squinted. "But by improving my Supremacies and familiarizing myself with my Concepts, another Quadruple Tribulation is possible, right?" Bechar looked around nervously. "I can''t say too much... In theory, it''s possible, but be careful. You''re already going to cause quite a stir. There''s no need to add to it." "A stir?" "A successful Tribulation earns you a Bronze Achievement. For a double, it¡¯s a Silver one. You''ve managed a quadruple, and if I know how to count, that qualifies you for a Legendary Achievement." Priam nodded as he moved towards the pitcher containing the Gombubitchapila. He refilled the glasses as he listened to Bechar. "A Legendary Achievement is rare, let alone for a Tier 0. It may be announced to the whole sector." "The sector?" "I forgot you were a country bumpkin," sighed the changeling. "The Concepts Universe is divided into sectors. The System creates a sector, which may contain one or more galaxies, and fills it with new civilizations. After several tens of millions of years, the sector is considered mature and stops receiving newcomers. Without this, human civilization would be up against civilizations billions of years old and entire galaxies. The war wouldn''t last an hour." "What war?" "Sorry, it was a slip of the tongue. Forget it," Bechar apologized with a wink. There''s going to be a war, Priam realized. That''s what awaits humanity later on. "It''s already forgotten," Priam smiled. "So you think my Achievement is going to be announced to a lot of people?" "Billions upon billions upon billions, yes. It''ll be great publicity for your race," Bechar chuckled. The sheer numbers made Priam dizzy. But after all, if billions of civilizations had an infinite territory and millions of years to prosper, the population of one sector had to be immense. Bechar rubbed his hands together with a sneer. "When I think of how many bureaucrats are going to spend the next few weeks trying to decide how to kiss your ass, it makes me laugh!" The System cut the changeling off mid-laugh. Announcement to Sector Hope: Arnold NetSky withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Final rank: Sector - year: 2 The Var Elegis will be rewarded for this feat. Priam opened his eyes wide and then burst out laughing. The Var Elegis was a monster. Bechar opened his mouth before being interrupted again. Announcement to Sector Hope: Tyr L?gs?gumad withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Final rank: Sector - year: 4 The Aesir will be rewarded for this feat. Priam''s laughter continued to grow in intensity. As he read the unfamiliar name, his instincts told him it was one of his Elysian rivals. Bechar looked at him, confused. "Two quadruple Tribulations... Three with you. That''s impossible," said the changeling. Priam stopped laughing. "If there are that many people in the area, it doesn''t seem so unlikely to me, does it?" "You don''t understand. I''ve never seen these names before. I memorized all the most powerful factions long ago. These are unknowns. Besides, this kind of victory is normally kept secret. I encourage you to do it because you come from a new faction, and the System will ¡®protect¡¯ humanity for some time. But no faction would announce the names of its geniuses for fear they''ll be assassinated..." Priam shrugged. "They''re new too. Tyr and Arnold are with me in Elysium." "In Elysium?" Bechar frowned before widening his eyes. "Wait, you mean Elysium, the spearhead world?!" "I mean Elysium, the world with the highest density of aether. Don¡¯t know about this spearhead thing," replied Priam. Bechar remained silent for a few moments before emptying his glass again. "That explains a few things... A quadruple Tribulation, without the backing of a faction willing to sacrifice a fortune, is abnormal. Unofficially, I think there must be three or four a year in our sector. I only know one guy who''s pulled off a triple, and I know a lot of people. Even so, their rank is really high." "How so?" "To move up in rank, you have to not only survive a Tribulation, but also brilliantly defeat it," Bechar explained. "Ranks one and three must be geniuses from certain imperial clans or divine children. On top of that, they''re certainly on their seventh or even eighth Tribulation at Tier 0. If I have to guess, you must be ranked... Fiftieth?" Priam''s lips stretched. He might have been lucky in the Tutorial, but he''d earned his victory today. He opened his notification. Achievement - Legendary: You have withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Your exceptional performance during this Tribulation has earned you first place in the annual ranking. This year, among the countless Tier 0s enduring a Tribulation in Sector Hope, you are the one who has most impressed the System. Message for Sector Hope: Priam Azura withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Final rank: Sector - year: 1 Humanity will be rewarded for this feat. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 5000. Fusion Token - Epic skill. Evolution Token - Legendary skill. Opportunity (Elysium). Tyr L?gs?gumad was a very busy Aesir. Despite this, he would never have refused to participate in a party. His people were few in number but biologically immortal. They all knew each other, and most of them liked each other. It was important because the slightest animosity could spread over millennia, taking on enormous proportions and poisoning the life of the entire community. Tyr smiled as he watched the banquet given in his honor. His compatriots were feasting and drinking, happy and proud to be one of the greatest races in this new sector. It was this kind of moment that brought them all together. It was that kind of moment that made his job easier. Or rather, his jobs. At once lawman, judge, policeman and mediator, he was responsible for strengthening the bonds between the Aesir. He judged who was right and who was wrong, and the other Aesir praised his strength and wisdom. However, the strongest Aesir was also the youngest. He was born less than three thousand years ago. Aesir women gave birth by fighting or hunting. When an Aesir woman wished to become pregnant, she would organize a wild hunt with her husband. The more exceptional the fight, the greater her chances of procreation. Her spirit and that of her husband would unite with the blood of the dead beast, creating a baby. The proud Aesir spent much of their time fighting. It was the basis of their way of life, their means of feeding themselves and perpetuating their race. When Arnold NetSky announced his victory, his comrades asked him to show his own. Tyr was a proud warrior and agreed. Tyr drained his mead as he thought of this Arnold. The Var Elegis was in Elysium, and Tyr knew he would soon have the opportunity to prove his worth. Announcement to Sector Hope: Priam Azura withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Final rank: Sector - year: 1 Humanity will be rewarded for this feat. Tyr reread the message three times. He knew that Priam was also one of his rivals. Chasing away the notification, he looked around him. The party had gone silent. His twenty or so friends, the entirety of his race, stared at him strangely. Tyr stood up and looked at his wife, Freyja. "Sunshine, let''s go practice." Status: Race change detected. Please read the notification regarding attribute calibration. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 22 hours 51 min 13s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 182 days 23 hours 24 minutes 26 seconds. Chapter 95: Statistically, they will die. Concretely... Bechar crossed his arms, obviously annoyed by Priam''s arrogant smile. "Not bad, but the year''s not over. Seeing an outsider take first place will set the competition alight." "Hum," Priam harrumphed. "They''ve seen nothing yet. I have more Tribulations coming up, a good opportunity to finish first of the decade, right?" "You should aim for the century," Bechar quipped. "The millennium. Give me six months," Priam declared. He meant it. The answer left Bechar speechless before he burst out laughing. "Okay, I''ll take that bet. In any case, bravo to you. It''s an impressive result," conceded the changeling. Priam puffed up his chest, and Bechar shook his head. "Don''t let it go to your head. Right now, you''re soaring, but you mustn''t run out of steam. Opportunities and resources will get scarcer and the competition tougher," Bechar warned him. "Don''t worry, I have enough stimulation in Elysium. For example, despite my superior rank, I¡¯m sure Arnold is still stronger than me." Priam recalled his encounter with the Var Elegis. [Eidetic Memory] was a bit hazy because his perspective at the time was so poor, but Priam remembered the attack that had killed him. Arnold had moved terribly fast. His attributes must already be around two hundred and fifty... The Var Elegis must have improved since then. Despite this, Priam was confident. The gap between them had narrowed thanks to his efforts. I''ll be back, Arnold... When silence answered, Priam looked up. Bechar was looking at him seriously and... embarrassed. "What''s going on?" he asked. Bechar sighed before speaking up. "Can you tell me how you earned this rank? The Achievement reward depends partly on one¡¯s rank, and¡­ I''m interested," he explained. Priam hesitated when he heard the question. He suspected that this kind of request was taboo. Of course, as a System employee, Bechar couldn''t hurt him or force him to tell the truth. However, [Tribulation Hunter] and [He Who Eludes Death] had to remain secret for as long as possible. Priam attempted a half-truth. "I got quite a few bonuses because the System has just integrated humanity..." Bechar shook his head. "The System grades you according to the difficulty of your Tribulations and your various bonuses and maluses, yeah. But above all, it looks at how well you complete your Tribulations. According to you, Arnold is stronger than you and has probably finished his Tribulations faster. Yet you''re ahead of him, even though you''re both part of a civilization." Priam reacted to the last sentence. "What do you mean by that?" Bechar hesitated, then turned to the center of the room. He pointed to the miniature Moon orbiting the Earth. It suddenly grew larger, and Priam hurriedly stepped back. "It''s an illusion," Bechar reassured him. The scoundrel turned to hide his laughter. Fascinated, Priam observed the Moon that housed the Reunion. Massive, it housed a myriad of cities, arranged in circles of eight domes. At the center of each circle was a mark resembling a stylized animal head. "Are these Earl¡¯s locations?" he asked. "There are three for each group of eight domes," confirmed Bechar. "These are the most powerful Nobles?" If he could improve [Moon Earl] by the end of the Reunion... Bechar laughed. "There are Marquess, but you''re too weak." "... Where?" "On Earth." Priam remembered the drake he''d seen flying when he''d reached the Moon''s upper atmosphere during his battle with the eagle. His new instinct trembled with impatience. If I kill this monster, I''ll improve my draconic bloodline... The monster would undoubtedly make mincemeat of Priam, but his curiosity demanded an answer. "Where''s the portal to get there?" Bechar burst out laughing. Seconds later, as Priam began to take offense, he apologized. "Sorry, but it''s just that... The System isn''t that nice. You want to go to Earth? Then fly. There''s no air in space, so you won''t slow down. It might even give you a Title." Priam opened his mouth before closing it again. The idea seemed ridiculous but... Reunion wasn''t a prison or a sandbox. He could go anywhere. Maybe with [Kinetic Control]... Priam grimaced. The distance between the Earth and the Moon was about 384,000 kilometers. Light took just over a second to travel that distance. Reunion had less than three days left, so he would have to fly at more than 1.5 kilometers per second to reach it before the end. Hard, but not impossible. Bechar, seeing Priam in deep thought, interrupted him. "You might be able to do it, but... can you survive without oxygen?" Priam grimaced. It was indeed an important detail. Space travel wasn''t just around the corner. "Killjoy. No Earth, for now then. But that doesn''t answer my question. Why would being part of a civilization affect my rank?" Bechar ran a hand through his hair... before realizing his human form was bald. He grunted, and a moment later, a mass of hair sprouted on his head. The changeling had no problem with baldness. "I just know that the System treats beasts and beings belonging to a civilization differently. Don''t ask me the specifics." The changeling turned to the Moon hologram. "Look," said Bechar, pointing to one of the marks. It represented a roaring lion. When the changeform''s finger touched it, an image appeared, and Priam recognized Safamu finishing his Tribulation. Seconds later, he would die by Priam''s hand. "He was an Earl with attributes far superior to yours. Yet he only triggered one Tribulation. The reason is that beasts have more permissive thresholds. That''s one of the differences. If you must know, the threshold also changes according to race. Without it, some mythical creatures would face several Tribulations in their mother''s womb. Or in their egg." "That''s unfair," remarked Priam. Safamu looked majestic in the picture. A few seconds later, he would be dead. I had to take every chance I could... Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Bechar shrugged. "Wild beasts have no ancestors to guide them. They rarely have the opportunity to buy resources or skill blueprints. Above all, there are few of them to awaken superior intelligence and therefore make the most of the System." "Yes, but they gain attributes just by getting older," Priam remarked. Safamu had been immensely physically powerful, and Priam found it hard to imagine the Earl doing pull-ups and push-ups. "Their bloodline helps them, yes, but it''s the same for you, right? You''ve absorbed Dragon blood, Phoenix blood and... there''s something else. Naturally, they''ll strengthen your body in the long run." Priam thought again about his new race. As soon as the conversation''s over, I''ll look at it. The image continued to move, and soon Priam saw Safamu confronting a man and a woman. The lion fought them off, only to be killed moments later by Priam. Promesse pierced the boss, leaving behind a trail of carnage. "He had managed to withstand his Tribulation, and yet..." Bechar nodded, "Tribulations are a System tool to concentrate resources on the most powerful warriors and craftsmen. However, wars and assassinations cause the most deaths in this Universe. By far." The video looped at the beginning of the Lion''s Tribulation, and Priam frowned. "Now that I think about it, he survived his Tribulation. So did I, and so did two other Elysians. That''s a lot," Priam remarked. Bechar snorted. "It''s called a survivor bias. You''re a monster, so you made it. We''ll see what you say in ten years when millions of humans will have died. In Tier 0, the first Tribulation has a mortality rate of 99%. The next ones are around 90%. You can do the math." "So many deaths..." lamented Priam. "It makes you wonder how it''s possible to reach Tier 5." Bechar shrugged. "There are billions of humans. With your reproductive capacity, if you develop well, you''ll produce a Tier 5 every century or so. Think of the number of civilizations in the sector. Think of the number of sectors. That''s not counting your Racial Talent, which is really powerful..." Priam took a moment to do the math before nodding. Bechar was right. But if he was... "There should be many Tier 9s in the Universe by now." "Bah. Most Tier 5s don''t age anymore and have got what they wanted. Why should they fight to become Tier 6s?" questioned Bechar. "So they don''t lose everything if a Tier 6 wants their resources, knowledge, or empire?" retorted Priam. "Because eternal life without surprise, danger, or novelty is boring? Out of curiosity? Out of ambition?" Priam didn¡¯t want to die, but his desire for power was not solely dictated by fear of death. Bechar took a long look at Priam before replying. "These are good reasons for you, Priam. Maybe for humans in general. But not all races think like you. Take an earthworm and turn them into a god. Will they want to explore the cosmos in search of loose, element-rich soil? They might. But when they find it, they''ll remain an almost immortal earthworm, happy to enjoy simple pleasures." Behind Bechar and the image of the Moon, the Earth was still spinning. Priam thought about the changeling''s words, and this one made sense. Humans were curious by nature. Not all races thought alike. "Still, there should be plenty of Tier 7,8 and 9. Are there?" Beings capable of destroying entire galaxies... Priam didn''t like being at the mercy of that kind of power. If he had to be honest, he was mostly curious. He was already impressed by his powers at Tier 0. What were the limits of a Tier 9? Bechar shook his head. "There''s a Tier 8, sent by the System, who presides over the sector, but I don''t know of any others. There aren''t that many, but we''re a young sector..." Priam almost asked another question but sensed that Bechar had more to say. "The fear of death eventually paralyzes us, but also the psychological side of Tribulations. Yours has caused many deaths and... It''s not a coincidence." Priam nodded. He suspected as much. Clearly, the System wanted to change his state of mind, or at least make him mentally stronger. A tragic experience was the best way to make a human grow up, but nobody wanted to experience that. After all, it was also the best way to break a soul. Above all, it didn''t take away all of his responsibility. People died because of his actions. "Finally, there''s something else. The more Tribulations you pass per Tier, the further away the thresholds of the following Tiers are. Most Tier 5s in the sector have passed the minimum possible Tribulations per Tier. Three, three, two, two, one. That''s the optimal ratio to reach Tier 5 and help your faction for eternity." "However, they''re too weak to survive the transition to Tier 6. They have no momentum left," Priam realized. "Exactly," agreed Bechar. One piece of information had caught Priam''s eye. "When you say you have to pass as many Tribulations as possible per Tier, you..." Bechar interrupted him. "I can''t say more to a Tier 0, so don''t look at me like that." Priam frowned. He would try as many Tribulations as possible, of course, but he would have liked to know why... "If I understand correctly," he continued. "Only the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me can attempt multiple Tribulations per Tier, and that''s up to Tier 9?" "Seems logical to me," Bechar pouted. Priam realized that the changeling had no idea. The shapeshifter was much stronger than Priam but wasn''t a Tier 5. Tier 4? More like Tier 3... Bechar seemed to hesitate before continuing. "As I said, if you could explain how you achieved such a high rank, it would help me with my next Tribulation..." Priam remained silent as he made his decision. The changeling had been a great help, both in learning Micro and in answering his questions. Understanding the System that now governed his life seemed important. "I can''t tell you everything because I have secrets," Priam announced, and Bechar nodded. "But I have theories, and we can discuss them. I think my rank was great because I managed to do something almost unique..." "You want me to kill him?" asked Louis. "No... Not yet, anyway. I won''t give him the joy of being a martyr. It would sully my son''s image." Alain was a patient man. At eighty, patience was a useful quality. After all, before the System, it would take him almost twenty seconds to get down the stairs. Even so, the situation was beginning to bore him. Part of the city was in ruins, and some inhabitants had been wounded. This number was relatively low, thanks to a joint effort by many factions and individuals. A few thousand were slightly injured, and a few hundred were seriously wounded. Hundreds were missing, with no family or friends to identify them. The death toll had risen to seven hundred and eight, and some were still between life and death. The figure could have been much higher, but human cooperation had saved many lives. Unfortunately, this cooperation was coming to an end. "Priam must be judged by the people. He must swear an oath of protection to humanity!" shouted a man blocking the entrance to the Ducal Palace. The crowd in front of him was silent. After all, his son had saved more than a tenth of the people present. The population had seen him fight and sweat for them. "These Tribulations are his fault! The dead cry out for vengeance. He is the author of your tears!" The rant went on and on, and Alain''s anger mounted. "Are you sure?" offered Louis. "I can''t stand his voice..." "... I''ll take care of it," replied Alain. "Rule by fear, that''s his plan! Rise, you who suffer so much, and expose his crimes!" Alain had heard enough. He walked over to the man and grabbed his wrist. The man turned, surprised, and his surprise increased when Alain swept him off his feet. Abruptly falling to the ground, he let out a cry of pain. Alain looked down at him. "Excuse me, but my memory is failing. Can you remind me where you were when my son was lending a helping hand to these people? How? I can''t hear you¡­ Besides, who are you?" Louis laughed. Insulting a son in front of his father was a bad idea. Status: Race change detected. Please read the notification regarding attribute calibration. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 22 hours 41 min 7s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 182 days 23 hours 14 minutes 20 seconds. Chapter 96: The Juggernaut Priam closed the door to Bechar''s office. The rest of their conversation had given the changeling ideas. [He Who Eludes Death] was an alien Talent he had no chance of reproducing, and Priam had no interest in telling him about it. What they had discussed was the possibility of using Titles or Talents to steal affinities from Concepts. This was something Bechar had never heard of. Priam could do it every day of the week with [Tribulation Hunter]. Whether this only works for Tribulations remains to be seen. The more he thought about it, the more Priam was convinced that the System wasn''t against a user trying to take advantage of the rules. It was almost encouraged. The Tribulations were both a trial and a reward. Descending the steps to leave the Colosseum, Priam abruptly stopped. On the second floor, Mercury was waiting. The merchant looked up at Priam and smiled. Priam descended the last steps and shook hands with the merchant. "I suppose Sphinx was able to pass the Urn to you?" asked Priam. "Indeed," smiled Mercury. "I''ve been informed that you''ve found your father safe and sound. I''m very happy for you. I''ll keep looking for your sister." "Thank you," Priam replied. The System had told him that his sister was not on the Moon, but perhaps the merchant would find someone who had seen her on another world. He kept that to himself - after all, Mercury had specified in their contract that his search would stop at the Moon and Reunion. Sorry, Mercury, but this is too important to be honest. "I don''t suppose you came here just for that?" "No indeed... I think we can still help each other," Mercury said in a low voice. "Meaning?" "You have enemies who spread¡­ Annoying information, shall we say. They''re trying to undermine your authority as Champion by accusing you of sacrificing innocent lives to temporize your Tribulations," Mercury said, probing Priam''s eyes. Priam''s gaze remained clear. On the one hand, because the mist concept he controlled now deeply penetrated his being. A kind of cloud now covered his eyes. His gaze could now disconcert those who plunged into it. On the other hand, Priam was determined to assume his responsibilities. "That''s both true and false," admitted Priam. "To tell you the truth, I didn''t think about the dangers to the inhabitants. I was fighting for my life and did what I had to do to survive. However, at no time did I deliberately place the life of an innocent person between myself and danger. I spent about twenty hours saving hundreds, maybe even thousands, of innocent people." Priam''s gaze hardened, "I have wrongs that I intend to right to the best of my ability. If any factions try to play with that, I''ll destroy them." Mercury recoiled, and Priam realized that he had just used his Domain. The Champion of Humanity''s aura was heavy. "Sorry, I haven''t yet mastered all the subtleties of my Supremacy," he apologized. Mercury swallowed and smiled again. The man was a professional, Priam had to give him that. "It''s nothing. To tell you the truth, it''s even a good experience because I''m sure some people will try to pressure me with this technique. In fact, that''s part of the reason I came here today," he explained. "I''ve got a proposition for you if you''ll listen to me." Priam agreed. Maintaining a cordial relationship with Mercury was a good idea. Even the best fighter would need information to apply his force. On the second floor of the Colosseum was a restaurant. It was empty when Mercury and Priam entered. A robot led them into a private lounge, where the two men took their seats. "It''s not crowded," Priam remarked, observing an empty wall opposite him. The room was tastefully decorated in an almost baroque woodwork style. Only the wall seemed strangely simple. Too simple. "The restaurant is closed to the public. You have to reach wave twenty or possess a Noble Title to enter," smiled Mercury. Priam smiled. "Without me, you''d be stuck outside the door, wouldn''t you?" Mercury let out a small laugh. "Indeed, I¡¯m taking advantage of your prestige! In exchange, I invite you," he offered. Just as Priam was about to nod, the robot spoke up. "That won''t be necessary, Sir Mercury; Earl Priam is the Reunion''s first gladiator. As such, all his consumptions are on the house." Priam turned to the robot. Resembling a white droid, it was almost invisible to his mist. Even the synthetic waiter is stronger than me... The merchant''s discomfited expression made him smile. "I''m reassured, you don''t know everything," Priam teased. "What''s the point of this wall?" he then asked the robot. "This is an enchanted panel, allowing you to observe public or paid matches taking place in the arena or any recorded match to which you have access," informed the artificial intelligence. "Mmh... Is there a match right now?" "Yes, Lord Priam. There are three paying matches at the moment." As if to prove himself, Mercury took a Baron core out of his pocket and threw it to the robot. It grabbed the core, and the wall was activated. Three miniatures were available, and Priam clicked on one before sitting opposite Mercury. It was important to observe and analyze the strength of his fellow creatures. The two men ordered and began chatting while waiting for the service. "I''m looking for information," Mercury explained. "First, about your Tribulations, but also about the evolution of our race." "Tribulations, I can understand. We''ll discuss that later. But what do you mean by the evolution of the human race?" "My [Identification] is an Epic rarity skill," the merchant clarified. On hearing this, Priam sighed. He had no desire to be an open book. [Eidetic Memory] then reminded him of the blueprint he had extorted from Anne. [Mask] should be able to hide my most secret information... "What do you see?" questioned Priam. "That your race has changed. You¡¯re now a..." "Wait!" interrupted Priam. "Give me a few seconds." Priam finally opened his notifications. He certainly should have looked at them earlier, but he''d always found an excuse to put it off. The reason was obvious: he was afraid to read that he was no longer human. Priam wanted to become strong. However, giving up his humanity was an important step. The System was objective, so its opinion had value. Priam inhaled calmly. Come on, Priam, be brave! [Log] Reward chosen: Racial Upgrade - Human Start of procedure. Analysis of code and genetic structure. ... Analysis of code and aethereal structure. . Error: The target''s aethereal code contains alien sections. Risk of bloodline pollution if heavy System intervention. Solution: End of upgrade. ... Error: Absolute Upgrade - Tribulation reward. Solution: Holistic improvement of the organism from existing elements. Zero risk of pollution. Analysis of the aethereal and genetic code and structure of humanity. 5,684,126,532 individuals of the human race detected. Requirement: Conservation of the user''s ego and personality. Preservation of his main traits - qualities and defects. Execution of the solution. Data compilation. ... Creation of a temporary world. ... Implantation test n¡ã1... Modification of the subject. ... Subject deceased. Failure. Implantation test n¡ã2... Modification of the subject. .. Subject deceased. Failure. ... Implementation test n¡ã069 115 109 101 101 032 105 115 032 117 110 100 101 114 032 115 117 114 118 101 105 108 108 097 110 099 101... Subject modification. ... Critical success. Observation: The subject brings together the best traits of humanity. His genetic code and structure are incredibly stable. His aethereal code and structure are incredibly stable. User modification. ... Done. Successfully created Tier 1 race. Would you like to choose a name? ... No name suggested. The System names this new race: High Human. [High-Human - Tier 1] - The origins of the Homo genus date back some three million years. Three hundred thousand years ago, successive evolutions finally created the first Homo sapiens. Those primates succeeded in colonizing their native planet. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. At the pinnacle of evolution, humanity is characterized by a phenomenal capacity for physical and mental adaptation. This trait is written into its aethereal code. After extensive testing and using all available samples, the System recompiled the code, retaining the best features. This new race is called High Human. Their main characteristic is an exceptional adaptation. Non-exhaustive list of race benefits: A malleable genetic code, constantly seeking to mutate. Favorable mutations spread throughout the body. Increased density of improved mitochondria per cell. Reformatting of neuronal and nerve architecture. Rapid correction of genetic anomalies. Improved immune defenses. Increased bone and muscle density. Absolute pitch/Tetrachromacy/Tapetum lucidum/¡­ Caution: Don''t confuse High Human with Junkie PHY +20 MEN+20 System note: A High Human is the ultimate form of its previous existence, created from the sum of its race''s particular and mostly beneficial evolutions. For the moment, there is no known superior race. The only Tier up possibilities are: Modification of Tribulation thresholds: To avoid unnecessarily restricting users whose race has the potential for rapid development, the System grants different Tribulation thresholds according to the race¡¯s Tier. High Human is a Tier 1 race. The new thresholds are now every 1(+1) hundred. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 200 / 3 attributes > 400 / 1 attribute > 600 Tribulations on hold: 0 Improved Racial Talent! [Humanity adapts - Silver] becomes [High Human adaptation - Gold]. [High Human adaptation - Gold] - The wearer adapts physically and mentally to situations and environments. The more hostile the environment or situation, the faster the adaptation. Titles obtained! [Primogenitor - Gold] - You are the pioneer of a new race. It''s your job to keep improving it. Your charisma doubles when you talk to a member of your own or your original race. CHAR+30% Woah¡­ I might as well see my last notification. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - You''re already a legend. Take control of your destiny. Choose one of the proposals and chart your course: Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. Conquest. You are an artificial force. As such, you refuse to bow to Fate and Nature. Conquest is a force that gains in power until it is stopped. Become the unstoppable Juggernaut. In this merciless world, you''re charting your course. Long may it be. In battle, every enemy you defeat temporarily increases your momentum. STR +20% CHAR +10% VIVA +10% Priam looked slightly up at Mercury and saw that the man had closed his eyes. The merchant was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. It''s my Charisma, Priam realized. With his Progenitor bonus, it was now challenging to escape his allure. I''ll have to be careful if I don''t want to manipulate people unintentionally. Priam tried to diminish his aura, and Mercury gave him a grateful look. Learning to control his new attributes, Priam gradually calmed down. He began by lightly testing his Domain before stopping. His Will was terrifying, and his sphere of authority had increased in volume. Moreover, Priam sensed that a qualitative change was approaching. There''s a five-hundred-point cap, he understood. A few seconds later, he reread the notification. It was useless with his memory, but it couldn''t hurt. There was good news and bad news. He began by analyzing the main bad news. Tribulation thresholds did depend on race. During its growth, a High Human, with its capacity for adaptation, would undoubtedly manage to exceed a hundred points in its physical and mental attributes. To avoid killing adolescents or children, the System modified the thresholds. Only multiples of two hundred would now trigger a Tribulation. It was good news because Priam wouldn''t have to spend the next six months avoiding improving his attributes. It was terrible news, as it meant that a Tier 4 race would have - on average - twice as many attributes as a High Human for the same number of Tribulations. That''s why a Dragon is mighty. With that kind of disadvantage, I¡¯ll have to work hard to catch up. But if I can¡­ For someone willing to work hard, it was potentially positive. Priam thought he could withstand another five or six Tribulations before moving to Tier 1. That meant ten Tribulations at Tier 0. A Tier 9 race being would have to push all its attributes over three thousand to reach that figure. Reaching those heights at Tier 0 seemed unlikely unless you spent centuries there... In practical terms, Priam was quite happy that humanity was Tier 0. The road would be much longer, but his summit could be higher. When the robot returned with their dishes, Priam let his joy explode as he reread the description of his race a third time. His relief was palpable. He was still human! He was just a flawless human, with all the genetic and aethereal qualities of his congeners. His laughter calmed as he analyzed this thought. Although objective, this information could lead to a feeling of superiority. I''ll have to never mistreat anyone because I''m more powerful, he promised himself. I''ll use my powers to explore the world''s wonders and magic. Priam analyzed his emotions for a moment before smiling. His personality hadn''t changed; he was still the same. Moreover, the System allowed every man and woman to become a High Human. Rather than fairness, it was equality. Reassured, Priam looked again at Mercury. "Any good news?" asked the merchant. "I''m a High Human. In practical terms..." The two men ate while Priam explained a few things to Mercury. In the arena, the human finally forfeited after the twelfth wave. The summoned falcons were too quick for him. The meal ended calmly. "Your information is valuable. I just would have thought you''d want to draw up a contract with me before sharing it." "Originally, yes," admitted Priam. "I like to ensure everyone holds up their end of the bargain. But you''re a merchant. If I''d negotiated your help, you''d have had the advantage with your skills." Mercury grinned. "Not sure. You have extremely high charisma, making you almost impervious to social manipulation. My skills help me use my charisma, but even the best sword can''t pierce a concrete wall." Priam chuckled. "You''d be surprised..." "... Right, it¡¯s a new world. Anyway, you''ve helped me. Since you didn''t let me set the limits of my investment, I guess it''s up to me to decide?" "Exactly," smiled Priam. Despite his modest words, Mercury was an expert in negotiations. When you couldn''t fight, you might as well cooperate in the name of a future cordial relationship. "I intend to help humanity survive this apocalypse. If that''s your project too, you''d better help me." Mercury beckoned to the robot waiting by the door. "Coffee, please. No sugar." He turned back to Priam. "You''ve survived a quadruple Tribulation, Priam. This Reunion looks huge, but it''s an illusion. I''ve seen one of the capitals of this sector. This world is huge. Infinite even. And you''re already making waves in the ocean. Tiny little waves, but that''s enough for me. I''ll help you." Mercury pulled a few pieces of paper from his pocket. "Here are the names of the factions that annoy you. We can try to buy them or..." He looked at Priam, uncertain. "We scare them. If that''s not enough, we kill them," confirmed Priam. "This world has changed, and so have I. Trying to disrupt law and order to scrape together power... Humanity doesn''t need this kind of individual." The merchant nodded, reassured. "Good. Their bases are in several domes, so I''ll handle that. You need to make a public speech. Reassure the people. With your charisma, your strength, your Lord Title, and my skills, we''ll be able to persuade the population that you''re not a monster." Priam winced. "Listen Mercury, I appreciate you trying to help me, but I refuse to magically manipulate thousands of people. Someone tried it with me, and I hated it." Priam remembered Anne. He should have killed her, but he''d been weak then. Not anymore. Mercury frowned. "Your insinuation is insulting. I simply want to present you in a good light. I want to emphasize your qualities, your acts of bravery, and the role you can play as a Champion. As a Guardian. When I said skills, I meant increasing your eloquence, helping you find the words and feel the audience''s emotions. Nothing more." "Excuse me, I misunderstood. But... people already know that, no?" "No. They know that a super-powered man exists. That this Priam brought calamity to their city. That he fought for them afterward. They wonder: Why did he help us?" Mercury snapped his fingers. "Deep down, they''re hoping for a hero to protect them from the horrors of the System. They need hope. They need a symbol. They need to put a shining face on this overpowering unknown. They''d like to see themselves in you. They''ll talk about you. Their children will see you as a hero. They''ll recognize your mistakes, making you human in their eyes." "It''s not just a mistake. People died because of me." "True, but... will you allow me a personal opinion?" asked Mercury. Priam nodded. "You''re too powerful, Priam. Above all, we need you. Unfortunately, that means you''ll be your only real judge. It''s up to you to choose whether these dead will eat away at you or be a force you''ll use to better yourself." Silence greeted Mercury''s statement. The merchant sipped his coffee while Priam pondered. Finally, he answered: "Let''s do it." Mercury smiled before coming to a halt. Reaching out, he listened to something before sighing. "Is there a problem?" asked Priam. "I''ve just received a report. There''s an influential man who needs convincing. He''s too strong for me to kill and too influential to bend," Mercury apologized. "He''d like to meet you." "Who is it?" asked Priam. "Prometheus, the Divine King." Priam nodded. "Where and when?" "... Now and here. He''s waiting for you in the arena, sword in hand." "That''s the kind of talk I like," grinned Priam. His body was bursting with power, and he needed a release. I''m going to crush him. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 231 (+58) Constitution 373 (+26) Agility 277 (+49) Vitality 370 (+30) Perception 450 (+24) MENTAL: Vivacity 277 (+76) Dexterity 321 (+32) Memory 70 (+20) Willpower 406 (+26) Charisma 333 (+111) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 167 (+12) Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 198 Potential: 5866 (+4868) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 30 min 57s [Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 182 days 22 hours 4 minutes 10 seconds. Chapter 97: Showdown: King vs Champion Blueberry advanced with difficulty. Following his trail, a group of humans were stalking him. The liters of blood he was losing weren''t helping him outrun his adversaries. He had tried to confront them, but despite his physical superiority, his enemies were professionals. Their teamwork was impeccable. They must have known each other for a long time, for they had started communicating in signs when they realized that Blueberry understood their language. So, he was forced to flee, using his skills to widen the gap between them. Unfortunately, his injuries were affecting his stamina. His body was becoming heavy, but Blueberry remained hopeful. He was almost there. In the distance, a half-destroyed dome indicated the location of New Earth. In his arms, he held the treasure that had triggered the greed of the group of humans. In the sunlight, the Crimson Fruit glistened. "It''s just ahead!" The ursid cursed in bear language. Gathering the last of his strength, he accelerated. Hurry up Priam, or all you''ll have left will be crimson seeds! [Land Owner] informed Priam of the presence of any individual on his territory. For example, he detected Sphinx, who was currently visiting the Ducal Palace. He was surprised she hadn''t started her visit with him, but she must have had a reason. His friend was not alone. Beside her was Rose. Priam sighed, thinking of the young orphan. Anatole deserved death, and Priam had given it to him. He had no regrets about what he''d done; the man would have destroyed humanity in his quest to resurrect his family. Justice was on his side, but Rose had every right to hate him. Priam didn''t know how to react to the young girl. As he reached the second floor of the Colosseum, he shook his head. There were more important matters at hand. Using Micro, he refocused. The mist concept trembled before covering his useless thoughts. With his back straight, Priam pushed open the door to the arena. Beneath the sand, the stone floor was magically reinforced. The bleachers were packed. Some three hundred people had taken their seats. Priam smiled as he felt the weight of their attention. He raised his hand in Maya''s direction. The Mercenary leader had come with a few of her men. Analyzing the power of the Champion of Humanity was undoubtedly one of her missions. Maya smiled and returned his greeting. Priam''s attention then turned to the man in front of him. [Identification] [Prometheus - King by Divine Right] - A king''s duty is to protect his people. Prometheus places his duty above all else. As usual, the description of the System was brief. In fact, it didn''t do the man justice. Priam had already seen him from afar, but now that he was observing him up close, his aura was undeniable. Tall, with silver hair and tanned skin, Prometheus analyzed him in return. The warrior king exuded an intense aura. He was used to wearing his armor. Two hundred points of charisma. Priam''s new instinct told him this was the limit below which it was impossible to fully deploy someone¡¯s power against the Divine King. Priam smiled as he felt his competitive spirit roar. He deployed the full intensity of his aura. Conversations fell silent instantly. Priam''s Domain, his various bloodlines, the superiority of his race, his exceptional charisma doubled by [Primogenitor] and the mist concept merged to create an oppresive atmosphere. Most of the audience shrank back in their seats, trembling. Only the warriors maintained any semblance of control, but [Moon Mist] could detect the profuse perspiration of some of them. New discovery: Charisma can be used offensively. Prometheus'' reaction was highly controlled. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he nodded. "Thank you for agreeing to the meeting, Lord Priam." "It''s only natural, Lord Prometheus." The King smiled as he heard Priam deny him his title. Priam returned the smile. He also withdrew his aura, allowing the spectators to breathe normally again. "I''ll be brief, because I don''t think anyone here has time to waste. Before we fight, could we have an explanation of what happened here?" asked Prometheus. Priam nodded. His mist perception told him that Mercury had just nodded. Everything was ready, and the show could begin. The Lord of New Earth deployed his charisma and activated the dome. "For those who don''t know me, I''m Priam Azura, the Champion of Humanity,¡± he introduced himself to the large audience. ¡°Without information about my Tribulations, I had to flee to stay alive. A clue from the System directed me to New Earth. I wanted to use the barrier to temporize my Tribulations. Unfortunately, their power took me by surprise. Hundreds of inhabitants were unable to shelter from the Tears of Damocles in time or were hunted down by the locusts. Some died under attack by the former Lord of New Earth, others by locals who took advantage of the chaos to settle their score." Priam paused, aware that he was being listened to by the entire population of New Earth. Unbeknownst to the spectators present, part of humanity was hearing his speech. They would also see the fight. "This new Universe wants to crush our cohesion. The Revenants are attacking us from within. Outside, other civilizations want to see us fall. Humans now participate in factional wars that have nothing to do with us. Our only chance of surviving the next Reunions and the next civilizations¡¯ wars is to be united," declaimed Priam, looking at each spectator. Finally, he turned to Prometheus. "Of course, this must not obscure my responsibilities. Despite my ignorance, despite my will, the Tribulations the System unleashed against me killed innocent people. It is partly my fault, and I don''t wish to hide the truth. To redeem myself, I intend to help humanity, starting with the survivors and the victims'' families. The wyvern¡¯s body will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to the injured, the families and the search for their loved ones." Priam paused to give the survivors time to digest his words. "I can''t resurrect them," he declared. "However, I will do what is in my power, now and in the future, to help humanity. I will be one of the pioneers to protect humanity and pave a safe path for our children. I will be the Spear of humanity." Priam remained silent and listened to [Land Owner]. Seconds passed as the Title remained silent, and stress began to rise in Priam. Suddenly, a trickle of approval flowed through him. The trickle quickly turned into a torrent. Other emotions were also present, some positive and some negative. He hadn''t managed to convince everyone. Nevertheless, he had convinced most. Priam was relieved. Humanity''s cohesion was more important than his regrets. He had told no lies as he intended to be humanity''s spear. Not its shield. He would leave that role to the man in front of him. Prometheus nodded slowly. "Good. Everyone will make up their minds. I''d like to add for the citizens listening that Earl Priam Azura also came to the aid of hundreds of inhabitants yesterday for over twenty hours. That''s why we''re facing each other today in a one-on-one arena. Without it, myself and my army would have fought to the death against a tyrant." Priam raised an amused eyebrow at the thinly veiled threat. Another part of his conscience admired Prometheus''s courage - or temerity. The man was thoughtfully prepared to die for his ideas and humanity. Or maybe he thinks he has a chance... Time to wake him up. "Let''s get started if you don''t mind," suggested Priam. Prometheus stood guard and donned his helmet. Priam invoked Promesse and pulled his cloak of mist tighter around him. Showing himself naked to all the human race was not part of his plan. The fog shook before revealing his spear. Priam seized it. ¡®I''ve connected this Colosseum to the network. The fight will be projected onto the facades of all the Colosseums in the Reunion. Show them who their Champion is,¡¯ Bechar''s voice whispered in his ear. Priam smiled. It was time to give these people something to dream about. For the rest of his reign, every one of Prometheus'' actions would highlight Priam''s power in the eyes of the human race. A gong sounded. Using Micro to the full, Priam accelerated. A second later, he had crossed the fifty meters separating him from his adversary. Reaching out with his arm, he brought Promesse back in an arc designed to decapitate Prometheus. The King raised his sword and intercepted the attack. Priam transmitted a tenth of his kinetic energy reserves. The swordsman took off like a cannonball, accelerating from zero to a thousand kilometers per hour in a fraction of a second. The next instant, the King crashed into the circular wall of the arena. Supernaturally solid, the wall did not tremble. Prometheus collapsed to the ground, and Priam winced. Perhaps he''d overdone it. This kind of attack was capable of incapacitating a Viscount. Coughing, the swordsman slowly rose to his feet. His golden eyes stared back at Priam, and he snapped back into guard. This time, a golden flame enveloped his blade, and Priam squinted. His instincts told him that his constitution would not protect him. A Mastery? Priam got back into position. He was there to put on a show, after all. Leaping forward, he broke through the mist and came face to face with the Divine King. [Spear Strike] guided his strike, and Prometheus blocked again. His speed was uncanny, his arms blocking faster than his body would let on. An acceleration skill! Suddenly, a Domain compressed Priam. His eyes widened as he summoned his own Domain. The sensation disappeared, but Prometheus'' blade was already too close. A block of ultra-condensed mist-turned water appeared to slow the attack. Prometheus'' flame evaporated the water. [Kinetic Control]. Promesse¡¯s shaft parried the attack, sending Priam reeling backward. Pressing his advantage, Prometheus advanced. His attacks were swift, precise and powerful. [Battle Flow] began to activate, and [Draconic Instinct] roared. Priam parried high and low, then dodged a blow. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 13 AGI +1 Despite his advantages, Priam retreated. His opponent was a true warrior who knew how to use a sword. Fortunately, his physical and mental advantages enabled Priam to withstand the barrage of blows that assailed him. Prometheus''s sword became blurred, and Priam''s instincts stirred. [Focus], [Bullet Time]. Promesse trembled in his hand, and Priam smiled. For the first time, he had the opportunity to learn. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. His perception synergized with his Domain and mist to capture Prometheus''s movements. The King''s speed suddenly doubled, and Priam activated [Kinetic Control] with his Domain. The warrior slowed for a moment. Priam took the opportunity to drive his spear forward. Promesse approached the King''s face, who smiled. Crap. The King''s Domain activated, countering Priam''s. Their Supremacies were of equal strength. Recovering his speed, Prometheus lunged, trying to pierce Priam. Promesse¡¯s long reach was a problem for quick defense. Priam thus teleported his weapon into his left hand and parried, laughing. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 4 PERC +1 DEXT +2 You have gained the skill: [Parry - common]. [Parry - common] - When attacked, you can either take, block or dodge. Dodging is often the best solution, but if that''s impossible, knowing how to parry an attack can be useful. A good parry can enable a counterattack or help you reposition yourself. Blocking isn''t just about stopping an attack. A fight must be fluid, don''t forget that. There is a block skill, too, but it''s for social network fights. STR +1 A kick in the sand, accompanied by a kinetic charge, forced Prometheus to cover his face. Some of the grains embedded themselves in his skin, and the King grunted. Priam thrust, and only Prometheus'' Domain warned him of the attack. The King blocked and counterattacked. Priam resumed his defense. His skills enabled him to understand attacks, and his instincts warned him of feints. Little by little, his Vivacity analyzed his opponent''s style. Lvl Up: [Spear Strike] lvl 6 STR +2 DEXT +1 Thirty seconds into the match, Priam wasn''t yielding ground anymore. Promesse trembled in his hand, sending a feeling of happiness to its bearer. The spear was happy that he was improving. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 26 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Priam smiled. His mastery of the spear was increasing, and he was beginning to glimpse the path to the last Supremacy. Suddenly, Prometheus stooped and attacked his legs. Priam''s instincts shook, which saved him. [Broad-spectrum vision], [Aether Perception]. His skills revealed the truth: Prometheus could manipulate light and the attack was covered in an illusion. The King¡¯s error was that he only manipulated the visible spectrum. I can still see it in the infrared! Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum vision] lvl 2 PERC +1 Priam pretended to fall into the trap and planted Promesse in the sand, as if to block Prometheus'' phantom attack. The real blade reached his shoulder and came to rest on the cloak of mist. It locally solidified into ice to stop the weapon for an instant. Meanwhile, a spike of ice, created in the King''s back, was fired. [Kinetic Control]. POT -5 Prometheus twisted and dodged the attack, which penetrated Priam''s cloak of mist. The ice spike fused with his coat, and Priam squinted. The spike had been manipulated to narrowly avoid Prometheus. According to [Aether Perception], at least six skills had been used to slightly deflect its trajectory. Something''s wrong... He''s got too many skills. There seemed to be some kind of aether link between Prometheus and other external sources, but Priam''s perception was too weak to trace the connection. Prometheus stood up with a smile. "I think we can go all out. I''m here to discover my limits, not to teach you how to hold your spear.¡± Priam burst out laughing. "You''re digging your own grave." It was time to impress the audience. [Moon Mist] activated fully, and a torrent of mist appeared in the arena. Prometheus raised his blade. "[Mastery - Sword], [Judgment]." His body began to tremble, and Priam activated his Potential momentarily. The whole arena was covered by his mist, and [Kinetic Control] helped him create hailstones. POT -30 Prometheus threw himself forward as a tornado of mist lifted. Priam disappeared into the mist. Surprised, Prometheus stopped in the center of the tornado. An instant later, thousands of steel concept-infused hailstones attacked him. One after another, the ice marbles tried to riddle the King, and he quickly blocked them. Despite his speed, stopping a hundred attacks per second was impossible. Each hailstone had a speed of almost a thousand kilometers per hour. Blood was beginning to flow from some of the King''s wounds. The hailstones should tear him to pieces... His Mastery is protecting him! Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 40 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 [Moon Mist] has reached level 40. As an epic skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Protective Mist] - [Bullet Time] is automatically triggered when bodies traveling at dangerous speeds pass through your mist. Your body is automatically merged with the mist. POT -30 [Storm] - Allows you to turn a small part of your mist into ice or water vapor. Requires a lot of energy. POT -30 [Domain and Concept] - Your Domain may extend faintly into the area your mist concept reaches. POT -30 Priam''s body had merged with his mist, but his spirit smiled. The changes from the bonuses offered at level 20 were incredible. Priam hesitated for a moment before choosing [Domain and Concept]. The two words were important, and the bonus potential was great. [Storm] could help him master [Kinetic Control], but Priam had enough Potential for that. [Protective Mist] was almost useless with his new draconic instinct. POT -30 [Domain and Concept] - Your Domain may extend faintly into the area your mist concept reaches. Priam smiled, feeling his Domain begin to expand in the raging tornado. The sight must have been impressive, for some spectators were pale. Without the protection of the Colosseum, every hailstone was lethal. Priam''s perception was watching the battle. The King''s wounds were piling up. Suddenly, with a howl of rage, Prometheus struck at the heart of the mist. His sword disappeared, as if sinking into the dimensional fabric. Priam was everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, yet the attack hit him right in the heart. When an Iron Will backed a Mastery, nothing could stop it. Instantly, the mist dissipated, and the hailstones fell to the ground. In the center of the arena, the two adversaries looked at each other. Priam raised his left hand and closed it on the sword''s blade. Prometheus opened his eyes wide as Priam summoned Promesse in his right hand. "[Tribulation Piercing Spear], [Kinetic Control]." Promesse accelerated towards the King. He tried unsuccessfully to free his blade. As the weapon prepared to penetrate his head, half a dozen shields materialized around the King. The Phoenix spear penetrated all defenses and stopped less than a millimeter from the King''s retina. Prometheus trembled, his left eye wide open. A simple blink would have torn his eyelid. "I win," smiled Priam. A spectacular victory after a fairly quick fight. Humanity had to believe him to be immortal and powerful, but he couldn''t appear too arrogant. That was one of the reasons why he had kept the match going. Prometheus stepped back and nodded. Priam dropped the sword, and the king looked down at his blade. He seemed to wonder how the attack had not destroyed Priam''s heart. "You destroyed it," smiled Priam. "Hmm?" Priam dissipated his cloak of mist slightly, revealing the wound. Prometheus widened his eyes as Priam activated the power of [Three-Headed Hydra] once again. His change of race had reset the Title. In the space of three seconds, the wound closed, and Prometheus sighed. "I didn''t stand a chance." "Not really, no. But you''re an impressive warrior," Priam acknowledged. Prometheus was more talented than he was as a human. The King had no alien Talent but was already superior to a Viscount. "The Divine Army will always be on humanity''s side," declared Prometheus in a powerful voice. "Despite his mistakes, I think it''s better to let the Champion atone for his faults himself than to divide us further. Such is our Will!" The King''s charismatic aura reached a large part of humanity through broadcasting. The two men shook hands, and Prometheus departed. Tommas and Mercury were descending into the arena when [Land Owner] sent a message to Priam. A Viscount had just entered New Earth. The Title gave him an aerial view, and Priam''s eyes widened. Blueberry, covered in blood and gasping for breath, had just collapsed at the dome''s edge. Behind him, an armed group was approaching. [Kinetic Control]. Priam flew away. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 (+5) Constitution 373 Agility 278 (+1) Vitality 370 Perception 458 (+8) MENTAL: Vivacity 278 (+1) Dexterity 325 (+4) Memory 70 Willpower 406 Charisma 336 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 219 (+3) Meta-focus 167 Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 198 Potential: 5813 (-53) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 13 min 52s [Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 182 days 21 hours 47 minutes 5 seconds. Chapter 98: Punishment, Allegiance and Banquet Ray was annoyed. He had waited a long time, watching the Jubokko die slowly. One of his subordinates was an apothecary. She had created a violent poison from the venom they had recovered from the enormous spider''s corpse. Thanks to this, the gigantic tree was finally dead. In the space of a few minutes, all the tree''s vitality had evaporated, and the enormous trunk had cracked before breaking. The impact against the ground had created a mini earthquake. The System had rewarded them, but Ray''s mind was already elsewhere. Greed had consumed him when he set eyes on a marvelous ruby. At the top of the trunk, where multiple branches were growing, the crimson glow of a fruit had caught his eye. Unfortunately, life was never simple. The fruit was guarded by a bear. The ursid had the nerve to declare that the fruit didn''t belong to them. As if an animal knew anything about property rights... Ray and his team decided to retrieve the fruit and the talking bear''s skin. A fight ensued. After several minutes, the bloody beast activated a berserk skill and fled. It had been a long hunt, but they had finally managed to catch up with the Viscount as the beast arrived in a human city. "We''re almost there, guys. Shoot that bear!" encouraged Ray. One of his archers fired another arrow, which severed one of the fugitive''s tendons. He collapsed, still holding the fruit against him. Satisfied, Ray stepped forward to finish off the beast. Covered in wounds and almost empty of blood, the bear was barely breathing. Deciding to spare it unnecessary suffering, Ray raised his blade and cut it down. [Decisive blow]. His blade turned white as snow and approached the animal''s carotid artery. Ray! The telepathic link between himself and his subordinates alerted the leader. He pivoted his body quickly, activating a counter-skill. The attack came from the right. A mental image one of his men sent alerted him to the enemy''s presence before he could see it. His sword came between him and the attack. Ray''s relief lasted only an instant. The force behind the blow was unstoppable. The blade shattered, and Ray felt a cool sensation tickle his stomach. Priam was flying through the skies of New Earth. Making full use of his new meridians, [Kinetic Control] enabled him to move at the speed of an airliner. Seconds later, he saw Blueberry on the ground. Above him, a man was raising his sword. Furious, Priam accelerated again. His meridians heated up, but his new body could withstand far worse. Three hundred meters from the target, he took advantage of the ever-present mist to teleport three times. Reappearing a few yards from the stranger, Priam thrust Promesse. [Spear Strike]! As if prescient, the man turned, and the spear collided with a sword. The difference in attributes, combined with Priam''s speed, gave the swordsman no chance. The hoplite spear shattered the sword and disemboweled its target. Cut in two, the corpse of the anonymous man crashed far away. Half a dozen men and women drew their weapons. Leaning towards his friend, Priam didn''t give them a glance. The bear was dying and had lost a lot of blood. Reaching into his purse, Priam pulled out a treasure almost as powerful as the Phoenix''s Tear. He slipped the pill into Blueberry''s mouth and waited. Two seconds later, he sighed with relief. The miracle drug had already dissolved, and the Viscount''s wounds were closing rapidly. The treasure was extremely valuable, but Priam hadn''t hesitated for a moment - Blueberry was a friend. At a glance, Priam noticed an object his friend was holding tightly. A kind of pineapple cut from ruby made his draconic instincts roar. Is it..? [Identification] [Crimson Fruit - Legendary] - A fruit born of the sacrifice of a grand tree. Naturally capable of reaching the rank of Duke, it never fulfilled its full potential. That same potential now pulses within its fruit. The tree originates from another Universe; alien truths are buried within this fruit. Its consumption stimulates the latent potential present in your blood. Planted, it will give rise to a unique tree. Blueberry had kept it with him, which was undoubtedly why this group had attacked him. Thanks, my friend. Raising his head, Priam watched the strangers. His misty eyes were cold. "Any last words before dying?" he asked in an icy voice. With a thought, the mist wrapped itself around the combatants. A mental command from Priam and a blade of ice would decapitate them. The men and women before him trembled, and one dropped his weapon. Priam slightly relaxed his aura. His anger prevented them from responding. "I... The bear had a treasure, and we wanted it. We didn''t know it was protected," one of the women stammered. A strange smell emanated from her. Fear. Hearing these words, Priam sighed. The world had changed. Poaching used to be a crime, and some bears were endangered. Now, wild creatures were potentially dangerous to humankind. Priam intended to avenge his friend but began by calming down. Human life was too precious to not take at least a few seconds before judging them. Objectively speaking, if I''d been in their shoes and seen an animal possessing a treasure... I''d have attacked it. If the animal spoke my language, I would have stolen the treasure, leaving it alive. It is not a world where kindness is rewarded. Sighing, Priam looked at the six fools. Morally, it was hard for him to punish them for something he might have done. ¡®Do as I say, not as I do¡¯? No, Priam hated hypocrites. In addition, the main culprit was already dead. But they had hunted his friend. "You knew he could talk, didn''t you?" asked Priam. "Y... Yes." Under the pressure of his aura, it was difficult to lie. "I''m not going to kill you right now. But you''re going to be locked up. Your possessions are going to be sold to compensate Blueberry. That''s the intelligent bear you tried to kill. There are enough monsters in this new universe not to kill peaceful animals. Then I''ll ask Blueberry what he''d approve of as a sentence." Blueberry had risked his life to bring him back a treasure. He deserved his support, even if it went against other humans. Priam, however, was annoyed. The meeting was almost over, and the possibilities were few: three days in prison were too short, and summary execution was perhaps excessive. They shouldn¡¯t have tried to kill a sentient trying to communicate. Well, they shouldn¡¯t have tried to kill my friend. "If I may..." Prometheus appeared with a dozen men and women. Priam noted that the divine army had the ability to teleport. "Yes?" asked Priam. "I''d like you to make an exception for those who might want to join my army. Their oath will oblige them to serve humans and respect life," proposed the King. The man didn''t seem to hold a grudge. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s slavery!¡± exclaimed one of the condemned. Prometheus glared at him, "I took the same oath. There are things more important than our happiness. You could restore hope to our entire civilization. Fight with us against the Revenants and all the threats the System will send us. Think about it, Priam,¡± he said, turning to the man who''d just undone him. "Um..." The proposal was interesting. Indeed, imprisoned for three days, this group would end up hating Priam - who had killed their leader. He didn''t need any more enemies - even relatively weak ones. In addition, they were skilled enough to corner a Viscount. Blueberry was a formidable warrior. Even if he''d had to protect the Crimson Fruit, routing him was a feat. Why deprive humanity of guardians? Not to mention that Priam respected the King. If he really had taken that oath - and Priam¡¯s instincts told him he had - then he was worthy. An elite army loyal to humanity... Humans were a very powerful race when they were united. "Good. I give you these six, Prometheus." You''ll need them to be a good Shield. "Thank you." Not for a moment had it occurred to the two men that the fighters might refuse the offer. Priam knew that Prometheus would be persuasive. Priam turned to the fainted bear. It was five meters tall and would be complicated to transport. He had to be cared for and allowed to rest, which meant transporting him to the Ducal Palace. Priam checked the beast''s mass and sighed. Not enough kinetic reserve to lift him to the Palace. No choice... He walked over to the bear and gently lifted his head - he was wounded, after all. Raising the massive head above his own body, Priam began to pull his companion towards the Palace. The first step set the bear in motion, cracking the pavement beneath Priam''s foot. Good thing I''m strong, he''s got metal bones or what?! Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Aware that everyone was looking at him, Priam gradually pulled his friend along for about fifteen meters before stopping. The street ahead was narrow, and Blueberry''s body was massive. "..." Priam turned to Prometheus, who was looking at him with a smile. "... Can you teleport us to the Palace?" "I''ve been waiting for you to ask," smiled the King. This bastard¡­ "C¨¦cilia, if you don''t mind..." "Of course, my King," said one of Prometheus'' subordinates before turning to Priam. With a few movements of her hand, she traced a rune in the air. Priam watched, intrigued at first, then interested. [Aether Perception] allowed him to see how it was drawn. Compared to his training with Anatole, the rune was highly complex. Tens of thousands of lines intertwined in three dimensions. Right now, Priam knew he had no chance of recreating it. [Eidetic Memory] memorized the entire structure, and Priam smiled again. C¨¦cilia had certainly used her Tutorial reward to obtain this skill. A skill that could be activated externally. Priam''s inquisitive, analytical mind was already thinking about experimenting for days, until he hacked the rune. The skill activated, drawing on C¨¦cilia''s reserves, and the landscape changed. Priam, a bear weighing several tons on his back, appeared in the middle of the Palace throne room. "PRIAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Instantly, a cannonball struck his chest and sent him hurtling some ten meters. His Constitution absorbed the shock, and Priam laughed as he saw Sphinx''s adorable face looking back at him. "Hello, Sphinx! How are you?!" "Bad! You destroyed half the city!" she accused. "Ah..." Priam scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "I didn''t mean to, it''s..." Sphinx interrupted. "That''s even worse then! You have to do it on purpose, it''s much more fun," she laughed. Priam blinked before laughing. "I''ll invite you next time we destroy a city then." "No need, I''ve already started," declared Sphinx proudly. "... Excuse me?" "Rose, didn''t I break a city good?" Priam, beginning to worry, looked up at Anatole''s daughter. The teenager had moved closer and was smiling slightly. She looked at Priam for a moment before nodding. "Sphinx was unhappy with the welcome the Revenants gave me. She destroyed their cathedral and a few houses," Rose confirmed with a smile. Priam remained silent. Half-relieved that his former enemy''s daughter wasn''t trying to gut him directly, he was nonetheless worried. "I... You went to Viracocha?" he asked. "Mmh mmh," meowed Sphinx. Unconsciously, Priam''s fingers had begun to scratch her head. The mythical creature seemed to enjoy it. Rose''s face lit up. "We''ve visited several domes! Sphinx runs super fast and is so much fun to ride. She used my karmic link with the Revenants to exterminate them. She circled seven domes yesterday, and this is the eighth." Priam was amazed. Not at Sphinx''s running speed: her colossal size and boundless endurance must have enabled her to cover well over a thousand kilometers in a day. It was even possible that she had used the portal. No, what amazed him was Rose''s reaction to the murder of thousands of people. Even if the Revenants were to be destroyed, it was one thing to understand it and another to see it. "Um, and you, Rose... What do you think of all this," Priam tried. "I''m glad my father''s murderers are dead." As she spoke these words, the teenager''s silver eyes shone with a fierce gleam. Faced with Priam''s astonished expression, she explained. "I know that for you, my father was a pragmatic being to the extreme, capable of doing anything to save me. That''s both true and false. My father was always a man of great kindness. He loved his family more than anything, but he respected every life," she explained. Rose seemed to lose herself in her memories, and Priam waited. He was interested in the young teenager''s opinion. Maybe she didn''t know her father as well as she thought. Or maybe the corruption of the Depths is more sinister than I thought... "... My father loved life," Rose continued. "He would have done anything to resurrect me, but he wouldn''t have let his grief contaminate the others. He would have dueled giants to resurrect us. I think he was corrupted. For him to decide to entrust me to this Seraphina... Impossible." Priam remembered the name. The Champion of Revenants. It''s indeed strange to entrust your daughter to a Revenant... Unless he thought he was coming back? But I robbed him of that chance with [There is no Heaven]. "I understand," said Priam, rising to his feet. Hugging Sphinx tightly, he approached Rose and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Rose." "Likewise! I''m a big fan, I just saw your fight against Prometheus, and you were super cool! Sphinx told me you were immortal! That¡¯s awesome..." "I love dancing with Death too much to give up my place," joked Priam. "Yes, but watch out for missteps, son." Priam turned to the new voice and smiled. "Dad!" "Before the System, I wasn''t deaf, and it didn¡¯t change. No need to shout," Alain replied, pretending to wince. "I''m glad to see you." "... Me too." The two men stared at each other momentarily, pride shining in their eyes. "What are you doing here?" asked Priam. "Are you chasing away your old man?" Priam rolled his eyes. ¡°I meant with Sphinx and Rose." "Your friend wanted to meet me. Apparently, she doesn''t have a father, so she wanted to see who yours was," Alain explained, looking at Sphinx. "Your dad is super nice!" "As long as you don''t eat with your mouth open, he''s nice, yes," Priam joked. Alain laughed. "Speaking of that, dinner''s almost ready. Will you eat with us?" asked Alain. "Yes! But first, perhaps we should find a bed for Blueberry? The marble floor must be hard..." Sphinx pounced on Priam''s head. Her tail had been thumping furiously ever since she''d heard the magic word. "No need, he hibernated on harder ground. What''s on the menu?" "Grilled locusts." Alain burst out laughing at Sphinx''s discomfited expression. "And wyvern marinated in a honey-mint sauce," he added. A cheer rang out. "So, what''s on the agenda?" asked Alain between two mouthfuls of wyvern. The draconic meat was succulent. At least, the taste buds were unanimous. It was indefinable, but the texture was meltingly delicious. Priam looked around the banquet hall, filled with visibly healing convalescents. The wyvern meat seemed to have regenerative properties. "First, I have a quest to destroy the last Abominations," Priam replied. "A merchant friend will take care of finding and executing the Revenants in the more distant domes. We clearly won''t find them all, but we need to unearth as many as possible before the next Reunion. Because of Anatole, a minor god has come into contact with the Revenants. It worries me." Alain held up his fingers before asking. "The god you pissed on?" "I pissed on his statue, but yes, that one," laughed Priam. "Blasphemy doesn''t seem to bother him," remarked his father. Priam grimaced. "I''m not so sure about that. I think he plays within the rules of the System, but he''s still a god. As long as he just spices up Concepts events, he''s got nothing to worry about. I''m just afraid the spices will burn us..." "Hmm. What next?" "Then I''m going to get some sleep and enjoy being with you," Priam smiled. Alain looked at his son with sadness. "We''re going to be apart for quite a while. You''ll have to take care of yourself, okay?" Concern showed in his eyes, and Priam tried to cheer him up. "Don¡¯t worry too much, I might have a solution: a space''s seed!" "Sounds incredible, son. Where will you find it?" "It''s a Colosseum award. I''ll go there after taking part in a heist organized by the System." "Who are you planning to steal from?" asked Alain. "Dunno." Priam took two mouthfuls, keeping his mouth closed, then continued. "I''ll certainly be up against some terrifying monsters. But I''ll get through it, don''t worry." "I''m not worried, you''ve got dragon blood in your veins," his father said proudly. Priam burst out laughing. Soon, the tears began to flow, and he couldn''t stop. Suddenly, he felt his elbow being tapped. Turning, he noticed Sphinx touching him with a wyvern skewer. Priam made an effort to calm down. "You mustn''t be sad," said Sphinx in a small voice. "Here, I''ll give you my skewer..." The adorable creature also seemed on the verge of tears. Priam didn''t know if it was out of empathy or because she was parting with her food. Smiling, he took the young Lord against him and smiled. "You''re adorable, but I was crying with laughter, not pain. You can keep your skewer. Hey, don¡¯t be sad. Wanna know a secret?" he asked. "What?! Tell me!" exclaimed Sphinx. "You''re my best friend." The young Sphinx''s smile warmed his heart. It felt good to be well cared for. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 373 Agility 278 Vitality 370 Perception 458 MENTAL: Vivacity 278 Dexterity 325 Memory 70 Willpower 406 Charisma 336 META: Meta-affinity 219 Meta-focus 167 Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 198 Potential: 5813 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 17 min 34s [Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 182 days 19 hours 50 minutes 47 seconds. Chapter 99: Ghostly Hospitality Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 25,26,27 AGI +3 PERC +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Iron Marathon] lvl 6,7,8 AGI +9 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 36 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (Focus) +4 Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum vision] lvl 3,4,5 PERC +3 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 41,42,43,44 PERC +16 CHAR +8 META (AFFI) +12 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 4,5,6,7,8 META (PERC) +5 META (AFFI) +5 META (FOCUS) +5 Congratulations on creating a new skill: [Mask - Epic]. [Mask - Epic] - To wear a mask is to disguise your identity. Conceal your face to change roles and transgress the forbidden. Each user has a different intention when donning a mask. What''s yours? Do you really know? Remember, a mask is a mask, so don''t be fooled. WILL + 3 CHAR +3 META(AUTH) + 3 Congratulations, you''ve unlocked a new META characteristic: Authority. Lvl Up: [Mask] lvl 2,3,4 WILL + 9 CHAR +9 META(AUTH) + 9 Three days later Priam glared at Diamond. The latter had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Am I really going to have to wade through this?" asked Priam. "You know, maybe it''s good for your immune system..." "Shut up." According to Diamond, the last room was behind the grate on their right. It was recessed about two meters from the entrance to a tube. The cylinder itself was two meters in diameter. The grate was standard in appearance, made of silvery metal with bars about eight centimeters apart. The trouble was, its metal was indestructible. At least, [Tribulation Piercing Spear] hadn''t left a single mark on it. This one must have been special because even his Domain couldn''t penetrate it. The concrete of the tube was less solid, but Priam had calculated that it would take him several hours, spamming skills, to create a passageway. Rather than waste their time, the two thieves decided to slip between the bars. Diamond''s Talent allowed him to transform his body into a kind of rubber. He looks like Luffy. If he''d never become king of the pirates... "Do I have something on my face?" asked Diamond. "... Not yet. Well, let''s go," decided Priam. If the Earl was reluctant to teleport through the grate, it was for a good reason. The Dome''s sewage system congregated in this room. The brown pool in front of them then flowed into the tube they had to cross. It was almost a fantasy theorem: sewers always harbored treasures. And mostly shit. Swimming in human excrement was not one of Priam''s priorities. Especially as Alberto Boss was putting the finishing touches to his next costume. The craftsman had grumbled as he had taken Priam''s new measurements. Anyway, Priam was naked under his coat of mist. As usual. After another second''s thought, Priam decided not to turn his fog into ice. Spending Potential for nothing displeased him greatly. Am I really saving a few points of Potential, risking being covered in shit? The answer was yes. Every point of Potential was precious, especially in Elysium, where skill creation was almost free. I¡¯ll craft a flying skill to reward myself¡­ If Priam was less than a day away from the end of the Reunion, wondering whether he would dive into poo, it was because he''d finished most of his other obligations. The last Abomination had died by his hand, and Seraphine had fled to the other side of the Moon. Priam had hesitated to hunt her down with Sphinx''s help, but had preferred to spend time with his father. If the apocalypse had taught him anything, it was that life was fragile. Not everyone could be resurrected. A good example was Claire. The young woman''s public execution was scheduled for the last hour of the Reunion. The aim was twofold: to attract certain Revenants and set a precedent to encourage the rest of humanity to fight this menace. Of course, he hadn''t forgotten to practice, or to use Anne''s blueprint. [Mask] was an extremely interesting skill... Priam refocused on the present moment. There was no point in waiting any longer. Sighing, he straddled the mist. Appearing as far down the tunnel as possible, he found himself suspended above the torrent. With one hand on the side of the tube and the tip of Promesse on the other, his balance was somewhat precarious. A few tiny drops leaped in his direction from time to time due to the speed of the flow. [Moon Mist] then manipulated a mist net to keep them away from Priam¡¯s body. Without wasting any time, Priam concentrated on his mist perception. Two more teleports brought him to the end of the tunnel. A waterfall was waiting for him. The tube opened onto a vast well. Rotting water poured into the darkness, and even Priam''s perception couldn''t feel the bottom of the abyss. When playing video games, Priam was the kind of person who explored every square centimeter of the map. In real life, the stench of shit told him he didn''t want to know what was down there. His draconic instincts remained silent, and that sealed the deal. "It''s up there," said Diamond cheerfully. The thief gamboled in the fetid torrent, smiling, and Priam chose not to comment. He looked up and saw a ladder hanging from the wall of the well. One teleport later, Priam found himself on the ladder. Climbing nimbly, he quickly reached the top of the shaft. A closed trapdoor barred his way, and Priam chose to wait for his companion. Lowering his eyes, he watched Diamond ascend. The old thief was impressive. The tube protruded from the wall and advanced a few meters into the void. Diamond grabbed the top of the cylinder and hoisted himself up. Walking quickly up the tube, he began to climb the flat surface of the shaft. Yet Priam''s eyes found no imperfections. His hands stuck to the surface... Seconds later, Diamond reached the bottom of the ladder and began to climb rapidly. Arriving just below Priam, he looked up at the trapdoor. "It''s trapped. That''s what my instinct tells me. We''ll have to pick it rather than destroy it." "Do you know how?" asked Priam, avoiding a breath. He hoped he hadn''t come for nothing. "Of course. I was just pointing out how useful I am, that''s all," smiled the veteran. Priam stepped aside to make way for the thief. Pulling out his paraphernalia, he fiddled with the trapdoor for a few seconds before grinning. "Open Sesame!" With a push, the hatch opened upwards, and Diamond climbed in. Priam quickly followed. The trapdoor opened onto a small, closed room. A sort of storeroom where mops and brooms sat side by side. "... We''ve come to steal an iron?" ironized Priam in a low voice. "Have some respect for the mythical iron.¡± A door led to the outside, but the two companions decided to search the room first. Unsurprisingly, apart from some white vinegar and cleaning materials, the space was relatively empty. "Do you think there''s a trick?" asked Priam. Diamond looked at him momentarily as if he were an idiot, before shaking his head. "Sorry, I forgot you weren''t a thief. No, no tricks, this isn''t an escape game. According to the mission information, this is where the Moon Key is. That''s all I know. Well, given that it was an arduous quest, I''d be surprised if it was hidden behind a bucket." Diamond pointed to the door. "Imagine we''ve landed at the home of a wealthy merchant who''s decided to hide his treasures. The key is probably behind a glass case or in a safe. There must be an alarm and guards. I don''t have any more info, so we might as well hurry. From now on, silence." Priam nodded and let the thief open the door. Wrapping his fingers in a rag, he slowly turned the handle before observing the exterior. Quickly, he waved to Priam and entered the corridor. The place appeared to be a mansion. A thick crimson carpet silenced their movements. On the walls, torches gave off a flickering glow. The only decorations were empty paintings and suits of armor arranged at regular intervals. On the other side of the corridor, windows exposed the Dome. Priam recognized Sphinx¡¯s Palace. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. As Diamond began to walk up the corridor, Priam turned quickly and patted the thief on the shoulder. The latter turned and raised an eyebrow. ¡®What''s going on?¡¯ he indicated with small gestures. Priam pointed to the windows. After a few seconds, Diamond''s puzzled face hardened. The windows showed the Dome by night. That was suspicious enough. The Dome was illuminated at all hours by the light from the barrier. On closer inspection, the people strolling through the streets were abnormally pale. Occasionally, two residents would bump into each other as they strolled along. When this happened, rather than repelling each other, their bodies would interpenetrate before continuing as if nothing had happened. Their bodies had no corporeality. Priam wasn''t convinced he could touch ghosts, ectoplasms or spirits with Promesse. Diamond looked at him momentarily and touched his heart with his left hand. It was their sign to ask if they were abandoning the mission. Priam shook his head. To get here, he''d almost waded through shit. Going home empty-handed is out of the question. Diamond smiled and turned around. The thief had the skills and experience to find the treasures. Priam, on the other hand, was there to protect them. Moving slowly up the corridor, Diamond turned left, away from the windows. They continued walking, penetrating deeper and deeper into the building. The galleries seemed endless, and Diamond periodically marked the walls with chalk. A white line at man-height and a thin, wood-colored line at floor level. Priam''s paranoid side was approving. Finally, after several minutes in the maze, Diamond spotted a staircase. Slowly climbing the stairs, they reached the top floor and stopped. They were no longer alone. Empty suits of armor patrolled the floor. Priam deployed his mist at ground level. [Moon Mist] was now high-level, and his concept further improved his control. With his eyes closed, Priam began to map the floor. The almost invisible mist enabled him to sense the movement of the armors. Honestly, after surviving a battle with a Heaven Wyvern, Priam felt capable of taking on several living suits of armor. The problem lay elsewhere. The armors were sentinels, and their destruction could sound the alarm. For thieves, it was like triggering the second phase of a boss. Possibly a Game Over. Discovering a new staircase nearby, Priam waited for a weak point in the guard''s round and took off running, Diamond hot on his heels. Seconds later, the third floor greeted them. This one looked different. The armor was more beautiful, and oil lamps had replaced the torches. The atmosphere had also become unearthly cold. Diamond, shivering, leaned towards Priam and whispered. "Don''t identify them. I have [Calculator Observation - Epic], and these shady characters all have Viscount rank. They''ll feel a simple [Identification]." Priam nodded and used his mist again. The guards'' rounds were now flawless, but his steam tipped him off to two possibilities. Firstly, there was a staircase nearby. Secondly, his mist sensed a tiny ground-level draft, thirty meters to their right. They had to turn right twice to get there. Priam controlled his mist to enter the secret room. Motioning Diamond to stand still, he rode the fog. He appeared in some kind of medical practice. Possibly a laboratory. Some thirty square meters, the room was lit only by a big fireplace. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling. Numerous jars were piled on the shelves, and a work table sat in the center. A body lay on the table. Its size and condition betrayed its alien origin. Almost three meters tall, bone plates covered its body. Priam approached and analyzed the monster. His instincts told him that the plates were extremely solid. They were bound together by a kind of leather that seemed very strong. Fingernails had turned into claws, and a snail-shaped bone hid its ears. The monster''s only weakness seemed to be its eyes. Long teeth and a lack of hair completed the macabre picture. The stench was abominable, and the corpse must have been there for weeks. Suddenly, one of the fingers moved. The next instant, powerful spasms agitated the body, and Priam instinctively stepped back. The metal shackles shackling the monster were under severe strain. "He must have smelled you." whispered a voice behind Priam. His mist had sensed nothing. Surprised, Priam instantly turned and attacked. Promesse only split the air. Behind him stood an impossibly thin man. Alien. Dressed in Victorian fashion, the stranger had the distinction of having no tangible body. Promesse had struck somewhere in his chest and passed through the entity. "Who are you?" asked Priam. "Malbius. The doctor who looked after the master. It doesn''t matter now," sighed Malbius. Priam thought quickly. "You... Are you real?" "You meant, am I a real person or a creation of the System?" smiled Malbius. "The System avoids creating living things. In my experience, it refuses to get too involved so as not to pollute new concepts." Priam took a moment to reflect before nodding. The only creatures created by the System were the monsters of the Colosseum and... Sphinx. He refocused. "You work for the System, then?" Malbius chuckled. "No, no. The simplest explanation is often the best. I''m the ghost of Malbius, who died almost two weeks ago. I come from a civilization invited by the System a year ago. We survived the first two Reunions but... The System''s threat finally destroyed us," he said, indicating the corpse. "... Is that you?" asked Priam, pointing to the body. "Corrupted by some kind of virus, I suppose? Was that your threat?" "Yes, yes and no. The second threat was a rift leading to the Depths. Oh, you know the word?¡± remarked the ghost. ¡°Strange..." A chilling sound was heard. One of the corrupt colossus''s four handcuffs had snapped. It struggled all the harder. Priam turned back to Malbius. "I''ve dealt with the Depths, but not in this form." The ghost looked disdainful. "And what do you know about the Depths? This plane of reality is infinite. No one knows it completely, not even the Depths Nobles." "Excuse me," Priam apologized. He needed information, and it seemed the ghost was in a bad mood. Which was natural for someone who''d just died and seen his body transformed into a monster. "Could you tell me exactly what happened?" Every piece of knowledge about future Reunions or the Depths interested him. The ghost smiled. "I''m willing in exchange... For a favor. Are you in?" Priam smiled. "We have a deal." "Perfect!" cried the ghost, clapping his hands. "What do you want to know?" "How... how did you lose to a single rift?" "... The Depths rarely attack head-on; they prefer corruption. Our fighters repelled armies of corrupted animals and monsters on our planet. After a week, they reached the rift and closed it. We thought we''d won, but... People began to get sick. Our best warriors and mages had brought back a deadly virus. In a few days, most people were dead. The problem was, they weren¡¯t dead enough." Looking up at the ceiling, Malbius shuddered: "The more powerful the body, the more resistant it is to poison. Some were practically immune. Fortunately, even they were eventually defeated, wounded by weaker but more numerous fighters." Fortunately¡­ "... I see. And the ghosts?" "The virus corrupts minds and bodies," Malbius explained. ¡°For those who have unlocked their minds, the virus allows them to survive. To hunt.¡± "Is there anything left of the original host?" "Hardly anything. Memories and instinct. Barely an echo," the monster lamented. A second handcuff gave way. Time was running out. Priam tried another question. "So the System didn''t give you a chance? A doctor as brilliant as you must have had a clue about a treatment, right?" Malbius swaggered. "Of course! I''m the only one who managed to retain some intelligence." "Impressive! How did you do it?" "I poisoned my master,¡± revealed Malbius. ¡°He was our most powerful warrior, and the System rewarded me with Legendary Completion! My reward was an affinity with the Depths." "That''s... brilliant," said Priam, returning the smile. "By the way, didn''t you take the opportunity to secure one of your master''s treasures? A Moon Key." The penultimate handcuff dropped, and the monster screamed, shaking the walls. "That''s a lot of questions," Malbius remarked, frowning. "This is the last one," Priam winked. Malbius chuckled. "The last one, yes... I think you mean his Hearthstone. My master still has it. He wears it like an amulet," Malbius shrugged. The last handcuff gave way, and the monster smashed the table, throwing itself in the air. Splinters of wood flew across the room. Priam''s cloak of mist contracted, and several tentacles intercepted the projectiles. "It''s time to..." Promesse didn''t wait for Malbius to finish his sentence before piercing his head, covered in the aether threads Priam had just woven. The ghost blinked, before laughing. "That was rather rude. Now, die!" With a swift hand movement, the ghost scratched Priam''s arm. [Kinetic Control] felt no mass and let the attack pass. The wound burned Priam. Behind him, the bony monster pounced. Priam tried to teleport, but a Domain prevented him. The teleportation failed, and he turned, attacking the physical monster. The tip of Promesse ricocheted off the bone plates. Barely slowing down, the abomination raised its arm and brought it down on Priam. Simultaneously, Malbius attacked again. [Kinetic Control]. The skill worked this time. Catapulted backward, the monster smashed through a wall before ending up in the corridor. Priam''s back was burning. Swearing, he threw himself far from his opponent, glaring hatefully at Malbius. According to his Domain and [Eidetic Memory], the phantom''s fingers had become coated with a layer of aether at the moment of the attack. The aether had dispersed after the nails had penetrated several centimeters into his body. At no point had the ghost regained corporeality. Malbius transformed. His features lost all benevolence, veins shot through his skin and his color changed to red and black. Skeletal fingers twisted towards Priam. The next moment, with a grimace of hatred on his face, it attacked again. Priam tried to parry, without success. His main attacks were physical, and his Domain only served to cancel out the ghost''s own Domain. "Priam, we''ve got a problem," says Diamond from outside. "I know. There''s a fucking untouchable ghost here," Priam replied, dancing to dodge the attacks. "Do you have a Mastery?" "... No, I just have Micro. But I think my problem is bigger than yours..." Malbius screamed as he threw himself at Priam, who barely dodged. The ghost was highly agile and fast. So fast, that he went right through the wall. The next instant, he reappeared, his eyes consumed with rage. Priam''s back and arm were beginning to itch furiously. A smile split his face. I''m about to add a new resistance to my Pok¨¦dex! "Don''t get touched, Diamond! And what''s the big deal?" The thief appeared in Priam''s field of vision, behind the ghost. Pointing to the hole caused by the catapulted monster, he sighed, "We''ve got a monster, eight haunted suits of armor and quite a few ghosts on our ass." Priam turned around briefly, almost getting hit in the jugular by Malbius. Behind him was a veritable army. "Time to farm [Depths Resistance]..." PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 373 Agility 294 (+16) Vitality 370 Perception 485 (+17) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 (+2) Dexterity 331 (+6) Memory 70 Willpower 421 (+15) Charisma 366 (+30) META: Meta-affinity 234 (+17) Meta-focus 178 (+9) Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 76 (+5) Meta-chance 198 Meta-Authority 12 (+12) Potential: 5865 (+52) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 21 hours 47 minutes 43 seconds. Chapter 100: Difficulty: Impossible Tutorial A few minutes before the Integration The waves were crashing against the fine sand. Endlessly, the ocean tried to sweep the rest of the world into its depths. It remembered the time of the flood, when it was the sole master. Priam was happy, contemplating the power of nature. The warm wind and late afternoon September sun warmed his body. A simple white T-shirt and sky-blue swimming shorts clothed the young man. Eyes gazing at the horizon, Priam wondered about the meaning of his life. After six years at university, he was about to finish his science studies. Now, he had to choose a profession that would allow him to survive until retirement. Teacher, engineer or researcher. These were the three main paths open to him. None of them made him dream. It was a hot summer''s day, and Priam wondered where he belonged. "Lost in thought, handsome?" Priam smiled as he turned around. Victoire was nimbly scaling the blockhaus on which he was perched. The Atlantic coast of south-west France was covered with these remnants of the Second World War. These massive concrete blocks had sheltered Germans waiting for the Allies to land. The young man stood up to help his girlfriend finish her climb. Grabbing her outstretched hand, he pulled the young woman to him. Turning to the sun, he smiled, "I wonder what to do with my life." "Vast question," replied Victoire as she sat down on the edge of the blockhaus. Her legs hanging in the air, lit by the sun, she was beautiful. Priam sat down beside her and drew her against him. "It''s easy for you. You''re going to finish medical school and help others. That''s noble..." Victoire turned to Priam. "You don''t have to be noble, you know?" "Yeah. I like my fellow men, but not enough to dedicate myself to them, I guess." Victoire laughed. Priam smiled upon hearing it. "Still, you take good care of me. I''ve known a lot of assholes, and you''re not one of them." "You''re not a stranger, that''s why. You''re my girlfriend, and I have a responsibility to you. You make me happy. I want to make you happy too." Victoire stared at the horizon without answering. After a minute, she sighed. "I make you happy... You sure about that?" Priam looked at her, astonished. "Of course. I love being with you!" "It''s not the same. I like being with our friends," she said, pointing to the group of about ten people a hundred meters from them. They were playing beach volleyball, and one of them scored. Their cheers reached the couple. "When I''m with you, it''s different. I feel complete. I feel listened to. Most of all, I''m never tired of your presence. That''s not how you feel about me." "..." Priam remained silent. He respected his girlfriend too much to lie to her. She was right, of course. He liked being with his friends, but sometimes he was weary. He liked being with Victoire, but sometimes he needed to be alone. No, it''s more than that. Sometimes, his girlfriend''s presence annoyed him. Irritated him. Because I''m not in love. He dated Victoire because she was the prettiest girl in the group. Intelligent, cheerful and generous, she had it all. Everyone wanted to be with her, so Priam came on to her. To be like everyone else. Like a wolf wearing a mask among sheep. All his life, he''d worn a mask. The good student in front of his teachers. The funny guy before his friends. The perfect boyfriend to his girlfriends. He was reserved with strangers because he didn''t know what mask to wear. How to please them as much as possible? How to be accepted? How to be loved? Priam wanted to be the ocean: with a dream and the power to make it come true. The waves crashed relentlessly on the sand, for Poseidon''s domain never tired. Priam was sometimes tired. Tired of wearing his mask, he sought solitude. At such times, the proximity of others disturbed him. He was so lonely. The sun was setting over the horizon. As if waiting for the green ray, Victoire''s breath quickened. Just as the sun was about to disappear, she let slip the thought that had been weighing on her heart. "Do you love me?" For a moment, Priam hated her. He loved sunsets. He loved the simple nature that never judged him. He loved the calm. Victoire''s question destroyed that calm. For he knew the answer. Priam opened his mouth, a half-lie on the tip of his tongue. The sun disappeared, and a green flash reached his eyes. Priam blinked. A second passed. Then two. The ray remained green. "Wha..." Humanity has been chosen by the Seven Great Concepts. Congratulations! The Tutorial is about to begin. Complete it to find your starting place in a new Universe. Choose your level of difficulty. Time: 60 seconds. Victoire was trembling in his arms. Eyes fixed on the blue writing that invaded his vision, Priam felt his heart quicken. "What the... You see that too?" asked Victoire. "The blue text? Yes." "Shit. Let¡¯s find the others!" It made Priam laugh as he had never heard Victoire swear, but he had to admit that the situation was exceptional. He reread the text. "No Vic. No one is going to help us in less than a minute." Priam didn''t take drugs, and he knew he wasn''t dreaming. The System had a kind of persuasiveness that infused these few lines. Instinctively, he knew it was all true. He could try to deny reality... Or he could embrace change. Mentally, he concentrated on the end of the introduction. "What are the levels of difficulty?" he asked. An entity powerful enough to stop the sun had to be able to answer him. If it wanted to. There are seven levels of difficulty. Free, Easy, Normal, Hard, Perilous, Nightmare. Time: 50 seconds. Priam sighed with relief. "What is the difference between the different levels? Their survival rate? Are there some prerequisites?" A higher difficulty level gives access to greater rewards. Survival rates depend on the species and the individual. The System does not yet have information on your species'' chances of survival. There are no prerequisites. Time: 40 seconds. "... What level of difficulty do we take?" asked Victoire. Priam looked at the young woman with new eyes. "You''re taking this in stride," he remarked. "You adapted even faster than me." "I¡¯m amazing, right?" "Stop trying to reassure me. We''ll make it together or die together," said Victoire. The world had just changed irrevocably, but Priam couldn''t help finding her beautiful. "So?" she asked, smiling. She seemed to be reading his mind. "... What''s the seventh level of difficulty?" asked Priam. The answer cited seven levels of difficulty and listed six. Priam was intrigued. The seventh difficulty level is Impossible. Time: 25 seconds. "Is it really impossible?" If so, he wasn''t foolish enough to let his curiosity kill him. Nothing is impossible. Time: 20 seconds. A lot of risk, but a chance of survival... and certainly rewards worthy of the challenge. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "What happens if I pass this level of difficulty?" You''ll have the opportunity to be free. To be you. Time: 15 seconds. The warm wind continued to caress Priam''s skin. Ahead of him, the green ray continued to illuminate his eyes. The phenomenon described the last ray of sunlight as it disappeared over the horizon. These Concepts had succeeded in freezing the sun. Perhaps they had simply manipulated the electromagnetic wave? Or were they controlling time? Whatever the process, these Concepts were divine. A new wave hit the sand, and Priam''s heart raced. He''d found an answer. "I''m going to take the Impossible difficulty," he announced simultaneously to Victoire, Concepts and himself. "... I¡¯m with you," Victoire murmured before kissing him. Tutorial - Selected difficulty level : Impossible. Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 13,14 CONST +4 VIT +4 WILL +10 You have gained the skill: [Virus Resistance - Common]. [Virus Resistance] - A virus is an infectious agent that parasitizes the body. Some, like rabies or Ebola, are extremely dangerous, while others do not affect humans. A virus attaches itself to a host - often a cell - and uses it to replicate. Your high level of Vitality makes you naturally resistant to viruses. Unfortunately, viruses that surpass your resistance use this same Vitality to multiply all the faster. This resistance modifies your cells to fight more effectively against the parasites of this threat. This resistance adjusts your aethereal code to prevent magical viruses from penetrating your cells. VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Virus Resistance] lvl 2,3,4 VIT+3 Priam grabbed the head of the haunted armor and squeezed. His new muscles, augmented by his attributes and Micro, crushed the metal helmet. Black blood trickled from the openings. Reaching his hands, the liquid burned him as hot as molten metal. With a cry of pain, Priam tore the head off the armor, which collapsed. Inside was some kind of mutant. The Depths virus had corrupted the alien warrior to the point of transforming it into a monster. Without a bone plate, this mutant had settled in the armor like a mollusk looking for a shell. It was what awaited Priam. His Domain detected a presence behind him. Priam leaped to his right. The ghost''s surprise attack failed, and the Earl gritted his teeth as he stepped back. Without his Domain, he would already be dead. The many gashes on his body bore witness to the one-sided battle that was taking place. "Why fight it?" asked Malbius. "If I don''t kill you, the virus will convert you. You want to betray your race?!" Priam took advantage of the monologue to catch his breath. "You''re the one talking to me about race? When you¡¯re the one who killed his Master?" "HE WAS TRYING TO FLEE!" shouted the boss before leaping in his direction. The other ghosts surrounded him. Priam continued to use the tactic he had been exploiting for twenty seconds now. He fled. Backed up against a wall, he was left with only one choice. With an elbow, he smashed it and leaped away. Passing through the partition, Priam landed in a new corridor. Or was it a hall of mirrors? The opposite wall was made up of windows overlooking the Dome. Priam took no time to admire the view. To his right, a suit of armor began to move. Promesse angrily pierced its skull. These were the only enemies he could wound. Passing through the hole he had opened, eight ghosts crossed the wall in search of him. "Flee where?" asked Priam to save time. "... Our Champion had found the coordinates of our old world," Malbius breathed. "Didn''t the Concepts capture your planet?" "Only the main one. Like any advanced civilization, we conquered our entire solar system. There aren''t enough resources on a single planet to support twenty billion people." Priam coughed, almost embarrassed. Human civilization was advanced! "And you didn''t want to return to your old world?" questioned Priam. Malbius froze. Slowly raising his eyes to Priam, he began to tremble. "We were doomed. I accepted it, and they didn''t. They would have corrupted the last children..." Suddenly, the boss''s claws dug into his own spectral flesh. With a shrill cry, Malbius fell to the ground, and the ghosts advanced again. Cursing, Priam tried a new tactic. Manipulating the aether was useless. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] was useless. Even [There is no Heaven] was useless. It was time to do something stupid. Priam''s tenacious spirit left his body to meet the various ghosts. For the first time since the battle began, they paused. The specters seemed to hesitate over their target: to kill the spirit or the body? Taking advantage of their indecision, Priam approached the nearest ghost and threw a punch. He had put all his spiritual strength into it. Instead of passing through, his attack hit the ghostly flesh, and Priam exulted. For the first time, he had hit one of these specters. At last! The next instant, his smile disappeared. Thrown backward, the ghost howled in pain, waking his comrades. They charged at Priam¡¯s spirit, who was holding his spectral hand and cursing. He felt as if he''d hit a concrete wall - with brittle bone disease. My spiritual body is weak! Behind the approaching barrage of ghosts, Malbius stood up and sneered. "I''ll enjoy your heart as an appetizer and your mind as dessert!" Opening his mouth and displaying his triple row of sharp teeth, the boss pounced on Priam. His body was too far away to flee. Gritting his teeth, Priam concentrated on his draconic instincts. [Mirror of the Soul] opened, and the steel concept infused his spiritual body. His arms were now more robust. Thanks to them, Priam managed to block two spectral attacks. Malbius was now before him and Priam parried his attack. Grabbing the ghost by the wrist and shoulder, Priam lifted him before bringing him down to his knees. For the first time, he heard a spectral bone crack. A sweet sound. His mist warned him that a suit of armor was approaching his unconscious body, and Priam turned back. Reintegrating his body, he kicked the armor, throwing it backward. It smashed into a wall, and Priam went after it. Without giving it time to get up, he crushed its head with his heel. Dizzy, Priam clutched at a piece of furniture that had miraculously survived to keep from falling. The invasion of the Depths virus and the associated corruption were weakening him. He hesitated to activate the regenerative power of [Three-Headed Hydra]. A hundred gashes covered his body. He''d lost too much blood. A drop trickled into his eyes, and Priam wiped it away with his hand. Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 10 VIT +1 A ghost protruded from a wall behind him and, tired, Priam tried to slap it away. His hand passed through it. The specter screamed as it recoiled. Half his face was gone. Bewildered, Priam looked at his hand. He hadn''t done anything special, but the ghost had been hurt. Why? The other ghosts arrived, surrounding Priam. [Bullet Time], [Focus]. Priam knew the answer was near. He needed this answer... [Eidetic Memory] and Vivacity were fully deployed. His mental attributes enabled him to think almost thirty times faster than a human. In the space of a hundredth of a second, Priam understood the difference between this attack and his previous ones. A quarter of a second later, he dipped the tip of Promesse in his various wounds. A tenth of a second later, boosted by his attributes, Micro and [Kinetic Control], Priam began to move. His right foot came forward, cracking the parquet floor. [Spear Strike] x8. It took half a second for Promesse to strike the heads of the various ghosts. Shockwaves erupted under the power of his acceleration, destroying most of the room''s walls. The ceiling cracked. "Hey Priam, load-bearing walls aren''t called that for nothing, you know?" Diamond¡¯s voice sounded worried. The fatigue was becoming too much, and Priam simply grunted. The ectoplasms vanished, leaving behind them a kind of suspended dust. Only Malbius remained alive. Screaming, the creature covered its face and seemed to disappear. Promesse fell once more on the boss without doing him any more damage. The blood infused by [Tribulation Dragon] was insufficient to vanquish it. Frowning, Priam observed his latest notification. Title won! [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - There are many ways to escape natural death. One of them is to turn into a ghost. It is not enough to escape from you. After refusing Death''s kiss, you send it new prey. Will this be enough to make amends? You have put an end to the pseudo-immortality of some beings. Keep up the good work. When fighting immortals, your instincts can whisper to you their weaknesses. The longer the fight goes on, the more distinct this whisper becomes. Priam turned his gaze to Malbius. He''d have time to face the Master later. Time to kill a ghost... The ceiling creaked again. His mist tipped him off to a new enemy approaching. The armor was still far off, but Priam could attack through the walls. Raising Promesse, he hurled it at the oblivious armor. The spear shattered three walls before piercing the enemy. The beams could no longer support the weight of the upper floors. With a sound like the end of the world, the mansion collapsed. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 377 (+4) Agility 294 Vitality 382 (+12) Perception 485 MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 331 Memory 70 Willpower 434 (+13) Charisma 366 META: Meta-affinity 236 Meta-focus 178 Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 76 Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5875 (+10) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 21 hours 43 minutes 48 seconds. Chapter 101: The Reaper Diamond, standing back from the fight, watched Priam confront the various monsters that populated the floor. The thief didn''t consider himself a coward, but was aware of his strengths. Stealing a ghost''s underwear was right up his alley. Exorcizing it was not. Combat wasn''t for him. Even several meters from the epicenter of action, he was risking his life. [Supernatural Camouflage - Epic] wasn''t always enough to distract ghosts. Only the [Decoy - Rare] he had attached to Priam prevented him from being attacked. Apparently, a ghost, as an entity that had lost its eyes, no longer used conventional light-based vision. It was both predictable and annoying. Especially as it was challenging to achieve silent theft with half a dozen vengeful souls in pursuit. Three walls exploded as Priam finally succeeded in destroying the specters. Diamond winced as splinters of wood embedded themselves in his skin. The Champion''s strength was truly terrifying. Coupled with his misty garb, this had discouraged the intrepid thief from attempting larceny. Malbius screamed in pain, and the chilling sound soothed the thief. The mission still had a chance of succeeding. It wouldn''t be the stealthiest heist of his career, but it would be worth it as long as he got his Achievement. The ceiling made an ominous cracking sound, and the thief winced. "Hey, load-bearing walls aren''t called that for nothing, you know?" Priam grunted as he tried to finish off the boss. The lack of response worried Diamond. The young warrior had started the fight very well. Crushing most of the armor like tin cans, he was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, things went wrong after that. The Champion''s wounds accumulated until he found the specters'' weak point. Diamond stood back from Priam, observing the changes caused by the Depths. His skin seemed redder than at the start of the fight, and his nails had begun to grow. A thought crossed the thief''s mind, making him shudder. If Priam returned to the dome and turned into a monster... Right now, humanity couldn''t stop its Champion. Suddenly, Priam turned and threw his weapon. Diamond felt no enemy, but a noise confirmed that a suit of armor had perished. Two more walls exploded, and Diamond winced. The ceiling must have been fed up too, because the floor collapsed. Tons of wood fell on Priam. The warrior thought of Diamond. I hope I won''t have to dig him up... A gigantic wooden beam fell on his thigh. Priam absorbed its kinetic energy. The rest of the building collapsed with a sound like the end of the world. Tons of beams, tiles, furniture, and stone collapsed. According to his mist, the top floor had collapsed, taking the roof with it. Like a house of cards, the rest of the manor had followed. Once covered in all kinds of debris, Priam stood still. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his perception. First his Domain, then his hearing. Two seconds later, a terrible roar was heard above him. The sound wave shook the rubble and burst Priam''s eardrums. A Marquess, Priam guessed. The attack was too powerful to come from an Earl. Priam began to summon large quantities of mist. Some of the mist rose up, seeking its way through the maze of rubble. The Earl wanted to be able to reach the open air. If a Marquess was here, he wanted to observe it. Another part of the mist began to crawl towards the trapdoor. It was always helpful to have an escape route. Suddenly, his Domain felt vibrations. A heavy mass was approaching. The Marquess must have been looking for the man who had ruined its lair. Priam tried to apply [Stealth]''s advice. Slowing his breathing, he then lowered his heart rate thanks to Micro. Manipulating his mist to capture the molecules carrying his scent, Priam prayed to the System not to be discovered. His prayer was half-fulfilled. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 19 AGI +1 His newfound draconic instincts urged him to move, and Priam straddled the mist. The next moment, he heard a violent explosion. Reappearing in the open air, he contemplated the disaster. Priam had found himself two or three meters deep, buried under a few beams and other pieces of wood. All that remained of his hiding place was a crater of sawdust. Averting his gaze from the crater, Priam looked around. Around the manor house lay a haunted Dome. The trapdoor must have been some kind of magical passageway, for the city was no longer the same. The districts looked the same, but [Eidetic Memory] confirmed that the architecture of the buildings was slightly different. The real difference came from the inhabitants. They were all ghosts or bloodthirsty monsters. Tens of thousands of enemies were looking in his direction, and Priam waved to them. Suddenly, Priam realized he was feeling a kind of absence. The mist! Omnipresent on the Moon, it was lacking here. His perception was seriously affected. He activated [Moon Mist] to take over the environment. The final difference: there was no longer a barrier protecting the Dome. Priam looked up and contemplated infinity. In the starless sky, a ravaged planet hung. A plank cracked, drawing Priam''s attention. He swallowed as he discovered his adversary. A monster stood some twenty meters away. The seven-meter-tall winged giant, covered in bone plates having a metallic sheen, was watching Priam. Suddenly, it opened its mouth, and Priam detected vibrations. Without an eardrum, Priam couldn''t understand the abomination. [Identification] [Balsha''c - Duke - Tier 1] - The third Duke of a vanished civilization. Betrayed by his own people, corrupted by the Depths, its spirit seeks an impossible revenge. The monster''s description was short, but every word made Priam pale slightly more than the last. Tier 1. Duke. Damn. It wasn''t a boss created by the System. It wasn''t a new trial to overcome. It was Death''s emissary. I''m supposed to steal from it, not fight it, understood Priam. Clearly annoyed by the human''s silence, Balsha''c took action. Micro sent Priam a ridiculous piece of information. Looking down at his left arm, Priam confirmed its veracity. His arm had disappeared. Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 8,9 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 14,15 CONST +6 Neither his mist nor his instincts had reacted. Only his Domain had briefly detected something. Priam''s eyes widened in shock. At last, his stump began to hurt. The pain woke him up before he could silence it with Micro. Mentally, he directed some of his mist toward the lower floors and the trapdoor. He had to run. ''Can you keep it occupied for a few seconds?'' Hearing Diamond''s voice, Priam stared at his adversary. Should he trust the thief or flee? Claire''s betrayal was still fresh in his mind, but... The Moon Key could be critical. Returning to the Moon once everyone had left opened up a wide range of possibilities. Above all, Diamond was different from Claire. The thief was ambitious. The Duke grunted, and Priam took stock of his wounds. His fingernails were now almost four centimeters long. The air smelled of the rottenness of the Depths. Looking down at his left arm, anger flared in both Priam''s hearts. He was the Champion of Humanity and had defeated a quadruple Tribulation. Yet the virus would soon kill him. "I might as well go for a grand finale," he grinned. He was going to die, but first, the Duke would pay. [Three-Headed Hydra] restored his arm in a second. The Duke roared, and Priam teleported away. A violent explosion sounded in the corrupted Dome. A crater some ten meters deep lay where he had just left. His Domain informed him of a new ambush. Priam teleported back, retrieving Promesse. Thousands of ghosts and mutants were approaching from all sides. Drawing on his Potential, Priam fully deployed [Moon Mist]. A titanic cloud began to take shape. [Mirror of the Soul] transmitted the fragment of steel concept to the cloud. As Balsha''c turned to face him, Priam''s version of Damocles'' Tears began to fall. Merging with his mist to dodge another attack, Priam looked around for a moment. The deadly deluge destroyed the weakest mutants and hampered the strongest. The latter would die from a thousand cuts. Even the ghosts seemed slightly bothered by the concept infused in the rain. Sneering, Priam reappeared behind the titan and threw Promesse with all his might. The faithful spear broke the sound barrier instantly before striking a bone plate in the monster''s back. Despite the power of the shot, Balsha''c''s protection didn''t suffer a scratch. Howling with rage, the boss turned and seized the spear. Grabbing it with both hands, it twisted and shattered it. The spear exploded in a colossal fireball. Priam wasn''t the only one to have evolved. The blast threw Priam backward. His head hit a wooden beam with a terrible crack. It had split in two. Stunned, Priam''s brain lost consciousness. [Tenacious Spirit] took over, and Priam quickly got to his feet, massaging the back of his neck. "Promesse..." Ahead of him, the rubble of the manor house was ablaze. The rain continued to fall, gradually exhausting the steel fragment. Hundreds of mutants were dying every moment as the cloud grew. Priam''s aether reserves were dwindling, but his rage was rising. Promesse deserved vengeance. The fragment of vengeance ignited his wrath and made his blood boil. His second heart quickened. [Tribulation Dragon], the affinity that now ran through Priam''s veins, was awakening. The Dragon''s wrath, the fragment of vengeance and the Depths virus found a common ground. Howling with rage, Priam charged into the flames. Obeying the Phoenix''s will, the fire parted, opening the way to the Duke. With blazing fists, Priam delivered a terrible uppercut to the Duke. Still dazed by the explosion of Promesse, it didn''t dodge. An explosion sounded. The titan''s body was thrown into the air. Priam''s right forearm exploded in a spray of blood and bone. Micro and the Dragon''s rage had unlocked his capabilities, but the backlash was terrible. Oblivious to his wounds, Priam leaped into the air. The mist froze beneath his feet, forming sheets of ice that allowed him to soar ever higher. Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 10 AGI +1 The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. DEXT +2 Thirty meters up, Priam overtook the colossus. His left hand grasped one of the monster''s canines, and Priam unloaded all of his kinetic reserves. His meridians exploded. A second later, the boss''s body crashed into the terrifying inferno. The creature disappeared in the flames, and the Dome shook. With a final smile, Priam''s helplessness overcame him. His body had lost too much blood. He fell after the Duke. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 4, 5 VIT +4 META (END) +2 Lvl Up: [Virus Resistance] lvl 5, 6, 7 VIT+3 Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 15 CONST +2 VIT +2 WILL +5 Priam regained consciousness as he heard wood creaking. All around him, titanic flames licked at the manor''s wooden beams. The same inferno was waging a memorable battle inside his flesh. The vitality of the fire tried to purify the virus and the Depths that were corrupting his body. It was losing the fight. Micro informed him of his condition. His limbs were charred. Of his organs, only his draconic heart was still beating painfully. Priam tried to restore his old heart with his Merit. Nothing happened: he had run out of energy. Helplessly, Priam witnessed his own pyre. The approach of death brought him a certain lucidity. The fragment of vengeance had receded, and his draconic pride had fallen asleep. The rain evaporated before it could reach him. Suddenly, the flames spread. The Duke at his side. A giant hand picked up what was left of him: a torso and a head. A moment later, Priam experienced another death - devoured by a mutant. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 12 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaption] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Veteran]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it: VIT +10 CONST +8 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 11, 12 VIT +2 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 16, 17 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 10, 11 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 15, 16 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 10, 11 VIT +4 CONST +2 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 26, 27 META (END) +6 Lvl Up: [Virus Resistance] lvl 8, 9, 10 VIT+3 Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 16 CONST +2 VIT +2 WILL +5 You have eliminated more than 10,000 members of the same race. You and the [Mutant Xa''Gawp] are hostile. You can spot this species more easily. This species spots you less easily. [Xa''Gawp mutants] eliminated: 47,856 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 20 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three attributes above 400 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 180 days 20 hours 37 minutes 12 seconds. Priam opened his eyes as he felt a few drops of water drip into his hair. Leaping to his feet, the warrior directly summoned Promesse. His spear vibrated in his hand as it left the mist. Priam couldn''t help admiring the weapon, reforged in death. Almost three meters long, the fiery decorations were breathtaking. Runes reminiscent of flaming tattoos ran down the shaft, facilitating his skills based on the Phoenix''s heritage. Promesse''s silver tip seemed to sparkle in the haunted night. Priam blinked. A kind of Concept was growing alongside his partner''s awareness. Soon, the entire sector would know its name. "But for now..." Priam looked around him. During his death, the rain had not stopped. Thousands of mutant corpses surrounded the mansion. More kept approaching, rushing to their deaths. Perhaps a spark of conscience remained within them. Rather die than live as they were... The ghosts were gone. His gaze fell on the Ducal Palace. Or rather, what was left of it. The titanic edifice lay in ruins. A terrible battle was raging there. Three Dukes were fighting. Priam''s greedy side began to hatch a plan to take advantage of the chaos and land a last hit. One of the Dukes brought his fist down on the head of another. The shock created a wave that destroyed an entire neighborhood before continuing. A second later, Priam shielded his face with his arms. The shockwave arrived and blew him back some ten meters. Lowering his arms, Priam swallowed. At less than fifty meters away, the collateral damage from the attack would have killed him. He had no place in this battle of the titans. "Well, I''ll start with a Marquess..." Priam hesitated to bring back a sample of the virus - in the form of a mutant arm. Training his resistance was of paramount importance. Finally, he abandoned the idea. If the virus broke out in the Dome... He shuddered at the thought. Looking around one last time, Priam tried to spot Diamond. The thief seemed to have disappeared. Grunting, Priam began to search for the exit hatch. Two minutes later, his mist detected the room that had brought him here. It seemed to have survived the collapse of the mansion. Priam chuckled as he felt the thief try to move a beam blocking the entrance. He had cleared a small space under the rubble and was trying to use a plank as leverage. Straddling the mist, Priam touched Diamond''s right shoulder. "Boo!" "AHHHH!" cried the thief, startled. He turned instantly, brandishing a skeleton key in Priam''s direction. "I¡¯m sure you''ll scare the specters with that," Priam sneered. "Drop the sarcastic tone and help me lift this," said Diamond. The ruins shook under another attack, and Priam hurried on. He positioned his shoulder under the beam and lifted it with a grunt. Blocked by other rubble, it weighed several tons. The thief quickly opened the door and rushed into the maintenance room. Priam quickly followed. "Glad to see you alive," said Diamond. "You look better, too." Priam nodded. "I''ve managed to eliminate the virus." "That too, but I was talking about the Duke chewing your body like gum." "It was a clone," Priam lied. "I thought so," replied Diamond as he lifted the hatch leading to the Dome. "And the key?" asked Priam. Diamond smiled with all his teeth. With a prestidigitator''s movement, he conjured up a grey cube in his hand. About the size of a Rubik''s cube, the Moon Key was relatively common in appearance. The thief tossed it in Priam''s direction. "Here, it''s yours. I nearly pissed myself twice picking it up. It was hanging around the Duke''s neck." Priam growled as he realized that Malbius had lied. This seemed logical, as no one could have opened the Duke''s stomach to retrieve the key. The mission was hard enough as it was. [Identification] [Hearthstone - Mythic] - Link it to a location. Enables the wearer to open a portal once a month at . The portal lasts for five minutes. The link can be renewed once a month. Currently linked to [...] - Xa''Gawp homeworld. Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 10 MEM +1 "You detached it from its neck without being detected? Good job." said Priam as he was observing the key. His opinion of the thief was growing. "No, it unhooked when you threw it to the ground. The Key was lying on the floor." "..." Diamond coughed under Priam''s accusing gaze. "Anyway, we''d better get back. I''ve got other missions, and the Reunion finishes in less than twenty-one hours." "Yep, the Colosseum''s waiting for me too," nodded Priam. As Diamond descended into the trapdoor, a notification appeared before Priam''s eyes. [Xa''Gawp mutant] eliminated: 50,000. Congratulations, this race now considers you a terror. You can detect their weaknesses more easily. You are what you kill: You''ve slaughtered so many [Mutant Xa''Gawp] that their aethereal code is beginning to merge with yours. High Human is a Tier 1 race. Your aethereal code has two free racial Talent slots. Would you like to acquire [Spectral Familiarity - Bronze], the inferior version of the [Mutant Xa''Gawp] racial talent? Title obtained: [The Reaper - Bronze]! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 413 (+36) Agility 296 (+2) Vitality 421 (+39) Perception 485 MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 333 (+2) Memory 71 (+1) Willpower 447 (+13) Charisma 366 META: Meta-affinity 236 Meta-focus 178 Meta-endurance 124 (+5) Meta-perception 76 Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5906 (+41) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 56 minutes 55 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 20 hours 30 minutes 8 seconds. Chapter 102: Back to the Colosseum Priam hesitated as he re-read his notification. A Tier 1 race could benefit from two additional racial Talents. Apparently, causing a genocide was one way to earn one. Priam swallowed hard, grasping the weight of this information. Bechar pointed out that [Humanity adapts] was a potent talent. How many humans would die to allow a fortunate alien to obtain it? The competitive part of his brain was thinking of something else. It had taken him fifty thousand lives to earn this privilege. It was a staggering number. Was this an absolute threshold or a percentage of the total population of a race? Did this number vary based on Tier or the rarity of the race? Priam couldn''t fathom killing fifty thousand dragons to gain a powerful Talent... Diamond acknowledged him briefly as they exited the sewers. Priam returned the gesture with a wave. He wanted to stay on good terms with the thief. Despite his lead, he couldn''t be the best at everything. You never knew when you needed a skilled thief. His notification blinked, urging him to make a choice. [Spectral Familiarity] didn''t seem to resonate particularly with his path. If he committed another massacre - which was bound to happen - could he replace it, or was it a permanent choice? Priam posed the question to the System, which ignored him. Disheartened, he tried another approach. "Bechar?" ¡®Yes?¡¯ The shapeshifter''s voice resonated in his mind, and Priam smiled. If the System was a crush that liked to ghost, Bechar was that dependable friend you could always count on. "After a massacre, the System offers me a second racial Talent. Can I then delete it?" ¡®You can either remove it with Potential or overwrite it with a new option,¡¯ replied the shapeshifter. "Why would I want to remove it?" Priam wondered. ¡®If you have to meet the king with his race¡¯s Talent, it won''t look good.¡¯ "Put that way... Thanks for the info. I''m heading to the Colosseum." ¡®The popcorn¡¯s ready.¡¯ Without further thought, Priam accepted the System''s offer. [Spectral Familiarity - Bronze] - Increases your familiarity with immaterial creatures. [The Reaper - Bronze] - You have directly slaughtered over 50,000 beings of the same race. If they weren''t responsible for the death of your parents, perhaps they were fundamentally evil? If not, you''re a psychopath. Fortunately for you, the System will never judge you! (That¡¯s a lie.) As you sense fear and doubt in your enemies, your instincts sharpen, allowing you to discover their every weakness. When the prey fears the hunter, it''s already dead. Strolling through the Dome, Priam smiled as he read his latest notifications. The effect of [The Reaper] was more qualitative than quantitative. To know its exact capabilities, he would have to test it in a real situation. But in practical terms, as soon as an opponent began to doubt his victory, Priam could capitalize on this feeling to defeat him. Rereading the description, Priam saw two direct consequences of this kind of Title. Firstly, he would have to be careful to control his emotions and thoughts during a fight. Skills such as [Emotional Discipline] would become important... Secondly, the System rewarded violence - at least among fighters. If all you had to do was kill fifty thousand humans to get an inferior version of [Humanity adapts]... This was terrible news. According to Bechar, the racial Talent of humans was particularly powerful. Some will hunt us... and most of my kind are not ready. Watching the people stroll down the street, Priam felt a twinge of sadness. Many were dying unnatural deaths. Revenants, Tribulations, future wars against other civilizations... So many threats to humanity. A ball rolled to his feet. Instinctively, Priam kicked at it, sending it back in the direction of some children having fun in the street. "Thank you, sir!" Priam smiled as he heard the laughter. In his opinion, humans were born as pure creatures. Sometimes soiled by life, it was always possible to regain his purity. Or so he hoped... Looking at the children at play, Priam sighed. They were not yet masters of their destiny. They needed parents to guide them. They needed protection from the horrors of this new Universe. Priam¡ªalong with a few other humans¡ªwas the only barrier between humanity and many ruthless monsters. It will be up to me to protect them. Despite everything, Priam was lucid. He was no hero. He wasn''t a shield. But I could be a spear. He shook his head. Now was not the time to think about that. His father wanted to talk to him before he left, and Priam knew it would be the time to face up to his responsibilities. But for now, he had to concentrate on the present. He had to get the space seed. "Champion, the fight was amazing!" Surprised, Priam turned around. One of the children had recognized him and was waving at him. Surprised for a moment, Priam smiled and gave a thumbs-up. A second child turned and frowned in concentration. Her face lit up a moment later, and she ran towards Priam. "It''s the CHAMPIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" Priam¡¯s laugh stopped as he watched a score of children charging at him. Their attributes were weak, but the intensity of their passion was terrifying. ... I could run away? A few minutes later, Priam finally extricated himself from the juvenile melee. Some of the parents had come to collect their offspring. Most had given him a polite smile and a nod. Some had gone so far as to smile frankly. Apparently, his victory over Prometheus had reassured most of these men and women. They had a powerful Champion. That was important to them. To escape future encounters, Priam jumped onto a roof and made to the Colosseum. This scene allowed him to confirm Mercury''s words: he was too powerful. No one would antagonize him when the System would surely place him before the threats of humanity. His only judge would be himself. It was both a power and a duty. The silhouette of the Colosseum stood out against the bright sky of the barrier, and Priam accelerated. The time for words was over. Dawn was breaking on action. Priam stepped forward as the arena doors opened. Facing him, the sandy slab was the same. Unlike last time, the stands were closed to the public. He had agreed to pay a Baron''s core to privatize his fights. A colossal sum for some, but Priam was rich. Well, rich for a human. The reason for privatization was obvious: he intended to give his all in the coming fights and didn''t want recordings or spies observing and analyzing his abilities. The only spectator Priam allowed was Bechar. A professional fight review was an excellent opportunity. The heavy door closed behind him. Priam decided that it would not open until he possessed the space seed. The gong rang. A gate lifted, letting a wild boar onto the field. Priam smiled. "To think that a week ago, these kinds of beasts seemed powerful to me..." The animal took just one step into the arena before Promesse spilled its brains onto the fine sands of the Colosseum. The first wave was already over. Promesse destroyed his opponents. The fire spear let no wave last more than a few seconds. In the misty arena, the hoplite weapon teleported from enemy to enemy like a fire bolt. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, the gong sounded again, announcing the start of the twentieth wave. A gate opened, revealing the giant tortoise that had been tormenting him. Galapagos. "How we meet again..." smiled Priam. Galapagos merely roared. Dropping to all fours, the boss aimed its cannons at Priam. A moment later, two ice balls were fired at the warrior. [Battle Flow], his draconic instinct, the perception offered by his mist and Priam''s new attributes made the attack almost slow. As if executing a dance step, Priam dodged the first cannonball. His hand grazed the second projectile, robbing it of all its kinetic energy. The block of ice fell at his feet. His energy reserves groaned slightly. They had been filled before the games began. Priam theorized that his kinetic stocks were like a cistern. Once full, it was dangerous to add water. The tank was under pressure and threatened to explode. At worst, it would kill Priam. At best, it would prevent him from storing energy. If Priam was taking the risk of storing up so much energy, it was because of his newfound draconic instinct. According to it, too much pressure would make his reserves explode, but a little pressure would slowly push his limits. Like muscles strengthening after effort... Hearing another howl, Priam refocused. His thoughts wandered as he already knew the outcome of the fight. Confidence was good, but one had to be careful of arrogance. [Focus]. Another attack flew in his direction, and Priam intercepted it again. Instead of absorbing it directly, he retransmitted the energy he had just stolen, but in the opposite direction. Subjected to four megajoules of energy, the cannonball came to a halt before deforming. An instant later, it exploded in a cloud of ice. Priam''s meridians had never protested. His constitution and resistance to erosion were finally bearing fruit. Without even looking, Priam dodged the subsequent three attacks with ease. Facing Galapagos from a distance was no longer a problem for him. "Maybe if I get closer..." Priam advanced towards the Viscount. Enraged, it increased the pace of its attacks. To no avail. Priam''s Domain used [Kinetic Control] to drain ten percent of the energy from each projectile. The same Domain instantly reused this energy to redirect each ball of ice. Galapagos was a terrifying Viscount. Its attacks sped along at over four hundred and fifty meters per second. Each one contained the equivalent of two megajoules of energy - enough to blow up a car or quickly pierce a medieval rampart. However, Domain - one of the three Supremacies - took the difficulty out of the fight. Advancing towards the boss, Priam promised himself to work on the Supremacies on his return to Elysium. It should enable him to achieve the maximum number of Tribulations possible at Tier 0. Ten seconds later, Priam arrived at close quarters. Galapagos was breathing heavily, obviously tired from the deluge of attacks. Invoking Promesse in his hand, Priam nodded in respect. He''d left it in the dust, but the boss of the twentieth wave had taught him a lot. Promesse sliced through the turtle''s flesh with ease. Galapagos collapsed. From now on, it''s all new! Moments later, another gong sounded. A kind of minotaur appeared. Almost three meters tall, the horned monster''s eyes glowed with a kind of cruel intelligence. Priam dashed toward it. A moment later, Promesse had harvested a new life. Or maybe not, considering that the System created the creatures inhabiting the Colosseum. That was why Priam couldn''t earn a Title of Nobility by fighting in the Colosseum alone. Without waiting, a new gong sounded. The System knew Priam needed no rest. The gate opened to reveal a new minotaur. This one looked different: it possessed a Murmillo gladius. Its equipment didn''t save it from a quick death. Subsequent waves saw the appearance of increasingly well-equipped Minotaurs. In the twenty-fifth wave, the Minotaurs'' father appeared. Dressed in full Murmillo gear - gladius, scutum, manica,... - it roared as soon as it detected Priam. The Earl moved into position, ready to learn from his adversary. Priam smiled at the first sword strike he parried. The Minotaur''s attributes were close to his own, and it knew how to use his weapon. Over the next few seconds, Priam familiarized himself with his enemy. His Domain allowed him to detect the Minotaur''s various attacks and footwork. The minotaur moved its right foot forward. Symmetrically, Priam moved his left foot back, keeping his distance from the mad cow. The monster''s gladius swung in a central arc in his direction. Priam prepared to absorb the blow before his instincts could react. He could take advantage of his enemy''s mistakes. The warrior leaned back in a stunt reminiscent of Neo in The Matrix. The blade passed a centimeter above him before continuing on its way. Taking advantage of his momentum, Priam''s torso continued to swing backward. Thanks to his agility, his hands soon touched the ground. His body was now forming a kind of bridge. Slightly unbalanced by its missed attack, the Minotaur had only two choices. Back off to regain its footing, or double its attack by moving forward. Priam''s Domain felt the Minotaur''s leg muscles contract. His Vivacity, coupled with [Eidetic Memory], immediately reviewed the Minotaur''s previous movements before concluding. The Minotaur was preparing to move forward. A tenth of a second after dodging the sword strike, Priam sprang into action. He merged with the mist for a fraction of a second before reappearing in the same place, but in a different position. While in the fog, he had instinctively imagined his body standing upright, and the mist had obeyed. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 45,46,47 PERC +12 CHAR +6 META (AFFI) +9 Without missing a beat, he leaped towards the Minotaur, legs forward. His feet slammed into the monster''s head, now too close to dodge. The Minotaur toppled backward, and Priam followed suit. In the air, he wrapped his legs around the Viscount''s neck and placed his hands on its horns. With one sharp twist, using all the power of his monstrous musculature, Priam snapped the neck of the twenty-fifth wave''s boss. A second after missing its attack, the Minotaur''s corpse fell, shaking the arena under its weight. Priam got to his feet, massaging his shoulders. The Minotaur''s constitution was terrifying, and his strength should not have been enough to break its neck. Micro had unlocked the limitations of his muscles, enabling its user to achieve the impossible. It was the power of a Supremacy. However, there was a downside: some of his muscles had torn. Priam sat on the ground, letting his Vitality repair his body. To pass the time, he looked at the Minotaur''s corpse and analyzed the fight. He came to a few conclusions. Firstly, each boss had more attributes than the previous one. Secondly, there was a qualitative evolution. The Minotaur had been an expert with its gladius and knew how to move in combat. It knew its body inside out. Where Priam had unlocked Micro by putting his life on the line, the Minotaur approached Supremacy by gradually familiarizing himself with its body. These battles have a lot to teach me. Suddenly, Priam had an idea. It might have been impossible, but... Focusing on Micro, Priam observed his torn muscles. Despite his Vitality, the most severe wounds would take several hours to heal. He didn''t have that kind of time. Perhaps there was another solution? Gathering his willpower, Priam tried to impress upon Micro the idea of locally increasing his regenerative abilities. If he could command his muscles to unclench, command his nerves to silence the pain, and manipulate his heartbeat, perhaps he could accelerate his healing. Focusing on the inside of his body, Priam tried to make it understand that he had to improve the healing process. For several minutes, he tried to recall his limited biological knowledge in order to take control. To no avail. The next fight would begin in less than five minutes. Priam decided to turn to his instincts. If he didn''t have the knowledge to restore himself, he might as well turn to his body, which knew how to do it on its own. The draconic instinct awakened, summoned by Priam. Merging it and Micro, Priam tried again to speed up his healing. This time, the magic worked. His muscle tissue began to tremble and repair itself. After a few seconds, his body was as good as new. Priam smiled as he rose to his feet, before collapsing to the ground, dizzy. There seemed to be a cost to this kind of fast care. "But it''s possible," he gloated as he sat down again. He still had two minutes before the next fight. Analyzing what he''d just done, Priam''s smile widened as he watched Micro. His Supremacy seemed more... imposing. Stage 1 was near. One minute before the start of the twenty-sixth wave, the System reminded Priam to select his prize. Wave 25 completed. Congratulations! Choose a skill: Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 413 Agility 296 Vitality 421 Perception 499 (+14) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 333 Memory 71 Willpower 447 Charisma 375 (+9) META: Meta-affinity 245 (+9) Meta-focus 178 Meta-endurance 124 Meta-perception 76 Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5915 (+9) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 19 hours 36 minutes 0 second. Chapter 103: Rewards. Lots of rewards! Choose a skill: Priam activated [Bullet Time]. Why hurry when you can speed up your perception of time? Content to watch the world slow down, Priam began to ponder again. [Combat placement] seemed an exciting way to dominate a battle and could complement [Battle Flow]. The two skills were distinct but close. [Spear Mastery] was a skill Priam had long wanted to unlock. Squeezing Promesse in his hand, he felt a familiarity with it. With this skill, he could master it better and get the most out of it. He would finally be worthy of wielding such a mighty spear. Promesse vibrated even more, and Priam frowned. He still didn''t understand precisely what his spear was up to, but it seemed... annoyed. Suddenly, he laughed. He was fighting better and better with his partner. His linked weapon was proud of them. Too proud to accept help from the System. "I''ll soon be worthy of you..." murmured Priam, stroking his weapon. [Spear Mastery] was of common rarity, and he would undoubtedly unlock the skill in the coming days. Promesse shifted its vibration frequency, satisfied. That left [Human Anatomy]. The skill would have seemed of little use to him until recently. However, it would be helpful in improving Micro. Besides, humanity had done a lot of research into the human body. By asking Mercury, he could find scientists and doctors capable of teaching him anatomy. The skill would quickly gain in level. Time was getting shorter and shorter. Instinctively, Priam guided more aether into [Bullet Time]. The skill redoubled its efforts. Lvl Up : [Bullet Time] lvl 15 PERC +3 Perception exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Priam froze. His senses were evolving. As if a filter had been removed from his eyes, he could see clearly for the first time. Billions of colors, shades of light, were opening up to him. He could see infrared, he could see ultraviolet. Maybe even more... His eyes were capturing wavelengths normally impossible for humans. His ears now heard new frequencies. The simple beat of his heart created a sound wave. Bouncing off the sand and the arena walls, it allowed him to locate himself. All his senses were now alert. The five basic senses, but also other lesser-known ones. Priam could feel his body''s position in space with incredible clarity. He could feel the temperature gradients of his skin caressed by the wind. A new world was opening up to him. Time was running out. The next fight was coming, and he had to make a decision. He would experiment with his new senses later. Priam''s thoughts sped up again, and he came up with an idea. The classic enhancement to [Human Anatomy] should be [High Human Anatomy]. This would allow him to get to know his body better. It would be a major breakthrough, essential to unlock Micro''s Stage 2. Maybe even to unlock a Tier 2 race. Priam validated the option. You have gained a new skill [Human Anatomy - Common]. [Human Anatomy] - Anatomy is the study of the structure and form of an organism. The organs and tissues that make up the body have relationships that anatomy analyzes. This skill enables its user to glean knowledge about humans and, to a lesser extent, the superior races based on humanity. Observing, analyzing, dissecting and studying your body will provide invaluable knowledge. After a thorough analysis of your anatomy, here''s a piece of information: the size of your reproductive system is about average. Congratulations! MEM +1 "YES! Memory!" exulted Priam, ignoring the System''s comment. He was the only High Human in the world, of course he was average. To celebrate his new Memory point, Priam tried out a few steps of a victory dance. Step right, step left. Right arm in the air, left arm in front of the face, then turn around. After two turns, Priam remembered Bechar''s presence. Coughing, he used Micro to prevent his cheeks from turning red. Simultaneously, he turned his dancing into stretching, without much conviction. Past a hundred in Agility, muscles were always ready for action... Rereading his notification, Priam''s shame disappeared, replaced by his analytical mind. [Human Anatomy] was already taking effect. The basic skill required specific knowledge that Priam didn''t have. Therefore, The System had given him a certain amount of valuable data on the human body and his own body. Coupled with Micro, this information already enhanced his abilities and gave him plenty of ideas. Using [Eidetic Memory], he recalled the acceleration of his regeneration. He winced as he contemplated all his mistakes. In practical terms, he had exhausted his body for a suboptimal result. However, it wasn''t all in vain. With a bit of training, he was pretty sure he could optimize this restoration. The gong sounded again in the arena and Priam smiled. It was time to polish his skills. The boss of the thirtieth wave was still a Viscount. About the same level as the Cyclops who had ruled New Earth, the centaur had been a superb training partner. During the twenty seconds of the match. Select reward... Priam smiled as he read the new notification. He knew the rewards were limited, but even so, he felt like a child unwrapping Christmas presents. Reward: One of humankind''s most prized pre-integration gifts: "What the... A baby isn¡¯t a gift, dude!" Once his disbelief had passed, Priam sighed as he looked again at the various rewards. These were clearly not his favorite rewards, but at second glance... Some of them could be interesting. Priam understood the System''s choice. For an advanced race, receiving an improved folk gift could be interesting. Had the Champion Hoplite been in his place, there was little doubt that he would have received highly advanced genetic modification vials. Unfortunately for Priam, he was - almost - human. As such, the gifts were disappointing. Priam shook his head. No reward could be truly frustrating. There had to be something else... Lvl Up : [Bullet Time] lvl 16 PERC +3 Let''s think about it. Without Sphinx, a dog or cat of a superior breed might have been an excellent companion to combat loneliness and help him in Elysium. However, Priam was aiming for the fiftieth wave and intended to take Sphinx with him. Eliminated. A baby was out of the question. He wanted children, but... later. Above all, he intended to offer his children an exceptional living environment. Elysium, where the temperature and gravity were extreme, and psychopaths like Arnold were on the loose, wasn''t a place for babies. Eliminated. That left the jewel or the seeds. Priam eliminated the jewel, remembering his battle with the wyvern. He would face opponents far stronger than himself. He would dance with death. Inevitably, he would die. A bracelet he could lose after his death was out of the question. Of course, he could link it to himself - like Promesse - to prevent theft. But any enemy would be suspicious of the bracelet''s disappearance after Priam''s death. It was different for Promesse. Priam had no solution and the benefits outweighed the risks. Let¡¯s go with the seed. With a bit of luck, Log-a-rhythm could analyze or absorb it. The question remained: cocoa, coffee or tea. Priam turned to Bechar, who was watching the show with a bucket of popcorn. "Bechar, I hesitate between a few rewards: coffee, tea or cocoa?" he shouted. Shaking his head, the Colosseum supervisor replied. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "I''m afraid I can''t help you Priam. I got a slap on my wrists from helping you last time. I don''t even know the taste of some of the things you mentioned..." Priam smiled and selected the cocoa. A seed appeared, and he placed it in his purse. The three resources were each interesting, but Bechar''s non-answer had eliminated tea. Indeed, Bechar was bound to know the taste of this plant - Priam had been able to steal a few leaves from certain factions, proof that it was known in this universe. Bechar''s formulation implied that he knew neither cocoa nor coffee. Coffee was a beverage that not everyone enjoyed. Chocolate - more or less sweetened - was more readily accepted. The Concepts universe was unfamiliar with cocoa and its derivative products, and Priam was determined to right this wrong. For a price, of course. The gong rang. Hyshana sighed as she ventured back into the arena. No matter how hard the hoplite champion tried to get past the forty-fifth wave, she kept failing. The reward - a wish - remained beyond her reach. Let''s face it, she was stuck. Not at the fortieth wave, but at the thirty-fifth. The basilisk was too powerful. Twelve minutes. It was her average time to defeat the first thirty-four waves. A grate opened in the ground, releasing a gigantic serpent. Thirty meters long, with emerald scales stronger than the finest hoplite steel, and titanic physical attributes, the boss showed itself. Hyshana readied her sword and took up the heron''s stance. The snake turned its petrifying gaze towards her. The air began to vibrate, as if a vise were closing on her Mecha armor. Activating her Mastery, Hyshana cut off the snake''s concept of petrification. Or was it a skill? The warrior didn''t know precisely what her sword was cutting. Freed, she charged towards the snake. The blade of her sword flashed blue. Dodging an attack capable of splitting it in two, the basilisk hissed. Opening its mouth, the creature spat out a sphere of venom. The Champion knew from experience that this attack could dissolve any metal. The hoplite activated her armor''s overclock and accelerated. The ball of venom annihilated a portion of the sand behind her. Annoyed, the basilisk used the power of its eyes again as it stepped back. Hyshana''s attributes, enhanced by the Mecha armor, gave her the impetus to leap into the air. The basilisk broke eye contact when Hyshana found herself between it and the sun. Landing on contact with the boss, Hyshana stabbed it. Once, twice, six times. Her Mastery expired and [Sonar] detected an attack. Hyshana activated [Bastion] and her armor turned black as night. The basilisk''s tail slammed into the mecha without leaving a trace. Suddenly, a damage notification appeared. Her sword looked like a sieve and Hyshana winced. The basilisk''s blood was acidic. On her sixth piercing attack, the protection afforded by Mastery had dissipated. Supremacy was not all-powerful... Annoyed, the Champion jumped back to dodge another blow from the tail. [Bastion] had a cooldown of almost ten seconds before she could tank another attack. The snake''s attack split the arena slab and raised a cloud of sand. [Sonar] detected the boss''s next move. Hyshana took a step forward and raised her fist. [Uppercut #3] shattered one of the basilisk''s fangs as it tried to swallow her. The wounded snake instantly attacked again. Swift as lightning, its head slammed into Hyshana''s mecha before she could get back into position. Thrown backward, she had no time to act before she was covered in acid. Her armor began to melt and the champion activated the emergency expulsion. The back of the mecha opened up, allowing her to extract herself quickly. In a final sacrifice, the mecha charged toward the basilisk before exploding. The arena shook again, and Hyshana sighed before pulling herself together. She had a fight to finish. Her eyes tried to pierce the smoke created by the explosion. Exhausted, the hoplite grimaced at the result. The basilisk itself had turned to stone to withstand the blast. Damages were minimal. A crack echoed through the arena. The basilisk was molting, shedding its shell of rock. Without giving it time to recover, Hyshana sprang into action. Leaping towards the monster''s head, she wrapped her hand in her Mastery. [Mastery - Sword] was specialized in swords, but by convincing herself that her forearm was a blade, she could create a sad copy of her Supremacy. It was enough to penetrate the stone. Her arm sliced through the basilisk''s eye and landed right before the boss''s brain. It was impossible to advance any further, the stone blocked her shoulder. The Champion''s arm was not long enough to reach the vital organ. [Vacuum wave]. The inside of its skull was crushed to a pulp. Hyshana fell back to the ground and decided to leave the arena. She had already won the fortieth wave, but without Mecha or a weapon, she had no chance of defeating the forty-fifth. It''s almost hopeless... Hyshana''s eyes hardened. For her husband, family and people, she would do it. The boss of the thirty-fifth wave was a Viscount rank basilisk. At least, that''s how the System identified it. [Identification] [Juvenile Basilisk - Tier 0 - Viscount] - One of the snake kings. Born from the blood of Medusa''s severed head, the basilisk possesses strong petrifying powers. Its blood is also poisonous, as well as being extremely acidic. Its shiny scales give it excellent resistance. The impressive physical attributes of this legendary creature make it a formidable foe. Will you be Perseus or an extra in the second Harry Potter film? The snake straightened up and observed its surroundings. Mist obscured the arena, rendering its petrification useless. It hissed, then stuck out its tongue, sniffing the air. Instantly, it turned in Priam''s direction. The warrior sighed. His mist still couldn''t completely hide him from his enemies. A ball of liquid flew in his direction and Priam ducked. The fluid crashed to the ground, turning sand into smoke. Frowning, Priam bent over and dipped his left pinkie into the acid. Lvl Up : [Acid Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +1 Cutting off his pain, Priam watched his finger as the basilisk drew closer. Despite his constitution and acid resistance, his little finger was a sight to behold. The skin was partially corroded, and the toxin was spreading through his blood. Priam wouldn''t have wanted to swim in it. Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 11 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 An excellent resistance partner... When I finish my run. Raising his head, Priam activated Micro and [Dodge], avoiding a powerful tail strike that shook the arena. The snake stood still, then stuck out its tongue. The mist was preventing it from confirming its victory. Lvl Up : [Dodge] lvl 14 AGI +1 Priam tightened his grip on Promesse and attacked. The spear tore through the snake''s scales. Poisoned blood spurted in his direction. Grimacing, Priam leaped back. The snake howled and spat several spheres of venom in his direction. Domain redirected the projectiles and Priam leaped towards the monster''s skull. It was time to end the fight. The snake¡¯s head turned towards the human and attacked. Priam felt his body freeze. Instinctively, he activated Domain and the sensation dissipated. Priam closed his eyes, deciding to end the fight blind. His mist took over: the snake was now less than a meter away. Priam expended a kinetic charge to dodge the monster''s fangs, pulling 20 G''s of acceleration. Without evenly distributing the force and his superb constitution, he would have lost consciousness. As the snake''s head grazed him, Priam froze in mid-air. [Battle Flow] offered a possible counterattack. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse easily penetrated the monster''s scales, skull and brain. Lvl Up : [Battle Flow] lvl 5 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Priam landed lightly on the ground and opened his eyes. Observing the corpse, he analyzed the fight. The snake had been mighty. Perhaps as powerful as Safamu. The next boss will be an Earl... In spite of its terrifying physical abilities, the basilisk had stumbled on a bone. Its petrification attacks were useless against Priam. His mist and Domain let him fight with his eyes closed. The fight hadn''t lasted more than ten seconds. "That was easy," smiled Priam. Reward: Choose two skills to merge. Rarity limit: Common or Rare rank. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 415 (+2) Agility 298 (+2) Vitality 423 (+2) Perception 508 (+9) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 335 (+2) Memory 72( +1) Willpower 447 Charisma 375 META: Meta-affinity 245 Meta-focus 178 Meta-endurance 125 (+1) Meta-perception 76 Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5926 (+11) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 56 minutes 17 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 19 hours 29 minutes 30 seconds. Chapter 104: He Who Lost His Heart Reward: Choose two skills to merge. Rarity limit: Common or Rare rank. Priam frowned as he read the reward. He had already fused [Thermal Resistance] with [Heat Resistance] to create [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism]. That was thanks to a Silver Rank Title, but it proved possible without a reward. Maybe not easy, but definitely possible. However, the first question was: What was the point of merging two skills? It meant less Potential and attributes at each level up. Even if merging increased the skill''s rarity, losing two Rare skills and gaining one Epic skill was a bad calculation. After all, he had unlocked the System just two weeks earlier. Priam would have taken a gamble that he would upgrade a skill to Epic rank within a week. Looking up at Bechar, he saw the changeling wince. His source of answers had dried up. He couldn''t ask the supervisor to sabotage his career for a few tricks. There was only one solution left... ¡®Lord Phoenix, I have a question...'' began Priam. ¡®There are no Abominations left on the Moon, and I intend to honor this Quest. You shall have my light. However, I was waiting for the World Seed rather than simply illuminate your mental space,'' explained the Phoenix. Priam blinked before bowing in no particular direction. ''Thank you, but I wasn''t thinking of that.'' ''...'' When it became clear that the Phoenix wouldn''t for further explanation, Priam continued. ¡®I''ve got a reward from the System,'' explained Priam. ''I was wondering what the point of merging two skills is.'' ''It''s a way to transform two unfamiliar skills into a useful one, for which you have a great affinity.'' ''...and the lost attributes?" couldn''t help asking Priam. ''They will come quickly and will be accompanied by Tribulations. Soon, you will fear them more than you cherish them. Even without considering the System, attributes are a quantitative expression of your power. Multiplying your attributes tenfold won¡¯t be enough to reach the last ten waves of the Colosseum; obtaining a legendary skill will.'' ''But¡ª'' ''No more questions. You''re not a chick who needs to be reassured constantly,'' reprimanded the Phoenix. Priam nodded while reconsidering his problem in light of the phoenix''s explanations. A rare skill could reach level forty. That was the equivalent of one hundred and twenty attribute points. A huge number for a beginner and a drop in the ocean for a dragon. If he ever wanted to face this kind of mythical creature, Priam would need powerful skills. He was greedy, but not to the point of sacrificing a bright future for immediate gain. Priam didn''t want to be a shooting star, he wanted to be a shining star. ''I understand. Any advice on how to choose those two skills?'' He could let his newfound draconic instincts guide him, but a little advice couldn''t hurt. He didn''t even have to listen to them. ''Choose skills that have potential but don''t resonate with you. Avoid primordial skills. Trust your instincts.'' One word had caught Priam''s eye. ''Primordial skills?'' ''[Aether Manipulation] for example. Right now, it''s a basic skill, but if it reaches the Zenith... Rewriting and manipulating aether would give you power equivalent to one of the Seven Great Concepts. Don''t dilute it,'' finished the Phoenix. Priam felt the discussion was over and mentally thanked the mythical bird. The Phoenix''s consciousness faded and Priam found himself alone with his thoughts. First of all, he directly dismissed his resistances. These would evolve naturally to meet his needs. The next moment, he mentally crossed out all the skills he thought he could raise to Legendary rank without too much difficulty. I need to eliminate two skills that are of little use to me, but whose fusion would become useful, Priam summarized. For a moment, he hesitated to merge [Art of Movement] and [Dodge]. The various bosses had shown him that his movements in combat were suboptimal. However, both skills were not really violence-oriented. Priam intended to create a footwork skill over the next few fights. If he failed, he would use his Potential. This operation would have to be carried out in Elysium: Mercury had confirmed that skill creation was more or less expensive depending on aether density. It was one of the reasons why [Kinetic Control] had cost so little. Maybe I could merge different perception skills... That would allow me to centralize my perception. Priam thought he had a good idea but could only combine two skills. For the moment... Lvl Up : [Bullet Time] lvl 17 PERC +3 Reading the notification, Priam had an idea. His time was precious. [Bullet Time] was currently quite weak, but its effect had potential. Yet it was almost useless in combat for a simple reason: his Perception was far superior to his Vivacity. By activating [Bullet Time], Priam accelerated his perception of the world. But it was the weakest link in the chain that decided his resistance. His Vivacity was already unable to process all the information gathered by his perception. Outside combat, [Bullet Time] was useful when concentrating on himself. In a fight, the influx of data was too great. This was a major weakness. One possibility for improvement was to increase his training time. If he could train twenty-five hours a day where his enemies would train twenty-four hours... This kind of skill had to exist, but their rarity would be at least legendary. On the other hand, it should be possible to increase his thinking time when studying the aether, the System and his skills. Indeed, Priam intended to explore his new environment as soon as he had the time. For this reason, Priam selected [Bullet Time] and [Meditation]. [Focus] might have done the trick, but the skill was too valuable in combat for him to risk destroying it. His goal was simple: to have more time to think, mentally confront his enemies, and include a perception component in his meditation. Fusion of [Bullet Time - Rare] - lvl 17 and [Meditation - Rare] - lvl 14... You have gained a new skill [Frozen Meditation - Rare] - lvl 15 [Frozen Meditation] - Your meditation is so deep that it changes your perception of the world. Your thoughts accelerate as the world seems to freeze. Your body slows down and your sensitivity increases. You are an iceberg; those who neglect the submerged part will suffer the Titanic''s fate. PERC +1 WILL +2 Priam sat cross-legged, testing his creation. [Frozen Meditation] was triggered, and the world slowed down, before fading away. All that remained was Priam, his thoughts, memories and objectives. Priam activated Micro and watched his Supremacy take control of his body. As if in slow motion, he analyzed his muscles, nerves, tendons and blood flow. He had so much to learn. Micro had so much to offer and [Frozen Meditation] was showing every one of his mistakes. Micro''s second stage was at hand. Priam focused on it. A cheerful thought crossed his mind, only to be crushed immediately. Under the effect of the skill, Priam was ridding himself of the superfluous, seeking only to improve himself. He was free of all attachments, moved only by his will to evolve. [Frozen Meditation] was more than a general skill. It was tailored for Priam. The gong finally sounded. Priam canceled his skill and immediately began to hyperventilate. The skill was of rare rank, but... it was as terrifying as an Epic-rank skill. His meditation transformed him into a near-perfect being, and the difference in temporal flow drowned out his perception of the world. Without the gong, Priam would have been on his feet for hours. Maybe even days. He wouldn''t have stopped until he reached Micro''s second stage. "I have to be careful..." he murmured, looking up. He still had to stay in command of his mind. At the other end of the arena, a wave broke. A Viscount-ranked mermaid surfed towards him. Her beauty was unreal. Hair the color of fire, scales that looked so soft... Priam wanted nothing more than to cut up the creature trying to manipulate his thoughts. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Promesse, as faithful as ever, exploded the mermaid''s skull. Even in death, the monster''s charisma made her impossibly attractive. In the following waves, Priam learned more about his Charisma. In addition to making the user beautiful, charming and attractive, and his words spellbinding, the attribute also protected him from the charisma of others. Arriving in the arena, the boss of the fortieth wave began with pressurized water jets. Priam dodged four attacks and parried the fifth with Promesse. When he looked up, he saw a veritable tsunami. The siren had summoned a terrifying wave moving at Maglev speed. Rather than absorb the kinetic energy of such a wave, Priam teleported behind it. A few yards away, the blond creature with sapphire eyes gazed at him tenderly. The force of her charisma came crashing down on Priam. Taken by surprise, the young Earl fell to his knees. How could he dare harm a creature of such perfection? His weakened hand let Promesse slip out and cut into his foot. Momentarily awake, Priam activated [Emotional Discipline] and [Focus]. Lvl Up : [Emotional Discipline] lvl 3 WILL +3 His thoughts cleared for a moment before he felt a caress. In one fluid movement, the siren''s hand lifted his head. Priam''s eyes looked into the mermaid''s and time stopped. Lvl Up : [Emotional Discipline] lvl 4 WILL +3 A moment later, an intense pain shot through his chest. Stunned, Priam used Micro and understood. His left heart had disappeared. Satisfied, the siren retracted her charismatic aura and gave him a cruel smile. Priam activated his Domain and his own charismatic aura. Realizing her mistake, the Siren made eyes at him again. She had restored her charisma, but too late: Priam''s aura protected him. Mentally, he reminded himself never to deactivate his Domain. Until now, he''d avoided doing so, so as not to unconsciously manipulate others. Lvl Up : [Emotional Discipline] lvl 5 WILL +3 Priam took hold of the mermaid''s hand, which was still embedded in his chest. Aided by Micro, he locked his grip. With a cruel grimace, Priam activated two charges of [Kinetic Control]. The first expelled him backward. The second threw the siren away from him. For a moment, nothing happened. After a second, a disturbing sound was heard. The siren''s shoulder joint struggled against Priam''s grip. Priam''s Constitution rose above. A horrible sucking sound was heard, and the mermaid¡¯s shoulder freed her arm. The boss was brutally propelled backward. Priam threw the bloody limb into the water that now covered the arena. The boss'' body ricocheted three times on the liquid surface before collapsing against the opposite wall. Promesse prevented her from rising again by pinning her head to the wall. The boss of the fortieth wave, an Earl, was no more. Activating the first Merit of [Tribulation Wyvern Heart], Priam regenerated his heart, stopping the bleeding. Reward: Mythological modification. Precision: semi-unique reward. Whatever you choose will no longer be available to anyone else in that reward round. Priam squinted as he noticed two of the rewards crossed out. He was fairly certain no human had reached wave forty before him. There was only one explanation: this list of rewards was shared across all civilizations captured at the same time as humanity. Had Arnold the homunculus selected one of those rewards? Clenching his fists, Priam took a deep breath before smiling. In a way, this third-place position gave him a clue about his rivals'' abilities. It was the kind of advantage he wouldn¡¯t turn his nose up at. Memorizing the two rewards already claimed, he scanned the list again, focused on making his own choice. Without more detail, it was difficult to choose; nevertheless, unique rewards had to be interesting. It was strange to note that he had never appreciated body modifications. He had never had a tattoo, for example. Yet, since the System, his point of view had changed. Survival left no room for hesitation. Two modifications interested him. Prometheus'' Chain and Hecate''s New Moon seemed to resonate with his path. Finally, Priam eliminated Prometheus'' chains. Depending on the story, the titan had sacrificed himself more or less willingly. Some portrayed him as a liberator. Others, as an immortal seeking to undermine Zeus'' authority. All stories ended with his eternal torture. Priam had enough chains to wear without putting up with those of others. Selected award: Hecate''s New Moon. Priam blinked and found himself back in space. Clinging to the firmament, countless stars shone brightly. The infinite blackness was terrifying. As a primal terror awoke within him, a force soothed him. Or rather, sealed the emotion. Priam swallowed as he looked ahead. Part of the firmament was starless. Before Priam laid an invisible moon. Colder than the Sun, lonelier than the planets, more secretive than the oceans. The Moon had two faces, and accepted Priam''s masks. If the Full Moon revealed vices and released demons, vampires and other horrors, the New Moon sealed them. The Moon influenced the tide. Any waves that arose were doomed to crash. Priam would make sure of that. A gong sounded again. Priam blinked before wiping away the tears that had appeared there. Am I crying? His eyes were burning, and seemed to be the new seat of the New Moon. I¡¯ll check that later¡­ Directing his gaze towards a gate, Priam saw a suit of armor cautiously approaching. Medieval in style, the armor had the distinction of being empty. At least, that''s what the mist seeping through the gaps in the helmet told him. The armor held an impressive longsword, and Priam inclined his head. The boss would certainly be interesting to defeat. On a mental command, the mist concentrated, taking the form of a chain. Encircling the armor, it immobilized it before contracting. Like a tin can, the Viscount crumpled in on itself. Priam smiled as he felt the new strength of his mist. His affinity - his Harmony - with the concept of mist had increased. Better still, [Moon Mist] had gained in strength. Priam sensed other changes and decided to test them directly. A new gong sounded, and Priam watched a dozen armors approaching. Shaking his head, he decided to rush the boss. There''s nothing like mortal combat to make rapid progress. It was all the more accurate thanks to his draconic instincts. Promesse slaughtered half the armors, and [Moon Mist] took care of the other half. The forty-third wave was unleashed. Fifty armors, each capable of facing Blueberry, appeared. Priam shook his head and smiled. Spending a little Potential, he created fifty ice spears. Propelled by [Kinetic Control], each one decapitated a suit of armor. POT -10 The forty-fourth wave offered a hundred suits of armor. Priam regained control of the fifty ice spears and finished the wave in three seconds. It was now evident that a powerhouse could absolutely destroy an army on his own. More than ever, Priam was determined to take his fate into his own hands. The gong sounded, and a suit of armor appeared in front of Priam. Surprised, he stepped back to identify it. [Haunted Swordmaster¡¯s Armor - Tier 0 - Earl] - The armor of a Tier 2 Noble. It continues to fight after his Master''s defeat. Unable to think independently, its reflexes and techniques are nonetheless terrifying. Perhaps one day, your clothes will try to avenge you. Or not, as you''re constantly walking around naked. Have you no shame? The green-hued armor shifted into a combat stance, and Priam stood on guard. The siren had destroyed one of his hearts in a matter of seconds. This new boss seemed very crude. Priam smiled as he watched the master-at-arms. It was his chance to learn how to fight correctly. The haunted armor leaped at him without warning. Its speed eclipsed Priam''s. Surprised, he tried to move to his right. The boss was already waiting for him there and tried to slash at him. Promesse stepped in to parry. Like a snake, the sword''s blade seemed to become fluid and wrapped itself around the spear. A second after the fight had begun, the tip of the sword struck a layer of ice that Priam had hastily created. [Kinetic Control] absorbed the energy of the blow. Despite that, Priam coughed up blood. A terrifying force laid behind the attack - Priam''s meridians were burning him. Moreover, some of the kinetic energy had gone undetected by his skill. What was that?! His organs had taken quite a beating. Micro repelled the pain, but the damage was still there. Without giving him time to think, the boss pressed his advantage. This time, the sword was aimed at his head, and Priam stepped back. With a thought, he seized the fifty or so spears scattered around the arena. Stepping back to avoid another attack, Priam focused on a spear behind the boss. Taking advantage of this blind spot, he propelled it towards the monster at the speed of a sniper''s bullet. In a supernaturally graceful movement, the warrior armor rotated, parrying the attack. The spear burst into a cloud of ice crystals. Taking advantage of the attack''s kinetic energy, the boss leaped at Priam. Such was the boss''s speed that Priam wasn''t confident of being able to dodge or teleport fast enough. Shit! [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse dashed forward to meet the haunted monster. The monster''s sword met the spear and... canceled the attack. Priam''s eyes widened as he consulted his perception. At breakneck speed, the boss had attacked eight times in a fraction of a second. Each blow, concentrated precisely on the tip of Promesse, had gradually stripped the skill of its power. Priam''s instincts screamed: he would die if he remained surprised. To keep the boss busy, Priam transmitted kinetic energy to the remaining forty-nine spears. Like a heavy machine gun, all the spears shot at the boss at over a kilometer per second. The armor flashed with contempt as Priam put distance between them. An instant before contact, the armor burst into flames. A green inferno now burned within it. Moving impossibly fast, the boss cut through forty-nine spears in an instant. Each spear could have pierced a tank, but to Priam''s surprise, none scratched the monster. The flames gained in intensity, and the haunted swordmaster''s armor disappeared. Priam''s surprise increased further when he felt the enemy''s sword pierce him. For the third time that day, Priam lost his heart. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 236 Constitution 415 Agility 298 Vitality 423 Perception 512 (+4) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 335 Memory 72 Willpower 462 (+15) Charisma 375 META: Meta-affinity 245 Meta-focus 178 Meta-endurance 125 Meta-perception 76 Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5926 (+0) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 50 minutes 4 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 19 hours 23 minutes 17 seconds. Chapter 105: Wrath of the Tribulation The armor''s instinct - or rather some trained tendencies from copied memories - worked against it. Most of its opponents died after losing their hearts. The organ often gained in importance during a Tier-up. Of course, some Tier 2s specialized in survival didn''t need their hearts. However, its opponent was a mere Tier 0; the attack should have killed him instantly. Therefore, the armor''s limited intelligence was surprised when the warrior placed his hand on its breastplate. Recognizing a possible danger, it tried to back away. Its wish was granted. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 28,29 META (END) +6 Priam suffered a violent coughing fit as he contemplated the flying armor. Blood covered the sand of the arena. His meridians were on fire - or so he felt. Despite his constitution and resistance, they never seemed able to withstand his techniques. I guess discharging a quarter of my reserves at once doesn''t help... The boss''s landing was as swift as it was hard. A fraction of a second after triggering his skill, Priam felt the arena shake. A spray of sand and a terrifying shockwave followed. The cloak of mist covered Priam''s face before condensing, protecting its wearer. A few seconds later, the mist partly dissipated. The [Healing Meridians] were already taking action. Priam looked in the direction of his opponent. The armor would be damaged, but he knew it could still fight. He gave it time to get up. It was competent, and he wanted to learn. Handling his spear with the strength of a giant and the grace of an undead grated on him. Since he had passed the five-hundred mark in perception, this attribute had evolved. His superhuman ears detected a sound. A tiny metallic creak confirmed that his training partner could still move. Priam positioned himself and triggered [Focus]. Part of his consciousness took advantage of the respite to analyze the start of the fight. The armor had slightly superior attributes, but Priam hadn''t marginally lost out. He had been crushed. Of course, he could have drowned the arena in mist, summoned gigantic blocks of ice and unleashed a kinetic tornado of cataclysmic proportions. He would have won the fight in the long run. That was not his objective. This fight could maybe propel him to a higher level of mastery. The armor was well within Micro''s Stage 1 - it was the only explanation for why its power had increased when it had cut through his ice spears. Priam wanted it too. He didn''t have time to meditate under waterfalls for decades. There had to be a faster way. Survival. The sand fell back to the ground as the boss finally rose. Priam turned his attention back to the fight. A distinct hand mark was visible on the breastplate. Dented in multiple places, the armor was a sight to behold but hadn''t let go of its sword. It made a few movements, testing its range of motion. Despite its appearance, the armor still radiated a dangerous aura. Priam''s eyes were focused. A second later, he copied his opponent''s movements. He didn''t have the same muscles, but he knew there had to be a purpose in these exercises. Despite his high level of agility, Priam felt his muscles protest. The pain revealed his weak points. He was on the right track. Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 6 AGI + 1 The boss stopped, and Priam did the same. [Focus] was running at full speed, and his perception tracked the slightest movement of the armor. He didn''t seek to understand - that would come later. Right now, he intended to adapt. Without fanfare, the boss leaped in his direction. Priam noticed immediately that it was slower than before. Silently, the sword swung at Priam, who raised Promesse. Like a snake, the sword trembled before bending, passing under Priam''s guard, and touching... nothing. Priam had dodged nimbly, shifting his weight at the last moment. He countered with [Spear Strike]. Promesse accelerated towards the armor, which parried the attack. The boss moved to its right. Like a mirror image, Priam moved symmetrically to his left. The sword moved forward again, and Promesse blocked the strike. The armor attempted a kick, and Priam dodged backward. The armor stepped forward, and the spear''s tip appeared in its path. Seeming to wrap itself around the weapon, the sword magically bypassed it and continued. Priam concentrated as the sword entered his Domain. Within his sphere of authority, the sword''s illusions lost their effectiveness. Priam moved forward, sliding Promesse''s shaft against the boss''s blade. Abruptly raising the end of the shaft, he dragged the sword in a vertical movement. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 2 STR+1 With another step, Priam found himself in hand-to-hand combat and headbutted the armor. The latter stepped back and returned to guard. Priam wiped the blood from his forehead and smiled. The two adversaries assessed each other before resuming. Gradually, the fight began to follow the rules of a game. Objectively, the armor was a better fighter. Fortunately, Priam could see further ahead, learn and adapt. An unknown feint found its way into Priam''s guard and nicked his right pectoral. The blade barely had time to sink in before [Kinetic Control] stopped it. Promesse returned to the charge, and the boss had to dodge a swift [Spear Strike]. The dance of death continued. Priam''s perception analyzed the armor''s every move. His instinct and Vivacity were changing Priam''s style in real-time. Every feint, every blow, every dodge was imprinted in his memory. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 6 PERC +1 DEXT +2 The flames enveloping the armor began to grow. Priam stood on guard, watching both the enemy sword and his opponent''s shoulders, legs and pelvis movements. The sword advanced, and Priam blocked. He moved straight back into position to parry another volley of blows. His right leg trembled, weakening under the assault. Concentrating on [Dodge], Priam stepped back and repositioned himself. The armor attacked his legs and met Promesse. Priam had driven his weapon into the ground, like a pillar designed to block the sword''s slash. Priam dropped his weapon as he saw another attack coming. He jumped back, closely followed by the armor. Reinvoking Promesse, he once again blocked a blow from his waist. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 3 STR+1 The assault continued, and Priam winced as he received another wound on his arm. I can¡¯t remain passive. A tentacle of mist shot from his shoulder towards the armor. It was harmless, but his opponent couldn''t know that. The boss raised his sword to parry, and Priam accelerated with [Kinetic Control]. [Spear Strike]! Promesse disappeared beneath the speed. Sensing the danger, and with no way of parrying, the specter used his trump card. The hoplite spear hit the air, sending a harmless gust of wind toward his opponent. The latter was now more than ten meters away from Priam. His movement had been so swift that he''d thought it was teleportation. His Domain reassured him by deciphering the movement used by the boss. Its feet had taken up a particular position, creating a kind of aether web beneath them. Like a spring, the web had catapulted the boss backward. No, the web had been there all along... Priam analyzed the boss''s web in an instant. [Eidetic Memory] combined with Vivacity recreated the technique under his own feet. A moment later, Priam was sliding forward, supported by a fine aether structure. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 9 META (PERC) +1 If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 A meter away, he bent his knees and leaped forward, saturating the aether wire. The energy broke the wire, creating a force that propelled Priam forward. The next instant, he used [Kinetic Control] to stop himself. In a fraction of a second, he had covered some twenty meters. [Battle Footwork] - You know how to move in battle. Your feet are your supports, the pillars that connect you to the earth. Your legs are agile, able to move quickly to reposition yourself. Your torso and arms don''t stay static. You begin to incorporate aether into your movements. Combat is a dance, but don''t attempt a moonwalk on the battlefield. AGI +2 DEXT +1 Priam smiled as he deciphered the final piece of the puzzle. A glance at the armor widened his smile. For the first time in the fight, the boss was in a defensive position. Priam used [Battle Footwork] to close in, then pressed his advantage with [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 7 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 The warrior canceled the attack, and Priam smiled. The violent clash of weapons disturbed his mist, but not his Domain. He registered the warrior''s technique to strike ten times on the tip of Promesse. Last time, it had taken only eight blows. It''s getting tired. The technique was exquisite, but needed to be executed without error. Could a haunted armor make a mistake? Let''s find out! [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The boss''s sword changed color. Turning crimson, it succeeded in blocking Promesse. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Glowing runes lit along the enemy''s blade. The impact was extremely violent. The swordsman''s haunted armor retreated several meters as it parried the spear. The armor went down on one knee, and Priam gathered up his reserves of aether. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 8 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 [Tribulation Piercing Spear]... The fourth use shattered the armor''s guard. The sword was thrown aside violently, and the spear came close to the boss''s helmet. Faced with its demise, the armor transformed. The rust disappeared, and a red cape appeared on its back. The green flames permeating it turned red. The boss stood up. One way or another, the fight was coming to an end. Accelerating sharply, the swordsman''s specter moved its head, dodging Promesse''s tip. Priam had no time to react before the boss slipped into his guard. A gauntlet struck him in the stomach, knocking his breath out. Bent in two, Priam saw an iron knee coming to meet him. Priam''s mind was clear as he saw the attack approaching. His draconic instincts told him that the force behind the blow would crack his head open like a walnut. The boss must have triggered a temporary boost skill to increase his strength and speed. The mist seemed to be disrupted by the boss''s Supremacy, making any merger impossible. [Kinetic Control] was ready to stop part of the blow, but would it be enough? Wrath invaded Priam, as he contemplated the possibility of losing. Instinctively, he used Micro to awaken his draconic heart. A different beat echoed through the arena. The [Tribulation] was awakening, like a bridge to the Zenith. It found a way. Hecate''s New Moon awakens. Fear grips your opponents. Priam''s eyes widened as the knee came within an inch of his face. A tear of blood trickled from his right eye. Simple shades of black and white now colored his world. In his monochrome Domain, nothing moved. Not even the armor. Priam tried to move, but his own power seemed to freeze everything. He was as trapped as the armor. Gradually, the grays turned black, and Priam realized he was losing his sight. His New Moon came at a price. A minute after the first beat, a second [Tribulation] beat shook him. At last, he was free. Taking advantage of the last few seconds of power afforded by his eyes, Promesse reached for the armor''s helmet. [Spear Strike]. The attack, simple and pure, whispered of destruction. The world regained its colors as the spear shredded the boss''s head. Priam collapsed to the ground along with the armor. An intense pain pounded in his skull, and Micro was powerless. What''s happening to me? Breathing heavily, he rolled onto his back and looked at the sky. His vision had changed. With a knot in his heart, Priam raised a trembling hand to touch his face. His left eye was fine, but there was dried blood under his right eye. Gritting his teeth, Priam sought to check whether his eye was really blind. Summoning an ice tablet with his Potential, he used it like a mirror. His tense face was a sight to behold. His left eye, filled with mist, was milky white. His right eye was as black as the void of space. Priam threw the tablet away, refusing to see more. There was a saying that power corrupts men. In this new world, it was literal. With a sigh, Priam started to massage his temples. It¡¯s okay, it will be healed with my next death. More importantly... His eyes were terrifying but tame. That wasn''t the case with [Tribulation]. The affinity was... indescribable. "Well, it''s a problem for later," he muttered. Reward: Minor wish. Make a wish to the Seven Great Concepts. If it is acceptable, it will be granted. Warning: Three refusals cancel the reward. The Phoenix''s consciousness trembled. ''I have a proposition for you.'' Priam shook his head. "Sorry but... I already know what I want." ''...'' The Phoenix withdrew, and Priam pretended to think. Inwardly, he was worried. Could the Phoenix read his notifications? What else could he do? Since Claire, Priam had learned to be suspicious. Maybe the bird was reading his mind right now? I''ve got to get rid of it... The thought was dangerous, and Priam used [Frozen Meditation] and [Emotional Discipline] to bury it inside him. A second later, he opened his valid eye and proposed. "I''d like to see the continuous location of other beings sponsored by my patron." Refused: Impossible to find all sponsored beings. "Shit..." Priam was disappointed, but he''d expected this result. He knew his alien Patron had sponsored other chosen ones by separating his power. Killing these other disciples would increase [He Who Eludes Death]''s power. Although Priam was reluctant to proactively assassinate these people, he didn''t want to be murdered himself. After all, his resurrection Talent wouldn''t work against them... "I wish to obtain the location of these sponsored beings when they are near me... in this Universe." Mentally, Priam added that this detection radius should be as large as possible. Accepted. Wish: Automatic alert when an individual sponsored by your Patron comes within ten kilometers of you. Priam sighed with relief. He didn''t know how many other System users his patron had favored. What he did know was that he wouldn''t die without a fight. He also knew that their Patron would reward the winner. Peace was not an option. The gong sounded once again. It was time to protect his family. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 242 (+6) Constitution 415 Agility 304 (+6) Vitality 423 Perception 514 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 340 (+5) Memory 72 Willpower 462 Charisma 375 META: Meta-affinity 246 (+1) Meta-focus 179 (+1) Meta-endurance 131 (+6) Meta-perception 77 (+1) Meta-chance 198 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5953 (+17) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 48 minutes 14 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 19 hours 21 minutes 27 seconds. Chapter 106: To cheat or not to cheat Mirscella was descending the stairs to the dungeon. A thick door opened automatically, detecting the old lady''s presence. Entering the prison proper, Mirscella wondered about the technology used by the System. She had been able to infiltrate many places in the past. The arrival of biometric scanners of all kinds had changed things, but Mirscella had adapted. She had learned to hack, bypass and deactivate most of these protections. At least those used by civilians. The old lady hadn''t reached such an advanced age by choosing the wrong targets. With the onset of the apocalypse, her retirement had come to an end. The attributes offered by the System made her heart beat again. Her competitive spirit had awakened, and she was thinking about returning to service. She missed the tension of flying and the adrenaline of an assassination mission. The trouble was that she didn''t understand the Ducal Palace security system. For the moment, it didn''t matter, because it belonged to Sphinx - a friend of Alain''s son. But if she ever had a target protected by similar safeguards... "Obviously, the answers lie in these skills," she murmured. "Who''s there?!" exclaimed a voice a little further away. Mirscella shook her head, straightened her back - good posture was essential to avoid lumbar problems - and arrived in front of Claire''s cell. Behind a force field, the girl sitting on a chair seemed to be withering away. The dungeon didn''t violate human rights, but it was nothing like a luxury suite. "It''s me," smiled Mircella. "I''ve brought you some food. Some grilled wyvern. It''s delicious, you''ll see." "... One last feast before my execution," Claire commented, lowering her eyes. Mirscella sighed. She had nothing against the young woman, but her condition as a Revenant, coupled with her past actions, condemned her. Above all, she was Priam''s enemy. You shouldn''t have betrayed someone capable enough to engage in close combat with a wyvern. Mirscella kept this thought to herself. "You can see it any way you like," she said, setting the tray on the floor. "I''m not hungry. I''d rather know how my family is." The young woman''s clear gaze fixed on her, and Mirscella smiled. "Your sister''s fine. Priam is not a monster, and we both know it. You''re going to be executed, but I''m willing to bet he''ll help your sister financially. Certainly anonymously. I''m a good judge of character: he''s a nice guy." Claire laughed. "He''s egotistical. He doesn''t want to read the accusation in my sister''s eyes. He''s buying himself a conscience, that''s all," she spat. Mirscella shrugged. "Perhaps, but actions speak as much as intentions. In any case, it will be positive for your sister." "... What would be positive is if I could help her. You could..." Claire cried out, recoiling abruptly. A long gash appeared on her cheek. "Don''t try to use your power on me, Claire,¡± threatened Mirscella. ¡°Priam will return in a few hours, and you will be executed for your crimes. If you try to manipulate my mind again, I''ll bring forward the time of execution. Is that clear?" Mirscella was perfectly composed as she stroked the dagger that had just appeared in her hand. Priam had warned her, and she had no desire to disappoint everyone by letting a fool escape. Claire swallowed before nodding. With a kick, Mirscella slid the meal tray to the ground. It crossed the force field and landed at Claire''s feet. She looked down, and Mirscella turned on her heel. "What about his crimes?" "Excuse me?" the old lady asked, turning slightly. "He, too, has committed crimes. Hundreds of people died because of him. Who will judge him?" Claire trembled as she spoke the words. Mirscella couldn''t help but burst out laughing. The innocence of young people was sometimes disconcerting. Several seconds later, she calmed down. "No one. No one can, and honestly... no one wants to. At least not the people who matter." "This world is rotten," Claire murmured. Mirscella moved away. The prison door opened to let her through. "It''s not rotten. Just ruthless." Priam had been born in one Universe and spent his youth there. Then he had been kidnapped to a new Universe, by the Seven Great Concepts and their System. His patron was from another Universe - or so they''d told him. [He Who Eludes Death] really shone because it was alien to the System. In other words, it came from another Universe and obeyed laws different from those of the Concepts. Of course, Priam did not doubt that the System could kill him easily. In their Universes, Concepts were quasi-omnipotent. But they were looking for something external to complement themselves. Something alien. For this reason, this kind of stupidly powerful Talent was allowed. It suited Priam. However, for all his patron''s power, the Concepts had defeated them - or so their speech had implied. Likewise, despite his cheat Talent, Priam had had trouble defeating the forty-fifth wave of the Colosseum. There were a hundred of them, and he was running out of steam even before the halfway mark. Priam looked at himself objectively. He had lost a great deal of blood and bore witness to at least three deep cuts. His left heart had been destroyed, and his right eye was blind. "Bechar must think I''m pathetic... Time to stop being arrogant, I guess." When he played video games, Priam was the type to aim for the end game. His favorite strategy was to survive until the end of the game and then destroy his opponents. But this is real life... I have to make concessions, he realized. With his mind made up, Priam invoked his Trees of Merit. Now was not the time to be sure. It was time to win. Trees of Merit Each new Title opens a new Tree of Merit. Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Merit points. Each Title only gives 1 Merit point, thus upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 condemns 9 other Titles. Spend them wisely. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver] - Tier 1: Your blood modifies your heart. [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - Tier 0: Your flame affinity allows you to manipulate fires. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity''s standing. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: [Bullet time] is automatically triggered when you are in danger of death. [Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Veteran] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. [Primogenitor - Gold] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 0: Your aura is tinged with Conquest''s spirit. [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy. [The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth. 10 Unused Merit Points. Priam selected [Tribulation Wyvern Heart]. His heart contained a [Tribulation]. Given what had just happened, he understood that he knew nothing of this power. It was time to verify that his power would not lead to his destruction. He quickly checked one last piece of data. Compatibility assessed at 53%. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! His heart was not yet fully compatible with his body. A Tribulation-affected wyvern heart was beating in a High Human''s body. Fortunately, it seemed that [High Human Adaptation] was gradually increasing their compatibility. When he had received the heart two days ago, his compatibility stood at 52%. I can''t wait for 100% so that the true power of my heart can be revealed. Priam validated the Merit. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver] - Tier 1: Your blood modifies your heart. ACQUIRED. 9 Unused Merit Points. ...Your heart becomes more compatible with your body. New compatibility assessed at 63%. Priam smiled as he read these lines. It was precisely what he needed. Closing his eyes, he felt a warmth in his chest. His heart was now more familiar. "Time for a shopping spree!" [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver] - Tier 2: Your heart changes your blood. ACQUIRED. 8 Unused Merit Points. Priam felt his body grow stronger. His bone marrow created blood that flowed through his veins. As the vital fluid passed through his draconic heart, it was transformed. More powerful, energetic, and magical, it fortified his body. With each passing second, his muscles grew more robust, his tendons more supple and his bones sturdier. STR +50 CONST +30 VIT +30 META (END) +30 ...Your heart becomes more compatible with your body. New compatibility assessed at 69%. The System changed his body quickly. What would normally have taken years was now happening in seconds. Priam closed his fist and felt the new power in his muscles. Satisfied, he continued shopping. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver] - Tier 3: Dragon atavism changes you. Your throat transforms, and your spiritual body welcomes a third lung. You are now able to create a Breath. ACQUIRED. 7 Unused Merit Points. Priam trembled as he felt his spirit body transform. His throat itched for a moment. Raising his hand to his neck, he suddenly felt a new sensation. The third lung didn''t exist physically - or at least Micro didn''t feel anything - but was present spiritually. And his organ was breathing. Perhaps the word was incorrect, for rather than breathing air, it breathed aether. [Aether Perception] and his Domain allowed him to observe the ambient aether being absorbed into an immaterial organ at the top of his torso. The sensation was exhilarating. A power was rising within him, just waiting to... blow. Priam felt as if he''d remembered a new limb he''d forgotten until now. He could block this breath naturally but couldn''t speed it up. The Breath needed to prepare itself. About an hour to be ready? By dragging things out a bit, he''d have a chance to set it off before leaving the Colosseum! Satisfied, Priam took one last look at his merits. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart Silver] - Tier 4: Requires a Gold Title. 7 Unused Merit Points. Soon... Merit would be unlocked only when his Title reached Gold. That is, when his heart''s compatibility reached 100%. The gong sounded, and Priam closed the Merit tree. He still had seven Merit points but a multitude of things to progress on. Spreading himself in too many directions was a bad idea. Suddenly, part of the arena''s sand was lifted. As if attracted to an invisible point levitating about a meter above the ground, the tiny particles gathered to create a sphere. With a radius of some fifty centimeters, the globe floated for a few moments before bursting into flames. A shockwave brutally condensed it, and Priam squinted. An elemental? A golem? [Identification] [Fiery Sand Elemental - Viscount] - A sand sphere that has cultivated a consciousness due to a significant event. Controls sand and fire. An elemental is a pseudo-immortal creature. That shouldn''t be a problem for a monster like you. This specimen has only been alive for a few seconds. Only a monster would deprive it of the joy of living. "I''d rather say I''ll save it the trouble of killing me," said Priam. The fact that his opponent was pseudo-immortal didn''t worry him. That''s what [Pseudo Immortal Slayer] was for. As you battle immortals, your instincts have a chance to whisper to you about their weaknesses. The longer the fight goes on, the more distinct this whisper becomes. Two fireballs appeared on the sides of the sphere. Priam prepared Promesse and concentrated on [Infantile Phoenix]. The Title promised to "control certain fires," and it was time to put it to the test. One of the flaming balls orbiting the sand sphere began to pick up speed. After another rotation, the ball was ejected in Priam''s direction. He moved to the side using [Battle Footwork] and [Dodge]. [Battle Flow] gave him the perfect timing, and Priam hit a magnificent home run with Promesse. Rather than flying away, the fireball exploded on contact with the spear. [Battle Footwork] enabled Priam to dodge most of the blast. In the air, he had time to notice that his Title had absolutely no hold on this fire. This bloodline is starting to disappoint. His mist felt another attack coming at him, and Priam used [Moon Mist] to create a wall of water between himself and the fireball. The fireball disappeared in a tiny explosion. The mist will drown the elemental. A smile played on Priam''s lips as he heard his Title-boosted instinct. Gathering the mist that now covered the arena, Priam followed the advice to the letter. Several cubic meters of water drowned the sand sphere. The fire held out for a moment before dissipating. Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 48 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up : [Battle Flow] lvl 7 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Priam straddled the mist and thrust his spear into the heart of the elemental. The sphere exploded. The grains of sand, wet and compact, fell to the ground. Domain then sensed the presence of a kind of concept fragment. Each grain seemed to hold a part of this fragment. Suddenly interested, Priam tried to draw the concept fragment to himself. It resisted, and the sphere began to reform. Shattering the sand globe was not enough to defeat a pseudo-immortal. I could melt it with [Kinetic Control]. It''s going to be expensive, especially if there are five more waves. Before spending his Potential unnecessarily, Priam tried again to understand. The concept fragments seemed connected by an instinct. Or perhaps it was some sort of primal consciousness? Anyway, it prevented him from dominating the fragment of sand concept. Priam swore as he realized that the fragment would surely dissipate along with the consciousness that had given birth to it. "If only I could separate the concept from the mind that controls it..." His instincts shook as [Eidetic Memory] brought back a memory. Priam widened his eyes and summoned [Tribulation Hunter], his unique skill. Suddenly, his Domain detected a link between the consciousness and the sand concept. The next instant, Priam fired Promesse at the newly formed elemental. Dominated by Domain and chained by [Tribulation Hunter], the sand sphere exploded both physically and mentally. [Mirror of the Soul] opened up, absorbing the now orphaned concept fragment. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 7 META (Chance) +9 Priam looked up and saw Bechar staring at him, eyes wide. Apparently, separating a concept from their creator was no easy task. I guess I just cheated. Nice! Offering an innocent smile to the changeling, he got back into a fighting position. A new gong sounded. In three waves, he would face the boss of the fiftieth wave. Victory would win him a World Seed. It could birth a world inside him, capable of bringing his family back with him. With one blind eye and a hole in his chest, Priam tightened his grip on Promesse. He was ready. Arnold, First of the Var Elegis, watched the lake burn. In the sky, a pyroclastic cloud unleashed a righteous punishment on the Empire''s home planet. Like a cockroach, his enemy was hiding to recuperate. It didn''t worry Arnold, even as his own injuries were severe, and his energy reserves were at an all-time low. The fight had begun almost an hour ago, meaning the enemy was remarkable. The System had populated the planet with monsters, each more powerful than the last. Nevertheless, he was glad to have made the trip from Reunion Island. The satellite was orbiting at over two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers, but the journey had enabled him to overcome some of his weaknesses. He had even obtained a Title for his trouble. A titanic wave rose as a creature that should never have left the ocean''s depths came into the open. Arnold''s calculations gave him only a 62% chance of victory. As a rule, the Var Elegis would have fled. Not anymore. Gathering his energy reserves, Arnold created a sphere of plasma in front of his right hand - the only one he had left. From now on, Arnold would put his life on the line. It was the only way to catch up. The monster let out a terrifying howl. The sound wave struck Arnold, making him wince. A 62% chance of victory was a high estimate. "Good," he said. Lately, he had been talking to himself. "I''m sure the First was destroying this kind of Marquess right from the start of the Reunion!" With a roar uncharacteristic of his species, Arnold released his Legendary skill. "[Weaponry: Directed Energy - Plasma Cataclysm]!" Priam sneezed as he destroyed the elemental of the forty-ninth wave. What the hell? How can I sneeze with my attributes?! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 (+75) Constitution 448 (+33) Agility 304 Vitality 465 (+42) Perception 520 (+6) MENTAL: Vivacity 280 Dexterity 340 Memory 72 Willpower 462 Charisma 378 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 249 (+3) Meta-focus 179 Meta-endurance 161 (+30) Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 (+9) Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5961 (+8) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 29 minutes 7 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 19 hours 2 minutes 20 seconds. Chapter 107: Draconic Breath Bechar: I have a feeling that my prot¨¦g¨¦ is going to make it to wave 51! Golpar''t: Not bad, but mine will reach wave 61. Pmthu: Do you think he can beat a Marquess? In Tier 0 I was struggling against Viscounts... Golpar''t: I wonder how you reached Tier 3... Pmthu: Well, I¡¯m sorry I didn''t have parents who helped me farm Titles from age two. Bechar winced as he read the answer. His two friends tended to bicker. It was particularly true when talking about their birth. Golpar''t had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, while Pmthu was an orphan from the slums. Today, all three were proud Tier 3s contracted by the System, but Pmthu had never forgotten. Nevertheless, the two liked each other well enough to have married over three hundred years ago. I couldn''t stand their love-hate relationship... Bechar: Let''s calm down guys. I hate being the third wheel. Pmthu, it seems your candidate is the strongest, right? Pmthu: This Arnold will win the 70th wave. Maybe even the 75th. He''s an absolute monster. I almost feel sorry for the Colosseum creations. Golpar''t: I don''t understand why he didn''t finish first in this year¡¯s Tribulation ranking. A monster capable of defeating a Marquess so quickly... Pmthu: He could become a King while in Tier 0. Golpar''t: I''d be surprised if this Arnold became a King. There hasn''t been one in this area for over a thousand years. Pmthu: I don''t think this guy will let the stats hold him back.... He''s been using the System for two weeks, and he''s just destroyed a Marquess - and not a weak one at that. Bechar: It''s clear to me that this year''s System recruits are quite extraordinary. Golpar''t: Well, these three are indeed exceptionally powerful, but they''re just Tier 0. Bechar: Tier 0s living in Elysium. Pmthu: Bad luck for them. I wonder if this insane world will kill them before they kill each other¡­ Bechar: I wish courage to whoever tries to kill Priam. He''s starting the fiftieth wave, I gotta go! Golpar''t: Bye! Pmthu: Piss off :) Bechar left the chat application and refocused on the fight. He''d never managed the fiftieth wave while in Tier 0. "Make me dream, Priam..." The sand of the arena gathered. Several tons of particles began to orbit like a desert tornado. Priam squinted, trying to feel the monster''s appearance through the aether. Seconds later, the tornado calmed, revealing a sand golem. Almost fifteen meters tall, the colossus turned aether-gleaming eyes in Priam''s direction. "Woah. That thing could step over a building!" Clutching Promesse, the warrior leaped forward. A web of aether, created from [Battle Footwork], shattered, propelling him forward at impressive speed. The elemental opened its mouth. A sound wave shook Priam''s mist. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam created an absorption bubble at the edge of his Domain. The sonic wave crashed into it before dissipating. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 37 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The next instant, Priam stepped into a sand avalanche summoned by the boss. Without slowing down for a moment, the warrior continued on his way, drawing on his kinetic reserves to absorb the impact. Crossing the sandy wave, Priam appeared in front of the golem''s face. The word was perhaps too strong to describe a head where two eyes, a nose and a mouth were barely visible. Well, what''s the point of a nose for an elemental? Perhaps it created one because I''m his opponent? Unaware of the stupid thoughts running through its opponent''s head, the boss tried to intercept Priam. Its right hand began to move - too late. Promesse penetrated the golem''s head... with no noticeable effect. Priam merged with his mist, dodging the titanic hand. Reappearing at the top of the Boss''s head, Priam placed his hand on it and activated [Tribulation Hunter]. A colossal concept fragment appeared in his mind''s eye. Priam tried to draw it to him. The boss howled in rage. Its spirit appeared around the fragment. Instantly detecting Priam, it charged at him. The mental collision was violent. Priam fell. Holding his head with both hands, he tore his vocal cords, screaming at the top of his lungs. The ground jolted him back to reality. His constitution prevented him from taking too much damage, but the shock briefly drew him out of his pain. Activating [Frozen Meditation], Priam was able to take a step back and observe the damage. He was in pain. According to Micro, his body was fine. That is, if you overlooked that he was missing a heart and an eye. [Iconoclast] told him that his soul was also in good condition. Priam noticed that it seemed even more real than when it had first crystallized. There''s nothing like pissing on the statue of an evil god to earn a soul. Yet despite the distance created by [Frozen Meditation], Priam still felt immense pain. Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 16 PERC +1 WILL +2 The Champion theorized that the spiritual shock must have damaged his spirit body. Fortunately, he didn''t seem to be the only one to have suffered damage: the sand golem had petrified following the collision of their spirits. But it wouldn''t last forever. Priam forced himself to move, which broke the trance brought on by [Frozen Meditation]. The pain returned with a vengeance. Gritting his teeth, Priam focused on Promesse, still embedded in the monster. Reconnecting to [Tribulation Hunter], Priam took another look at the concept fragment, the elemental¡¯s core. The sand fragment levitated inside the monster in a spiritual dimension. Without his skill, Priam would never have been able to detect its presence. Beneath the fragment, a luminous mass - the golem''s spirit body - trembled. The shock had not spared it. The elemental was in a precarious and defenseless position. [Pseudo Immortal Slayer] had no intention of letting this opportunity pass. Heightened by the Title, his instincts whispered the golem''s weakness to him. Only a Supremacy, a Concept or a specialized skill can injure a spirit... Between two spikes of pain, Priam tried to analyze his possibilities. However, despite the clues, he couldn''t come up with a single idea. Pain anesthetized his senses and his thinking. The warrior bit his tongue, and the physical pain anchored him back in reality. Priam''s arsenal was limited: with no specialized skills, he could only rely on his Supremacies and Concepts. Micro''s Stage 0 did not allow him to touch a spirit. Priam concentrated on his Domain - projected thanks to Promesse''s presence. The sphere of authority began to penetrate the elemental''s body before slowing down after a few centimeters. His Supremacy was encountering resistance. Priam frowned, massaging his temples. One of Bechar''s words came back to him. On his first attempt, the changeling had revealed the existence of a Space Seed. Apparently, the object could be used to cultivate a world. However, such a treasure could only be obtained during the first Reunion, by overcoming the fiftieth wave. The Colosseum supervisor had then expressed doubts about Priam''s abilities, arguing that the boss - now standing before him - possessed a half Domain. Certainly the source of the resistance I''m encountering... As he pondered, Priam''s Supremacy continued to push on the opposing Domain. It seemed almost fragile to him. It lacked a certain kind of solidity. A half Domain should equal Stage 0. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. His was at Stage 1, which gave him a distinct advantage. His Domain was gaining ground, nibbling away at the golem''s mental space. Unfortunately, the pain prevented Priam from attacking effectively. I''ve got no time to lose, and it won''t stay inactive for long! No sooner had he uttered this thought than the boss''s mind began to shake. Priam gritted his teeth. Calling up his mist, he connected to his Concept. It replied. Mist invaded his mind, warding off pain and relieving fatigue. Closing his eyes, Priam concentrated on his link with Promesse and the Domain he projected thanks to it. How do you attack a mind with a concept of mist? Priam¡¯s draconic heart quickened, and his instincts guided him. A spear of mist appeared in his Domain - and thus on the border of the boss''s mental space. The weapon was unusual in that it didn''t exist materially. Conceptually, it represented Priam''s idea of a misty attack: a misty Promesse. Without further ado, Priam aimed the spear at the golem''s spirit. The attack spun through the elemental''s mental space and penetrated the spiritual body. It screamed silently. Freed from the boss''s influence, the sand concept fragment was finally within Priam''s grasp. [Mirror of the Soul] opened, drawing the fragment to itself. During the transfer, Priam kept an eye on his adversary. The golem''s spirit was still alive, though weakened by the spear of mist that pierced it. It was the essence of Priam¡¯s concept. Thanks to it, he could feel certain things. My mist isn''t enough to kill this boss, but it can hold him back, Priam realized. Mist was not a specialized combat concept. Nevertheless, it was a concept that could camouflage its user or lose an enemy in a thick fog. The golem''s mind was disoriented, weakened by the shock of their consciousness and the mist attack. The mist was blurring its senses. Priam smiled as he checked the power of his concept. His mist was an effective support for his arsenal, and he liked it. Moments later, the fragment reached Priam''s Domain, where it was absorbed into [Mirror of the Soul]. Instantly, the elemental''s body disintegrated. Tons of sand fell and vanished. Bodiless, conceptless and badly wounded, the golem''s spirit began to dissipate. In a final fit of rage, it turned in all directions, trying to find its opponent. Priam, shrouded in his mist, watched it dissipate. A notification echoed in Priam''s mind, and he collapsed. The pain was becoming too intense. "You should stop there," Bechar advised. Lying on the ground, Priam was sweating profusely. The experience of spiritual pain confirmed to him that it could be even more painful than physical pain. Opening his eyes to the black sky, Priam swallowed before connecting to his Potential. POT -10 Potential poured into him like a river of panacea. Priam sighed with relief as the pain began to subside. "Your mind is fractured. You need rest. Even if you spend your Potential generously, you''ll barely be healed by the end of the Reunion. If you return to Elysium wounded, it may be your last mistake," Bechar warned again. "Fuck... I just need forty minutes," Priam replied. "What for?" "Charging my Breath. I would like to test it." Priam had to admit that he found it incredibly cool to be able to use a draconic attack. "A Breath? As in a draconic Breath?" "Exactly." "... You could drag out the next four waves," Bechar replied. Priam burst out laughing. Apparently, the changeling was also keen to contemplate his new trump card. "Now stop wasting time and look at the rewards list!" "Hmm? Didn''t you tell me it was the Space Seed?" Priam was suddenly worried. He''d based everything on it. If the changeling had lied to him... "I don''t know the awards in advance. I just know some of the famous ones. I''m sure there are other incredible awards," Bechar explained. Like a child at Christmas, Priam opened his notification. Reward: Mythical object. Precision: semi-unique reward. Whatever you choose will no longer be available to anyone else in your civilization in that reward round. Priam''s breathing stopped as he read the various awards. Each one looked exceptional. He smiled briefly as he read the last one. Some fighters must have fought with all their might to get a second life. For the umpteenth time, Priam realized the power of his Talent [He Who Eludes Death]. Without wasting any more time, he selected the Space Seed. Protecting his family was his priority. A black orb encrusted with golden runes appeared in his hand. The mere sight of the runes disturbed him. Incredible magic was embedded in the object. [Identification] [Space Seed - Mythic] - A seed capable of creating a growth space. To be embedded in a suitable object. Priam frowned as he read the description. What¡¯s a suitable object? Bechar''s voice is heard. "Um... Sorry, I didn''t really know how the seed worked. You''ll need something mythic rank to withstand the artificial space." Priam gritted his teeth, partly because of the pain but mainly because of Bechar''s answer. "And where am I supposed to find that?" "... As a reward for wave fifty-five?" Priam sensed the hesitation in the changeling''s voice. The supervisor had no idea of the rewards offered by his own Colosseum after that. [Frozen Meditation] dismissed his concerns. Priam sat cross-legged, trying to take advantage of every second before the next battle to rest. The gong sounded as Priam gasped for breath. The monsters of the previous four waves were all Viscounts of the highest rank. A logical sequence began to emerge. Every twenty waves, the nobility of the bosses increased by one rank. The boss of wave sixty would be a Marquess. Thus, the Boss of wave fifty-five would be the last Earl. The waves in between were starting to get complicated. The fifty-fourth wave had summoned a Viscount as mighty as the Basilisk of wave thirty-five. Priam had dragged out the fights. Now, he had to face the truth: he was exhausted. The last Earl was coming, and Priam was pinning all his hopes on his Breath. The aim was to severely wound the boss to finish the fight quickly. Two minutes earlier, his Breath had finally finished charging. Priam couldn''t wait to set it free. POT -10 Spending his Potential had enabled him to recover slowly. At the cost of several hundred points, the pain had begun to recede. Too bad I haven''t gained any resistance yet... [Spirit Resistance] has a nice ring to it. The clip-clop of a horse coming up was heard. A gate opened, revealing the silhouette of a centaur. Unlike the creatures common to human fantasy culture, the boss had the torso of a treant. It possessed attributes not only of plants but also of horses. In his hand, the boss held a wooden spear - an oak of some kind. From experience, Priam knew the creature possessed Micro as well as Mastery. Close combat was a bad idea. The centaur cocked his arm, and Priam teleported into the mist to dodge the attack. An explosion confirmed the weapon had crossed the ground in less than a second. Reappearing some ten meters from the boss, Priam opened his mouth without wasting time. Draconic Breath! A warmth invaded his body, and a power built up at the back of his throat. The centaur widened his eyes and disappeared. His speed was so great that he created a tunnel of vacuum behind him - the air being pushed back. At Priam''s command, the mist condensed for a moment, slowing his enemy down. Priam turned to the hobbled centaur. A second after invoking it, the Draconic Breath took shape. A blinding glow appeared at the back of Priam''s throat. Suddenly, an avalanche of light invaded the arena. Colors disappeared. The world turned white. The air turned to plasma as the mist disappeared. The Colosseum barrier shook, and the sand turned to lava. The Breath finally dissipated. Exhausted, Priam blinked and closed his mouth. He couldn''t tell how long the attack had lasted. The overheated air in the arena turned back into gas. Breathing in the scorched air, Priam winced. Wrapping a cloak of mist around himself to cool off, he searched for his enemy. "Holy..." A notification sounded. Of the centaur, a creature at the pinnacle of Earl rank, not even bones remained. Faced with draconic wrath, annihilation was total. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 Constitution 448 Agility 304 Vitality 465 Perception 521 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 282 (+2) Dexterity 345 (+5) Memory 72 Willpower 464 (+2) Charisma 378 META: Meta-affinity 249 Meta-focus 183 (+4) Meta-endurance 161 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 5616 (-345) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 17 hours 38 minutes 50 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 18 hours 12 minutes 3 seconds. Chapter 108: Space Owner Sphinx roared, drawing from her bloodline. The energized shockwave surged toward her foe. The winged tiger''s eardrums burst. Without granting her adversary a moment to acclimate to a silent world, the young Lord tapped into her gravitational power. A wave of aether manifested from her being, inundating her Domain. Gravity was now under her command. The tiger - a Viscount - found itself crushed beneath his mass. Light as a feather, Sphinx leaped into the air. Ten meters up, she canceled her miniaturization. Increasing her own weight, Sphinx allowed herself to fall upon her adversary. He had no time to evade. The floor of Viracocha¡¯s Ducal Palace exploded simultaneously with its master''s bones. Cracks fissured the throne room''s floor, and Sphinx nodded, satisfied. While rising, she struck out with a paw towards the enemy Lord''s neck. The tiger vanished abruptly. Sphinx''s attack struck the ground. Raising her nose, she sniffed the air in search of her prey''s karmic scent. There! The tiger clung to the ceiling. Great lightning bolts crackled around him, as he glared at her with enraged eyes. He was the eye of the storm. A colossal gold lightning bolt took shape. An instant before the strike, Sphinx swiftly wove a telepathic bridge linking her to her enemy. The tiger attempted to sever it, but Sphinx''s Domain was superior. "Hey, tomcat! I touch the earth, I touch the sky, But if I touch a man, he''ll surely die? Who am I? You''ve got five seconds," she said, sporting a magnificent smile. The lightning froze in mid-air. Karmically bound, the two adversaries were now immobile. One second passed, then two. The tiger was struggling to find the answer. Sometimes the obvious was the least seen. Five seconds later, he responded in a deep voice, "Well¡­ Aren¡¯t you a Sphinx?" Sphinx shook her head. "You''re dumb. It was lightning!" The tiger howled as karma surged. The vengeful lightning turned crimson and struck its own master. Gravity crushed his organs and pressed him like a citrus. Moments later, the corpse of the former Lord of Viracocha fell to the ground. The palace trembled, as if mourning its master''s death. Sphinx trotted to the throne, taking her seat, satisfied with her victory. Rose took the opportunity to peer through the partially open door. "Is it over?" "Yes! I made some cat food," Sphinx joked. "But he''s too ugly for me to eat. You can have him." Rose looked at the crushed tiger''s remains with a disgusted expression. Shaking her head, she approached the throne. "No thanks." Glancing at Sphinx, she continued. "You were amazing! You turned him into pulp so effortlessly!" Sphinx yawned. "Well, I have to keep up with Priam, or he''ll leave me behind..." Rose raised an eyebrow. "Is he stronger than you?" "I don''t know. But I don''t want him to leave me if I become too weak..." Sphinx trembled as she spoke, and Rose approached. After a moment''s hesitation, she gathered her courage. Her hand reached out to pet Sphinx''s head. Sphinx calmed down. "He won''t abandon you. Only mean humans abandon their pets. You''re too cute for that," reassured Rose. "A pet? Do you take me for a kitten?" Sphinx asked, looking Rose straight in the eyes. "I... Uh..." Rose''s hand began to shake. Sphinx smiled. "Perfect. If I''m a pet, then he''ll have to put in all the effort while I get to sleep. Works for me!" The next moment, she started to yawn. "I''m going to take a nap, and then we''ll raid the treasures of the Palace. Wake me up in an hour, okay? I don''t want to miss the execution..." Rose was momentarily stunned before hearing a snore. "She''s already asleep? That was fast." Squinting, Rose observed Sphinx for a few moments. "She''s even cuter than a kitten," she decided. "I want one too..." The human resumed petting Sphinx. Once again, cuteness had won. "Hahaha." Priam laughed towards the sky. Levitating about a meter from the ground thanks to [Kinetic Control], he waited for the arena floor to cool down. Despite his resistances, the heat was painful. A cloak of mist swirled around him, cooling the air. Priam eventually settled down. He slowly stroked his throat while closing his eyes. Despite the cataclysm he had unleashed, his throat was in perfect condition. It was hard to imagine. After all, it was the cannon of an attack that had annihilated an Earl and transformed the atmosphere into plasma. The Merit Tree had modified his throat, giving it draconic properties. Not for the first time, Priam tried to imagine a Dragon. If this creature''s throat was so resilient, then its scales must be indestructible... The System snapped him out of his reverie, reminding him he had a reward to choose. Reward: Evolution Token (Epic/Gold). "So?!" Bechar asked. "I can choose an Evolution Token," Priam replied. "Not bad. What rarity?" "Epic or Gold. Not as good as the Legendary I received for completing my Tribulations," grumbled Priam. The mental equivalent of a shrug was conveyed to Priam. "You can''t compare a reward for a Quadruple Tribulation with the fifty-fifth wave of the Colosseum." This time, it was Priam who shrugged. A tendril of mist approached him and condensed into a few large drops of water that dripped directly into his open mouth. "The Tribulations weren''t that hard," Priam replied after drinking. "... Tribulations are personal. You succeeded partly due to an alien Talent, from what I understand. Somehow, it wasn''t adequately taken into account by the System." Priam nodded. [He Who Eludes Death] had been recognized by the System, but not [Tribulation Hunter]. The System acknowledged already existing alien Talents, not their potential synergy. Good to know... Bechar continued, unaware of Priam''s thoughts. "Despite that, you expended considerable resources, were aided by your clones, and put millions of lives at risk to survive. The Colosseum is an arena where you can forfeit at any moment and try your luck again. The fights are known in advance, and the monsters have limited adaptability. I repeat: it''s not comparable." Priam fell silent; Bechar was right. His thoughts began to drift towards the deaths he had caused. His debt to the dead and the living would not be paid today. The important thing was that it would be paid someday. The important thing was that it wouldn''t happen again. Shaking his head, he focused on the present moment. Dwelling on his wrongs wasn''t productive. If he truly wanted to change things, actions were the only effective way. Reviewing his rewards once more, he eliminated Skill, Object, and Structure first. For Skill, the reason seemed obvious: he had enough Potential to quickly enhance his skills. Elysium would also aid him. He didn''t use any objects except for Promesse, and his lance would grow alongside him. The outfit he had commissioned from Boss - the tailor of Viracocha - would likely be less resilient than his own skin. It would likely be ceremonial attire - covering his mist-clad nudity wouldn''t suit all occasions. Finally, Land/Building/Structure seemed to be a Token for Noble Lands. Priam had no plans to redecorate New Earth at his own expense, so he didn''t currently need this kind of Token. Regarding Title or Talent... Priam leaned towards the latter. The reason was fairly evident: he had accumulated over twenty Titles and only about ten Talents. For someone with the ability to resurrect, Talents were rarer. He also had an idea of how to improve most of his Titles, whereas he had no clue how to improve his Talents - except perhaps by investing his Potential massively. Selected reward: Evolution Token (Talent - Gold). ¡°Ok, I¡¯m done.¡± In his condition, with no stamina, no energy, no trump card and wounded, Priam couldn''t see himself continuing the fight. He rode the mist to the exit. The heavy doors opened onto Bechar. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Come with me, I might have an idea for the Space Seed." "I think we have the same one," Priam smiled. "It''s madness, you know that, right?" Bechar asked. "So we''re both mad. It''s the only way, and you wouldn''t have brought me here if you didn''t think so too," Priam replied, gesturing towards the training room. They were currently in Bechar''s quarters. The shapeshifter had a rather luxurious suite. Several rooms were at his disposal for training, relaxing, or even having fun. According to the supervisor, only the [First Gladiator]''s quarters were better equipped. Unfortunately, the Title was still out of his reach. "If it fails, the Space Seed will shatter," Bechar sighed. "At that point, you might see me cry over the waste of such a precious resource." "Is it really that rare?" Priam asked, looking at the black and gold orb that sat in the center of his palm. Bechar snorted. "I''m a Tier 3; even if I sold myself as a slave for a century, I''m not sure I could afford one. There''s no market for that kind of thing. At least, not for regular mortals." Upon hearing these words, stars began to glitter in Priam''s eyes. He began to fondly stroke the orb. "Your stupid, sappy grin makes me nauseous. I hope you¡¯ll fail," Bechar grumbled. Priam chuckled as they made their way to the center of the room. "I know you don''t mean that." A few moments later, he sat cross-legged in the middle of a circle. Runes pulsated around him. Priam could feel the aether just by looking at them. According to Bechar, its role was to provide energy and isolate him from the outside world. This would facilitate the creation of the space. Indeed, Priam intended to use the orb immediately. He would have preferred to find a suitable object to house the space, but the Colosseum didn''t grant his wish. Time was running out: the Reunion would end in a few hours. By then, Priam would be teleported to Elysium, and he didn''t plan on returning alone. He had finally found his father and refused another separation. Unfortunately, Priam couldn''t stay in Elysium for long. It would be up to his father to come. The role of the space was to transport his father along with him. Perhaps even Sphinx if she agreed. Of course, Elysium was a dangerous place, and his father''s safety came first. However, the rest of the Universe wasn''t necessarily safer - especially if they learned who his son was. So, Priam''s plan was to enhance Log-a-rhythm. The tree could create a haven of peace in this terrifying world, and his loved ones would be safe there. Moreover, opportunities coexisted with dangers in Elysium. The density of aether would accelerate the acquisition speed of skills and attributes like vitality. I guess not many Elysians die of old age. All of this was only possible if Priam managed to bring his father with him. The space was the central element of this project, but it needed to be hosted in a suitable object. In practical terms, he needed one of mythical rank... or equivalent. He had the idea that his body could be that object. Anyway, he didn''t really have an alternative, and his physique was the most resilient object he knew. Between [Chimera] and [High Human Adaptation], he thought he stood a chance. "Are you sure you don''t want to wait a little longer?" Bechar asked again, configuring the runes surrounding Priam. "Sure. I think my body is sturdy enough. By the way, if my body disappears for a while..." Bechar looked at him, a wry smile on his face. "If your body disappears, the space will still exist. It''s a parallel space to our dimension. A kind of mini-world, not just a simple spatial pocket." "What''s the difference?" Bechar shrugged. "There are quite a few containers - rings, bags, carts, etc. - enchanted to increase their dimensions. In essence, they''re larger on the inside than on the outside. That''s the principle of a spatial pocket. If the object is destroyed, the pocket too." Priam nodded. Pointing to the orb, Bechar continued. "A Space Seed creates a kind of miniature world." Priam furrowed his brows. "The world isn''t stored in the object?" "No, and you need a passage to enter it. This isn''t my specialty, so take it with a grain of salt but... This passage destabilizes the space around it, as if you were creating a door in a wall - the wall loses solidity. You can''t create a door in a wall that''s too fragile." Priam remained pensive for a moment. "I think I understand. If the wall, I mean the object, isn''t sturdy enough, it collapses." Bechar nodded, and a thought occurred to Priam. "If I fail, my body... ?" "Your body will implode in a spatial quagmire," Bechar finished. "I saw you resurrect after being disintegrated by the wyvern. It won''t be worse than that, don''t worry." "..." Priam massaged his temples. [He Who Eludes Death] wasn''t primed yet. If the space collapsed around him, it would be the end. He hesitated for a moment before affirming his decision. He had come all this way to reunite with his family and keep them safe. He wasn''t going to stop now. I can''t always wait for a safety net. If I lose my courage, I''ll never be free... Priam raised his thumb, and Bechar activated the runes. A sphere materialized around him, cutting him off from the world. Using his Domain, Priam activated the Space Seed. Space Seed detected. Choose a host object. My magnificent body. High Human body chosen. Suitability calculation... Tier 0, Constitution (448), presence of adaptation Talents - [Chimera], [High Human Adaptation] - presence of a regeneration Title [Three-Headed Hydra]... ... Low suitability (23%). Use Potential to increase chances of success? Thanks to his Tribulations, Priam had accumulated a lot of Potential. It was time to use it. Yes. 2546 Potential required to create a stable passage to the future space. Priam''s draconic heart clenched as he read the number. He had accumulated so much Potential, and half of it would vanish... A new notification appeared. Subject residing in Elysium. Warning: limited freedom. Searching for a solution... [Mirror of the Soul] detected. 4787 Potential required to merge the future space with your soul. A cry of distress escaped Priam''s lips. Bechar gave him a concerned look, which he ignored. I''m going to be POOR! Despite this, Priam felt no reluctance in choosing the second possibility. From the start, his quests warned him: leaving Elysium wasn''t easy. Having a space he couldn''t access was useless. If this space is within me, I''ll always have access to an inventory. [Eidetic Memory] was already busy scanning all the books he had read, searching for synergies to use this new power. Bechar''s voice echoed in the bubble protecting Priam. "I shall point out that these runes are expensive. If you don''t mind, could we get to work?" "Sorry, Bechar," Priam grimaced. "I''ll begin." Priam accepted the System''s proposal. Activation of the Space Seed. POT -4787 Like a superfluid, the orb entered his hand. Micro detected the seed''s dissolution into his body. For a few moments, Priam felt nothing. Suddenly, his Potential activated. A passage to infinite energy formed within his soul. A miraculous fluid poured into his body, and Priam smiled. For once, he felt no pain. He felt his Talents, Titles, and body working in harmony. Something was changing within him. [Mirror of the Soul] activated. Priam blinked, surprised to find himself in his mental space. Compared to the last time, work was underway. The space was compressing. The lake that held his reflection - along with two fragments of concepts, purity, and mental stamina - was shrinking, condensing. The spiritual was becoming material. The mental space was shaken by an earthquake. A kind of infinite meadow previously surrounded the lake. It gradually disappeared, making way for a thin strip of land. The lake was now the size of a pond. It began to shine, releasing torrents of Potential. An atmosphere appeared, and Priam''s body gained corporeality. The sky lost its characteristic blue, becoming starless black. In the distance, a border appeared. The world was a kind of sphere with a radius of about thirty meters. The various fragments of concepts previously stored dived into the pond. Beneath the surface, Priam saw them orbiting alongside his reflection. A light reflected in the water, blinding him. Priam looked up. The brightness came from the Phoenix hibernating a few meters above the pond. It was now the only source of light illuminating the island. A few moments later, the world stabilized just as the Potential ran dry. Congratulations! [Mirror of the Soul - Bronze] has evolved into [Space Island - Silver(Growth)]. Looking around, perched on a floating island in the void, Priam smiled. This world was his. And it could grow. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 Constitution 448 Agility 304 Vitality 465 Perception 521 MENTAL: Vivacity 282 Dexterity 345 Memory 72 Willpower 464 Charisma 378 META: Meta-affinity 249 Meta-focus 183 Meta-endurance 161 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 829 (-4787) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 16 hours 26 minutes 4 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 16 hours 59 minutes 17 seconds. Chapter 109: Concepts Archipelago Priam pinched his cheek and winced. His body, much like the landscape, was now tangible. The spiritual had merged with the material. Leaning over the pond''s surface, Priam was relieved to see his reflection still bound. He wasn''t a masochist; just grateful that the Mirror of the Soul hadn''t lost its power. "How can I see?" The System must have simplified things because there was a kind of soft light that bathed the space. Moreover, Priam felt the effects of gravity even though no massive body was in sight. Straightening up, Priam gazed once again at the profound darkness surrounding the island. A strange sense of vertigo washed over him. Seeing such darkness wasn''t natural. Of course, he wasn''t in any danger of falling. The boundary between his space and what lay beyond seemed insurmountable. Unlike the Universe, this world had an end. "I wonder if there''s something beyond..." Priam murmured. ¡®A vast question,¡¯ replied the Phoenix. Priam looked up at the creature illuminating the space. "I meant beyond this space." ¡®There''s nothing,¡¯ said the Prince, shrugging his wings. ¡®If you try to breach this bubble, it will burst and spill its contents into the outside world. Exploding your body in the process.¡¯ The Phoenix''s speech contradicted Bechar''s. "It''s not a spatial pocket." ¡®Indeed, it¡¯s a world, but hosted by your soul. Or rather, it has the potential to become a world... without light. I can remedy that,¡¯ offered the Phoenix. "... I don''t mean to be impolite, Lord Phoenix, but before you give me another quest and promise me another reward, I''d like to get my previous ones," Priam''s voice carried a slight edge. Provoking his interlocutor wasn''t a good idea, but he was tired of not being respected. Anatole and all the Abominations were dead. Yet, he still hadn''t received anything. In a game, when you completed a quest, the payment was immediate. Priam had a better chance of convincing a glitched NPC than forcing the Phoenix to reward him, which irked him deeply. ¡®The System will enforce this contract. But you didn''t specify a payment date.¡¯ A contract under the authority of the System was absolute, but the user had to ensure it was flawless. Not specifying the pay date was foolish - especially when dealing with a quasi-immortal being. At least I''ve learned a lesson, thought Priam, his anger resurfacing. If the Phoenix thought he was willing to work for nothing... "I would have killed Anatole and the Abominations anyway," Priam said, his voice tinged with anger. ¡®The honor of my race forbids me from taking advantage of your mistake. I was just thinking of modifying your previous reward. Instead of illuminating your soul, I could illuminate your world.¡¯ "How romantic," Priam quipped. He looked around. "A world without light would be sad for my family," he admitted. "What''s the difference from illuminating my soul?" ¡®In your case, nothing. The reflection of your soul will be illuminated by my light because it''s your world. The real benefit is that you''ll have true light to admire your reflection.¡¯ "You''re making me sound like a narcissist." ¡®You are one. Furthermore, my light will purify your world.¡¯ "That sounds good. When can you do this?" Priam asked. ¡®As soon as possible. I''m tired of this half-life.¡¯ Not quite sure what to say, Priam hesitated. "... I understand," he lied. Priam was obsessed with his survival to the point that his Patron entrusted him with [He Who Eludes Death]. However, he knew not everyone thought like him. "We can do it now." ¡®Very well. However, I must begin by purifying your bloodline. For that, I need to incorporate the remaining sequence of the aethereal structure from my race present in the diluted tear you purified.¡¯ Like a five-year-old attending a lecture on quantum physics, Priam wasn''t sure he fully understood the Phoenix''s explanation. "Far be it from me to sound foolish, but can you explain this in more common terms?" ¡®I will help your body assimilate the essence of the tear,¡¯ the Prince vulgarized. In Priam''s opinion, that was more understandable. "Nice. By the way, why start with the purification?" Priam trusted the System to ensure the Phoenix''s reward was authentic. However, he wanted to know exactly what would happen. ¡®To create a stable mini-sun in your world, I will trigger a Nirvana. This will cause this fragment of consciousness to disappear, so I must start with the purification.¡¯ For a Phoenix Prince, living as a parasite in a human soul must have been unbearable. Death was seen as a release by the creature. Priam respected his choice. "I understand. But is it really possible to create a mini-sun in such a small space?" ¡®Anything is possible with aether. Here, it''s quite simple: Phoenixes who fail their Nirvana become stars. I believe you''ve gazed upon my Ancestor.¡¯ Priam thought he would have remembered seeing another legendary bird. "Moltres in Pok¨¦mon?" ¡®I don¡¯t get this joke. I was referring to one of the three suns of Elysium.¡¯ The Prince implied something that Priam instinctively refused. Faced with his silence, the Phoenix continued. ¡®The Great King of the Phoenixes, one of our two Primogenitors.¡¯ "Your ancestor is a star?!" exclaimed Priam. [Eidetic Memory] sent him a snapshot of the Elysian sky. His perception was weak then, but Priam hadn''t detected anything abnormal - except for the presence of a triple star system. ¡®Not just any star. He''s larger than a galaxy. According to our legends, He was a mighty existence, even among the Ninth Tiers,¡¯ recounted the Phoenix. For the first time, Priam sensed an emotion in the Prince''s voice: Pride. Several thoughts raced through Priam''s mind upon hearing the Phoenix''s response. A Ninth Tier could be the size of a galaxy. The Elysian firmament was more complex than it seemed. But above all... "A star can''t be that massive," Priam refuted. These objects were well understood by human astrophysics. A star could have a maximum volume about ten billion times larger than the sun. Less than a speck of dust compared to a galaxy. ''Perhaps not a natural star, but his concept merged with him,'' clarified the Prince. The conversation could have continued at length - astrophysics was one of Priam''s passions, and he didn''t appreciate fundamental truths being trampled. The Phoenix cut him off before he could protest. ¡®I enjoy speaking about the history of my race, but it''s not really the time. Are you ready?¡¯ "... Yes," Priam replied. He would have time to discuss galaxies later. ¡®I doubt it,¡¯ the Phoenix said. The Phoenix folded its wings and lit up. A drop of flame condensed beneath the fiery creature. Crossing the nascent world, it reached Priam, penetrating his chest. His blood instantly heated, surpassing the boiling point. Priam screamed as magma flowed through his veins.Bloodlines: Around Priam''s fingers, a flame danced joyfully. It passed over his index, looped beneath his ring finger, and slowly wound around his pinky before leaping into the palm of his hand. Priam manipulated the wisp, marveling at the comfort of the fire and studying it intently. His constitution and resistances prevented him from being harmed by high temperatures. Priam could plunge his hand into boiling water without a flinch. [Infantile Phoenix] even allowed him to be healed by small flames and control them - in theory. The purification of his bloodline allowed him to put theory into practice. The fire responded to his call, eager to please and obey. For now, it was just small flames, but the future held promise. Phoenixes could become stars. Some were powerful enough to exceed the size of a galaxy. The human mind was dwarfed by these orders of magnitude, but Priam had grasped the essence: this bloodline held power. Smiling, he turned to the Phoenix. It had lost its corporeal form; all that remained of the Prince was a shaped flame. "It''s as if I was born to play with fire," the budding pyromancer exclaimed. "Thank you!" ¡®That''s your reward. Congratulations on maintaining consciousness till the end; I know the process is painful.¡¯ The euphemism sent shivers down Priam''s spine. Losing his concentration, he let the flame flicker. The pain had been as powerful as his third death - pushed to immolation by carnivorous ants. However, Priam was no longer the same person. "I''m starting to get used to the pain," Priam acknowledged. ¡®Because of your resurrection power. Be careful not to rely on it too much¡­¡¯ "Why?" Priam asked, narrowing his eyes. The Phoenix wasn''t a friend, and Priam wasn''t inclined to reveal the details of his Talent. ¡®It''s a power too potent. Your Patron must have been a true monster, but you are not them. If you had encountered my main body, he would have tortured you every second, trying to understand it. Likely in vain, by the way.¡¯ This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Priam shuddered. His power protected him from death, but there was always something worse... ¡®Also, be cautious around Phoenixes. I won''t betray my race, but know that a Phoenix can easily detect your bloodline. We are jealous of our lineage and particularly adept at hunting other immortals,¡¯ the Prince warned. "Thank you for the advice." The Phoenix wasn''t obligated to warn him, and Priam appreciated the gesture. ¡®It''s time for me to illuminate this sky. Before that, you''ll likely want to use your Evolution Token.¡¯ Priam nodded. In its current state, this world couldn''t accommodate many people - at least not for long. Who would want to spend time on an island barely twenty square meters in size, most of which was a pond? Perhaps a carp... Blinking, he left his world. His eyes focused on the nose hairs of the strange old man looking at him just inches from his face. "Hey," Bechar greeted. "You''re too close." "Apologies. So, about this world?" asked Bechar, without backing down an inch. "I''ll improve it a bit, and then I''ll invite you in. Deal?" "Deal!" the shapeshifter grinned. The Evolution Token was a kind of silvery credit card, with golden edges. ¡®Gold¡¯ was inscribed on the front, and ¡®Talent¡¯ on the back. Or maybe it was the other way around. Priam directed his aether into the card, and it dissipated into the air. Evolution Token - Talent (Gold) activated. Which Talent (Bronze or Silver) would you like to upgrade? Note: A Bronze Talent will be upgraded to Gold. Priam hesitated for a brief moment. Each talent seemed interesting. However, the priority was to house his father. Resolutely, he selected [Space Island]. [Space Island] has several evolution options. Choose one: Priam massaged the bridge of his nose as he read the list of proposed options for the third time. He was torn: all seemed incredible. Choosing was tougher than he thought. ¡®What are the options?¡¯ the Prince asked. Priam graciously listed the possibilities for evolution. The Phoenix remained silent, and Priam waited, reflecting on his own. ¡®You''re right, all are great,¡¯ the Prince acknowledged after a few seconds. ¡®Some will allow you to use your world for training, combat, or to house your people. However, remember that these are options of a Talent meant to grow.¡¯ Priam was aware of that, and it was the only reason he hadn''t clicked on Time Dilation yet. [He Who Eludes Death] was based on a cycle of 86,400 seconds - that his soul counted. In other words, if time moved twice as fast in his new world, Priam would have not one, but two lives each day! Unfortunately, Priam''s wariness prevented him from proposing his plan to the Phoenix. ¡®I feel like I''m leading you down a dangerous path, but there is indeed a superior option.¡¯ That was enough to tempt Priam. Why settle for less than the best? "Which one?" Priam asked eagerly. ¡®Concepts Integration. My mother''s crown possesses this enchantment.¡¯ Priam didn''t personally know the Prince''s mother, but a Queen - at a minimum - wouldn''t equip trinkets. He re-read the option. Two words and no description. Using his knowledge, Priam tried to extrapolate. "Does it involve the fragments of concepts I can steal?" he asked. ¡®Indeed. These are normally rare treasures or rewards from the System. Some powerhouses may also sacrifice part of their concepts to offer a fragment to their descendants or sell it, but that''s very rare. Such treasures are priceless.¡¯ Thanks to [Tribulation Hunter], Priam didn''t have to ask his enemies for permission to obtain their concept. He just had to defeat them mentally, as he had defeated the sand elemental from the fiftieth wave. "And these fragments would integrate into my world." The improvement seemed obscure to him. "In concrete terms, what would it bring me?" ¡®In concrete terms? Everything,¡¯ the Prince replied. ¡®A fragment of time concept would allow you to create time dilation in a limited area or your entire world. A space fragment would increase the limit of your world''s size.¡¯ "So, what you''re saying is, the other rewards are superfluous." An idea crossed Priam''s mind. "Does the System..." ¡®Yes, the System uses this technique. Such fragments are rare, but others are more common. A fragment of growth concept would make plants grow faster. You would be able to modify the environment to cultivate any natural treasure. If you find a mist fragment, you¡¯ll be able to create a training zone to understand your enemy''s epiphanies.¡¯ Priam had to admit he was interested. But perhaps he could use these fragments more directly and efficiently. "I could directly absorb these fragments," he remarked. The Prince snorted. ¡®The vengeance fragment from the mantises managed to change your mindset even though these creatures, born of a Tribulation, didn''t have true consciousness. If you absorb the mist concepts of a centenarian warrior, I''m not sure your soul will still be able to call itself Priam Azura.¡¯ Thinking back to the vengeful madness that had taken hold of him when he absorbed the vengeance fragment, Priam shuddered. He had briefly lost his identity, solely focused on revenge. If his enemies'' thoughts could mingle with these fragments, then Concepts Integration was a priority. Without it, he could never properly use his gift. "You''ve convinced me," Priam announced. ¡®If your secret is ever discovered, be prepared to have half the Universe on your tail.¡¯ The conversation was coming to an end, and Priam hesitated to speak again. The next steps were quite obvious, and he didn''t want to rush the Phoenix. After a few seconds, as if mustering his courage, the Prince continued. ¡®I''ll take advantage of the upgrade to integrate my corpse perfectly as your world¡¯s sun. The next time we speak, you''ll be face to face with my corrupted consciousness. Do me a favor: kill me.¡¯ "This Universe is vast, it''s unlikely that..." ¡®Karma is a genuine concept in this world. If you survive long enough, our paths will cross.¡¯ "... I will kill you," Priam promised. He knew the Phoenix had manipulated him a bit. The creature had stooped to help a mere Tier 0 to create karma between them. Nevertheless, Priam welcomed the challenge. He planned to hunt Dragons, so why not Phoenixes? ¡®My main consciousness must now be Tier 5, and is a Prince of the Depths. Still, I feel that it''s not impossible for Promesse to one day wash away my shame. Good luck and farewell, Priam.¡¯ "Farewell, Prince." Without further ado, Priam selected Concepts Integration. His soul trembled. Congratulations! [Space Island - Silver(Growth)] has evolved into [Concepts Archipelago - Gold(Growth)]. Priam leaned on the balcony railing, studying the crowd below. The square of the Ducal Palace was teeming with people. Yet most weren''t discussing the trial that was about to begin. What could be more interesting than the execution of a Revenant officer? The parade of the Dome''s Lord, the lovely Sphinx, of course! Strolling in her miniature form through the crowd, she had won the hearts of the inhabitants. "Could you convince her to lend her image to a plush toy?" a voice inquired. "I thought you only sold information?" Priam replied. "I''m a merchant, I sell everything," Mercury boasted. "Except my friends, of course." "Of course. The answer is... yes. As an agent of Sphinx, I want fifty percent," Priam negotiated. "Deal. I would have accepted eighty percent," Mercury smiled. "Eighty percent then." "Too late, I''ve activated the contract." Priam laughed for a few moments. He had many qualities, but bargaining wasn''t one of them. Fortunately, it was less necessary when you were rich and powerful. "Do you still plan on holding a public trial?" Mercury asked. "Yes," Priam confirmed. "I won¡¯t hide that I want Claire''s death for personal reasons. However, I don''t want to kill her in secret. A public condemnation will kill two birds with one stone." There were no good reasons to keep it a secret. No need to give fodder to his future enemies. It was also essential to inform the inhabitants about the Revenants and the fate that awaited them. "Enemies who will learn to fear you. In addition, the people will legitimize this death by their presence. Clever," commented Mercury. Priam shrugged as he entered the room. "It''s for the principle now. Honestly, I''ve left Claire behind." Mercury brought a glass to Priam. "I didn''t think you were the type to forgive." Priam tasted the amber liquid. Sweet as I like it. He downed his glass in one go. "I haven''t forgiven anything. I would say that despite my memory, time has done its work. Claire was a lost young woman. She accepted a poisoned gift from the System and didn''t try to fight. Me... I was alone, and I clung to the first person I saw." Priam wasn''t ashamed to admit that he had sought human presence in the past. Now, he had found his father and made real friends. He trusted Sphinx and Blueberry and hoped they would agree to come to Elysium... A clamor rose from the crowd. He was expected. Priam checked that his outfit was in place. Boss, the master tailor, had done a remarkable job, and Priam felt well-dressed. The silk was pure white, accented by a royal orange. The outfit was clearly geared toward combat, but it suited him. He wasn''t into politics and wasn''t there to socialize. He was there to lay the first stone in the fight against the Revenants and all threats to humanity. He wasn''t a king or a president. He was a Champion. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 Constitution 448 Agility 304 Vitality 465 Perception 521 MENTAL: Vivacity 282 Dexterity 345 Memory 72 Willpower 464 Charisma 378 META: Meta-affinity 249 Meta-focus 183 Meta-endurance 161 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 829 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 51 minutes 8 seconds. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 14 hours 24 minutes 21 seconds. Chapter 110: See you soon - part 1 "My name is Priam Azura. I will be designated as the Champion of humanity by the System after the Reunion." The vast crowd before him fell into a hushed silence. Despite the distance, Priam''s enhanced eyes allowed him to discern the features of each spectator. They numbered over a million, gathered in the square of the Ducal Palace. According to Mercury, his speech was being broadcast directly in seven other domes and delayed in all the rest. No pressure... Taking a deep breath to ensure he''d be heard, he continued. "You''ve followed my Achievements. Lately, you must have heard rumors about me. Let me tell you the unvarnished truth." Priam locked eyes with an elderly woman standing alone in the midst of the crowd. Her physical frailty was offset by a noble presence. She stood tall, and instinctively, Priam straightened. "During my quadruple Tribulation, the System forced me to take refuge in a dome to survive. I saved as many people as I could, but there were hundreds of casualties. I don''t entirely blame the System. I accept my share of responsibility in this tragedy and intend to pay the price for my mistake." Priam paused, surveying the attentive crowd. The old lady looked at him with eyes full of sadness. She nodded imperceptibly, as if encouraging him to continue. "However, there is a fundamental difference between me and the Revenants," Priam continued. "The System offered them the choice to kill other humans to resurrect. That very System forced me to enter the dome to stay alive. They chose to kill, I chose to survive." The Dome''s crowd was utterly silent. Mercury had advised him against this statement, but Priam wanted to be honest. He hadn''t killed anyone with his own hands, nor had he sought to face divine wrath. He hadn''t triggered a quadruple Tribulation by choice. Priam wasn''t a saint, but he was far from being a demon ready to sacrifice innocent lives for power. Despite the crowd, there was not a sound in the square. His stomach knotted under the judgment of millions of his peers. Priam straightened and resumed. "Despite this difference, I do not deny the blood on my hands. I want to atone for this fault. I hereby promise to fight all external threats to humanity." The sentence was a bit demagogic, but the crowd leaned in. They could feel the sincerity of their Champion. "The Reunion is just the beginning. Great trials await our race. Alien bureaucrats are thinking about the next tax they''ll impose on us. Factions are preparing exploitative contracts. Slave traders are putting a price on our heads. Terrible wars are approaching." Fear and fury rumbled through the crowd. Many had already grasped humanity''s place in this new universe. A tiny one. Priam made a slight pause, letting his Charisma radiate. He didn''t want to manipulate the crowd, but rather project his feelings. "Faced with all these horrors threatening humanity, I intend to take responsibility. For the dead, but especially for the living. Until now, I''ve been labeled as a Champion. Today, before you, I accept this title. I will be humanity''s spear!" The dome''s brightness dimmed, and a faint pillar of light highlighted Priam''s silhouette. Seems like Sphinx is having fun. "I won''t lie to you: this new world is unforgiving, and the next few years will be tough. However, I want everyone to know that the Champion of humanity will not abandon his race. I will fight by your side and won''t let anyone enslave humanity!" This was the moment to capture the audience''s hearts. In a second, [Moon Mist] conjured the silhouette of a wyvern. Two additional Phoenix wings adorned its back. Infused with Priam''s charismatic aura, the ephemeral creation was a marvel of power and majesty. Not a single human could divert their gaze from the creature. Priam''s skill pulsed, and the wyvern roared. "Today, humanity takes up arms!" Cheers erupted. Hesitating for a moment, Priam raised his fist. Despite his confessions, he received an ovation. The dead were far, and the Champion was with them. As they beheld the draconic species summoned by their Champion, heard his words, and felt his power, the spectators felt hope for the first time in weeks. CHAR +1 The golden wyvern, soaring to the top of the dome, was the symbol of their Champion''s might. By extension, many felt it as the power of humanity. CHAR +1 The crowd''s enthusiasm fueled Priam. Breathing forcefully, he smiled at them. This confession lifted a weight off his chest and allowed him to face the truth: he had made mistakes. Some could have been avoided, and others... others might have been necessary. Priam accepted it, as he accepted his responsibilities in the deaths of New Earth. CHAR +1 In the face of over a million people, Priam was beginning to feel the weight of his new title. He was the Champion of humanity. It might not bring him any immediate perks, but it offered him a chance at redemption. CHAR +1 With a final roar, the wyvern dissipated above the crowd. The guardian had turned into golden snow, and many tried to catch a few flakes. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. About fifty yards in front of Priam, amid the crowd, a little girl on her father''s shoulders had tears in her eyes. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, and Priam looked at her. "We''ve all lost loved ones," he continued gently. "I''ll fight to make sure it doesn''t happen again." The little girl was crying heartily, her eyes shining with hope that Priam didn''t want to disappoint. The cheers grew softer as the memories of the lost ones pressed in. Paradoxically, the bond between the crowd and Priam grew stronger. He understood them, and in return, they understood him. His Charisma whispered to him the concern of a million humans, but another emotion was slowly emerging. Hope. Priam partly accepted the mantle of Champion because he wanted to repay the debt he owed to the dead. A debt was an unbearable chain for Priam. As the crowd quieted, Priam felt like a weight was lifted from his chest. He would never be the guardian of humanity. He didn''t want to be, and he was too selfish for that. However, he refused to watch men, women, and children die if he could save them. He wouldn''t be the guardian of humanity. He would be its spear. Priam raised his hand and used his aura to silence the crowd. Two female guards stepped forward, lifting Claire''s body between them. It was a show to prevent the public from pitying the young Revenant. [Kinetic Control] prevented Claire from speaking or struggling. For Priam, this speech was just another battle, and he had no intention of losing. He needed the support of the crowd to be a true Champion. In a deep voice, Priam spoke again. "This young woman is named Claire. She''s a Revenant officer who has killed many humans. Some of you may not be familiar with them. One day, some men and women cast aside their humanity. In order to have a chance at a longer life, they accepted to kill or corrupt other humans. Faced with them, you have only one choice: become a murderer in turn, or die. They are Revenants." Priam let his sentence hang for a moment before pointing at Claire. "Beneath her innocent appearance lies a Trojan horse. The Revenants bear our faces, our memories, but they are monsters. I personally killed their generals and their leader." Almost instinctively, Priam''s aura transmitted to the crowd the pain, the hatred, the fear, and the despair he had felt during the betrayal. Thousands of dirty looks turned on Claire, who trembled. "The apocalypse overturned governments and laws. It''s hard to know what to do with these Revenants and the other threats that weigh on humanity. Exceptionally, an assembly of men and women from multiple factions, of all ages and backgrounds, discussed the case of this threat," Priam said, pointing to those with him on the stage. Mercury, Maya, Mirscella, and Prometheus had spent nearly ten hours negotiating with dozens of other representatives. All of them wanted to condemn Claire, but many feared potential abuses if the Champion played both judge and executioner. No one wanted to give him political power, but no one could stop him from taking it. To speed up the process and limit friction, Priam had stayed away from the negotiations - knowing that Claire would die in the end. "In less than a week, the Revenants have killed over fifty thousand humans," he revealed. "Each Revenant must convert or kill a human every three days. In light of this information, it was decided that accepting to become a Revenant was a crime against humanity. The penalty is death." For the first time, the crowd seemed divided. Some expressed their encouragement. Others fidgeted, disapproving of the sentence. For those who hadn''t seen the dead or left the dome, the death penalty was hard to understand. Many countries abolished it, and not all humans had accepted the civilizational change. "If we don''t cut off the root of this evil, humanity will perish. Our old laws are now obsolete. Our customs and traditions must adapt for humanity to survive," explained Priam. He raised his hand, and one of Prometheus'' men created an illusion. The first rows of the crowd recoiled, panicked. An Abomination about thirty meters tall now loomed over the square. "Here is the kind of chimera created by the Revenants. You''ll notice the ingredients: human bodies. Terrible as it is, here''s worse. The spiritual cement of this creature is made from human spirits torn from living subjects. Not even death can free you from the clutches of the Revenants. Believe me, the death penalty is deserved." His aura sensed the emotions of the crowd. The Abomination had made its impact: no one wanted to be merged into a monster of flesh and blood. Claire''s defenders fell silent before the horror of the Depths. Priam continued. "I am one of those who condemned the Revenants in general, and Claire in particular. To show you my resolution, I¡¯ll take responsibility for carrying out the sentence. Know that the hand of your Champion will not tremble against those who threaten you." Priam turned to Claire and lifted her paralysis. "Before all of humanity, do you have anything to say in your defense?" Forced by a contract, Claire couldn''t lie. Shining with rage, her eyes locked onto Priam''s calm and peaceful gaze. He didn''t feel much for the Revenant anymore. "Big words to mask a personal vendetta," she spat. Truth was a powerful weapon. After a speech where he had confessed everything, Priam felt light. He turned to the crowd. "I''m not afraid of the truth. Claire betrayed me, poisoned me, and almost killed me after gaining my trust. Yet, her condemnation has little to do with that. I would have executed her as a Revenant without even knowing her. I swear it on my Potential." POT -50 In the sky, thunder rumbled without lightning, confirming Priam''s words. There must be no doubt in the minds of the public. Disregarding the crowd, Claire fixed her gaze on Priam. "We''re the same. You would have made the same choice as me." Priam closed his eyes. A memory from the Tutorial resurfaced. Henri... A few seconds later, he shook his head, allowing a smile to spread across his lips. Claire didn''t know him very well. "I would have accepted becoming a Revenant, that''s true," Priam admitted. "I respect the desire to want to live. However, the System is always fair: it''s possible to become human again by earning an Achievement. I would have staked my life on becoming human again, without killing anyone. I''m not a hero, but I bear my mistakes alone." "Only three Revenants have become human again. Do you think you''re so special? You would have abandoned your ideals. The fear of death does that to people," Claire sneered. Priam smiled. "True. During my Tutorial, I had the choice between assassinating one of my comrades or risking my life in a grotesque situation. I didn''t succumb to the easy way out. That''s what allows me to stand here today. We''re different." Claire began to tremble, and Priam''s Domain caught the beginnings of tears. An execution was never beautiful, but Priam didn''t want the entire humanity to witness an emotional breakdown. [Kinetic Control] froze the Revenant. Raising his spear, Priam pronounced the sentence. "By becoming an officer of the Revenants and committing multiple homicides, you have betrayed humanity. Claire, I condemn you to death." With a fluid motion, Promesse pierced Claire''s heart. For the second and final time, the young woman died. Part of the audience applauded, and Priam shivered. His revenge was neither sweet nor bitter, but he didn''t want the crowd to lose its humanity. A ruby-colored drop burst on the ground. How many more will die by my hand? Chapter 110: See you soon - part 2 Mercury grimaced at the crowd''s applause. Priam had turned Claire into a symbol of the hardships raining down on them. Most were thrilled to see humanity striking back. Even if it meant taking the life of a young woman, he lamented. Mercury''s perspective was more nuanced, understanding that certain deeds were necessary. Claire''s death was a grim necessity, but rejoicing in it? That was a different matter. His gaze shifted to Priam. The Champion was undeniably strong and charismatic and vowed to slay their enemies. How could they not be enamored by him? Had they even realized that he never promised to shield them? They revered the Spear for its strength, but they''d need a Shield. Priam would never allow himself to be bound in such a way... From the corner of his eye, Mercury noticed the Champion''s somber expression. A man who was both strong and honest, who took no pleasure in killing or manipulating his kin? That was a pleasant surprise. Despite his flaws, I''ve bet on the right horse. When Priam swung open the infirmary door, he was greeted by the sight of Sphinx hopping about on Blueberry''s belly. The colossal bear had been laid out across two rows of five beds each. It was the only way to let him lie other than having him sprawl on the floor. Sphinx''s leaps seemed to tickle Blueberry. Despite the latter''s flailing, the beds held firm. A few planks creaked from time to time, but one thing was for sure: the System churned out quality. "Sphinx, give him a break, he''s convalescing," Priam said, shutting the door behind him. "He''s not convalescing, he''s just too lazy to get up!" Sphinx exclaimed, bounding onto the ursine''s muzzle. "I specialize in strength, not vitality," grumbled Blueberry, shoving the tyrannical Lord aside. "Do you realize how much energy I need to rebuild my muscles? If only I could nibble on some fire-roasted wyvern..." he said, giving Priam puppy-dog eyes. A bear wasn''t built for puppy-dog eyes. "If I didn''t know you better, I''d say you want to eat me," Priam said. "I am actually quite hungry." "You''ll taste my spear if you keep it up." Promesse hummed in recognition of the word. "You know what, I''ll stick with the wyvern," Blueberry relented, eyeing the weapon with concern. Was Promesse old enough to grasp sarcasm? Blueberry didn''t want to bet on it. "Only the Earls are entitled to this delicious dish, you commoner," Sphinx declared, leaping into Priam''s arms. "I''m a Viscount, as you were yesterday!" "Commoner, commoner, commoner!" Priam burst into laughter. "She just wants to humiliate me, and you''re encouraging her," Blueberry grumbled. Priam stopped laughing and wiped his eyes. "Forgive me, Blueberry." Positioning Sphinx in front of him, he pinched her cheeks. "I''m proud of you for your promotion, Sphinx! But we mustn''t be mean to our friends, okay?" Nodding weakly, Sphinx mewed. Priam''s eyes widened in surprise. "You... You meowed?" "Rose told me that if I was cute, you''d forget about my mischief..." Sphinx meowed again, and Priam held her tightly. Her fur was so soft¡­ Well played, Rose! Priam was aware he was being manipulated, but he accepted his fate. Blueberry grumbled as he watched the scene. Sphinx meowed again upon seeing the bear roll his eyes. "Can I keep bothering him?" she whispered. "Later," Priam replied, straightening up. "Let''s head to the garden; I have a proposition for you." "Awesome!" Blueberry didn''t respond. The bear sulked in silence, and Priam decided to give him some motivation. "Shall we discuss this over a wyvern barbecue?" A mass of fur leaped towards the nearest window, shattering it along with the wall it was set in. Priam laughed before following suit. To cook a wyvern, you needed hot embers. Blueberry had laboriously stacked a few branches of greenwood twenty minutes earlier. The pile resembled a giant game of pick-up sticks that Blueberry struggled to ignite. Sphinx''s advice didn''t seem to be helping him. Priam shook his head, refocusing on Louis. The spirited old man regaled them with his surfing experience, shooting glances towards Mirscella every ten seconds. "...riding a wave single-handed. When you''re upside down, the connection with the water is incredible. You feel like you''re merging with the wave. Once, when I was vacationing near Sumatra..." Mirscella cleared her throat. "I''m sure we all love Sumatra, Louis, but I have a question for Priam." Louis blinked before breaking into a wide smile. Hearing his name from his sweetheart''s lips was enough to make him look like a fool. For a moment, Priam wondered if Mirscella had hypnotized him. Unlikely, unless she brewed a love potion and he chugged the whole cauldron... The loverboy playfully bowed, flexing his muscles in the process. For his age, the old fellow was in good shape. Priam then widened his eyes. Don''t tell me... Does he have so much Vitality that his body''s producing teenage hormones again? The explanation seemed absurd, but Priam couldn''t outright dismiss it. He was interrupted in his thoughts by Mirscella. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "I''m always ready for some wyvern. Well, as long as we can cook it before the end of the Reunion," she said, turning to Blueberry. "But I was wondering why you''ve gathered us here?" "I have... an opportunity to offer you," Priam informed them. "Originally, I was only thinking about my father, but I believe it might interest all of you as well." "I''m listening," Mirscella sounded intrigued. Priam''s uncertain smile and the Champion''s hesitation piqued her curiosity. "In a few hours, we''ll be sent back to the world that welcomed us at the end of our Tutorial." All the humans present nodded, and Priam continued. "I have the ability to invite you into the world that welcomed me. I''d like you to come with me, Dad," Priam asked, looking at his father. "When I find Eliza, she''ll need you too." Alain smiled. "I had a hunch, son. Of course, I''ll come! Despite all your powers, I''m pretty sure you''re sleeping in a sorry excuse for a cabin. Together, we''ll build ourselves a decent dwelling!" Priam grimaced, remembering his early days in Elysium. He had to dig into the ground to sleep. It was more fun in Minecraft. "Your father could build an airplane with a spoon and a couple pieces of flint," Louis confirmed. "I won''t be getting on that plane," clarified Mirscella. "With no pilot or fuel, there''s relatively little danger," Alain pointed out. "I can pilot. In Argentina, I rented a sort of little..." Mirscella cleared her throat, magically silencing Louis. Alain turned to the old lady. He knew who to persuade. "I''d appreciate it if you came too. You''re my friends now, and I''m sure it''s a nice world. Isn''t that right, Priam?" "Well..." Mirscella raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well?" "Elysium is one of the most dangerous worlds in this Universe," Priam admitted. "Your chances of survival are slim if you stray far from me. Any animal is monstrously powerful, and dangers abound. The reason is simple: the density of aether is so high that natural treasures are extremely abundant. However, if you come... we''ll have no rivals in the next Reunion." Silence greeted his words. Priam grimaced, contemplating his proposition. Louis and Mirscella were already among the most powerful humans. More importantly, they were alive, a significant advantage in harnessing power. Who would risk their life for... "Okay." "Count me in!" Priam looked up at the two. "...Great. But why?" "Weren''t you wanting us to come?" Mirscella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course I do. It''s just that... you don''t need to?" Louis laughed. "We''re like you, Priam. You didn''t become the Champion by cultivating caution." "It''s the Achilles'' dilemma," added Mirscella. "To live passionately for a few years or cautiously for a long time. No one reaches the top without being passionate. If you try to dissuade us now, I''ll take it as an insult." "I wouldn''t want to offend you," Priam smiled. "That settles it then. Let''s go help them start this fire." Sphinx and Blueberry had looked at Priam strangely when he posed the question. Sphinx simply replied that if he decided to leave without her, she''d meow like an abandoned kitten. The image broke Priam''s heart. Meanwhile, Blueberry calmly explained that the Crimson Fruit he had brought Priam was a kind of admission ticket. "I hope Air Priam serves hors d''oeuvres during the transport..." "There''s magic water?" "Hum¡­ By the way, are you aware that Sphinx will want to bring Rose?" Priam wasn''t. He hesitated for a few minutes before discussing it with his father. "If she wants to come... She''s a brave girl who doesn''t have any family left. She doesn''t even have a world to return to, so I suppose she''ll have to spend several months alone on the Moon?" Priam wasn''t ready to abandon a teenager. In the end, he simply asked the interested party for her opinion. Sphinx found and brought Rose to the barbecue in less than five minutes. The teenager immediately accepted the invitation. "I want to be with you and Sphinx! Elysium sounds incredible, I could get strong enough to bring back Mom..." The sentence hung in the air, but Priam was almost sure Rose also wanted to bring her father back. That''s a problem for my future self. In the end, it took Blueberry over an hour to light the fire. From the window of his suite, Bechar watched the humans in the Dome frantically bustling about. With a thought, he could have observed the other domes. It was of little use; he''d have witnessed the same spectacle. Merchants packed their goods, artisans stowed their tools, and parents sought their children. In the Colosseum - or rather, the Colosseums - some warriors attempted to surpass their limits. All hoped to level up one more time just before the end of the Reunion. It was a bit too late. The portals would open in a few seconds. A final glance at Priam made him smile. He had figured out how to create a passage between his inner world and the outer world, but the path was too narrow for Blueberry. The poor bear was trying to make himself as small as possible while Priam spent Potential to widen the passage. Sphinx, three elderly individuals, and a teenager were pushing the bear into the bluish portal. The upper body went in easily, but the hips were stuck. Suddenly, Sphinx returned to her true size and gave the bear a paw swipe, sending him through the passage in one go. Bechar winced. She must have broken two or three of his bones... A few moments later, only Priam remained in the garden. Simultaneously, billions of portals opened on the surface of the Moon. Taking a deep breath, Priam stepped into the closing passage. See you soon¡­ Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 Constitution 448 Agility 304 Vitality 465 Perception 521 MENTAL: Vivacity 282 Dexterity 345 Memory 72 Willpower 464 Charisma 384 META: Meta-affinity 249 Meta-focus 183 Meta-endurance 161 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 779 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 0 hour 38 minutes 12 seconds. Chapter 111: Back to the Past Like every day for nearly two weeks, Gabrielle walked from dawn till dusk. Her constitution wasn''t the sturdiest in the clan, and her feet were suffering. As an apprentice apothecary, she had a few tricks up her sleeve for self-care. Nevertheless, the rarest ointments were reserved for severe injuries. What Gabrielle''s body craved most was time to recover. Time that the Gaeserts clan didn''t have. The gentle grasslands had gradually given way to stony frontiers. Elysium¡¯s locals referred to regions near the sky as the frontiers. A few days prior, Gabrielle had finally caught sight of the boundaries of the floating continent she was born on. Knowing that the land beneath her feet was situated kilometers above the sea was one thing; actually seeing it was another. Gigantic rocks, each biome stranger than the last, hung in the air, drifting slowly above an endless ocean. Gabrielle and her clan had already traversed several peculiar biomes, a consequence of their proximity to the frontiers. They were the result of abandoned fragments of concepts. When a fire elemental extinguished after a failed Tribulation or a fight, the nature of the landscape changed... According to the clan''s elders, even the tiniest islands were saturated with concepts. A whole ecosystem of monsters thrived there, gradually reinforcing the fragments over time. Gabrielle had no desire to cross an island steeped in a fire concept. A volcanic explosion might be beautiful, but it was dangerous. That was the reason for their exodus. The clan''s destination had been cleansed by the Influence System of such fragments, preparing for the Champions'' arrival. A zone with low aether density, devoid of concepts and monsters. A paradise. Leaning slightly to her right, Gabrielle observed the void and the ocean far below. The water sometimes gave way to land. As strange as it seemed to her, some islands were stationary, anchored to the seabed and surrounded by water. Islands that don''t float... How peculiar. Apparently, these islands were known as trading platforms with the denizens of the ocean¡¯s depths. Someday, I''d like to meet the ocean peoples, Gabrielle thought. "Ouch!" Uttering a curse, she hastily lifted her foot. Upon inspection, a sharp stone had pierced her worn shoe. Once again... The young girl studied the guilty stone. Resembling glass darker than the night, obsidian was a terribly sharp rock. It was harvested by the clan''s warriors to fashion arrowheads. Gabrielle and Mama Apo used them for surgical operations. Obsidian was sharp enough to pierce the skin of most warriors. Without it, how could a Tier 0 like Gabrielle hope to overcome the enhanced skin and constitution of a Tier 2? The shape of the obsidian was uninteresting and devoid of concept. Gabrielle tossed the useless fragment into the void. If it hits a monster''s head, maybe I''ll unlock a skill, she mused with a smile. Pausing for a moment, she wrapped a bandage soaked in antiseptic around her foot and resumed her journey. She preferred to endure the pain than ride in a cart. Children half her age walked, refusing the ease. Gabrielle was nearly an adult and would have preferred absorbing an insect''s core rather than seeing disappointment in the eyes of the younger ones. Suffering was a crucial part of Gaeserts'' education. Life was precious in Elysium; suffering reminded you that you were alive. Gabrielle turned away from the carts and scrutinized the ground, hoping to find a rare herb. All in vain. No organic resources were to be found in this desert of black stones. The winds that blew made sure any blade of grass audacious enough to grow was instantly annihilated. That was one of the reasons standing too close to the edge was dangerous. If a gust pushed her over, no one would save her from the plummet of several kilometers that awaited. Lost in thought, Gabrielle didn''t notice Broli until the boy gave her a friendly shoulder bump. She jumped, letting out a yelp. "If you walk any slower, we''ll never get there before the Necromoon''s Wrath. I can carry you if you want," he offered, oblivious to his friend''s misplaced pride. How can this fool be so quiet when he weighs as much as three boars?! Pretending to dust off her attire - a futile endeavor - to mask her startle, she replied, "I can walk. Maybe I don''t have feet as sturdy as yours, but I make up for it with an iron will." Broli chuckled. "You''re mistaking having willpower for being stubborn. No one''s asking you to walk. You''re just wasting bandages and shoes. Don''t compare yourself to me; I''ve developed the soles of my feet!" the boy boasted. Why is he proud of that? "Too bad you didn''t have time to develop your brain..." she mumbled. "Hmm?" "Nothing. When are we getting there?" she asked, glancing ahead at the column. The clan was spread out in a line nearly five hundred meters long. The warriors and huntresses ensured their safety, but Gabrielle worried. Mobility in Elysium was paramount, but if they ventured into the territory of a beast too powerful... The boy took a few seconds to respond, contemplating. "Honestly? I''m not entirely sure. The huntresses found a bridge, but the next island is dangerous." Gabrielle straightened up instantly. "What kind of bridge?!" "A basic one, just a series of rocks, more or less, floating between the two islands," the young man sighed. "Oh... I would have loved to cross a bridge created by a light concept. Can you imagine a rainbow bridge?" "Do you have a resistance to light?" Broli asked, surprised. "No, but it would have been amazing. Maybe I would have been baptized..." One of Elysium''s fundamental laws required islands imbued with a concept to create a bridge to neighboring islands. These bridges broke when the islands drifted too far. The clan''s elders recounted that it was possible to be baptized by the fragments and thus develop an affinity for the concept. "Mama Apo will baptize you when you''re ready." "...So are we taking the bridge?" Broli shook his head at the change of subject. "I don''t think so. Each rock is spaced at least fifty meters apart, and the wind can be strong at times. No big deal for a warrior or a huntress, but for the rest? Even if they carry us, I can''t see them jumping while carrying carts." Gabrielle nodded. Abandoning carts filled with provisions, potions, ointments, and bandages was out of the question. Broli looked around. They were nearly at the rear of the column, walking alongside the draft animals. Sensing that nobody was listening, he lowered his voice to whisper to Gabrielle. "There''s another way. A titanic tree has fallen, allowing passage to a small island that would bring us closer to our destination. However, Cerd¨¤ detected a Tier 4 python there." "This is madness!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Lower your voice! It''s impossible for our clan alone, but the chiefs of the Snaherts and Aelbes came to discuss an alliance with my father. Depending on their discussion, a raid will be launched." Gabrielle tensed at the mention of the Snaherts. The murderers of my parents... Sometimes, in her dreams, she saw them. Her father''s hand was massive, enveloping hers. She felt profoundly safe in those moments. "I know you don''t like them, and neither do I, but we have no choice," Broli sighed. "A Tier 4 would decimate our warriors. I can''t even imagine the power that beast must possess..." Gabrielle shook her head. "I''m thinking about the clan first. If it''s the only way... Tell your father to be careful. Who will go?" "Don¡¯t worry," Broli smiled. "My father, the shaman, Cerd¨¤, and my great-grandfather will go fight if the raid is confirmed. The others would be a burden." Gabrielle''s second shoe chose precisely that moment to give out. Another piece of rock scratched her foot, and the young girl didn''t even have time to bend down before Broli lifted her. "That''s enough. If you keep damaging your shoes, you''ll arrive barefoot. It would make a bad impression." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "If we ever arrive..." "Don''t say that. After this island, we''ll be almost there. No more than a week''s journey before we reach the portal''s location. Who knows, we might even see those famous Champions!" A titanic roar shook the air. The monstrous python had anticipated the raid. Around Priam, the darkness was supreme. His enhanced sight perceived nothing. [Three Headed Hydra] had managed to restore his arm, and the Merit of [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] had regenerated his main heart. His other wounds had naturally healed. Priam had prioritized his limb to regain a normal appearance - declaring himself Champion while missing an arm might have raised concerns during his address. That was now the least of his worries. A more significant problem occupied his mind: he no longer sensed his internal world. The connection with his father and friends was severed, and concern washed over him. Priam tried to use Micro to halt the production of cortisol - the stress hormone. A moment later, he widened his eyes. The Supremacy wasn''t responding. What the... There was a problem. In an instant, Priam recalled all his deaths and all he had gone through to get to this point. Invoking the pragmatic part of his consciousness, Priam analyzed the situation. He should have arrived in Elysium in an instant. The portal was aptly named; it wasn''t teleportation. At least, that''s how it happened on the way there. From there, three scenarios were possible. In the first one, the System was waiting for all humans to pass through the portal before distributing the Reunion¡¯s rewards. That was the most likely case; all he would have to do was wait. The second was that he wasn''t allowed to bring people into Elysium, and the System or one of the moderators were trying to find a solution that didn''t involve tearing apart his world. The third... "How peculiar... Your alien Talent doesn''t manipulate your luck, does it? Is it just a coincidence?" A voice resonated in the infinite space. Priam shivered upon hearing it. His brain fainted, and only his heart, blessed by the Tribulation, continued to beat. Instinctively, his draconic instinct summoned his Domain. Unlike Micro, the Supremacy responded, and a bubble of calm surrounded him. The god''s influence waned and Priam''s mind reconnected. "V... Viracocha," he stammered. The god''s aura prevented him from thinking clearly. A primal terror stirred within him. Part of him wanted to scream and rebel, but the divine influence crushed him. The power difference was too significant. "Disturbing a god is a dangerous endeavor. That being said, you have nothing to fear at the moment." Upon hearing those words, Priam''s mind shuddered. ¡°Wh¡­¡± "Don''t force yourself to speak or fight. You''d only hurt yourself, and the System wouldn''t allow it. I am here... to bless you," the voice chuckled. Priam trembled. He didn''t want the god''s blessing. "Originally, I was aiming for your father... Well, it will be the brother and sister. Receive my blessing, Priam." The divine aura vanished. Priam''s brain reconnected, and his first heart began to beat again. His body would have collapsed if he hadn''t been floating in space. After a few seconds, Priam gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His nails dug into his skin, drawing blood. I am WEAK. His anger flared. How dare this god try to attack his father and sister?! What did this blessing mean? A bit of power now, and his soul would join Viracocha''s heaven upon death? If that''s the case, he''ll be disappointed¡­ But why did he tell me all that? If Bechar was Tier 3, a god, even a minor one, had to be at least Tier 4. At this level of power, Priam figured the god could pronounce four sentences without making a mistake. Which means he''s interested in my Talent. It was a test. So was talking about my father and sister. Priam broke out in a cold sweat. Viracocha wanted to make sure I cared about them. The god hadn''t expected any response from Priam, he had just probed his feelings. Priam¡¯s anger had given Viracocha all the answers. Fuck. The System finally activated, redirecting his attention. End of the Reunion. Congratulations on your survival! First Quest: Soon to be reunited? The threat has been revealed to all of humanity. The leader and generals of the Revenants have been eliminated. The Revenant Champion has renounced. 64% of the original Revenants are dead. 87% of the converted Revenants are dead. Humanity has mostly triumphed over its threat. Congratulations! Rewards for humanity: Free Attributes +10 Free Skill Points +5 Personal Reward - Revenants¡¯ elimination: POT +32 Additional Rewards: During this first community event, humanity achieved some feats: 84 Achievements - Bronze 15 Achievements - Silver 6 Achievements - Gold 1 Achievement - Legendary Free Attributes +8 Free Skill Points +5 POT +150 One solar day ahead in the next community event. Title received! [Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - You are the First of your race. Guiding all of your kin in this new universe, you strive to avoid traps. The task is arduous, but you have the power to save many lives. So many of your people are counting on you. Poor things... You detect the presence of humans close to you. CHAR +10% Talent received! [Blessing of Viracocha - Bronze] - The minor god Viracocha has entrusted you with a small part of his affinity for death. Increases your charisma with the souls of the departed. Warning: this may provoke the wrath of their master if these souls are already controlled. The veil of darkness tore, and Priam felt the blue grass beneath his feet. Three suns shone in the sky, a cool breeze brushed his cheeks, and the leaves of Log-a-rhythm shimmered. It was his home. "Geka Eaz." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 317 Constitution 448 Agility 304 Vitality 465 Perception 521 MENTAL: Vivacity 282 Dexterity 345 Memory 72 Willpower 464 Charisma 410 (+26) META: Meta-affinity 249 Meta-focus 183 Meta-endurance 161 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1011 (+232) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 0 hour 38 minutes 8 seconds. Chapter 112: Hoplite Challenge Priam had heard that voice before. [Eidetic Memory] whispered that he had even heard these words before. As it turned out, the hoplite had managed to free himself from prison. Spreading his mist and activating his Supremacies, Priam turned around. Before him stood an almost naked man in his thirties. A hoplite, Priam corrected himself. Without his armor, he looked almost human. Yet, no one would mistake him for one. While his impressive physique could have belonged to Mr. Universe, certain parts of his body were suspicious. Light shimmered on his skin, a result of countless small scales covering it. Tattoos pulsating with a bluish light ran along his body. His eyes possessed implants - a small metallic circle at the edge of the iris - that seemed to coldly analyze Priam. Above all, the hoplite''s predatory aura was terrifying. Blades of grass at his feet were pushed back, undulating as if a gust emanated from the warrior. Priam''s instinct told him the hoplite emanated no kill intent. It was more... a challenge. Priam twirled Promesse between his fingers before assuming a combat stance. Far from being afraid, he was excited. Ten days ago, he had lost. Only a low blow had spared him from death. Today, he intended to win fair and square. Let me show you my progress! Sensing Priam''s combative mood, the hoplite got into a defensive posture. A wooden spear materialized in his hands. Priam smiled, noting the resemblance between the wooden spear and Promesse. Deciding to seize the advantage, the human Champion lunged forward. [Battle Footwork] ensured he maintained an optimal foothold. Two meters ahead, as the hoplite''s position shifted slightly to leave no openings for Priam, he used kinetic charge. His speed doubled as he thrust Promesse toward his rival. A shockwave pushed the air as the two weapons clashed. The wooden spear held its ground. Priam widened his eyes for a moment before understanding. The hoplite had unlocked a Mastery compatible with his weapon! Retracting Promesse, Priam attempted to swipe the legs of the enemy Champion. The latter raised his leg and intercepted the attack with his shin. The weapon could easily cut through concrete, but the opponent''s bone was more robust. Astounded, Priam threw himself backward as he felt the hoplite''s spear penetrate his Domain. The Supremacy slowed the attack with [Kinetic Control] but failed to stop it. Just as Priam was about to escape the thrust, the hoplite changed his approach. The wooden spear accelerated abruptly. Sacrificing the aether thread created by [Battle Footwork], Priam catapulted backward. Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 2 AGI +2 DEXT +1 He landed about ten meters away, backed by Log-a-rhythm. The hoplite didn''t pursue him. Using all his Vivacity, Priam quickly analyzed the battle. His rival had unlocked Mastery and Micro. The first Supremacy allowed him to partially ignore [Kinetic Control], and the second gave him supernatural control over his body along with a brutal acceleration. Priam didn''t feel in danger - [Moon Mist] granted him great freedom of movement and some margin of error - but in less than half a second, the hoplite had shown him he was the most terrifying opponent he had faced since Arnold. Above all, he''s experienced. That was the real difference between the two adversaries. At no point did the hoplite seem surprised or caught off guard. He calmly observed Priam''s abilities and reacted accordingly. Now that he knows what he''s up against, he will... The image of the hoplite blurred slightly, setting off Priam''s instincts. A moment later, his Domain sensed an attack. The speed of the assault was too great to parry. Merging with his mist, Priam reappeared at the hoplite''s initial location. Grimacing, he pressed his side. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 18 CONST +3 According to Micro, he had been wounded in the abdomen. A wound that could have been fatal if the hoplite had poisoned his weapon. Priam breathed slowly, focusing. He was back in Elysium. If he weren''t more serious, he would die. [Focus]. Analyzing the last exchange, Priam admonished himself. A Mastery could harm him even when fused in his mist. Prometheus had already proven that it was possible; he should have remembered. [Eidetic Memory] could do nothing if he wasn''t focused. His wound was open, and Priam was losing blood. Using Micro, he constricted his blood vessels to staunch the bleeding, then got back into a combat stance. Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 13 VIT +1 Drawing from his Potential, Priam brandished Promesse. "Round two." The hoplite responded to the invitation. The two adversaries leaped at each other. [Kinetic Control] increased Priam''s speed, and he struck first. The hoplite intercepted Promesse before countering. His movement suddenly slowed, hindered by the theft of kinetic energy. Priam took advantage to deliver a kick enhanced by Micro. His heel struck the enemy''s ribs, and both warriors grimaced. Priam''s ankle had absorbed the impact poorly, but he smiled a second later. He had heard the sound of bones breaking. The exchange was in his favor. The hoplite duplicated himself without warning and leaped to the side. Priam feigned surprise while detecting the illusion through his mist concept. The real warrior attacked, and Priam dodged, placing himself in front of the illusory double, which struck. Suddenly, his Domain warned him: the hoplite''s position had changed. At the last moment, Priam contorted, using his Potential to boost [Dodge]. For a moment, the skill unleashed itself perfectly, working in concert with Dexterity and Domain to find the ideal dodge. The hoplite''s spear pierced his attire but not his skin. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 15 AGI +1 POT -2 Priam seized the wooden lance to lock it. His Domain enveloped the hoplite, preventing any attempt at teleportation. With no link to its original, the clone exploded in a fireball. Smiling, Priam pressed on, thrusting a punch toward the hoplite who grabbed it. A martial arts grip sent Priam airborne. His instinct vibrated, and Priam felt a projectile fly in his direction. Activating [Moon Mist], he teleported behind his opponent and condensed an icy plate on the ground. The hoplite turned around, his wooden lance shimmering with a golden gleam. Promesse met the enemy weapon. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 4 STR+1 POT -2 Thrown off balance by the recoil, the hoplite staggered back briefly, sliding on the ice. Pitching forward, his head met Priam''s knee. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 8 PERC +1 DEXT +2 POT -6 Releasing a significant portion of his stored kinetic energy, Priam was surprised when his opponent''s head didn''t burst like a ripe melon. Instead, the body froze, turning as black as the night. Steadfast on his feet, Priam employed [Tribulation Piercing Spear], hoping to overcome the hoplite''s defense. His hopes were dashed. Promesse''s tip glanced off the dark surface. A skill that petrifies and blocks damage, he theorized. Closing in so his Domain shrouded the petrified hoplite, Priam pondered. If this adversary held a concept fragment, perhaps he could... The rival''s black hue vanished as he surged forward abruptly. Caught off guard, Priam couldn''t evade a sweeping attack and found himself on the ground. The wooden lance hurtled toward him, and he only had time to shift slightly. The tip impaled him, narrowly avoiding vital organs. Rather than quieting the pain, Priam wielded it as fuel for his fight. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 27 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 POT -6 As the hoplite closed in for a headbutt, Priam spat in his face. His saliva, mixed with his corrosive blood, created a toxic vapor as it devoured his opponent''s flesh. The warrior grimaced before howling in pain and hastily recoiling. Priam attempted to meld with his mist to free the lance, but his skill refused. Damn. Springing to his feet, Priam gripped the wooden lance and extracted it with a growl. Blood began to flow profusely. The hoplite was now on his knees, and Priam grinned wickedly, noting the melted skin on his face - the bone was exposed. Ready in his stance, Priam decided to return the weapon to his foe. [Kinetic Control], [Spear Throw]! The lance shot off like a cannonball. A tenth of a second later, it missed the hoplite. At the last moment, a gust of wind had redirected it. Priam furrowed his brows, sensing the atmosphere chilling. Stolen novel; please report. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 16 DEXT +3 The hoplite rose and tore off the remaining shreds of skin from his face. Without poison or acid to slow his regeneration, the skin began to restore itself before Priam''s eyes. He must have well over 500 Vitality. And a regeneration skill. The hoplite resumed his combat stance, and a current of air wound around his hands. Priam braced himself. "[Azire Tkar Mpow]." "[Tribulation Piercing Spear]." A lance of wind surged toward Priam before shattering against his skill. The air exploded, the earth lifted, and the clearing trembled. A few seconds later, the dust settled, allowing Priam to assess the damage. His clothes were half-torn, and his hands trembled. The impact had torn his nails and reopened his belly wound. Blood flowed down his body before dripping onto the ground. Perhaps the grass would develop a resistance to poison¡­ The hoplite facing him was also in a sorry state. A monstrous gash now marred his flank. One of his hands kept his organs from spilling out. Despite this, his eyes were sharp. His rival was more dangerous than ever. If we continue, one of us will die. Priam was willing to die once but not twice. The fight risked drawing attention if both unleashed their most terrifying skills... The wind rose as his opponent''s eyes turned white. Priam''s Domain and [Aether Perception] detected colossal amounts of aether in the air. This bastard wants to end this! The Champion hoplite wasn''t the only one with a special attack. Growling, Priam opened his mouth and began to channel his Breath. A draconic aura enveloped the clearing. The wind froze for a moment as the ambient aether rushed into Priam''s throat. In response, the hoplite roared, and his tattoos pulsed. The next second, a true tornado began forming between his hands. The two rivals exchanged a glance. The pressure built for several seconds. Suddenly, Priam felt the Breath was ready. He hesitated for a moment - Log-a-rhythm was behind the hoplite. The hoplite sensed his hesitation and squinted. A condensed orb of wind now rested between his hands. The power of a cyclone poised to be unleashed. Priam clenched his fists, cursing his positioning. If only he had paid more attention to his surroundings... Releasing the Breath would obliterate the place meant to welcome and protect his father and friends. His throat began to burn. Despite his body''s transformation, a Breath wasn''t a weapon to be invoked lightly. In the hoplite''s hands, the sphere of wind tinged with red. The currents were only half-tamed. For a few seconds, neither attacked. The hoplite knew he was outmatched - he''d die if Priam struck. On the other hand, Priam didn''t want to reveal his existence to Arnold or lose Log-a-rhythm. His Domain sensed a spiritual disturbance. ''You are brave.'' The hoplite unleashed the tornado. The trees at the edge of the clearing nearly bent before the gusting power. Priam blinked, surprised. The hoplite had canceled his attack. Obviously, he didn''t want to die. Priam nodded, agreeing to a temporary truce. There was nothing to gain from attacking the hoplite. According to Bechar, he''d have enough trouble in Elysium without seeking more. Deciding to cancel his attack, Priam realized there was a problem. Was it possible to deactivate a grenade that had already been primed? Damn... His instincts tingled, and Priam thought of [Concepts Archipelago - Gold]. By dispersing the attack there, he would surely increase the aether density of his world. The only other solution was to shoot the Breath toward the sky. A splendid idea if he intended to attract every monster in the region. Priam hesitated to open a portal to his world before relenting. The hoplite was watching him, and he didn''t want to reveal his trump card. So he had only one option left: to use his semi-physical connection with the Talent. Employing [Aether Manipulation] and his Potential, Priam seized the sphere of pure aether in his throat and began guiding it toward his solar plexus. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 10 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 POT -6 The operation was excruciating - the compressed Breath tore through everything in its path - and perilous, but Priam pressed on. Halfway through, the uncontained sphere started to quiver. Its structure was that of a bomb, designed to explode and cause terrible damage. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 30 META (END) +3 Priam sat cross-legged, employing [Frozen Meditation]. Assisted by his Potential and formidable mental faculties, [Aether Manipulation] closed in on the destructive bead like a vise of willpower. The Breath began to stabilize. Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 17 PERC +1 WILL +2 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 11 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 POT -12 [Tribulation Wyvern Heart] beat, and the aether grew more tractable. The natural talent of the dragons tamed this fundamental force. Sweat streamed down Priam''s forehead as he guided the Breath between his two hearts. The sphere consumed his body until it reached the level of [Concepts Archipelago]. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 12 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 POT -6 Establishing a connection with his inner world, Priam hesitated before teleporting it into the sun. Mentally, he felt the Talent tremble before steadying. The Phoenix''s gift had withstood the assault. Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 18 PERC +1 WILL +2 POT -6 Sighing in relief, Priam canceled [Frozen Meditation] and opened his eyes. The hoplite sat cross-legged, leaning against Log-a-rhythm. Priam let his Vitality mend him and observed his adversary. His keen perception caught a few troubling details. The grass beneath his rival''s rear was shorter and more compressed than elsewhere. It wasn''t the first time the hoplite had used his magical tree like a backrest. Moreover, the warrior appeared well-fed and slightly tanned. When Priam had stripped him of his armor in the prison he''d constructed, he''d noticed the warrior was barely tanned. Everything suggested the hoplite had been free for a long time. Either he tans quickly, or he freed himself over a week ago... But that doesn''t align with the duration of the Reunion. Unless the temporal flow is different in Elysium and on Earth? Once again, it was impossible. If time passed faster in Elysium, Priam would have had more time than the other humans to prepare. Yet all had been transported to the Reunion precisely one week after the start of the Tutorial. I''m missing a piece of the puzzle... Again, his Domain sensed a kind of... spiritual vibration. ''You have many questions.'' Priam smiled at the hoplite. "Understanding the world is the first step to formulating an action plan." The rival shook his head. ''I do not understand your words. I communicate my surface thoughts, impressions, and emotions to you. Your brain translates them into your language.'' Priam grimaced. He could create a skill to become telepathic with a bit of Potential. The trouble was that he would need time to fully filter his thoughts. It was notoriously difficult to master them - whether to clear the mind or prevent oneself from thinking about a particular subject. Just telling myself not to think about my secrets will make me think about them... Sensing his hesitation, the hoplite smiled. A universal expression. He raised his hand, and a helmet materialized there. Priam squinted, recognizing the hoplite armor''s helm. The alien had broken free from the prison and retrieved his armor before leaving. Why didn''t he leave? But above all... I want to face him in his armor. The hoplite tossed the helmet to him, and Priam intercepted it with his Domain. One could never be too careful. ''This object can store information. It will generate holograms of performances from my race. If you have the necessary attributes, you can learn my language in less than an hour.'' Priam smiled in return. With his quickness and [Eidetic Memory], he could learn a language very swiftly. It would be useful for communicating with the hoplite without establishing a mental link. Internally, Priam was also excited to learn about an alien people''s culture - it would certainly prevent him from making any major cultural blunders. The helmet activated, and a dozen screens appeared in his field of vision. Each screen offered a different movie, played in fast forward. Bombarded with information, Priam felt a headache looming. The hoplite now wore a smug smile. Priam was almost relieved. He had trapped and imprisoned the hoplite for two days. If the rival hadn''t attempted revenge at some point, he would have found it suspicious. Though it depends on his culture. He might just thank me for proving that one should be wary of the weak. The holograms continued to play, and Priam mused that learning a language this way was a true ordeal. Yet the hoplite seemed to believe it was possible. With his attributes, Priam was now a genius. His competitive spirit awakened. If this rascal thinks I''ll ask him to lower the difficulty... Thirty minutes will be enough for me. Activating [Frozen Meditation] and [Focus], Priam began to learn the hoplite language. The training was never truly over. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 318 (+1) Constitution 451 (+3) Agility 308 (+4) Vitality 466 (+1) Perception 526 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 285 (+3) Dexterity 352 (+7) Memory 72 Willpower 467 (+3) Charisma 410 META: Meta-affinity 252 (+3) Meta-focus 186 (+3) Meta-endurance 164 (+3) Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 990 (-21) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 180 days 0 hour 32 minutes 49 seconds. Chapter 113: Autumn is coming Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 19, 20, 21, 22 PERC +4 WILL +8 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 28,29,30 PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 POT -42 You have gained the skill: [Hoplite Language - Rare]. [Hoplite Language] - Finally, you''re becoming trilingual. If your high school Spanish teacher knew you spoke Hoplite better than you ever spoke Spanish, what would she say? Nothing. She died during her Tutorial. ... I''ve ruined the mood. A tip to make amends: learn more languages. Special bonus if it doesn''t use sound signals. MEM +2 DEXT +1 Forty-nine minutes later and at the cost of a net loss in Potential, Priam could now speak Hoplite. He knew he''d been lucky. Just like French - his native language - or English, this language was a fusional one. Meaning, they combined concepts into a single word. For instance, the Hoplite had greeted him with the word "Geka Eaz". "Gak-" was the verb for "challenge to a duel" and the suffix "-a" represented both first-person singular agreement and present tense. Thus, "Geka" meant "I challenge you to a duel." Which, for a warrior society like the Hoplites, was simply a formal greeting. The structure of both languages being close, Priam - thanks in large part to [Eidetic Memory] - had managed the feat of absorbing the alien language in less than an hour. If the language had been agglutinative, like Finnish or Turkish, it would have taken him several hours. Learning an analytical language like Chinese would take him a day or two. It was both a short and long time. With his mental abilities, Priam knew he could have done better. After all, he was supposed to think twenty-eight times faster than an average human. Unless Vivacity didn''t work exactly like that? Priam felt himself thinking much faster than he could before, but not twenty-eight times. Moreover, he didn''t always think at the same speed, depending on his actions or... his surroundings. My social interactions are restraining me, he realized. His mind prevented him from fully unleashing the power of his brain when he was just talking. For example, if he tried to speak twenty times faster to his father, Louis or Mirscella, they wouldn''t understand a thing. In the same way, Priam couldn''t discuss multiple things at once. Besides, human language wasn''t suited for that kind of feat. So, to remain a sociable creature, Priam unconsciously limited himself. This can''t go on. As he was devising a plan to learn how to harness his attribute''s full potential, the Hoplite interrupted him. ¡°Mnele w ploy w gurt Eaz.¡± Priam looked up at the Hoplite and translated. ''You can''t help but think, biped.'' Clearing his throat, he looked the Hoplite in the eyes. "Don''t call me Eaz. I''m human," he responded in Hoplite. Eaz referred to a hypothetical species resembling a Hoplite. Any intelligent biped could be named that. The word held no pejorative or racist connotation, but many aliens were Eaz. Besides, Priam wanted to forge a connection with the Hoplite. It was harder to betray someone whose name you knew than a stranger. "I''m Priam," he introduced himself. "Kazuki, Champion and Heart of the Hoplites," Kazuki replied, tilting his head. "I''m impressed, you speak my language without an accent." "Dexterity and Micro help," Priam replied with a shrug. There was a reason why [Hoplite Language] granted him Dexterity. "I think I''ve understood quite a bit from watching those movies, but I need confirmation. How do you feel about our previous..." Priam hesitated on the word. The Hoplite language had many ways to refer to a fight. All were nuanced and left little room for interpretation. Here, it didn''t make things easier for Priam. If he wanted to indicate he had fought poorly or that he was then a beginner, "Encobt" or "serious combat between a child and an adult" was the proper term. However, he had managed to defeat the Hoplite. If he thought Priam was insulting him, he would be compelled to avenge his honor by attacking. At least, that''s what the movies he had seen implied. That wasn''t what Priam wanted. I could use "Mothol". "Combat between two unknown warriors" described the situation fairly, but the Hoplite could argue that there hadn''t been a fight. There had been a chase, and Priam had turned the tide when his opponent had lowered his guard in the face of Priam''s pathetic resistance. "Narey," Kazuki completed. "A Fight for survival. You won''t besmirch my honor by presenting the truth. Besides, you''re a human. You don''t know our traditions, and you defeated me. It would be uncouth for me to reproach you with harsh, but just, words." Lvl Up: [Hoplite Language] lvl 2 MEM +2 DEXT +1 Priam nodded. Kazuki seemed to be a level-headed Hoplite, which was pleasant. "You''re right to be cautious," the Hoplite added, plucking a few strands of grass from the ground. "Some won''t hesitate to challenge you to a duel. After all, you speak our language and... you''re strong," he acknowledged. The remark caught Priam''s attention. "When will I have the pleasure of meeting other Hoplites?" he asked suspiciously. "Sooner than expected, I suppose. They''re opening a portal here." "What?!" The news caught Priam off guard. The Hoplites could already open a portal to Elysium? How? Certainly by trying to reach Kazuki or with the help of coordinates. If they try to reach him... Priam''s eyes hardened. He had no desire to see millions of Hoplites arrive near Log-a-rhythm. It would not only endanger his family but also himself. Should I kill him now? Kazuki smiled coldly. "You should refine your bloodlust into kill intent and learn to master it. I can clearly sense your hostility - which, by the way, is unfounded." Priam relaxed slightly. The Hoplite invasion was unlikely to be triggered in the next few seconds. Moreover, Kazuki must have had a reason for informing him of this. After all, he wasn''t obliged to notify Priam. Hoplites abhorred lies, but not to the extent of revealing their military secret to an opponent. Forcing himself to stay calm, Priam asked, "What do you mean by that?" "The portal was programmed using a special object, a Hearthstone. I see that you recognize the name," Kazuki remarked. Indeed, Priam owned the same object. But how had Kazuki understood this? Priam was sure he hadn''t moved - and Micro was monitoring his heart rate. If it wasn''t his body that had betrayed him... He can''t read my thoughts, but he can project his own, Priam remembered. Domain and [Mental Manipulation] show no reaction, so he must simply be observing my spirit. Priam made a note to find a defense against this. After methodically laying out the plucked grass by his side, Kazuki began weaving them together. "They briefly lent me the object, and I synchronized it with this clearing. Then it disappeared. I suppose they''ll activate it when they''re ready," he said, shrugging. Priam took a deep breath to regain control. "Why my clearing?" "I pass by here regularly to rest, hoping to find you here. You have an object that belongs to me," Kazuki said, an indescribable glint in his eyes. "I was here when the Hearthstone appeared, and as I had little time to synchronize it..." Priam recalled the pendant that held a voice recording. He must be talking about that... But there was something more important. Priam wanted to confirm something. "If I understand correctly, you''re not its owner." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. If that were the case, the portal would be created, whether Kazuki was alive or not. Damn. "According to [Scrutinize], my wife owns the Hearthstone." For the first time, the Hoplite''s smile seemed tender. This sight reassured Priam. A man - or a Hoplite - who cared for his family was someone who could be reasoned with. "She must have given me synchronization rights." "And after that, the object just disappeared. How convenient..." Kazuki closed his eyes and fell silent for a moment. Even his weaving was paused. A few moments later, he opened clear eyes on Priam. "You''re insinuating that I''m lying. It is the first time you''ve insulted me. I''ll forgive you for this, this time, because you don''t know our customs. If it happens again, my honor will force me to attack you. To insult the Heart of the Hoplites is to insult our entire civilization." The human and the Hoplite exchanged a long look. Priam knew nothing of this race, and the Hoplite might be cultivating an image of an honorable warrior to lower his guard. The movies he had watched could have been created by an AI for propaganda purposes. To give him a false image of his opponent. Or maybe Claire had made me too wary. His sharp instinct told him that the Hoplite was what he appeared to be. An honorable Champion... and a lost one. "Sorry. Among humans, lying is common. If I''m so mistrustful, it''s because I''ve been betrayed, and I avoid repeating my mistakes." Kazuki nodded. "A commendable mindset." Seeing Priam''s concerned expression, he added, "I told you all this because I don''t like using your property without your permission. It''s against my honor. However, my death will not change anything." "... I appreciate it." It was the truth. Not being in a shonen, Kazuki and Priam weren''t best friends after exchanging blows. It was mostly honor that had prompted the Hoplite to reveal that there was the equivalent of a bomb in his backyard, and Priam was almost grateful for it. What''s done is done. Now, what does it imply... Priam massaged his temples, pondering the Hoplite''s revelation. Some of his thoughts went to his father, Sphinx, and the others residing in his internal archipelago. Even if I ally with Kazuki, too many Hoplites would put them in danger... "How many Hoplites will come?" he finally asked. Maybe Kazuki would keep the information secret, but there was a chance... Kazuki burst into genuine laughter. "Are you afraid of an invasion?" Hearing Kazuki laugh was surprising. In the movies he had seen, he hadn''t heard a single joke. The Hoplites almost seemed to be humorless. Priam let Kazuki laugh to his heart''s content. The Hoplite eventually calmed down and apologized with a bow. "I''m sorry. Know that I didn''t mean to insult you. The mental pressure must have been stronger than expected... If a unit of ten people comes through, it will already be a lot," he reassured him. Priam felt a surge of relief. "So few?" Kazuki''s face grew serious. "... Elysium has become dangerous." Priam furrowed his brows before understanding. For him, Elysium had always been dangerous. In contrast, the first week should have been a walk in the park for the Hoplite Champion. If he had encountered them, Kazuki could have destroyed the ant colony and the spider horde. "What do you mean by that?" Priam asked. "... I now fear for my life." While continuing to weave his blades of grass, Kazuki gestured to the surroundings. "Don''t you find anything different?" Intrigued, Priam analyzed the surroundings. The leaves of the trees were slightly redder. Log-a-rhythm seemed to have grown. The wind was gentle this afternoon, and Priam thought his father would appreciate the place. With the nearby stream, it would be perfect for fishing. Suddenly, Priam put himself in his father''s shoes, and his eyes widened. "It''s pleasant! The temperature has dropped." Priam focused again before arching an eyebrow. "And gravity has increased?" The first change was good news - his father could withstand a temperature of 40¡ãC. But gravity had increased significantly. It was hard for Priam to estimate because he didn''t know his own body well enough, but gravity must be roughly five times higher than Earth''s. If gravity increases, he won''t even be able to leave the [Concepts Archipelago]... Kazuki nodded gravely. "The days are getting shorter, the heat is decreasing, and the gravity is increasing..." Before leaving, Priam had already noticed that the days were getting shorter. A change of season was, of course, natural, but there was nothing simple in Elysium. Three suns in the sky - two plus a Phoenix, Priam corrected himself - made calculating the seasons complicated. "Autumn is coming," he joked halfheartedly. Kazuki gritted his teeth. His hands trembled as he finished his work. A crown? "It will be harsh then. I avoid straying too far from your tree when night falls now." "How come?" "It''s as if some protection had disappeared as soon as you left. More and more powerful monsters are approaching. Some are... sick." The warrior hesitated momentarily before showing Priam the underside of his forearm. A grass bracelet concealed a part of it, and Kazuki removed it gently. A dark mark lay behind it. Looking at it, Priam felt his stomach twist. Curiosity outweighed mistrust, and he moved closer. Less than two meters from Kazuki, Priam stopped. His eyes saw the wound very distinctly. Black and cracked, it pulsed slowly. As if¡­ "The wound is alive?" Kazuki quickly finished his new grass crown - his bracelet - and concealed his wound with it. "No, it''s just... Corrupted. I''m healing slowly," he said. "A mutant tiger injured me. Since then, I avoid going out at night." "But you have impressive vitality." Priam had a hard time understanding. He had seen the Hoplite''s face dissolve and the skin of his hands tear. A few minutes later, nothing remained of those wounds. "This wound is cursed," the Hoplite spat. Seeing Priam''s furrowed brows, he added. "Maybe not cursed, but it''s tenacious. It fights against my vitality and tries to corrupt me. I''ve doubled my vitality in a few days, but it''s not helping much." "Doubled your vitality?!" "I unlocked [Necro Resistance - Epic] a few minutes after the infection. I channeled my Potential into it. Right now, my body is gaining ground, but it''s a long process." "If the wound had been bigger..." Priam let his sentence trail off, and Kazuki nodded darkly. The Champion would have died. An image of his sick father came to Priam, and he gritted his teeth. Sphinx and Blueberry would have a chance to survive, but the slightest scratch would kill a human. For a moment, Priam regretted bringing him along. No! He rebelled against resignation. This new world was full of dangers, but as long as they could face them together, it was worth it. A glance at Log-a-rhythm reassured him. His family would be safe. Turning to Kazuki, Priam questioned him. "So, what do you expect from me?" The Champion gave him a long look before responding. "I''d like to retrieve my pendant. It has sentimental value to me," he admitted. Priam didn''t hesitate for a moment before agreeing. "Very well." He turned to Log-a-rhythm and raised his voice. "Pendant, please." A primal intelligence brushed his soul. The tree''s leaves quivered in greeting, happy to find their master again. At least, that''s how Priam chose to interpret it. Some questions assaulted Priam, and he understood that Log-a-rhythm had a bunch of notifications waiting. I''ll see you soon. A few moments later, a branch stretched towards Priam and deposited a medallion in his hand. Priam observed it for a moment before offering it to the Hoplite. Kazuki gave him a grateful look as he retrieved his pendant. Priam smiled inwardly. He could empathize with someone searching for their family. Of course, he could have traded the pendant for a resource or information, but his interlocutor was a Champion. Gaining the favor of one of his rivals was the best reward possible. For once, emotions and pragmatism agree. "I appreciate it, Priam," said Kazuki, bowing deeply. "I shouldn''t have taken it from you in the first place. I apologize," Priam replied, slightly embarrassed by Kazuki''s extreme politeness. Silence fell between the two rivals. Priam sensed Kazuki''s hesitation and chose to wait. His instinct whispered to him that the Hoplite had something to ask. He had already thought of compensation. In the end, Kazuki broke the silence. "I may have a proposition." Priam grinned. Me too. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 318 Constitution 451 Agility 308 Vitality 466 Perception 534 (+8) MENTAL: Vivacity 288 (+3) Dexterity 357 (+5) Memory 76 (+4) Willpower 477 (+10) Charisma 410 META: Meta-affinity 252 Meta-focus 186 Meta-endurance 164 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 966 (-24) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 23 hours 35 minutes 11 seconds. Glossary - Q&A 2 First Glossary Titles: [Land Owner - Silver] - You become a true Noble, owning Land. You receive certain benefits when you are on it. Your Title of Nobility is linked to it. Losing your Land will affect your Title. Increasing the size of your Land will improve your Title. When you are on your Land: Allows manipulation of specific specialized infrastructures. Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Bonus (Viscount): Aether regeneration x2 Bonus (Earl): Knowledge about your land [Brainless] evolves into [Tenacious Spirit ]... [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - You had a mission, and your unfailing willpower enabled you to accomplish it. Even in the face of death, you continue to fight. You won¡¯t let your body be a burden any longer. Never forget: more than your body, your will makes you who you are. You can begin to manipulate and train your mind. Your mind becomes more resistant to environmental erosion. WILL +20% [Double Heart - Silver] becomes [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)]. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart] - Your second heart has the power of a wyvern, a distant descendant of the Dragons. That alone would be impressive, but it also possesses a [Tribulation Dragon] affinity. While not unique, this affinity is exceedingly rare and creates a mighty heart. Only your body''s extreme adaptability allows you to accommodate this organ without perishing. The power of the Dragons now flows through your veins. Their bloodline awakens in you. Their power strengthens you. Be careful to remain the master of this power. The Dragons'' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation. The Dragons'' second gift... Delayed until compatibility exceeds 90%. VIT +20% (30%) Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100% [Primogenitor - Gold] - You are the pioneer of a new race. It''s your job to keep improving it. Your charisma doubles when you talk to a member of your own or your original race. CHAR+30% [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - You''re already a legend. Take control of your destiny. Choose one of the proposals and chart your course: Conquest. You are an artificial force. As such, you refuse to bow to Fate and Nature. Conquest is a force that gains in power until it is stopped. Become the unstoppable Juggernaut. In this merciless world, you''re charting your course. Long may it be. In battle, every enemy you defeat temporarily increases your momentum. STR +20% CHAR +10% VIVA +10% [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - There are many ways to escape natural death. One of them is to turn into a ghost. It is not enough to escape from you. After refusing Death''s kiss, you send it new prey. Will this be enough to make amends? You have put an end to the pseudo-immortality of some beings. Keep up the good work. When fighting immortals, your instincts can whisper to you their weaknesses. The longer the fight goes on, the more distinct this whisper becomes. [The Reaper - Bronze] - You have directly slaughtered over 50,000 beings of the same race. If they weren''t responsible for the death of your parents, perhaps they were fundamentally evil? If not, you''re a psychopath. Fortunately for you, the System will never judge you! (That¡¯s a lie.) As you sense fear and doubt in your enemies, your instincts sharpen, allowing you to discover their every weakness. When the prey fears the hunter, it''s already dead. [Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - You are the First of your race. Guiding all of your kin in this new universe, you strive to avoid traps. The task is arduous, but you have the power to save many lives. So many of your people are counting on you. Poor things... You detect the presence of humans close to you. CHAR +10% Trees of Merit: [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] Tier 0: Once a day, one heart can regenerate instantly. ACQUIRED Tier 1: Your blood modifies your heart. ACQUIRED Tier 2: Your heart changes your blood. ACQUIRED Tier 3: Dragon atavism changes you. Your throat transforms, and your spiritual body welcomes a third lung. You are now able to create a Breath. ACQUIRED Tier 4: Requires a Gold Title. [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] Tier 0: Your mind is no longer confined to your brain but to your entire body. ACQUIRED Tier 1: Your mind is bound to your body. Any external manipulation on your mind must first pass the protection of your physical envelope. ACQUIRED Tier 2: Your mind opens up to the world. You begin to use part of it to interact with your environment. ACQUIRED Tier 3: Your spirit begins to break free from your bodily limitations. It can now travel for a few moments outside your body. ACQUIRED. Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] - Tier 0: Your flame affinity allows you to manipulate fires. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] Tier 0: Following a regeneration, your body becomes more resistant to what has damaged it. ACQUIRED Tier 1: The Tier 0 Merit synergizes with all resurrections, recreations, regenerations, and other means of restoring your body to its optimal state. ACQUIRED Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Earl - Gold] Tier 0: You are getting familiar with the mist. ACQUIRED Tier 1: The Mist hides you. You are one of its own, Mistwalker. ACQUIRED Tier 2: The Mist helps you. You begin your adventure, Mist Rider. ACQUIRED Tier 3: The mist protects you. You''re not alone, Mistchild. ACQUIRED Tier 4: The mist becomes a part of you. You are the mist, Mist Adept. ACQUIRED Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity''s standing. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: Time stops for one second within a ten-meter radius when you are in mortal danger. [Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Veteran] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. [Primogenitor - Gold] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 0: Your aura is tinged with Conquest''s spirit. [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy. [The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth. [Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race''s Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%. 8 Unused Merit Points. Talents: [Draconic Instinct] - Your instinct can detect your enemies'' mistakes. Your talent for manipulating aether increases. New Title obtained! [Dr... Insufficient compatibility. [Humanity adapts - Silver] becomes [High Human adaptation - Gold]. [High Human adaptation - Gold] - The wearer adapts physically and mentally to situations and environments. The more hostile the environment or situation, the faster the adaptation. [Spectral Familiarity - Bronze] - Increases your familiarity with immaterial creatures. [Blessing of Viracocha - Bronze] - The minor god Viracocha has entrusted you with a small part of his affinity for death. Increases your charisma with the souls of the departed. Warning: this may provoke the wrath of their master if these souls are already controlled. Congratulations! [Mirror of the Soul - Bronze] has evolved into [Space Island - Silver(Growth)]. [Space Island - Silver(Growth)] has evolved into [Concepts Archipelago - Gold(Growth)]. [Concepts Archipelago - Gold(Growth)] - A world now lies within you. Its initial parameters of gravity, space and time allow for life. Its aether structure is exceptional, capable of using any concept fragment to grow and evolve. You have the perfect seed. It''s up to you to transform it into Yggdrasil. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! A world attached to your soul. You can open a portal into or out of your inner world. When your body is in your inner world, an anchor is placed in the outer world. Opening an exit portal depends on this anchor. Skills: [Iron Marathon - Rare] - You run without stopping. Over hill and dale, you use your body as a means of transport. Keep running, and you''ll catch the wind. Seriously, keep running. Locusts don''t feel tired. AGI +3 [Broad-spectrum vision - Common] - The human eye can detect electromagnetic wavelengths between 380 nm and 780 nm. Not all animals have the same capabilities; some can see in the infrared or ultraviolet. It is now the case for you. How will your human brain decode X-rays or gamma rays? By the way, don''t try to look through clothes, an X-ray of your crush isn''t sexy. PERC +1 [Light Resistance] - Light is a phenomenon that has enabled the birth of most civilizations. It has a strong symbolic value and is associated with knowledge. However, you know that light, as electromagnetic radiation, constitutes only a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Source of life, hope... and sometimes destruction. By approaching the sun, you''ve burnt your wings. Will you continue your journey, or will the intensity of your dreams blind you? The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of intense light. Your molecules vibrate rapidly and remain in excited states to not absorb most photons. You have the green light to face your enemies. CONST +1 [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic] - Message from administrator Thaal: You owe me one. Each Tribulation is powered by a Concept fragment or a treasure. You may spot the Tribulations'' weaknesses. You may temporarily hide your connection with the Concepts to become invisible to the Tribulations. Use this power to the fullest, but don''t talk about it. [Identification] will show [Tribulation Resistance]. META (Chance) +9 [Acid Resistance] - Acids are dangerous, especially from a wyvern''s stomach. There are several acid types, but you should know that this one has a really high acid dissociation constant. Useful for digesting humans. In the future, remember to avoid acid baths. It''s a pretty basic rule. CONST +1 [Parry - common] - When attacked, you can either take, block or dodge. Dodging is often the best solution, but if that''s impossible, knowing how to parry an attack can be useful. A good parry can enable a counterattack or help you reposition yourself. Blocking isn''t just about stopping an attack. A fight must be fluid, don''t forget that. There is a block skill, too, but it''s for social network fights. STR +1 [Mask - Epic] - To wear a mask is to disguise your identity. Conceal your face to change roles and transgress the forbidden. Each user has a different intention when donning a mask. What''s yours? Do you really know? Remember, a mask is a mask, so don''t be fooled. WILL + 3 CHAR +3 META(AUTH) + 3 [Virus Resistance] - A virus is an infectious agent that parasitizes the body. Some, like rabies or Ebola, are extremely dangerous, while others do not affect the body. A virus attaches itself to a host - often a cell - and uses it to replicate. Your high level of Vitality makes you naturally resistant to viruses. Unfortunately, viruses that surpass your resistance use this same Vitality to multiply all the faster. This resistance modifies your cells to fight more effectively against the parasites of this threat. This resistance adjusts your aethereal code to prevent magical viruses from penetrating your cells. VIT +1 [Human Anatomy] - Anatomy is the study of the structure and form of an organism. The organs and tissues that make up the body have relationships that anatomy analyzes. This skill enables its user to glean knowledge about humans and, to a lesser extent, the superior races based on humanity. Observing, analyzing, dissecting and studying your body will provide invaluable knowledge. After a thorough analysis of your anatomy, here''s a piece of information: the size of your reproductive system is about average. Congratulations! MEM +1 Fusion of [Bullet Time - Rare] - lvl 17 and [Meditation - Rare] - lvl 14... [Frozen Meditation] lvl 0 - Your meditation is so deep that it changes your perception of the world. Your thoughts calm down and, paradoxically, speed up. Your body slows down and your sensitivity increases. You are an iceberg; those who neglect the submerged part will suffer the Titanic''s fate. PERC +1 WILL +2 Achievements: Silver: You are the second human to unlock the Supremacy - Domain. In your Domain, you''re a god. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +300, Mist Affinity, [Moon Mist] lvl up! Gold: You are the first human to approach a minor Concept. This Concept will change you as much as you change it. Tame it. Shape yourself. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +1000, Mist Harmony! Legendary: You have withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Your exceptional performance during this Tribulation has earned you first place in the annual ranking. This year, among the countless Tier 0s enduring a Tribulation in Sector Hope, you are the one who has most impressed the System. Message for Sector Hope: Priam Azura withstood a quadruple Tribulation at Tier 0. Final rank: Sector - year: 1 Humanity will be rewarded for this feat. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 5000. Fusion Token. Evolution Token - Legendary skill. Opportunity (Elysium). Misc [Mist - Concept] - You have touched on a minor Concept. Affinity - Your connection now allows you to capture certain truths about Mist. Harmony - The source of aether is infinite. Allows you to use Aether Mist while expending more energy. Cost [Moon Mist] x10. [Supremacy - Domain] - A Domain allows its user to control his environment through his mind and one or more concepts. Operating in Stages, Domains are used in every Universe. You''ve managed to dominate your environment with your mind - stage 0. You''ve successfully aligned your domain with a concept. The Mist permeates your Domain. Your Domain''s characteristics evolve. - stage 1. Current stage: 1 - Concept Imprinted Bonus: WILL +10 / META (Affinity) +10 / META (Focus) +20 / META (Perception) +20 [High-Human - Tier 1] - The origins of the Homo genus date back some three million years. Three hundred thousand years ago, successive evolutions finally created the first Homo sapiens. Those primates succeeded in colonizing their native planet. At the pinnacle of evolution, humanity is characterized by a phenomenal capacity for physical and mental adaptation. This trait is written into its aethereal code. After extensive testing and using all available samples, the System recompiled the code, retaining the best features. This new race is called High Human. Their main characteristic is an exceptional adaptation. Non-exhaustive list of race benefits: A malleable genetic code, constantly seeking to mutate. Favorable mutations spread throughout the body. Increased density of improved mitochondria per cell. Reformatting of neuronal and nerve architecture. Rapid correction of genetic anomalies. Improved immune defenses. Increased bone and muscle density. Absolute pitch/Tetrachromacy/Tapetum lucidum/¡­ Caution: Don''t confuse High Human with Junkie PHY +20 MEN+20 [Heart of Tribulation Wyvern - Seraph] Hecate''s New Moon (Mutation) - ? Wish: Automatic alert when an individual sponsored by your Patron comes within ten kilometers of you. Items: [Promesse - Bound Weapon] [Hearthstone - Mythic] - Link it to a location. Enables the wearer to open a portal once a month at . The portal lasts for five minutes. The link can be renewed once a month. Currently linked to [Moon]. Questions and answers: How do you know if one Supremacy/Concept/Competence can beat another? The answer is math. An epic-rank skill will defeat a rare-rank skill with equal attributes. Each rank roughly triples the power of a skill. [Punch - Common] lvl 1 is therefore 27 times less powerful than [One Punch - Legendary] lvl 1. Attributes are linear multipliers. A warrior using [Punch] must have 2700 Strength to cancel a [One Punch] from an enemy with 100 Strength. The power of Concepts evolves according to affinity, in the same way as skills (Affinity, Harmony, Unity,...) but with qualitative evolutions. The same applies to Supremacies, depending on their stage (0,1,2...). Is there a hard cap at Tier 0? No, but there is a soft cap. Tribulations become more and more powerful, following the law stated by Bechar in chapter 94: "Your attributes increase linearly, but the power of Tribulations follows a square function". So, even as you improve your skills, concepts and Supremacies, there comes a point when Tribulations become too strong. One way of pushing back this limit is to change your race. As we saw in chapter 96: Modification of Tribulation thresholds: To avoid unnecessarily restricting users whose race has the potential for rapid development, the System grants different Tribulation thresholds according to the race¡¯s Tier. High Human is a Tier 1 race. The new thresholds are now every 1(+1) hundred. This adjustment is not retroactive. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 200 / 3 attributes > 400 / 1 attribute > 600 Tribulations on hold: 0 Tribulation thresholds depend on the race''s Tier N following the formula 1(+N)*100. Potentially, for a specimen of a Tier 9 race, here are the thresholds for their first Tribulation: Next thresholds: 3 attributes > 1000 / 1 attributes > 2000 Of course, this only applies to Tribulations in the Universe of Concepts¡­ With world travel, times are no longer synchronized. How is [He Who Eludes Death]''s cooldown calculated? This Talent is based on Priam''s soul. His body and mind can be destroyed, it doesn''t matter. Its cooldown is 86 400 seconds, or 24 hours. What matters is the passage of time for Priam''s soul. Changing worlds can therefore be an interesting way of getting it to reset faster. Please note: this cooldown is based on midnight (the earth time of Priam''s first death at the end of the Tutorial). So, if Priam dies at 23:20 and resurrects at 23:50 (he can delay his resurrection for a maximum of 30 minutes), [He Who Eludes Death] will be primed again at midnight. This midnight is now completely out of sync with travel between worlds, which is why I''ve included a timer at the end of each chapter. Chapter 114: The Cabin in the Woods "To survive what''s coming, how about we temporarily join forces?" The phrase seemed to have wearied Kazuki. For a proud warrior, asking for an alliance was an admission of weakness. "What exactly are you proposing?" Priam had many secrets, and most were not meant for the hoplite to learn. Nevertheless, outright refusal would be foolish. Information was the sinews of war, and Kazuki seemed willing to talk. "The environment is growing increasingly hostile. Without a strong base, survival in the wilderness will become complicated." "Log-a-rhythm - my base - piqued your interest," Priam understood. "What''s in it for me?" "An extra pair of arms to protect your base against those seeking to occupy it." Instantly, an image of a certain homunculus flashed in Priam''s mind. "Do you have information on our... rivals?" Kazuki smiled. "Some that I could share with an ally. The first being that we are not in a position of strength." "...I see." The proposition was intriguing, but Priam was caught off guard. He needed time to think. With a thought, he asked Log-a-rhythm to serve them a drink. The leaves rustled before a root pierced the ground between them. Fanning out, it formed a bowl before magically filling with an amber liquid. "I''ve forgotten my hospitality," Priam said, gesturing to the bowl. "Please, help yourself." Kazuki thanked him with a nod before reaching for the liquid. The bowl detached suddenly. Unfazed, Kazuki caught it mid-air and waited for a second bowl to materialize for Priam. "To your good health," Priam said before bringing the vessel to his lips. He suppressed a sigh of satisfaction. The taste had changed since the first time. It awakened his taste buds with a tangy flavor, akin to mango syrup with a hint of lemon. One of the best perks of this new life was being able to savor various exotic flavors. "Excellent," Kazuki remarked. The hoplite had drunk without hesitation. Either he trusted Priam or¡­ He must have an ironclad resistance to poison. Setting the empty bowl against the branch, Priam watched it meld with it. Log-a-rhythm was at the forefront of recycling. "It''s also for your wife, right?" Priam probed. The hoplite smiled, shaking his head. "I worry more about the others. My wife is the greatest swordswoman in our history. Unfortunately, she won''t come alone. Politics," he spat. He''s willing to save people he doesn''t even like... Kazuki was the Champion hoplite and seemed to take his role as a protector more seriously than Priam. The latter pondered while looking at his magical tree. "Log-a-rhythm is powerful, but its space is limited. I fear eleven inside is too much." Kazuki gave him an amused look. "I''m sure you can improve it. If you''re lacking resources, know that I spent over three weeks mapping the surroundings..." Priam''s eyes lit up. Finally, some good news! "Would you be willing to provide a list of the resources you''ve come across?" Priam asked. "No, but I''ll help you obtain the necessary resources to enhance Log-a-rhythm if you accept my proposal," Kazuki countered. Priam smiled, seeing the hoplite bargaining. Apparently, Kazuki hadn''t become the Champion solely through his martial prowess. "...If you agree to teach me how to wield the spear, then we have a deal." Learning the spear from a master was too good an opportunity to pass up. Priam wasn''t too arrogant to think he didn''t need a master''s help, especially if that master was the Champion of a warrior civilization that had practiced this art for millennia. Louis would help him to a certain extent, but the old man wasn¡¯t a spear master. That was the only reason prompting Priam to consider Kazuki''s offer. Despite the hoplite''s alarming words, Priam didn''t fear most of his rivals. He had more than one trick up his sleeve. Kazuki smiled. "At seventeen, I was an instructor for the Titan classes. You¡¯re sorely lacking, but I accept," he said, placing his clenched fist against his chin. The Tsalk was both a salute and a promise - the equivalent of a handshake. Priam mimicked the gesture and stood up quickly. "I hope I¡¯ll no longer bring shame to Promesse," Priam chuckled, indicating his spear. "Is that its name?" Kazuki asked. "Yes. It means promise in my language." "A magnificent name. Not like your grip, though. You have much to learn." Log-a-rhythm Features: Abundance - Life I Abundance - Aether I Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage Measurements: Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 32 square meters. Log: Day 1: Creation of Log-a-rhythm. Day 5: A foreign entity triggered a Tribulation. [Steel Winds] inflicted structural damage to the outer shell. [Tribulation Resistance] I mitigated the damage. ¡­ Critical damage received. Low survival chance. Master absent. Emergency procedure activated: Exile of the foreign entity. Restoration... Day 20: Full restoration. Tribulation Resistance I evolved into Tribulation Resistance II. Protection II evolved into Protection III. Day 28: New selectable theme. Day 29: Connection to the Master restored. Choose one theme: Abundance - Life II Abundance - Aether II Protection IV Tribulation Resistance III Secret Passage II Camouflage Attraction Underground Comfort Volume Water Control Land Owner Kazuki eventually triggered one of his Tribulations to force his evacuation. Priam had to admit, it was clever. In the future, he would avoid imprisoning people in Log-a-rhythm. Nevertheless, Priam considered himself fortunate. The tree had sustained significant damage but emerged stronger. It was both positive and worrying. In Elysium, Log-a-rhythm wouldn''t be the only one to adapt quickly. Priam quickly thought about the quest that had asked him to slaughter a few spiders. It hadn''t been updated yet - probably because he was far from them - but he was willing to bet they were better established than four weeks ago. "So?" Kazuki asked. "I can increase the volume of Log-a-rhythm." Kazuki''s sigh of relief made Priam smile. "However, we may have another option. What about creating a barrier around Log-a-rhythm." Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Priam briefly explained the concept of Titles of Nobility, the domes, and the barriers that protected them. "I''ve already encountered two Barons," Kazuki finally responded. "The first inflicted this on me," he said, indicating the wound that refused to heal. "I fled when I spotted the second in the distance. My instincts were screaming that I stood no chance." "So, Nobles are more powerful in Elysium. I should have guessed," said Priam, dejected. Crouching down, Kazuki traced a circle in the earth. "Land Owner might be a good idea, especially if we build good shelters outside of Log-a-rhythm. That way, we won''t encroach on your territory - except in emergencies. The problem lies with the barrier." "It would need to be concealed. If it''s visible, it could attract monsters," said Priam. "Or worse." Priam knelt, observing the map of the surroundings that Kazuki was sketching. "Do you think Nobles might attack me to enhance their Title?" "That seems obvious to me. You have a target on your back - but our rivals too. On the other hand, I doubt the first spatial enhancement will increase Log-a-rhythm''s internal volume tenfold. Ultimately, it boils down to a simple question." Kazuki locked his eyes onto Priam''s. "Do we hole up in your magical tree, hoping to evade the monsters, or do we take up our spears and go hunt our dinner?" Presented like that, the answer seemed clear. A smile stretched across Priam''s lips. "I don''t know about you, but I''m hungry." Stolen story; please report. The interior of Log-a-rhythm remained unchanged. Veins filled with luminescent sap still produced a gentle light. His leaf bed hadn''t moved. The tree had gained a bit of space - a little over four square meters in four weeks. If its development was linear, it was little, but still welcome. In a secret alcove, Priam felt the presence of the mythical die he had hidden. Kazuki hadn''t mentioned the item, surely considering it already consumed. Soon. Before that, Priam had something to do. From his pouch, he took out several items and entrusted the rest to Log-a-rhythm. He kept only a few tea leaves, a Sequoia Sempervirens Aether seed, a cocoa seed and finally, the Crimson Fruit. Instantly, the tree began to vibrate. A question appeared in his mind. "I bring you gifts," Priam confirmed. He headed toward one of the walls and placed the items there. One by one, they were absorbed into the wall. The tea leaves elicited no reaction, but Log-a-rhythm vibrated with pleasure as it consumed the two seeds. Looking at the last item, Priam hesitated. The pineapple-shaped ruby in his hand was precious. Very precious. [Identification] [Crimson Fruit - Legendary] - A fruit born of the sacrifice of a grand tree. Naturally capable of reaching the rank of Duke, it never fulfilled its full potential. That same potential now pulses within its fruit. The tree originates from another Universe; alien truths are buried within this fruit. Its consumption stimulates the latent potential present in your blood. Planted, it will give rise to a unique tree. Consuming it would instantly elevate him. On the other hand, if Log-a-rhythm managed to distill the powers of the fruit... In the long run, his base would become one of his trump cards. His blood boiled, urging him to consume the treasure immediately. On the other side, his draconic instinct seemed uncertain. Refusing to be led by a mere impulse, Priam pressed the fruit against the tree. The important thing was to win the game, not dominate early on. "I have a build designed for snowballing, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it," he reminded himself. Confident in his decision, he watched the fruit vanish. Log-a-rhythm trembled as it absorbed the treasure. Quickly, the sap took on a blood-red hue. Space began to distort, and Priam was abruptly ejected from his tree. Landing roughly on his rear, he raised his head just in time to catch sight of a silhouette. Seated on a tree branch, it met his gaze, and Priam was paralyzed. The entity observing him was incomprehensible. [He Who Eludes Gods] vibrated, struggling to keep his soul in one piece. Finally, the tree ceased trembling, and the silhouette finally vanished. Eyes unfocused, Priam gazed at the simple beauty of the light playing in the now reddish leaves. Dazed, he only reacted when Kazuki extended his hand. "Are you alright?" the hoplite asked, helping him up. "...You didn''t see anything?" Priam wondered. "Beside you daydreaming with your eyes open? Nothing." "I might have been dreaming..." [High Human Adaptation] was already blurring the memory, and Priam didn''t stop it. Finally regaining his composure, Priam stood up and selected the floating notification. Evolution of "Log-a-rhythm". The Tal Quercus - the base of your tree - has evolved. The royal lineage of the elves traces back to their mythical ancestors, the Primo Elves. A unique event awakened this connection. Log-a-rhythm had been created from the stump of a dead Tal Quercus, felled by a Tribulation. The tree itself was born from the sacrifice of a Royal Elf, and the crimson fruit seemed to have revealed the link between this being and their ancestors. Priam''s gamble had paid off. Potential Awakening for Log-a-rhythm: Themes now have a cost in POT. Passive Gain: 100 POT/day. New available themes: Primo (1,000,000) Tal Quercus (10,000) Nature (1,000) Cocoa (500) Sequoia (1,000) Tea (500) Old available themes: Abundance - Life II (1,000) Abundance - Aether II (1,000) Protection IV (5,000) Tribulation Resistance III (2,500) Secret Passage II (1,000) Camouflage (500) Attraction (500) Underground (500) Comfort (500) Volume (500) Water Control (500) Land Owner II (1,000) Current POT: 843 Without hesitation, Priam bought Camouflage for 500 POT. A breeze swept through the clearing, and Log-a-rhythm''s presence seemed to blend into the surroundings. Its striking colors subdued. Simultaneously, the trees bordering the clearing took on reddish hues. To an outside observer, Log-a-rhythm was simply a tall tree slightly isolated from the rest of the forest. "Incredible," Kazuki murmured. "It''s not just a physical transformation. My gaze glides over it without stopping." Priam didn''t notice anything special. As its owner, the tree''s magic spared him. "I''m activating Land Owner," he announced. Land Owner activated. Select a feature to construct: Land privilege Protective barrier. Luminous barrier. Environmental barrier. Alarm. Other hidden options - prerequisites not met. Nice! It was precisely what he needed. He suspected that some options wouldn''t be available - building a Coliseum for two people would have been ridiculous. Even if it were possible, the danger of the endeavor would have deterred him. In the end, Land Owner simply expanded Log-a-rhythm''s options, which suited Priam just fine. He wasn''t here to build a city, just a secret and fortified base. He quickly selected Protective Barrier. A mental switch later, a transparent dome appeared. Centered on Log-a-rhythm, it covered about half of the clearing. Priam sensed its presence through their connection, but otherwise, it was invisible. "How did you do that?" Kazuki furrowed his brow while looking around. He used his spear to make hesitant gestures. His behavior surprised Priam. "What do you mean?" "The intangible trees," he said. Each movement seemed to add to his confusion. Clueless, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm for an explanation. The next moment, trees appeared around him. "Oh!" Priam reached for one, amused to see his hand disappear inside. The trees created by the synergy of Camouflage and Protective Barrier were simply illusions - visible but untouchable. Mentally, he asked the AI to create a whitelist and add Kazuki. The hoplite''s eyes widened before nodding. "Perfect. The dumbest monsters won''t even notice. Unfortunately, that won''t be enough to keep our rivals at bay." "We''ll have to increase the size of the dome," Priam conceded. As the dome didn''t reach the edge of the clearing, a portion was suspiciously empty. If one of their rivals had an aerial view, it might raise their suspicions. "Can you do that now?" Priam shook his head. "I''ll need to sacrifice more resources. Or wait seven days." He only had 343 POT left, and Camouflage II cost 1000. "It would be dangerous to wait that long. If you need samples of special trees, I have a few ideas," Kazuki offered. "Let''s g..." A portal suddenly opened in front of Priam. The cutest creature in Elysium emerged. A miniaturized Sphinx, brimming with excitement, surveyed her new surroundings. "The grass is blue!" she exclaimed. "Is it edible?!" Without waiting for an answer, Sphinx leaped onto an unlucky blade of grass and devoured it. "BLAHHHHH!" Concepts Archipelago. "Shouldn''t we have held her back?" Mirscella asked, observing the still-open portal. Louis shrugged. "I didn''t even know we could leave here without Priam''s permission." Alain sighed before turning to Blueberry. The bear trembled, sprawled on the ground. He was the last one to have spoken to Sphinx. "Hum, Blueberry? Do you know how this delightful child pulled it off?" Blueberry tried to get up and failed. After a few seconds, unable to hold it in any longer, he burst into laughter. Alain, Mirscella, and Louis exchanged glances before shrugging. Eventually, the bear calmed down. "After going around the island about three hundred times, Sphinx wanted to see something else," he explained, wiping away a tear. "It''s almost a prison for a hyperactive girl," Mirscella remarked. Alain cleared his throat. "Priam''s doing his best," he pleaded. "Anyway, she created a skill to find Priam without wrecking everything," Blueberry continued. "After several tests, she found a Potential efficient skill." "Which one?" Louis asked. He, too, was eager to get out. "[Join your Pet]," Blueberry replied, bursting into laughter again. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 318 Constitution 451 Agility 308 Vitality 466 Perception 534 MENTAL: Vivacity 288 Dexterity 357 Memory 76 Willpower 477 Charisma 410 META: Meta-affinity 252 Meta-focus 186 Meta-endurance 164 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 966 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 23 hours 7 minutes 6 seconds. Chapter 115: A Stroke of Unluck "BLAHHHHH!" Sphinx rolled in the grass, repulsed by its taste. As Priam watched her, a memory resurfaced in his mind. At age four, he decided to sample some grass in a park. Before his parents could stop him, he had stuffed a handful into his mouth. All kids had a great sense of timing to cause trouble before they could be stopped. [Eidetic Memory] reminded him of the taste of the grass - a kind of raw salad. He had promptly spat it out on the ground - who liked salad at four? - before searching for an earthworm. Fortunately for him and the potential protein source, he found nothing. A child''s body was resilient, and he hadn''t fallen ill. He would later learn that most grass species were edible. In the background, his parents, too busy arguing, had not noticed a thing. As if sensing that she was no longer the center of Priam''s attention, Sphinx had gotten up. She seemed torn between sulking and being concerned. Was Priam upset that she had disobeyed? A reassuring smile lit up Priam''s face as he approached and took her into his arms. "Blue grass tastes awful," Sphinx whispered in his ear. "That''s because you''re a sphinx. Rabbits like it," Priam replied. To divert her attention, he gave her a bowl of fresh sap. A few moments later, the adorable creature had forgotten the taste of the grass and was lapping up the contents of the bowl. "Kazuki, meet Sphinx, my best friend. Sphinx, this is Kazuki, the Hoplite Champion," Priam introduced Sphinx to the hoplite who was stowing his lance. Lips full of sap, Sphinx gave a big smile. "A child?" "I sense the judgment in your voice from here, but I''m pretty sure she could give you a run for your money." Upon hearing these words, Kazuki''s demeanor changed. "Nice to meet you, noble Sphinx," he said with a nod. The hoplite seemed to respect strength. Sphinx emptied the bowl before sniffing in Kazuki''s direction. Tilting her head, she blinked her eyes. One of her ears twitched cutely. "I sense your karma rumbling," Sphinx declared. Kazuki looked at Priam, who shrugged. "What does that mean?" Priam asked. Sphinx abandoned the empty bowl and leaped onto Priam''s shoulder. A second jump allowed her to reach his head. Perched like an oracle on a promontory, she proclaimed: "Clad in power armor, you march to the fight, Spear in hand, under a grim, starless night. In the grimdark future, where all hope seems lost, You¡¯re the Hoplite''s wrath, at a terrible cost." For a few seconds, the spectators remained dumbfounded. Instead of admitting his incomprehension, Priam decided to applaud. After all, there were some nice rhymes in there. He smiled as he heard Sphinx purring. Suddenly, Priam stopped. "Is that a prophecy?" he worried. He hated prophecies. Most were just self-fulfilling paths. Above all, he refused to have his destiny written in advance. Sphinx shook her head. "Karma doesn''t create prophecies. At least, I think so¡­" She seemed to be searching for her words. "The karmic weight on his shoulders is immense. I think my bloodline inspired me?" Sphinx didn''t sound very sure. Priam scratched her head to reassure her. "Don''t worry. If you knew everything, life would be dull." If a mythological creature specializing in karma manipulation couldn''t say more, Priam decided he wasn''t the best person to dwell on it. Kazuki didn''t seem to agree. "What do you mean? Is my civilization in danger?" Sphinx brushed the question aside with a sweep of her paw. "Perhaps. If so, there is only one solution." "Which one?" Kazuki asked. All his attention was focused on Sphinx, and he didn''t notice the bear struggling to emerge from the portal Sphinx had opened behind him. "Become stronger!" Sphinx declared. "..." Silence greeted her declaration before Kazuki respectfully nodded. "A simple but eternal truth. Such is the path of the Hoplite. Thank you for reminding me." Sphinx nodded solemnly, and Priam suppressed a smile. There was something amusing about seeing a hoplite over two meters tall seriously listening to the advice of a child sphinx. In one final groan, Blueberry slumped into the clearing, and Kazuki turned towards him. "You humans don''t all look the same," he commented. "What? He''s not a human. Blueberry is a bear,¡± Priam replied, before turning to the bear. "And he shouldn''t be here. You were supposed to wait for my signal before crossing,¡± he added in English. Blueberry grumbled as he got up. "But Sphinx¡ª" ¡°Is a child. Are you?¡± ¡°... Sorry.¡± Priam sighed. "What''s done is done." He turned to Kazuki and switched to hoplite. "Blueberry. A loyal friend." Kazuki smiled. "Kazuki, Champion of the hoplites, pleased to meet y¡ª¡± A brief cry cut him off. Priam turned abruptly to the portal. Alain had just collapsed in front of the portal. A feeling of horror washed over Priam as he saw the old man convulsing, face down on the ground. He teleported next to his father. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam lifted him and leaped toward Log-a-rhythm. The tree inside had changed, but Priam paid no attention to it. "Log-a-rhythm, help him!" A sort of bathtub formed in the ground, and clear liquid began to fill it. Anxious, Priam gently placed his father into it before forcing himself to breathe deeply. His Domain covered the unconscious man and scanned him without resistance. It was a bad sign because the mind was supposed to resist this type of intrusion. [Human Anatomy] activated to assess the damage. Over the next few seconds, Priam''s face turned pale. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 2 MEM +1 "A stroke..." he diagnosed. His voice trembled, and he couldn''t react. His instinct growled at him to wake up. His father wasn''t immortal. A stroke could leave serious consequences. Mortality after the first month was about twenty-five percent. It might be the end if Priam didn''t pull himself together quickly. The terror he felt at the thought of losing the man who had been his role model for so many years was counterproductive. Resolutely, Priam activated [Emotional Discipline] and [Frozen Meditation]. His fears receded slightly, allowing his reason to analyze the situation. There must be a course of action that would maximize his father''s chances of survival. His Vivacity combined with [Human Anatomy] to find it. The first question was: what had happened? The temperature was bearable, and the aether density was an advantage rather than a problem. That left Elysium''s gravity, which was significant but not lethal. Earth''s gravity was equal to 1G, and Elysium''s was 5G. A person lying down could withstand 25G for several minutes. Standing was a different matter. When he passed through the portal, had the change in gravity surprised his father? Or perhaps Sphinx''s skill had created a portal less stable than his own, causing him to fall? After all, even Blueberry had trouble getting through. The shock could have disrupted his brain, creating the stroke. Despite the improvements of the System, his father remained an old man. Now, first aid. The aether-rich atmosphere was a good thing, as was the regenerative sap bath. The sap''s buoyancy countered Elysium''s gravity, which was good news. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Seventeen. Eighteen. [Eidetic Memory] counted the seconds since his father lost consciousness. Each one increased the risk of complications. I need to do something now! He didn''t have any medicine, but... One of the treasures he had stolen during the Reunion could potentially heal his father. According to the guards who poorly protected it, the pill could multiply a Tier 0''s Vitality by a thousand. [Eidetic Memory] activated and reminded him of his early [Hemorrhage Resistance] level-ups. His Vitality hadn''t helped him reduce his bleeding - quite the opposite. The increase in vitality had raised his heart rate, exacerbating his bleeding. Vitality without control was madness - hence the importance of Micro. Surpassing a hundred in Vitality had given him the ability to regenerate his amputated limbs. To heal a stroke, he would certainly need to reach the next level: five hundred. There was no chance his father had five hundred Vitality. The pill was a temporary resource, not a Title. It wouldn''t allow him to exceed thresholds, only to increase the efficiency of his current Vitality. According to his Domain, his father''s stroke was an intracranial bleed. Absorbing the medicine would multiply the bleeding. In other words, the miracle pill would kill his father as surely as a bullet to the head. FUCK! Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 6 WILL +3 While calming down again, Priam searched his memory. His Talent then showed its greatness. Eight years earlier, while riding the bus to school, he had overheard two students discussing the need to oxygenate the brain properly with a mask during a stroke. [Kinetic Control] was nowhere near high enough to pull off this kind of trick. But if Priam was powerless himself, he knew someone who could help. Without a moment''s hesitation, Priam leaped outside of the tree. Kazuki watched Sphinx and Blueberry bickering loudly. His friends knew how much his father meant to him. Priam teleported next to Kazuki and fell to his knees. "Help me save my father, please! You can ask me for anything!" For Priam, his father''s life was priceless. "... What do you want me to do?" Priam looked up at the hoplite, a wave of gratitude filling his heart. "Can you help him breathe with your mastery of the wind?" The hoplite hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I¡¯ll do it." Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 23 PERC +1 WILL +2 Kazuki, one hand on his father''s chest and the other against his face, was deep in concentration. He remained perfectly silent while his scales changed color slightly. A symbol of focus, the warrior''s discipline was awe-inspiring. The hoplite took several seconds to master his skill but was now able to make Alain breathe easily. By his side, Priam felt both relief and shame. According to Log-a-rhythm, a strange portal had opened in the hoplite''s soul. Priam was fairly sure Kazuki was consuming his Potential to master his skill. Forty-six seconds. Forty-seven. They had to find a solution without delay. In Elysium, every blade of grass was special. There had to be a fruit or a rock that could save his father! Alain''s forearm trembled faintly. Despite [Emotional Discipline], Priam felt an almost physical pain in seeing it. What could be worse than watching a loved one suffer while being powerless to help? Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 7 WILL +3 "Do you know of a resource that could help him?" he asked Kazuki. "Either directly or by allowing me to enhance Log-a-rhythm to increase the potency of its sap?" Kazuki hesitated before shaking his head. "Not one you can gather on your own. And it may not be necessary. I feel like he''s breathing slightly easier." The announcement had the effect of an electric shock on Priam. His Domain covered his father, and [Human Anatomy] tracked his vital signs. Using [Eidetic Memory], he compared the current situation with his initial scan. Priam''s eyes regained a glimmer of hope upon discovering that his father''s constitution and vitality had slightly increased. "I think his racial talent is fighting against the bleeding. He''s gaining resistances, and his attributes are helping him withstand the damage!" Priam exclaimed. Maybe all hope wasn''t lost! "If your racial talent helps you fight against bleeding, how did he get injured in the first place?" Kazuki asked, furrowing his brows. Priam shook his head. "Sorry, I explained poorly. [Humanity adapts] allows us to adapt, not to directly resist. If he survives long enough, he''ll develop a resistance to asphyxia and bleeding." His father¡¯s body could then heal itself. Log-a-rhythm''s sap would provide the nutrients for nourishment. They just had to wait and... "I''m not going to be able to hold out like this for much longer," Kazuki admitted through gritted teeth. "If your father isn''t able to breathe on his own within an hour..." "If it''s a matter of Potential, I''m ready to..." "I''m not trying to conserve my Potential. The problem is that I''m going to run out of aether. Despite the ambient density, my regeneration can''t keep up." It was a race against time. Priam clenched his fist. "Please... Give me the location of the resource that could help." "You''ll die in vain. Even if you make it, you''ll bring a calamity back here." "Damn it!" shouted Priam. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down. "Then there''s only one solution. We have to remove the blood to relieve the brain." "You are a doctor?" Kazuki asked. "Not yet." Closing his eyes, Priam selected his rewards. Humanity had received ten skill points, and it was time to use them. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 12 MEM +10 A surge of information reached his brain, and Priam welcomed it by unlocking his Potential. He would have only one chance and no possibility of turning back. Activating Micro and [Focus], Priam entered the zone. His Domain scanned his father''s brain, mapping the damaged area. His Vivacity monitored the changes and devised plans. [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist] activated to form ice scalpels. The silence was disturbed only by his father''s breathing. Two hundred ninety-nine. Three hundred. "Let''s do this," Priam decided. The operation began. A few kilometers from Log-a-rhythm, Esm¨¦e sensed an opportunity. Her relationship with the First could evolve positively. If she could obtain a favor, the chances of her plan succeeding would increase. As her plan was directly linked to her survival, this was of great interest to her. She hesitated only for a moment. Sacrificing Potential, she used one of her two legendary skills. [Spoilers]. Seconds later, she grimaced as she understood. The First''s father had stumbled. Esm¨¦e would have loved to see her father die of a stroke, but the First seemed to have a better relationship with his. This was her moment. Esm¨¦e didn''t really manipulate luck. She manipulated probabilities. Chaos. "[Loaded dice]." A hundred points of Potential went up in smoke. Closing her Grimoire, Esm¨¦e set off again. She''d done what she could. You owe me one, First. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 318 Constitution 451 Agility 308 Vitality 466 Perception 535 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 288 Dexterity 357 Memory 87 (+11) Willpower 488 (+11) Charisma 410 META: Meta-affinity 252 Meta-focus 186 Meta-endurance 164 Meta-perception 77 Meta-chance 207 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 983 (+17) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 59 minutes 57 seconds. Chapter 116: A Piece of his Mind Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 14,15,16 META (AFFI) +9 Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 10 CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 A massive surge of Potential flooded [Focus], and Priam deactivated [Frozen Meditation]. [Emotional Discipline] operated in the background without him needing to pay it any mind. In the zone, Priam''s focus was absolute. He commanded Log-a-rhythm to immobilize the patient. The bottom of the bathtub shook before beginning to cover his father''s body, leaving only part of his head sticking out. Neat. His father wouldn''t risk injuring himself by struggling even without anesthesia. In his right hand, Priam held an ice scalpel. Part of his mind was focused on [Kinetic Control]. He couldn''t let the scalpel''s temperature affect his father''s warmth. So, the surgical tool was cooled while the molecules it came into contact with retained their agitation. This dual application of his skill would have been impossible just a few days ago, but now such maneuvers were not only achievable but also profitable. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 38 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Taking one last deep breath, Priam carefully incised the scalp for less than a centimeter. He didn''t need more. Thanks to his exceptional dexterity, his hand didn''t tremble for an instant. [Moon Mist] and [Kinetic Control] fashioned a drill bit of ice to pierce the skull. Priam had no intention of performing a conventional operation. POT -3 With robotic precision, Domain took control of the drill and brought it closer to the bone. [Kinetic Control] enforced a rapid rotation on the tool. After a split second of thought, Priam added the aether weave needed to use [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The main feature of this skill was its impressive penetration ability. He didn''t want to traumatize his father''s cranial bone, only to make a hole. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 13 MEM +1 Three strands of aether wound around the drill before it touched the bone. In less than a second, a five-millimeter burr hole had been drilled into the skull. Satisfied, Priam withdrew the drill, which turned into mist. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 9 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 POT -3 Using his Domain, he continuously monitored the hemorrhage. The operation aimed to drain the blood, allowing his father to naturally repair the ruptured blood vessel. Blood was flowing from this artery, accumulating in the brain. Ultimately, this could compress the organ and cause severe damage. Death awaited at the end of this path. Priam wasn''t about to let it take his father. Now that an exit existed, his Domain seized the blood bubble swelling in his father''s brain. With delicate use of [Kinetic Control], he separated it from the damaged artery. The next part of the operation was the most delicate. Before evacuating it, the blood vessel needed to be restored. Without this, the blood evacuated would be replaced. Priam had no desire to empty a leaking ship. Repairing the artery had no simple solution. If the vessel had been outside the brain, Priam could have cauterized it with [Kinetic Control]. Unfortunately, its location was too perilous. Hesitating for a moment, Priam thought of [Aether Manipulation]. It was a temporary solution - without surveillance, the aether would dissipate quickly - but it was precisely what he needed. Less than a millimeter from the accident, an almost invisible thread of aether appeared. Most of his skills were summonable where his Domain held authority. That was the power of this Supremacy. Mentally, Priam used the aether thread to suture the vessel. The line was too fine to hold the wound alone. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 13 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 14 MEM +1 Priam''s mind split in two. The human wasn''t a creature who could master parallel thinking perfectly, but his attributes allowed him to emulate this capacity. Part of his consciousness focused on freezing the outside of the sutured vessel with [Kinetic Control]. The important thing was to prevent the blood flow from bursting the suture. If all went well, his father''s vitality and [Humanity Adapts] would heal the tiny wound in a matter of minutes. The second half of his consciousness focused on evacuating the blood. He wouldn''t leave a dried clot in his father''s brain. Unfortunately, the lump was too large to be removed in one piece. Mentally, Priam selected a tenth of the blood bubble and concentrated on [Kinetic Control]. The goal was to move the liquid slowly, guiding it between the meninges and expelling it through the burr hole. Slowly, Priam channeled a fraction of his kinetic energy to unlock the blood. He had never before had to manipulate such a small quantity of energy. Usually, he preferred using destructive amounts of energy. Here, that wasn''t possible. Intensely focused, Priam monitored the operation through his sphere of authority. A small bubble separated from the large blood bubble and began its journey through the human brain. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 39 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 31 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Without Micro, Priam would have been drenched in sweat. After a short ten seconds, a drop of blood appeared from the hole he had just drilled. The red liquid left his father''s body before Priam released it. A reddish cloud appeared in the fluid bath. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 15 MEM +1 It was almost a miracle. The finesse required to accomplish what he had just done... Priam hadn''t known he was capable of it. He had tried the experiment because he had no choice. And he had succeeded. A dozen factors could have jeopardized the operation, but everything had gone smoothly. Lady Luck smiled at me. Sighing, Priam hesitated for a moment before starting again. He still had at least nine trips to make. The precision he needed was insane. There had to be a way to better master his aether and skills. To maximize his chances. "System, invest my eighteen free attribute points in META(Focus)." META(Focus) +18 [Tribulation]: Twelve attributes above 200 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 179 days 22 hours 58 minutes 59 seconds. Yeah. Screw it. Using the reward obtained by humanity during this first Meeting, Priam hoped for two things. First, he wanted to confirm one of his theories: meta attributes had a direct link to aether. If that was correct, then it was likely that META(Focus) would allow him to better manipulate his aether. It is the moment of truth. Closing his eyes again, Priam focused on another part of the blood clot patiently waiting in his father''s brain. [Kinetic Control] activated, moving a handful of microliters and guiding them towards the exit. A few seconds later, Priam smiled as he watched the blood flow out of the burr hole. The mental maneuver had been simpler this time. His theory was proven: META(Focus) allowed him to finely manipulate his aether. [Kinetic Control], his bread and butter skill, relied on this attribute. Increasing it helped him use this skill. Instinctively, Priam felt that the key to manipulating the kinetic energy of molecules - and thus thermal energy - was to control this skill even more finely. Satisfied, Priam immediately carried out the other back-and-forths. In less than a minute, he emptied the remaining blood. His father could now heal peacefully. Finally, to seal the burr hole, Priam covered it - without filling it - with a thin layer of resin. Log-a-rhythm''s resin was specially designed for this kind of thing. Less than three minutes after the start of the operation, Priam stepped back. Dispelling his ice scalpel, he finally allowed himself to take a deep breath. The surgery was over. It was a success. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 6 VIT +2 META (END) +1 "You were about to pass out just like your father," remarked Kazuki. "My instincts would have warned me. It was mainly in the beginning that I didn''t want to move. After that, my Domain did everything." "I''m impressed that you unlocked your Domain. Some say it''s the hardest Supremacy to unlock." "Well," Priam replied with a shrug. "Would you mind waiting for me outside? I''ll make sure my father is on the road to recovery, and I''ll join you." His father''s breathing was smooth again, which was a good sign. "No problem. Congratulations on the surgery," congratulated Kazuki. As the hoplite left, Priam collapsed onto a stool Log-a-rhythm had just provided him. He was mentally exhausted. Finely controlling his skills and his Domain was tiring, of course. But more than anything, the emotional burden had been heavy. All of this could have been avoided if his father had listened. Looking at his father''s wrinkled face and white hair in the medicinal bath, Priam sighed. He was old. Of course, by gaining vitality and constitution, Alain would reverse the aging process. In the meantime, he still had his bad habits. "Like not listening to your son. You knew Elysium was dangerous, Dad..." he sighed. Now that the operation was over and his father was almost out of danger, terror gave way to anger. All of this debacle could have ended tragically. His father had neither [Brainless] nor [Iconoclast]. Like a normal human, his mind was attached to his brain. If it suffered sequelae, Alain could have become mentally disabled. Healing that would have required extremely rare treasures. Priam wasn''t sure if a Phoenix Tear would have been enough. After all, this treasure healed wounds and rebuilt the body in excellent health, not the mind. If a part of his father''s memory or sanity had disappeared, there would have been nothing to be done. Of course, with aether, there was always a solution. His Patron had created a power like [He Who Eludes Death]. By reaching those levels, Priam would eventually have healed his father. How many millennia would that have taken? Priam had other dreams than spending centuries searching for a cure. "And what if you were dead, huh?" he asked. Alain, asleep, didn''t answer. Would the System have offered him a quest to resurrect a soul? Probably. However, the Concepts would have chosen a nearly impossible quest. It was simply the law of supply and demand. Priam was fairly certain Anatole had struck a deal with the Depths to resurrect his daughter. It had still cost him his life. [Human Anatomy] sent him new information. According to the latest scan from his Domain, his father''s artery was nearly healed. Priam stood up; he needed some fresh air. Turning around one last time, he cast a gaze full of love at his father. "I love you, Dad. But you''ll have to follow my rules." It also applied to Sphinx. Elysium wasn''t a game. As Priam stepped through the portal leading to the meadow, the damaged artery finally restored itself. Title gained! [Doctor - Bronze] - You have assisted in the healing of a patient using deep knowledge. Your involvement was crucial. Using aether, you operated and innovated, adding to the sum of this Universe''s knowledge. Above all, you saved a life. You can be proud of yourself. Now, you know the drill. Some young nobles kill many patients before earning this Title... New skill unlocked: [Diagnostic]. MEM +10% [Diagnostic - Common] - Allows you to scan other living beings. Analyzing this scan provides you with information about your target''s health. PERC +1Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 320 (+2) Constitution 451 Agility 309 (+1) Vitality 469 (+3) Perception 538 (+3) MENTAL: Vivacity 294 (+6) Dexterity 365 (+8) Memory 99 (+12) Willpower 488 Charisma 414 (+4) META: Meta-affinity 262 (+10) Meta-focus 213 (+27) Meta-endurance 165 (+1) Meta-perception 81 (+1) Meta-chance 213 (+6) Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1003 (+20) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 55 minutes 48 seconds. Chapter 117: The Most Dangerous World The first thing Priam heard as he emerged from Log-a-rhythm were Sphinx''s sobs. His friend curled up in the grass at the base of the tree, tears streaming down her face. Looking up, Priam spotted Kazuki training near the river. His graceful movements resembled a blend of katas and shadow boxing, but with a spear. Clearly, the hoplite hadn''t informed Sphinx of the operation''s success. Not surprising, considering they didn''t share a common language. I wonder how long she''ll take to learn the hoplite language. Feeling the grass tickling his bare feet, Priam sat down beside Sphinx. "He''s going to live." Her sobs quieted. "It''s all my fault," she said before breaking down again. Priam pulled her close. "It''s both your faults. You should have waited for my approval, and my father shouldn''t have followed you." Priam didn''t want to absolve her of all responsibility. Friends should be honest with each other. If Sphinx had barged into the middle of a battle, it could have seriously hindered Priam. Worse, it could have put everyone else in danger. The enemy could have crossed the portal. Sphinx weakly nodded, and Priam sighed. The incident reminded him that she was still just a kid. Sure, she seemed wise and mature, but it was mostly a facade. Behind the mask, Sphinx was a carefree child who wanted to play with her friends. She had never faced difficulties or failures, and that was becoming a problem. "So far, you''ve always won and can be proud of that. I''m proud of you," Priam added. "However, if you make mistakes, you''ll eventually lose. That day, you''ll have to face the consequences. And you know what''s worse?" Sphinx, previously buried in her paws, looked up. "What?" "The worst part is when your mistakes cost your friends." Sphinx''s eyes widened in horror. "Even if they''re my mistakes?" "Life isn''t always fair. So even though I know it''s not reasonable, I''m asking you." Priam locked eyes with Sphinx. "Don''t make any more mistakes. Always win. As you told Kazuki: become strong. Can you promise me that?" "I promise," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I promise too," Priam smiled, fist-bumping her. Sphinx nuzzled against him. Priam continued to scratch her head while he thought. It''s my responsibility to teach her. When a team loses, it''s the players'' and the coach''s fault... Sphinx had no one else but him. He could abandon her, or he could take up his responsibilities. The answer was obvious. Now, onto the others. At the protective barrier, Blueberry pretended to bask in the sun. Priam had noticed a twitch when he announced that Alain would be fine. The big bear was listening intently. Raising his voice, Priam called out to him. "Blueberry, please come here!" It was time to set clear rules for their stay in Elysium. The bear stretched and got up before grumbling. He approached in a zigzagging manner. The gait made Priam smile before he understood. Illusions confuse him. Mentally, Priam added his entire group to Log-a-rhythm''s whitelist. Surprised, Blueberry looked around before walking towards Priam. It took more than that to astonish a bear. Meanwhile, Priam connected to his internal world. Mirscella and Louis waited in silence, their weapons ready. Unlike Alain, they were professionals. Priam opened a portal for them. "You can come, but be mindful of the gravity. It''s stronger here," he warned from the other side. Louis went first. The nimble old man instantly adapted to the change in gravity. Mirscella followed. The two veterans quickly sat down while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Some take my warnings seriously. "Where''s Alain?" Louis asked. Priam pointed to Log-a-rhythm. "Inside, resting. He had a stroke from the fall. He''s fine now," he hastened to add. Louis''s breath intensified, and Mirscella covered her mouth. "Oh my god... I''m sorry, I should have stopped him from coming through. I..." "You have nothing to blame yourself for," Priam interrupted. "It''s... it''s his fault. He shouldn''t have gone through the Sphinx portal before we tested him. He shouldn''t have crossed before my green light.¡± His voice wavered at the end and Priam took a few breaths to calm himself. ¡°My father always thinks he knows best. At the time, I was terrified, but he''s fine now. The System declared him healed. What matters is that we learn from this." The transition was a bit too swift for Louis and Mirscella, who remained silent, processing the information. Blueberry, undoubtedly thanks to his previous wild life, was a bear of action. "What now?" he asked. After this incident, Priam was aware that things needed to change. He was just hesitant about how to phrase it. "Speak up. My self-preservation is even greater than my pride," Mirscella finally encouraged. "If we''re too weak to fend for ourselves, tell us." Sphinx meowed in agreement, and Priam thanked them with a glance. "Elysium is a dangerous world. According to Kazuki - whom I''ll introduce you to soon - some of the monsters lurking here can kill you with a single slash. It''s not like the Reunion where the monsters'' power was limited. This is the real world. A mistake from any of us will have dramatic consequences. For everyone." Louis, in a thinker''s posture, asked, "What do you suggest?" "We''ll spend at least six months here, and my father almost died on day one," Priam summarized. "If we want to survive, we need to establish rules." Everyone nodded, and Sphinx licked his hand to express her agreement. "I''m with you on this. Before we set them, can you tell us about the risks?" Mirscella asked. "Of course." Priam took a few minutes to detail his experience in Elysium. He then added Kazuki''s warnings, which were to be taken with a grain of salt. At the end of his account, everyone took a few seconds to digest the information. "Maybe I should have said all of this earlier," Priam admitted with a sheepish look. Louis shrugged. "Not really. Alain and Sphinx would have followed you to hell." "Not me," Blueberry said. Louis continued. "Personally... I like this kind of world. I suspected I was in for quite a journey. As long as the rewards match the dangers, there''s no problem." "It''s not a paradise, but I signed up for this," added Mirscella. "I''ve known distress since I was a child. Never again. I''ve always lived dangerously, and that won''t change today." Seeing Priam about to speak, she continued. "You''re the strongest but also the youngest. These are our choices, and we''ll accept their consequences. We are grown-ups, so don''t see yourself as a hero; you''re not one. That''s perfectly fine." "I''m the youngest!" Sphinx exclaimed. "That''s true, Sphinx, I''m sorry," Mirscella smiled. "Alright, let''s agree on some rules. What do you propose?" Priam nodded. "Except for myself, no one leaves the Log-a-rhythm perimeter alone. Everyone will train here until I map out the surroundings and identify threats. We''ll train here for the first few weeks, then reassess." Louis nodded. "This clearing looks nice, I''m in. But are you sure everyone will obey?" he said, gesturing towards Sphinx. Sphinx curled up even tighter, and Priam stroked her. "I think she understands that she made a mistake," Priam replied. He turned to the group. "All in?" Blueberry growled, Louis smiled, and Mirscella nodded. "Perfect. Then let me introduce you to Kazuki." As he stood up, Priam sensed a strange smell. [Eidetic Memory] and [Sense of Smell] activated to pinpoint its origin. Blood?! "Everyone inside the base!" Sphinx hesitated for a fraction of a second before leaping, disappearing into the trunk of Log-a-rhythm. Without a moment''s hesitation, Louis and Mirscella followed suit. Blueberry was the last to take cover. And Rose? Priam hadn''t sensed her in his world. Shit. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At the same moment, a dull thud sounded. Priam, hand on his spear, swallowed hard as he saw a monstrous wolf-like creature appear just at the edge of the barrier. He hadn''t even seen it move, suggesting its speed was terrifying. The invisible protection was still quivering severely. "This thing is going to break through the barrier," Kazuki said. The hoplite had taken cover beside Priam, adopting a defensive stance. [Identification] [NecroMoon Wolf - Tier 2] - A NecroMoon Wolf. Probably. I''d tell you to run, but... I don''t think that''s an option. Priam paled as he read the monster''s description. It was so unfair, why did this kind of creature come to plague them? "I''m not even sure Log-a-rhythm can hold it," he murmured. The tree was sturdy, but a Tier 2 elysian beast promised to be terrifying. A scary sound echoed beneath the barrier as the wolf dealt it a second blow. "What do we do?" Priam gave a quick glance to the warrior. Kazuki knew they stood no chance, but he was in a fighting stance. A hoplite faces death head-on, right? "You go inside Log-a-rhythm; I''ll lure it away," Priam decided. "I won¡¯t let you die alone, and I won¡¯t flee." "It''s the second time you''re underestimating me. Please, trust me." "... I hope. I''ll keep your Kzutal safe. May your fight be glorious." With those words, Kazuki entered Log-a-rhythm. The soldier knew how to put his honor aside for the greater good. A third paw strike cracked the barrier, and the wolf howled. It could already sense its prey. Without wasting more time, Priam sprinted backward and crossed through Log-a-rhythm. Secret Passage allowed him to reappear a hundred meters behind the wolf. From the forest, Priam hurled Promesse, charging it with all his kinetic energy. Anything less wouldn''t even scratch the monster before him. Sensing the attack, the necrotic beast smoothly turned around. A dark red aura masked its true appearance. As it moved, the crimson cloud rippled, revealing a half-rotted carcass. In places, the skeleton supported only shreds of putrefied flesh. With a disdainful swipe, it blocked Promesse. Priam hadn''t seen any of this. He''d bolted as soon as he''d thrown it, hoping to draw the monster away. After all, he held no illusions. Someone had to die, and it had better be him. Preferably far from Log-a-rhythm. A second into his sprint, he detected movement to his right. Twenty meters away, the wolf was running on a parallel trajectory to his. Priam roared and began to gather a Breath. Suddenly, the sky fell to the ground. No, it was his perspective that had changed. Domain informed him: the wolf had just decapitated him. I didn''t even see it move... The power gap was ridiculous. Priam¡¯s mind took over, leaving his body and focusing on the beast. It had started tearing into his body. Despite his constitution, the wolf''s fangs were easily crushing Priam¡¯s bones. It''s disgusting to watch... Priam began to channel a second Breath. The aether gathered, destroying his spiritual body in the process. What did it matter when he was going to die anyway? The wolf raised lifeless eyes and looked at his spirit. Shit. Congratulations, you are dead! Dishnu touched the corrupted ground. In a circle about two meters in radius, the vegetation had lost its vitality. Worse, while the grass had simply turned gray, the tree branches continued to sway. Yet, there was no wind. It was the fiftieth mark Dishnu had spotted. The circles were arranged in an almost straight line at regular intervals. This was bad news. Someone was spreading this curse, and that someone was capable of leaping over two hundred meters. At least, that''s what the distance between the circles suggested. The beast tracks at the center of each cursed area also corroborated this. Kneeling, Dishnu clasped his hands and prayed to the forest. It took only a few seconds to persuade the surrounding trees to give up some of their vitality to combat the corruption. Left unattended, it would eventually destroy the younger trees, spreading like a disease. But it''s far worse than that... A few seconds later, the vitality had dispelled the evil influence. But at what cost? Dishnu opened two sad eyes on the circle of blackened vegetation. Once corrupted, only death could purge the curse. As he made his way to the next circle, Dishnu heard a distant howl. The necro-beast seemed to have found prey. The Drya Champion knew he couldn''t stop it from feasting. "But I could free its captive from claws worse than death..." Merging with a tree, his spirit quickly traveled through the plant network. The Forest Guardian was on the move. Alain blinked rapidly. A flurry of notifications assaulted him, making him grimace. You have gained the skill: [Gravity Resistance - Rare]. [Gravity Resistance] - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. Given the troubles you bring upon your son, you must be quite the expert. Your body now resists the effects of gravity. CONST +3 You have gained the skill: [Hemorrhage Resistance - Common]. [Hemorrhage Resistance - Common] - When you lose blood, it''s best to patch up the wound. Too bad it was in your head. Literally. Your high vitality makes you almost hemophilic. This resistance counteracts that effect. This passive skill slows your heart rate when your wounds are severe. Your blood will clot faster in the open air. VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 2,3,4,5 VIT +4 You have gained the skill: [Perforation Resistance - Common]. [Perforation Resistance] - Are you accustomed to breaking down walls? Well, your son did the same. But with your head. Don''t judge him too quickly; he did it out of love! Spoiler: you''re not as headstrong as you think. Thanks to this skill, the next one who tries to lobotomize you will have a harder time. CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +1 What...? The last thing Alain remembered was trying to go through Sphinx''s portal. Or rather, attempting to. The portal had closed on him and pushed him forward. He''d fallen and... he was now taking a bath? "Did I black out?" "Alain?!" Sitting up, Alain watched Mirscella rush to his side. "Are you okay?" "Yeah? I have this unpleasant feeling of clothes sticking to my skin, but otherwise, I''m fine. Why am I lying in maple syrup, by the way?" It tasted delicious but was terrible for his diabetes. "You had a stroke. Priam saved you," Louis summarized. That was quite a summary, and Alain blinked. "What? But I feel fine!" Actually, he was feeling better than fine. Two of his attributes had been boosted by almost twenty percent. "Where''s Priam, anyway?" Alain couldn''t see his son, and they didn''t have many places to hide. After all, six people were crammed into a windowless cabin. And who is this strange man? Mirscella and then Louis looked away. When Blueberry followed suit, Alain had a bad feeling. "Where''s Priam?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 320 Constitution 451 Agility 309 Vitality 469 Perception 538 MENTAL: Vivacity 294 Dexterity 365 Memory 99 Willpower 488 Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 262 Meta-focus 213 Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1003 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 22 hours 14 minutes 1 second. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 47 minutes 14 seconds. Chapter 118: Guardian of Nature Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 13 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Veteran]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +12 WILL +20 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 19,20 CONST +6 [Star Iron Body] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, you''re entitled to a bonus. Choose from these three options: [Tough] - Your body toughens up. POT -30 [Elastic] - Your body bends but doesn''t break. POT -30 [Temper] - The best metal is one that''s been tempered. POT -30 You have selected [Temper]. POT -30 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 12,13,14,15,16,17 CONST +6 You''ve acquired the skill: [Spirit Resistance - Rare]. [Spirit Resistance] - While your soul may be pseudo-immortal, your spirit is not. Situated between the soul and the body, the spirit is the essence of thought, consciousness, and the life force that animates you. Unlike your soul, it is easier to violate, alter, capture, or destroy. From now on, it won''t be so easy. Your spirit densifies and gains a minor regenerative power. WILL +3 Title earned! [Spiritless - Silver] - Losing one''s spirit typically spells death. The lone soul shall then reincarnate, ascend to a divine realm, or become a slave to necromantic powers. Yet, here you still stand. The imprint of your spirit clings to your soul... WILL +10% META(Affinity) +10% [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 44 minutes 1 second. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 17 minutes 14 seconds. The moment the wind caressed his body, Priam sprang to life, eyes wide open. Conjuring his mist, he checked for any nearby threats. Was the monster still there? If so, Priam was ready to fight tooth and nail. If not, he hoped he had managed to divert its attention. If the necromoon wolf had turned back toward Log-a-rhythm... it would be already over. A second after his resurrection, nothing had attacked him yet. His heart rate slowed as he realized he was out of immediate danger. Priam then massaged his right eye, which had been blinded by the use of Hecate''s New Moon. As he expected, the resurrection had repaired his body. It feels good to be in a new body, he thought, carefully observing his surroundings. The surrounding trees were painted red, and the vegetation around them was dead. Priam furrowed his brows, examining the blackened grass beneath dried blood. His perfect memory recalled the scene where the necrowolf had attacked the barrier. The mere presence of the beast had tainted the grass. Instead of killing it, the necromantic aura had transformed it. Here, the grass was dead. Either corrupted vegetation dies without a source of corruption, or someone cleaned the area. This thought heightened his wariness even further - if that was possible. Stranded and alone in the Elysian forest, with no extra lives left, Priam wasn''t taking any chances. His mist continued to spread, depleting his aether reserves. Thankfully, the ambient aether allowed for swift regeneration. After waiting a handful of seconds without sensing anything, Priam headed towards Log-a-rhythm. Internally, he focused on his mist. It covered a radius of a hundred and twenty meters, but only the first fifty were comprised of thick fog. The rest hovered in the form of a faint water vapor, entirely invisible to the naked eye. If an enemy hoped to trail him just outside the mist, Priam would detect them. Meanwhile, he grimaced under the influx of information. Soon, it wouldn''t be the level of [Moon Mist] or his mist concept limiting the size of his zone, but rather his agility. Processing so much information gave him a headache. This pain was nothing compared to his determination. Crossing the five-hundred Willpower mark seemed to have given him wings. Priam had a goal - to return to his base - and it crushed all mental obstacles. The sensation was both exhilarating - he felt like he could accomplish anything - and strange. His will - something fundamental - had changed. Artificially tempered, Priam now wielded it like a blade. This revelation was especially strange because Priam didn''t want to lose his identity. However, he knew he would have to make concessions. The power he would gain would change him. If I''m not ready for this, I might as well stop now. He didn¡¯t. After a few hundred meters, Priam entered the invisible perimeter of the Secret Passage. Log-a-rhythm''s first theme allowed its occupants to open a passage to the base from any tree within a hundred-meter radius. Using his powerful Perception, he double-checked his mist one last time. According to his senses, nothing had followed him. Cautious, Priam preferred to continue on his way rather than use a Secret Passage. The more hidden cards he had, the better. Priam crossed the clearing and laid his hand against Log-a-rhythm''s trunk. A passage opened, and he stepped inside. Before his eyes could adjust to the difference in brightness, Priam''s Domain detected a projectile about to strike him. Smiling, he opened his arms to receive Sphinx. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Priam!" several voices cried out. Alain approached, tears in his eyes, and Sphinx made way for him. Father and son embraced for a brief moment before Alain pulled back. "Are you okay?" His father''s voice was worried, and his eyes were red. Priam had never seen his father so close to tears. "Yes. Not a scratch," Priam reassured him. "Thank god..." Alain said, stepping back slightly. His father needed a little time to recover from his emotions, and Priam let him. It was often easier to be the one taking risks than to wait for news, feeling helpless. Sphinx asked with a smile, "Do you want me to purr to lift your spirits?" Honestly, Priam''s spirits were already quite high. No one had died, and he had gained an excellent Title. However, he had no intention of turning down such a great offer. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Could you do that?" he asked, smiling. Sphinx purred before standing on her hind legs, proud of herself. Faced with such adorableness, Priam couldn''t help but scratch her head. Blueberry, bent in half, then approached to pat him on the shoulder. As expected from a five-meter-tall bear, there was more force in his gentle pat than in a minor car accident. Another man would have died, but Priam kept his smile. His constitution was no joke. "Glad to see you''re still as stubborn. Did you manage to escape that monster?" the bear asked. Priam hesitated for a moment. "No, it got me. After my resurrection, it was gone. Honestly, I was completely outmatched," he finally admitted. "Well, as long as you''re okay," Sphinx laughed, bouncing. Blueberry growled. "I''m sure you''ll get your revenge quickly. Now that we''re done with the pleasantries, could you raise the room''s height? My back is killing me," the bear sighed. A few moments later, Log-a-rhythm had pushed up its ceiling enough to spare the bear from physical therapy sessions. Satisfied, he nodded at Priam before returning to lap up a bowl of sweet sap. How easy it was to be a bear¡­ Priam turned to the three stunned humans watching him. "Did... Did you really die?" asked Mirscella. Priam nodded. "It was a Tier 2 beast. It beheaded me in an instant." The most dangerous part was that it had also managed to annihilate his spirit, but Priam preferred to keep some secrets to himself. If humans thought his power was simply infinite bodily regeneration, so be it. His enemies wouldn''t think to also annihilate his spirit - leaving him a chance to strike back. This lie had nothing to do with a lack of trust in Mirscella or Louis. The truth was simple: the fewer people knew that about his weaknesses, the better he would be. "Mm. Makes sense," declared Louis. "How so?" asked Mirscella. "Without this kind of power, how could a young brat like him be stronger than I am?" Louis said arrogantly. A dark look from Mirscella quickly wiped the smile from his face. The old lady turned to Priam. "Good to see you''re alright. Anyway, this confirms that the rules must be followed. We''ve only been here for two hours, and we''ve already come dangerously close to death. No one leaves the barrier for now. Everyone in favor?" Except for Kazuki, who certainly didn''t understand the situation, everyone nodded. The demonstration of their weakness had shocked them. Satisfied, Mirscella then elbowed Alain. "I believe you had something to say to your son?" Alain hesitated until a second elbow nudged him into speaking. Shame was written all over his face as he looked at his son. "I''m sorry. I almost died in an idiotic way," he confessed. Priam smiled. "It''s nothing, Dad. Well, no, it''s serious, but... the important thing is that we''re alive and won''t make the same mistake again, right?" Alain''s eyes sparkled. "You learned that from me, thief," he laughed. "But you''re right. Being stupid once is forgivable. Twice isn¡¯t." Priam smiled. Like father, like son. "By the way, since it''s my place, can I give you orders?" he joked. Alain responded with a smile. "Of course. But if we switch roles, it''ll be your turn to do the laundry, cooking, take care of the house by yourself, and kill the spiders when I''m scared at night. Just like I did for you when you were little." "... Forget it. By the way, I haven''t been scared of spiders for ten years." "It depends on whether they''re hairy," his father chuckled. "You speak about abominations. I¡ª" Log-a-rhythm contacted him. According to the tree, a friendly presence was trying to communicate with him. With me? Log-a-rhythm responded in the negative. The unknown entity was trying to communicate with the tree. What the... "Stay here for now. No one leaves until I get back." The voices and laughter fell silent. "I''m coming too," Kazuki said, realizing Priam was planning to leave. Priam nodded, and the two of them exited. Outside, the three suns shone on an empty clearing. Priam surveyed the surroundings without detecting anything. "Do you see anything?" Kazuki shook his head silently. He held his spear tightly, poised like a spring and ready for battle. Clearly, having to flee from the necro beast had annoyed him. "Is there anyone?" Priam asked in the direction of the forest. No entity manifested itself. Priam thought for a moment, considering that he might not be the target this time. If someone wanted to contact him, there were less convoluted ways than through his magical tree. However, Priam wanted to know who had located his base. Tell him you want them to speak with me, Priam ordered Log-a-rhythm. The tree complied, and moments later, a gust of wind arose from the forest. The grass in the clearing bent under the gale. The gust stopped just beneath the last branches of Log-a-rhythm before vanishing. In its place appeared a biped covered with bark-like skin and moss. The Log-a-rhythm barrier hadn''t even sensed the intrusion. Instantly, Priam recognized the rival he had glimpsed just after Claire''s betrayal. Driven to madness by the poison, he dreamt of the treant now standing before him. In his visions, the Guardian of Nature tirelessly repelled hordes of fire elementals. "Priam, enchanted," he said, nodding. "Kazuki. May your battle be glorious and your victory resounding," the hoplite added in his own language. Hearing this, Priam raised an eyebrow. The formula was polite. Too polite. He acknowledges his inferiority. Reassessing the treant-like being, Priam consulted his instinct. The answer came swiftly - he was outclassed. Meeting two beings stronger than me on the very first day... That''s two too many. Elysium had a knack for grounding him. As the newcomer scrutinized them, Priam identified him. [Identification] [Dishnu - Drya - Tier 0] - The Guardian of the Forest. Luckily for you, he''s a pacifist - and fascinated by Log-a-rhythm. Priam twitched at the description. The System wasn''t betting on his victory. However, the real problem was Dishnu''s fascination. Log-a-rhythm was crucial for Priam, but more so for his loved ones. Concepts Archipelago was currently too small to house his team permanently. If he lost his base, everyone would be in mortal danger... ''You are taking good care of the tree. It''s one of the most beautiful specimens I''ve seen thus far,'' a soft yet strong voice echoed in Priam¡¯s mind. Soft was an understatement for the Dryan language. If asked to describe it, Priam would speak of the sound of pebbles rolling in a river or tree leaves swaying in the wind. The words of the Dryan language were like a budding flower. Full of meaning, they were felt more than understood. In a few words, the Drya language expressed nature. It was imbued with magic, which was likely why Priam could understand it. Looking up at Log-a-rhythm, Priam took a moment to appreciate his tree''s new beauty. The world continued to turn, time flowed, but one must not forget to live. "The System helped me resurrect a Tal Quercus. I offered it a great treasure that helped it evolve," he explained after a brief silence. Instinctively, he wanted to tell the Drya the truth. It wasn''t due to mental manipulation or the Drya''s charismatic aura - which focused more on flora than fauna. It was simply his draconic instinct urging him to be honest. He must be able to sense lies... ''The tallest trees draw the wrath of the heavens, but you saved this one. I''ll think of a present.¡¯ Priam had no doubts about who would be the recipient of the gift. Dishnu''s gaze shifted from Priam to Log-a-rhythm. His charismatic aura turned joyful. Drya truly loved trees. I hope it¡¯s just a platonic obsession... ''Fortunately, the moon didn''t shine on this tree,¡¯ he said, turning back to Priam. ¡®You were also not corrupted by the beast. Truly, the heavens have chosen peculiar individuals...'' Priam''s breath quickened. Dishnu was talking about the other rivals. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 320 Constitution 477 (+26) Agility 309 Vitality 469 Perception 538 MENTAL: Vivacity 294 Dexterity 365 Memory 99 Willpower 557 (+69) Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 288 (+16) Meta-focus 213 Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 985 (-18) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 31 minutes 54 seconds. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 35 minutes 7 seconds. Chapter 119: Back to Basic "Have you encountered other rivals?!" exclaimed Priam. Dishnu was the first rival who hadn''t tried to kill him when they met. Priam was now a bit wary of those among the new civilizations who had finished the Tutorial the quickest. Dishnu blinked, his eyelids like vibrant green leaves, before making a peculiar sound. Seems like the twittering of a small bird, Priam mused. ¡®I''ve only encountered two other rivals besides you, but the Forest revealed to me the presence of ten people. The plants know how to listen¡­¡¯ "You''re speaking in the past tense," remarked Priam. ¡®One of them is already dead, hunted by the Var Elegis.¡¯ "Arnold..." Priam gritted his teeth. Kazuki turned to him, and Priam quickly explained his encounter with the homunculus. "A being of no honor is as repugnant as it is dangerous," commented the hoplite. Priam almost laughed, thinking back to his first meeting with Kazuki. Apparently, there were rules to follow even in rival assassinations. Priam turned to the Drya, who was gently caressing some blades of grass. "Is it chasing us?" he asked, his voice oozing with anger. If the Var Elegis threatened his family, it would find Priam standing in its way. Dishnu blinked, and Priam felt his anger and fear dissipate. He knew he should have feared someone who could dispel his negative emotions, but it was complicated to be afraid of the Drya. He looks like the son of Buddha and a dryad. ¡®Your anger contaminates the world. Don''t let it control you,¡¯ advised Dishnu before continuing. ¡®The Var Elegis has ceased his pursuit since the Reunion. He must be preoccupied with the Necromoon.¡¯ "The undead wolf was tainted by that thing. What exactly is it?" ¡®According to Nature''s memory, the Necromoon descends periodically. Then, the living hide and the dead awaken.¡¯ "I¡¯m on a bad news streak¡­ So, it''s an astronomical phenomenon corrupting the world. I suppose we''ll have to wait for it to pass." Dishnu shook his head. ¡®The curse has already corrupted one of our rivals. I felt his rage and indignation. He will hunt us down.¡¯ A foreboding feeling washed over Priam. "How is that possible? Does he still have free will?" The necro wolf was immensely powerful, but it was feral. If there had been a glimmer of intelligence left in the beast, it would have slaughtered Priam and everyone else. ¡®That''s the impression I got.¡¯ "The corruption starts with the body and then attacks the mind. Perhaps he secured his mind," suggested Kazuki, nervously rubbing his cursed wound. ¡®That''s possible,¡¯ Dishnu agreed, looking at the hoplite''s bandage. Despite his constitution and resilience, the wound was incredibly stubborn. If anyone other than Priam were affected... "Is there a remedy?" Kazuki asked. ¡®None that I know of.¡¯ "Log-a-rhythm - my tree - might be able to synthesize something," Priam proposed. Dishnu pondered before closing his eyes. Log-a-rhythm''s branches began to stir, and Priam sensed an inquiry. His tree indicated that the Drya wanted access to specific fragments of its memory. Priam hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Block the memories concerning those present in your whitelist. Usually, Priam wouldn''t have so readily agreed, but the Drya could access the memories of the clearing''s trees to understand most of Log-a-rhythm''s history. Moreover, if he tried to force his way¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. Again, a feeling of weakness overcame him. Gathering his colossal will, Priam crushed the emotion and summoned a sense of hope. In this world, weakness is temporary. I was an insect compared to Kazuki just a few weeks ago. I''ll catch up to Dishnu soon, he encouraged himself. Finally, Dishnu opened his eyes and made a sort of pout. ¡®It may be possible, but he will suffer to unlock a resistance¡­¡¯ "He?" Priam looked at the Drya in confusion. ¡®Log-a-rhythm was a male elf before.¡¯ "I''m not sure there''s much of him left. Anyway, I think I can command it¡­ him, to ignore his pain." In addition to appeasing the Drya, Priam wasn''t particularly keen on torturing the nascent intelligence of his tree. ¡®Thank you. However, he could fail to develop a resistance.¡¯ "Do we have a choice? We don''t know how long the Necromoon will linger." Priam wasn''t one to bury his head in the sand to avoid problems. If the phenomenon persisted, someone would eventually be infected. It would then be too late to save them. Kazuki seemed hesitant, and Priam noticed. "Do you know something?" The hoplite took a few seconds to think. "The night is falling earlier, and the temperatures are dropping. In the evening, there''s a light spot in the sky that''s slightly enlarging..." "A light spot? Like a moon?" "Possibly, but it''s still very far. If its influence grows as it gets closer..." The news didn''t sit well with Priam, who grimaced. "Everyone needs to unlock this resistance," he decided. The Drya didn''t seem concerned by the news. If Kazuki had managed to unlock a resistance, then surely he could too. Watching him tend to the clearing''s herbs and flowers, Priam had an idea. "Dishnu, I have a proposition. Log-a-rhythm''s influence on the surroundings is growing. By growing large enough, he could protect a part of the forest by sharing his resistances..." ¡®You want my help in cultivating the tree?¡¯ Priam almost felt ashamed to propose such an unbalanced partnership for the Drya. But he had nothing to lose. Dishnu stared at him. His inhuman eyes, the color of honey, remained open, while his broad but solid figure stood still. Refusing to look away, Priam presented his arguments. "If Log-a-rhythm fails to develop resistance to the Necromoon, everyone will die. The flora and fauna will become puppets of a force beyond us. But if he manages to resist, he can pass on this quality." At least, that''s what Priam counted on. Dishnu caressed a blade of grass lengthwise, seeming to see more in it than Priam ever would. The two beings were on different trajectories. Again, Dishnu chirped. ¡®Both unique and part of a whole... I accept.¡¯ Priam''s smile froze as he watched the Drya''s next actions. To the astonished eyes of the onlookers, Dishnu plunged his hand into his chest cage. The wood that composed his body creaked and then split. Inserting his fingers into the fissure, the Drya pulled out a blackened and shattered bone. As large as a human femur, the bone fragment exuded an aura that made Priam step back. Dishnu laid the bone on the ground, and the grass began to gray. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. With a disgusted expression, Priam identified the object. [Identification] [Fragment d¡¯os - Tier 2] - A bone fragment corrupted by the NecroMoon. Laconic... "You kept this within you?" The aura of the fragment was so vile that Priam was reluctant to touch it. Nevertheless, the object would allow them to train their resistance in a nearly secure manner. Dishnu nodded. ¡®The Guardian watches over the forest. It''s my responsibility to bear this curse¡­¡¯ For the first time, Priam sensed a negative emotion in Dishnu''s voice. A crackling of flames consuming a trunk that sounded like a declaration of war. Some things could irritate a Drya. More importantly, Priam felt Dishnu''s aura increase. Now that he was no longer compelled to keep the equivalent of a biological bomb within him, his strength was laid bare. The Drya was monstrously strong. His race evolved with nature, and the Elysian environment benefited him even more than the other rivals. A smile stretched across Priam''s lips. He looked forward to training. ¡®I must go,¡¯ announced Dishnu. ¡®I''ll return tomorrow to help Log-a-rhythm.¡¯ "... Thank you." Priam found it hard to fathom the Drya, but he hadn''t tried to kill or steal from him. That was something. Even as the sound of his voice didn''t reach the edge of the forest, the Drya had already vanished. A breeze swept over the meadow, causing the grass to sway. A moment later, the herbs tainted by the necrobeast and the bone turned black. The Guardian of Nature had no intention of leaving behind such an abomination. Nature had called back its children. Sighing at the casual display of power, Priam turned to Kazuki. "I have a quest to finish and resources to find for Log-a-rhythm, but before that... I''m going to train," he announced. The hoplite wore a serious expression. "Likewise." "Would you mind giving me some advice?" Kazuki arched an eyebrow. "Are you finally deciding to learn to use your spear?" "It''s now or never." "If you continue like this, you''ll soon face a wall." Kazuki and Priam sat cross-legged by the river. In the background, Louis and Mirscella were training the rest of the group. The sound of water soothed Priam. Looking at his hands, he wondered if he''d ever felt like he''d hit a wall before. The hoplite meant it in terms of progression, but Priam had constantly developed his skills. If he was slow, what did that say about the rest of humanity? Seeing Priam''s pensive expression, Kazuki sighed. He tossed the wooden spear he held to Priam, who caught it. Kazuki conjured a second wooden spear out of thin air and took a defensive stance. A spatial talent. That''s probably where he hides his armor, noted Priam. "The Concepts level-up system prevents you from seeing your shortcomings. You''re making progress, so you have the impression that everything''s fine. The fact is, you could be progressing faster and in a more holistic way," said Kazuki. "Well, as a gamer, I love levels," joked Priam. "I prefer a demonstration to an explanation. Let''s spar without using active skills." The two warriors sized each other up briefly before Priam launched an attack. Using Micro, he propelled himself forward. His dexterity guided his spear toward the center of Kazuki''s chest. The hoplite blocked smoothly. In one motion, he slid the spear against Priam''s, countering the strike. The tip of Kazuki''s spear slipped over Priam¡¯s spear''s shaft, threatening him. In a fraction of a second, Priam used his agility and perception to analyze the attack and attempt to find a counter or evasion. The hoplite''s attack was too fast to evade. Priam tried to bring his spear back in front of him, but Kazuki''s own spear kept it at bay. Grunting, Priam threw a high kick in the air, trying to deflect the attack. Kazuki retreated to let the kick pass, before charging back. He placed his wooden spear under Priam''s raised ankle, pushing him off balance. Staggering and on one leg, Priam failed to see the hoplite''s sweep coming. The hoplite''s right foot struck Priam¡¯s left shin, depriving him of his last foothold. The young man collapsed to the ground. A tenth of a second later, the wooden tip struck Priam''s chest ineffectively. [Kinetic Control] had nullified the force of the blow. Damn. Kazuki stepped back without a word. Using his near-perfect memory, Priam reviewed the fight, trying to find a solution. Finally, he groaned. "I lost the moment I attacked. I overextended during the initial attack." "Exactly. Not to mention, your high kick which opened your guard. You''re an exceptional fighter but a terrible spearman." "Tact isn''t your strong suit, you know that?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow. ¡°... Damn, am I really that bad?" "When you''re not wielding your own spear? Yes. Some legendary hoplite weapons have the ability to bond with their wielders. They correct their placement and influence their actions. For a beginner, it''s counterproductive. That''s what your weapon does." Priam winced at the hoplite''s comments. "It makes sense, and I should have thought of it earlier..." A faint smile played on Kazuki''s lips. "I think you were preoccupied. But now, you can change that. Mastering the basics is an essential step. A tall tower must be built on solid foundations." This logic held true in any field, and Priam agreed. Kazuki continued. "However, I wonder. The spear is a good choice for you in the long run, but currently, your fighting style would likely work better with a flail or a morning star. Why did you choose this weapon?" Priam blushed with shame. "I... I had never wielded a weapon in my life before the spear I took from you." Kazuki''s gaze was unfathomable. Finally, he spoke again. "With your attributes, my guidance, and the density of aether, your progress will be swift," he said, ignoring Priam''s reply. "However, be careful not to rush. If you have high-level skills with your spear, I advise setting them aside for now. I don''t want you mixing everything up." "I''ll follow your advice," Priam said, inclining his head slightly. For hoplites, the trainer was almost a fatherly figure. Priam didn''t plan to go that far, but if Kazuki was a good teacher, he deserved his respect. "Let''s begin. You''ll learn or review different basic techniques and then link them together." Kazuki raised his left index finger. "I''ll give you a week to reach this stage." "How will I know if I succeed?" Priam asked. "The System will tell you. Link is the name of Mastery¡¯s Stage 0." Lying on the ground, Sphinx watched Priam train. His movements were slow but precise. She had no doubt that her friend would soon be an excellent spearman. Not far from him was Kazuki. The System had taught Sphinx the hundred most common human languages, but hoplite wasn''t among them. Yet, she understood the Champion''s character relatively well. Advocating duty and honor, Kazuki was a sort of modern-day knight. Or perhaps a samurai. Sphinx had some gaps in her history knowledge. In any case, the hoplite was training hard. He was already a true killing machine, but it seemed not to be enough for him. I wonder how powerful he is with his armor. "Are you training hard?" a voice called out. Suppressing a yawn, Sphinx turned to Mirscella. "I''m trying to manipulate gravity by lifting this pebble," she lied. The old woman sat down next to her with a smile. "You avoid physical training because your true form is too imposing? Don''t worry, Priam''s illusion camouflages us. Without it, Blueberry would spend his days sleeping in the tree. Sphinx thought the bear would have appreciated the program. "My strength lies in my bloodline," Sphinx replied, shaking her head. "I need to learn to control karma and gravity." The real reason Sphinx didn''t use her true form was that she wanted to be able to accompany Priam. Her friend was happy to carry her when she was small, but he couldn''t lift a monster weighing over ten tons. Leaving her princess spot - his head - was out of the question. Mirscella folded her hands. "What a plan! You''re training hard so Priam takes you into the forest with him, right?" Sphinx got up, roaring with the power of a kitten. "Exactly! He''d better work hard if he doesn''t want me to leave him behind!" The corners of Mirscella''s lips stretched. "Perfect. By the way, I think it¡¯s time for you to release Rose." Sphinx looked at the old lady, stunned. She had completely forgotten that she had swallowed her second human pet before going through Priam''s inner world portal. After spending over four hours in her pocket dimension, the girl would likely be angry. Oops. Maybe she''ll forgive me if I meow? Humans seem to like that... Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 320 Constitution 477 Agility 309 Vitality 469 Perception 538 MENTAL: Vivacity 294 Dexterity 365 Memory 99 Willpower 557 Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 288 Meta-focus 213 Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 985 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 2 minutes 55 seconds. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 179 days 22 hours 6 minutes 8 seconds. Chapter 120: Thrust and Trust "The spear serves both as a striking and throwing weapon. Today, we will focus on its striking capability." Kazuki grasped his spear firmly and raised it with both hands. "There are three basic techniques. In order of importance: the thrust, the grapple, and the cut. Each has several variations." "Why in that order?" Priam inquired. "Because the spear is primarily designed for thrusting. It''s a destructive weapon, capable of felling an enemy with a single blow. That''s the thrust." Kazuki''s spear briefly vanished and its tip reappeared a meter away. Priam carefully watched the movement. "However, the other two techniques are equally important, especially against a serious adversary. Its long shaft makes it an interesting weapon for parrying and then for tripping, throwing, or destabilizing an opponent. Hence the importance of the grapple. Finally, even though they''re not superb cutters, it''s still not to be neglected." Priam nodded. He had rarely used the spear''s ability to unbalance or control an opponent. All this time, he had not fully explored his weapon''s possibilities. Priam realized the importance of receiving instruction from a master. Another advantage was that he could ask questions. "So, I''m going to unlock three skills, but what is the role of [Spear Strike] in all of this?" Kazuki groaned upon hearing the question. "It''s a System aid that does you more harm than good. At least, that''s how I see it." The hoplite''s hesitation was understandable; the System was a new tool. It was up to them to discover its intricacies. Nevertheless, Priam was not satisfied with this answer; he needed precision. "How so?" "Imagine you want to learn how to dance. You watch a few videos, practice on your own, and unlock [Dance - Common], a general skill. It helps you keep up with the music''s rhythm and coordinate your movements. But a dancer who has learned just one dance and has the associated skill - a common rank - will be better than you in their discipline." "I didn''t take you for a dancer." "There are many similarities between dance and combat," Kazuki replied with a smile. Priam would bet that the hoplite was an excellent dancer. "In my opinion, [Spear Strike] prioritizes generality over specialization." "At higher ranks, the difference will become more and more pronounced," Priam added, and Kazuki nodded. "It doesn''t stop there," Priam continued. "You mentioned three different skills, while I only have one. A generalist can progress faster, but in the end, the specialist will have more attributes and potential..." "Exactly. But I suppose you can''t specialize in everything," Kazuki concluded. "No... But I want to specialize in spear handling. [Spear Strike] will become redundant with my new skills. Did this happen to you?" If they were correct, [Spear Strike] was a mix of various skills that could be learned with a spear. Priam doubted that the System would allow him to increase this skill in addition to the others. After all, each level allowed him to gain knowledge, automatisms, attributes, and potential. If he could level up skills that did the same things, he would receive multiple rewards for the same action. Priam did not yet understand all the System''s mechanics, but he was pretty sure it was impossible to have a cake and eat it too... Kazuki shrugged. "No, I directly unlocked rare and epic spear skills.¡± ¡°... Good for you. I know it''s possible to merge multiple skills into one. The reverse should be true as well,¡± Priam theorized. "Dismantling a general skill into several specialized skills?" "Seems logical." "I hope so." Otherwise, Priam would be slowed down by a suboptimal skill. He refused to accept that possibility. Promesse deserved to be wielded by an exceptional fighter. At worst, I''ll use my Potential to forget my skill... Damn it! Priam did not have so much Potential that he was willing to sacrifice it for nothing. "Can you show me a thrust again? I''m going to try to dismantle my [Spear Strike]," Priam requested. Kazuki assumed a stance, with both hands on the spear''s shaft about eighty centimeters apart. Priam concentrated to not miss any of the warrior''s movements. He was by far the best spearman Priam had ever seen, and he intended to absorb all of his knowledge. "The thrust has two main variations. The first requires stable and static hands. The thrusting force will be generated with the arms. The movements of the hips and torso are more stable, making them less easily displaced." Kazuki''s right foot unfolded, and his spear pierced the air. "The result is great penetration force but limited range and speed." [Eidetic Memory] didn''t miss a beat of the warrior''s demonstration. Kazuki''s attack was simple but powerful. No energy was wasted, and the majority of his muscles were involved. The result was a perfect attack. The warrior returned to his initial position. "Second thrust, known as the Pzarth." Priam frowned upon hearing the unfamiliar word. Sensing his student''s uncertainty, Kazuki summoned his helmet. An illusion was projected, and Priam understood. The Pzarth was a game that resembled billiards. Kazuki continued his explanation. "In this thrust, you start by targeting your opponent and then the rear hand pushes to quickly propel your spear. It''s a fast attack with a longer range than the first variation, but it allows your opponent to unbalance you if they parry or knock aside your spear." Kazuki demonstrated, and Priam was surprised by the attack''s range. A spear was a long weapon, capable of reaching three meters, and many opponents could be caught off guard by its reach. Without his heightened perception or his Domain, this kind of attack would have defeated him outright. "Your turn." Priam assumed the position, took a deep breath, and copied the first movement. His dexterity and Micro gave him incredible control over his body. Despite the difference in muscle distribution between him and the hoplite, Priam found a way to emulate the attack on his first try. The power originated from the lower part of his body and traveled up his legs before being amplified by the movement of his pelvis and then his shoulders. His muscles tensed like springs before releasing. The attack sliced through the air with terrifying force. "Incredible," he murmured. "Not bad," Kazuki acknowledged. The System seemed to agree. The user has reached a certain level in a specialized skill. General skill already unlocked. Reading user''s intention... Do you want to learn [Spear Thrust - Common] by disassembling [Spear Strike - Rare]? Yes! You have gained the skill: [Spear Thrust - Common]. [Spear Thrust] - The first spears were created by humans over 300,000 years ago. The thrusting spear accompanied your ancestors, allowing them to triumph over fierce beasts. Your heritage is massive; it''s up to you to rediscover and perfect it. Attack summary: pierce your enemies with the pointed end. Multiple times if necessary. STR +1 Your experience in [Spear Strike - Rare] level 6 is incorporated into [Spear Thrust - Common]. Update... [Spear Thrust] level 1 > 16 Unchanged POT. Unchanged attributes. Kazuki recognized Priam''s smile. "I suppose we were right. Now, your movement was good, but it can be improved. Pay attention to the position of your hands on..." Level Up: [Spear Thrust] Lvl 17,18,19,20 STR +4 Kazuki wasn''t just a trainer. He was a tyrant. Thrust. Beneath the elysian suns, Priam sweated. Drops of sweat trickled down his arms, finding their way between his fingers and the wood of the spear. His wet hands clung to the shaft, refusing to slip. His forearms trembled, exhausted from the past twenty hours of training. During this time, Priam had released his grip six times. He had sworn there wouldn''t be a seventh. Thrust. The spear, simple and barely more than a thin stake, surged forward. Priam''s right foot moved to stabilize him. Bringing the spear back, he spun it and assumed a defensive posture. His Domain warned him of a pebble hurled by Kazuki behind him. Shifting his weight onto his left foot, Priam managed to dodge. A bead of sweat rolled along the weapon, falling onto the grass. Priam''s enhanced perspective allowed him to notice this detail and a thousand others. According to Kazuki, it would never be enough. In a war, there would be millions of details to observe. But it was a start. Thrust. Priam attacked the air again, piercing it with all the fury he could still muster. A fury that was beginning to wane. Over the last twenty hours, he had pushed his limits. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The first ten hours had been relatively straightforward. His vitality granted him inhuman endurance. Despite the enormous amount of energy consumed by his powerful muscles and his brain''s calculations, Priam had kept up. The eleventh hour saw the first mistakes. Thrust. Priam had been annoyed when he fell for the first time. Despite his inhuman attributes, it was still possible to suffer cramps. He had to use [Three-Headed Hydra] to regenerate his body. Thrust. In the thirteenth hour, his focus began to wane. Night had fallen hours earlier. It was challenging to continue training when the ominous presence of an evil moon loomed over him. The terrifying cries of nocturnal predators regularly distracted him. If they were attacked again... Thrust. Priam had sought motivation. His debt to the dead he had caused. The fear of death. His love for his family. His desire for freedom. At the eighteenth hour, his motivation dwindled in the face of fatigue. Priam had wanted to quit. A human body was not made to undergo such intensive training. Sensing his weakness, Kazuki had asked Sphinx to increase the gravity around them. His friend complied. She had quickly mastered her power, and Priam understood the difference between them. His race, High Human, was Tier 1. The Sphinxes were a Tier 5 race. If he didn''t train harder, he would be left behind. That was out of the question. To save face, out of pride and anger at this unfair world, Priam had persevered. Beside him, Kazuki continued to train. Thrust. The gravity had doubled, then tripled. Sweat on his hands caused him to lose his grip on the spear. Kazuki had had nothing to say; Priam had retrieved it on his own. Thrust. Priam finally understood the difference between a thrust and a strike. He didn''t just mindlessly attack. Micro and Domain helped him analyze every movement, every position. The System didn''t reward mindless repetition of a task. This kind of active skill required the user''s intention to be improved. Thrust. All this time, Priam had handled his spear like a child holding a wood branch. That''s why he hadn''t unlocked the skill before Kazuki''s training. Thrust. The attack was now imprinted in his body. His muscles, overseen by his dexterity, moved almost on their own. Priam had unlocked the common skill and brought it up to level twenty. Up to a simple but perfectly executed attack. Kazuki hadn''t allowed him to improve it to the higher rank. Thrust. The air vibrated, violently pushed by the power of a High Human with more strength than skill. That had changed during the last hour. Exhausted, Priam had started to make adjustments to his skill again. Level twenty was not perfection. He had discovered that it depended on the situation. At full power, a thrust utilized his muscles and energy to the fullest. With an indestructible spear, the attack was straightforward and direct. Thrust. However, his spear was made of young, green wood. His muscles were tired. His hands were wet. His focus was uneven. Thrust. Priam''s mind then relied on Micro. His blood flow had slightly changed, favoring the critical muscles. Some of his nerves were now used only periodically. Priam optimized everything that could be. Thrust. A pebble appeared in his Domain. Its trajectory and speed predicted a violent collision with the back of his head in a few moments. Taking advantage of the momentum from his last attack, Priam''s feet pivoted. Turning around, Priam now faced the pebble. He didn''t think to dodge. Mechanically, perfectly, he assumed his position. It was now second nature to him. He had attacked more than once per second over the last twenty hours. For the hundred thousandth time, Priam used a thrust. His muscles aligned, his eyes narrowed, his will sharpened, transcending his fatigue. He thrusted. The spear exploded, and the pebble was reduced to dust. New upgrade available for [Spear Thrust]. Refusing to succumb to fatigue, Priam checked his notification. [Spear Thrust] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Great Thrust - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Many Thrust - Rare] - You master several thrust variations. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 NEW - [Unrelenting Thrust - Rare] - Thrusting is as natural for you as breathing. Don¡¯t stop now. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 "Did you get it?" Kazuki asked. Priam grunted. "Perfect. Validate it and go to sleep. We¡¯ll resume tomorrow." You have gained the skill: [Unrelenting Thrust - Rare]. Priam opened one eye and gazed at the radiant ceiling of Log-a-rhythm. No attack or calamity had roused him from slumber, a fact that surprised him. All was quiet. Chuckling at his own wariness, he opened the other eye and sat up. His new bed was a cushion of exceedingly soft leaves. Circular, his room was just large enough to stretch out. The warm, smooth wood underfoot was a delight to his bare feet. The room was modest in size, but utterly isolated from the rest of Log-a-rhythm. Priam cherished his privacy. Quickly, Priam donned the outfit prepared by Alberto Boss, all the while surveying the walls. They projected a panoramic view of the clearing and the river that ran alongside. Outside, the suns were still high in the sky. Days currently lasted just over a dozen hours, and nights about fifteen. Neither Priam, Kazuki, nor Log-a-rhythm understood the celestial mechanics of Elysium. Darkness was gaining ground, and this heralded an imminent change. A problem for the future me. Priam smiled as he spotted Sphinx slumbering atop Blueberry, who was also sleeping. Beside them, Rose was tracing esoteric lines on the ground. Kazuki and Louis were training by the river, and Mirscella was nowhere to be seen. The thief was honing her stealth. Only his father remained, and Priam''s eyes widened upon spotting Alain. He was currently chiseling rocks into blocks. After grabbing a bowl of sap, Priam rejoined his father in the clearing. "Hey, Papous!" The focused old man delivered one more chisel strike before turning his smiling face towards his son. "Hey there, champ! Sleep well?" "Like a log. Some sap?" "With pleasure. Lucky I''m fond of fruits and this sap," his father remarked. Priam grimaced. "I know. I''m planning a foray soon to try and diversify our diet." "That would be good," Alain confirmed as he rose. Priam gestured to the stone blocks. "What are you up to?" "I''m carving these stones into blocks for a new project," replied Alain, reaching for the bowl of sap extended by Priam. "That¡¯s nice, but you know we can''t build structures too conspicuous yet? If a monster happens to wander by, it''ll find that suspicious..." Alain finished his gulp before responding. "It''s for your inner world. I know you''ve got a lot on your plate, so let me help." "Oh? You''ve got me curious now." His father had been an architect and an engineer. His expertise had allowed him to construct several houses with his own hands. Between Log-a-rhythm, monster attacks, quests, rivals, outings to find samples for his tree, and his training, Priam had barely a second to himself. Yet, it was foolish not to make the most of every advantage. "According to [Measure], your world is growing. Slowly, but surely. In Elysium, there are many dangers, but the density of aether and natural treasures make the adventure worth it. I thought using it as a second secure base and a garden might be interesting." The argument struck a chord. Priam already had Log-a-rhythm, but that base was static. With Concepts Archipelago, he''d have everything at his disposal. "Concepts Archipelago is growing slowly..." The news pleased Priam. The more space he had, the more valuable the talent. "Indeed, it''s a stroke of luck to have this Talent. But there''s barely an islet levitating over a void. There¡¯s maybe a meter of earth and sand encircling a pond. I don''t see where you plan to build a structure or cultivate a garden." "You can open a portal, can''t you? What''s stopping you from filling your pocket space with earth?" "The earth will fall to the bottom of the world." "...Before accumulating and rising back to the level of the pond. As the world expands, you''ll just have to periodically add more earth - or something else. We might even create underground bases to save space." The idea greatly appealed to Priam. Instinctively, he had thought to use concepts to increase the size of the floating island. But rather than waiting for distant concepts, there were mundane solutions. Plus, it would give his father something to do. Alain detested idleness. A smile spread across Priam''s face. "That''s a fantastic idea! If you''ve already thought all this through, I suppose you want to create a building to live in?" he asked, motioning to the stone blocks. Alain shook his head, tossing the empty bowl toward Log-a-rhythm. The container disappeared into the trunk, directly absorbed by the magical tree. "No, I was thinking of wooden buildings for habitation. Stone would be more interesting to expand your world." "Concepts Archipelago feeds on aether, not stone," Priam remarked. "I know, and I was thinking of siphoning Elysian aether by opening a semi-permanent portal to your inner world." "Interesting, but I don''t see how that relates to stone." "I was thinking about making an empty structure underground that could house a portal. I''d inscribe runes to fortify the structure - if a beast crosses the portal, it''ll be trapped and won''t be able to harm your world. Another kind of rune would suck the aether from this pocket and disperse it into your world." Priam''s eyes lit up as he listened to his father. "If it works, Concepts Archipelago could reuse the aether overflow to increase its size." "And the surplus would increase the aether density in your world, essentially making it a mini and safe Elysium." "It''s pure genius!" exclaimed Priam. If his father was right, he could have a world within him. The advantages were obvious: trapping an enemy too tough to defeat, transporting his friends, pilfering resources, creating a garden, conducting experiments... Alain burst into laughter. "You would''ve thought of it too if you''d had a moment to spare." "Still, you''re the one who came up with it," Priam smiled. "Nevertheless, how do you know these two runes?" "How do you learn new skills?" "With a teacher, a blueprint, or by... sacrificing your Potential?" Priam said hesitantly. "Money is meant to be spent or to grow. The same goes for Potential. I''m not a warrior, but a builder. That¡¯s the kind of thing I enjoy, and it allows me to push the limits of my skills and learn new ones. If I push them far enough, I''ll have a net gain of Potential," Alain grinned. Priam opened his mouth before closing it. Everyone had their own path. Not everyone was cut out for monster bashing - which was a good thing. If his father had chosen a path that pleased him, who was he to stop him? "What can I do to help, Dad?" he asked. Alain pondered for a moment. "I''ll need tools, nails,... basically metal. Cement too, for the joints. As for the runes... I''d need some thread to practice before inscribing them. I tried drawing in the earth, but imperfections create too much loss." Priam turned to Kazuki. The hoplite was training. Priam was supposed to practice with the spear today, but nothing was stopping him from testing his new thrust in the field. It was the perfect time to see if the spiders would appreciate it. "I''ll get you some thread,¡± Priam promised. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 330 (+10) Constitution 477 Agility 309 Vitality 469 Perception 538 MENTAL: Vivacity 294 Dexterity 365 Memory 99 Willpower 557 Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 288 Meta-focus 213 Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 992 (+7) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 19 hours 56 minutes 18 seconds. Chapter 121: Silk Land "Be careful," warned Alain. "Always," Priam smiled. Without further delay, Priam headed toward Kazuki and Louis. The man and the hoplite were training together near the river. It seemed as though the two warriors were engaged in a slow-motion battle. Priam quickly realized they were simply comparing their respective arts. Every fifteen seconds or so, they would pause to discuss. What was the most optimal combination? Which hold provided the best immobilization? The difference in physique between men and hoplites was a fascinating subject for a warrior. In any case, terrestrial and hoplite arts convergence promised a powerful fusion. I''ll ask them to teach me later. "I have a quest to finish," announced Priam after spectating an exchange that favored Louis. Kazuki took a few seconds to catch his breath. Priam was genuinely impressed by the hoplite''s work ethic. He had been training for over a day now without a break for sleep. His attributes alone couldn''t explain this; Kazuki was the most motivated and focused person Priam knew. Is it because he is a hoplite, or is he just extremely diligent? "Put the thrust into practice," Kazuki finally replied. "Don''t try anything else for now. If you mess up - and you will - unlearning it will take precious time." "No problem. I just wanted to know if you''ve been that way recently," Priam asked, pointing in a specific direction. "Where are you planning to go exactly?" Priam crouched down and traced a circle in the earth centered on the portal that had spat him out into Elysium. One cross symbolized the position of Log-a-rhythm and a second one, the position of the spiders. "I spotted an old stone tower that housed about thirty spiders. I think it was the day you arrived. My quest requires me to destroy them." Kazuki grimaced. "That was a month ago. Things have changed since then." Priam had almost forgotten the time difference between Elysium and the Reunion. "What do you mean?" "I passed through the area about a week ago. I saw nothing except for kilometers of webs strung between the trees. It''s a fortress," summarized the hoplite, tracing the perimeter of the spider base. "Damn. I''m not sure it''s still worth it." "It depends. You have a quest, right?" Priam quickly checked his quest. Quest: Hunter Being a prey is a tiring condition. But even prey can sometimes become hunters. Exterminate the 34 Trichonephila Aether clavipes. Reward: A scarlet silk ball. Potential + 50. Difficulty: Medium Remaining time: 3 Days "The reward is ridiculous. A spool of thread - even magical - won''t make me face a spider invasion," Priam shuddered. "Arachnophobe," Louis chuckled. The old man had stepped forward. "When I was little, very much so. Today, it''s just disgust," said Priam. "Those creatures aren''t exactly beauties," Louis laughed, stepping forward. Kazuki shifted to allow Louis to take a look at the map. "If these spiders have advanced so much, they''ll end up reaching here," grumbled Louis. "Someone will have to deal with them." "You should do it," added Kazuki, looking at Priam. "I''m not sure... Maybe one of our rivals will take care of it," Priam replied. Dying trapped in spider webs was an excellent way to die repeatedly. "Maybe, maybe not. However, the System is fair. If the difficulty has increased, so will the reward. Besides... for these spiders to have developed this much, there must be an explanation - beyond just the ambient ether. Thirty spiders couldn''t have built this fortress." Priam hesitated for another second before asserting his decision. "Since I said I''d do it, I''ll do it," he said, standing up. "A bold way to live." Upon hearing these words, Kazuki drew his spear in a flash. Priam and Louis jumped before recognizing Mirscella''s voice. Priam carefully surveyed the surroundings, trying to spot the thief - or an enemy mimicking her voice. Despite his impressive perception, he detected nothing. "Mirscella?" he tried after searching in vain for several seconds. According to Domain, the air pressure varied slightly to his right, and Priam turned in that direction. "Oh? You can sense me? That''s annoying," the thief murmured, reappearing. She stood less than three meters from Priam, and he hadn''t detected a thing. "How?" The thief gave him a grandmotherly smile - full of kindness and experience. "Creating skills here is much cheaper. I now have three epic-tier skills. One to escape light, another to negate my scent, and the last to hide my aether signature. I''m pretty sure I made no noise - I have a Title for that. How did you detect me?" "You displace the air when you move." Mirscella grimaced. "That''s hard to prevent." "Partial control of friction, maybe?" Priam suggested. "Perhaps..." The thief looked thoughtful. "Anyway, I don''t have enough Potential left to create a new skill. We''ll see about that later." "I''m sure you''ll figure it out," Priam encouraged her. "By the way, could you teach me how to detect hidden enemies?" "Of course, that''s the whole point of assembling a group of specialists. But it will take time. Instead, I can come with you today." Priam winced at these words. "I thought of going alone; I probably won''t be able to protect you." "I planned to stay in your world and only come out if you need me. To dodge the webs, for example. I don''t think you have much experience in that, do you?" "None," Priam admitted. "That''s what I thought." Priam thought back to the stealth Mirscella had displayed. With that kind of skill, she would be safe. "I accept. Let''s go while there''s still daylight," Priam said, opening the passage to Concepts Archipelago. He watched Mirscella step in without objection before closing it. The old lady was a professional, and Priam trusted her not to put them in danger. Which couldn''t be said for the two young girls approaching. "Can I come?" Rose asked. "No." "I''m coming," Sphinx declared. "Nope. Sorry, but this isn''t a game. If you died, I''d be very sad," Priam said firmly but definitively. The argument struck a chord, and the two girls nodded in a depressed way. Priam still glanced at Louis, who nodded. The old man would keep an eye on the two girls. After a final embrace, he left the protection of Log-a-rhythm and ventured into the forest. Five hundred meters further, Priam found himself smiling. A week ago, the forest had seemed terrifying to him. Since then, he had changed. [High Human Adaptation] allowed him to see this environment positively. Here, he could become stronger. Navigating through the vegetation, Priam stopped every hundred meters or so to uproot a plant that resonated under the gaze of [Aether Perception]. Most offered no clues under [Identification], but a plant charged with aether couldn''t be useless, right? Tossing his findings into his inner world, Priam covered almost two kilometers before coming to a sudden stop. The forest ahead seemed clear, but Domain had just detected a thread a few centimeters from his face. Stretched between two trees at about waist height, the line was entirely invisible to both his eyes and [Aether Perception]. You have gained the skill: [Trap detection - common]. [Trap detection - common] - Sometimes, your enemies will try to detect or weaken you before a fight. It''s a guerrilla or defensive tactic that often gives the upper hand against a superior enemy. You pay attention to your surroundings. You might be paranoid, but you''re alive. Can your enemies say the same? You detect these traps more easily. PERC +1 Lvl Up: [Trap detection] lvl 2,3,4 PERC +3 It was clearly an alarm, and Priam squinted. He was about to enter the territory of the spiders. Opening a portal, he let Mirscella out. Without a sound, he indicated the position of the thread to her. Mirscella moved forward cautiously before nodding. The old lady must have had better eyes than him - or more likely, a specialized skill. "We''ll need to proceed slowly," she whispered. "The area seems covered in these threads. They''re coated with a paralyzing contact poison. I''ll go first." Priam nodded before watching the thief carefully step over the thread. She looked at him as he imitated her, then nodded in satisfaction. She took only two steps forward before contorting again to avoid another invisible obstacle. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. At this rate, it''s going to take a while... It took Priam almost an hour to spot the first visible webs. As they progressed, he had become increasingly impressed by Mirscella''s talent. The thief was obviously experienced in terms of stealth and discretion, and her skills were terrifying. For the past few minutes, she had been moving three times faster than him while dodging wires and traps. Jumping, crouching, twisting, she moved with an art-like grace. It gave Priam ideas for improving [Art of Movement]. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 28,29 AGI +2 PERC +2 DEXT +2 Thus, the young acrobat was smiling. Practicing his skill in a different way had allowed him to level up. The day he would create an Epic and then a Legendary skill with his own hands wasn''t far off. Lvl Up: [Trap detection] lvl 5,6 PERC +2 Looking up, his smile faded. One thing was for sure, the spiders hadn''t done things halfway. From the ground to the treetops, thick webs enveloped the trees like silk cocoons. The white silk was both beautiful, reflecting the sunlight, and dangerous. Underneath the cocoons, most of the trees were dead, a sign of the poison permeating their prison. "We won''t be able to go much further," Priam sighed. Between the trees, dozens of webs extended like bridges between the cocoons. Even moving slowly, some places would be impossible to navigate. It was a veritable fortress; even the spiders probably couldn''t venture in. Mirscella remained silent before shaking her head. "I could go on, but not you. However, I doubt the spiders use this route to enter and exit their territory. There must be more open areas." "You mean more heavily guarded ones." "Perfect for improving your stealth skills," Mirscella smiled. Priam hesitated. He could, of course, use his mist to pass through the threads, but they would then be wet. The increase in their mass would make them even more taut and could risk attracting the guardians. That wasn''t the goal - at least, not yet. "I don''t want to make them suspicious before attacking. Let''s go around until I can observe one. That should update my quest." The two of them began to circle the silk domain. From time to time, Mirscella pointed out a thread better hidden than the others. The forest was covered in them. Lvl Up: [Trap detection] lvl 7 PERC +1 It took them almost two hours to find the entrance. It was easily recognizable: two spiders the size of horses stood guard next to a silk tunnel. When Priam''s gaze fell on the first one, the system reacted. Updating Quest: Hunter Being prey is a tiring condition. But even prey can sometimes become hunters. There are a lot of prey here... Exterminate the 786 Trichonephila Aether clavipes. Reward: A massive rainbow silk ball OR [Golden Silk Creation - Rare]. Potential + 150. Bonus: Kill the Brood Mother. Reward: [Sixth Sense - Epic]. Difficulty: Medium Remaining time: 3 Days "Holy..." Mirscella shot him a dark look, and Priam closed his mouth. That was a lot of spiders. He should have suspected it when he saw how many webs there were. One thing was for sure, this couldn''t go on like this. Mirscella had started to retreat, and Priam followed quickly. A few dozen meters away, hidden behind a tree trunk, the thief whispered. "So?" "Almost a thousand revolting creatures and their mommy, the Brood Mother." "Lovely. What are you going to do?" "I''ll take care of it," Priam said through clenched teeth. "You should go back inside. Thanks a lot for the help." Mirscella nodded. "Anytime. Good luck," she murmured. A few seconds later, he was alone again. Turning towards the spider''s realm, he smiled. Priam waited for the cover of night before making his move. During this time, he observed dozens of spiders entering and exiting the fortress, bearing cocoons on their shoulders. Most still wriggled, but Priam was sure it wasn''t out of kindness from the tormentors. Fresh flesh rotted slower... Priam had long debated his attack plan. He ultimately decided to start by taking out as many enemies as possible. Most spiders detected their prey through vibrations in their webs, changes in the air currents, or their sense of smell. Few relied on vision to spot their foe. The species Priam faced was known for its impressive webs. [Eidetic Memory] didn''t provide him with information on whether these spiders had good eyes or not; Priam had never read anything about it. He chose to bet that they didn¡¯t. His vision, enhanced by his perception, High Human genetic modifications, and [Broad-spectrum Vision], granted him excellent night vision. Tapetum lucidum, one of the High Human modifications, was particularly useful. This reflective layer behind the eye allowed him to gather maximum light. Four hours later, the night had fallen. The starlit sky barely provided Priam with enough light to orient himself. Convinced that the spiders must be blind, he approached the entrance of the silk tunnel. On each side, the two enormous spiders continued to stand guard. Priam decided not to identify them, afraid of alerting them. Moving with cat-like stealth, he headed towards the left spider. For now, a few trees still obstructed the view of the monster. Priam''s stride was supple yet confident. There were almost no threads in the air. Apparently, the occupants saw no need to trap the places they themselves passed through. The massive spiders could never have squeezed through the threads even if they had wanted to. Twenty meters from the spider, Priam began to hold his breath. He focused on his Domain and [Stealth]. The skill whispered advice on muffling the sound of his steps or optimizing his movements. Micro kept his heart from racing. Step by step, Priam closed in on his target. At five meters, Domain detected a taut thread in his path. Priam calmly stepped over it, almost reassured. It would have been suspicious not to encounter any traps. Three meters further, Priam stopped himself from swallowing. He had just passed the last tree, leaving his visual protection behind. Aside from the dim light, nothing remained to prevent the spider from spotting him. He forced himself to continue while surveying the extent of the monster''s grotesqueness. The webs of golden silk might be splendid, but the long yellow and black legs were hideous. Worse, its small eyes seemed lifeless. Priam remained calm and circled around the creature. The eight black eyes of the beast didn''t detect him. Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 20 AGI +1 [Stealth] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Greater Stealth - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Furtivity - Rare] - You''ve evaded detection from over ten different enemies. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Softpaws - Rare] - Your velvet steps raise no alarm. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 Priam disregarded the various options. He wanted a skill with high evolutionary potential. If given the choice, he preferred an option geared towards combat. He could be an assassin, but not a mere thief. Moving to the side, less than a meter from the motionless creature, Priam was on high alert. At the slightest suspicious movement, he was ready to exterminate his enemy. He preferred, of course, to remain discreet, but if that wasn''t possible... We''ll see if I can take them head-on. It took only a few seconds for him to find himself behind the spider''s abdomen. It was both a short and long time, especially when fearing an attack. Priam closed his eyes. This was the last moment to turn back. As if that were possible. Opening his eyes, Priam sprang into action. He summoned Promesse, which materialized before him. Naturally, his two hands positioned themselves on the spear. Through habit, almost without thinking, Priam executed the move he had rehearsed a hundred thousand times. [Unrelenting Thrust]. The spear pierced the giant spider, briefly emerging from one of its eyes. Priam retrieved his spear in one fluid motion and used a wisp of mist to teleport behind the second guardian. Before the spider could react to its sister''s death, Promesse ended its life. Without wasting a moment, Priam allowed Promesse to merge with his mist. The scent of blood could have alerted his enemies. He remained still for a moment, listening intently. Nothing stirred. In the distance, an owl hooted. Satisfied, Priam turned towards the dark tunnel and ventured further in. He needed to move quickly now. When the bodies of the guardians were discovered, the fortress would be in an uproar. A few meters ahead, the tunnel ended. Beyond, the forest had given way to a field of dead trees. Hundreds of silk cocoons were visible, gleaming under the faint starlight. Priam began to slowly retrace the path marked by the spiders. The absence of grass and the slightly hollowed ground indicated regular passages. The Brood Mother must consume a large quantity of protein to grow the colony. A few seconds later, Priam detected the approach of enemies. He veered to his right, swiftly stepping over a few threads before half-hiding behind a cocoon. A patrol was approaching. Determined to reduce the enemy numbers, Priam crouched down and began to release his mist. Five spiders the size of wolves were moving along the path. A wisp of mist rose into the sky. When the spiders were less than twenty meters away from him, Priam controlled his mist, ordering it to descend. The spiders were arranged in a pentagonal structure, leaving a gap between them. The mist streamed in, and Priam reappeared amidst his enemies. Promesse materialized in his hands. A moment later, the blue blood of the arachnids splattered the ground. Priam, as a shadow in a moonless night, resumed his path. Just seven hundred and seventy-eight more. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 330 (+10) Constitution 477 Agility 313 (+4) Vitality 469 Perception 548 (+10) MENTAL: Vivacity 294 Dexterity 367 (+2) Memory 99 Willpower 557 Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 288 Meta-focus 213 Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1001 (+9) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 13 hours 45 minutes 19 seconds. Chapter 122: Phantom Cocoons. Cocoons everywhere. Priam had nothing against cocoons per se, but their color set his nerves on edge. The faint light erased the golden sheen, leaving only white patches against a blackened world. The scene reminded him of the monochromatic zone created by Hecate''s New Moon. A shiver ran down Priam''s spine as he recalled his enigmatic power. The wind had picked up slightly, easily weaving its way through the trees. His eyes hadn''t noticed, but his Domain had just alerted him: a few strands of silk danced on the breeze. Priam stepped back to avoid them. Even if these strands were not connected to any alarms, the poison coating them could be dangerous. His own resistance to poison was formidable, but he harbored no illusions; it wouldn''t provide complete immunity against Elysian creatures. Raising his gaze, Priam spotted clusters of silk at the treetops. He was willing to bet that was where the strands originated. So close, yet so far. Aside from setting a roaring inferno, there was little he could do. Of course, the spiders must have fireproofed their silk, but Priam had more than one trick up his sleeve. Later¡­ Opportunities to ignite a blaze that could touch the clouds didn''t come around every day. The wind picked up, agitating the threads. Sighing, Priam cloaked himself in a misty shroud and ventured into the silk labyrinth. A hundred meters further, he encountered a new patrol. Five wolf-sized spiders advanced on the path, undoubtedly ready to hunt. Infiltrating a wisp of mist into the heart of their formation, Priam attempted an [Identification]. He wasn''t taking many risks. Even if the spiders sensed his skill, he was confident he could dispatch them in an instant. [Identification] [Mature Trichonephila Aether clavipes - Tier 0] - A spider easily recognized by its golden color and the feathery enlargements on the segments of each of its legs. Its silk is exceptionally durable and resistant to physical forces. The presence of a Brood Mother alters its behavior. Aggressive, it now imbues its silk with a potent paralytic. The spider didn''t seem to notice the identification, and Priam moved forward with supple steps. He aimed to unlock a better upgrade for [Stealth], and for that, he needed to do something exceptional. It was time to use his camouflage. The mist thickened around Priam and enshrouded the group before him. The absence of light made camouflage superfluous; above all, he wanted to be able to move around quickly. If the arachnids noticed any difference, they gave no indication. Closing in, Priam struck. The lead spider didn''t notice him for an instant. Priam wasn''t even sure if it sensed its demise. Promesse found its way into the brain. Before gravity could slam the corpse to the ground, Priam leaped forward. Soaring over the body, he thrust his spear at the four remaining adversaries. Under the velocity of [Unrelenting Thrust], Promesse briefly vanished from his sight. An instant later, his quest displayed five fewer enemies. Priam maintained a neutral expression, noting that [Stealth] still hadn''t had the opportunity to evolve into a high-potential skill. Undeterred, he continued to walk. He still had seven hundred and seventy-three opportunities. Drawing nearer to the abandoned tower where he first encountered the spiders, the forest grew darker. Silk cocoons lined the path. Each was a crossroads for thousands of threads lost in the branches. The giant web created an opaque and terrifying realm. Soon, Priam had to rely on [Broad-spectrum vision] to perceive a portion of the infrared radiation. It was an effective way to detect his enemies, but the skill didn''t highlight the trees smothered by the cocoons. After eliminating five more squads, Priam halted his advance. He could no longer distinguish where he placed his feet. It was the surest way to stumble into a trap, even with Domain. Hesitating for a moment, Priam decided to extend his mist. Water vapor began to fill the surrounding space, conforming to the shapes of the cocoons and the path. His mist''s perspective allowed him to navigate as if it were broad daylight. Satisfied, Priam resumed his march. A few seconds later, a mass fell upon him. Recognizing a disturbance in his mist, Priam recognized the threat. A spider! Priam dodged backward with a leap and raised his spear. He impaled the enemy before it even hit the ground. It had simply let itself drop from a tree. The corpse was a regular specimen, which was odd. Priam would have understood if a stealth-specialized spider had spotted him. Yet, that wasn''t the case. The real question was: how could it have sensed his presence? Was he compromised? Either Priam had made a mistake, or he had triggered a trap. Surveying his surroundings carefully, Priam swore upon discovering his error. Lvl Up: [Trap detection] lvl 8 PERC +1 Strands of silk had been laid beneath the carpet of dead leaves and dirt. As he was walking, his own weight had broken these threads. His Domain hadn''t alerted him for a simple reason: there were too many things around him. The supremacy was tied to an unconscious part of his brain that constantly analyzed his environment. To conserve mental energy - or the equivalent of human RAM - Domain ignored certain things. Like the uniform ground beneath his feet. If Priam had stepped on a bear trap or a hidden pit, he would have felt it. But the silk threads were too thin to be easily noticed. I''ve just fallen into the same trap as on the Moon, Priam swore. The thought irritated him, as he prided himself on rarely making the same mistake twice. Unfortunately, he had relied too much on his Supremacy. Power is no substitute for intelligence. Priam intended to engrave this lesson in letters of fire in his mind. Now that he was aware, Priam scrutinized the forest floor. The result made him grumble. The spiders had carpeted the ground with their threads. The scale of the work was titanic - undoubtedly the reason they had only done so in the vicinity of the abandoned tower. The trouble was, Priam had no miracle solution to sidestep this. Without squandering Potential to create a [Lightfoot] skill, he could only levitate, depleting his kinetic reserves. There was, however, a simpler solution. Disregard the silk threads and forge ahead, dispatching the spiders before they could sound the alarm. The possibility was dangerous, but the added challenge would force him to excel. It was the best method to significantly improve his skills. So, that was the path Priam chose. Engulfing his surroundings with his mist, he pressed on. After a few minutes, he noticed the spiders were becoming predictable. Despite their ingenuity in crafting traps, the patrols were as regular as clockwork. The hidden enemies in the trees were stationed every twenty meters. A patrol was dispatched every four minutes and thirteen seconds. After killing thirty more spiders, Priam finally glimpsed the abandoned tower. Or what was left of it. A colossal cocoon now enshrouded the structure. Priam grunted at the thought of having to infiltrate this mini-fortress. He grunted a second time upon sensing movement behind him. One, two, three, and soon twenty spiders rushed into his mist. Patrols had finally noticed the absence of sentinels at the fortress''s entrance. Priam turned around and picked up some rocks from the ground. His mastery of [Kinetic Control] would soon allow him to manipulate the temperature of his mist with ease, but he wasn''t there yet. Rather than needlessly expending Potential, Priam preferred to innovate. He gathered about ten rocks in his left hand and directed them toward the incoming spiders. They were oblivious to his presence and didn''t even attempt to evade. Suddenly, the forest''s silence was shattered. The ten rocks in Priam''s hand accelerated abruptly, skirting the sound barrier without surpassing it. A supersonic bang didn''t align with Priam''s idea of an infiltration mission. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 40 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The rocks pierced through the air and the exoskeletons of the spiders. Lodging into various vital organs, they halted the arachnid charge. About ten spiders collapsed as Priam dashed toward the rest. Promesse claimed three lives before the survivors halted, realizing they were under attack. Priam thrust his spear into the eyes of one before leaping backward to evade a web. He barely had time to touch the ground before a dozen nets hurtled towards him. They were incredibly swift, and Priam had to resort to [Battle Footwork] to dodge. The skill propelled him ten meters behind his adversaries. Turning around, Priam hurled Promesse, impaling a foe. Only five remained. Like automated turrets, the survivors continued their barrage. Priam retreated further, giving himself more space to evade the attacks. Mentally, he charged Promesse with kinetic energy. The spear, still embedded in a corpse, leaped towards a new target. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Priam smiled as he felt his partner claim another life. I can''t let it do all the work, he thought. Riding the mist, he reappeared beside Promesse and dislodged it from a fresh corpse. A thrust annihilated one of the spiders. As Priam turned, one of the arachnids pounced on him. Promesse mowed down the suicidal creature. The corpse stiffened instantly, clamping down on the spear. Priam kicked to dislodge the body when he felt his instinct tremble. According to his mist, one of his enemies was moving away, and the other was motionless. Priam understood why an instant later. Within a radius of twenty meters, the ground upheaved. Like a carnivorous flower closing, a silk cocoon formed with Priam at its center and attempted to ensnare him. Cursing, he finished off the nearby spider before trying to escape. He cursed a second time upon realizing the silk blocked his teleportation. The cocoon compressed, decreasing the available space for Priam with each passing moment. He leaped towards a wall and attempted an [Unrelenting Thrust]. Promesse tore through a few strands before hitting a second layer. Like an onion, the cocoon refused to release him easily. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The skill managed to penetrate the cocoon, and Priam slipped a filament of mist inside. Connecting to the external fog, he escaped before the cocoon closed entirely. Priam looked up, spotting the last enemy sprinting towards the abandoned tower. [Spear Throw] finished the job. Behind him, the cocoon now formed a small sphere of silk dripping with poison. Priam shuddered at the thought of what could have transpired. Immobilized, with no chance to build momentum and cut off from his mist, he would likely have suffocated to death. In this realm of silk, every spider could be lethal. Priam then looked around him, surveying the carnage. Twenty corpses surrounded him. Even if he stored the corpses in his internal world, the signs of the battle were evident. His swift steps and attacks had turned the ground in multiple places. The cat¡¯s out of the bag. The essence now was to move swiftly. The alarm had certainly already been raised. One thing truly concerned Priam. His quest indicated just under seven hundred spiders still alive. There might be around fifty in the forest and on patrol. Maybe a hundred. But the remaining six hundred must be in the tower. "I suppose there must be extensive subterranean passages," he murmured. Before continuing, Priam decided to wait. If more patrols were to return or leave, he preferred to intercept them here. If he were to infiltrate a base filled with traps and giant spiders, he might as well reduce their numbers as much as possible. Priam pushed the corpses against the trees and then took up Promesse. Since he had to wait, he might as well train. He wanted to see how much his spear would modify his [Unrelenting Thrust]. In the dead of night and amidst a forest blanketed in cocoons, Priam resumed his training. Level Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] Lvl 2,3 STR +6 A few hours later, the night remained as dark as ever. With a natural movement, Priam stored Promesse in his mist. No patrols had disturbed him for a while. Perhaps the spiders had realized a predator was lurking, as none ventured out anymore. Most importantly, he had become familiar with his new thrust. The difference between Promesse and a simple wooden spear was now evident. His bonded weapon was babysitting him. It tried to do things for him, unconsciously correcting his position. The result was a more powerful attack but one that belonged less to Priam. Fortunately, the weapon was semi-intelligent. Priam had easily persuaded it to disable that auto-aim feature. The intention was commendable, but Kazuki was right - it inhibited his development. Satisfied with his discovery, he cast a final glance at the hundred additional corpses he had created. The last five hundred eighty-two spiders were now in their fortress. It was time to flush them out. Priam resumed his journey with ease. A few meters ahead, he emerged from the forest and entered the clearing that housed a massive cocoon. In a month, the abandoned tower had been completely enveloped. His mist infiltrated the structure, informing him about the interior. There was only one main entrance. The rest of the openings had been sealed with silk. Priam shrouded himself in a dense mist cloak and approached. A thick web blocked the entrance. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] could undoubtedly destroy it, but Priam hadn''t given up on the idea of being discreet. The spiders were aware of a threat, but had no specific details about him. Priam rode the mist, reappearing within the structure itself. Without wasting a moment, he remained vigilant, surveying his new surroundings. The interior of the structure was dark but not entirely pitch black. Special silk covered certain portions, diffusing a kind of weak yellow light. The silence was so intense that Priam could hear his hearts pounding. The air was slightly humid, and not just because of his mist. At the top of the structure, an enormous spider was hanging from the silken ceiling. Priam''s mouth twisted in disgust. Summoning Promesse, he teleported directly to the creature''s back. At the last moment, he held back his strike. The tip of his spear was mere centimeters from the horror''s abdomen, but Priam waited. Obviously, [Stealth] was expecting a particular action from him to evolve into something rare. Priam wanted an assassination skill. In his imagination, an assassin was both capable of infiltrating anywhere silently and without notice, but also of taking the life of his enemy when necessary. A surprise attack wasn''t enough. The perfect assassin could extinguish a victim''s life whenever he pleased. Before that moment, he could stand a centimeter from the future corpse without it noticing anything. Seconds passed as Priam remained motionless in the air. [Kinetic Control] kept him in levitation, and the combined action of [Stealth] and his mist made him undetectable. Priam observed the spider for five minutes, his spear poised to strike. Finally, the reaper''s moment arrived. Promesse infiltrated the spider''s body, extinguishing its life like blowing out a candle. [Stealth] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Greater Stealth - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Softpaws - Rare] - Your velvet steps raise no alarm. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 NEW - [Phantom - Rare] - Your enemies do not feel you coming. You are a deadly surprise. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 Priam smiled, selecting the last option. He''d been right, all it took was finding the right prerequisite to get a better skill. You have selected the skill [Phantom - Rare]. [Phantom] - As silent as a shadow, as invisible as a breeze, and as sharp as the truth, the Phantom takes a life. Your enemies are at your mercy, and their lives depend on it. Your targets have a harder time spotting you. Be the shadow of your enemies, not of yourself. AGI +3 Once dead, the spider''s body lost its reflexes and detached from the silk ceiling. Its fall pulled Priam from his notifications, and he leaped after the corpse. A second before the body touched the ground and shook the structure, Priam opened a portal a centimeter above the ground. The spider passed through it and fell into the void beneath his floating island before crashing against the boundary of his world. I hope it didn''t scare Mirscella. Priam sighed in relief and closed the portal. Glancing around quickly, Priam spotted and then entered a hole in the ground. A shaft descended about ten meters before opening into an enormous cavern. Observing this new environment, Priam wasn''t surprised to find it filled with cocoons of various sizes. Hundreds of spiders were present. The light was dim, but bright enough for Priam to detect the Boss in the center. Half spider, half worm, the creature was a vision of horror. On a throne of silk, the Brood Mother was laying eggs. [Identification] [Brood Mother - Tier 1 - Baron] - The mother of a spider colony. If her daughters are dumb, her rank-up has allowed her to gain intelligence. And perception. As he finished reading the monster''s description, Priam''s stomach twisted. Eight big eyes turned toward him. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 339 (+9) Constitution 477 Agility 317 (+4) Vitality 469 Perception 550 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 296 (+2) Dexterity 370 (+3) Memory 99 Willpower 557 Charisma 414 META: Meta-affinity 288 Meta-focus 217 (+4) Meta-endurance 165 Meta-perception 81 Meta-chance 213 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1011 (+10) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 9 hours 57 minutes 38 seconds. Chapter 123: Invasion The moment Priam realized he''d been spotted, he sprang into action. Gripping Promesse, he sacrificed half his kinetic energy and released it. Like a missile, the spear shot towards the boss. Simultaneously, Priam felt his mist tremble. The cocoon covering the abandoned tower above him tightened. He looked up and cursed. The well was already halfway closed. The way out was now impossible. "Fuck. Let''s see who''s trapped with whom!" The cave trembled as Promesse impacted the Brood Mother. Surrounded by minions, Priam dropped from the ceiling to dodge multiple strands of silk shot in his direction. Gravity pulled him down, while some spiders anticipated his vertical trajectory, aiming where he would land. Priam manipulated [Kinetic Control] to project himself to the sides, preemptively evading the attacks. He touched the silk-covered ground and cursed. The silk clung to his feet, forming a new trap. The cave was lined with this substance, hindering his movements. Priam channeled [Moon Mist] with all the aether the skill could accept. Alone, surrounded by hundreds of spiders and bathed in ambient light, he was an all-too-easy target. Enveloped in a cloak of mist, he merged with it, dodging attacks. He could maintain this intangible state for only a few seconds and made the most of it by tapping into his Potential. [Kinetic Control] activated, freezing a portion of his mist. Fifty ice pillars appeared in the room as his aether and Potential reserves diminished. POT -65 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 41 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The price was steep, but Priam had no choice. It was the only way to move around the room without alerting all his enemies. He reappeared on top of a pillar barely a meter high and focused on [Phantom]. His mist camouflaged him, and his skill activated, erasing his presence. Priam assessed the situation. His previous position was buried under a mound of silk. Hundreds of spiders rushed in all directions, searching for the intruder. In the center of the cave, the Brood Mother seethed with anger. One of her front legs had been torn off by Promesse, which was now locked in a silk cocoon. Priam recalled his spear, disappointed with the result. The creature had tanked one of his most potent attacks and had only lost one of its eight legs for it. Well, I''ll just have to attack seven more times. It was important to stay optimistic during an apocalypse. He hardly had that thought when the Brood Mother turned in his direction. Her mandibles opened, and Priam''s Domain registered an attack. Instinctively, [Kinetic Control] absorbed the kinetic energy of the projectile. It must have been special because the skill only managed to slow it down. Priam was violently thrown backward, and only the presence of a silk cocoon stopped his course. The structure exploded upon impact, releasing a dozen spiders the size of a human fist. Priam shook his head, instantly regaining his composure. He tried to get up in vain. The silk clung to him, and his right shoulder was half torn. [Three-Headed Hydra] immediately began to restore his flesh. Subtle sounds made him look up, and he swore as he watched dozens of spiders rushing toward his position. Simultaneously, he was assaulted by tiny bites. The juvenile spiders, prematurely freed from their cocoons, sought revenge on the intruder. A shiver ran down his spine, and Priam vanished into his mist. Reappearing behind an enemy, he raised Promesse and thrust. One less, five hundred to go. Barely had he retrieved his spear when the spiders charged in his new direction. Priam teleported again, activated [Phantom], and growled. The room was now covered in mist, but the spiders still found him instantly. Perched on an ice pillar, Priam turned to the boss and understood. As long as the mother could spot him, her daughters could too. "Time to spend some resources." Drawing from his Potential, Priam created thousands of hailstones and guided his mist to create a tornado. He had already used this technique against Prometheus and counted on the area attack to get rid of the small fry. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 49 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 The Boss opened its mouth again, and Priam teleported out. The cave walls shook from the attack. Looking up, Priam noticed a freshly embedded white and golden sphere in the wall. Compact silk. Another projectile pierced his mist. Due to his numerous teleportations, his kinetic reserves had halved, and Priam decided to block rather than evade. [Unrelenting Thrust]! Promesse violently collided with the Boss''s attack. [Kinetic Control] absorbed part of the impact, and the spear absorbed the rest. Priam smiled and redistributed this new kinetic energy into his tornado. The wind gained speed, tearing through even more enemies. Meanwhile, Priam exulted. He had managed to block a Tier 1 attack! The Boss seemed to have specialized in creating an army rather than fighting, but it was still impressive. ¡°SKREEEEEK!¡± Priam intercepted a second attack, then a third. On the fourth, his meridians began to heat up. On the seventh, Priam''s smile froze. The Brood Mother seemed capable of maintaining this kind of offensive all day. Suddenly, power surged through Priam''s arms, renewing his strength. Seizing the opportunity, he accelerated. Leaping to his right, his own speed surprised him for a moment. With a smile, he easily dodged the boss''s long-range attacks. Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 16 AGI +1 While dodging the silk spheres, Priam attempted a counterattack. During one of his pirouettes, he twisted in the air and launched Promesse. Without any kinetic charge, the spear shot off, surpassing the speed of sound and tearing off another leg from the boss. Exulting, Priam landed back on the ground and recalled his partner. The pace of the attacks increased, preventing him from finding another opening. The Brood Mother seemed enraged. All the better! Suddenly, the surge of power ebbed. Priam still felt energized, but he wasn''t gaining more. After a moment''s reflection, he understood the source. Conquest: In battle, every enemy you defeat temporarily increases your momentum. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Conquest] had granted him a temporary boost for every defeated enemy. His tornado must have slaughtered most of the spiders. The Brood Mother stridulated angrily, seeing the insect that faced her refuse to die and kill her offspring. Priam''s instinct trembled as the silk under his feet came to life. She wants to immobilize me! Vanishing into his mist, Priam focused on the rest of the battle. The hailstorm - pieces the size of his fist, accelerated to half the speed of sound - had devastated most of the spiders. The remaining horrors were larger, some as big as horses. They had only been injured by the hailstones, not killed. Their exoskeletons were less sturdy than the Brood Mother''s, but enough to withstand his attacks. They shot silk nets that trapped more and more hailstones, depleting the storm''s lethal potential. Priam reappeared behind an ice pillar and waited. A second later, the pillar exploded, struck by a new projectile. His kinetic reserves were increasing, but his aether reserves were reaching a critical level. If they ran out, his mist would become useless, and he''d be bombarded to death. Riding from pillar to pillar, Priam understood that he had to end the fight. Drawing from his Potential, he began constructing a massive ice block. Nearly a meter thick, it would buy him some time. With a thought, he summoned Promesse three meters above the Brood Mother and attacked. Mobilizing half his kinetic energy, the spear plunged deep into the boss''s exoskeleton. The Brood Mother screamed, and Priam winced. An enemy who could scream was still alive. The attack had missed the brain. Teleporting behind the ice block, Priam began charging a Draconic Breath. The ambient aether rushed to the back of his throat. The aether density in Elysium was terrifying. It became evident when Priam realized that the Breath was charging almost five times faster than on the Moon. It would only take him a second or two to attack. The ice block trembled. The Brood Mother had sensed the aether fluctuations. The surviving spiders went berserk and rushed him. Priam increased the tornado''s power to slow them down. In a fraction of a second, half of the ice block had disappeared, eroded by the boss''s attacks. Suddenly, the vibrations ceased; the Brood Mother had stopped her direct assaults. Undoubtedly stressed by the aether buildup she sensed in her opponent, the boss changed her strategy. Priam widened his eyes, feeling the cave come alive. A second before the Breath finished charging, Priam turned to face the monster. She had risen, and a white and golden halo appeared above her head. The entire silk of the cave undulated before splitting into two waves. One half began creating a silk shield around the Boss. The other half enveloped Priam. The Breath prevented him from teleporting, and he found himself trapped. One-tenth of a second before releasing his attack, Priam hesitated. Was it a good idea to unleash hell while being imprisoned in a sphere? Maybe not. Might as well make sure to take this horror with me then. His draconic instinct roared, and Priam exhaled. The attack had been modified at the last second by [Draconic Instinct] and contained the power of Conquest. Instead of a flamethrower, it looked more like a laser beam. It passed through the silk sphere with hardly a slowdown and struck the back of the cave. Mist Harmony, Priam''s affinity for mist, indicated that the sphere protecting the Brood Mother had shifted to the left. Priam turned his head slightly, directing the Draconic Breath at his enemy. A moment later, a terrifying cry resounded. The Brood Mother was in pain. Good. Priam released the full blast in three seconds. Then, literally out of Breath, he used the last remnants of it to widen the attack''s radius. Finally, Priam fell to his knees, exhausted. The attack had drained him, burning part of his meridians and depleting his own aether reserves. He had overloaded the Breath at the end. A bad idea. His stomach rebelled. Too weak to activate Micro, Priam vomited a bit of bile. The moment of weakness passed, and his vitality reactivated. His two hearts pulsed once again, sending energy throughout his body. Priam took a deep breath before coughing violently. The gases created by the burned silk were toxic. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Without aether, Priam staggered toward the hole caused by his Breath. Pulling himself out of the silk prison, he began to breathe again. The tornado had dissipated, leaving only a field of ruined silk and hailstones. For a few seconds, Priam remained still, slowly regaining his energy. A mental inquiry pulled him from his trance. Promesse reminded him that the battle was not over. A tired smile stretched across Priam''s lips. His partner was right. The quest was still not finished after all. Updating Quest: Hunter Exterminate the 3 Trichonephila Aether clavipes. Reward: A massive rainbow silk ball OR [Golden Silk Creation - Rare]. Potential + 150. Bonus: Kill the Brood Mother. Reward: [Sixth Sense - Epic]. Difficulty: Medium Remaining time: 2 Days Three spiders had survived his attack, and the Brood Mother was still alive. Priam cast a tired gaze at the boss. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± The laser beam had sliced through the silk dome and the Boss within. Yet, the Brood Mother clung to life. The white and golden halo still hung above her head, and silk threads were struggling to reconnect the two parts of her body. The Breath had bisected her a meter below the head. The horror was in dire straits, but not dead. Without aether, Priam had only one solution left. He gripped Promesse and staggered toward the Boss. The eight malevolent eyes of the creature watched him, and she stridulated with hatred. Priam advanced, too tired to pay attention to his enemy''s threats. On his right, a spider crawled in his direction. With a thrust, Priam finished the job and continued his path. Arriving at the foot of the silk sphere, Priam began to climb it. The substance was coated with poison, and he felt his vitality and Poison Body struggling to allow him to continue. Thanking his body, he pressed on. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 12 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Priam finally arrived in front of the Boss. The two opponents locked eyes for a moment. Micro, Promesse, and [Unrelenting Thrust] activated. ¡°Say hello to death for me.¡± [Sixth Sense - Epic] - The human body possesses more than five senses, but the sixth is commonly used to refer to intuition. While most of your senses are rooted in your body, the origin of this one lies in your soul. Passively communicating with Concepts, it can sometimes grasp a fragment of the truth. Knowing all the initial conditions, it can then discern the near future. This is what you call exceptional foresight. This skill awakens you to the world and its concepts. They have much to say when one knows how to listen. Just ask Bruce Willis. META(AFFI) +3 META(PERC) +3 META(CHANCE) +3 His new skill seamlessly integrated with his instinct. Upon observing the attributes it conferred, Priam drew two conclusions. First, the Meta-attributes seemed useful even in a passive state - without using a skill. Clearly, META(AFFI) gave an affinity for metaphysics... Priam was almost certain this pertained to concepts or aether. Perhaps both. Based on some skill descriptions, aether was the foundation of everything. Even Concepts? The second conclusion was related to the information downloaded by the System when it granted him the skill. [Sixth Sense] was a chance-based skill. Not the word used in common language, nor the presence of chance in statistical or quantum physics. No, the skill relied on metaphysical luck. Aether responded to the living. If Priam had this luck, then his soul could foresee an event. To increase the frequency and intensity of these revelations... There was only one way. Boost the relevant meta attribute: Chance. With a smile on his lips, Priam stood and stretched. This battle had taught him a lot. Around him, hundreds of corpses littered the ground. He had collected a few cores and some glands that could create silk. He had even transported the Brood Mother''s carcass into his world. I hope it didn''t scare Mirscella... Clutching his prize, Priam convinced himself once again that he had made the right choice. Reward: A massive rainbow silk ball. Potential + 150. [Golden Silk Creation - Rare] was undoubtedly an excellent skill. However, Priam could create it himself. If the System gave him the choice between a skill and an item, then the latter must be superior to the former. After all, a skill was tied to its user and could progress. [Identification] [Rainbow Silk Ball - Tier 1 - Epic] - A sphere of Rainbow Silk that taps into the ambient aether for regeneration. "Papa will have as much silk as he wants," Priam grinned. The battle was over, and his aether reserves had begun to increase again. Priam scanned the cavern one last time before leaving. Suddenly, a detail caught his eye. The Boss''s throne was intact. Intrigued, Priam approached slowly. Despite the end of his quest, one question remained: how had the spiders become so numerous, so quickly? If the Brood Mother had been here from the beginning... Priam shivered. It was almost impossible; she couldn''t even enter the abandoned tower. "She must have evolved here..." The prospect of a rank-up intrigued Priam. He didn''t know much about it, except that the System sent a High tribulation to test the candidate. But how did one become worthy of that? It was one of the reasons he had kept the corpse. An autopsy would surely give him clues about his journey''s next steps. The throne, pure white, was the size of a school bus. It was a compact layer of silk designed to fit the boss''s morphology. Intrigued, Priam tried to dig into it with Promesse. Without success. Not even an [Unrelenting Thrust] made a dent, and [Tribulation Piercing Spear] barely sank in a few centimeters. Realizing these assaults were futile, Priam ceased. In mere moments, the marks vanished. The throne regenerated. Priam squinted, struck again, and observed. A second later, an odd aetheric flow inundated the assaulted area. The next instant, the silk around the gap multiplied like stem cells, mending it. "What in the world..." he murmured. The silk was ordinary - Priam had confirmed this much - and, as far as he could tell, no one had tampered with the throne. The aetheric flow emanated from within the structure. Either a treasure lay hidden within, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, Priam coveted it. For five minutes, he tried various techniques. [Kinetic control] to cool or heat the silk. Attempting to plug the gaps with ice. Moving the throne to his personal world. Even drenching the silk with his poisoned blood in hopes of corrosion... Nothing worked. The throne seemed glued to the rock, which was even more immovable than the silk. The only thing that changed was a peculiar sensation that burgeoned within him. An anticipation that eventually unfurled. [Sixth Sense] stirred. The source of the Brood Mother''s rank-up lay within this throne, and it¡¯s alien. Priam''s heartbeats quickened. He refused to be thwarted, on the verge of an incredible discovery, by a block of sentientless silk. With a smile on his lips, Priam withdrew. "Desperate times require desperate measures." Priam backed up several meters before opening a portal. From it emerged a sphere of fire. The sun created by the Phoenix left its nest. The moment the star touched the silk, the concept created by a Prince Phoenix broke the silk''s fire resistance. The oxygen in the air fueled the flame, and the cavern ignited. Priam''s eyes widened before he rushed towards the exit. Emerging from the abandoned tower, whose cocoon had unraveled upon the Brood Mother''s death, he ran, using all the power of [Kinetic Control]. Behind him, the glade exploded. A terrifying burst of flame licked the clouds before spreading into the cocoon forest. The silk''s fire-resistant property had completely disappeared, and it was eager to burn. Priam passed the silk tunnel just as the wave of fire caught up to him. Fortunately, it stopped at the edge of the spider''s domain. With no silk to devour, the fire tsunami stopped with reluctance. A second later, the heat surge scorched his face. After a few moments, Priam turned to observe his work. The silk kingdom was burning. The fearsome flames rose into the sky, and the temperature soared to thousands of degrees. "Shit, that wasn''t part of the plan..." Hopefully the flames wouldn''t attract too much attention. Shades of red and orange shimmered on the leaves of the surrounding trees. Almost magically, none of them caught fire. ''The power of a star?'' "Yes Sunshine. Sorry for the forest," Priam replied to the mental voice. ''These trees were already dead. You''ve rid us of parasites, and for that, I thank you. I will bring Log-a-rhythm a gift soon,'' Dishnu said before cutting the telepathic link. Priam watched the flames expectantly. It took almost three hours for the raging blaze to subside. His curiosity, however, was only burning brighter. Esm¨¦e gazed at the forest ablaze, its flames so fierce they painted the clouds with an eerie glow. The source of this inferno could only be the First. Even Arnold wasn''t powerful enough to unleash such a hellfire. Such a display of power would surely compel the other rivals to make their moves. She could wait no longer. With a heavy heart, Esm¨¦e activated the object her father had entrusted to her. Intricate runes brimmed with energy, and a rift opened in the void. A moment later, Aydan, the Crown Prince, stepped through. Behind him, a retinue of formidable champions accompanied him. "Ahhhh... The aether here is so pure. It feels like a rebirth," Aydan exclaimed. The passage sealed behind the last guardsman. The prince surveyed his surroundings and shot Esm¨¦e a dark look. "No shelter or supper in sight. Have you made no preparations to welcome your future King? Such incompetence..." Esm¨¦e gritted her teeth, bowing low. You¡¯re wrong, my brother. I''ve arranged your funeral. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 339 Constitution 479 (+2) Agility 319 (+2) Vitality 470 (+1) Perception 554 (+4) MENTAL: Vivacity 298 (+2) Dexterity 373 (+3) Memory 99 Willpower 557 Charisma 418 (+4) META: Meta-affinity 295 (+7) Meta-focus 221 (+4) Meta-endurance 166 (+1) Meta-perception 84 (+3) Meta-chance 216 (+3) Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1108 (+96) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 6 hours 20 minutes 18 seconds. Chapter 124: Wormhole? Three hours later, the fire began to subside. Priam was aware that the immense blaze must have piqued the interest of many foes. Fortunately, [He Who Eludes Death] was still primed. Seeing the flames wane, Priam decided to advance. The longer he waited, the greater the risk of someone beating him to the punch. Stepping into the flames, Priam winced. The temperature must have still been hovering around six hundred degrees Celsius. Holding his breath, Priam braved the fire, enveloped in a shroud of liquid mist. Without [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism], he would have had to wait several hours longer. The fires parted in his wake, while the heat attempted to boil his blood. The world was a black and white painting, kissed by red hues. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 12 VIT +2 CONST +1 His bare feet sank into the incandescent ashes, and Priam trembled. Micro dulled the pain but not the information. What reached him was grim. The soles of his feet had sizzled like a juicy piece of meat. Then, the heat had turned his skin to charcoal. Finally, the charcoal had crumbled away, revealing raw flesh beneath. To break this vicious cycle, his body was evolving. If he lost this race, Priam would end up walking on his own bones. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 13 VIT +2 CONST +1 Perhaps thanks to Micro, teetering on the edge of evolution, Priam felt [Veteran], [High Human Adaptation], and [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] battling the consequences of thermal energy. His body was strengthening and adapting every second to survive. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 14 VIT +2 CONST +1 His vitality approached five hundred points, and his regenerative capabilities were rapidly increasing. Each new cell was tougher than the last. On his path of ash, Priam closed his eyes, focusing on his new favorite skill. [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare] - Your body is transformed. Your cells become half material, half aethereal. The chemical reactions your body needs to function change. Slowly, you''re letting go of your humanity. It is the path you have chosen in order to survive. You can now convert part of your thermal energy into pure aether. The water in your body remains liquid even at over 100¡ãC - 1 bar pressure. He felt his cells change. Some were burnt by the heat, but their aethereal aspect resisted. When a new cell was born, this aspect fused with it, strengthening and accelerating its evolution. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 15 VIT +2 CONST +1 Priam was still unable to grasp exactly what was unfolding within his body. His mastery of aether was in its infancy. But his Talents and Titles didn''t need his help. The attributes he had painstakingly earned and the Titles he had fought for were synergizing, regenerating his body. His body was tempered by the flames. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 16 VIT +2 CONST +1 Arriving at the gaping hole that had once held the abandoned tower, Priam was almost disappointed. Behind him, the fire still roared in its fury. Seeing his attributes skyrocket so swiftly, Priam realized he had underestimated his greatest asset: his adaptability. He decided to grind his resistances as soon as possible. If he had to plunge into all those acid baths, become a human lightning rod, and be chewed on by evil creatures... He would. I should use the die as soon as possible... He had brought it into his inner world. Just in case. Focusing back on the present, Priam leaped into the hole. It wasn''t that large, barely fifteen meters in diameter, just a tad bigger than the base of the abandoned tower. The glowing pit reminded him of the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan - a natural gas fire that had been burning for over fifty years. Landing fifty meters below, Priam winced. The temperature in the cavern was infernal. Expanding the size of his mist cloak, he surveyed the surroundings. The silk had burned completely, leaving only scorching ashes. The stone that formed the cave walls was blackened from the gases released by the combustion. Despite the heat and the explosion, not a crack was visible. The composition of the rock on the continent or island he was on was unknown, but its resilience was immense. In the center of the room floated a sun, peacefully levitating. In the cave, no other flame remained. Priam suspected that the star had something to do with it. His perception noted that it had grown slightly, and Priam retrieved it, satisfied. His gamble had succeeded, and he had another card in his hand. Beneath the vanished celestial body, only a mound of ashes remained where the silk throne had once stood. Gripping Promesse, Priam slammed the end of its shaft to the ground, creating a sonic wave and a rush of air. His Domain selected the latter, and [Kinetic Control] boosted its kinetic energy. The enhanced wave swept the ashes in all directions, clearing the floor. The synergy of a Supremacy and an epic skill had turned a simple action into an explosion. This new application tipped the scales. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 42 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 Priam felt his knowledge crystallize. Previously, he understood the theoretical relationship between kinetic and thermal energy at the molecular level. Now, he could apply that knowledge. Temperature was a measure of molecular agitation. When molecules were well-ordered and slow, matter was solid. By imparting thermal energy, they became more agitated, transitioning to a liquid and then gaseous state. Other possible states like the Bose-Einstein condensate, superfluids, absolute zero, or even plasma existed. However, Priam suspected he''d need to increase the rarity of his skill before approaching such intriguing phenomena. The influx of knowledge and possibilities made Priam smile. The next moment, he wanted to ascertain the scope of his new ability. Creating a mist cloud at his fingertips, Priam condensed it before slowing down the molecules. He couldn''t select and manipulate them individually due to the uncertainty principle - a complex quantum concept - but his Domain and [Kinetic Control] seemed to bridge the gap between this impossibility and reality. The water molecules slowed and arranged themselves. The temperature dropped. Soon, an ice flower appeared at the tip of Priam''s index. Without needing Potential, he had changed the state of water! A burst of laughter echoed in the bubbling cavern. Not even the sensation of being cooked in a giant oven could dampen his optimism. Just a few days after the apocalypse, he owned magical powers! It was his childhood dream, and Priam allowed himself to be carried away by the moment. An observer might have wondered about his sudden joy. After all, he had already achieved impossible feats like fighting a wyvern or traveling to another world. Well, one must understand the fundamental difference between those actions and creating this flower: he had made this flower alone. Fighting the wyvern had been a series of more or less suicidal and profoundly destructive actions. Traveling to Elysium had only been possible thanks to the System. Here, Priam had used hundreds of calculations per second and inhuman perception to sculpt a flower. His perfect memory had provided its structure, and his Domain had followed its construction ice crystal by ice crystal. He had created water through his affinity with mist - a concept that was part of him - and had slowed down the molecules by the sheer force of his will. The System could vanish tomorrow, and Priam would still be able to create an ice flower. It was the fruit of his efforts. His kinetic reserves were slowly depleting, consumed in the battle against the ambient heat. Priam eventually released his skills, and the flower melted in moments. He was here for something else. Turning his gaze to the ground, Priam knelt. The shockwave had swept the floor, leaving only bare rock visible. Yet, Priam''s perception detected something else. There was a tiny rift in the air. Almost invisible, its white hue contrasted against the black background of the stone. The fissure was about five centimeters above the ground. Priam brought his index finger closer and tested the texture of the disturbance. Almost painlessly, he felt his skin and flesh part around the crack. It was like touching the sharpest blade in the world. Intrigued, Priam withdrew his finger and observed it. Despite his constitution, not for a moment had his skin resisted. A space disturbance? If so, Domain couldn''t detect anything beyond this disruption. Either the space beyond possessed a different dimensional geometry, or his Supremacy was too weak. For several minutes, Priam observed the rift, using his new senses and skills to analyze it. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 17 VIT +2 CONST +1 According to [Aether Perception], a significant amount of aether was infiltrating it. The rift was as thin as Priam could imagine, yet it absorbed massive amounts of aether. The space behind had to be poorer in aether than Elysium, and the fluid sought to balance itself. But there was something more interesting: the rift wasn''t just absorbing, it was giving. It was thanks to [Tribulation Hunter] that Priam understood. The skill recognized a concept. An unowned concept, capable of enhancing a user''s affinity. A portion of the ambient aether was tinted by this source. Approaching his finger again, Priam watched it regenerate before his eyes. A concept of healing? Life? Growth? There was something behind this rift. A space low in aether but rich in something else. Something that had allowed the Brood Mother to advance to Tier 1. Priam harbored no illusions: the mother of spiders was undoubtedly the weakest Tier 1 he would encounter in Elysium. Nonetheless, the rift had allowed her to rank up. It was too important not to delve into this enigma. Bringing his hand closer again, Priam tapped into his Potential. He needed answers. Could he pay to get them? Micro Rift detected. Tier 1 - Rank: Earl Use 500 POT to open a secure passage? The System confirmed that it had discovered a rift. Possibly a passage to another world. Or another universe? That was unlikely. Priam was pretty sure a rift to another Universe wouldn''t be labeled as a Micro Rift. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. What did he know about these rifts? Almost nothing. [Eidetic Memory] reminded him of a recent conversation. Bechar had let slip that Elysium was the spearhead world. A world certainly connected to many others. By extrapolating a bit, Priam decided it was possible for this kind of rift to be common in Elysium. Of course, not all natural rifts could allow the passage of objects or people. They very likely had to be wide enough for that. However, it hadn''t escaped Priam that the System had given him a clue. He could pay to open a secure passage. This meant a path was already there, albeit unsecured. Should he pay? If so, should he do it now or wait until he returned to his base? If one of the rivals discovers it during my absence... Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 18 VIT +2 CONST +1 While Priam was still kneeling and his body struggled against the ambient heat, his Domain registered a probe. His instinct trembled, and Priam''s face darkened. According to [Phantom], he had a high likelihood of being detected. Priam slowly rose, then turned to observe the cavern''s entrance. Behind him, he wove a thin thread of mist. Then, he remained on guard and waited. A second later, a figure appeared at the edge of the pit. It stood out against the red and white flames burning in the night, but the distance prevented Priam from identifying it. The stranger leaped into the blaze, and Priam felt the impact on the ground. The newcomer was heavy. But that wasn''t the question that interested Priam. Friend or foe? He remained silent, disinclined to give information to a potential adversary. The heat in the air blurred his vision. Like a mirage, the light propagated abnormally due to layers of air at different temperatures. The individual began to walk in his direction, and Priam remained on the defensive. His opponent seemed oblivious to the ambient heat. Moreover, they had easily detected Priam despite [Phantom] and his mist cloak. Priam wasn''t betting big on his victory if a fight erupted. At less than twenty meters from each other, Priam began to make out the stranger''s features. Tall, inhuman, and muscular, his eidetic memory found an immediate match. Arnold! The homunculus leaned forward. Immediately, Priam activated his connection with his mist and disappeared, following his thread. The rift trembled. Arnold halted halfway through his salute. He hadn''t even had the chance to finish his bow before the First vanished. Frustration etched across the Var Elegis''s face as he straightened up. As he approached, his sensors picked up on a spatiotemporal rift. Its aether density was low, but the Concept emanating from it... Growth? No, more like evolution or adaptation. The rift was minuscule, too small to pass through. The System demanded 500 POT to open a secure passage. Should he follow the First? The Var Elegis hesitated, analyzing the rift. Upon reading the results, his mood dropped even further. The spatiotemporal rift would obliterate him in seconds. As part of his consciousness calculated the constitution and resistances required to survive such a journey, a new feeling stirred within him. Even with luck on his side, traversing this rift would demand thousands in constitution and spatial resistance to make it through. Arnold growled. He had hoped to narrow the gap with the First thanks to the Reunion, but the First still held a significant lead. Have I even reduced the distance between us? Disheartened, the homunculus quickly scanned the cavern before departing. If the First had refused to acknowledge him, he certainly wouldn''t be pleased to see Arnold push the issue. As he left the blazing pit, Arnold weighed his options. Becoming enemies with the First was unthinkable. He needed to mend their relationship. Maybe with a gift? For a brief second, a whirlwind of color greeted Priam. Then, his eyes exploded. Micro alerted him that one of his legs had vanished, then a second. His human heart squeezed, and his right arm stretched out, victim to spaghettification. Am I near a black hole? Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 5,6 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 21 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 18 CONST +1 Constitution exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! For the span of a heartbeat, Priam felt his body toughen. His constitution had just breached five hundred. The threshold fortified his form, fine-tuning his cells and molecules. It wasn''t quite enough. The spatial tempest shredded through him. Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 7 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 22 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 19 CONST +1 After three seconds, Priam''s body was nothing but tatters. Guided by [Tenacious Spirit - Silver], his mind then tried to withstand the spatial storm. Focusing his Potential into [Spirit Resistance], Priam clung to life as if it were his last. Which it very well might be if he resurrected amidst this inferno. Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 2 WILL +3 His mind fractured. Where was he? Who was he? It didn''t matter. He wanted to live, and that desire echoed within him. His instinct roared, and his will raged. Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 3 WILL +3 Something resonated within him. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart] had been destroyed, but not the tribulation it had merged with. It awoke and enveloped his mind. Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 4 WILL +3 The surrounding chaos continued to rage, rapidly eroding the protection. Finally, it shattered. At the same instant, the fractured mind sensed a change. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 14 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Veteran]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +14 WILL +11 Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 8,9 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 23,24 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Cut Resistance] lvl 20 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 17 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 5,6,7 WILL +9 [Cut Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Cut Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Cut Resilience - Rare] - You''ve been cut up many times, but that doesn''t stop you. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Atomos - Rare] - Uncuttable in Greek. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 40 POT -40 You''ve acquired the skill: [Atomos - Rare]. [Atomos] - He Who Can¡¯t Be Cut? You''ve faced dimensional blades, one of the universe''s most terrifying physical phenomena, and lived to tell the tale. Your body''s structure is changing. Ordinary physics can no longer explain your incredible resistance. Models used to study you now need to be based on aether. Remember, the Greeks were wrong. An atom isn''t unbreakable. CONST +3 You have acquired the skill: [Space Resistance - Epic]. [Space Resistance] - Of all the cosmic threats out there, few are as perilous as a dimensional storm. Yet, you decided to take a swim. Is it arrogance or just a dash of recklessness? Probably a bit of both. Next challenge: jumping into a black hole! Your body is forging its own dimensional identity. CONST +9 Title upgraded! [Veteran - Bronze] becomes [Weathered - Silver]. Congratulations! [Weathered - Silver] - You have acquired twenty different types of resistance. You have left a trail of adversaries, each one a lesson etched in scars you wear with pride. You have stared down death for so long, its claws struggle to find purchase on your armor. But you know better than anyone: it only needs to win once. CONST +20% [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 35 minutes 10 seconds. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 6 hours 8 minutes 23 seconds. A faint ache jolted Priam awake. According to Micro, something just made a go at severing his pinky. Domain spotted the culprit: a crab. The wielder of the claw took a second shot, prompting Priam to crack open his eyes. The crab''s bravado dwindled, and it scuttled away. Priam swiftly got to his feet, surveying his surroundings. He was undoubtedly on a beach. Behind him, a city lay in ruins. Ahead, an ocean stretched out. A lone sun gleamed in the sky. Priam voiced aloud the first of a thousand questions swirling in his mind. "Where the fuck am I?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 339 Constitution 599 (+120) Agility 319 Vitality 490 (+20) Perception 554 MENTAL: Vivacity 300 (+2) Dexterity 374 (+3) Memory 99 Willpower 598 (+41) Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 (+4) Meta-endurance 166 Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1099 (-9) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 5 minutes 10 seconds. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 5 hours 38 minutes 23 seconds. Chapter 125: Tempering Die The System must have heard his question because it responded. You have left the Concepts Universe. Location: Valaryth - fragment 84. A fragment of a world destroyed in a war won by the Seven Grand Concepts. First Quest Update: Invasion I You entered Valaryth through a Micro Rift. This 84th fragment roams outside the Concepts Universe. Retrieve the World Key. Reward: Variable. Difficulty: Legendary You can''t leave Elysium indefinitely. Calculation of your conditional freedom time: Your Tier is lower than the Tier of the world. No secure passage opened between this world and Elysium. Opportunity detected. Would you like to use it? As Priam read the term "conditional freedom," anger welled up within him. Was Elysium nothing more than an expansive prison? It was too early to dwell on it. Yet, no matter the size of his cell, his freedom was still violated. The opportunity seemed intriguing, and Priam had no desire to waste it on an unknown world. "I won''t use my opportunity." Conditional freedom time granted: 60 days. Priam grumbled as he reviewed his notifications. They ultimately explained very little. He had sixty days to find a key. I''ll be long gone by then, Priam thought, eyeing the rift that had spat him out. He congratulated himself for not spending Potential to open it. Firstly, Arnold could have followed him. Priam had died when crossing the rift. If Arnold wanted to follow, he''d have to expend Potential to create a secure passage. Priam would have time to escape. Secondly, the System could have locked the passage behind Priam, preventing him from retreating. Of course, the rift remained dangerous, but Priam felt confident he could make the return journey safely. That is, by dying once instead of twice. Without further ado, Priam assessed his situation. The sun beat down, but his resistances shielded him from such discomfort. He had five hours to kill before he could return - twenty-nine if he wanted to return with [He Who Eludes Death] almost primed. How could he occupy this time? By improving his abilities and surviving, of course! I should bring Mirscella out. Let''s just make sure she would be safe. First, Priam checked if the environment was suitable for human life. He took a deep breath and immediately frowned. According to [Poison Body], [Asphyxia Resistance], and [Diagnostic], the oxygen level in the air was nearly 50%. It wasn''t problematic in itself, but it would change some things. Forest fires must be terrible here... Local gravity was double that of Earth, and the weather was clear. Reassured that he wouldn''t die in the next few seconds, Priam quickly inspected the rift at his feet. It resembled its twin in the Brood Mother''s cave, about forty centimeters long, emitting a phenomenal amount of aether that dissipated into the environment. Priam approached, enveloping the rift in his Domain. A smile crept onto his face as he analyzed it. The violent influx of aether triggered a kind of chain reaction, destroying the local atmosphere and releasing an unknown concept. A concept that seemed almost familiar... Before Priam could further study the rift and the concept, a terrifying scream echoed. The city behind him was inhabited. The air vibrated with the power of the scream, and Priam plunged into the water. Diving beneath the waves, he quickly distanced himself from the beach. The physical attributes of a creature capable of such a cry far exceeded his own. With all his advantages, Priam might be able to defeat the owner. Or maybe not. If he had to fight, Priam preferred to start the battle with [He Who Eludes Death] primed. The water was cold, but it didn''t bother him. With a few strokes, Priam moved away from the shore. A second scream rang out, closer. Taking one last breath, Priam disappeared underwater. Despite the microalgae and sediments, the water was clear for the first twenty meters. Assisted by his perception, Priam delved into the depths. [Asphyxia Resistance] allowed him several minutes underwater. Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 4 STR + 1 At about thirty meters underwater, his Domain sensed a faint shockwave. Priam was willing to bet that the screamer had reached the beach. Something - or someone - had sensed his arrival and tracked him. Priam prepared for battle. The thing came from the city, betraying a terrestrial origin, not an aquatic one. Would it risk changing environments? Rather than diving deeper, Priam remained static about thirty meters deep. The combination of Domain and [Kinetic Control] theoretically allowed him to fight quite easily underwater, but he wasn''t specialized in this type of combat either. Above all, he had no experience using Promesse underwater. Yet another thing to learn... The surface of the water trembled, and Priam prepared to surface. He had fled underwater to hide, but if there was to be a fight, he preferred it in the open air. The only point of staying underwater was to discourage his opponent. One second passed, then two. The water remained calm. Mentally counting, Priam observed every vibration that reached him. Nothing. At two hundred, his lungs began to burn, and he decided to ascend. Breaking the surface of the water, Priam scanned the beach. It was empty, but enormous claw marks were present in the sand. Priam hesitated for a moment between returning to the shore or exploring the seabed. On one hand, a terrifying monster, on the other, the unknown... [Eidetic Memory] kicked in, unearthing a recent memory. Specifically, it was a conversation with Mercury. The merchant had provided him with a list of easily obtainable Titles. Among them was a diving record. Mercury''s document mentioned a Bronze Title and a Silver one. Priam was almost certain there were more. A smile on his lips, Priam decided to once again push his limits. Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 5 STR + 1 Priam wasn''t afraid of the water. He had grown up near the Atlantic Ocean and had surfed. If he had to sum up his feelings for the sea in one word, Priam would choose respect. Swimming in the depths of this new world, Priam set aside his concerns. The marine world welcomed and cradled him. As he ventured away from the coast, life revealed itself. Alien-like seaweed and fish with vibrant hues provided an unprecedented backdrop. Priam spotted some nearly invisible eels and multicolored sand grains. Globefish expelled gas bubbles that leisurely rose to the surface. When Priam attempted to breathe in one, he burst into laughter like a fool for nearly a minute. Following this experience, he decided to steer clear of the fauna and flora, and kept moving away from the coast. Quickly, he reached a hundred meters. An incredible feat for a human, but not impossible. [Eidetic Memory] reminded him that the absolute record was 133 meters - in unassisted free-diving. One hundred meters was a milestone, and the System seemed to agree. Title obtained! [Ocean Diver - Bronze] - You delve into the darkness. Each meter brings you closer to buried secrets. Is something shining down there: rusty chests filled with gold, ancient artifacts, or slumbering monsters? Or could it be Jack¡¯s bones, haunting a famous wreck? Increases the learning speed of underwater skills. AGI +10% Priam exulted as he realized the System was still fully operational. There was a difference between retaining his abilities without the System and continuing to receive its help. Perhaps because I''m not in an actual Universe, but just in a ¡®world fragment¡¯? Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 7 AGI +1 Priam continued his descent with a smile on his lips as his new Title already showed its usefulness. The water resistance had marginally decreased, making each of his movements easier and quicker. This resistance would be invaluable later on. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Priam swam leisurely while maintaining a diagonal course. The underwater terrain grew deeper the further one got from the shore. With powerful kicks, he continued to plunge into the unknown. About ten seconds later, he came across a school of fish. These resembled huge mackerels. Their metallic green color was almost invisible at these depths. Only Priam''s enhanced eyes could discern them. So, this world isn''t dead. [Identification] [Valaryth mackerel - Tier 0] - A common fish. Edible. Reassured to have found a source of protein, Priam hesitated for a moment. Should he continue? He didn''t intend to uncover all the secrets of this world in one dive, and his oxygen reserves were dwindling. On the other hand, it was interesting to test his limits. Just a bit more, he decided. The fish darted around him, utterly indifferent to the peculiar human presence. Priam briefly stroked one before moving on. A few seconds later and despite his impressive physique, he began to feel a slight discomfort in his eardrums. It was the sure sign of a pressure difference between the external and middle ear. This often occurred during plane journeys or dives. To avoid barotrauma, Priam knew he had to balance these two pressures. Instinctively, he almost tried to blow forcefully while keeping his mouth and nose closed. Also known as the Valsalva maneuver, it was an easy way to equalize pressure. Easy, but risky. [Eidetic Memory] activated and reminded Priam of a diving lesson. "Kids will close their noses and mouths before blowing hard. Sometimes, it hurts their ears. There''s a method reserved for professionals, which involves becoming aware of a special muscle: the tensor veli palatini," the instructor had explained. Priam had then learned that this muscle could command the opening of the Eustachian tubes, thus equalizing pressure in the middle ear. Those who could become aware of this muscle could instantly equalize the pressure in their ears without risks. Unfortunately, becoming aware of this muscle was easier said than done. The diving instructor had advised them to close their mouths and then try to sing like an opera tenor but without using their vocal cords. An exercise as complicated as it sounded. Priam had looked like a fool for a few minutes in front of Victoire before giving up. Shaking his head sadly, Priam focused on Micro. His Supremacy revealed the presence of his tensor veli palatini. A moment later, the pressure equalized in his ear, and the discomfort in his eardrums disappeared. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 16 MEM+1 Satisfied, Priam checked his oxygen reserves. Another thirty seconds of descent. He oriented himself downward and gave a powerful kick. Propelled forward, he continued to scan the darkness. Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 6 STR + 1 Fifty meters later, he paused momentarily. The threshold for the next diving Title was five hundred meters. At this depth, the pressure was terrifying, but not as terrifying as his constitution. The problem lay elsewhere. At less than half that distance, Priam was already blind. His eyes were as perfect as those a human could have. His perception further enhanced his vision. Yet, without light, there was nothing to be done. Even his broad-spectrum vision held little interest; the water quickly absorbed infrared. If he were attacked, only his Domain - a sphere barely a meter in radius - would warn him. That meant he could easily die, even against a weak opponent. Beneath him, the darkness could hide a thousand and one dangers. Or a thousand and one treasures. Every second reduced the cooldown of [He Who Eludes Death]. The cold water caressed him, and Priam thought of the ocean. It took its time and always achieved its goals. Reasoned by nature, Priam decided to surface. He didn''t want to confuse courage with foolishness. A few tens of meters higher, Priam encountered another school of mackerels. Suddenly, his Domain detected a vibration to his right. Priam didn''t even have time to turn before a behemoth rushed towards the school. The water turned red, and Priam hastily retreated. Before him stood an enormous shark. [Identification] [Juvenile Megalodon - Tier 0] - Juveniles inhabit warm coastal waters and feed on fish and small whales. Their parents are further from the coast and prefer larger prey. You''re not on their menu, but don''t tempt them too much. Priam gave a few powerful kicks to ascend while the cousin of the great white continued its bloody feast. He neither wanted nor could afford to face the monster. For now. A few seconds later, Priam reached the surface and paused. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 7 VIT +2 META (END) +1 Finally, after a six-minute dive, Priam resurfaced. Observing his surroundings, he spotted the beach he had arrived on about four hundred meters away. It would have been foolish to return directly. Turning around, Priam spotted a tiny island offshore. Opting for safety, he began to swim. After all, he had nothing better to do. Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 7 STR + 1 The evening brought a warm breeze as the sun set over the ocean. Priam briefly looked up, hoping to catch a green flash. Victoire had once told him that it was the color of his eyes. That was before the mist blanketed them. The sun disappeared and Priam refocused. His islet''s total surface area couldn''t exceed two thousand square meters. Here, the marine topography rose, and a single rock stood out above the waves. Its peak boasted vegetation of vines, small trees, and various plants. However, it possessed a surprising feature: a water-level cave. Useful for quick dives and, therefore, farming resistances. Priam was delighted with the rapid level-ups he had gained in just a few minutes. At great depths, he was almost sure that other resistances would also be tested. But before that, Priam had things to do and had set to work immediately. The cave was small, so he had decided to spruce it up a bit. Using Promesse, he had dug a hole in the ceiling, creating an artificial well leading to the top of the island. Priam was currently utilizing this opening to vent the smoke from a campfire. Comfortably seated in the sand, Priam flipped over one of the fish he had caught on the way. Domain allowed him to monitor the cooking, and his stomach clenched eagerly. One of the fish was for him, and the other for Mirscella. He had preferred to leave the thief in his inner world but had no intention of letting her starve. For now, he needed to be alone. In his right hand, Priam held a small die. Kazuki''s reward for surviving three days in Elysium. Priam was pretty sure this reward was special. A way for the System to ensure rivals didn''t die too quickly. [Identification] [Tempering Die - Tier 0 - Mythic] - A reward from the Concepts. Allows you to create an optimal tempering method tailored to the user. Tempering aims to strengthen one or more characteristics to the maximum before evolving to the following Tier. At Tier 0, tempering means strengthening the body by guiding the aether that flows through it. The method includes: The method being of "Mythical" quality, the user is assured of reaching the perfect tempering for Tier 0 without any penalty or hidden risks for the next physical Tier. Caution: Due to the quality of the method, the tribulation during the Tier evolution will be extremely dangerous. The fire crackled, and the wind brought Priam a puff of smoke. Rolling the die between his fingers, the young man grimaced. Maybe he should have returned the die to Kazuki. That would have been a chivalrous behavior. Priam hadn''t survived by being chivalrous. He intended to repay the hoplite for his help, but those were two different things. Domain activated the die, which glowed before melting in his hand. Priam grimaced as he felt a cold lava flow through his veins. The first time, he had collapsed to the ground. This time, he remained seated, content to follow the progress of the die with Micro. Host scan. Race: High Human (Tier 1) Presence of multiple skills enhancing the effects of tempering. Concept, Bloodline, and Affinities detected¡­ Three optimal tempering methods compiled. Note: The method used at Tier 0 is crucial for the rest of your journey. Mist King (Mythic - Unique) - The Mist obeys you. Invisible, it comes and goes without anyone''s consent. You have no master. Mist King modifies your meridians to create a crown. What kind of King will you be? Meridians''s fulcrum: Brain. Increases your affinity with the Mist. Increases your affinity with Domain. Death Lover (Seraph - Unique) - You court death without ever getting too close. You are as much its champion as its enemy. Death Lover modifies your meridians to create an altar. Sacrifice your enemies there. Meridians''s fulcrum: High Human Heart. Your soul strengthens. Increases your affinity with Domain. Heavenly Dragon (Seraph) - You possess the bloodline of mythical Dragons and a Tribulation. No one should be freer than you. Heavenly Dragon modifies your meridians to create seven gates. Your hunting trophies strengthen you. Meridians''s fulcrum: Heart of Tribulation. You assimilate your Tribulation. Increases your affinity with Micro. Choose wisely. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 345 (+6) Constitution 599 Agility 344 (+25) Vitality 493 (+3) Perception 554 MENTAL: Vivacity 300 Dexterity 374 Memory 100 (+1) Willpower 598 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 167 (+1) Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 1107 (+8) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 52 minutes 42 seconds. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 178 days 4 hours 25 minutes 55 seconds. Chapter 126: A Second Skill "Hey Rose, check out what I can do!" shouted Sphinx. Rose turned toward Sphinx and took a step forward. Instantly, she fell upward. A few branches of Log-a-rhythm caught her as Sphinx burst into laughter. "I''ll get you back," chuckled Rose, starting to climb the branches in reverse. In her miniaturized form, Sphinx somersaulted through the air. Since she learned to manipulate gravity, it had become one of her favorite games. She created zones of weightlessness and played around with them. The two friends had a blast, especially with liquids. There was something incredible about bathing in a huge floating water sphere. Suddenly, Rose exited the weightless zone, and gravity reversed. Startled, the teenager cried out and clung tightly to the branches to avoid falling to the ground. Hesitating for a moment, she decided to climb the tree. She had just been scared and wasn''t quite ready to rejoin Sphinx. She was her friend, of course, but sometimes the mythological girl was a tad too exuberant. Or maybe it''s just me feeling lost... Rose was weak, and she was aware of it. Even her friend''s innocent games reminded her of this. Since her arrival in Elysium, she had felt like a burden, incapable of helping or ensuring her own safety. This feeling bothered her. She wasn''t as feeble as before, but the gap between her and the others wasn''t narrowing. Quite the opposite, in fact. To clear her mind, Rose smoothly scaled the Log-a-rhythm trunk. She relished in her newfound agility and the freedom the attribute provided her. A few meters above the trunk, she caught a glimpse of Alain. Priam''s father was kind, but more importantly, he was the only one not constantly reminding her of her own weakness. His pursuits were less aggressive than the others, and he put his skills to use for the community. "Rose?" Apparently, he had spotted her. "Yes?" "I''ve finished your treehouse. Would you like to see it?" "Oh, yes!" exclaimed the teenager. Ten seconds later, she stood next to the old man, gazing at her new abode. Perched high on Log-a-rhythm, shielded from the forest by a few branches, a cabin made of wood and vines overlooked the clearing. Its brown hue blended well with the red of Log-a-rhythm, and a few rays of sunlight filtered through a skylight. On the simple door, a name was engraved. Rose. The architect had outdone himself. "I love it," she murmured, moved. "Thank you, Alain." "It''s my pleasure," smiled the old man. "A teen needs some personal space. Go inside and tell me what you think." Rose nodded. They had arrived just over a day ago, and the lack of privacy had been keenly felt. The space inside Log-a-rhythm contained only a living room and Priam''s bedroom. Kazuki and Louis slept outside, and Alain took turns resting with the girls, but it wasn''t sustainable in the long run. The group''s handyman had thus decided to build cabins within Log-a-rhythm. Pushing open the door, a simple yet cozy room greeted her. The treehouse couldn''t have been more than ten square meters, but Rose didn''t mind. It was hers. A skylight and a window let in light, slightly tinted by the amber resin. Rose was surprised at how well she could see through them. The only piece of furniture was a bed, crafted by Alain and covered with red leaves. Stepping into the cabin proper, Rose looked down at her feet. "The floor is warm!" "Log-a-rhythm created a slab and heats it. I built the rest from salvaged wood and helped with the windows. The trickiest part was carving the door hinges," he explained. "So, I can reach my room from anywhere?" Alain smiled at the possessive use. "Exactly. You''re the only one who can enter your room from the trunk. The door is for guests and if you feel like climbing," winked Alain. Rose smiled, sitting on the bed. "Surprisingly comfortable for a pile of leaves." "I''ll do better when Priam brings back some silk," Alain said. His face lost its smile, and Rose scolded herself. I¡¯m dumb! "Sorry, I... He''ll come back. Sphinx says he''s immortal." "A parent always worries." The old man hesitated before continuing. "And you, Rose. Are you doing well?" The question caught Rose off guard, and she opened her mouth without answering. To others, she would have lied, but to Alain... "I''m useless," she finally admitted. Alain tapped the floor, and a stool sprouted. Perhaps because it sensed a blood connection, Log-a-rhythm listened to Priam''s father more than anyone else. Once seated, Alain offered a smile to Rose. "No one is asking anything of you, you know?" "I know, and I hate it. I need to feel useful to be sure that..." A tear rolled down Rose''s cheek, and Alain remained silent. "You''re not my parents; you owe me nothing. I''m afraid of being left alone..." And I''m afraid of being abandoned. That''s what Rose felt and what she was ashamed to say. "I''m not the best at reassuring people," Alain admitted after a few seconds of silence. "I''m not your father, but I won''t abandon you. Neither will the others. We''re a group now, and everyone likes you. They voted for you to have the first cabin, you know?" Rose smiled weakly, looking at her hands. Just talking about her fears had lifted a weight off her. "Thank you..." "You''re a smart girl, Rose," Alain said, rising. "I understand not wanting to feel useless, and I''m sure you''ll find a way to help the group. If you need to talk, don''t hesitate. At worst, I¡¯ll make you help me.¡± ¡°I would like that.¡± Smiling, Alain left, closing the door behind him. For a few minutes, Rose replayed the conversation in her mind several times. Finally, she let out a deep sigh. Mom, Dad, I''ve found good people. If only you were here... Rose looked up at the amber ceiling. The wind shifted a leaf, and a ray of sunlight momentarily blinded her. Rose let herself fall onto the leaf mattress. What can I do to be useful? Priam reread the notification several times. With Eidetic Memory, it was utterly pointless, but he had a feeling it might help. He was in deep contemplation, which seemed to happen every time he had to choose a reward. The three methods seemed incredible. According to the description of the die, each was supposed to be flawless. "Why are there three different rarities, then?" The mere thought of selecting an inferior method sent his blood boiling. Forcing himself to breathe calmly, Priam listed the advantages of the various methods. The die was of mythical rarity, the same rarity as Mist King. Moreover, the method was labeled as Unique. Presumably, that meant he would be the only one in the Universe practicing it. It was an appealing notion. What bothered Priam was not knowing the order of rarities. Was Seraph rarer - and therefore more potent - than Mythical? Or was it a special grade pertaining to the Tribulations and gods? Instead of tearing his hair out over an unsolvable problem, Priam focused on the content of the methods. Mist King would strengthen his mist, paving the way to enhance his Concept and unlock a Legendary skill. Priam had come to appreciate his mist but was naturally more drawn to the sun than the rain. He loved the softness of water but admired the might of the stars. Should he alter his nature - even for something so minute - to continue advancing his mist concept? The idea was displeasing. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Death Lover... Priam spared a thought for his Patron. Despite their boundless power, they had been brought to their knees by the Concepts. His Patron planned to seek revenge, and Priam knew that his role was to infiltrate the System. However, he had no desire to rebel against the Concepts. Thus, it was possible that his relationship with his Patron could deteriorate. In that case, Death Lover seemed like a trap. His boss had a mastery of Death that even the Concepts envied. Furthermore, the method mentioned a sacrifice. The notion of dedicating his enemies to someone was highly disagreeable to him. That left Heavenly Dragon. The title was a bit pompous, but the description resonated with his goals. No one should be freer than you. The method blended the power of the Tribulations, a trial capable of bringing almost the entire universe to its knees, with that of dragons. These fantastical creatures stood atop the hierarchy, and Priam found them undeniably cool. Most importantly, this method was based on his second heart and was a power Priam had earned with his own hands. Convinced, Priam confirmed Heavenly Dragon. The next moment, he lost consciousness. The cry of a seagull jolted Priam awake. Grimacing, he opened his eyes and sat up slowly. As he sat, he rubbed his temples, spitting out sand. A pounding headache was assaulting his skull, and to make matters worse, his mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. Priam felt like he''d downed some bootlegged rum. Not just a mug, but a barrel. It took a few minutes for his vitality to alleviate his headache. Finally able to string together coherent thoughts, Priam got to his feet. Need to piss... and dive into some ice-cold water. Staggering, he made his way towards the lapping water a few meters away and accomplished both objectives. A few minutes later, fully awake, Priam headed towards the highest point of the island. The sky was beginning to paint itself with colors, but the sun had yet to deign to rise. Priam gathered some colorful berries and popped them in his mouth with a smile. The best ones were these pinkish blackberries. They were also highly toxic, according to [Poison Body]. Nice. The perfect breakfast after a night of almost ten hours. Priam hadn''t slept so much since the Tutorial. While waiting for dawn, Priam gazed out at the ocean. It never failed to calm him. Eventually, he consulted the information about Heavenly Dragon. Despite his exceptional memory, Priam winced. The amount of information was staggering. [Eidetic Memory] struggled to process all the data, and Priam eventually gave up. The method was highly comprehensive, mapping out his body in excruciating detail. It was a massive volume of data, but Priam could have handled it. The issue was that the die had gone further than that. It had downloaded the information necessary for the method''s progression based on Priam''s evolution. Instead of a simple instruction manual, the die had created thousands of manuals tailored to all his future choices. Heavenly Dragon required elements and trophies to temper his body. It was up to Priam to choose them, and the method diverged based on his selection. So Priam had thousands of different manuals, certainly useful for future reference. Too bad all the information was shuffled around by his memory. Priam tried to sort through this information for several minutes before cursing. Despite his mental attributes, the human brain wasn''t built to handle this volume of data. This wasn''t just a few books; it was terabytes of data. Did I do this all for nothing? he worried. He furrowed his brow, thinking about Kazuki. How could the hoplite use his reward if even Priam couldn''t? "Maybe with his helmet? He would have let the artificial intelligence do the work for him," Priam realized. The die was Kazuki''s reward, and the System hadn''t bothered to adapt it to Priam any more than necessary. Would Kazuki be willing to lend him his mecha? Not sure. Even if he did, some data was strictly confidential. Heavenly Dragon utilized the fact that he could revive to temper his body to the maximum. "So how..." Priam froze. If Kazuki could use an external means to sort his data, could he too? He didn''t have a mecha, but he had enough Potential to create a powerful skill. A kind of add-on that would assist him in using Heavenly Dragon. But if I do this, why stop there? The Concepts themselves had created the System. Could Priam draw inspiration from it to create a plug-in? A kind of aid he could program. The idea took root, and Priam began to consider the possibilities. This skill could be useful in a thousand aspects of his life. For example, scanning his surroundings through his Domain continuously, even while he slept. Or monitoring his reserves and aether regeneration during a fight. Maybe he could use it to farm multiple skills at once, point out his mistakes during training, or learn a language faster. Finally, he could program an alarm to check if his behavior was logical - and thus ensure he wasn''t being manipulated. The possibilities were endless! But not his time. Priam wanted to practice Heavenly Dragon without delay. "I need this skill," he decided. "But first, let''s reassure Mirscella." Before opening the portal, Priam took five minutes to go fishing. Bringing a gift to Mirscella seemed like the least he could do after taking her aboard a new world. Satisfied with his offering, he opened a portal to Concepts Archipelago. I''ll have to come up with a name for this world... As soon as the portal opened, a figure leaped out. An old lady stopped to look around before turning to Priam. "You took your time," Mirscella cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry," Priam apologized. "Welcome to Valaryth, another world." "... How did we go from a spider''s lair to another world?" "I had to dive into a spatio-temporal rift after a homunculus tried to kill me." Mirscella stared at him in silence. "I''ll explain in detail later. We''re stuck here for another fifteen hours. I thought you might want to get out a bit." Mirscella sighed, looking around. "Indeed. Are we on an island?" "Yeah. Don''t wander too far; the mainland isn''t safe. But there¡¯s some fish," he said as he presented her with his gift. "Thanks. I wasn''t planning on swimming in an unknown sea. I''ll train here," the thief announced, heading towards a bush. "I''ll be going then. By the way, the pink berries are poisonous." Mouth still open, Mirscella let the toxic berry fall to the ground. "Choose a slightly more peaceful world next time, will you?" "I''ll try," Priam laughed, entering his world. He felt safer there than outside. The portal closed behind him, and he wondered for a moment. What can be seen from the outside when I''m in this world? Smiling, Priam knelt under the Phoenix''s sun and connected to his Potential. Potential - Skill Creation Please think about the skill you want to create. The Concepts will help you in its design. Current potential: 1107 Divine inspiration hit him like a tidal wave. Exultant, Priam tried to remember everything he knew about computing. [Eidetic Memory] activated, and for the thousandth time, Priam was grateful he had chosen this Talent. All the hours he''d spent coding in HTML, C++, and Python resurfaced. The grand theories behind artificial intelligence and the famous algorithms he''d briefly heard of became more explicit. Priam''s sharpness, logic, memory, and Potential worked together to refine his knowledge. Finally, after several minutes, Priam had a good idea of his request. He didn''t want to create an artificial intelligence - at least not for now - but instead use this skill to help him think in a computer manner. Compared to a human, a computer took less time and energy to calculate because the structure of its processor was different. If Priam had to process terabytes of data, he might as well use a program. Satisfied, he finalized his request. A system integrated into my mind that I can program. Potential required: 187 Priam smiled at the number. The skill was less impressive than [Kinetic Control] but cost more. It was indicative of Priam''s knowledge. Even with [Eidetic Memory], he was a physicist, not a programmer. Create skill? Yes. Priam loved the Concepts'' System. It was a wonderful, if limited, tool. Time for System modding! Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 345 Constitution 599 Agility 344 Vitality 493 Perception 554 MENTAL: Vivacity 300 Dexterity 374 Memory 100 Willpower 598 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 167 Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 920 (-187) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 14 hours 33 minutes 33 seconds. Chapter 127: Priam’s System Invisible doors swung open, letting the Potential surge within him. Priam felt the fluid course through his body, then his mind, and finally his soul. It was the seat of his Domain and mist concept, yet Priam struggled to fully grasp it. Thankfully, the Potential allowed him to ignore this. The divine fluid flowed into his soul, enfolding it before crystallizing. Priam grinned as he observed the outcome. Beneath the protective sphere woven from mist concept and Domain, a satellite now orbited around his soul. About ten times smaller than the latter, it traced a circular trajectory for a few moments before teleporting elsewhere, following a new orbit. Its physics were strange, somewhere between a moon and an electron. At the crossroads of the infinitely large and the infinitely small¡­ Though the Potential had already receded, Priam still sensed the presence of this newfound entity. His own sub-system! Priam noted that it was the first time a skill had materialized in a physical form. The satellite was pure black. You have created a skill, congratulations! New skill: [Priam¡¯s System - Rare] [Priam¡¯s System] - A kind of add-on integrated into your soul. Your system is a complex computing unit you will have to code yourself. Its proximity to your spirit and soul enables a symbiosis. Its enhancement is tied to the power of your mind, your code''s optimization, and your soul''s density. It can devour Potential to evolve. A highly intriguing skill, with its only limits being your own. Massive potential for evolution. Better than Windows Vista. MEM +2 VIVA +1 Beneath the Phoenix sun, Priam grinned. The skill description was remarkably positive. The more he contemplated it, the more he believed he''d made a good calculation. Pun intended. He effortlessly connected to his new skill and found it utterly blank. Everything was yet to be done. It was akin to having powerful hardware but needing to code the software alone. The possibilities were limitless, but it required knowledge that Priam didn''t possess. Fortunately, there was a way, albeit costly, to remedy this. [Priam¡¯s System] Potential required to code your personal system. 30: Calculator - basic data computation 100: Operating System - calculation and result prediction 300: Basic Artificial Intelligence - Machine & Deep learning 1,000: Artificial General Intelligence - Second thought 3,000: LOCKED 10,000: LOCKED "What a Potential sinkhole..." Priam grumbled at the thought of all the Potential he could have saved by coding his system himself. Unfortunately, he suspected that even the world''s best programmer, specializing in AI and equipped with [Eidetic Memory], wouldn''t have saved more than 300 POT. Which was already quite a feat. Priam needed a potent and practical skill. The higher tiers were locked, undoubtedly due to missing prerequisites. The skill hinged on his mental attributes. They were impressive... for a Tier 0. The 1,000 POT option was tempting, but Priam lacked the resources. Even if he did, he wanted to keep some Potential in reserve. It could be the difference between life and death. For a moment, Priam thought of Arnold and the other AIs surely populating this new Universe. With just one skill, he was about to catch up to the advantages these races might have over him. The skill demanded a hefty amount of Potential, but it was a gamble. If he didn''t bet on it, it would be useless. Full of confidence, he selected Basic Artificial Intelligence. [Priam¡¯s System] disconnected, and Priam felt it tremble. Silvered veins with geometric angles surfaced on the black sphere before it stabilized. Then it reconnected to his soul, updated. POT -300 The sub-system was ready to operate. With a thought, Priam began downloading the data from the Heavenly Dragon into the skill. Instantly, weakness washed over him. He felt as if his thoughts were moving in slow motion. His memory was almost entirely occupied by the process. Priam dropped to his knees a few moments later, overcome with nausea. He hastily canceled the transfer. Catching his breath, he considered the situation. The data volume was staggering, and [Priam¡¯s System]''s storage capacity was too limited. I need to change this... Priam aimed for a program that would assist him in real time, not a skill that required manual data input. That would be a lengthy and arduous task, not to mention the strain on his mental attributes. Priam wanted to mod his consciousness, not burden it. Pensively, he surveyed his inner world, pond, sun and captured concepts. A world linked to him. Priam''s eyes widened. Could it be...? With a thought, he attempted to link [Eidetic Memory] to [Priam¡¯s System]. It worked without a hitch. Naturally, the Talent connected to the skill, allowing it access to all the information it would require. Instinctively, Priam configured the skill''s memory as RAM and his [Eidetic Memory] as non-volatile memory. The add-on would need it to perform calculations without disturbing Priam. Satisfied, he sent an instruction to his new skill. Compile Heavenly Dragon and give me a summary. Instantly, the skill activated. Priam felt it working in the background, without needing his attention. He had enough computer knowledge to understand it operated in a manner similar to artificial intelligence coded by humanity. His skill lacked emotion or consciousness but was far more advanced than simple software. Thanks to machine learning, it could grasp certain concepts without his aid. It remained limited since its intelligence wasn''t general and depended on Priam''s mental attributes. Nevertheless, it should be perfect for summarizing a tempering method. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 2 MEM+2 VIVA +1 Ten minutes later, the skill ceased its calculations and presented its findings. Heavenly Dragon: Three-part method for body tempering I) Reorganization of meridians Their purpose is to circulate aether within your spiritual body. Just as blood sustains the physical body, this circulation strengthens your spirit. Everyone possesses a set of meridians at birth or thanks to [Touched by Aether]. This reorganization aims to optimize your meridians and their structure. Various methods exist to refine meridians: medicines, treasures, resistances, bloodlines, Titles, and Talents. Advice: Employ a hybrid approach. Enhance the rarity of [Aether Manipulation] to manipulate your meridians, then use treasures or resistances to fortify them. II) Anchoring of meridians Since meridians are spiritual, they need to be materialized. Heavenly Dragon has seven gates. Each requires a tempered anchoring using elements or concepts and a trophy. The more vigorous the tempering, the sturdier the gate. In the long run, the completed gates will refine your aether and body, eliminating impurities. It''s up to you to choose the elements for your different gates. Example: for the first gate, you shall bathe in flames/lightning/poison/¡­ Advice: Consult the help section to choose your elements and trophies. An epic resistance is the minimum requirement for anchoring a gate. III) Edification of the fulcrum Finalization of the structure. Same principle as the gates, but it requires Legendary tempering and a trophy of draconic origin. Outcome Once the method is completed, your Tribulation will be tamed by your fulcrum. Assimilation and enhancement of the quality of your draconic bloodline. Assimilation of your second heart. Augmentation of your physical attributes. Perfect Foundation body. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 3,4 MEM+4 VIVA +2 Priam burst into laughter as he read the summary of the Heavenly Dragon. The benefits of this method were astounding. He was doubly thrilled. His new skill had not only fulfilled its mission but also extrapolated relevant information. For someone with no education on aether, it was a godsend. Smiling, Priam stood up. It would take him a few calm days to elevate [Aether Manipulation] to epic rank. While waiting to return to his base, he could begin his improvement. Seven epic resistances and one legendary resistance were the minimum required by the method. Could he do better? Sensing his new skill inactive, Priam gave it some tasks. He linked [Human Anatomy], [Diagnostic], and [Priam¡¯s System]. Based on my past experiences and my current body, create a training regimen to optimize my resistances. Then, review my fights and point out my mistakes. Same goes for my training. His add-on got to work while Priam opened a portal to Valaryth. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Outside, the sun was still low, promising a radiant day. Mirscella stretched out with the help of a shrub, a concentrated look on her face. Without further ado, Priam gathered his resolve and leaped from the island''s edge. The water''s surface parted beneath his flawless dive. Deciding to work on his breath, he swam away from the island in apnea. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 5 MEM+2 VIVA +1 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 8 VIT +2 META (END) +1 Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 8 STR + 1 Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 8 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 25 CONST +3 [Tribulation]: One attribute above 600 was detected in Tier 0. A third Tribulation is coming. Time: 177 days 14 hours 12 minutes 26 seconds. Twenty minutes later, a profound darkness enveloped Priam. He had plunged to a depth of two hundred and fifty meters before coming to a halt for two reasons. Firstly, he felt an uncomfortable pressure crushing his chest. [Star Iron Body] and his constitution battled against the pressure, but it was becoming bothersome. His second concern was more serious. At this depth, the water absorbed all light, leaving him blind. Only [Aether Perception] could still aid him, but he wasn''t accustomed to using the skill. To make matters worse, its level was so low that Priam wasn''t sure if he could differentiate between an animal and an algae. Yet dangerous predators lurked in the depths, and he needed to be able to spot them. How do they detect me? The question was pertinent, and [Eidetic Memory] sprang into action. Delving into his memory, it unearthed fragments of knowledge. Sharks had a keen sense of smell. Some denizens of the depths detected the electric fields emitted by their prey or predators. If he could, Priam would have growled. It was as interesting as it was useless. He had a keen sense of smell but couldn''t breathe underwater. Similarly, creating a skill capable of measuring an electric field would be costly without the proper organ. Just as he was considering focusing solely on [Aether Perception], a final memory reached him. He must have been four years old and was visiting a natural history museum with his parents. He remembered standing in front of the skeleton of a dolphin. Like many children, he had a skewed view of the mammal; his parents hadn''t taught him about the darker habits of these sometimes ruthless animals. Curious, Priam had wanted to touch the skeleton, but his father had stopped him. To divert his son¡¯s attention, Alain had translated the explanatory panel covered in unknown symbols. Letters. It hadn''t mentioned the animal''s drug-addled habits but had reported something interesting. "Dolphins navigate using echolocation," his father had read. "Based on the principle of active sonar, this ability allows them to detect prey or obstacles several hundred meters away. This sonar also enables them to attack prey from a distance by generating a strong acoustic pulse that disorients or even stuns them." "They''re incredible," Priam had replied. He hadn''t understood it all but had gazed at the skeleton with admiring eyes. His mother had then called him over to see a whale specimen, and the child had promptly forgotten about the dolphin and its sonar. Priam smiled as he recalled these events. But more than nostalgia, the memory was intriguing. With his scientific background, Priam understood the interest and advantages of echolocation very well. As the name implied, the principle was based on echoes. The animal produced a sound that bounced off surfaces before returning to it. In water, the sound wave traveled at 1 500 meters per second. In practical terms, if Priam produced a sound and heard its echo two seconds later, then the sound wave had had time to travel three kilometers round trip. So, there was an obstacle at one thousand five hundred meters. Some blind individuals on Earth used rudimentary echolocation to navigate. It allowed them to avoid certain obstacles, but not to form a clear image of their environment. The human eardrum simply wasn''t designed to detect these sounds. But my Domain can! The echolocation lead was serious and didn''t require sacrificing his Potential or growing new organs. Exulting, Priam began to ascend towards the surface. Before venturing further, he needed to test his theory and practice. A few seconds later, his vision began to improve. Within two hundred meters, the meager light was enough for him to see. He ascended for another thirty seconds before stopping. Fifteen meters above him was a school of fish. Priam''s empty stomach begged him to catch a few for breakfast. I''d have preferred a hot chocolate... I need to improve Log-a-rhythm quickly. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 9 AGI +1 Reaching the level of the shoal, Priam recognized gilt-head breams. Or their counterparts from another world. On Earth, it was a fish with delicate, white, and flavorful flesh. Smiling, Priam summoned Promesse. His spear appeared at his side with a second''s delay. Priam frowned upon seeing that a tenth of his aether reserves had just vanished. It''s because I''m underwater, he realized. The movement disturbed the fish, and they began to flee. Priam shook his head before giving chase. Despite the absence of mist, he could still use his abilities thanks to his harmony with the concept. The only difference was the tenfold cost in aether. The fish were swift swimmers. Despite his strength and agility, Priam was being outpaced. After a few seconds, he activated [Kinetic Control] and accelerated. In a matter of seconds, he caught up to the last gilt-head bream. With a thrust repeated a thousand times, he impaled it. The attack killed the fish, but Priam winced. Attacking underwater was entirely different from the surface. The tip of Promesse was adapted to the environment, but not its long haft. Because of this, the thrust had been slow, and Priam had to adjust his trajectory, further weakening the attack. The gilt-head bream was dead, but a monster like the megalodon would have survived. Priam passed through the cloud of rising blood and seized his catch. Opening a mini portal, he tossed it into his inner world and continued fishing. With a kick and aided by a kinetic charge, he found himself in the midst of the shoal. [Unrelenting Thrust] x3. With three more fish under his arm, Priam let the rest escape. He ascended quickly to the surface and took a deep breath. Towards the end of his dive, he had started to feel the lack of oxygen. Despite his extra life, there was something terrifying about being underwater without air. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 9 VIT +2 META (END) +1 Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 13 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Vitality exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! "At least I''m not suffering for nothing," he said, breathless. Each improvement allowed him to stay underwater longer and process carbon dioxide better. Surpassing five hundred points in vitality gave him a boost. Priam laughed as he tried to decipher the sensation. "I feel... younger!" he exclaimed. "If this extends lifespan, Papa absolutely needs to achieve this." Turning in a circle, Priam searched for the islet where he had left Mirscella. Between two waves, he made out the rocky peak less than two kilometers away. The portal to his inner world closed, leaving it with three more dead fish, and Priam began to swim. After ten seconds, as he was tossed by a gigantic wave, Priam stopped. His Domain had sensed something. Intrigued, Priam dove. His Supremacy detected a second vibration. A creature was approaching. Priam opened his eyes, probing the still depths. Suddenly, the black canvas shifted, revealing the approach of a juvenile megalodon. It reached the clouds of blood left by the gilt-head breams. Its sense of smell must be incredibly developed. Like sharks, I suppose. Finding nothing, the animal looked up, locking eyes with Priam. There was only one likely suspect and no more fish in sight. Clearly annoyed at having made the trip for nothing, the enormous hunter accelerated. Priam immediately understood that he would be too slow underwater. With a kick, he shot to the surface before soaring into the air using a kinetic charge. A moment later, the waters parted to allow the megalodon passage. The creature leaped almost five meters high, mouth open. Most of its body was still submerged, showing the terrifying size of the animal. Priam didn''t let the opportunity pass. Underwater, he had no chance. In the air, however... The animal had made a mistake, and Priam intended to punish it. Brandishing Promesse, he charged at the megalodon. Just before impact, three threads of aether coiled around the spear''s tip. [Tribulation Piercing Spear], [Unrelenting Thrust]. Promesse''s tip effortlessly pierced through the shark''s skin and bones before impaling its brain. The animal collapsed into the water in one final plaintive roar, creating a massive wave. The prince of the seas had just perished. Priam landed on it and began to dismember him without delay. With the help of a lance, it was particularly bloody work, but [Aether Perception] indicated the presence of a core. Thirty seconds later, as the body began to sink, Priam retrieved his reward. About the size of a pigeon''s egg, the core emitted an aura akin to the ocean. [Priam''s System] reacted. [Detection of an inferior-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is not recommended.] Another wave swallowed the carcass as Priam smiled. If the child''s core was too weak, then perhaps those of the parents would be better. It was time to bring terror to this world fragment. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 347 (+2) Constitution 604 (+5) Agility 347 (+3) Vitality 500 (+7) Perception 554 MENTAL: Vivacity 305 (+5) Dexterity 374 Memory 111 (+11) Willpower 598 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 170 (+3) Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 641 (-279) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 14 hours 8 minutes 23 seconds. Chapter 128: Echo? Echo! Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 9 STR + 1 The sun watched the waves crash against the reefs. Most were natural, simple rocky peaks rising above the sand. However, one obstacle had caught Priam''s attention: a wreck. The discovery of the weathered wooden carcass of an old ship had initially surprised him, before he recalled his arrival. He had landed on a beach bordered by the ocean on one side and a city on the other. This fragment of the world had once sheltered a civilization. Perhaps it still does. The exploration of the wreck had been as brief as it was disappointing. The ship was in ruins, and nothing more than the structure had survived. Priam couldn''t estimate its age, but the hull was wooden. In fairly good condition - as good as a hull resting on the ocean floor could be - it must have sunk recently. At most a century ago. That meant intelligent creatures had used this sailboat in the near past. Their descendants must still be here... The wreck was as small as it was empty, and Priam quickly forgot about it. Nevertheless, he decided to stay in the vicinity because the location intrigued him. Less than five hundred meters from his base island, the wreck was surrounded by reefs that broke the sea. With a seabed less than thirty meters deep and obstacles as massive as they were visible, it was a prime spot for honing his future echolocation skills. And so, Priam found himself sitting cross-legged on the mast of the wreck. He was ready to unlock this skill, and the thought pleased him. Who didn''t enjoy training and discovering new abilities? To him, it was the silver lining of this new world. Closing his eyes to focus, Priam began by recalling the basic principle of echolocation. First, he had to emit a sound wave. According to physics, sound is a mechanical vibration propagating through a medium. The only difference between air and water was that the speed of sound was four times higher in water. So, his skill would be more effective underwater than on land. Next, the emitted wave would bounce off nearby obstacles before returning to him. He would then need to pick up these sound signals. Typically, this was the role of the eardrums, which captured sounds before amplifying and transmitting them to the inner ear. At the end of it, hair cells transformed the mechanical deformation into nerve impulses that the brain could understand. Here, it was impossible; humans didn''t have ears sensitive enough to detect ultrasonic waves. Priam would have to receive these waves using his Domain. Finally, he would need to translate this information to create a mental image of his environment. This will surely be the most challenging part... Still underwater, with the ocean currents caressing his skin, Priam smiled. All his school years weren''t in vain! Without his high school biology and university physics classes, he would have probably had to spend Potential to create an echolocation skill. This would be his last resort. After all, his Potential was diminishing rapidly, and without a quest, it would be difficult to accumulate more. I wonder how much I can save. Potential - Skill Creation Please think about the skill you want to create. The Concepts will help you in its design. Current potential: 641 Priam contemplated echolocation, and the System offered him a price. Potential required: 92 Create skill? "I''m the wealthiest human, and yet I''m poor," Priam sighed in his head. "Enough wasted time, it''s time to test the theory." Keeping his eyes and mouth closed, Priam vibrated his vocal cords. Their vibration transmitted through the water, and Priam felt the wave travel through his Domain. The speed of sound was very fast, but the Supremacy, his perception, and quickness allowed him to keep up. This reassured him because it was the prerequisite for developing his technique. Priam waited a second before grimacing. He hadn''t felt the echo return. Not surprising with all this noise. Every second, his sphere of authority detected hundreds of different vibrations, from the crashing waves to ocean currents, or Priam''s own heartbeat. Mentally, he focused on the interfering sounds, attempting to ignore them. If the brain could ignore its own scent or the beat of its heart, then it should be able to filter out these sounds. Easier said than done... Eyes still closed and lungs stopped, Priam delved deep within himself. His Domain captured an abundance of signals and particles - light, waves, molecules, atoms, and aether. Activating [Frozen Meditation], Priam became a spectator of his own body. How could he ignore these parameters? Within the isolated confines of his skill, the answer seemed simple. It¡¯s a matter of willpower. Breaking his meditation, Priam gathered this peculiar attribute. It was difficult to quantify his will. It didn''t make him procrastinate any less, for instance. Yet, when he tried to grasp it to imprint his will on his Domain and mind, it responded. Some interfering signals disappeared, but his Domain still picked up sound waves. Priam then had an idea. Why not use his add-on? He remembered his physics lessons, particularly Fourier Transforms, an elegant method for analyzing and decomposing sounds. His system activated, easily filtering sounds using mathematics before sending back to his brain only the important signals. I should have thought of it right away, I¡¯m so fucking stupid! Smiling, Priam briefly surfaced, looking for a breath of air. Thirty seconds later, he was back on his mast. Without wasting any time, he attempted to vibrate his vocal cords again. His Domain captured the emitted wave, then received several returning waves. Echoes. The first step was a success, and Priam smiled. He repeated it several times to better grasp this new sense. Quickly, his face darkened. The waves he received were... raw, for lack of a better word. Instinctively, he sensed there wasn''t much to glean from them. Before trying to force the issue, Priam took a few seconds to think. There has to be a physical explanation. [Eidetic Memory] trembled, immersing him in his memories. At twelve, while waiting for his mother at the doctor''s office, he had read a scientific journal about dolphins. These masters of underwater echolocation used frequencies higher than 100 kHz to locate their prey within a hundred meters. A few years later, in a wildlife documentary, he learned that at greater distances, dolphins used frequencies lower than 60 kHz. Pleased to have chosen [Eidetic Memory], Priam drew a conclusion from these anecdotes. The frequency of waves was proportional to precision. The higher the frequency, the more accurate the tracking. The lower it was, the farther the wave traveled. Lvl Up: [Physics - Wave] lvl 2 VIVA +3 The level-up of one of his oldest skills - unlocked during the Tutorial to test the System - reassured Priam. He was on the right track. If I want precision, I''ll need frequencies higher than 20 kHz. It was bad news, as it was the maximum frequency of human vocal cords. Fortunately for Priam, he wasn''t entirely human anymore. Closing his eyes again, he vibrated his vocal cords, reaching for higher pitches. The higher the pitch, the higher the frequency. Quickly, Priam reached and surpassed the human limit. His agility and race evolution had altered his vocal cords. Smiling, Priam used his dexterity to push his voice further. Eventually, the sound disappeared. Faced with this new problem, Priam put on a blas¨¦ expression. My ears aren''t sensitive enough to detect these frequencies! From the start, Priam suspected this would be the case. Since the beginning of the Reunion, he hadn''t noticed significant changes in the sound spectrum. His heightened perception increased his hearing sensitivity, not his hearing range. Perhaps by surpassing 1000 in perception? Stopping his vocal exercises, Priam surfaced. It was time to do things properly. His voice could reach beyond 20 kHz, but could it reach 100 kHz? If so, he needed to know when. He couldn''t continue training without knowing the frequency of the sounds he was emitting. Dolphins managed to navigate without ever hearing the word "frequency" in their lives, but he didn''t have their instinct or physique. Summoning his Domain, Priam linked it to [Priam¡¯s System]. Treading water, tossed from crest to trough by the waves, Priam vibrated his vocal cords. His sphere of authority recorded the sound waves and sent the results to [Priam¡¯s System]. Like an oscilloscope, his new skill provided him with the exact frequency of the sound waves he produced. Perfect. Satisfied, Priam dove back underwater. Perched on the mast of the wreck like a lookout seeking a ship on the horizon, he tested his vocal cords. His add-on monitored his abilities in real-time. In seconds, Priam reached 100 kHz, only to realize he had difficulty maintaining a steady frequency. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Without a moment''s discouragement, Priam summoned Micro. The Supremacy, on the edge of evolution, allowed him to pinpoint the exact movement required for a given frequency. Smiling, Priam resumed his quest. He was on the brink of a breakthrough. Eyes closed, he created a sound wave similar to that of dolphins. Less than a second later, his Domain captured the return of the wave - its echo. A second signal, then a third followed the first. Priam analyzed these returns. Thanks to the time difference between signal emission and reception, Priam could easily calculate the distance to the obstacle. The first signal came from below - it was the boat. Beyond the signal''s position, it made sense since the ship was the closest obstacle to Priam. The subsequent signals had to correspond to the more or less distant rocks. His echolocation was still very rudimentary, but it worked! Priam attempted the experiment a second time, then a third. His sphere of authority detected the sound waves, but his brain struggled to transform the Domain''s information into a mental image. It was like trying to translate music into an image... Priam spent over an hour trying and failing each time. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 10 VIT +2 META (END) +1 As the sun approached its zenith, Priam decided to take a break. Training without results was demoralizing. Grimacing, he leaned against the mast and propelled himself upwards. Breaking the water''s surface, Priam took a deep breath. The sun was still high in the sky. He swam towards a rock that rose a few meters above the ocean and climbed it. Once at the top, he lay down to reflect on his morning. "I''m almost there. I just need the final step..." A crucial step. His Domain detected sound waves and their direction. It was enough to navigate in space. So, how could he convince his brain to create a three-dimensional plan from this data? Despite all his quick thinking, Priam''s mind refused to recognize these vibrations as images. Must I spend my Potential to bridge this last difficulty? Priam was reluctant. He had managed to overcome all the other obstacles, should he admit defeat now? And yet, unless he spent months altering the plasticity of his brain, he felt that echolocation would remain impossible. His mind categorically rejected this final step. After much thought, an idea emerged. "What if I added an intermediary?" It was a good idea. With a bound, Priam plunged towards his island. He used his kinetic charges after a few tens of meters, too excited to swim. Skimming the water at the speed of a car, he burst into laughter, leaping from wave to wave. A few seconds later, he reached the cave hidden beneath the island. Priam positioned himself at the center before invoking [Moon Mist]. In a matter of seconds, his mist covered the cavern. Priam then closed his eyes and activated [Frozen Meditation]. A perfect mental image of the cave appeared. His mist adhered to every surface, from floor to ceiling. Priam connected his mist to [Priam¡¯s System]. If his brain couldn''t transform a vibration into an image, perhaps his personal artificial intelligence could? Using Micro, he produced a very short sound wave, around 80 microseconds. The wave moved through space, and Priam followed its path. It bounced off the walls of the cave before traversing his Domain. Priam smiled. [Priam¡¯s System] now had an example of data. On one side, the cave''s layout; on the other, the measurements from the Domain. The skill vibrated. "Not enough data to create a model? No problem," Priam laughed. This request meant his skill was capable of displaying the results of his echolocation. Satisfied, he headed for the surface to collect more data. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 10 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] Lvl 10 AGI +1 Two hours later, Priam was exploring yet another island. The fifth one. [Priam¡¯s System] had displayed a loading bar after scanning the entirety of the first island. The skill had gathered 20% of the data needed to master echolocation. Priam suspected that his add-on would have already unlocked the skill if he had coughed up 1000 POT instead of 300. Unlike general artificial intelligence, deep learning required a hefty volume of data. Nevertheless, Priam wasn''t bothered. He relished watching that bar progress. As he finished his final scan, Priam grinned. The loading bar had just ticked over from 99% to 100%. [Terrestrial echolocation model completed.] Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] Lvl 6,7 MEM +4 VIVA +2 Priam stepped back a few paces and activated Micro. A 110 kHz wave sprang forth from his throat, rippling out before him. Less than a second later, his Domain picked up the echo, and his add-on translated it. The skill relayed the results to Priam in an instant. For a moment, it felt as if he were perceiving the immediate surroundings as though he''d conjured his mist. The sensation faded over time. Producing another sound, Priam refreshed it. The only difference was a few leaves on a bush that had rustled thanks to the breeze. "It works!" he exclaimed. You have gained the skill: [Echolocation - Rare]. [Echolocation] - Much like a bat or a dolphin, you can now see with your voice. There''s still a journey ahead before mastering this art, but you can be proud of yourself. Using your own system and advanced mathematical concepts, you''ve overcome your biological limitations. You''ve earned this skill, which will enable you to continue your journey. You''re accumulating quite a few perception skills now... PERC +2 DEXT +1 For the next minute, Priam reveled in darting from one end of the island to the other, spamming his new skill. Aside from the passive cost of [Priam¡¯s System], the cost in aether was nil, and the skill was excellent. He was now ready to reel in some big fish. Upon reaching the edge of the island, Priam took a deep breath and dove in. Lvl Up: [Echolocation] Lvl 2 PERC +2 DEXT +1 The light vanished as pressure enveloped him like a wrestler''s embrace. According to his add-on, Priam was four hundred meters deep. He had calmly followed the ocean floor, getting used to his new skill. The speed of sound in water and air was different, and it took several minutes for his system to catch up. It was now up to speed, and Priam wore a self-satisfied look as he explored the abyss. Around him, there was only a slope of sand sinking into the depths, some seaweed and fish, and a multitude of rocks. His first goal was to unlock the next Title, reaching five hundred meters deep. The second was to learn to fight underwater. The world must have heard his wish, as a second later, a wave struck his Domain. Priam lowered the frequency of his echoes and turned to his right. Spamming his skill, he noticed a massive shape. With each echo, the unknown creature drew closer. One hundred meters. Fifty meters. Thirty meters. Was he in danger? Should he flee? Despite the absence of light, Priam tried to identify his adversary. [Identification] [Adult Megalodon - Tier 0 - Viscount] - Its name means "Big Tooth." One of the largest and most powerful predators to ever exist on earth, this monster is a small fish around here. Physically powerful, weighing over a hundred tons, it smells the blood of its prey from miles away. Delicious in sushi. If it''s self-defense, don''t feel gill-ty. A smile on his lips, Priam summoned Promesse. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 350 (+3) Constitution 604 Agility 349 (+2) Vitality 503 (+3) Perception 559 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 310 (+5) Dexterity 378 (+4) Memory 116 (+5) Willpower 598 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 171 (+1) Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 656 (+15) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 10 hours 42 minutes 27 seconds. Chapter 129: The Child of Charybdis The megalodon was closing in fast. On land, Priam would have attempted a preemptive strike by launching Promesse. Underwater, he doubted he could seriously injure the monster before him. The creature was now just a few meters away, its jaws wide open. In a defensive stance, Priam waited for the last moment. A massive tooth penetrated his Domain. Now! Priam activated [Kinetic Control]. Caught between two formidable forces, the tooth snapped, barely slowing down the monster. Priam''s Domain then covered its mouth, absorbing as much kinetic energy as possible. The megalodon''s momentum diminished, but it didn''t stop entirely. With his left hand, Priam grabbed the creature''s snout and let himself be pulled backward. The human was out of reach of its teeth, but the megalodon wasn''t stupid. With its mouth still open, the predator began to suck in water. Priam felt a powerful current guiding him towards the gaping maw. Flexing his muscles, he resisted the pull by holding onto the snout. Summoning a second instance of [Kinetic Control], Priam froze the water before him. A moment later, a massive block of ice appeared in the monster''s mouth. Instantly, the current ceased, and the Viscount thrashed about. Like a stopper, the ice block was lodged in the shark''s trachea. A land mammal would have choked, but the megalodon breathed through gills. The ice wouldn''t be enough to suffocate it. With this in mind, Priam had an idea. As the shark struggled, momentarily forgetting about the human, Priam moved towards its right gills. Brandishing Promesse, he waited for the right moment to strike it forcefully on the respiratory organ. Despite his considerable strength, the spear only penetrated about ten centimeters. That''ll do. Without wasting a moment, Priam channeled his kinetic energy to agitate the molecules on the surface of his spear¡¯s blade. Superheated, the tip instantly cauterized the wound in a cloud of steam and blood. This gill would never breathe again. Nine more to go. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 43 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 The megalodon let out a terrifying sound, wracked with pain, before turning to retaliate. With surprising agility for its size, it attempted to bite Priam. He struck the foe with his spear to push it back. The shark''s teeth measured over twenty centimeters each, and Priam had no desire to test his constitution against the force of its jaws. His policy was to only take winning bets. The Viscount retreated slightly, a mere nick on its snout. Its cruel little eyes assessed Priam. The light emitted by Promesse allowed Priam to see these details. A light that would undoubtedly attract all predators in the vicinity... Grimacing, Priam stopped channeling his thermal energy. Promesse''s steel cooled, and darkness once again swallowed the two adversaries. The megalodon was at a standstill, and Priam understood it was hesitating. On his part, Priam was pleased that his skill could finally manipulate thermal energy. His level allowed him to easily create attacks at high or low temperatures. Priam refocused on his opponent. He should have killed the Viscount much sooner, but the aquatic environment was problematic. The viscosity of water created enormous friction. Priam''s last attack had barely scratched his opponent, even though he had used all his muscle power. Suddenly, the megalodon turned and fled. Caught off guard, Priam took a second before leaping forward. No way he was letting it get away. He could win this fight. Activating [Kinetic Control] and [Swimming], Priam set off in pursuit of the Viscount. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] Lvl 11 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Echolocation] Lvl 3 PERC +2 DEXT +1 The aquatic monster was fast. Very fast. Despite his skills, Priam was losing ground. After about twenty seconds, his opponent was more than fifty meters ahead. The Viscount had to possess a movement skill. Friction resistance? Enhanced swimming? Damn, it''s going to escape at this rate. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 11 STR +1 Closing his eyes, Priam connected to the mist concept. His aether reserves began to plummet as the ocean turned a milky white. An ethereal mist overlayed reality. The next second, Priam rode it. A moment later, a steam explosion erupted on the megalodon''s right side. Priam appeared, his left hand gripping the gills. In his other hand, he held his overheated spear and struck. The megalodon screamed as it performed a barrel roll. Without hesitation, Priam continued to attack, ruining the right gills of the animal and cauterizing the wounds. For an immortal like Priam, preventing an enemy''s regeneration was one of his priorities. The megalodon was massive and likely possessed an enhanced regeneration skill. Cauterization would prevent it from using it. Priam ran his hand over the mutilated gills to check his work. Satisfied, he began to move towards the left side of the monster. Suddenly, his Domain recorded a fluctuation. A high-pressure water blade was about to decapitate him. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam absorbed the kinetic energy of the attack. Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 11 VIT +2 META (END) +1 The level-up reminded Priam that his time underwater was limited. He put that thought aside as a dozen blades attacked simultaneously. Absorbing the kinetic energy provided by his opponent, Priam continued to advance on the back of the monster. As long as the attacks were below a certain intensity, his skill made him immune to purely mechanical attacks. Priam eventually reached the left gills. Promesse lit up once again, turning the nearby water into steam. [Unrelenting Thrust] x8. Level Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] Lvl 4 STR +3 All the gills were now ruined. Priam clung to the monster''s back and absorbed its attacks. Now, every movement the animal made consumed its oxygen and brought it closer to death. It took about ten minutes for the megalodon to lose its vigor. During that time, Priam had used [Frozen Meditation] to conserve his oxygen. Using Micro, he had slowed down the pace of his body to preserve this precious resource. Without it, he would have had to surface to breathe, losing his prey in the process. Unthinkable. Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 24 PERC +2 WILL +1 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 12 VIT +2 META (END) +1 The attacks gradually ceased, allowing Priam to focus on the ambient pressure. If the animal had tried to dive deep, he wouldn''t have been able to follow. Fortunately, the megalodon must not have liked great depths and stayed above five hundred meters. Eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds after the start of the battle, the creature passed away. Priam ensured it with [Aether Perception] as the corpse started its descent. When an animal died, its spirit vanished, and its body lost its defenses. The skill could then locate the monster''s core. It was found in the brain, and Priam set about dissecting the corpse. He remarked that the core''s position seemed to vary from monster to monster, even when they belonged to the same species. I wonder if it has to do with the meridians... Priam noted his reflection while continuing his bloody work. It took him almost a minute to reach the crystal. The corpse was so massive that Priam had to dislodge the core with Promesse''s help, then manipulate it with his Domain. When he pulled it out of the body, Priam grabbed it and let his add-on examine it. [Detection of an inferior-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is not recommended.] Oh? Same sentence as for the juvenile. Heavenly Dragon considered a Viscount''s core as inferior. Priam graciously accepted this result. Building a house with straw or earth was possible, but even if the second material was better than the first, it didn''t match reinforced concrete. Priam smiled as he reread the notification. The more picky his method was, the more impressive the result would be. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. But I''ll need to kill at least some Earls for the gates... And a Marquess for the fulcrum? Or perhaps a Duke? His instinct told him he wouldn''t like the answer to his question, and Priam preferred to refocus. The megalodon''s corpse continued to slowly sink into the abyss, and he had no idea of his position anymore. After all, the Viscount had swum very quickly for over ten minutes. His add-on informed him. [Distance traveled: 23,056 meters. Current depth: 488 meters.] Damn. He was very far from his starting position. Without his system, he would have certainly struggled to find Mirscella. Despite his burning lungs, Priam decided to stay on the corpse to reach the five hundred meters depth and thus improve his Title. The seconds ticked by until he surpassed an invisible threshold. Title upgraded! [Ocean Diver - Bronze] becomes [Atlantis Citizen - Silver]. Congratulations! [Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - You continue to delve into the seas, seeking adventure. Capable of enduring great depths, your bravery draws the Ocean¡¯s favor. With one hand they reward you, with the other, they challenge you. Will you continue to descend? Increases the learning speed of underwater skills. AGI +20% Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Friction Resistance] x5. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] Lvl 12,...,16 AGI +5 Instantly, Priam pushed with his legs, using the corpse as a springboard to rocket back to the surface. His lungs burned, and his strength was leaving him. Using his kinetic charges and the new enhancement of [Friction Resistance], he sliced through the water at the speed of a torpedo. Suddenly, [Echolocation] reacted. Something was approaching from the depths. Something enormous. A moment later, the megalodon''s corpse disappeared, swallowed by an ocean''s titan. What the hell is that thing? The calamity continued on its path, catching up to Priam. A primal terror, the kind one felt when lost alone at sea, thinking of the horrors beneath, seized Priam. As his brain desperately lacked oxygen, he used his remaining strength to merge with his mist, making a hundred-meter leap. His aether reserves dropped to zero, but Priam continued to swim. Drawing from his kinetic reserves, he accelerated beyond the safe limit. The water pressure distorted his skin, and tried to tuck his head into his neck. His cervical vertebrae began to twist, but fear made him ignore the pain. At two hundred meters from the surface, his add-on vibrated. According to its calculations, the monster would catch up to him before he could reach the surface. Dammit! If this thing eats me, [He Who Eludes Death] or not, it''s over! He would resurrect in a stomach only to die again. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 12 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Echolocation] Lvl 4 PERC +2 DEXT +1 Priam didn''t have many solutions. It was too late to charge a draconic Breath, and his aether reserves were empty. He was left with only two options. The first was drastic: to commit suicide and escape with his spiritual body, leaving his physical shell behind. The problem was that Priam''s instinct told him the creature would sense his spirit. He had no desire to entrust it to a Lovecraftian creature. The second solution was almost as insane. Mentally, Promesse trembled, offering its help. His partner suggested that he leave it in the monster''s mouth and detonate it. Priam gritted his teeth, continuing to swim. He would only sacrifice his spear as a last resort, not before. At a hundred and fifty meters from the surface, light reached him. Priam looked behind him and swore. The titan was a vision of horror, a fusion of a giant lobster and Cthulhu''s offspring. Its size was titanic, and its mouth could swallow an adult megalodon without flinching. [Identification] [Charybdis¡¯ descendant - Tier 1 - Earl] - The seventh ocean¡¯s terror. Holy... Priam felt his terror take shape and activated [Emotional Discipline]. Mastering his fear, he called upon Hecate''s New Moon. In the Colosseum, his mutation had managed to halt space and time to block the cursed armor boss. Priam needed only a few seconds to survive and was willing to sacrifice an eye for it. His eye remained silent. One hundred and twenty meters below the surface, Priam began to panic. He had no idea what the true nature of his mythological mutation was, or how to use it. Perhaps there was a connection with [Moon Mist]? The last time, it was his Tribulation that had awakened Hecate''s New Moon. Now, he was in mortal danger, yet his second heart remained silent. Damn it! As panic clashed with his [Emotional Discipline], Priam made a drastic decision. A nightmarish creature was preparing to devour him, sealing his fate in the process. There was no time for methodical plans. To awaken his Tribulation, he was ready for a risky gamble. Priam raised Promesse and resolutely plunged its tip straight into his second heart. The organ exploded, destroying the structure created by the System to contain the affinity Priam had stolen. Deep within him, Tribulation awoke. In a moment of epiphany created by the destruction of his draconic bloodline''s seat, Priam guided this indomitable power to his eye. A black moon replaced his pupil. The celestial body emitted white and black rays that froze the world. Priam found himself immobilized, just like the monster, in a monochromatic scene. Nothing moved except thoughts. The world had lost its colors and its reality. A concept lurked in his eye, and when it emerged, reality trembled. Unfortunately, this was not a power that Priam really mastered. Only the Tribulation contained in his bloodline allowed him to use it temporarily. The ocean fell silent as man and monster locked eyes. Suddenly, Priam felt a consciousness shatter against his Domain, and his mind fractured. The moon housed in his eye quivered. The titan was fighting against its influence. A second passed, then two. The monochrome world exploded, and Priam''s pupil split. The waning moon receded and reality took over. His groan of agony was drowned out by the monster''s roar. At eighty meters below the surface, Priam''s vision blurred, and he swallowed water. His brain was starved of oxygen, his right eye was ruined, and his aether reserves were depleted. Priam''s left eye conveyed a vision of horror. Charybdis'' descendant was so massive that it filled his entire field of view. The creature opened its mouth and sucked in. Mobilizing his last reserves of strength, Priam resolved to play his last card. After the Moon, the Sun. At that very moment, a hand landed on his shoulder. Startled, Priam lost focus and fell unconscious. As he felt his brain disconnect, his weary mind took over to observe the scene. The monster''s mental attack had shaken his Domain, injuring his mind. Behind him stood a man in his fifties. No, not a man, he corrected himself. The individual had blue-gray scales and gills. With an impressive beard, he looked noble. The most striking thing was his piercing gaze, which seemed to see directly into Priam''s soul. He finally averted his eyes to focus on the monster. "Ehola Charybdis eyu," he said. Priam had no idea how the stranger managed to speak clearly underwater, but he wasn''t done surprising him. With a snap of his fingers, the merfolk created an air tunnel to the surface. Without another glance, he catapulted Priam''s body. Shooting up the tunnel at breakneck speed, Priam reached the surface in a second, losing sight of the combatants. The stranger had propelled him with force, and his body soared nearly a hundred meters high before coming to a stop. At the peak of his trajectory, Priam scanned the surroundings. Dozens of ships braved the ocean, their red and black sails cutting through the blue sea. Priam spotted several people looking up at him, pointing. His body began to descend. Using the healing power of [Three-Headed Hydra], Priam restored his second heart. Up in the air, Micro forced his stomach to expel the water he had unfortunately ingested. As he approached the ocean''s surface, his body began to regain its strength, and Priam hesitated. Should he use [Kinetic Control] and flee to the island where Mirscella awaited him? Or was it in his best interest to meet these people? His thoughts were interrupted when a shockwave lifted the water''s surface by nearly twenty meters. If someone had told Priam that a small nuclear bomb had just exploded, he would have believed it. The underwater battle was extremely violent. The boats fell back, and the sails began to glow. Within a five-hundred-meter radius, the water''s surface abruptly flattened, canceling out the effects of the explosion. The waves disappeared, and the boats resumed their course, moving away from the combat site. A second shockwave lifted the sea almost a kilometer further. At the end of his fall, Priam''s body struck the water. The impact awakened his body, forcing his exhausted mind to merge with it once more. Priam opened his valid eye and spotted a boat approaching. A young man got rid of his tunic before diving into the sea. Seeing him swim in his direction, Priam let himself be carried away by unconsciousness. Recent events had exhausted him, and he needed rest. From the sailors'' perspective, it was the second time they would save his life. He decided to trust them. I hope it''s not to execute me in some ritual afterward... The young stranger lifted his head out of the water and shouted something as Priam lost consciousness. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 357 (+7) Constitution 604 Agility 383 (+34) Vitality 508 (+5) Perception 566 (+7) MENTAL: Vivacity 312 (+2) Dexterity 383 (+5) Memory 116 Willpower 599 (+1) Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 173 (+2) Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 679 (+23) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 10 hours 28 minutes 24 seconds. Chapter 130: The Rehms The pitch and roll of the ship roused Priam. Born by the Atlantic, he had long conquered seasickness. As he opened his eyes, a smile unexpectedly graced Priam''s face. It had been ages since he was cradled by the ocean''s embrace. Suddenly, memories flooded back. The return to Elysium, Kazuki and Dishnu, the Brood Mother, and this new world. The descendant of Charybdis. He straightened up hurriedly. "I... Where am I?" Priam murmured, discovering an unfamiliar place. He had been swathed in a blanket and laid in a hammock. Looking around, he found himself in the low cabin of a ship. The decor was modest, with a few fishing nets hung on the walls and shark teeth as trophies. Priam spotted two intriguing items. The first was a kind of world map embedded with luminescent monster cores. His add-on recorded it. The second item was more mundane. A frame of driftwood adorned a painting depicting two parents and their three children. [Eidetic Memory] activated as it analyzed the faces. The young boy in the painting must have grown, for he bore a striking resemblance to the young man who had saved him. I''m in a bedroom, Priam realized. The only furniture in the room was a low table riveted to the floor and a small wardrobe overflowing with clothes. This room was inhabited by a single person, or possibly a couple. A large horizontal window ran the length of the room, offering a view of the outside. Priam leaned in, almost tipping the hammock. He steadied himself with a hand on the wall and pressed his nose against the window. Outside, dozens of boats were anchored near an island. His island. If they''re treating me this well, I suppose Mirscella must be fine. Damn, I wasn''t very kind to her, was I? He could have died at sea and left her stuck in this world for two months... Footsteps approached, and Priam turned toward the cabin''s entrance. A small staircase led to a closed door, which swung open. A teen merfolk - whom he identified as his savior - entered the cabin, smiling at him. "Slept well?" the merfolk quipped. "I..." Priam didn''t know how to respond. He could understand the strange language his interlocutor had used. Yet, he knew he hadn''t known it before he passed out. Can I learn a language while sleeping now? All these thoughts took only a fraction of a second. Priam responded before an awkward silence could settle in. "Yes," he articulated. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. I''m in your debt." The foreign language relied heavily on sounds produced using his tongue without his lungs, like clicks. Fortunately for Priam, Micro and his dexterity allowed him to master this new language right away. "No problem," chuckled the merfolk. "You must be hungry; we''ll be dining soon. Mother''s cooking fish, will that do?" "I love fish!" It was a half-lie, depending on the species of fish. But here, it didn''t matter. If his savior''s mother had prepared a meal, he certainly wouldn''t insult her by being picky. "My mother''s fish is the best. By the way, the Chief wants to speak with you as soon as you wake up, so expect to see him in a few minutes," the merfolk warned. "Very well. By the way, my name is Priam." "And I''m Urr. Help yourself with my clothes." With these words, his young savior turned on his heels and left. Priam lowered his gaze and understood Urr''s last sentence. He was shirtless. The garment woven by Alberto Boss, the master tailor, hadn''t held up in his encounter with the descendant of Charybdis. The enchantments applied had surely given way during the final clash. Pushing aside the blanket, Priam leaped from the hammock and headed for the wardrobe. Inside were dozens of outfits. In seconds, Priam chose a wide-legged eastern pirate trouser. It was a safe bet that no pirate had ever worn something similar, but it amused Priam to imagine it that way. As for the top, Priam selected a hybrid of a vest and a light white linen shirt. His savior had worn something similar, and he liked the style. Plus, the temperatures were too mild to require anything warmer. While donning the navy blue pants and the shirt, Priam checked his notifications. You have gained the skill : [Rehm Language - Rare]. [Rehm Language] - There aren''t many people left in Valaryth who practice this language. Based on the Sea Concept, it can be spoken underwater easily. Handy. With it, you could have wooed Ariel without her losing her voice... Too bad she prefered Princes to Earls. MEM +2 DEXT +1 New Quest: Charybdis¡¯ enemy The goddess birthed many children during her war campaigns. Cleanse this world of the offspring that attacked you. Reward: Potential +500. Stolen Concept Fragment. Difficulty: Legendary Maximum time: 59 Days I wonder if it''s fifty-nine days from now or only in this world... The next notification provided more context on how he had learned the Rehm language. Lvl Up: [Priam''s System] lvl 8 MEM +2 VIVA +1 [Unconscious duration: 4 hours 46 minutes 13 seconds. Health: Cursed right eye. Slight hunger. Slight stress.] Seeing his add-on level up, Priam understood. He had asked his system to constantly analyze his surroundings for danger. To check if their intentions were hostile, his system had deciphered the language of his saviors. Satisfied with his skill, Priam had an idea. New command: Monitor my mental state continuously. If my behavior becomes suspicious, then send me an alarm. Use [Eidetic Memory] to define suspicious behavior. The system recorded his command, and Priam smiled before making an amendment. If I continue to act strangely without providing a logical explanation AND if [He Who Eludes Death] is primed, then use [Kinetic Control] to boil my brain. His add-on validated the command, and Priam felt more secure. He preferred suicide to a mental manipulation he wouldn''t realize. His current command had flaws - the notion of suspicious behavior could be fuzzy - but these would gradually be patched by his skill as it gained experience. Once dressed, Priam decided to go up on deck. Exiting the cabin, he arrived in a narrow corridor. A delightful scent of fish wafted in the air, and his stomach grumbled. At the end of the corridor, three steps led to a half-open sliding panel. Priam opened it fully and blinked, momentarily blinded by the sun. The sky was blue above black and red sails. A few seagulls crossed a cloudless sky, crying out. Priam surveyed his surroundings. He was on a boat about fifteen meters long, its deck covered in ropes. Urr, the young man whose clothes he currently wore, was sewing a sail. He raised his hand when he saw Priam, and Priam returned the gesture. Joyful children''s cries drew his attention. All around Priam, young ones were swimming and diving between the boats. The grown-ups stepped aside, letting them dash about with amused grins on their faces. The merfolks - or were they Rehm? - bore a resemblance to humans, albeit with aquatic attributes. The main divergence, if one disregarded the gills and scales, was the hue of their hair. Every shade of the sea seemed to be present. As Priam watched a child hop from one boat to another, he couldn''t help but appreciate the tribe''s atmosphere. There was a certain disorder, but it coexisted harmoniously with a great freedom. His attention was drawn to a girl climbing a mast three boats away. Laughter filled the air as a boy attempted to catch up with her. It was a heartening sight, for happy, carefree children were a sign of a certain prosperity. When their gazes met, she pointed and let out a shrill cry. With the grace of a swan taking flight, she leaped, vanishing from view. Two heartbeats later, a shadow emerged from beneath a neighboring boat, gliding toward the water''s surface before vaulting into the air. Two small hands grasped the railing, and in an instant, the turquoise-haired girl stood before Priam. "You''re a foreigner!" she affirmed. Priam crouched to her level, a smile gracing his face. "I''m far from home, that''s true. My name is Priam. What might yours be?" This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "I''m Coqyi. Do you live on land? Is that why you don''t have gills? Does that make us enemies?" "Whoa, one question at a time, alright? Otherwise, I might forget the first ones," Priam grinned. With his memory, it was unlikely to happen, but if it could stop the flood of questions, he was ready to lie a bit. "So you have a bad memory, like my grandma. It''s because you''re old. I''ll start again: do you live on land?" she said with exaggerated articulations. The pity in the child''s eyes irked Priam. "I''m twenty-three, you brat. I live on land, but not this one. Well, right now, I''m more of a wanderer..." "Like us then!" The girl glanced left and right before leaning in. "We move often to escape space storms," she whispered. "Can I ask why you''re whispering, young Coqyi?" A column of water rose beside the boat before condensing, revealing the owner of the voice. The merfolk who had exchanged blows with Charybdis¡¯ descendant leaped onto the boat. Priam acknowledged his savior with a nod. He didn''t seem injured but his scarred body proved he was a veteran. "Go help with the festivities instead of spreading rumors, will you?" the stranger gently chided. "Yes, Chief!" Coqyi replied, saluting endearingly. She turned on her heels and sprinted to the edge of the boat. "See you later!" she called before diving. "She''s energetic," the Chief remarked. "That''s an understatement," Priam agreed. "Thank you for saving me, by the way." "I hold no love for those creatures." The Chief studied him in silence for a few moments. "We need to talk, you and I. Have a seat," he said, arranging himself into a cross-legged position. The merfolk was stronger than Priam, had saved him, and seemed to be a respected leader. That was enough for Priam to agree to a discussion. Once both were seated, the old warrior began to speak. "My name is Titus, and I''m the Chief of this tribe. And you''re a foreigner." Titus''s last statement had been an assertion rather than a question. Was being a foreigner a bad thing? It hadn''t seemed to faze Coqyi. "Pleasure to meet you, Titus, and thank you for saving my life. I''m Priam, and I come from another world," he confirmed. "Which one?" "Elysium." A gleam shone in Titus''s eyes. "From the Universe of the Seven Concepts. They''re the ones who destroyed my world." Priam hurried to correct him. "I come from a different Universe altogether. My civilization was abducted by the Concepts three weeks ago. I have nothing to do with the war that destroyed this world." The last thing Priam wanted was to have to fight - and likely die - against his savior due to a misunderstanding. Titus burst into laughter. "My great-grandfather wasn''t even born when the war ended. I know you have nothing to do with it. Honestly, the animosity toward foreigners died out centuries ago. After all, we''re all trapped in this fragment of a world. I even suspect my grandmother to have some alien blood running through her veins." "That''s good to hear," Priam replied. "However, that still doesn''t explain how you got here. Did the Concepts open a passage?" Titus asked. The Chief seemed both concerned and¡­ hopeful? "I went through a rift," Priam answered. "Which one?" "It''s on the beach, near the city," Priam said, indicating the correct direction. "I know that rift," Titus sighed. "You sound disappointed." "We don''t have your System; there''s no passage for us there," Titus shrugged. The merfolk''s face held an air of despair. Priam had played enough RPGs to recognize his moment. "Perhaps I can help?" he offered. Titus looked him straight in the eyes for a moment. Priam felt something touch his Domain before withdrawing. "You''re too weak," Titus declared. "Come back when you can defeat one of Charybdis'' descendants, and we''ll talk." "One of the descendants? This monster isn''t alone?" Priam had just received a quest to rid the world of this creature and was eager for information. "This monster has six other unfortunate sisters. You were unlucky enough to encounter one; they usually haunt the depths. The megalodon''s blood you spilled must have attracted it," Titus explained. "It''s a rare delicacy for them." The information surprised Priam. Given the creature''s strength, it should have had no trouble dispatching a megalodon. Titus noticed his surprise. "The Dragon protects these creatures." Priam felt his heart race. A Dragon?! "Don''t worry," Titus smiled. "The Dragon ensures the balance of the oceans. You''re a Tier 0, so as long as you don''t wipe out an entire species, you have nothing to fear." "That''s good to know." Priam sniffed the air as a delicious smell of fish reached him. "Hurya must have finished her stew. I''ll leave you to enjoy it, Priam," Titus said, rising. Surprised, Priam stood as well. "Is that all? Don''t you have more questions?" "Not really. I assume you''ll eventually return to where you came from, won''t you?" Priam nodded. "Then just try not to overstay your welcome with Hurya. She''s too kind to kick you out, but I''ll take care of it if necessary. Feel free to trade with us, and don''t cause any trouble." With those words, Titus walked to the edge of the boat and leaped. His dive caused neither a splash nor a ripple as his body merged with the water. Priam watched his departure in silence. He would have liked to identify Titus, but he knew the merfolk would sense it, and he didn''t want to be impolite. As he watched the other merfolk go about their lives, Priam wondered about his power level. Was he strong? According to the System, the world fragment was Tier 1, Earl rank. That was the level of Charybdis'' descendant. Was it the maximum level? A sound pulled him from his thoughts. The panel leading to the boat slid open, and two women emerged. The one who was undoubtedly Urr''s mother, carrying a heavy pot. Behind her, arms laden with dishes, was Mirscella. "Dinner''s served!" "This is delicious!" Priam declared. "I''m glad you enjoy my cooking," Hurya replied. "I have confidence in my fish stew, but I can''t be sure it will please foreigners." "Good. Yes," confirmed Mirscella. She hadn''t quite managed to grasp the Rehm language yet. "Do you eat fish back where you come from?" Urr inquired. "It happens," Priam replied, helping himself to another serving. "But it''s expensive when you live far from the sea." His response sent shivers down Urr and Hurya''s spines. For both merfolk, living on land would sound like heresy. "In any case, the sauce is exquisite," Priam added. Hurya smiled. "It''s a secret recipe. You have to add crushed kalaka. It''s a seaweed that grew near a vanished coral massif." Upon hearing that, Priam froze. He had helped himself four times because the pot was enormous, without considering it might be a rare and expensive recipe. "I''m sorry, I''m eating like a glutton." "No, no, I''m glad. It''s a celebratory dish! I''ve never seen a foreigner before. Besides, it''ll go bad if we don''t finish it." Priam smiled. "It''s very kind of you to host us like this. I''d like to thank you. Are you certain this seaweed is gone? I could go take a look." Hurya shook her head. "The coral massif was swallowed by the void ten years ago." "Swallowed by the void?" Urr raised his head from his bowl. "It''s bad luck to talk about it." "Oh, I apologize," Priam said. "It''s alright," Hurya replied. "You couldn''t have known. What will you do next?" Priam accepted the change of subject. "We''re going¡­ home. We weren''t supposed to be away for long. But I''ll definitely come back to train here now and then. I want to reach a depth of a thousand meters. I think there''s an interesting reward for that." "Oh!" Urr set down his bowl and looked at Priam with excitement. "You want to join Atlantis? That''s where my brother and sister are. Could you pass them a message from me?" "Urr!" Hurya exclaimed. "But Mom, he''s not a Rehm! He can come back with a message." Hurya seemed to hesitate. "You''ve welcomed me and given me food. I''m even wearing your son''s clothes. If I can deliver a message, it''s the least I can do to thank you," added Priam. Just as he held grudges against his enemies, Priam wanted to thank those who had helped him. It was a code of conduct he found honorable. "The laws of this world fragment reward you for certain actions," explained Hurya. Priam nodded, recalling the five hundred-meter milestone. In addition to the Title granted by the System, he had been rewarded by the ocean. "If you descend beyond a thousand meters... Come see me, and I''ll take you to speak with our scholar. Since you''re not from our tribe, he''ll be the one to decide if you can access Atlantis." Priam smiled. It sounded like a proper quest. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 357 Constitution 604 Agility 383 Vitality 508 Perception 566 MENTAL: Vivacity 313 (+1) Dexterity 384 (+1) Memory 120 (+4) Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 683 (+4) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 5 hours 15 minutes 52 seconds. Chapter 131: Dishnus dowry "Hold it." Kazuki halted his precise carving and presented the wooden piece to Alain. The architect-carpenter-craftsman examined it from every angle before breaking into a satisfied grin. The hoplite''s Spear Mastery allowed for such intricate cuts. "It''s perfect. I''ll need three more like this, Kazuki, if you please." "With pleasure, Alain," the hoplite replied in fluent English. As the hoplite continued his meticulous work, Alain swiftly ascended Log-a-rhythm. He could have asked the magical tree to open a portal directly to its upper branches, but there was something satisfying about using his muscles to climb. Alain still remembered the weight of age and his atrophied muscles before the apocalypse. Today, he could reach the top faster than a monkey. One of the upsides of the System, I suppose. Those who survive get stronger. He passed Rose''s and Sphinx''s cabins a few seconds later, eventually arriving at a construction site. Log-a-rhythm had laid a large square foundation, and the beginnings of a structure were visible. This third cabin was meant for Kazuki and his wife. In the center of the square wood slab, Alain found Louis sitting cross-legged with closed eyes. "Apologies for interrupting your meditation, old friend, but I have work to do," he warned. Alain waited a few moments for a response that never came. Furrowing his brows, he circled around his friend and crouched to face him. "Louis?" A snore answered him. "LOUIS!" "Huh? Oh!" The old man jolted awake, shouting. "You just ruined my meditation, you idiot." "You mean your nap," chuckled Alain. "You need to move, I¡¯m going to test a new technique." "A construction one?" Louis asked as he stretched. "Yes. I think it might help me level up my skills to rare rank," Alain smiled. Indeed, his skill level-ups were becoming scarcer. [Carpentry] had plateaued at level 17, and [Construction] at level 16. So far, Alain had assembled cabins using pre-cut boards and vines - his seafaring past made him an expert in knots. Unfortunately, it was no longer enough to improve his skills. "You''ll use this?" Louis asked, pointing at the piece of wood in Alain''s hand. "I''m going to see if it fits well with another piece. Without tools, I have to use kigumi joinery." Louis raised an eyebrow, and Alain explained. "It involves fitting two complementary pieces of wood together. One has a tenon that slots into the mortise of the other." Louis grunted, taking the piece from Alain''s hands. He examined it from all angles before understanding. "You''re just inserting the male part into a female part. It''s like making love but with pieces of wood. No need for complicated words." "... Anyway, the point is to join pieces of wood without glue, screws, or nails." "Smart. Reminds me, it''s been a while since I''ve made love. Think Mirscella..." "Sort it out with Mirscella," Alain sighed. "And mind your language around the kids." "Priam is an adult." "I was talking about Rose and Sphinx. Otherwise, it''ll be Mirscella who will play the male part with her blades in your body." Louis shuddered. Suddenly, Alain felt a presence caress his mind. According to Log-a-rhythm, Dishnu had returned. Damn. "Take me down," he said aloud, ignoring Louis''s surprised look. The square base of the construction site lit up before sucking him into the magical wood. A moment later, the tree gently deposited him at its trunk''s base. In the middle of the clearing, at the edge of Log-a-rhythm''s barrier, Dishnu awaited. Despite the illusion that should have prevented it, the drya locked eyes with him, and he nodded in greeting. Alain felt his heart tighten. Dishnu wasn''t exactly an enemy, but he wasn''t an ally either. He was here for Log-a-rhythm, and without Priam, the tree wouldn''t hold out against the guardian of nature. "Sphinx!" A moment later, his son''s friend appeared. Drool still trailed down her cheek, a sign that he had just awakened her from a deep slumber. "Yes?" she asked in a sleepy voice. "Go fetch Priam, please." The request fully woke her. "But I thought that..." "Right now," Alain interrupted. For the moment, Dishnu remained passive, waiting patiently by the barrier, but he didn''t want to take any chances. Alain hadn''t sent Sphinx looking for his son to respect the rules they had set, but they needed him now. Kazuki had confirmed he was no match for the drya. "Understood!" Sphinx focused for a moment, and soon a miniature portal appeared. She jumped in. After a delightful meal, Priam and Urr took charge of the dishes. "I''m pretty sure there''s a monster haunting the city," Priam remarked, sponge in hand. "Everything that lives on land is monstrous," Urr replied. "Our traditions advise against landing. Being on an island or a small archipelago for hunting some animals, cutting wood, and gathering aromatic or medicinal plants is fine. But the Continent? Too vast," Urr said as he handed Priam another plate. Priam took it and vigorously scrubbed it in the water with the sponge. Quickly, the sauce dissipated into the liquid, much to the delight of a myriad of small fish. "At first, I was shocked that you guys ignored such a massive area. Now, I guess it''s not so strange. My planet was two-thirds covered by oceans, yet they were hardly known." "Really? But there''s so much to do underwater! Fishing, cultivating algae, speed races¡­ Even betting on dolphin fights." "You¡¯re a bit young for betting, no?" Urr shot him a surprised look. "Not really, I''m twelve thousand four hundred thirty-two days old." "Twelve... You''re older than me," Priam calculated, shocked. Taking leap years into account, Urr was thirty-four in Earth years. He was well of age. In addition, days on Valaryth seemed to last longer than on Earth, confirming that Urr was much older than Priam. "And yet he still lives with his mother," a voice behind them said. Urr winced upon seeing his mother approach to collect the clean dishes. "Thanks for your help, Priam." "It''s only natural, ma''am. Thanks again for your hospitality." "I was happy to have you. Don''t hesitate to knock some sense into my son," Hurya said, turning on her heel. "She babies me," the merfolk sighed after she left. "She cares about you. You''re her last present child," Priam reminded. "Yes, and she hovers so much that I''m barely progressing anymore... You''re younger than me, and yet you defeated a megalodon." "Do you think you would have lost?" Priam had no idea about the tribe members'' capabilities. Their leader was powerful, but were there other warriors? "I wouldn''t have won, but I could have escaped. I''m very fast underwater and can dive below eight hundred meters. Megalodons don''t go down that deep." "You can go that deep?" Priam asked, surprised. With his constitution and [Star Iron Body], Priam was almost sure he could match that record. But the pressure there became so immense that he doubted he could go much further. At least not with air in his lungs. "Of course. Before their departure for Atlantis, I often trained under the deluge with my siblings." Priam still hadn''t figured out if Atlantis was a city, a kingdom, a tribe, or a legion. The only clues he had gathered were that warriors gathered there. Instead of asking taboo questions, he focused on a new term. "The deluge?" Urr burst into laughter. "Sorry," he apologized after a few seconds. "You know nothing about this world, and you''re so curious, you sound like a child." At least my mother doesn''t baby me. Priam''s thoughts drifted to his mother. Since the day his parents had divorced, his mother had never treated him like a child again. He had to grow up too fast, which was the beginning of a schism. Seeing Priam remain silent, Urr cleared his throat and answered the question. "Well, legend has it that almost five centuries ago, one of the last Tier 2s tried to Tier up. The world''s laws summoned a High Tribulation, but the aether was too poor. The warrior''s soul couldn''t be blessed, and the Tribulation never reached its final phase. Since then, the sky has unleashed a deluge. Those who withstand this torrential rain get a reward. The longer you resist, the better it''ll be," Urr explained. "Resisting rain and getting a reward? Interesting," Priam smiled, refocusing. Surviving calamities was his specialty. This deluge might just help with Heavenly Dragon... "You said that Tier 2 couldn''t become Tier 3? Was it related to his soul?" The Tier-up question particularly intrigued Priam. Urr grimaced. "I don''t know more. To reach Tier 1, I know you must go to Atlantis. On the surface, the aether density is too low. But remember, my knowledge is based on legends." "That''s okay, you''ve already helped me a lot, Urr. By the way, do you know where to find this deluge?" "It''s our scholar who informs us a few days before." "I should probably talk to him..." Priam said thoughtfully. "I have so many questions.¡± ¡°So do I. One for you, one for me?¡± suggested Urr. ¡°Deal,¡± smiled Priam. ¡°I''ll go first. Is Mirscella your wife?¡± ¡°What the fuck?! No! She''s just a friend of my father''s.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°My turn,¡± Priam said with a shudder. ¡°So, we don''t have the same System, right?" "You and I? Of course not. Mine are the laws that govern Valaryth. Or rather, that governed. It''s now just a fragment of a world, which is why the rewards on the surface are pathetic," Urr sighed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "True, my System is more generous than yours," Priam confirmed. "I was rewarded for going down a hundred meters by my System, not by yours." Urr burst into laughter. "You''re a foreigner, Priam. Valaryth''s laws won''t strengthen an enemy." Priam shook his head. "Yet, they granted me skill levels for going beyond five hundred meters." "Impossible, I''m sure¡ª" Urr stopped, mouth wide open. In front of him, hovering above the water, a one-meter-wide portal had just opened. A deluge of aether poured out from the opening. Priam jumped to his feet, nearly summoning Promesse before recognizing the portal''s creator. Sphinx leaped through the portal and landed in the water. She let out a surprised cry before bursting into laughter. "Hey Sphinx," Priam smiled to his friend. Her skill is more powerful than I thought to jump here. Or maybe it¡¯s because Valaryth is a Tier 1 world? "Oh Priam! Your dad wants you back fast, Dishnu''s here," she replied, jumping onto the back of the boat and shaking off. Urr didn''t dodge fast enough and received considerable water for his trouble. "What?! I''m coming, let me just grab Mirscella." "I''m here," the assassin replied, quickly emerging from the boat¡¯s cabin. She looked critically at Sphinx''s portal. "I hope there won''t be an accident this time..." "You''re leaving?" Mirscella turned to Hurya, who had just come up. "Yes. Thanks for¡­ everything, Hurya. You too Urr," she smiled. "Thanks," Priam repeated. "Get home safe," Hurya said, staring pointedly at the portal. "See you next time, Priam! Don''t forget your promise about Atlantis!" "Until next time, Urr," Priam smiled. "And I keep my word." Without further ado, Mirscella jumped into the portal, followed by Priam and then Sphinx. The passage closed, leaving Urr and his mother confused. "A strange boy," Titus remarked. Hurya turned to the Chief, who had just arrived. "He has a good heart. You should have talked to him about our problems," Hurya sighed. "He''s still too weak." "I''m not asking him to fight." Titus''s gaze turned cold. "You want to flee," he accused. "I want our children to live." "The sea has sheltered us for ten thousand years, Hurya." "She is our mother, but no mother wants her children dead." "We can save it," grumbled Titus. "Many have died with that thought." "I''ll fight for this world." "Then go, but don''t drag our young ones with you." "It''ll be their decision,¡± Titus said, looking at Urr, whose gaze went from his mother to his Chief. A second later, he vanished. The first thing Priam did upon returning to Elysium was to take a deep breath. The air laden with aether had been missed. Despite the dire conditions, his resistances in Valaryth had risen agonizingly slowly. It was frustrating. The sight of his father dispelled his thoughts. ¡°Priam, thank god you''re okay,¡± Alain said, pulling him into a hug. ¡°I... Sorry, Dad,¡± Priam replied, embracing his father. He had announced he''d be gone for a few hours and ended up absent for over a day. His father must''ve been worried sick. With slightly reddened eyes, Alain released his son. ¡°The drya''s been waiting behind the barrier for three minutes,¡± he said. ¡°I''ll take care of it,¡± Priam responded, directing his gaze towards Dishnu. "You''re an explorer, a lover of adventure." "Maybe it''s adventure that loves me," Priam replied. Despite the barrier, the drya had sensed he''d returned from another world. His aether skills were terrifying... Mentally, Priam authorized Log-a-rhythm to open the barrier. The drya stepped into the clearing and stopped straight away. Kneeling, he reached out to caress a broken blade of grass. Priam, Alain, Sphinx, and all the others watched as the plant regenerated, straightening up before their eyes. Apparently satisfied, the drya continued on, pausing now and then to invigorate a flower or restore a root. Two long minutes later, the drya reached Priam. ¡°Hello, everyone. I bring a gift for Log-a-rhythm,¡± he announced. "As long as it''s not a dowry," Louis muttered. "That''s very kind," Priam thanked, ignoring the old man. "May I know what it is?" Dishnu placed one of his hands on his abdomen. His ribcage then opened, revealing a glowing root. "The NecroMoon is approaching, and the forest will need protection. Log-a-rhythm grows fast, but a tree needs an ecosystem to thrive..." Priam looked pensive. "You want to bind Log-a-rhythm and the forest together?" "I want to consecrate Log-a-rhythm as a lord. It will watch over the network that connects all plants, and in return, they will give it a share of their Potential." Priam nodded. If it were possible, he was highly interested. There were numerous potential upgrades for Log-a-rhythm, and some were quite costly. "How do you plan to do this?" he asked. "Since time immemorial, it''s been the role of drya Guardians to balance the forest. My predecessors established rituals," Dishnu explained. "Okay, but I want to be involved." If the drya attempted something - like "liberating" Log-a-rhythm, for example - Priam wanted to be able to react. "You''re his partner, it''s better that way." Priam placed his hand on the trunk of Log-a-rhythm before closing his eyes. Instantly, the system relayed the status of his tree. Log-a-rhythm: Current POT: 1043 Passive gain: 100 POT/day. Available Themes: Primo (1,000,000) Tal Quercus (10,000) Nature (1000) Cocoa (500) Sequoia (1000) Tea (500) Abundance - Life II (1000) Abundance - Aether II (1000) Protection IV (5000) Tribulation Resistance III (2500) Secret Passage II (1000) Camouflage II (1000) Attraction (500) Underground (500) Comfort (500) Volume (500) Water Control (500) Land Owner II (1000) According to Dishnu, upgrading Land Owner would strengthen the protective barrier and expand Log-a-rhythm''s sphere of influence, making it easier to link the tree to the forest it would control. After a moment''s hesitation, Priam confirmed the theme. POT(Log-a-rhythm) -1000 Land Owner II activated¡­ All these themes appeal to me, but we''ll see the rest later. Log-a-rhythm''s consciousness quivered as a portal opened between the tree and the Concepts. Its Potential surged, coursing through the tree from the deepest roots to the highest leaf. For a moment, its crimson hue began to glow. Log-a-rhythm''s domain expanded. The next moment, the Potential crystallized within the tree before deactivating. Priam felt Log-a-rhythm''s excitement - if a tree could feel excitement. Log-a-rhythm: Current POT: 43 Passive gain: 100 POT/day. Available Themes: Land Owner III (2500) Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw Dishnu look up towards the tree''s high branches. Taking advantage of the drya''s distraction, he connected [Priam¡¯s System] to Log-a-rhythm''s consciousness. His tree sent him a question, and Priam ordered it to validate the connection. [Connection with Log-a-rhythm: success.] New command: copy Log-a-rhythm''s consciousness. The drya didn''t seem like a liar, but Priam preferred to cover his bases. He had no idea of the structure of his tree''s consciousness. It was a gift from the system modified by the Crimson Fruit, an alien treasure. Was it just a budding artificial intelligence? The remnants of the fragmented mind of the elf who had died giving it life? Something else? Priam mainly hoped his add-on would find the answer. [... Failure. New attempt... Memory backup of Log-a-rhythm successful.] Better than nothing. Withdrawing his hand, Priam turned to Dishnu. "It''s done," he indicated, observing the result of the enhancement. Land Owner II had more than doubled the tree''s sphere of influence. It now encompassed the first trees at the edge of the clearing. The drya turned towards him, radiating joy. "Log-a-rhythm is happy," declared Dishnu, pushing back the vines that served as his hair. The drya was clearly a dendrophile, but for once, Priam agreed with him. Through the unique bond he shared with Log-a-rhythm, he felt his tree was content, even eager. It seemed to anticipate the upcoming ritual. We''ll make you the most powerful tree across all worlds. The thought of speaking to a tree didn¡¯t seem weird to him. "He''s content," confirmed Priam. "What do I need to do?" "We''ll start the ritual. Watch me weave the aether, then it''ll be your turn." Priam winced as he remembered [Aether Manipulation]''s level. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 357 Constitution 604 Agility 383 Vitality 508 Perception 566 MENTAL: Vivacity 313 Dexterity 384 Memory 120 Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 683 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 2 hours 26 minutes 57 seconds. Chapter 132: The Guardians Ritual Dishnu approached Log-a-rhythm, before starting to gently caress its bark. Behind him, Priam wasn''t quite sure what to do. Should he just stand there and watch the drya fondle his tree? Dishnu''s voice rang out, cutting short his thoughts. "The aether is everywhere, and everything is aether. It can be transformed into matter, energy, or concept. It''s in its fundamental form that it''s most malleable. Touch the bark with me and feel it." The drya might have been a dendrophilic pervert, but his mastery of aether was unrivaled. Priam stepped forward and placed his hand on the tree. "There are many ways to interact with aether," Dishnu continued. "Our bodies are matter, and when my hand touches a tree, our aethers harmonize. Do you notice anything?" Priam closed his eyes and focused on Log-a-rhythm. As always, he felt the eagerness of the tree to serve him - and nothing more. He persevered for a few more seconds without discovering anything more. "Nothing special." "That''s normal," Dishnu reassured him. "If you don''t have a particular concept - wood, life, growth, death... - or a terrifying Willpower, the changes you can make to the matter are minimal." The drya''s hand enveloped Priam''s, pressing it against the wood. "Minimal, but not nonexistent. We living creatures are in harmony. When your hand and thoughts make contact with the tree, your aethers begin to acquaint themselves. It''s the first step of a ritual: getting to know the subject." The drya''s hand withdrew, and he stepped back. Priam opened his eyes and looked at his tree. What do I know about Log-a-rhythm? Quickly, a certainty emerged: it was his home. As if a dam had burst, other certainties surfaced. Log-a-rhythm was a safe haven that had actively and passively saved his life. A miracle entrusted to him by the System. A consciousness that gazed curiously upon the world. The transformation of an elf, resurrected by the System and modified by an alien fruit. There might be an infinity of Universes, but in none of them existed another Log-a-rhythm. For the first time since his arrival in Elysium, Priam took a moment to look at his tree, to understand it, and to thank it. The nascent consciousness of the tree vibrated, like a dog happily seeing its master. You are the best gift I could have hoped for. The tree¡¯s pride washed over him. Log-a-rhythm was, above all, a protector and considered its duty sacred. Priam smiled, thinking about the upcoming ritual. Soon, you''ll be even better at protecting us. Opening his eyes, Priam stepped back and turned to the drya. Despite his alien appearance, Priam thought he saw a smile on Dishnu''s face. "And now?" he asked. "Your aethers are in harmony. Aether responds to many stimuli. We dryas specialize in thought. It''s a good way to work with the living, especially with plants, as they have an instinctive approach to aether. Conversely, I wouldn''t advise you to try projecting your thoughts into a stone to enchant it," Dishnu explained, turning towards the forest. "Trees naturally communicate through their roots. This ritual aims to change the nature of this relationship, making Log-a-rhythm their guardian and allowing for the propagation of this status." "To expand its domain over time," Priam added. "Exactly." The theory seemed sound, and Priam nodded in agreement. Dishnu stepped back a few paces and continued his explanation. "Aether is a fluid. There are geometric forms that naturally guide it: runes. The first dryas studied the shape of their meridians to discover some." "Your people possessed magic before the System," Priam understood. As he stated this truth, a question arose. "You are magical beings. Did these runes shape the dryas as they are, or did evolution select those who possessed these runes and gradually transform them into what you are today?" The real question Priam pondered was whether the humans born in ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a million years would still be human, or would humanity splinter into many races based on their environment? Dishnu paused for a moment before answering. "It''s an unprecedented question. I don''t know," he admitted. Priam shrugged. The question pertained to a distant future, and the answer could wait. But now that his curiosity was piqued... "Can other forms besides runes guide aether?" Priam asked. "Some languages, some music, some light... The sacred animals of my planet influence aether through the beats of their hearts. The possibilities are endless." A gleam sparked in Priam''s eyes. To Dishnu, these phenomena seemed separate, but with a scientific background, it was easy to find a common denominator. Aether reacted to specific vibrations. There must be resonance frequencies that trigger specific effects... Priam was fairly sure he had stumbled upon a fundamental truth. But the aether wasn''t so easily understood. For example, where did runes fit in? New directive: record what Dishnu says and attempt to find parallels using my scientific knowledge. Also, record the ritual using Domain. [Priam¡¯s System] activated, and Priam refocused. Dishnu had moved slightly away and now stood about ten meters from Log-a-rhythm. "This is a runic ritual. The runes will guide and transform the aether. Each one corresponds to a word, making them powerful but not very flexible tools. To add nuances, they can be connected to form sentences. Finally, the size of the runes depends on the material they will be traced on. The more a rune channels the aether or the weaker the material, the larger it must be." Priam couldn''t help but purse his lips. What was the definition of a weak material? Could aether conductivity be linked to thermal or electrical conductivity? A spark of realization flashed in Priam''s eyes. Based on his understanding of vibrations, he could use his scientific background to intuit some aether properties. After all, it seemed to share properties with fluids as well as certain forms of energy. Humanity might be behind in studying aether, but it had researched almost everything else. His thoughts vanished as he saw Dishnu kneel. With a finger, the drya began to trace lines directly on the ground, parting the grass as it naturally moved away. With perfectly steady hands, Dishnu created geometric figures too strange to be absurd. The curves were smooth, and no line was broken or too straight. When two lines intersected, it was to merge harmoniously. Drya runes didn''t resemble an alphabet or calligraphy. They were roots coming to life. They were branches growing. It was the raw power of nature. After about ten minutes, Dishnu lifted his finger. There was no period to his text; the last line merged with a previous one. A cycle had neither a beginning nor an end. The ambient aether began to bubble, and Priam widened his eyes. "Whoa..." Each rune was a single word, which alone didn''t seem to affect the aether. This changed with sentences. Using [Aether Perception], Priam could see currents forming in the ambient aether. Pure energy infiltrated the ground, filling specific runes. Once charged with aether, the lines drawn by the drya looked different. They gained a magical property. It was the difference between a photograph and a human being. Despite an identical visual, the person was more real. Aether made the world real. "Do you feel the aether resonating and being guided by these runes?" Dishnu asked. Priam raised his head, still amazed. "Of course?" "Look at your friends." Priam turned his gaze to his right. In the center of the clearing, Louis was chatting quietly with Mirscella and Alain. Rose and Sphinx stood on Blueberry''s shoulders - who managed to sleep standing up, eyes open. The teenager was focused, trying to memorize the runes. In contrast, Sphinx seemed absolutely mesmerized by the swirls of aether that joined the runes. Finally, Kazuki was performing movements that strangely resembled the runes traced by Dishnu. Each of his actions seemed to have a profound meaning. In their own way, all the rivals chosen by the System were geniuses. "Sphinx and Kazuki can feel the power of these runes. The others... because they haven''t unlocked [Aether Citizen] yet?" Upon arriving in Elysium, Priam had unlocked the Talent [Touched by Aether]. Humanity had never been in contact with aether in its purest form, so no human was adapted to this fundamental fluid. Once the body acclimated, this Talent naturally transformed into [Aether Citizen]. Dishnu shook his head. "I''m not familiar with that Talent. Perhaps you''re referring to your lack of affinity with aether?" "I suppose?" Dishnu nodded. "Your race is strange. You''re born without meta attributes. Some of your friends haven''t unlocked meta-perception - or it''s too weak to serve." "Is that what allows me to see aether?" "To feel it," Dishnu corrected. "Your brain helps by showing you aether in a familiar form, but you don''t need your eyes to see it." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Priam massaged his right eye while nodding. It was blind after using Hecate''s New Moon, a mutation he didn''t yet understand. Yet, it had no impact on his ability to see aether. "Sphinx and Kazuki have a certain affinity with aether," Priam affirmed. "They have passed the awakening," Dishnu confirmed. "The awakening?" Dishnu shook his head. "Curiosity is a virtue, but there''s a time for everything. The ritual has begun and must be completed." He pointed to his runes. "Do you understand what I''ve done?" Priam glanced at the drya''s work and grimaced at its complexity. Sophisticated shapes followed each other in hypnotic patterns, challenging his intelligence. However, Priam understood that aether manipulation was the basis of everything. He wouldn''t give up until he was excellent at it too. Rising to Dishnu''s test, he focused. Let''s start at the beginning, then I¡¯ll reverse-engineer it. The hardest part was understanding the beginning and end of a sentence. Priam jumped a few meters high and used [Kinetic Control] to stay in the air. From this new angle and with some distance, he devised a plan. First, let''s isolate the runes. According to Dishnu, they allowed for the writing of sentences. They were like words. If he could find at least two identical forms, Priam would have found a rune. Using [Comparison] and [Priam¡¯s System], he found about fifty occurrences, i.e. fifty different runes. Lvl Up: [Comparison] lvl 9,10,11,12 MEM +4 Satisfied to have found the fundamental structure, Priam moved on to the second step: finding the sentences. It was complicated for two reasons. Firstly, Dishnu''s sentences didn''t have capital letters or periods. Secondly, by following the aether channeled by a rune, Priam realized that it was guided into three other runes simultaneously. Sentences are written in lines, columns, and diagonals, he understood. Worse, a rune could belong to multiple sentences at once! A few seconds passed as Priam pondered his options. He could try using his colossal Vivacity and [Priam¡¯s System] to solve this puzzle in a brute force manner. Yet, he hesitated to use such a primitive technique. A brute force attack became increasingly long and complicated as sentences grew longer. Dishnu was a Tier 0 and was already creating complex rituals. If he used this kind of technique, Priam would never understand the pattern of a Tier 2 or 3 ritual. There was another solution. Closing his eyes, Priam focused on his draconic heart. One of the Talents he had gained when receiving his second heart was [Draconic Instinct]. The draconic organ pulsed, and Priam smiled. Looking back at the ritual, his perspective had changed. Priam focused on the slight variations in role between the runes. Some seemed to siphon aether, and Priam started there. His eyes followed the path of energy as it was guided by a succession of runes - a sentence. During its course, the wild aether was mastered, rid of... something, and then forced to flow at a particular rate. If at the beginning of a sentence, aether was a wild source, by the end, it was a docile current. The flow, ready to be exploited, reached a more complex structure. It was then transformed to prepare for an action. Dishnu had called the structure a sentence, but to Priam, it looked like a verb. The aether now had a mission. Finally, the energy was channeled into a kind of battery. There was one last unfinished structure that didn''t seem connected to the existing circuit. Landing, Priam explained his hypotheses to the drya before pointing to the last structure. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 17,18,19 META (PERC) +9 "If I''m right, the last structure will be the point where the aether is truly released and where the ritual will be finalized." Dishnu remained silent. Surprised, Priam turned to him. "Am I wrong?" "... No, you''re right. The last structure is called a fulcrum." [Priam¡¯s System] trembled upon hearing this word and began recalculations. In light of this revelation, the final part of Heavenly Dragon became clearer. Obviously, there were commonalities between a method of temperance and a ritual. Dishnu hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I didn''t expect aether manipulation to come so naturally to you. Yet, I sense that your meta-perception and meta-affinity attributes are below the first threshold." According to the System, the first threshold equated to five hundred points in an attribute. Dishnu was right, and yet, Priam didn''t feel identified. "I have a very good instinct," he replied simply. If even Dishnu was impressed, then [Draconic Instinct] must be an impressive Talent. As expected of a draconic Talent. In a very human gesture, Dishnu shrugged. "You do have a talent for it, yes. How about you trace the rest of the runes? If it''s you, it will strengthen the ritual. For now, you just need to trace the mirror image of this first part, relative to Log-a-rhythm." "It''s as good as done," Priam smiled. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 14,15,16 META (PERC) +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (FOCUS) +3 Priam settled onto the ground, weary. With his Memory and Vivacity, he hadn''t even needed his add-on to envision the axial symmetry of the drya''s runes in relation to the tree. With Micro and his Dexterity, etching these same runes had been a breeze - even when Dishnu had warned him to mind the blades of grass. If Priam was fatigued, it was due to a lack of aether. The initial runes had etched smoothly into the soil. But as he progressed, Priam noticed his aether being siphoned and channeled through the runes he inscribed. It was a sort of activation energy for the ritual. Carving one rune was easy. Carving a thousand was costly. While Priam copied the ritual, Dishnu had asked him to focus on Log-a-rhythm. According to the drya, the runes were more than mere words. A form that could manipulate aether couldn''t be simple. As he etched, Priam communicated his desires and thoughts to them. The aim was to harmonize his aether with that of the final ritual. His thoughts held no power in themselves. If the ritual aimed to paint his tree red and he thought of making it blue, the tree would still turn red. The crucial point was that Priam thought of the tree and a color, breaking the initial resistance of aether and preparing it for the ritual. "The world spins its tale. If you wish to steer it elsewhere, you must exert a force. But the closer you align with the world, the less potent that force need be," Dishnu had explained. In practical terms, the more the runes were imbued with an aether attuned to Log-a-rhythm, the less resistance the world would pose to the ritual. "It''s time. Come close to me," Dishnu beckoned. Priam rose and positioned himself beside the drya. About twenty meters from Log-a-rhythm, Dishnu began to hum. As Dishnu sang, Priam''s gaze was drawn to the blades of grass that started to sway. Soon, Log-a-rhythm''s branches began to shiver, then it spread to the forest''s trees. The sound piqued the curiosity and attention of the vegetation, and Priam understood why. The sonic vibrations weren''t just mechanical. Priam''s Domain sensed a wave of aether entwined within the drya''s voice. The technique was exquisite, but Priam was pretty sure he could replicate it. Dishnu''s chant was cyclical, and Priam seized a refrain to join in. His vocal cords vibrated in perfect harmony thanks to his dexterity, and [Aether Manipulation] sent forth pulses of aether. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 17 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 The trees danced nearly in time with Dishnu''s actions. Raising his right hand, he took command of the roots of certain herbs to swiftly etch the end of the ritual. Fascinated, Priam watched as the final runes were inscribed while the ambient aether condensed above the traced symbols. At the final moment, the drya revealed the root he had brought and hurled it toward Log-a-rhythm. The object vanished into the tree at the very instant their chant ceased. "To aid in the growth of its roots." For a moment, the world held its breath. Silence beheld the tranquil aether, and the forest seemed to suspend its exhale. Then, everything sped up. Aether rushed into the runes, coursing at breakneck speed. Guided by the lines etched into the ground, it surged towards the two fulcrums, which began to radiate light. The energy then vanished into the earth, bathing Log-a-rhythm''s roots and spreading through the forest. Log-a-rhythm quivered for a heartbeat before its roots extended. The clearing''s earth quaked and lifted, while the trees at the forest''s edge inclined. A few seconds later, the roots connected. There was now a physical link between Log-a-rhythm and the forest. For the second time, the clearing stilled. Priam held his breath as the forest''s trees hesitated. Would his tree be accepted as guardian? You''ve got this, he sent his thoughts to Log-a-rhythm. Did its consciousness hear him? The magical oak radiated momentarily, and Priam felt its Potential flood its roots and enter those of the forest. The trees in the clearing trembled, taken aback by the gift. A guardian knew how to take but also how to give. The runes of the ritual shone one last time, extending an invisible pact. The forest accepted. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 357 Constitution 604 Agility 383 Vitality 508 Perception 566 MENTAL: Vivacity 313 Dexterity 384 Memory 124 (+4) Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 299 (+4) Meta-focus 233 (+4) Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 97 (+13) Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 701 (+18) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 2 hours 4 minutes 8 seconds. Chapter 133: Those Who Forge Ahead For a fleeting moment, Priam beheld a crown of golden green hovering above Log-a-rhythm. He blinked, and the mirage vanished. Another man might have doubted his vision, but [Eidetic Memory] confirmed to Priam what he had seen. A crown. A royal symbol. Yet, the ritual aimed to transform Log-a-rhythm into a guardian, not a king. A guardian wasn''t a king. But a king is a guardian... He turned to Dishnu to gauge his reaction, but he was staring at the ground, breathing heavily. The ritual''s activation seemed to have drained the drya. Priam hesitated for a moment before holding his tongue. Despite Dishnu''s invaluable assistance, he was currently a situational ally. To clear his mind, Priam checked his notifications. Title won - [Apprentice Aetherist - Silver]! [Apprentice Aetherist - Silver] - Aether is everything; that''s what all Aetherists will tell you. But what is aether? Answering this question is the ultimate quest, for the one who answers it will answer all questions. You have used your knowledge and runes to manipulate reality. Don¡¯t stop now. Only two things are infinite: aether and human folly... META(AFFI) +10% META(PERC) +10% Am I, as a High Human, included? Priam smirked. Despite the System''s jab, he was delighted with his new Title. By augmenting his meta-attributes, he could swiftly enhance [Aether Perception] and [Aether Manipulation]. In turn, his skills would enable him to fathom aether more deeply and unlock an even grander Title. A nice, virtuous cycle. Log-a-rhythm quivered, like a dog seeking its master''s attention. The best is yet to come, isn''t it? Impatient, Priam consulted his tree''s menu. The ritual must have altered certain things. Log-a-rhythm: Features: Abundance - Life I Abundance - Aether I Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage Land Owner II NEW Camouflage I Guardian of the forest I NEW Mighty roots I NEW Measurements: Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 34 m2 (+2, due to Log-a-rhythm''s growth) Status Current POT: 552 Passive gain: 150 POT/day. (+50 POT/day thanks to Guardian of the Forest) Available Themes: Primo (1 000 000) Tal Quercus (10 000) Nature (1 000) Cocoa (500) Sequoia (1 000) Tea (500) Abundance - Life II (1 000) Abundance - Aether II (1 000) Protection IV (5 000) Tribulation Resistance III (2 500) Secret Passage II (900) (-100) Camouflage II (900) (-100) Attraction (500) Underground (400) (-100) Comfort (500) Volume (500) Water Control (500) Land Owner III (2 400) (-100) Guardian of the Forest II (900) (-100) NEW Mighty Roots II (1 000) NEW Land Owner II activated. Select a feature to construct: Land Privilege Protective Barrier II Luminous Barrier. Environmental Barrier. Alarm. Other hidden options - prerequisites not met. Priam widened his eyes as he read Log-a-rhythm''s new status. The ritual had bestowed not one, but two new themes upon the tree! Guardian of the Forest undoubtedly had other uses, but the first thing Priam noticed was the increase in his tree''s passive Potential gain. Jackpot! Most likely, Log-a-rhythm was absorbing the Potential generated by the forest. Priam pledged to defend it as fiercely as Dishnu. His greed demanded nothing less. Priam''s smile broadened as he continued to peruse the available options. Guardian of the Forest and Mighty Roots allowed him to save Potential when acquiring or upgrading a theme! Focusing on Underground, for instance, Priam sensed that Mighty Roots would assist Log-a-rhythm in crafting an underground shelter. Thanks to this synergy, he would save a hundred Potential points by selecting the enhancement. Four hundred Potential points might seem like a lot for creating an underground shelter, but Priam knew better. When he had cleared the spiders from their cave beneath the abandoned tower, he had seen that the elysian rock was nearly indestructible. Other themes benefited from discounts, such as Secret Passage II. With Guardian of the Forest, the forest under Log-a-rhythm''s dominion would aid him more readily. Priam hesitated for a moment about making a purchase before relenting. Firstly, because with five hundred and fifty-two points, he was somewhat impoverished. Secondly, because buying Guardian of the Forest II would undoubtedly further increase the passive Potential gains. This purchase would surely pay for itself in short order. Eighteen days if level two grants me another fifty points. Less if the increase isn''t linear... Priam forced himself to think of something else. He didn''t yet have enough data to theorycraft the optimal improvement for Log-a-rhythm. Nevertheless, the thought of multiple enhancements awakened the player in him. Gotta catch ''em all! As he reached the end of the menu, Priam compelled himself to calm down. He had one final decision to make, to choose among the options provided by Land Owner. The first time, he had chosen to create a protective barrier, which had saved their lives during the NecroBeast attack. Should he reinforce it or explore other possibilities? Considering the savings enabled by his two new themes, Priam suspected that Land Privilege would offer intriguing economies in addition to activating his Title bonus. [Eidetic Memory] reminded him of the bonuses offered. [Land Owner - Silver] - You have become a true Noble, owning Land. You will receive certain benefits when you are on it. Your Title of Nobility is linked to it. Losing your Land will affect your Title. Increasing the size of your Land will improve your Title. When you are on your Land: Allows manipulation of specific specialized infrastructures. Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Bonus (Viscount): Aether regeneration x2 Bonus (Earl): Knowledge about your land He had lost New Earth, but it hadn''t affected his Title yet. Priam was almost sure he knew why: no one was left on the Moon to contest his authority. That would change at the next Reunion. If I want to hold onto this Title, I''ll have to invest in Land Privilege at some point... Suddenly, Priam squinted. As a Baron, he enjoyed a ten percent reduction in Potential when creating skills or Talents. The question was: could this reduction apply to his companions? The idea took root, with Priam thinking of Log-a-rhythm. If so, then he''d get a substantial discount when buying its themes! That would be extraordinary... Land Owner II required him to choose an option, and Priam was tempted to click on Land Privilege. However, the Necrobeast had proven that a single Tier 2 or 3 attack could doom them all. Protective Barrier II might give them a chance to take cover in Log-a-rhythm. Priam hesitated for a moment before deciding to seek the opinion of his companions. They now lived with him and had a say in their development strategy. Should they stay on the defensive or try to progress quickly? But first... ¡°Thank you for your help, Dishnu,¡± Priam said. ¡°Log-a-rhythm has truly advanced, and I''ve learned a lot from this ritual.¡± ¡°Take good care of Log-a-rhythm, and I''ll feel thanked,¡± the drya replied. ¡°You have my word.¡± A few seconds passed as Dishnu remained still. As an awkward silence settled in, Priam began to clear his throat. ¡°Would you like something to eat or drink?¡± he asked. Truth be told, Priam wanted Dishnu to leave. The drya had helped him a lot and seemed like a good person, but Priam didn''t want to discuss Log-a-rhythm''s improvements in front of him. Anything concerning his family''s safety was too important to share - even with a temporary ally. ¡°That''s kind of you, but I must be off. Some of our rivals are clashing, and the forest is suffering,¡± the drya revealed. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I understand. If I can help, don''t hesitate to ask.¡± Priam''s response wasn''t just polite; it was honest. Dishnu had assisted him, and he didn''t want to let this debt linger. Plus, if he were to meet his rivals, it made sense to have a capable ally by his side. ¡°Thank you. May your branches be green.¡± ¡°... May your roots be deep,¡± Priam improvised. He sensed the drya''s amusement as he departed toward the forest. Did I just crack a drya joke? When he felt Dishnu leave the area occupied by Log-a-rhythm, Priam turned to his friends. ¡°He''s gone,¡± he announced. ¡°Finally!¡± Sphinx exclaimed. ¡°I thought I was going to have to eat him.¡± ¡°I''m pretty sure he''d taste like salad,¡± Rose remarked. ¡°Yuck!¡± Alain smiled. ¡°We don''t eat people, Sphinx,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sphinx seemed genuinely surprised. ¡°But you didn''t say anything when I ate Rose.¡± ¡°She''s your friend, and you didn''t chew her.¡± ¡°Hum¡­ So, I can swallow my friends?¡± ¡°What ? No! You should ask Priam to explain later, okay? We''re getting off-topic,¡± Alain sighed. Priam shot him a dark look. ¡°I guess the ritual was successful?¡± The looks turned to Priam, and he smiled. ¡°Yep!¡± Sphinx, Rose, and Louis cheered while the three real adults and the grumpy bear smiled. ¡°That''s great,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°But you have something to tell us, right? You were waiting for Dishnu to leave.¡± The hoplite warrior paid attention to details. ¡°I have a choice to make, and it involves all of you...¡± Priam explained the pros and cons of Land Privilege and Protective Barrier II. ¡°Protective Barrier could potentially save our lives. Land Privilege has a lot of very interesting effects and possible synergies. I''d like to take both, but I''m broke.¡± ¡°Richer than me, at least,¡± grumbled Louis. ¡°You''re rich in love, Louis,¡± Priam said, giving the old man a mischievous look. ¡°You think?¡± Louis turned subtly toward Mirscella. ¡°I think you just got poorer,¡± the old lady replied in a neutral tone. ¡°Oh...¡± Alain cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°Let''s get back to the choices. Land Privilege or the barrier. Personally, I''m all for developing our territory and Log-a-rhythm. As a non-combatant, it''s what interests me the most. But we can only enjoy this territory if we''re alive. I think that should be our number one priority.¡± Mirscella nodded. ¡°I''m willing to put my life on the line when necessary. But trading our immediate safety for potential gains seems like a bad bet to me.¡± Louis opened his mouth before closing it. Priam almost asked for his opinion before thinking better of it. The martial artist likely had a different opinion than Mirscella and had chosen to stay silent. It wasn''t Priam''s place to push him. Blueberry grunted as he sat up. ¡°I might have slept too much lately, but I wonder if you''ve forgotten why we''re here? We can''t remove the dangers of Elysium, and it''s those dangers that push us to excel. If we start barricading ourselves during the winter, we''ll miss the arrival of spring.¡± ¡°But if a harsh winter comes, we''ll die before spring even arrives,¡± Mirscella argued. ¡°I like a good gamble, but not when my life is at stake.¡± Blueberry shook his head. ¡°Then you shouldn''t have come here. The truth is, the Necrobeast''s attack reminded you of your mortality. You''re scared.¡± Mirscella tensed, and Priam decided to seek other opinions before regrettable words were spoken. He turned to Sphinx and Rose. ¡°And you two, what do you think?¡± Sphinx shrugged. ¡°I prefer questions with a right answer. Your riddle doesn''t have one,¡± she said disappointedly. ¡°I disagree.¡± Feeling the eyes on her, Rose began to shrink before clenching her fists. She took a deep breath and straightened up. ¡°If we''re attacked by a Tier 2, we''ll have a few seconds to get to safety in Log-a-rhythm thanks to our current barrier. If it''s a Tier 3, it''ll kill us before we get there, that''s true. But...¡± Rose pointed at the tree. ¡°If it''s a Tier 3, it will probably be able to destroy the tree and kill us either way. Of course, Log-a-rhythm is sturdy, but not sturdy enough to withstand a Tier 3 for long. Isn''t that right, Kazuki?¡± The hoplite took a moment to think. ¡°Hard to say, as it depends on the monster. As we can see in our group, the difference between two individuals of the same Tier can be colossal. Nevertheless, in Elysium, there are no weak opponents. Not to mention a Tier 3, if a Tier 2 decides to relentlessly attack Log-a-rhythm, the tree will eventually fall.¡± A silence settled after Kazuki''s statement. Priam remembered his execution by the Tier 2 NecroWolf. Against that level of power, any resistance was futile. ¡°What do you think, Kazuki?¡± The hoplite winced. ¡°Your question honors me, Priam, but I am a guest. I don''t want to make a decision that could lead to deaths.¡± ¡°You''re a war leader, and you must know about strategy. My experience in the field is limited to video games. I would like to have your opinion,¡± Priam asked. ¡°... There is no perfect solution,¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°The barrier could save our lives if a monster attacks and then loses interest in Log-a-rhythm. However, the chances of that happening are slim. On the other hand, it''s almost certain that our rivals will attack soon.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Our only shot at long-term survival is to outclass our enemies. If they''re on Dishnu''s level, we''re behind. Luck will decide if we make it through the coming days, but our progress will determine if we survive the next months.¡± Priam''s heart raced, seized by Kazuki''s words. Put differently, they had a choice between hunkering down or striding forward. ¡°You''ve convinced me,¡± he declared. ¡°Does anyone have anything to add?¡± Alain shook his head. ¡°Ultimately, you''re the one who will protect us. You''re right to heed our advice, but it''s up to you to choose, my son.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± Priam smiled before selecting Land Privilege. Instantly, he felt his Title activate, stretching to cover the domain of Log-a-rhythm. ¡°So?¡± Rose asked. ¡°I sense everything happening in the domain,¡± Priam revealed. ¡°We won''t need the alarm. My aether regeneration has increased, and only my own Potential seems affected by the cost reduction.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Alain said. ¡°Did you notice any synergy?¡± Priam opened the Log-a-rhythm menu. Available Themes: Primo (1 000 000) ¡­ Guardian of the Forest II (800) (-100)(-100) ¡°Guardian of the Forest II has a second hundred-point reduction. I could unlock it in two days instead of three.¡± ¡°The domination themes synergize together,¡± Rose pointed out. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Priam replied. ¡°Do any of you feel something different on your end?¡± ¡°Nothing special,¡± Mirscella answered, her face closed off. ¡°Because your aether reserves are full. My regeneration has increased by about fifty percent,¡± Kazuki announced. ¡°Log-a-rhythm is partially sharing my bonus,¡± Priam smiled. ¡°We made the right choice.¡± ¡°If we survive,¡± Mirscella murmured. Louis grimaced while the others displayed surprised looks. The thief''s defeatism was strange. ¡°... Can I talk to you alone, Mirscella?¡± Priam asked. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I''ll go back to training,¡± Kazuki declared. He walked away, followed by Rose, Blueberry, and Louis. Sphinx hesitated for a moment, and Priam winked at her. ¡°I''ll be there soon,¡± he said. Reassured, his young friend nodded before hurrying to catch up with Rose. Alain shot Priam a questioning look before walking toward Log-a-rhythm. Now alone, Priam looked at the old lady. The vitality offered by the System was starting to rejuvenate her. Her white hair was almost silvery, and her wrinkles were beginning to fade. As the silence lingered, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°I''d like to apologize for my behavior,¡± Priam began. ¡°You came with me to help detect traps and found yourself dragged into another world. There, instead of helping or consulting you, I went off to explore and put myself in danger. If I had died or if the Rehms had been less kind, it could have ended badly.¡± Mirscella was a strong woman. Priam didn''t know much about her life, but his father had told him she had been a great thief and assassin. Few people were capable of living like that, but Mirscella had succeeded. The fact that she had lived to an advanced age was proof of her extreme competence. Yet today, she seemed pessimistic. Mirscella looked him in the eye for a few seconds before sighing. ¡°I accept your apology. If even a young brat like you can tell that I''m not doing well, I must be in a sorry state.¡± ¡°It''s not¡ª¡± ¡°Few people fearlessly set out to face the unknown. You''re special, Priam. I love adventure more than most. That''s why I became a thief; I loved the adrenaline of being in forbidden places.¡± Mirscella paused, a nostalgic look on her face, and Priam stayed silent. ¡°Yet, that''s nothing compared to finding myself in another world,¡± she continued. ¡°Elysium is dangerous, but I chose to come. When your portal opened onto Valaryth, I was amazed and... terrified. I felt powerless. When you left, I wondered if I would die on this tiny island, alone.¡± Priam opened his mouth and then closed it. He didn''t have much to say. He loved exploring other worlds and meeting different people. He loved pushing himself and being rewarded with a Title or a level-up. He preferred to go solo, and he had put his desires ahead of Mirscella. ¡°I''m not a very good teammate,¡± he admitted. ¡°I should have taken you back here as soon as possible and continued my exploration alone.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Mirscella replied. ¡°At least you should have asked my opinion. You''re not responsible for me, I''m an adult. The real problem was your lack of communication.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± apologized Priam. He meant it. A smile lit up Mirscella¡¯s face. ¡°Well, it wasn''t all bad. I was glad to meet Hurya and Urr and to discover a new world.¡± She turned towards Log-a-rhythm. ¡°Honestly, I think I was too scared. You made the right choice by selecting Land Privilege.¡± ¡°Really? But you seemed...¡± ¡°Displeased? Honestly, I was scared.¡± Mirscella''s fists clenched. ¡°I''m always scared, but Kazuki is right. If I let fear consume me, this world will kill me as surely as Parkinson.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I can¡¯t imagine being trapped in my own body.¡± ¡°I fought the disease for fifteen years. The System healed me but didn''t take away the fear of death. Seeing you move forward no matter the difficulties reminds me of my youth. If my body is any indication, I''m getting younger. If that''s the case, I want to reclaim the recklessness of my youth,¡± she smiled. Priam returned her smile. ¡°Old age is a second youth.¡± ¡°I preferred the first,¡± Mirscella laughed. Her eyes sparkled with a new light. ¡°I should have died. From now on, I''m going to consider each new second as a gift. If I have to die, I''ll have lived before.¡± ¡°I''m glad to see you optimistic again.¡± A small smile played on Mirscella''s lips. ¡°Just realistic. I''m going to train. Next time, I don''t want to be left in your inner world or on an island. You''ve apologized, so it''s my turn: forgive me for being weak.¡± Respect flooded Priam. The woman before him had tremendous experience but was still capable of apologizing. ¡°I''m sure that won''t be the case next time,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Count on it.¡± Watching the thief walk away, Priam kept his smile. Beneath the Elysian suns, everyone trained and gave their best. Priam summoned Promesse. I guess it''s training time. New command: design a training program to unlock Micro''s Stage 1. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 357 Constitution 604 Agility 383 Vitality 508 Perception 566 MENTAL: Vivacity 313 Dexterity 384 Memory 124 Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 326 (+27) Meta-focus 233 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 107 (+10) Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 683 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 177 days 1 hours 44 minutes 28 seconds. Chapter 134: A Worthy Rival Priam was observing Kazuki''s training. A few meters away, the hoplite warrior seamlessly executed movements with his spear. Watching the warrior expertly command his weapon and master every muscle in his body, Priam was filled with awe. There was a primal power in the hoplite''s attacks that captivated him. I want to reach that level. For several days now, Priam had felt he was on the cusp of reaching Micro I and was burning with the desire to achieve it. The Supremacy seemed to offer not just attributes, but a preternatural mastery of the body. There was a fundamental difference between a bodybuilder capable of lifting a hundred kilograms with sheer brute strength and an MMA fighter possessing the same power. In a life-or-death battle, the bodybuilder would lose in ninety-nine percent of cases. Micro further amplified this percentage. In the background, [Priam''s System] meticulously analyzed every move of the hoplite. Priam knew that his key to rapid progress was to stand on the shoulders of giants. By emulating Kazuki''s techniques and skills, he aimed to catch up before surpassing him. The hoplite warrior accelerated, creating gusts of wind with effortless movements, and Priam couldn''t help but smile as his perception kept up. His eyes were fixed on his rival, while [Broad-spectrum vision] and [Echolocalisation] tracked every muscle tension of the spearmaster. A few minutes later, [Priam''s System] buzzed. His skill had just compiled one of the hoplite''s techniques: [Spear Slash]... Time to warm up. You have gained the skill: [Spear Slash - Common]. [Spear Slash] - Some consider the spear the king of all weapons. There are dozens of different spears, and not all are made for cutting. Promesse is. Attack summary: cut your enemies with the sharp edge of the blade. If a problem doesn''t disappear when you slash it, you''re not slashing hard enough. STR +1 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 2,3,4,5,6 STR +5 Lvl Up: [Priam''s System] lvl 9 MEM +2 VIVA +1 Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 5,6,7 STR +3 AGI +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 44 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up : [Dodge] lvl 17 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 32,33 PERC +2 VIVA +2 DEXT +2 Promesse sliced through the air, striking an intangible opponent. A grin formed on Priam''s lips as he practiced his new skill. Watching Kazuki''s training, [Priam¡¯s System] had decrypted [Spear Slash]. The cutting attack was devastating and added a potent tool to Priam''s arsenal. A thrust and a slash. Did he really need anything else? His opponent sidestepped the slash, and Priam advanced. Before him, invisible to all but himself, a replica of Kazuki dodged his strikes. When the real hoplite had suggested shadowboxing for training, Priam had an idea. Rather than boxing in front of a mirror or into thin air, envisioning an opponent, he thought to use his add-on. [Priam''s System], linked to [Shadow Boxing] and [Eidetic Memory], created an illusion for his brain. Before him, his imaginary opponent leaped backward, contorting to evade or parry at the last moment. All these movements were drawn from Priam''s memories or Log-a-rhythm''s constant vigilance and recording. His add-on had compiled Kazuki''s training sessions to create a formidable opponent. The fake Kazuki launched an attack. His spear sliced through the air with terrifying speed and infiltrated Priam''s guard. The weapon''s tip connected with his floating ribs, and [Priam¡¯s System] activated a kinetic charge to simulate an attack. Priam was propelled backward by his own strike. Fuck. The pain was real, but it was the frustration that made him curse. Despite his efforts, the image of the hoplite remained superior. Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 8 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 45 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 With a twist, Priam brought his legs under him and landed gracefully. Looking up, he saw a spear tip descending toward his eye. With a thought, Priam deactivated the illusion. Another defeat. "Impressive," a voice chimed in behind him. "You''re mocking me," Priam sighed as he stretched. Kazuki shook his head. "Not at all. Thanks to your movements, I can imagine your opponent''s. I would have reacted the same nine times out of ten. You''ve analyzed me well." "Oh, that? Yes, I used several skills to predict your moves. But your image still bests me." At the sound of laughter behind him, Priam turned. Kazuki was holding his sides, laughing. Soon, he straightened up. "If a hoplite had said that to me, I would have challenged him to a deathmatch, thinking he was insulting me," he said, wiping a tear of laughter. "That wasn''t my intention," Priam apologized. "I know, but you know I''ve trained with a spear for decades, right? Do you think you can catch up to my level, my experience, and the instincts I''ve developed over these years in just a few hours?" "I don''t have a few decades ahead of me." Kazuki nodded solemnly. "True. If it''s any comfort, you''re improving quickly." "Not quickly enough." "Without spending Potential or unlocking Supremacies, you won''t progress much faster," Kazuki replied, shrugging. The phrase echoed in Priam''s head. "There''s an advantage to unlocking Micro and Mastery? I mean, in addition to the attributes." Kazuki nodded. "Of course. Mastery enhances your talent in its specialty. With [Spear Mastery], you could level up your spear skills faster. Micro will help you understand your body better and improve your instincts." "Ah, looks like the start of a snowball effect, right?" "Indeed. You should start with Micro," Kazuki advised. "I¡¯m so close to the first stage, I can feel it. Yet, something is missing..." Mentally, Priam opened [Priam¡¯s System]''s notifications. When he''d asked for a plan to unlock Micro, his skill had advised him to risk his life. However, [He Who Eludes Death] was primed, and this safety net prevented Priam from understanding Micro. He could, of course, have sacrificed that life, but if the Necrobeast attacked again, he would need it. Kazuki hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I swore to keep certain information secret. I can¡¯t explain, but I can show you." Priam raised an eyebrow. "Show me what? I''ve already seen you use Micro." "Show you how Titan-class Hoplites unlock this Supremacy." "Really?! Thank you, Kazuki!" "You''ll soon be cursing me. We''re going to need Sphinx." In the heights of Log-a-rhythm, Priam and Kazuki stood on a platform created by the tree. The seven-meter radius disk dominated the clearing. Despite Camouflage, Priam had asked his tree not to raise the platform too high. If Dishnu could pierce Log-a-rhythm''s camouflage, other rivals could too. There was no need to advertise their position. Above the disk was a low branch where Sphinx sharpened her claws. Shirtless, Priam and Kazuki locked eyes. After a few moments, Kazuki nodded. "We''re going to face off until you unlock Micro I or die. The secondary goal is to use your body to the fullest and increase your mastery of the spear. I would advise against using aether skills." Priam nodded. The rules were simple, and they suited him just fine. According to Kazuki, ten percent of Hoplites emerged from this kind of combat having unlocked Micro. The rest died. [He Who Eludes Death] or not, Priam refused to lose. He took his stance and glanced at Sphinx. "Who are you betting on, Sphinx?" he grinned. "On you! You''re the best at dying," his friend replied, her voice filled with excitement. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "... Thanks I guess?" "You''re welcome!" "Ready?" Kazuki asked. Instead of answering, Priam closed his eyes. [Focus]. The world slowed, and secondary thoughts faded away. Nothing mattered except Promesse and Kazuki. Priam opened his eyes, and Kazuki took a combat stance. The arena trembled as Priam''s foot pressed firmly against it. [Battle Footwork]. Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 3 AGI +2 DEXT +1 The next instant, Priam reappeared in front of his opponent and used [Unrelenting Thrust]. Calmly, Kazuki struck the shaft of Promesse just below its tip, deflecting the blow. Promesse missed the hoplite''s ear by a hair, but he kept his cool. Priam''s left foot absorbed his momentum. Without using [Kinetic Control], Priam physically converted the remaining acceleration into a whipping kick. Kazuki blocked, and the impact forced him back. Priam pressed his advantage with [Spear Slash]. His left hand advanced on the shaft, while his rear hand retreated. Taking a step forward, he swung Promesse in a horizontal arc. Any other arc would have allowed Kazuki to sidestep, but a mid-level horizontal attack forced him to either step back or parry. The hoplite chose the latter option. Bringing his spear close to his body, he planted his feet and absorbed the impact with the shaft. The slash pushed him back a few centimeters while Priam took a defensive stance. Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 7 STR +1 "Your technique is good, but you should have kept attacking.¡± "If I had done that, I would have lost my balance," Priam remarked. "It''s dangerous if you''re fighting multiple enemies. But in a one-on-one, your opponent will be in an even more precarious position. You can''t win a tough fight without putting yourself at risk." Priam nodded. "Hum, not wrong." "I''m coming." Seeing Priam adopt a defensive posture, Kazuki attacked. He''s serious now. Thanks to his Domain, Priam felt all the force Kazuki had put into his weapon. In a real fight, he would have stopped the attack by absorbing its kinetic energy, but that didn''t make sense here. He was here to progress physically. The enemy''s spear tip approached. A basic thrust. In a low guard, Priam deflected the weapon from his opponent. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 5 STR+1 With a flick of the wrist, Kazuki swept his spear under Priam''s and doubled his thrust. His weapon too far away, Priam had no choice but to leap backward. At the same time, a vibration ran through his Domain. The Champion hoplite''s speed tripled, and his spear bit into Priam''s right thigh. "Fuck. What was that?" Priam said as he landed. Kazuki stepped back, breathing heavily. "Micro." "What? It looked like you had overclocked your body." "I did. What did you do wrong?" "I parried too wide," Priam analyzed. "Exactly. Always keep the tip of your spear between you and your opponent if you don''t want them to go above or below your weapon." It was the threat of Promesse''s sharp tip that kept his opponent at bay. Priam nodded and got back into position. The wound inflicted by the hoplite was inconsequential, and [Hemorrhage Resistance] was already closing it up. Kazuki launched himself again, attempting to thrust at Priam''s face. Priam blocked from below with Promesse and forced both spears into the air. The threat of Kazuki''s weapon was nullified, and Priam lunged forward, thrusting toward the hoplite''s neck. Kazuki didn''t have time to retract his weapon, and he decided to block the attack with his right hand. Priam assessed his opponent in an instant. His perception revealed an opening at the hoplite''s groin. At the last moment, Priam redirected Promesse. Kazuki''s eyes widened before he roared. Priam''s Domain felt a new vibration - his heart! - as Kazuki''s skin turned red. Just as Promesse threatened to castrate him, the hoplite countered with a supersonic kick. Priam shot back like a cannonball before absorbing his speed. He landed at the other end of the platform, a smile on his lips. "It was close. Your descendants were lucky on this one," he teased. "I see I''ve been too lenient," Kazuki smiled coldly. The two opponents leaped at each other. Lvl Up : [Dodge] lvl 18 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 9 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 6,7,8,9,10 STR+5 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 4 AGI +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 18 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 34 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 5,6,7 STR +9 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 8,9 STR +2 [Tribulation]: Six attributes above 400 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 176 days 18 hours 16 minutes 28 seconds. For three hours, Priam and Kazuki clashed. As time passed, Priam''s experience grew. Every half hour, the two opponents allowed themselves a few minutes of respite to mutually analyze their weaknesses. At the outset, Kazuki had plenty to say about Priam, but with each break, he found himself less talkative. Indeed, [Eidetic Memory], [Focus], and a hefty dose of determination allowed Priam to avoid making the same mistake twice. His Dexterity and Micro aided him in perfecting his control over his body and refining his movements. Finally, [Battle Flow] and his add-on provided a constant analysis of his opponent. Thanks to this, Priam quickly pinpointed his adversary''s weaknesses. Kazuki was a legendary warrior. Priam had no idea about the warrior''s skills and Talents, but he only allowed Priam to exploit his weaknesses once. They were then patched up, refining the hoplite''s style. The rivalry between the two fighters fostered a fertile competition and yielded spectacular results. Priam hadn''t progressed this much since his Tribulations. However, he remained weaker with a spear than Kazuki. Decades of training and experience couldn''t be caught up in just a few hours. Without his [Draconic Instinct], which occasionally guided his movements, Priam would have been overwhelmed. Each of these occurrences provided him with magical inspiration and a skill level boost. A new clash occurred before the adversaries parted. Breathing heavily, Priam and Kazuki locked eyes like two tigers ready to pounce. "Break time," Sphinx yawned. Priam panted as Log-a-rhythm provided him with a bowl of fresh sap. Kazuki sat cross-legged to partake as well. After a few minutes, the hoplite had recovered enough breath to speak. "You absorb my knowledge like a sponge. Your progress is astounding." "My skills, Supremacies, and attributes synergize well," Priam replied. "True. Your Domain, pseudo-Micro, and your memory allow you to perfectly mimic my movements, and your mental attributes allow you to use them when needed," Kazuki observed. Priam nodded. "I think the barrier separating me from Micro I is weakening." "Perfect. I suggest we up the difficulty to strike while the iron is hot. Sphinx, could you create a sphere of double gravity around us. Make sure it''s evenly distributed." "Okay!" Priam stretched before getting back on his feet. "You''re a sadistic instructor." "Sphinx, I''ve changed my mind, I want triple gravity," Kazuki grinned. Priam smirked, glancing at his [Gravity Resistance] skill. Don¡¯t cry later. As he assumed a low guard, the atmosphere grew heavier. A leaden weight settled on his shoulders, and Priam struggled to breathe. His body had become accustomed to the higher gravity of Elysium, but Sphinx''s skill stacked on top of it. According to his add-on, the gravity was now fifteen times greater than Earth''s. With his physical attributes, Priam was a monster capable of bearing this new weight. The real challenge was adjusting his movements to account for the new gravity. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement. Kazuki was rushing towards him. In a Pflug guard - spear¡¯s tip held high towards the opponent, left hand extended and positioned at the navel, and right hand against his right thigh - Priam waited to parry. At the last moment, he subtly moved Kazuki''s spear to his right before seizing it. His hand closed around the opponent''s weapon like a vice, and Priam countered. Promesse''s tip closed in on Kazuki''s face. As Priam prepared to pull his strike, confident of his victory, he felt his right hand burn and his instinct scream. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam pushed himself back and shook his hand. According to Micro, the cells in his hand were damaged. A lightsaber skill? "[Spear Mastery]," Kazuki clarified. "I''m almost surprised it didn''t sever your hand." "I''m tough," Priam retorted, leaping forward. He lifted off a few dozen centimeters before descending faster than expected. The gravity! Priam nearly stumbled when he landed back on the platform. Kazuki simply smiled, and this sight irked Priam. He knew that this kind of mistake could be fatal in combat. I was so focused on Kazuki that I forgot to analyze everything... Priam disconnected for a moment from [Focus] and took a breath. His opponent waited while Priam summoned [Balance]. He hesitated for a moment before reactivating [Focus]. The skill was excellent, but it forced him to concentrate on a single objective, neglecting the details around him. That annoyed Priam. But it''s my skill, it should obey me, not the other way around. Priam gathered all the power of his Willpower, and his attribute clashed violently with the skill. [Draconic Instinct] roared, and [Focus] trembled before submitting. Priam smiled as he looked at Kazuki again. "Sorry for the wait." Without waiting for a response, he activated his muscles and leaped. As the two spears met, Log-a-rhythm shook. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 377 (+20) Constitution 605 (+1) Agility 398 (+15) Vitality 508 Perception 571 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 321 (+8) Dexterity 401 (+17) Memory 127 (+3) Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 326 Meta-focus 241 (+8) Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 107 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 752 (+51) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 17 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds. Chapter 135: Defiance and perseverance Lvl Up : [Balance] lvl 11,12 AGI +2 DEXT +4 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 11,12 STR+2 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 10 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up : [Dodge] lvl 19 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 19 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 2,3 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 26,27,28 CONST +9 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 35 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 8,9 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 14,15 VIT +2 Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 10,11 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 10,11 STR +2 Priam''s muscles groaned under the strain. Even Sphinx''s focused demeanor couldn''t coax a laugh out of him anymore. His friend had steadily increased the gravity''s intensity, and Priam could feel the influence of this fundamental force on every cell of his body. The distraction of the fight had prevented him from fully grasping the phenomenon, but his body was adapting on its own. His Titles, Talents, skills, and his newfound race were synergizing, compelling his cells to evolve. His bones were densifying, bolstering his constitution. His blood and marrow were stimulated, evolving with each passing moment, fueling his vitality. His muscle fibers would break before repairing, amplifying his strength. The saying "what doesn''t kill you makes you stronger" had never been truer. Except even death strengthened Priam. An hour into the spar, the gravity had reached thirty times Earth''s. Five minutes later, Kazuki called off the match. After blocking another charge from Priam, his arms trembled. "This is my limit," he said. "Already tired?" Priam taunted. "Your constitution surpasses mine," Kazuki acknowledged. Priam''s nascent smile froze upon hearing the rest of the sentence. "However, you must press on. If you want to unlock Micro, you have to push your limits. Do you guys do strength training on your planet?" "...Yes," Priam replied after spitting out some blood. The hoplite hadn''t held back all his strikes, and Priam suffered from several internal hemorrhages. "But I''m not a big fan..." He''d frequented a few gyms on Earth, but without consistency. Fitness bored him when there wasn''t a system capable of perfectly evaluating his progress and shattering the ceiling of human limits. "The worse you are, the less you like it. Now that you can do ten thousand pull-ups in a row, you''ll appreciate it." The argument made sense. "Start with fifty push-ups," Kazuki announced. "I''m not sure it''s the best way to build muscle," Priam remarked. "Definitely not, but that''s not why you''re here. You''re here to push your body to its limits and feel the pain in every cell." Priam sighed before assuming the position. As he prepared to execute his first push-up, Kazuki stopped him to correct his form. Once satisfied, the hoplite gave him the green light. Priam descended for the first time. Focused on [Fitness], he smiled as he performed the physical exercise. Despite the increased gravity and his fatigue, his powerful muscles managed to lift him back up. He began a second descent. Then a third. The seconds ticked by, and the monotony of the training allowed Priam''s mind to ponder. What was the goal of this exercise? Kazuki wanted to wear him down, but more importantly, to familiarize him with his body. Thanks to Micro, Priam could discern which muscles were working the hardest. [Human Anatomy] labeled them: pectoralis major, deltoid, and triceps. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 14 STR +1 Smiling, Priam continued his push-ups. Once finished, Kazuki gave him variations. Fifty Diamond push-ups, fifty archer push-ups, fifty flying push-ups, and of course, fifty Sphinx push-ups. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 15 STR +1 Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 12 CONST +3 With each repetition, Priam''s smile widened. Despite the heightened gravity, fatigue seemed unable to grip him. Deep within him was an endless wellspring of energy. This energy regenerated his muscle cells, repaired micro-fissures in his bones, and kept his hearts beating. No, it¡¯s the opposite! The source of his vitality came from his hearts. The draconic one seemed to possess inexhaustible energy, while the High Human one compelled his cells to evolve. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 16 STR +1 Using Micro to monitor his body''s condition, Priam smiled. He could feel his strength increasing in real time. [Fitness] taught him how to best apply his knowledge and dexterity to perform perfect push-ups, and the exercise was building his muscles. The System - or was it a skill? - altered the aethereal code of his cells to allow them to evolve beyond terrestrial biology. This was how his STR attribute progressed. When Priam reached the necessary level of knowledge and power, the System notified him of his progress. I''ll retain my attributes even without the System. The Concepts provided him with the tools to optimize his strength and knowledge. The notifications weren''t rewards, just... notifications Micro shook. Understanding his body had brought Priam closer to his evolution. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 17 STR +1 After two hundred fifty varied push-ups, Priam finally began to feel his arms tremble. Despite his draconic vitality, he took a quick break to drink and noticed Kazuki furrowing his brows. "Is something wrong?" Priam asked, setting down his bowl of fresh sap. "Your body is strengthening in real time." "I''m gaining skills and, therefore, attributes. Is that a problem?" "You''re already getting used to this gravity. These exercises tire you superficially, not to your core. Right now, if I asked you to do ten thousand push-ups, you''d eventually collapse from exhaustion. Yet, a few minutes later, you''d be ready to continue." "I''m resilient, and I adapt quickly," Priam admitted. "Are you saying that without an almost... deadly level of fatigue, I won''t unlock Micro''s Stage 1?" Kazuki grimaced. "Not necessarily. You might unlock Micro in two minutes. Or maybe never. Your species is different from mine, and I don''t know your status. What''s certain is that Micro requires an epiphany. According to hoplite researchers, this supernatural inspiration is more likely to occur in situations of intense stress. You''re not stressed, neither physically nor mentally." Priam winced, realizing Kazuki was right. His body felt like it weighed tons, and rather than experiencing fatigue, he relished in the difficulty of moving. He knew his body would evolve to rise to the challenge. "Let''s increase the gravity," he suggested. "That will put you in danger. Vitality can''t heal all injuries," Kazuki warned. "I know, but it''s my decision." Determination gleamed in Priam''s misty eyes. Kazuki must have seen it too, because he sighed. "You''re going to do it with or without me, aren''t you?" "Yes." "... Very well. Sphinx?" "Right away!" If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A leaden weight descended onto Priam''s shoulders. "Forty lunar gravities," Sphinx announced. After the transformation of the moon, lunar gravity equated to terrestrial gravity. It was the only unit of measurement she knew. "I can handle more," Priam requested. Kazuki grimaced but kept silent as Sphinx concentrated. "Fifty." The immense gravity now fought against Priam''s blood, attempting to prevent the life-giving fluid from reaching his brain. To allow his blood to circulate, Priam''s two hearts pulsed forcefully. The vital fluid flowed through the major arteries easily but regularly ruptured small vessels. [Hemorrhage Resistance] had its work cut out for it. Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 13 CONST +3 "Sixty." "Now, a few pull-ups," said Kazuki. Priam''s body grew heavier as the world loaded him with a new burden. Clenching his teeth, he turned his thoughts to Log-a-rhythm. A moment later, the tree grew a reinforced pull-up bar. Priam grasped it and winced as his tendons - grip and shoulders - neared the breaking point. [Star Iron Body] and [Gravity Resistance] worked at full tilt to enable his body to endure. He began the exercise with a grunt. Laboriously, he managed to hoist his shoulders above the bar. One. Kazuki was silent. He didn''t often get the chance to be impressed by a recruit. The hoplite Champion had trained Titan classes: genetically modified hoplites, conditioned to endure mental torture, survive for years in their planet''s hostile wilderness, and battle lab-engineered creatures. In addition to their strength, Titan classes were brilliant. They were called upon for space travel and exploration of dangerous zones. Their intelligence and knowledge stabilized their temperaments. As a result, accidents during training were rare: no one wanted to leave the program due to an injury. Priam didn''t seem bothered by this concern. Usually, Kazuki wouldn''t have allowed this kind of attitude, but he was facing a rival, not a recruit. Deep down, a small voice whispered to him that the High Human would do anything to unlock Micro. In his right pupil, his retinal implant, linked to his Mecha, analyzed Priam. [The target''s temperature is 145% higher than normal. Heartbeats are 20% below cadence. The power of each beat has increased by 80%. The cerebral electric field shows intense activity in the basal nuclei area.] Kazuki quickly read the report from his AI. Priam''s body was finally starting to tire, and his brain was instinctively calling on Micro. The reptilian brain region¡­ That''s a good sign. A groan to his right caught his attention. "You okay, Sphinx?" The mythological creature was trembling. Channeling her power for so long and with such intensity must have been greatly exhausting her. Yet, Sphinx didn''t want to give up. She can be brave when it came to Priam... "Yes," she managed to articulate painfully. "Seventy..." Percent, Kazuki understood. Those two are monsters¡­ A grunt escaped Priam''s mouth as he completed another pull-up. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 18 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 29 CONST +3 Lvl up: [Gravity Resistance] lvl 14 CONST +3 Lvl Up : [Balance] lvl 13 AGI +1 DEXT +2 Forty-six. A drop of sweat fell into his eye, and an exhausted Priam groaned. This new set of muscle-ups - a pull-up followed by a dip - was grueling. The gravity was hitting him hard, even disrupting his sense of balance. His body had never been this powerful, yet his endurance reserves had never been lower. He wanted to quit at every moment, but his pride refused to let him. He would unlock Micro today. Forty-seven. As he started the forty-eighth pull-up, Priam felt his arms tremble. Fuming, he summoned his hearts again. He needed energy. Two heavy synchronized beats echoed. A rush of pressurized blood surged through his arteries to meet his demand. Some tiny blood vessels burst under the strain, but Priam didn''t care. Forty-eight. A strange sensation washed over him, and Priam realized his brain had just blacked out. His mind instantly regained control, and he used Micro. The Supremacy was now the only force capable of moving his muscles. He persevered, refusing to admit defeat. Forty-nine. Priam started another pull-up. Instantly, electric pulses shot from his unconscious brain, traveled through his body, and commanded the muscles to contract or relax. His mental fatigue briefly dissipated, offering Priam a glimpse of the truth. The Supremacy manifested as a force field enveloping his brain. Micro was as linked to his body as it was to his mind. Or to my Will. Fifty. Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 19 STR +1 The force field trembled. I''m almost there, I just need to figure out how to manipulate this force field. "You''re almost there. Now let''s fight," Kazuki suggested. Priam let go of the pull-up branch. He tried to cushion his fall, but his legs gave out, and he crashed to the ground. Yet, he was smiling. He could almost touch Micro. I''m almost there. His brain reconnected. Mobilizing his tired muscles, Priam stood up. His movements were slow, and moving was now a torment. Without a word, he summoned Promesse before turning. The hoplite advanced, free from any constraints - Sphinx only targeted Priam. The hoplite''s gait had changed, and Priam''s instincts growled. Kazuki was fully utilizing Micro to move, and every one of his movements carried a preternatural fluidity. One word came to Priam to describe this power: graceful. The Champion hoplite raised his spear. Blood glistened on its tip. My blood. Exhausted, Priam went into a defensive stance. He was now using half his brain and half Micro to move. Without giving him time to experiment, Kazuki dashed towards him. When the opponents were less than three meters apart, the hoplite thrust. Priam barely dodged to the side and counterattacked. Some of his movements were calculated, using his skills and his Agility. Others were instinctive. Ignoring his notifications, Priam focused on the fight and on Micro. Thrust, Thrust, Slash, Thrust! The hoplite blocked and stepped back, taken aback by the ferocity of the assault. Priam waited for this moment to raise his spear. He feinted to the right, and Kazuki stepped left, weakening his stance. Using his last reserves of strength, Priam launched Promesse. The spear flew through the air, ready to pierce his opponent. At the last moment, Kazuki growled, and his eyes changed color. Promesse froze in the air as Kazuki advanced. Priam tried to call his spear back, but it didn''t respond. What?! The simple wooden spear threatened to gut him, and Priam roared. He couldn''t lose now. He had trained too hard and for too long. Fatigue overwhelmed his mind, but his pride raged. He wanted to win. Priam raised his hand to block, but Kazuki accelerated further. In an instant, Priam understood he wouldn''t have time to grab the opponent''s spear. Defeat was approaching, and its arrival ignited Priam''s wrath. Instinctively channeling Micro, Priam ordered his hearts to increase their pace. His left arm accelerated, and Priam opened his hand. A fraction of a second later, the wooden spear impaled his palm. Kazuki''s eyes widened as he saw the spear trapped in Priam''s hand. He tried to dislodge it, but it was too late. Priam closed his right hand and prepared to punch. His left hand began to smoke as the hoplite''s Mastery tried to free him. A lost cause. A glint appeared in Kazuki''s eyes. The Champion hoplite had pride too. He wanted to win. Closing his own fist, he punched, backed by all the power of his Supremacy. Caught up in the fight, the hoplite didn''t even attempt to hold back his blow. Domain felt a shockwave form in front of Kazuki''s fist, and time slowed. Priam understood he was about to lose. Despite the gravity increasing his weight, despite his physical attributes, despite his Skills and Titles, he was going to lose. Kazuki''s attack was perfect and would kill him. He would come back, but he would have lost. His will refused this reality. Gathering his resolve, he focused his mind and touched the aetheral field of Micro. His Supremacy shook. Priam understood. His mind resonated with this power. His hearts pulsed with greater intensity than ever before, unleashing phenomenal energy. Faced with the impending death from Kazuki''s attack, Priam roared in defiance. One heart exploded. Two fists collided. The flower slowly straightened, supported by Dishnu''s magic. Before long, its petals regained their luster, and the drya let out a satisfied sigh. There was nothing quite like a thriving forest. Beneath them, the roots of nearby trees sensed a tremor. An explosion? Dishnu turned towards its source, falling into a thoughtful silence for a few moments. It was the direction of Log-a-rhythm. The drya sighed, hoping the commotion wouldn''t draw the attention of any lurking monsters. In Elysium, attracting unwanted notice could be deadly. Should I go? After a few seconds of contemplation, the drya shook its head. It was the guardian of the entire forest, and they all relied on it. It couldn''t afford to play favorites. Dishnu''s good spirits waned as it leaned towards another ailing flower. There was so much work to be done... Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 398 (+21) Constitution 646 (+41) Agility 404 (+6) Vitality 511 (+3) Perception 574 (+3) MENTAL: Vivacity 322 (+1) Dexterity 412 (+11) Memory 127 Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 326 Meta-focus 241 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 107 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 803 (+51) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 14 hours 35 minutes 56 seconds. Chapter 136: The Slave, the Princess and the Madman Esm¨¦e¡¯s grimoire trembled. The princess, her hands covered in soapy water, mentally connected to it. A moment later, she froze. The Corrupted was heading towards the First. The Hoplite was also present. Three out of the ten rivals would soon be united. The Corrupted would undoubtedly be hostile, and a fight would draw the attention of the others. This opened up possibilities she had to seize. After all, an [Author]''s job was to use every possible element to craft a story... a bloody one. Preferably with her brother in the role of the sacrifice. "Hurry up!" an impatient voice exclaimed. Esm¨¦e raised her head. Across from her, Muyri vigorously scrubbed the plates of the Crown Prince''s guards. "You seem almost happy to be doing the dishes for your master''s men." "I''ll be most happy not to be whipped. Not all of us are princesses." The slave was not wrong. Even among women, some were treated better than others. As evidenced by the scarred face of Muyri, one could always fall lower. "They won''t whip you," Esm¨¦e assured. "The smell of blood could attract beasts." The prince and his guard had set up a camp near a stream. The nearby trees had been young enough to be cut down, and the monsters were relatively weak. Meaning they had only killed three out of the nine guards in just under two days. "They''ll find something else. The Prince is more inventive than his brothers," murmured the slave. She, who had served all her life in the Royal Palace, knew as much. Esm¨¦e shook her head as she resumed polishing a knife. She needed to finish the dishes quickly to take action. However, one thing still troubled her. "I don''t understand why my brother chose to bring a slave instead of a warrior." The brother had been able to keep ten people close to him, and he had chosen nine champions and a jack-of-all-trades woman. A strange noise made Esm¨¦e look up. Muyri was laughing. She had never heard the slave laugh. Esm¨¦e felt anger wash over her. How dare this slave mock her? "Why are you laughing?" she spat. "Because it''s obvious," Muyri replied with a cold smile. "And it¡¯s funny how you would have preferred a tenth guard. You think you''re better than me, so you hate it when reality reminds you that we are both washing dishes. You can''t stand men looking down on you, but you do the same to me." Esm¨¦e almost retorted that she had a plan. That she didn''t intend to be submissive for the rest of her life. In her thoughts, she killed her brother every night! She fell silent. If they heard her, she would die. After a few seconds of silence, she responded. "Do you think my double standard is ridiculous?" Esm¨¦e asked. "It might be true. I despise you. I despise all the women of the Empire. For three thousand years of oppression, none have fought. Because of half of my ancestors, I have to obey my brother, my father, and all the others." Muyri looked up at the princess with cold eyes. "You think no one has fought? Men write history, Your Highness. You''re not the first princess to want to eliminate a moronic brother." Upon hearing those words, Esm¨¦e''s heart raced. Was it true? It might explain many things. However, she refrained from responding. Muyri was treading on dangerous ground, and there was no indication that she was an ally. Esm¨¦e had been betrayed too many times to confide easily. "You still haven''t told me why my brother chose you over a guard." The silence lasted almost a minute before Muyri replied. "Because he''s not just foolish, he''s also lecherous." Congratulations, you''ve unlocked Micro - Stage 1. [Supremacy - Micro] - Micro allows the user to control his body down to the smallest detail. Operating in Stages, Micro is used in every Universe. You''ve successfully influenced your body using Micro - Stage 0. You''ve succeeded in creating a resonance between your mind and Micro. You now have a better understanding of this Supremacy - Stage 1. Current stage: 1 - Micro Imprinted Old Bonus: PERC +5 / DEX +10 / VIVA +10 / WILL +5 New Bonus: PERC +10 / DEX +20 / VIVA +10 / WILL +20 Good news never came alone. Your draconic heart becomes more compatible with your body. Bonus: Micro +5% > Micro +15% New compatibility assessed at 79%. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] The Dragons'' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation. [Draconic Instinct]. The Dragon¡¯s second gift... Delayed until compatibility exceeds 90%. VIT +20% (30%) Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100% Just a little over ten percent left for my heart... No Achievement for Micro? Too bad, but understandable. From what Priam gathered, an Achievement was often tied to being one of the first to accomplish a particular feat. Micro I had undoubtedly been achieved by many grandmasters already. I¡¯ll get it for stage 2! Priam tried to smile as he reread his notification. After transcending his limits and facing death head-on, he had successfully accessed Micro I. His mind now communicated directly with the Supremacy, bypassing his brain. With a single thought, he could clearly feel every nerve in his body. Nerves that all sent him the same message: pain. "Are you okay?" Sphinx asked, concern in her voice. He hadn''t even felt his friend approaching. Priam, slumped against Log-a-rhythm, tried to articulate a response but was unsuccessful. Feels like Blueberry slept on me... Without a telepathic link, she didn''t hear his response. But his tree did. Log-a-rhythm''s artificial consciousness asked him if he wanted to be moved into a bath of regenerative sap. Priam hesitated. Moving an injured person was a delicate matter that could worsen his condition. What state am I exactly in? Closing his eyes, Priam focused on Micro. His mind instantly connected with the Supremacy, which provided a report on his condition. A shattered heart, no left hand, no right arm, a broken spine, and a severe concussion worsened by bleeding. On top of that, he had a plethora of fractured bones, torn muscles, ripped tendons, and damaged nerves. Despite his physical attributes, Priam was in a sorry state. But there were still two pieces of good news. Lvl Up : [Diagnostic] lvl 2,3 PERC +2 The first was that he was going to die. For Priam, that meant additional rewards. The second was that his Supremacy was worth it. Priam felt the full potential of this new ability. Previously, when he wanted to move a finger, Priam''s brain sent an electrical impulse to his nerves. The impulse traveled to certain muscles in his forearm, which contracted and moved his finger. It was a well-established system that had proven itself. But every system had room for improvement. The human brain and nervous system were not perfectly in sync. This was why karate practitioners trained for a long time to break a brick with the edge of their hands. Behind this training lay a truth: more than their musculature, it was their brains that were evolving. The structure of the fibers responsible for transmitting signals changed. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The consequence of this evolution was better coordination of the muscles in the arms, shoulders, and torso. Through training, the brain better controlled the body and unleashed the muscles¡¯ power. Priam couldn''t afford to train for years to acquire this kind of coordination. Micro I solved this problem. Thanks to his epiphany just before the impact, his mind now had direct access to the Supremacy. His every thought was transmitted to Micro, which created a perfect electrical impulse for his nerves. The reverse was also true: Micro instantly analyzed his nerves'' response and shared the information with his mind. In short, Priam''s motor skills and senses now communicated through Micro rather than his brain. If this evolves to cover my whole body, I won''t even need my brain anymore... Concerned by his silence, Sphinx licked his cheek, and Priam felt it with absolute clarity. The world is so pure... and my body''s response time has decreased, he rejoiced. In fast-paced battles, this would make all the difference. Using Micro, Priam forced his own tongue to lick Sphinx''s cheek. His friend froze before bouncing with joy. She was adorable. "Do you want me to help you die?" she asked cheerfully. Less adorable. Priam continued to pet her to divert her attention. He didn''t intend to die in front of everyone. Watching his friend wriggle beside him, Priam admired Micro I. Without the overclock, his last arm wouldn''t have been able to move. The Supremacy allowed his muscles to use their full power, at the risk of overexertion. His brain sometimes acted as an inhibitor to preserve his inhuman body; Micro had no limits. His right arm could attest to that. The full force of his strength, though far inferior to his constitution, had literally blown up his limb upon impact. Kazuki must be in a sorry state... "You''re in a sorry state," Kazuki said. Priam looked up at Kazuki. The hoplite seemed perfectly fine. What? "I know what you''re thinking," Kazuki grimaced. "How can he still be alive?" Priam managed to grunt. "I''ll return the question: why are you so close to death? You have a skill that can redistribute kinetic energy, right?" Priam remained silent. First, because he was unable to speak, and second, because he was annoyed. I¡¯m stupid... Kazuki smiled, shaking his head. "We''ve all been there. You''ve only been fighting for a few weeks. With more experience, you''ll learn to take a step back from the situation. Micro I will help you ignore the mood-influencing drugs." "Congratulations on Micro I!" Sphinx exclaimed. Priam smiled. The seventeen facial muscles mobilized were on the verge of breaking, but Sphinx deserved to see a smile. "Will you make it?" Kazuki asked softly. The hoplite tried to hide it, but Priam sensed concern in his voice. Despite his waning strength, despite the blood leaking from his body and flooding the wooden platform, Priam gave Kazuki a determined look. He had something to do before he died and didn''t want the hoplite worrying about his disappearance. Kazuki hesitated for a moment before stepping away. He understood that Priam needed space. "If you need anything, have Log-a-rhythm let me know." Priam smiled one last time at Sphinx before contacting Log-a-rhythm. A portal opened behind him, and he gently fell into a bath of regenerative sap. For what he had to do, he wanted to be alone. He had no desire to traumatize Rose or his father by dying in front of them. A moment later, the tree let Sphinx pass in his room. His friend looked at him for a moment before puffing out her chest. "You have to come back!" Before Priam could respond, she lowered her head and curled up beside his body. "I have a riddle for you. With him, I can laugh and cry. Through ups and downs, I''ll never say goodbye. Who is he?" Priam''s draconic heart tightened upon hearing his friend. I''m so selfish. She''s my friend, a child, and I''m her anchor in this world. "I¡­ Alright...," he breathed, wincing. Sphinx locked her eyes with Priam''s, meowed, then left. Priam''s brain fainted at that point, and his spirit took over. He sent a thought to Log-a-rhythm. A moment later, a box of carved stone was placed before him. A branch pushed the lid off, revealing a bone fragment the size of a human femur. [Identification] [Bone fragment - Tier 2] - A bone fragment corrupted by the NecroMoon. A gift from Dishnu. According to Kazuki and the dryad, the Necromoon was approaching. Priam wasn''t foolish and had already been killed by a Necrowolf. If a Tier 2 could be corrupted by the malevolent Moon, then he could too. Log-a-rhythm sent him a feeling of fear. Even his mighty tree feared the influence of the NecroMoon. Maybe intentionally poisoning myself wasn''t a good idea? Let''s weigh the pros and cons. Pro: I''m going to die and possibly develop a resistance to this filth. Con: I''m going to die in pain. I think for a second and... Priam ordered his tree to connect him with the bone. Refusing to touch the fragment, Log-a-rhythm tipped the box over Priam. The bone touched him. Despite his condition, Priam screamed. On the riverbank, Kazuki practiced his shadow boxing. Priam''s technique of replacing the mental shadow with a realistic image was intriguing. Priam. Kazuki sighed, ceased his movements, and then sat in the grass. His rival was in bad shape. Kazuki himself still felt the effects of his attack. To avoid losing, he had to overclock all the muscles involved in a punch. The difference with Priam was that he had done it right, while the High Human had mutilated himself. Of course, Kazuki would have been gravely injured - possibly dead - if he hadn''t summoned the image of his armor at the last second. Partially protected by his Mecha, he had only been lightly wounded. Thinking about Priam''s injuries, Kazuki grimaced. He was on the brink of death. Sure, he seemed confident - neither Kazuki nor his armor''s AI detected any trace of fear in the young man''s gaze - but what if he was wrong? Kazuki didn''t want Priam to die. After all, the hoplites would arrive soon and need shelter. His wife''s voice echoed in his head. "Stop always pushing others away. You can turn respect into friendship without being weak." Hyshana was often right. Kazuki''s pride forced him to face the truth: he felt respect for Priam. Maybe they were on the verge of becoming friends? "I hope you''ll make it..." A loud noise snapped him out of his thoughts. Kazuki sprang to his feet and turned toward the forest. Boom! Something was attacking the barrier! Without a moment''s hesitation, the hoplite began to run. "Take refuge in Log-a-rhythm!" he shouted to the others before entering the forest. Log-a-rhythm''s influence was still weak, and its domain was limited. Ten meters into the forest, the hoplite detected the intruder. Standing at a towering two and a half meters, with intensely black hair and piercing red eyes, the stranger was skeletal. His clothes were torn but still concealed his body. A dark, cursed aura surrounded him while he was delivering powerful blows to the barrier protecting the camp. Looking at him, Kazuki''s corrupted wound began to throb. [Multi-Analysis] [Seth - Tier 0] - A dead rival. The NecroMoon had already converted one of them. Upon spotting him, the individual - Seth - stopped. "When I knock on the door, it''s rare for someone to answer," he chuckled, his voice hoarse. The hairs on the hoplite''s neck stood on end upon hearing the unknown yet understandable language. "I''m sorry a warrior has fallen so far from his world. Let me grant you rest," Kazuki responded in the hoplite tongue. "Rest? After the trouble I''ve gone through to survive? I don¡¯t think so." Kazuki furrowed his brow. "Is your corruption voluntary?" Seth''s red eyes gleamed, and he growled. "Let''s just say it was a way to survive after a certain homunculus vaporized half of my body." He fought another rival, Kazuki realized. "What do you want?" "Me?" Seth burst into insane laughter. "Just to convert you," the madman grinned. Kazuki smiled back. Seth was a threat, and he knew how to respond to threats. Summoning his lance and Mecha, the hoplite Champion took a defensive stance. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 398 Constitution 646 Agility 404 Vitality 511 Perception 582 (+8) MENTAL: Vivacity 322 Dexterity 422 (+10) Memory 127 Willpower 620 (+21) Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 326 Meta-focus 241 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 107 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 805 (+2) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 14 hours 23 minutes 16 seconds. Chapter 137: Kazuki vs Seth As Seth blinked, Kazuki felt the urge to chuckle. His rival must have hailed from a world that favored magic over technology. Clearly, the sight of a mechanized suit of armor left him bewildered. Kazuki couldn''t blame him as Knightmare - the name of the mecha - was quite the sight to behold. It was, after all, the culmination of years of effort and the pinnacle of hoplite science. The mecha stood nearly three and a half meters tall, weighing over a ton. Its violet paint concealed an ultra-resilient alloy and a plethora of different sensors. Originally, hydraulic actuators and a miniaturized fusion plant provided additional support to the natural strength of its wearer. The System had further enhanced this model. One of the challenges the System had set for the rivals was a survival quest. Kazuki''s first reward had been won by Priam - a temperance die. The second, obtained after a week of survival, was a Talent. [Symbiosis - Knightmare] had bound Kazuki to his mecha. He could store it in a personal dimension, temporarily enhance his mental capabilities through its AI, and fight in perfect harmony with it. As a bonus, the stored mecha repaired itself over time. Seth eventually shrugged. "Aren''t you going to attack me?" Kazuki maintained his silence, a wooden spear in hand. The barrier was sturdy, capable of holding for several minutes. Why attack when he could wait for his opponent to tire? Shrugging off Kazuki''s silence, Seth muttered a word, summoning a black ink shadow that coiled around his fist. Knightmare''s sensors went haywire. [Correspondence detected: 13% of the ethereal structure resembles that of the NecroMoon]. His corrupted wound began to sear, causing Kazuki to grimace. Growing impatient, Seth struck his fist against the barrier. It trembled while micro-cracks appeared. The summoned shadow seeped through these weaknesses. A second attack followed the first, then a third under the hoplite watch. Like a feline, Kazuki bided his time. Each of the stranger''s attacks provided new insights and wore down his adversary. Four minutes later, the durability of the barrier seemed exhausted. Cracks, eroded by the shadows, were visible to the naked eye. It couldn''t have more than thirty seconds left. Kazuki sprang into action in an instant. [Micro I], [Mastery I - Spear], [Acceleration]. Kazuki dashed toward Seth, causing the earth to explode beneath his armored feet. A twentieth of a second later, his spear pierced Seth''s right eye. His opponent''s body exploded into a cloud of black ash. A clone. The dark particles froze momentarily before attempting to engulf the mecha. [Energetic Shield]. A force field materialized on the armor''s surface, blocking the attack. Shrouded in a veil of darkness, Kazuki''s vision was obscured. His sensors warned him of an attack from his right. The hoplite gathered his Mastery and struck blindly. An intense explosion sent him hurtling backward. His mecha collided with a tree, shattering the trunk and sending debris flying in all directions. In symbiosis with his armor, Kazuki rose with the help of Micro. "GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A terrifying howl echoed through the forest. "Meet your new friend," Seth''s voice sneered. The ashes dispersed, revealing the necromancer''s gift: a golem rising from the earth. A conglomerate of corpses, rusted weapons, and rotted wood, the colossus stood around five meters tall. Its malevolent red eyes and the decay of its various parts made it far from huggable. The necromantic beast howled once more before lunging at Kazuki. The hoplite blocked the first blow with his armored forearm. In one swift motion, he impaled the monster''s head with his spear. The colossus didn''t even flinch, preferring to bring down a second fist on the hoplite. Insulting opponents who lacked the decency to die when their skulls were pierced, Kazuki countered. The two fists clashed. The golem''s gave way in a gory explosion. The monster was thrown back as Kazuki retracted his spear. Seth had disappeared, but his armor detected a change in pressure behind a nearby tree. Instead of dealing with the golem, the hoplite decided to attack the controller. He pointed his left hand toward the suspect tree. [Railgun - MK Javelin]. The projectile stored by his mecha¡¯s arm sliced through the air at nearly ten times the speed of sound. The next moment, it exploded the tree. Without hesitation, Kazuki leaped to finish the job. Skirting around the remnants of the tree, he spotted his impaled rival. [Glorious Thrust]. The epic attack, backed by Micro and a Mastery, packed enough power to pierce through fifty centimeters of steel. It took two fingers for Seth to stop it. "I feel like I''m going to have to pull you out of your tin can to kill you," sighed the necromancer, a javelin protruding from his chest cavity. Kazuki threw himself backward, abandoning his spear. How?! His railgun had enough energy to destroy any Tier 0''s body. Similarly, only a legendary skill assisted by one or two Supremacies could stop his thrust. A gust pushed back Seth''s torn tunic, revealing the left side of his body. His ribcage was half-empty, and his arm was devoid of muscles. Seth wasn''t just skeletal; he was partly a skeleton. "You''ve absorbed powerful bones," Kazuki pointed out. It was the only plausible explanation. "I had to rebuild my body. In this world, you just have to dig a bit to find Tier 2 and 3 bones," Seth replied with a smile. He inspected Kazuki''s wooden spear briefly before snapping it in two. "Oops. I hope you have a spare." Without the hoplite''s Mastery, the wooden spear was relatively fragile. A roar echoed. "GHWAR!" The abomination returned to the fray, and Kazuki retreated. Dodging an attack, he took the opportunity to target the colossus''s joints. Two punches shattered the monster''s right knee. Off-balance, it collapsed to the ground. Boom! Kazuki turned his head toward the barrier. It trembled, covered in cracks. While the golem occupied Kazuki, Seth had decided to see what it protected. Shit! Without wasting time, Kazuki reached behind his back. Attached to the armor was a metal tube. The hoplite grabbed it. [D¨®ry]. The tube extended to four meters. At its end, a willow leaf-shaped tip appeared. Sixty centimeters long and bronze in color, its metallic reflections were positively sharp. [D¨®ry] was a spear too long for a hoplite but perfect for a mecha. Kazuki was proud to say that none of his enemies had the chance to appreciate the beauty of this weapon for more than a few minutes. [Mastery I - Spear], [Odyssey - Legendary]. Kazuki''s gaze shifted as he declared this battle a part of his Odyssey. Now, History was watching. Activating Micro''s overclock, he decapitated the abomination with a graceful motion. D¨®ry sliced through the titan''s bones, wood, and iron like a sword through water. Another blow struck the barrier; one attack too many. A fissure formed in the protection. Still too narrow to allow Seth through, it was a troubling start. Before Seth could widen it, Kazuki appeared behind him. His arrival was silent until the supersonic boom caught up with him. [Odyssey - Opening]. His spear struck Seth''s chin with the flat of the blade. The undead rival vanished, catapulted into the air. Kazuki leaped and used his jet pack to catch up with his opponent. Three hundred meters high, Seth looked down at him with boredom. "The only thing you''re going to damage is your spear," he yawned. Rather than respond, Kazuki gathered all his power. Micro, his Mastery, the energy from his armor, and the momentum provided by [Odyssey]; he placed all his hopes in this attack. Gravity finally took hold, initiating the fall of both adversaries. Now! [Odyssey - Death Sentence]. Kazuki''s spear gleamed for a moment, recognizing Seth''s vulnerability. The next moment, the pile of bones hurtled toward the ground like a comet. For the second time that day, the forest shook. Kazuki landed a few seconds later. Seth''s impact had created a crater several meters in radius. Trees had been blown away, and dust obscured his vision. Is it over? In answer to his question, the wind rose. Despite his armor, Kazuki shivered. The dust formed a whirlwind. Gradually, the particles changed color. Brown turned to black. "You''re strong, but I''m not a good match for you." The black shroud collapsed in on itself before revealing a specter. Beneath the apparition stood Seth. His upper body and hat had vanished, and his neck bore a clean, deep gash. Kazuki''s eagle eyes could discern the bone, but it failed to bring him any joy. Clearly, Seth wasn''t particularly attached to his flesh. Kazuki had failed. There was only one solution left, but the hoplite hesitated to use it. Seth hadn''t revealed all his cards yet, and Kazuki didn''t want to be the first to show his hand. But how to overcome the necromancer''s physical resistance otherwise? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His rival was right, Kazuki relied too much on his physical attacks. Above Seth, the specter howled. The horrifying apparition was a living shadow. Several meters tall, its texture and form changed every second. The necromancer snapped his fingers, and the creature hurtled toward Kazuki. D¨®ri sliced. [Mastery - Spear] scarred the horror but failed to stop it. The creature collided with Knightmare. The armor''s supposed impenetrable force field crackled. [Danger! Unknown entity breaching energy defenses. Contamination of the bearer imminent!]. The hoplite threw himself backward, cursing. Hoplite technology wasn''t yet capable of stopping ectoplasms. [Attention: Knightmare structure corroded at 17%]. Seth took advantage, sprinting toward the cracked barrier. Kazuki tried to intercept him, but the specter stood between him and his master. ''I''ll hold the pile of bones, swing as soon as you can.'' Kazuki''s eyes widened, recognizing Sphinx''s voice. ''You shouldn¡¯t be here. Run to safety!'' ''I''ll stay behind the barrier and use my gravitational powers from a distance,'' Sphinx pleaded. Kazuki hesitated. Clearly, he had no way of stopping Seth alone without resorting to drastic measures. His only advantage was that the necromancer''s attacks were relatively weak. ''Okay, but be careful!'' Seth was less than two meters from the barrier when Sphinx activated her power. The gravitational force acting on the undead rival increased suddenly. Taking a step forward, Seth''s leg sank nearly fifty centimeters into the ground. "Two against one? You have no shame," Seth growled, struggling to free himself from the soil. "You have already summoned two monsters," Kazuki pointed out. "I''m a necromancer!" yelled Seth, trapped in the earth. ''More like a dead weight,'' Sphinx chuckled. Kazuki smiled, dodging the specter. He sliced through the ectoplasm as he passed, causing it to scream in pain. Kazuki''s attacks weren''t very effective individually, but their sheer number eventually seriously wounded the summon. ''Go Kazuki! Turn it into surimi!'' Encouraged by Sphinx, the hoplite finished off the specter, which dissipated. He then turned to Seth and raised an eyebrow. The necromancer had a fantastic constitution, but not the strength to extricate himself from the ground. His thin bones sank deep, like he was stuck in quicksand. Unless his bones are extremely heavy? Seeing Seth curse and struggle, Kazuki had an idea. ''I''m going to pull him out of the ground. Can you cancel his gravity once he''s in the air?'' he asked. ''Oh, clever! Yes, I can.'' Kazuki swiftly approached his adversary. He stopped less than three meters away and prepared himself. As Seth turned toward him, Kazuki swung with medium force. The blade of his spear struck the necromancer under the chin, instantly pulling him from the ground. Kazuki''s right arm then grabbed his head, holding him about a meter above the ground. Suddenly, he felt the weight of his enemy disappear. Kazuki backed away by ten meters to admire his work. Seth floated about a meter above the ground, completely weightless. With no strength to propel himself and no lungs to expel air, he was trapped. "What the¡ª" "I can''t kill you," Kazuki interrupted. "But I can immobilize you. So what do we do?" ''Do you have a solution? If he fails your riddles, do you think you can kill him?'' he asked Sphinx in parallel. ''... I''m not sure. His bones are too solid and protect his mind.'' Kazuki grimaced. In his current state, Seth was not an enemy they could defeat. "Do you think you can immobilize me?" Seth growled. "Let''s see if you can hold round two." Raising his hands, the necromancer began an incantation. "May your glory be restored¡ª" Kazuki hadn''t waited for the second word to charge at his rival. There was no world where letting his enemy finish a chant was a good idea. His hand closed around the revenant''s skull and began to squeeze. "... May your prison be shattered..." Seth''s bones were too tough. Kazuki threw the skeleton to the ground and began to rain blows upon it, hoping to disrupt the airflow. Boom! Boom! Boom! "May the Seven pay for their sins!" Seth finished quickly. The necromancer''s tongue required no air or lungs. Kazuki''s sixth sense, honed over decades of combat, went haywire. Half-buried in the ground, the corpse was suddenly seized by spasms. The movements were so powerful that Kazuki had to retreat. From the skeleton''s mouth emerged a blood-red sphere. The Necromoon? Setting his eyes on the bloody moon, Kazuki shuddered. Event: Necromoon The Necromoon returns for vengeance. Competing with one of the Seven Great Concepts for dominion over ''Soul'', their clash promises collateral damage. The dead awaken. The night stretches on. Terror has a name. Will you be there to witness the dawn over Elysium? The event will start in: 6 days, 12 hours, and 38 minutes. Seth let out a howl, wild and unhinged, as the surrounding shadows began to stir. Dozens of dark eyes blinked into existence beneath the forest canopy. Kazuki felt a primal terror wash over him, causing his limbs to quiver. The moon gleamed in his field of vision like an omen of impending doom. I''m going to die. We''re all going to die. And death won''t be a release... Confronted by this overwhelming power, he felt utterly insignificant. He stood no chance, so why fight? Why... [Attention: Host''s mind undergoing suspicious attitude shift. Activating emergency procedure.] His armor, an object linked to Kazuki by the System, entered total symbiosis. Black steel and red flesh melded to elevate the Champion. The AI and the mind harmonized, revealing the ultimate form of [Symbiosis - Knightmare]. His ultimate form featured harmonious proportions and refined brutality. A living statue, forged from blood and metal, stared down the shadows. They recoiled. Kazuki, now composed, gazed steadily at the bloody moon. The true Necromoon might have crushed his spirit, but this insubstantial image lacked the power to confound an AI. With a flick of his wrist, a magnetic field lifted the spear he had dropped in panic. Lowering his eyes, he met Seth''s gaze, the necromancer still sprawled beneath the hoplite. "Oh," the necromancer murmured. Kazuki''s metallic hand closed around Seth''s throat. Extracting the skeleton from the ground, the steel giant squeezed. He took the false Necromoon and forced it into the necromancer''s throat. Seth choked as Kazuki sent a message. ''Tell Priam I''m coming back.'' Kazuki-Knightmare then raised his enemy to eye level. He met his adversary''s incensed gaze before delivering a titanic punch. His fist struck Seth like an asteroid. The force of the blow sent the body hurtling fifty meters before a sufficiently large tree could halt it. Moments later, Kazuki reappeared before him. [Peerless Cut]. The spear slashed at the shoulder joint. The tendon held, but Seth paled. Or perhaps that was the natural color of his bone. Nevertheless, the attack had not been in vain. Seth¡¯s bones were invincible, but not the bonds that formed his skeleton. The spear came again, and Seth vanished into a shadow to escape it. Powered by a Mastery, the weapon followed. The undead rival reappeared fifteen meters away, clutching his shoulder. With a snap of his fingers, he conjured a colossal shadow that lunged at Kazuki. The Champion dispersed it with a swing of his spear. The power of his Mastery depended on his state of mind, and currently, Kazuki was one with his spear. "I will return," Seth threatened before vanishing into a shadow. "I doubt it." [Odyssey - Acceleration]. A tunnel of air formed under Kazuki''s acceleration. He reappeared by Seth''s side and grabbed him before he could fully disappear. Like pulling a potato from the ground, the hoplite extracted the necromancer. Without a moment''s hesitation, he began to run. Seth attempted to strike him, but physical attacks were not his forte. It took them only a dozen seconds to reach a carpet of ashes. Kazuki continued on until he reached a hole and leaped in. Ignoring Seth''s continued struggles, Kazuki spotted a patch of ash-free ground and approached. A thin spatial rift, deceptively inconspicuous, lay a few centimeters above the ground. Priam hadn''t lied. "Let''s see how resilient you really are." Kazuki Status: (Average value for a Hoplite male before integration: PHY 23 / MEN 18 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 578 Constitution 547 Agility 586 Vitality 554 Perception 581 MENTAL: Vivacity 398 Dexterity 396 Memory 367 Willpower 386 Charisma 184 META: Meta-affinity 134 Meta-focus 112 Meta-endurance 62 Meta-perception 157 Potential: 1253 Tier 0 Race: Titan Hoplite (Tier 1) [Symbiose - Knightmare] - Active. [Tribulation]: Tribulations (Three) are coming. Time: 1 day 9 hours 13 minutes 22 seconds. Causes: attribute > 400, 3 attributes > 400, 6 attributes > 200 First tribulation: 3 attributes > 200 Chapter 138: Game, Seth, Match "A rift?!" exclaimed Seth as he saw where Kazuki was leading him. Without a word, the hoplite lifted the skull of his enemy and brought it down onto the rift. The result was immediate. It vibrated strongly, as if he had placed an ingot on a circular saw. It took Seth less than a second to start screaming. Kazuki took it as a good sign. His bones were not invincible. When the spear isn''t enough, get a bigger one. The necromancer fought like a devil, but Kazuki-Knightmare''s strength was far superior. "S¡ªStop this," Seth yelled as a cracking sound echoed. Kazuki halted the torment to inspect the damage. Cracks had appeared at the back of the skull. Even Tier 2 bones couldn''t withstand the damage inflicted by a spatial anomaly. "What''s the deal?" Kazuki asked, turning Seth''s face towards him. "The deal?" said Seth, a bit stunned. "You asked me to stop killing you. So, I suppose you want to offer me something to appease my anger?" Seth opened his mouth, incredulous. "I..." "Nothing?" Kazuki inquired, bringing the skull closer to the rift. The necromancer''s spasms startled Kazuki. Finally, Seth burst out laughing. "Very well, destroy this bag of bones. But beware of my vengeance," he threatened. "I know where you live now, and not all your companions are as tough as you are..." Kazuki-Knightmare gave a semblance of a smile. It was a superfluous expression for his semi-artificial consciousness, but it sent a message: I do not fear you. This wasn''t entirely true, as he didn''t want to be responsible for another attack on Priam''s loved ones, but showing weakness to a psychopath was a bad idea. "You''re implying that this set of bones is replaceable and that might be true. But you aren¡¯t doing it, so it must come at a cost." Seth would surely struggle to find a body as exceptional. There were undoubtedly many bones hiding in the forest, but few would be suitable for a humanoid. "You don''t want me to pay that price. Right now, most of my strength is used to control these bones. Without this hindrance, I could crush you," the necromancer threatened. Kazuki smiled coldly. "You could try." ¡°...¡± The two adversaries locked eyes for a few seconds before Kazuki''s hand approached the rift. He had the upper hand and intended to use it. "You lunatic! What do you want?" "That''s the problem," the hoplite replied. "I want a lot of things, but I''m not sure you have much to offer me." Seth snorted. "This forest holds treasures, and I know it better than anyone." Kazuki shook his head, thinking of Dishnu. "I highly doubt that." "Oh, you''ve met the tree-fucker," Seth grimaced. "I can see much farther than him. A freebie: we''re on a massive floating island." Kazuki-Knightmare analyzed the information offered by Seth. If he was telling the truth, then he could indeed see far. Kazuki had been alone for a month and had never reached or even glimpsed the limits of the forest. Of course, the necromancer could also be lying, and he had no way of knowing. He needed to test him. "In that direction, there''s a particular clearing. It''s about..." Kazuki paused. Every civilization had different units of measurement. Alain had shown him what a meter corresponded to, but Kazuki didn''t really know the unit of length used by Seth. "Almost twenty times farther than from here to your base, there''s a clearing with a snake skeleton," Seth added. "Certainly a specimen endowed with a powerful poison because no tree grows near it." Seth was right. If the necromancer wasn''t reading his mind, then he had truly managed to map out a gigantic area. "How many rivals are there?" Kazuki asked. "Why should I answer your questions?" "So I don''t kill you." "I''m already dead," laughed Seth. The insanity in his voice made Kazuki uncomfortable. Negotiating with a madman was impossible. "Answer five of my questions, and I''ll let you go. Even if you get new bones, rebuilding your body can''t be easy." The sentence made Seth think and Kazuki smiled. The necromancer did have a weakness. "... One, and no attack or pursuit against me." "Two, and I can retaliate if I feel you''re about to harm me." "Deal. Swear it." Kazuki squinted. It seemed too easy. He''d taken an oath to always tell the truth, but Seth couldn''t know that. Unless a broken oath gives him power over me? "I swear it under the condition that you answer to the best of your ability and without lying to my next two questions." "I swear on the Necromoon to answer to the best of my ability and without lying to your next two questions," declared Seth. Kazuki prepared to object when a presence descended. The aura of the Necromoon engulfed Seth before vanishing. Instinctively, Kazuki knew that Seth would lose all free will if he broke his oath. The Necromoon wasn''t as neutral as the System. "Give me a moment to think," Kazuki said. Many questions could be interesting, but the first one seemed obvious. "I want a report as detailed as possible on the Necromoon." Seth sighed. "I have more conjectures than confirmed facts," the necromancer warned. His voice seemed clearer, showing a conscious effort to be honest. "It''s a supreme being or what''s left of one. I''m not talking about one of those minor or major gods some of our kind worships now. I''m talking about a being almost on par with one of the Seven." Kazuki nodded. According to the System, the Necromoon was in competition with one of the Seven for control of ''Soul''. Only an almost omnipotent being could enter that race. "The Necromoon influences the living and the dead," Seth continued, glancing quickly at the rift centimeters from his face. "The weaker the mind and soul, the more intense their influence. If it becomes too intense... You become their slave." "You didn''t tell me how to fight against them," Kazuki noted. Seth gave him a contemptuous look. "Fight against a moon powerful enough to face the Concepts? I didn''t think you were that foolish." "I don''t think you''re doing your best to answer." the hoplite replied, a cold glint in his eyes. "... The influence of the Necromoon is particularly strong on the dead and the weak-willed. Strengthen your vitality and will, avoid direct contamination, and thank the System for its intervention. Without it, you''d already be an undead. Finally, you have a little over six days to prepare for its arrival. I know nothing more." Since the event hadn''t yet started, the information was still limited. Kazuki hadn''t learned much, but he knew the most important thing: he needed more power. "Second question: I want your best map, annotated with all points of interest: resources, monsters, rivals,... Everything." Seth looked at him, and for a moment, Kazuki thought he might refuse. After all, it wasn''t exactly a question. It didn''t matter. If he refused to answer, Kazuki was willing to wait. Priam would arrive soon enough, and he hadn''t promised anything. Seth would die. Finally, the necromancer summoned a shadow that took the form of a topographic map. About fifty markers appeared, including their current position and that of Log-a-rhythm. Comparing the distance between these two positions, Kazuki got an idea of the actual size of the mapped area. The map was almost twenty times larger than his own. And if it was to be believed, they were indeed on a giant floating island. Kazuki stood up and released his opponent. "You may leave." Seth dusted off his pants - the only garment he had left - before giving Kazuki a smile. "See you Kazuki." Without another word, Seth disappeared into a shadow. Kazuki waited a moment before smiling. Seth had destroyed the wooden twig infused with his Spear Mastery. But he hadn''t gotten rid of the nanobots that had infiltrated his flesh. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 15 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +5 VIT +6 WILL +8 The cracks in your soul have been successfully mended. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 15 CONST +3 Lvl Up : [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 16 VIT +1 Lvl Up : [Star Iron Body] lvl 30,31 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 17,18 META (AFFI) +6 You''ve acquired the skill: [Necro Resistance - Epic]. [Necro Resistance] - In Elysium, every astrological phenomenon has a story; the Necromoon is no exception. (REDACTED) At the epic rank, this resistance has limited utility. Allows resistance to weak necromantic corruption. Mitigates the Necromoon''s influence on your soul. Passively purifies your aether. VIT +3 WILL +3 META(END) +3 Lvl Up: [Necro Resistance] lvl 2,3,4 VIT +9 WILL +9 META(END) +9 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 24 minutes 10 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 13 hours 57 minutes 23 seconds. Dying corroded by a corrupted bone: done. Ranking on Priam''s pain scale: twelve out of ten. Nothing had ever been so painful. If a human could write a book about death, it would be Priam. Yet, it was by far his worst death. Feeling his soul crack was an unpleasant experience. The mental space that stored his soul at his death also tended to his mental state. Yet, Priam still felt shaken, to the point where he wasn''t sure if he wanted to retest this kind of death. Perhaps with enough breaking and regeneration, his soul would toughen. Or maybe the influence of the Necromoon would subdue him before his death. I''m not sure I want to find out which hypothesis is correct. With his muscles charged with energy, Priam leaped out of his bath. Log-a-rhythm recalled the bathtub, and Priam found himself alone in his small room, sap dripping down his body. At that moment, he remembered why no one liked wearing wet clothes. His soaked pants clung to his skin, and Priam removed them. Summoning a cloak of mist to cover his boxer shorts, he stepped through a portal. Priam reappeared at the top of the tallest branch of the tree. His towering height provided a sublime panoramic view of the forest. It had uneven topography, but his tree was high enough to enjoy an unobstructed view. In the distance, the green canopy stretched to the horizon. Night was falling over the Elysian forest. The three suns were setting, following an incomprehensible astrophysical ballet. In the sky, clouds were painted in a thousand shades of pink, orange, and red. Some of these hues curled into magnificent auroras. Despite its dangers, this world was breathtakingly beautiful. It was Log-a-rhythm that snapped him out of his reverie. The tree sent him a summary of the last half-hour in a split second. Seth''s arrival, his fight against Kazuki, Sphinx''s involvement. Priam''s blood boiled when he spotted Sphinx, breathing heavily at the edge of their domain. Using Secret Passage, Priam arrived near her a moment later. "Are you okay?" "Priam!" exclaimed Sphinx. She threw herself into his arms for a hug. "I''m fine, and Kazuki will be back soon." His friend trembled in his embrace, and Priam knew she was hiding the truth. When the Necromoon appeared, Sphinx had fallen to the ground, physically paralyzed and mentally terrified. Priam''s anger surged. How dare that pile of bones... Boom. The ground trembled slightly as Kazuki appeared at the barrier level. His physical attributes were so high that his movements resembled teleportation. Priam observed his transformation for a moment, part hoplite, part mecha, before nodding. "Thanks for defending our base." "It''s only natural," Kazuki replied in a perfectly neutral voice. Almost robotic. "I have some information to share with you, and then I''m going to... rest." The warrior stumbled over the word, and Priam understood that his transformation was not without cost. "Of course. Let''s do it here. I prefer to stay until the barrier fully regenerates." The cracks and rift created by Seth were in the process of purification and repair. Priam estimated it would take another four minutes before the hole closed completely. In the meantime, he didn''t want to see a single insect breach their domain. Kazuki stepped forward before delivering a detailed report. Sphinx corroborated the occurrence of an event related to the Necromoon in just over six days. "A new sword of Damocles... Any good news?" Despite his transformation, Kazuki smiled. "I have this," he said, projecting a hologram. Priam instantly recognized the map and some landmarks. Our base, the rift, the arrival portal, and... the ants. "I extorted this gem from Seth and added my own observations. According to my AI, Seth should be able to scan a vast area, but only in satellite view. I''ve identified half a dozen treasures, plants, or hidden caves from the sky that he missed," asserted Kazuki. "Either he summoned specters that flew high into the sky to avoid frightening our rivals, or he could see from space. It''s not impossible that he got a shared vision with the Necromoon," replied Priam, stroking Sphinx''s head. Kazuki nodded. "Very possible. The moon influences him, and in return he gets access to a local system." Priam narrowed his eyes. "Integrating the system of such a powerful phenomenon... Either he used one of the system rewards, or we''re overestimating him. It''s possible that corruption creates a link between corrupted creatures. A kind of web they can use to share information." A sort of Internet... "Possible," responded Kazuki. The next moment, the formidable warrior leaned heavily against a tree behind him. "You should go rest," advised Priam. "What will you do?" asked the hoplite, gritting his teeth. "First, I¡¯ll keep an eye on this barrier. Then, I have some ideas to discuss with the others. I won''t leave until you''re in shape," reassured Priam. Kazuki nodded before being seized by spasms. His tremors were so powerful that he nearly uprooted the tree supporting him with a shoulder shove. "... Are you going to be okay?" "The symbiosis is ending and... Let''s just say, until now, electrical circuits reinforced my nerves. I''m trying to manage the disconnection, but it''s complicated," the warrior breathed. "Go to my room," offered Priam, opening a Secret Passage in a nearby tree. Kazuki staggered to the portal before disappearing. "Thank you." Priam stared at the spot where the portal had just closed. Conflicting emotions stirred within him. Kazuki was a rival. An ally of circumstance. Up until now, he had admired the hoplite for his martial prowess, his teaching, and his honor. It was different now. Kazuki had undoubtedly saved his family''s lives. According to Log-a-rhythm, he hadn''t hesitated for a second to protect their base. Of course, the hoplite had a personal interest in it, but that didn''t change the facts. Kazuki had risked his life to help him. "What do you think of Kazuki?" Sphinx, still nestled against Priam, looked up at him with big, innocent eyes. "I think he''s a friend!" Priam smiled. "Yes, me too..." "But you''re my best friend!" exclaimed Sphinx. Priam burst into laughter. "Here''s what went down," Priam summarized. He had waited for the barrier to restore itself before letting his loved ones out. Sitting cross-legged on a wooden platform, everyone had listened as Priam commented on Log-a-rhythm''s projection. Only the special connection between Priam and his tree allowed for mental projection. The others had to watch a movie. An action movie. "Whoa. And I thought I was catching up," Louis muttered. "Kazuki was impressive," Alain agreed. "But Seth too, and there are still other rivals..." "At least five more according to Seth," confirmed Priam. "Their bases are marked on the map." "As well as a multitude of resources," Blueberry pointed out. "Have you already chosen your first target?" Blueberry asked. "What makes you think I''m eyeing those resources?" "You''re as greedy as a dragon. You hatched a plan to snatch a fruit during your Tribulations, and I almost lost my life picking it up, remember?" "Um, yes," coughed Priam. "I was thinking of waiting for Kazuki to raid as many locations as possible. Starting with those close by, far from the other rivals'' camps or monsters, and interesting for Log-a-rhythm." Priam turned to his father. "Plus, I''d like to use my inner world." "What do you mean?" "Why steal a fruit when I can steal the whole tree?" A silence settled before Blueberry burst into laughter. "And to think you had the nerve to ask me how I knew you wanted those resources!" Priam joined in the laughter. "That¡¯s nice, but what about Seth?" Mirscella asked after everyone had calmed down. Priam felt anger rising in him. He quickly mastered it. "Kazuki placed a technological tracker in him. As soon as the opportunity arises¡­¡± I''ll finish what Arnold started. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 398 Constitution 662 (+16) Agility 404 Vitality 538 (+27) Perception 582 MENTAL: Vivacity 322 Dexterity 422 Memory 127 Willpower 648 (+28) Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 334 (+8) Meta-focus 241 Meta-endurance 185 (+12) Meta-perception 107 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 828 (+23) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 2 minutes 2 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 13 hours 35 minutes 15 seconds. Chapter 139: To build a World Leaning casually against the trunk of Log-a-rhythm, Priam and Alain gazed at the stars. In their hands, two wooden mugs held a golden liquid. Sap. "A grand vintage," Priam joked, licking his lips. "I would give a lot for some good cheese and a baguette..." Even in another world, the French remained steadfast in their traditions. Alain took a sip and sighed in contentment. "For a fisherman like me, it lacks fish." "I brought silk. We could stretch a net across the river and see if we catch something," Priam suggested. Alain turned to his son with a smile. "You''re clever, you know that?" "It runs in the family." They both burst into laughter. Sipping his sap, Priam looked at the forest. Despite the starry night, the warm wind on his chest, and his father''s company, he still had a knot in his stomach. In the firmament, the presence of a crimson moon reminded him of his situation. In six days, a deadly event would unfold. He had to be prepared. The howl of a predator echoed in the distance, and his father flinched. Priam''s mood sank at the sight. Did I make the right choice bringing him? Unlike Priam, Alain didn''t have a second life. "Hey, son?" Alain said without looking at his son. "Hmm?" "Are you happy right now?" His father''s voice was gentle. Priam opened his mouth but closed it again. He was usually quite secretive, but his father deserved an honest answer. Priam pondered the question. Was he happy? Constantly forced to flee, train, and fight for survival, he hadn''t even asked himself the question. Yet the answer seemed obvious. "I think so..." Priam corrected himself. "I''m sure I am. For the first time in my life, I feel... free." Alain remained silent, and Priam continued. "I think society was imprisoning me. The judgment of others, conventions, traditions. It was subtle, but I was guided toward certain paths. I always loved reading, writing, and building, but school never taught me how to develop those talents. When I think of my younger self... Remember when I helped you plant radishes, Jerusalem artichokes, or potatoes?" "I remember," his father smiled. "I loved it. Yet, I knew from a young age that I would never become rich as a farmer." "It''s a beautiful profession, as vital as it is hard," commented Alain. "Of course, but I was always pragmatic. I had little chance of becoming a famous author or a wealthy farmer, yet I wanted enough money to live comfortably with my future family. I wasn''t unhappy, but by following the path laid out for me, I was missing out on my life. Studying science interested me somewhat, but it wasn''t a calling." "Piercing wyverns, is that your calling?" Alain joked. Priam shook his head. "Killing wyverns, transcending my limits, seeking treasures, and meeting aliens... It''s not a calling. It''s a life. A life I enjoy." Alain looked at him for a moment before smiling. "That''s all that matters. To your happiness, my son." Clashing their mugs, they toasted. Priam emptied his glass in one go. "And you, Dad?" "Are you worried about your old man?" Alain said in a teasing tone. Priam just looked at him, smiling. Alain rolled his eyes. "You worry about nothing. For the first time in twenty years, I feel fit. I sleep well at night, I''m with my son, and most importantly, I don''t have to fill out taxes anymore," the old man chuckled. "I love this life, but... I worry about your sister." Priam was worried too, but preferred not to dwell on it. "We can''t do anything for now." "That''s never stopped a parent from worrying." Alain stood up and changed the subject. "There are six days left to prepare for the Necromoon. Can I help with something?" Priam stood up as well and pressed his mug against Log-a-rhythm, which absorbed it. It was time to get to work. "As soon as Kazuki is on his feet, we''ll go gather resources. Our rivals aren''t fools; as soon as we start, they''ll want to imitate us or strip us bare." In Elysium, the law of the jungle prevailed. "Do you really need those resources?" Alain asked. "I don''t need the attributes, but I need the qualitative benefits of some - to increase my compatibility with my second heart, for example. Moreover, every stolen resource is one less for our enemies. And you and the others will need them. I know your tribulation is near." "It''ll be alright, Priam, I¡ª" "Dad," Priam interrupted. "I''m not going to let you die because you''re too proud to accept my help. I will give you magical fruit juice transfusions if I have to." Alain held his gaze for a moment before sighing. "Bah. Do you need my help?" "I''ve thought about it, and I completely underestimated my internal world. I have plenty of ideas to use it in combat - infinite kinetic energy, a free mist reserve, a prison, etc. However, right now, it would be useful to quickly gather resources and keep them secure." "You really plan to steal all the resources from this forest," Alain understood. "Of course. But currently, my world is unusable." A tiny floating island in a thirty-meter radius sphere was not very useful. "I''ll fill it to make a real world, but I need you to saturate it with aether. You have an idea, right?" If Priam wanted to increase the density of aether in his world, it was for several reasons. Elysium proved that a high concentration of aether facilitated level-ups, reduced Potential costs, improved plant growth, and so on. Last but not least, [Concept Archipelago] used some of the ambient aether to increase its volume. Therefore, it was crucial to increase the aether density. "I have a good idea,¡± confirmed Alain. ¡°I should be able to enchant a wooden sphere that will siphon aether from a portal placed at its center." "Why wood?¡± asked Priam. ¡°Aren''t you afraid the material will warp? It would be better with stone." "You can carve stone?" "No." "Me neither. But I know how to work with wood. The hardest part is finding a perfect sphere, but that will be Log-a-rhythm''s job." Mentally, the tree conveyed its eagerness to help. "I trust you," Priam said. His father enjoyed working with his hands and had already made some wooden sculptures. "You should also build a strong room." "For your treasures?" "For you. I don''t think triggering a Tribulation in Elysium will be wise soon..." With a gesture precise and powerful, Priam wedged the tip of Promesse under an enormous stone. He stepped back to press on the shaft, using his spear as a lever to dislodge the rock. Aided by Archimedes'' principle, the stone easily detached from the stream bed. The boulder started to be carried away by the current before freezing in place, immobilized by [Kinetic Control] and Domain. Blindly, Priam swam to the surface, the rock floating behind him. He broke the water''s surface before leaping onto the shore. Dawn had not yet broken, and only the stars watched him work. A few meters away, his father worked on a wooden sphere; Priam left him in peace. With a thought, he quickly opened a portal and arrived on a small island, most of which was occupied by a pond. Closing the passage behind him, he contemplated a world he had neglected. The Phoenix Sun shone in the dark sky, its light illuminating the entire world: an island floating above the void. The spatial pocket was a sphere with a thirty-meter radius, and the island occupied only a small part of it. Nearly fifty thousand cubic meters of emptiness lay beneath the islet. Void that Priam intended to fill. An implosion sound echoed. With a single step, Priam found himself at the island''s edge, gazing into the void below. Beneath him, a gigantic Sphinx crushed stones similar to the one levitating behind him. Priam jumped, and the rock followed him like a small dog. He fell from about thirty meters and landed against the border of his world. Under his bare feet, the limit resembled a nearly rubbery film. He could press lightly on it, but its resistance quickly tended toward infinity. Physical force wouldn''t allow him to expand his world. Only the ambient aether''s pressure could increase this reality''s size. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That was one of the goals of his father''s current project. "I''m bored," Sphinx grumbled, grabbing the rock Priam had just brought. She began to squeeze, and cracks appeared in the hard stone. "You''re the best,¡± encouraged Priam. ¡°Soon, we''ll have filled half of this world, and it will be all ours. You''ll have the right to decorate it and plant whatever you want." These simple words were enough to bring a smile back to his friend''s face. "I¡¯ll plant a cat tree!" "... You know it''s not really a tree, right?" "Why is it called a cat tree then?" With a sad expression, Sphinx used her phenomenal strength and gravity mastery to reduce the last rock to dust. Thanks to her giant form, Sphinx had crushed a hundred stones in the last hour. A sandy beach was starting to form under her feet, gradually filling the void of the world. She had worked hard. "... I''ll find you a cat tree," he promised, looking with despair at the small amount of sand they had created. Each stone was about one cubic meter, and if they only used that, they would need fifty thousand to fill the void. Priam shuddered at the thought of fishing so many rocks. "Let''s stop here. We''ll finish with soil as soon as we can get out." Since Kazuki was asleep, Priam didn''t want to leave Log-a-rhythm''s domain. He also couldn''t dig a gigantic hole in his own clearing. While waiting for his father to finish his work, he had thought of using the rocks lying at the bottom of the river. "I''ll help Dad, and you?" he asked. "I''ll see Blueberry!" Priam grimaced. To empty his world, he had entrusted the Brood Mother''s corpse - which he had previously stored here - to the bear. His friend had developed a liking for spider flesh. Now, Sphinx was showing interest. I guess she must find a diet that suits her. "If you eat this thing, don''t stain your mane." "Promise," Sphinx said, transforming back. She jumped onto Priam''s shoulder as he opened an exit. The portal spat them out where Priam had just left, and Sphinx headed towards Blueberry. Priam shook his head before approaching his father. He was busy inscribing runes on a wooden sphere, skillfully wielding his only tool, a small pick given by Kazuki. The son sat cross-legged next to the father. Priam observed, impressed, the runes carved into the wood. His father was a manual man and handled the pick with great skill. Priam asked his add-on to check the work. Alain had taught him the four types of runes he intended to use and their roles. Unlike the runes drawn by Dishnu, the runes provided by the System had a few right angles. The runic alphabet - if it could be called that - was totally different but equally effective. The mere sight of the runes stimulated his mind and meta-attributes. "Are you sure you don''t want to use a ritual?" Priam asked after a few minutes of observation. "No. I could be wrong, but I think a ritual permanently alters reality - a bit like a divine command. This set of runes will siphon the aether at the center of the wooden sphere, but we can still modify it afterward." "A ritual is permanent and inflexible. Simple runes are temporary but replaceable," Priam summarized. "Exactly. I''m almost sure that in a few months, I''ll find my current work awful. I don''t want to ask Log-a-rhythm to sacrifice its wood for nothing." "Wise." The magical tree had been able to create a hollow sphere of one cubic meter. The only disadvantage of this gift was that it would halt Log-a-rhythm''s physical growth for three days - the tree having exhausted its surplus life energy. Suddenly, [Priam¡¯s System] alerted him. Among the fifty runes drawn, about ten seemed problematic. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 10 MEM+2 VIVA +1 "Are you sure about these runes?" Priam said, pointing to the concerned runes. Alain squinted as he observed the designated rune. "I think so? I asked the System for a specific set of runes. This rune is supposed to filter the absorbed aether. Is there an issue with their shape?" "No, it¡¯s more like their arrangement." Four different types of runes covered the surface of the sphere. Sliding his finger over the hardwood, Priam pointed to the most common rune. The size of his hand, it was inscribed dozens of times on the surface of the ball. "This rune absorbs the aether from the material in which it is engraved. Here, the wood of the sphere," he recited. It was crucial because the project was to saturate [Concepts Archipelago] with aether. With this goal in mind, Alain had thought of siphoning the aether from Elysium through a portal. Inside the sphere he was carving, Priam would create a rift. Through osmosis, the aether would pass through the passage, penetrate the wood, and be absorbed by the runes on its surface. Two other types of runes would filter and then expel the aether into the world. The last type would prevent the aether from returning to the sphere, ensuring a low concentration of aether inside it while Priam''s world would fill with fundamental fluid. "The siphon rune is simple yet elegant," said Alain. "Yes, it captures the aether and guides it to its exit: the filter rune. That''s the one bothering me." "Why?" "The aether enters here," Priam said, pointing to the single entrance of the rune. "Then exits filtered through here." His finger pointed to one of the two exits. "To reach the third rune that will disperse it into my world." "That''s right," Alain replied. Priam focused on the suspicious rune. "What bothers me is that the filtering rune¡¯s second exit is not connected to anything, so where do the impurities go?" The two men thought for a moment. "Into the material," grimaced his father. ¡®So, the wooden sphere.¡± "With effects we can''t predict," added Priam. Alain grimaced. "I don''t know what those impurities are, but if the System sold me this rune, it must be important. My wish was very specific: create a sphere to siphon the aether from Elysium into your world." "We must be missing something." Priam and Alain began brainstorming to understand the purpose of this purification. The two men shared a horror of the unknown. How could they use a rune whose purpose they didn''t understand? It was [Priam¡¯s System] that found the answer. [The impurities present in the aether are likely to be micro-fragments of concepts.] Asking for details, Priam realized that his add-on had based its deduction on recent data: the rift to Valaryth. The Elysium aether rushed into the rift, and Priam had perceived an unknown concept escaping from it. The concept had obviously merged with the aether. That was certainly also the case in Elysium. "We would need another rune to store these impurities," Priam murmured. "I exchanged all my Potential for these four," Alain grimaced. "Or maybe¡­ We might not need that." Priam replayed his last conversation with the Phoenix Prince. "My world can use concept fragments." "Oh? Do you think you can store those impurities with this power?" "Maybe, but it doesn''t entirely solve the problem. These fragments may not be the only thing filtered by this rune." Priam thought about the influence of the Necromoon. "If the System sold it to you, it''s for a reason. I was thinking more of using one of the fragments I collected: Purity." "Do you think it will work?" "Only one way to find out." "It will work, or we''ll find something else," Alain smiled, getting back to work. Priam waited an hour, watching his father at work. Finally, with a final precise gesture, Alain finished his sculptor''s work. A hundred runes of different sizes now adorned the sphere. "Ta-da!" Alain exclaimed. "Splendid! Does it work?" "I emptied the aether from the center to work in peace, and the runes I traced prevent it from re-entering. So we¡¯ll have to test it," Alain smiled. "Let''s do it now." Opening a portal, Priam lifted the sphere and transferred it into his world. He appeared on the sandy strip surrounding the pond of his tiny island. Mobilizing [Kinetic Control], Priam levitated his father''s creation one meter high. A few moments later, Alain joined him. "I''m going to link my System to this world to measure our progress," Priam said, connecting to his skill. [World information: Current aether density: 0.14 E. Radius: 30.14 meters. Energy sources: sun (light, heat, nuclear), host (Priam: gravity, aether, concepts). Gravity: 2 G (Earth = 1 G), Atmosphere: oxygen (25%), nitrogen (70%), unknown (5%). Concept fragment: purity, mental stamina, sand, mist, steel, vengeance, ?. Inhabitants: 2 Guardian: None World analysis in progress...] Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 11 MEM+2 VIVA +1 "Good," Priam smiled. "Ready?" "Ready," Alain replied. "Here we go," Priam murmured. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 398 Constitution 662 Agility 404 Vitality 538 Perception 582 MENTAL: Vivacity 324 (+2) Dexterity 422 Memory 131 (+4) Willpower 648 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 334 Meta-focus 241 Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 107 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 832 (+4) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 7 hours 49 minutes 36 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 8 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds. Chapter 140: Ants vs Middle Ages Closing his eyes, Priam focused on his Talent. [Concepts Archipelago] was directly linked to his soul, granting him an intimate connection. This connection allowed Priam to gather information and, more importantly, to freely use his world. With a thought, he attempted to open a portal at the center of the enchanted sphere. Nothing happened. [Error. A portal is already open.] Priam grimaced as he read the notification from his add-on. Behind him, his father stood near the portal leading to the Log-a-rhythm clearing. I suppose that was predictable. [Concepts Archipelago - Gold(Growth)] - A world now lies within you. Its initial parameters of gravity, space and time allow for life. Its aether structure is exceptional, capable of using any concept fragment to grow and evolve. You have the perfect seed. It''s up to you to transform it into Yggdrasil. A world attached to your soul. You can open a portal into or out of your inner world. When your body is in your inner world, an anchor is placed in the outer world. Opening an exit portal depends on this anchor. The Talent''s description mentioned a portal leading into or out of his world. One portal, not two. He explained the problem to his father. ¡°I see only two solutions,¡± Alain replied. ¡°First: create a portal in the sphere whenever you''re not using it for something else.¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°That means deactivating it whenever I need to go in or out of my world. Not a big problem. However, if I''m not near Log-a-rhythm, it''ll be dangerous to open a portal leading to the sphere.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If I open a fixed portal anywhere after stealing a resource, nothing will prevent a monster from entering my world or a rival from throwing a bomb into it after my departure.¡± Since his internal world was linked to his soul, Priam wasn''t keen on seeing it explode. But in that case, he could only siphon aether when near Log-a-rhythm, significantly reducing the sphere''s appeal. ¡°Alternatively, you can use Potential to open a second portal,¡± Alain suggested. Priam grimaced. Each point of Potential was precious. ¡°I guess I can. I hope it won''t be too expensive...¡± Priam connected to his Potential. After all, this magical resource was meant to bend the rules. Creating a stable portal between Elysium and another world. Cost: 1 000 000 POT Land Owner Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Cost: 900 000 POT What the hell?! Priam burst into a bitter laugh as he read the number containing too many zeros. The good news was that he benefited from Land Owner advantages when his anchor was placed in the Log-a-rhythm domain. The bad news was that he didn''t have 900,000 POT. Priam calmed down and analyzed the situation. Something was off. It''s too expensive; there must be a good reason. After pondering for a moment, Priam wondered if there was a connection to one of the elysian laws. Upon arriving in Elysium, he had received several quests. One of them was named Invasion. Its description implied that this world did not allow fugitives. Explore other worlds. Depending on the method, the laws of Elysium will give you some time off before they call you back. I got lucky with [Concepts Archipelago], he realized. His Talent had been created by two System rewards while he was outside Elysium. Moreover, his world was deeply connected to his soul. Without these very specific conditions, there was little chance his Talent would have been accepted by Elysian laws. Priam''s draconic instinct whispered that few people must possess an internal world in Elysium. Spatial pockets or enchanted objects, larger on the inside than the outside, must be common. But a real world? Priam was undoubtedly an exception. If that''s the case, I could use that to my advantage. In Elysium, I should be one of the few who can smuggle. With [Hearthstone] on top of that... Priam refocused on the present moment. He now knew the cause of the problem and could find a solution. After all, the rift to Valaryth proved that Elysian laws didn''t condemn all passages. The rift... Of course! Creating an unstable rift between Elysium and another world. Cost: 1 000 POT Land Owner Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Cost: 900 POT I''m on the right track. Elysium hated secure, permanent portals leading to other worlds. The laws were there to prevent inhabitants from fleeing. The more dangerous the escape method, the fewer people could potentially cross, and the less strict the laws. Luckily, Priam didn''t want to take people out of Elysium, only aether. He pondered another wish, imagining a very thin, one-way rift that didn''t allow matter to pass. Creating an unstable one-way energy rift between Elysium and another world. Cost: 325 POT Land Owner Bonus (Baron): POT cost -10% Cost: 292 POT Priam tried a dozen different formulations, but the Potential cost didn''t decrease. The System had understood what he wanted and offered a price. It was expensive, but Concepts didn''t haggle. ¡°292 POT,¡± he announced to his father. ¡°That''s no small change,¡± said Alain. ¡°Are you going to take it?¡± Priam nodded. ¡°You''ve worked hard and invested your Potential.¡± ¡°When the boat is sinking, you have to jump.¡± Priam rolled his eyes. His father had been a fisherman for a few years and liked to cultivate the image of an old sailor. ¡°So here''s another reason: I just realized that my Talent might be unique here. I obtained this internal world through multiple coincidences. It might be the second thing that sets me apart from my rivals. I have to make the most of this advantage.¡± To be completely honest, there was a third reason. Priam thought it was cool to have a world inside him. A real world, not just a floating island. He accepted the System''s offer. POT -292 A door, both fictional and real, opened in his soul. A divine flow escaped before rushing into his internal world. Like an avalanche, aether and the supreme will of Concepts found a passage. A geyser erupted in the pond at the center of his world. Alain stepped back, seeing the physical manifestation of Potential. The divine river rose into the air several meters before falling on the wooden sphere like a providential rain. The fluid passed through matter before disappearing. Mentally, Priam felt his Potential take the form of a needle that pierced reality. His soul quivered. The pain was weak, but it confirmed to Priam that his world could be a weakness. The needle found an exit at the top of Log-a-rhythm, then disappeared. It had opened a passage, and a tiny rift opened. The next moment, a flow of aether passed through. Flooding the available space, the fluid took the shape of the sphere. The aether then penetrated the wood and the runes. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 20 META (PERC) +3 [Aether Perception] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options¡­ Later. The runes traversed by the aether began to glow. Fifty invisible vortexes, unseen to the naked eye, formed, absorbing the entire essence of the world. Under [Aether Perception], it behaved like any other fluid. The vortexes expanded, attracting all aether present in the wooden ball. Despite the siphons'' appetite, the rift continued to produce more energy. The captured aether then followed current lines to the second rune, where its filtration began. Priam had no idea about the rune''s mechanism, but the outgoing pure energy was undeniable. The aether entered a third rune, which expelled it into the atmosphere. Priam was right next to the sphere and felt a wave of energy hit him. The pores of his skin opened, eagerly absorbing the aether as intense as it was pure. [Priam¡¯s System] updated his data. [World information: Aether density increasing. Current density: 0,15 E.] Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Priam barely had time to smile before a new message reached him. [Aether density increasing. Current density: 0,16 E.] ¡°So?¡± Alain asked. ¡°Success!¡± While Alain smiled broadly, Priam focused on the pollution of the sphere. His Domain detected tiny changes in the wood, confirming their predictions. Priam mobilized his add-on. How long will the sphere hold up? [Aether siphon. Pollution - Estimate (reliability: 97%): Total destruction of the sphere: 12,97 years. Threatened integrity of the runes: 3,42 years. Decrease in rune performance: 10% - 1,21 years. 20% - 1,84 years. Sphere leakage - filtration system breach: 0,45 years.] This left them with less than six months to find a solution. After that, concept fragments would corrupt his world. That didn''t even account for the Necromoon event starting soon. Might as well deal with the problem as quickly as possible. First, Priam tried to use [Tribulation Hunter] to capture the concept fragments polluting his sphere. The unique skill detected nothing. Neither did [Concepts Archipelago]. If these are truly concepts, they are in minute quantities and mixed together... Priam didn''t give up, but he realized that he didn''t yet have the tools to harvest the concepts present in the aether. Let''s try something else for now. Focusing on his Talent, Priam thought of the concept fragments he had captured. The pond in the center of his world, a remnant of [Mirror of the Soul], began to glow. A drop of perfect white detached from its dark surface. Instinctively, Priam recognized the concept of purity that he had absorbed during his first bath in a hot spring with Claire. Following a mental command, the pearly drop headed toward the wooden sphere. Upon contact, it simply disappeared. Visually, the sphere hadn''t changed, but it shone slightly under [Aether Perception]. You have gained the skill: [Enchantment - Rare]. [Enchantment] - Certain magical operations allow you to modify or confer new properties to an object or being. Modifying or adding an aetheric structure, infusing a concept, or imposing your will with Mastery, the paths to change the world are numerous. Would you choose Mending or Infinity? META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 META (PERC) +1 His add-on confirmed that the change wasn''t just aesthetic. [Aether siphon (enchantment: purity). Pollution Update (reliability: 97%): Purification of corruption by the purity fragment - enchantment: 90% Purification of corruption by the sun - radiation: 9% Total purification of absorbed aether: 99% Duration of the "Purity" enchantment: linked to the fragment. Exhaustion of the purity''s fragment: 245 days 12 hours 24 seconds.] ¡°The filter system works too,¡± Priam announced as a smile formed on his lips. There were few things more satisfying than a plan unfolding without a hitch. He also had a fond thought for the Phoenix Prince who had left him a sun capable of passively purifying his world. ¡°Perfect. I''ll think about a strong room capable of accommodating a Tribulation without destroying your internal world,¡± announced Alain. ¡°Good luck,¡± smiled Priam. It was not only a necessity for his loved ones but also for himself. Alain crossed the portal again, and Priam found himself alone. For a few minutes, he watched the aether emanating from the levitating sphere in front of him. Waves of pure aether swept over his island, changing the environment. Priam wasn''t yet able to explain how, but he felt his world changing. The light became more real, the colors more vivid, and the matter gained texture. His pond containing his concepts and the passage to his soul greedily absorbed the aether. Under the impulse of his instinct, Priam threw the wooden sphere - the aetheric siphon - into the pond. Taking advantage of the open portal, he contacted Log-a-rhythm, which confirmed that Kazuki was still unavailable. Priam then sat cross-legged, determined not to waste a moment. Before transforming his meridians with the help of Heavenly Dragon, he had progress to make with [Aether Manipulation]. An aetheric Rubik''s cube appeared in his hand as Priam recalled the exercises Anatole had given him a week ago. It feels like it''s been an eternity... [Aether density increasing. Current density: 0,17 E.] [Concepts Archipelago] [Aether Density Rising. Current Density: 0,42 E.] Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 18,19 META (AFFI) +2 META (FOCUS) +2 META (PERC) +2 [Aether Perception] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Echo] - Aether manipulation leaves imprints. Detect these marks and learn to decipher them. POT -30 [Precision] - Zoom in on the infinitesimally small, leaving no detail unchecked. Detect smaller variations in the aether. POT -30 [Perspective] - Take a step back to reconstitute the big picture. Observe the consequences to understand the causes. POT -30 You have selected [Echo]. POT -30 Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 21,22 META (PERC) +6 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 12 MEM+2 VIVA +1 As Priam delved into the forest alongside Kazuki, he mulled over the past few hours. He had dedicated himself to the art of manipulating and detecting aether. These two skills were perhaps the most important he possessed, and he blamed himself for having neglected them for so long. Sure, they didn''t necessarily help him survive, but they paved the way for his future. A hesitant contemplation of options led him to validate [Echo]. Two compelling reasons guided his choice. First, Meta-perception increased his angular resolution - his ability to distinguish small details of an aether structure. [Precision] might have its merits, but Priam trusted his ability to farm attributes. The second reason lay in the fact that his add-on could merge different images perceived through [Aether Perception], creating a panorama. [Perspective] was thus of limited utility, and for the hundredth time that day, Priam silently praised himself for creating [Priam¡¯s System]. "You should focus," Kazuki''s voice resonated in his ear. The hoplite had entrusted him with a nearly undetectable micro-earpiece. A paranoid voice deep within Priam had screamed that it was a trap; Kazuki awaited an opportunity to backstab him, just like Claire. But Priam had silenced that voice. Kazuki had gained his trust. "Sorry," he apologized. The hoplite champion nodded and continued on his way. In perfect health, he radiated a terrifying life force. According to Kazuki, his mecha''s nanobots were designed to heal serious wounds. Following in the hoplite''s footsteps, Priam was leaping from branch to branch. [Art of Movement], [Iron Marathon], and [Phantom] synergized to provide silent, rapid movement in the forest. After a hundred meters, Kazuki hid behind a tree. Priam positioned himself about ten meters to his left, waiting for an explanation. "My sonar detects a gathering of rabhorns," declared the hoplite. "We''ll veer left to avoid them." "...I think we''re past the point of being scared of rabhorns, aren''t we?" "Not Tier 1s. The one I killed during our first encounter was a child. Some of them are terrifying. I have no desire to die killed by a horned rabbit." Trying to forget an embarrassing memory, Priam followed the hoplite. The two warriors navigated the forest slowly. Along the way, Priam harvested two juvenile bramble bushes. Kazuki raised an eyebrow, seeing him lift the entire plant, roots and all, before depositing them in his world. "My father makes excellent blackberry jams," Priam justified. Without a word, Kazuki lent a helping hand. Three minutes later, Priam halted. Kazuki joined him, raising an eyebrow. Priam pointed at a bare branch about ten meters away. "There''s an invisible insect on that branch." Lvl Up: [Echolocation] Lvl 5 PERC +2 DEXT +1 "It must be a deathsquito," grumbled Kazuki. "Practically invisible and inactive during the day. At night, their movements cause disturbances in the air, betraying their location. A sting, and you''re paralyzed for hours. It''s partly because of them that I avoided moving at night." "No matter the world, everyone hates mosquitoes..." Priam cautiously continued toward the first objective. He didn''t want to attract the attention of the ants. His soon-to-be adversaries in Elysium were yet to discover that they were about to lose their magical tree. A few seconds later, he heard a piercing cry. Exchanging a quick glance with Kazuki, Priam hurried. A few seconds later, pushing aside a branch, he saw the ant clearing. The insects had emerged in force. A swarm of monsters was currently battling five guards straight out of the Middle Ages. A sixth was being devoured in front of their commander, who bellowed incomprehensible orders. "Who the hell are they?" Priam muttered. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 398 Constitution 662 Agility 404 Vitality 538 Perception 584 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 325 (+1) Dexterity 423 (+1) Memory 133 (+2) Willpower 648 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 336 (+2) Meta-focus 243 (+2) Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 119 (+12) Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 554 (-278) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1 hour 36 minutes 38 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 2 hours 9 minutes 51 seconds. Chapter 141: The Empyreans
Kazuki crawled up to Priam, his face concealed by his helmet. His mech, camouflaged to match the ground, made it nearly invisible despite its size. Priam focused on [Phantom] to observe the battle. Were they facing natives or men from one of his rivals?
"Their commander is hard to pin down," Kazuki whispered after a few seconds.
"Hmm?"
"He talks too much. At first, I thought he was incompetent, shouting multiple orders per second, but his soldiers listen." He paused, pointing to a man in distress. The ants launched a massive frontal assault, attempting to bury the poor guard under their numbers. The commander shouted a dozen orders in a matter of seconds, and the guards moved smoothly.
Breaking the pentagon, they let their comrade retreat briefly before attacking from both sides. Caught in a pincer, the ants perished quickly. Without wasting time, the men reformed their formation.
"He micro-manages his men," analyzed Kazuki. "It shows excellent tactical vision, shocking parallel thinking ability, and intensive training. He knows his men, and he''s seen a battlefield. He''ll be a formidable strategist if he unlocks a telepathic communication method."
Coming from the hoplite champion, the compliment was flattering.
"The commander and the guards don''t pose a problem for me. I''m more concerned about whether they''re part of a larger force. If so, friends or foes?" Priam murmured.
Kazuki shrugged. "Hard to say. They don''t seem like natives. Their armor isn''t suited for the forest. One of our rivals must have brought them along."
"I think the same. The question is: where are they?"
¡°I don¡¯t know. What is the objective?¡±
Priam pointed to a birch tree, white as milk and in bloom. "You see that luminescent tree? Its three flowers will turn into Passiflora. By consuming them, you gain charisma, willpower, and agility."
"Do you really need additional attributes?" Kazuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I''ve already eaten three, so it must have lost its effectiveness in my case. But if I can sacrifice these fruits to Log-a-rhythm, it should yield Potential for it."
Priam hadn''t mentioned his relatives, as they had to avoid triggering too many Tribulations. In Elysium, skills rose rapidly and the lack of attributes was not a problem. "...You just want to get back at the ants."
"Among other things."
Kazuki smiled. "As long as it''s useful for Log-a-rhythm. But I don''t think these warriors would appreciate us grabbing shovels to unearth their due."
Priam observed the battle for a few more seconds. The commander shouted less, and the guards grew more confident. Despite their numbers, the ants were predictable and individually weak. The flying ants and the acid barrage had caught the men by surprise, but there wouldn''t be more casualties. The colony would soon exhaust its members, and victory would go to the unknown group.
For some reason, that didn''t sit well with Priam.
"I don''t want to antagonize potential allies, but it would bother me to have come here for nothing," declared Priam.
"Do you want to attack?" Kazuki asked.
Priam remained silent. These strangers hadn''t done anything to him. Was he ready to hurt or kill innocents - until proven otherwise - for a material resource he didn''t really need?
"I''m not a murderer. Let''s wait until the end of the battle and discuss afterward. If they''re cool, we''ll find an arrangement that suits everyone. If not..."
A smile began to form on the hoplite''s lips before fading. He furrowed his brow.
"I just gained resistance to divination."
Priam narrowed his eyes. "Someone knows we''re here."
Part of his attention began scanning the surroundings for a third group. The other part analyzed the situation. With [Weathered], the upgrade of [Veteran], Priam had facilities to develop his resistances. The fact that Kazuki leveled up and he didn''t could mean only one thing.
"Someone targeted you because I''m quite resistant to divination." Someone who could be listening to us right now.
Priam and Kazuki exchanged a look - they weren''t going to passively wait for an unknown plan to unfold. They needed to act. Identified, they could fight - provided they locate the opponent - flee, or pursue objectives. Priam was reluctant to flee just minutes into an expedition without even encountering an enemy.
"Plan P," he declared.
P for Pillage.
Priam leaped to his feet and activated [Mask]. The skill he obtained from Anne allowed him to conceal his information when identified and camouflage his appearance. A solid and dark aether mask covered his face, while his misty cloak turned dark gray. A color that heralded the storm.
Emerging from the bushes like a cannonball, Priam used [Kinetic Control] to reach the birch tree in less than a second. His sudden acceleration created a supersonic bang, alerting both ants and guards. Without wasting a moment on his audience, Priam grabbed the base of the trunk. Using Micro, he pulled. The ground rose slowly as Priam''s vertebrae compressed. Damn.
"Hah tui!" the commander shouted. Probably an equivalent of "Halt there!"
Priam paid him no mind and released the birch tree. Physical strength wasn''t his specialty. As dozens of ants rushed toward him, he activated his Domain. His sphere of authority appeared, partially enveloping the tree trunk. Priam activated [Kinetic Control], determined to uproot it.
Within a radius of ten meters, the ground exploded, revealing colossal roots. The birch tree effortlessly ascended, leaving the earth to float alongside Priam. Smiling, he felt energy coursing through his resilient meridians. He was still far from his limits.
Lifting the tree four meters above the ground, Priam opened a portal above and began feeding the foliage into it. Simultaneously, the ants organized an acid barrage against him. [Kinetic Control] froze the air within his Domain, successfully blocking the attacks.
Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 46 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META(FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 13 STR +1
Lowering his gaze, Priam understood the source of the ants'' rage. The colony had dug hundreds of tunnels around the roots. By uprooting the tree, he had caused the tunnels to collapse. Thousands of angry ants stared at him. Another acid barrage arrived as the trunk began disappearing into his internal world.
Priam blocked the attacks before counterattacking.
With a wave of his hand, Domain compressed an airwave, and Priam projected it onto his enemies, using a third of his kinetic reserves.
Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 47 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META(FOCUS) +4
A white shockwave struck the ground in a flash. A ten-meter-radius crater formed, compacting the earth and crushing thousands of ants. The forest shook as the attack cracked the ground, creating five colossal crevices.
A secondary shockwave swept through the clearing, throwing ants in all directions and toppling the five guards who had distanced themselves. Trees fell, and Kazuki had to plant his spear in the ground to stabilize himself.
Oops. Too much power, Priam thought. The power of his kinetic cone was satisfying, considering the gratuitousness of this energy. His reserves were already replenishing as he absorbed his own energy to float in the air. Despite the amount of power channeled, his meridians had admirably withstood the burst.
Priam refocused on the tree that finished its ascent. Some roots bent to pass through the portal, which closed behind them. Ten seconds after his arrival, Priam had successfully captured the birch. And without a Master Ball.
Floating in the air, he prepared to join Kazuki as the remaining spectators tried to recover from the attack. As the enemy commander pointed at him, shouting, Kazuki''s voice crackled in his earpiece. "My scan detects two people hidden in the forest behind the commander. My instinct tells me one of them is responsible for my level up."
"I''m going," Priam replied. "Stay hidden for now."
[Kinetic Control]. Slicing through the air, Priam flew over the surviving ants and dazed warriors. He passed over the commander, who watched him fly off without attacking. His helmet hid his face, but Priam was sure the man was fuming.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Forty meters into the forest, he spotted two figures jumping from a tree. Like a falcon, he dove towards them.
Cutting through the canopy, Priam caught up with the two fugitives. The moment his Domain touched them, he absorbed their kinetic energies. With them now immobilized, Priam took his time to observe the situation, Promesse in hand. He was on his guard and would eliminate the threat at the slightest sign of suspicion.
Before him, floating in the air, were two young women with almost human appearances.
The first had a face covered in scars. Remnants of brutal and poorly treated lacerations, they gave her a warrior-like air. Her frightened expression told another story.
[Identification] [Muyri] - A low-extraction Empyrean. Terrified.
Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 11 MEM +1
If I spoke her language, she''d tell me everything she knows, Priam thought.
He turned to the second woman. She was the opposite of the first. Her chiseled features projected a cold yet beautiful image. Her proud demeanor betrayed noble elegance and years of practice. Last but not least, her deep eyes were as enchanting as they were dangerous.
Despite her peasant clothes, she was the most beautiful woman Priam had ever seen. He immediately distrusted her, searching for a sign of mental manipulation. Nothing. Neither his Domain nor his instinct found any sign of manipulation. Was the woman naturally perfect? No, not a woman.
Slightly pointed ears, a similar but not identical musculature, and a kind of halo behind her head betrayed an inhuman origin.
Priam''s draconic heart raced. His instinct whispered that these strangers'' DNA and aether structure would bring him closer to an evolution of his race.
[Identification] [Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim - Tier 0 - Viscount] - An Empyrean Princess.
She''s the one who scryed Kazuki.
A princess... Esm¨¦e''s clothes were in poor condition, but Priam''s eye caught quality thread. Her garment was made to mimic those of a peasant. Instantly, a plan formed in his mind. The two empyreans were undoubtedly with the guards.
And I''ve got their princess. In Priam''s eyes, Esm¨¦e had just turned into a pile of gold. Or the equivalent in this new universe.
But Priam''s instincts told him there was more to her than that¡­ She shared a certain something with Kazuki and Dishnu. Suddenly, Priam recognized the scent. The princess was one of his rivals. Jackpot!
Esm¨¦e was almost sure she would have broken into a sweat if she could move. After witnessing the First absorb a tree effortlessly while annihilating an ant colony, a foreboding feeling crept over her. Leading Muyri, she had tried to escape.
It took the First three seconds to catch up with them. Projecting his Supremacy, he easily immobilized them. A spear with a nascent mind in hand, he observed them for almost ten seconds, deciding their fate. At least, that was Esm¨¦e''s assumption. The black mask on his face prevented her from drawing precise conclusions about her rival.
Her thoughts shifted to her burning lungs. The First''s immobilization prevented her from breathing, and Esm¨¦e began to feel weak. Muyri must be in an even worse state.
Suddenly, the world lifted. Esm¨¦e realized the First was releasing them. Her feet touched the ground, and the restraint that held them disappeared. Muyri collapsed, clutching her throat, struggling for breath. Despite her yearning lungs, Esm¨¦e remained standing, attempting to project a noble image.
She shot a grateful look at her captor. "Thank you for sparing our lives," she declared, employing [Loaded Dice]. The epic skill altered probabilities, granting her an impossible chance. She had merely produced incomprehensible sounds, but by incredible luck, it corresponded to intelligible words in the First''s language.
"Do you speak French?" her rival asked, a surprised note in his voice. Mentally noting the phrase in her grimoire, Esm¨¦e''s ability translated it for her. It''s one of the perks of being an [Author]. He wants to know how I speak his language.
"I''m afraid not," she replied, tucking a silver lock behind her ear. "I manipulate probabilities while producing random sounds. I''m just lucky that these sounds happen to match your language."
Esm¨¦e wasn''t accustomed to explaining her skills to an opponent, but she wasn''t foolish enough to lie.
"It''s a dangerous power. Too dangerous," replied the masked man. His charismatic aura was overwhelming and his anonymity made him terrifying.
Esm¨¦e felt herself growing pale. With her father sharing a similar power, it had never occurred to her that the First might feel threatened. Yet, he was right: in skilled and informed hands, the manipulation of probabilities held a terrifying potential.
Her luck advised her not to respond, and Esm¨¦e understood why a second later.
Emerging from the bushes with a string of oaths, her brother and his guards arrived. Aydan froze upon seeing who stood beside his sister. The next moment, he removed his helmet, flushed with rage.
"You''ve stolen what''s rightfully mine!"
Esm¨¦e was almost disappointed not to witness her brother hurling insults at the First. However, even he wasn''t foolish enough to offend such a powerful stranger. Aydan might be cruel, but he wasn''t entirely foolish; he was, in fact, a military genius.
The First silently observed the newcomers before turning to Esm¨¦e.
"Tell your guard that I won''t harm you as long as he refrains from doing anything foolish," he said, waving his spear. Aydan''s guards unsheathed their weapons in response.
Esm¨¦e nearly burst into laughter. The First must have thought that, as a rival, she led the expedition. Better yet, he was asking her to translate his words. Aydan didn''t even have the choice to refuse; a [Strategist] couldn''t use a grimoire like an [Author]. She was his sole means of translation.
"Of course," she replied, turning to her brother. "The First is seeking an explanation. We were hunting on his territory."
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 399 (+1) Constitution 662 Agility 404 Vitality 538 Perception 584 MENTAL: Vivacity 329 (+4) Dexterity 429 (+6) Memory 134 (+1) Willpower 648 Charisma 418 META: Meta-affinity 336 Meta-focus 251 (+8) Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 119 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 562 (+8) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1 hour 29 minutes 26 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 2 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds. Chapter 142: Once Upon a Time Esm¨¦e turned to her brother. "Galinthor, aran''shan enithrin''kai enithoron. Ilin''dor enithalon en''dorithor shan''althar." The commander''s face turned crimson. The man - or rather, the empyrean - appeared furious as he visibly struggled to breathe. Despite Priam''s efforts, the situation showed no signs of de-escalating. It wasn''t entirely surprising; Priam had more or less taken their princess hostage and stole his magic tree. In response to Esm¨¦e, the man grunted. A rather disrespectful response when addressing a princess. [Identification] [Aydan L¨®thandorim - Tier 0 - Viscount] - Empyrean Crown Prince. Seventh Strategist of the Empire. The Crown Prince? Behind his mask, Priam narrowed his eyes. Who was truly in charge of this expedition then - Aydan or Esm¨¦e? It was undoubtedly a matter of politics, and the truth might not be straightforward. Anyway, it didn''t matter. The System had chosen Esm¨¦e as a rival for a reason. If Priam had to bet on one of the two, he already knew which one. "Galinthor, solithrin''kai, malorin vethar''shaldor. El''altharion enithor''lin, shan''dorinthal en''dorithor," Aydan finally responded through gritted teeth. [Empyrean language: decoding in progress.] Priam smiled as he read the notification on his add-on. Esm¨¦e nodded before turning to Priam. "My brother easily worries," she explained. "But I apologize; I haven''t introduced myself yet. Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim, Princess of the Empire, and one of your nine rivals," she said. The ensuing bow was impeccable. So, there are ten of us. Two more than on Seth''s map. Either they had eluded the rays of the Necromoon, or they had no fixed camp. There was, of course, one last hypothesis - they were dead. "Certainly the prettiest of my rivals," he complimented her. "Priam Azura, Champion of Humanity." He then executed a bow that must have been an affront to all royal etiquettes. Looking up, he noticed that Esm¨¦e seemed unsure how to react to his compliment. Perhaps people didn''t court each other in her world? Or was it his mask? After all, she had to suspect that Priam wasn''t really serious. Shrugging mentally, Priam refocused. "Now that introductions are done, I would like some explanations." "Explanations?" Esm¨¦e asked, surprised. "You used a divination skill on my friend less than a minute ago." Was this one of his rival''s powers? If so, it explained how she knew the exact number of existing rivals. "Oh, I apologize for that, Lord Priam. I simply felt that a rival was approaching, and I wanted to verify their identity. Some can be hostile." Priam briefly thought of Seth and Arnold. "Why not use the skill on me?" he asked. Esm¨¦e gave him a smile. "Because I knew¡ª" "Shan''dorinthal enithalon''kai?!" Lvl Up: [Mask] lvl 5 WILL +3 CHAR +3 META(AUTH) +3 Priam frowned, turning to Aydan. The man had just identified him. Had he succeeded, or had [Mask] canceled his skill? Either way, Priam found the sensation unpleasant. His grip on Promesse tightened as he shot a dark look at the prince. Remembering that Aydan couldn''t see his face, Priam projected his aura. With his high charisma, the impact was almost physical. The prince recoiled, letting out a cry. Priam had tried to convey his anger, and Aydan had received it as a slight. Despite the insult, he kept quiet. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 4 CHAR + 3 While Esm¨¦e looked at her brother, Priam''s gaze shifted to the slave. Muyri was staring at the prince, naked terror in her eyes. She fears him. Did he do this to her? Looking at the scars on the poor woman, Priam''s hearts raced. He wasn''t a hero, but he wasn''t one to stand by while a woman - or a man - was tortured in front of him without reacting. Especially if he had the power to change things. Suddenly, his anger opened Priam''s eyes. The almost human appearance of Aydan, Muyri, and Esm¨¦e had thrown him off. Instinctively, he had treated them as humans, seeking explanations. It was a mistake; he was now in Elysium. "Tell your brother not to interfere," he demanded from Esm¨¦e with a stern tone. "I¡ª" "Tell him," he insisted. Esm¨¦e turned to her brother. "Galinthor aran''shan enithalon''kai ilin''dor." The prince gritted his teeth, shooting Priam a complicated look. He must not be used to being commanded but was too scared to attack. [Note: Galinthor has been pronounced twice in a sentence directly related to you. This word seems to be your designation in Empyrean.] "What does Galinthor mean?" Priam asked. "... The First," Esm¨¦e answered after a pause. For someone with so much vivacity, the pause was very long. She had clearly hesitated to respond. Priam analyzed her answer. First was the word Esm¨¦e and her brother used to talk about him. This meant they knew he was the first to finish the Tutorial. Moreover, they had already talked about him. They know me, but I don¡¯t know them. The situation bothered Priam. It confirmed that Kazuki hadn''t been the first on whom Esm¨¦e had used her skills. Among his levels of [Divination Resistance], how many came from the princess? Above all, had she limited herself to spying, or had she manipulated his luck? While contemplating the various ramifications, Priam remained silent. If Esm¨¦e was an enemy, he had to act now. As he thought, a part of his consciousness felt a sense of unease emerging. Right behind it followed fear. Priam blinked before realizing that these were not his feelings but those of the guards and Muyri. A moment later, he understood. Enveloped by his charismatic aura, those with too weak charisma couldn''t hide their emotions. It was a powerful ability and reinforced Charisma''s importance as an attribute. Unfortunately, neither Esm¨¦e nor Aydan were affected. "What is your arrival position, Princess Esm¨¦e?" Priam finally asked. "Lord Priam, I sense your anger, but there is¡ª" "If I were angry, Princess, you would be dead. Answer my question, please." Priam''s tone was as polite as it was cold. Esm¨¦e might be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but his imagination now conjured the worst. Had Arnold been sent by Esm¨¦e''s misfortune? Had his father fallen because of her? Had all the unfortunate events in his life an empyrean origin? "I was second," Esm¨¦e finally answered. "I arrived a few hours after you. You were unavailable, so you didn''t sense the portal." I was dead. But why had the princess taken such care to hide her arrival only to move with clumsy guards today? Esm¨¦e''s gaze changed. "Let me be completely honest. I''ve used my manipulation power on you only twice. Once for you not to detect my arrival. The second time to help your father survive not long ago. I swear it on my Potential." The attention of the Concepts focused for a moment before dissipating. Priam nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed for imagining the worst. Also relieved not to have to execute eight people based on suspicions. "I apologize if I frightened you, but I couldn''t take any chances. I actually prefer this kind of frank and honest conversation. Why did you help my father?" "To gain a favor from you." Priam grimaced, realizing the stupidity of his question. For what other reason would a rival save his father? He didn''t intend to ask for the extent of her help. Confessing his ignorance to a rival was a stupid idea. "Thanks for helping my father, but your first manipulation..." Priam stopped. Esm¨¦e might or might not know about his resurrection power; there was no need to mention it. In any case, he would have died even without her manipulation. She didn''t make him thirsty. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "What favor do you wish?" he asked. Priam was grateful she had helped his father, but he wasn''t about to jump into the fire to pay back a debt. At least, not twice. "If one day you can save my life, I will be grateful. Within the limits of the value you attribute to my favor, of course." Esm¨¦e''s smile seemed genuine, and her gaze had changed. The conciliatory princess had disappeared. "... Very well." The question was: what was the value of this favor? Priam was almost sure that Esm¨¦e didn''t know. His father might have survived without her, or he might not have. The princess was playing on that uncertainty, and she was right. For Priam, his father''s life was invaluable. "I have a few questions. How do you know who I am?" Priam could have played the expert pretending to know everything, but he preferred to lose some mystery rather than information. "My power gives me information about people who have a role to play in my life." "That''s vague." Esm¨¦e laughed a little, a laugh Priam found charming. "We are rivals. Future ally or enemy. I won''t give a potential opponent the list of my powers." "What stops me from eliminating you right now? You may have saved my father, but you may also have caused his fall. Your manipulation power is dangerous, and you imply that we might become enemies." It was a bluff, but Priam wanted to know who he was dealing with. "Would you assassinate me in cold blood?" she asked, raising a perfect eyebrow. "I prefer the term preventive self-defense." Esm¨¦e snorted as a flame lit up in her eyes. "I can''t do anything against my brother, but against you? Despite all my respect for your achievements, I have the means to defend myself. However, I don''t think it will be necessary. If you were willing to preemptively assassinate anyone who might one day be a danger to you and your family, you would have already attacked me." She''s proud. Priam remained silent for a few seconds before smiling. "You''re sure of yourself. That''s a change from the beginning of the conversation." "I was playing a role." "As we all do," Priam replied, shrugging. He had played a role his entire life and could recognize those who did the same. Esm¨¦e wasn''t as submissive as she showed. A flame burned in her, making her even more beautiful. Priam cleared his throat. It''s been too long since I''ve been around attractive women... "Why not establish the foundations of a cordial relationship while we''re here?" he suggested. "Your power must have given you interesting information, and I''m willing to exchange mine with you." Esm¨¦e remained silent for a moment before responding. "Something huge is brewing. A war. In a way, it''s already underway. Rifts are widening in Elysium, allowing Tier 0s to slip through first, followed by the Tier 1s, 2s, and so forth. Our involvement will be mandatory. As a Champion, our race will inevitably be entwined in it." Priam welcomed the news calmly, but not Kazuki. A surge of anger, swiftly suppressed, radiated in his aura for a moment. The hoplite lingered in the shadows, poised to react if the situation spiraled out of control. "In six days, an event is set in motion," he offered in return. "The Necromoon is on its way, corrupting the atmosphere. Without epic resistance, the slightest contact with a mutant creature is deadly. Or worse. One of our rivals is contaminated and seeks to kill us all." "The Corrupted," Esm¨¦e grimaced. "Slain by the Third." "Arnold?" "I prefer not to use his name." Priam nodded. So, I''m not the only one pursued by the Var Elegis. "One last thing. I would like..." He left his sentence hanging. The crux of this conversation wasn''t about extracting information or improving relations with the royal family of the Empire. Priam had a much more important goal: obtaining the genetic and ethereal code of the empyreans. If he could enhance his race again, he would push back the thresholds of his Tribulations. In a corner of his notifications, the countdown of Tribulations ticked away. Four Tribulations were already waiting, and Priam knew that if he triggered them today, he would die. He still had one hundred and seventy-five days ahead and wanted to make the most of it without fearing his Tribulations. Priam had no desire to spend the next six months restricting his level-ups. He needed that information. "Yes?" Esm¨¦e asked, seeing him lost in thought. "I need a drop of your blood." It sounds like a vampire. "I mean, I''d like to blend our genetic heritages." Esm¨¦e looked at him with wide eyes, and Priam heard Kazuki laugh in his earpiece. "No, wait, that''s not what I meant." Priam grimaced behind his mask. He was socially rusty, especially with pretty women. "I have a hunch that by mixing our ethereal codes, I could create a Tier 2 race." Better. "Oh." Esm¨¦e let out a charming laugh. "My family has spent centuries optimizing our genes to make Empyrean a Tier 1 race. I''d be willing to help, but if you succeed, I want to benefit as well." Priam nodded. "That sounds fair. I''d need a drop of your blood." Esm¨¦e hesitated for a moment before fixing her gaze on Priam''s black mask. "I have a better idea. You see the girl next to me?" Priam turned slightly toward the slave with the lacerated face. Her dark eyes were terrified, and she smelled of fear. "Yes?" "I would like you to take her with you. I don''t think a Tier 0, no matter how incredible, can merge two complex aether structures from just a drop of blood. You''ll need a lot of genetic material, and Muyri is your best option. She''s one of the royal family''s bastards, her race is Tier 1." Disgust engulfed Priam. "I''m not planning to experiment on a huma¡­ on her!" In the pursuit of power, one had to consider moral boundaries. Priam refused to torture strangers. "I hope not," Esm¨¦e replied. "Just look at her face or the way she looks at my brother to understand that her current life is a nightmare. With you, her life can only improve. Muyri isn''t a fighter, but she''ll be safe in your base." "If you''re so concerned about her safety, why don''t you defend her?" Esm¨¦e lowered her eyes. "Because I can''t disobey my brother," she murmured, her cheeks red. Out of shame or anger, only she could say. Priam''s gaze turned to Aydan. The man stared at him, a hand on his sword. He seemed as fearful as he was angry. Priam hesitated to eliminate him. He felt that''s what Esm¨¦e wanted, but if the man had truly inflicted those scars on the young slave, he deserved it. Unless she''s manipulating me right now? She might have orchestrated everything with Myuri to make me kill a man whose language I don''t understand. Esm¨¦e raised her eyes. "Before you think of anything: yes, I want to kill my brother. But if you attack him now, I''ll be forced to defend him and avenge him. So it¡¯s not a scheme for you to kill him." "How are you forced?" "Magical compulsion," the princess spat. It was the first time Priam saw her features betraying rage. Priam understood her. Having to defend and obey one''s worst enemy... A fate worse than death. "Won''t he mistreat you?" Leaving someone with a psychopath capable of lacerating faces didn''t sit well with Priam. Esm¨¦e shook her head. "I''m not the only one with a compulsion." "Well," Priam responded before turning to the slave. "Do you agree to come with me?" Myuri looked at him with wide eyes. Priam knew she couldn¡¯t understand his words, but he wanted her to feel the kindness in his voice. Instinctively, he used his aura to send her the equivalent of a wave of comfort. The slave''s shoulders relaxed. "Galinthor, enithil''kiran, ilin''dor enitharinthal enithor''shaldor. Shan''alor enithalon aran''dorinthal, shan''alor enithalon ilin''dor enithorithalon," Esm¨¦e said to Muyri in a gentle voice. While the slave''s eyes widened, Aydan began to roar. The teleportation of Promesse a few inches from his face instantly calmed him. Priam had saturated the surroundings with invisible mist for this moment. In the absence of proof and on Esm¨¦e''s words alone, he wouldn''t kill Aydan. But if the man thought he had a say in Muyri''s decision, he was mistaken. The slave had jumped when she heard her master roar before looking at him again. Crimson with rage and powerlessness, Aydan made a superhuman effort not to explode. Seeing her master so weak for the first time gave Myuri the courage to nod. The sign was almost universal, and Priam opened a portal to his world. The other side of the portal faced the black border of his world, so as not to give any hint about his Talent to the empyreans. Encouraged by Esm¨¦e, Muryi stepped into [Concepts Archipelago]. Priam closed the portal behind her before turning to Aydan and Esm¨¦e. It was time to leave. With a nod, Priam greeted the crown prince. Why burn a bridge when he had only received an opinion so far? If Esm¨¦e had lied to him, she would pay for it. If not, Aydan would do well not to cross paths with Priam¡¯s relatives. He then turned to Esm¨¦e. "Princess, I''m looking forward to seeing you again," he smiled behind his mask. "Lord Priam, likewise," Esm¨¦e replied, executing a perfect curtsy. Her white and gold hair flew backward, and Priam''s hearts pulsed. I hope Disney is right for once. In movies, pretty princesses were always supposed to be kind. The next moment, Priam vanished into the mist. The day was young, and they still had many locations to plunder. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 399 Constitution 662 Agility 404 Vitality 538 Perception 584 MENTAL: Vivacity 332 (+3) Dexterity 429 Memory 134 Willpower 648 Charisma 427 (+9) META: Meta-affinity 336 Meta-focus 251 Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 119 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 (+3) Potential: 567 (+5) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1 hour 23 minutes 12 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 176 days 1 hour 56 minutes 25 seconds. Chapter 143: I want that. And that. I want it all! "This is the second spot," declared Priam, absorbing his momentum. His bare foot landed on a broad maple leaf without even causing a tremor. Thanks to [Kinetic Control], he seemed to weigh no more than a shadow. A large and heavy form crashed onto a nearby branch, causing a deafening crack. The tree and its red foliage trembled. A subtle entrance courtesy of Kazuki. "I don''t feel anything special," replied the hoplite at the controls of his mecha, jumping from the branch he had just broken. Rolling his eyes, Priam joined him below. As he landed, he knelt to brush aside the carpet of dead leaves. Underneath lay a rich, dark soil. "Seth''s map didn''t lie; the humus here is special," Priam declared. "Hum, it''s abnormally charged with aether." Around them, towering maples created a forest in autumn colors. Some almost reached a hundred meters. Priam was reasonably sure that no earthly maple approached this size. "The trees are twice as tall as anywhere else. Do you think this soil will accelerate the growth of Log-a-rhythm?" Kazuki asked, picking up some himself. "It can''t hurt, but the majority is for my world. If I want to use it properly, I have to fill the void. This will do. Then we can gather as many resources as possible before the event starts." "Hmm..." The hoplite seemed annoyed. Kazuki had promised to help improve Log-a-rhythm, not dig holes for [Concepts Archipelago]. He''s my rival, not my servant, Priam reminded himself with a grimace. "I''ll reserve a quarter for Log-a-rhythm anyway. Plus, I was thinking of taking a maple tree with us. Have you ever tasted maple syrup?" A thin smile appeared on Kazuki''s face. "I don''t know this particular tree, but I get what you mean. My wife loves it so I¡¯ll select a tree for her." "Then it''s settled." "You need at least fifty thousand cubic meters of soil, right? I hope you brought a big shovel." "I have something much better than that," Priam smiled, summoning Promesse. Faced with his companion''s enigmatic smile, the hoplite raised an eyebrow. Raising his spear, Priam used their connection to invoke his Domain around it. The sphere of authority materialized. Placing Promesse horizontally, he opened a portal to his internal world about ten centimeters above his spear. On the side of his world, the portal''s exit was just under the floating island. Mentally, Priam locked the portal''s position relative to Promesse. If the weapon moved, the portal would follow. Manipulating [Kinetic Control] precisely, Priam levitated his spear just above the grass. The lower half of his sphere of authority now penetrated the ground. Thanks to his Supremacy, Priam felt every bit of soil, every root, every seed, every insect present in his sphere. Priam took a deep breath. When he created his first skill, [Kinetic Control] had many limitations due to a lack of Potential. With each level, the skill had gradually overcome those limitations. His number of charges had exceeded five long ago. But one of the only limitations his skill had not overcome was contact with an object. To move an object, Priam had to touch it. By placing his hand on the ground, he could only influence the soil in direct contact with his skin. Domain changed that. Priam used his kinetic skill to propel all the matter encompassed by his sphere of authority upward. In an instant, over a cubic meter of soil crossed the portal before crashing into the void of his world. Promesse began to descend into the ground, sucking up a large volume of humus with each moment. It took less than three seconds for Priam to create a hole five meters deep - the equivalent of sixty-two cubic meters of soil. Reaching the indestructible rock after a few dozen meters, his spear stopped. Priam smiled, ordering a horizontal movement. It was much more practical than using a shovel. "Call me Dyson," Priam declared, turning to Kazuki. "Excuse me?" "Nothing. It should be quick, an hour tops." Kazuki nodded before pointing to the ground. "I know why the soil is better here." "Oh?" On Seth''s map, the necromancer had only mentioned that the trees grew better in the vicinity. The strangest part was that no buried treasure explained it. Kazuki opened his mechanical hand, revealing a handful of rich, black humus. "It is mixed with ashes. The homogeneous structure of the aether suggests a unique and colossal monster. Definitely a Tier 4 or 5." According to Seth''s map, the magical humus-rich area was supposed to be less than a hectare. Kazuki had declared the monster colossal, and it was an understatement. "... One day, I''ll defeat this kind of titan," Priam swore. Kazuki nodded. "I hope so. Unless you die first due to hasty decisions." Detecting a hint of reproach, Priam looked his rival in the eyes. "Did I make a mistake?" "The girl with the scarred face, Muyri. You welcomed her into your internal world. I don''t like the shazha status much, but you''re taking a risk. She could be a spy." For hoplites, a shazha was someone who had lost all honor and served the community through unpaid work. It was a status freely chosen, unlike that of a slave. "She''s not a shazha. Well, I suppose I owe you an explanation." Priam sighed, heading towards a nearby maple. Summoning an ice blade, he cut into the trunk to harvest its sap. On Earth, the good season for that was at the end of winter, but the seasons in Elysium were certainly not the same. Watching the clear liquid flow, Priam pondered. What could he tell Kazuki? He had a hundred and seventy-six days before his new Tribulations. His quadruple Tribulation had ended less than a week ago, and he already had a new one scheduled. Realistically, he should soon stop leveling up his skills to avoid triggering too many Tribulations. Was it possible? His family needed him. The Necromoon was coming soon, and Elysium was never without danger. Above all, he had to keep improving to catch up with his rivals. Esm¨¦e had told him that he wouldn''t easily defeat her face-to-face. Maybe it was the truth, maybe it was a bluff. Either way, if the princess prepared an ambush several weeks in advance, his chances of survival were almost nil. Dishnu and Seth were monsters, and Arnold was the monster that scared other monsters. I have to keep progressing. To ward off Tribulations, Priam knew only one way: improve his race. Myuri was his ticket for that. "Even if she was a spy, I would have taken her with me. I have no choice," he declared to Kazuki. "If it reassures you, I have a part of my consciousness watching her in this internal world." It was a half-truth; [Priam''s System] took care of that. It was Priam''s concession to the young woman''s privacy. He refused to be a voyeur and watch Muyri take her shower, but his add-on would monitor her every move. "Maybe, but I would have appreciated it if you had consulted me first. We''re rivals, but we''re also partners, are we not?" "... You''re right. I''ve got into the bad habit of deciding on my own. It won''t happen again." Priam didn''t apologize. Hoplite culture hadn''t even invented the concept. For them, only actions counted. "If she tries to communicate or trap my world, I''ll see it and neutralize her," he assured. "Strange choice of words," remarked the hoplite, cutting into another tree in turn. For him, the incident was over. "If she betrays us, she won''t die before I know everything about her genetic code. Then I''ll ask Sphinx to trace her karmic threads back to Esm¨¦e and Aydan." Stolen novel; please report. "That¡¯s smart. I''m reassured to see that you take this seriously; I''ve seen too many warriors lose their heads over a woman." Priam cleared his throat. "Esm¨¦e and I aren''t even the same species." "For now. But if you merge your two races, then she''ll be the only one of your kind. What a chance," Kazuki chuckled. Priam rolled his eyes before smiling. "I admit she''s pretty¡ª" "Very pretty." "¡ªand there''s something about her that I like. A flame. But I also know she was probably created to be stunning. She''s too perfect, and she admitted that her family manipulated their genetic code." "She''s not responsible for that," the hoplite pointed out. "I thought you didn''t like her?" Kazuki shook his head. "I''m just objective. I left my parents when I realized our life visions were opposites; she didn''t even have that choice." "Her family seems monstrous," Priam admitted. "I mean, she has a mental compulsion to obey her brother." "One who tortures his servants," Kazuki added. "What I mean is, she must have fought in a hostile environment since birth to survive. Can you imagine how many times she''s been betrayed? I''m not sure she''s capable of engaging in an honest relationship." Priam burst into laughter. "I don''t think we''re there yet." "You complimented her," the hoplite pointed out. "Where I come from, you can do that without necessarily marrying the girl. Anyways, the light flirt was mainly to activate my Charisma and get her to tell me the truth." "Mainly?" teased Kazuki. "Stop that, I really don''t plan on being in a relationship for now." The hoplite laughed before continuing to keep an eye on the surroundings. Watching the maple sap flow, Priam felt a twinge in his heart. In his mind, Victoire''s image hovered. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 48 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 It took Priam nearly an hour and a half to finish filling up his world. When the last cubic meter of soil was swallowed, the Champion felt a twinge of shame. The fantastic forest of glowing maple trees lay devastated. Now, immense trenches several meters deep separated each tree. Some roots hung over the void, deprived of nutrients. Priam avoided looking at the maple leaning to his right. The lack of soil had destabilized the colossus, now mimicking the Tower of Pisa. However, this ecological disaster had not been in vain. As Priam looked at his internal world, a smile played on his lips. He had to move his portal towards the end and be careful with Muyri, but [Concepts Archipelago] was now ready to host an orchard. The sun created by the Phoenix Prince illuminated a pond surrounded by a strip of fine sand and then rich black soil. Myuri was currently leaning against the shade of the magical birch protected by ants. [Concepts Archipelago] [World information: Aether Density Rising. Current Density: 0.42 E>0.56 E. Radius: 30.14>30.78 meters. Features: Aether siphon (Enchantment: purity). Nurturing soil (silver) T2 Betula passiflora (gold) T1] Priam smiled as he read his system''s report. The size of the world continued to increase, slowly but steadily. The aether density was still rising, albeit more slowly. According to his add-on, the surplus aether was rapidly absorbed by his world to grow and by the pond to... do what? A collapsing tree made Priam look up. Kazuki had spent the time practicing on the surrounding trees. His physical abilities were so terrifying that he had laid down a number of them. "Pick the tree for your wife," Priam smiled. "Come." The hoplite moved gracefully, and Priam followed. Dodging large pits dug between majestic trees, they arrived before a golden specimen. At twenty-five meters, it was still small compared to its counterparts, but Priam felt great strength emanating from it. "This one," said the hoplite. [Identification] [Aetheric Sugar Maple - Tier 1] - A tree species valued for its sweet sap. At Tier 1, this tree can produce sap year-round. Its wood is light and white, provided you can cut it. Legend has it that a red and black checkered shirt can help. "Small but powerful. Not too tall, so it''ll fit in my world." Summoning a portal above the maple, Priam placed his hand on the trunk. [Kinetic Control]. Energy began to flow along his meridians before reaching the tree. It didn''t budge. "Is there a problem?" Kazuki asked. "Everything''s fine," Priam replied through clenched teeth. The Tier 1 tree seemed to have deeper roots than the birch''s. Offended, Priam opened the doors to his kinetic reserves. A torrent of energy flowed through his body as the tree began to tremble. The struggle lasted three seconds, during which Priam almost lost half of his kinetic reserves. Boom. Kazuki jumped back as the ground exploded. The maple rose into the air under Priam''s satisfied gaze. A few seconds later, the tree stump landed in a hole Priam had cleared. The second tree of his world was planted. "That¡¯s two," Priam smiled. "Let''s move on, my loot is waiting." The Elysian forest surprised Priam. The grove of maples quickly gave way to blue-tinted spruces. The temperature was the same, but the plant species were entirely different. His earpiece vibrated. "We''re entering Skulc territory," said Kazuki. "Skulcs? What are those?" "Green humanoid creatures as intelligent as monkeys. I have a quest to annihilate them, and I think your goal is in their village." "Oh?" A quest meant rewards, and it was a chance to repay Kazuki for his help. "I''m in." Kazuki nodded before recalling his armor. Spear in hand, the hoplite began to advance slowly towards the heart of the forest. Seeing the precautions taken by the hoplite, Priam felt his heart accelerate. If his rival was this serious, it meant the prey could fight back. A few minutes later, Kazuki stopped. He pointed to the ground, and Priam saw a trace. That was enough for the System. Quest: The green menace What''s small, green, cruel, vicious, lustful, and fried? A goblin cooked by a Skulc. Exterminate the 548 Wild Skulcs. Reward: Potential + 548. Bonus: Kill the Shaman. Reward: Fusion Token - Rare. Bonus: Kill the Skull. Reward: Skull Key Difficulty: Gold Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 399 Constitution 662 Agility 404 Vitality 538 Perception 584 MENTAL: Vivacity 334 (+2) Dexterity 432 (+3) Memory 134 Willpower 648 Charisma 427 META: Meta-affinity 336 Meta-focus 255 (+4) Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 119 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 570 (+3) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 22 hours 14 minutes 45 seconds. Chapter 144: Rivalry One Potential point per skulc slain. Two Bosses, each promising a unique reward. As if that weren''t enough, Priam''s next target was a rune stone that sat at the center of the skulc village. Seth had no inkling of the stone''s powers, except that it disrupted the Necromoon''s light. That was good enough for Priam. "Fate is urging us to eradicate these creatures," he whispered. "Good riddance; I loathe these pests," grumbled Kazuki, scanning the coniferous forest. "We need to kill as many as possible. These beasts reproduce rapidly and can change their genitalia as needed. There were only five hundred a week ago." "You''re quite bloodthirsty," remarked Priam. "The world will be better off without them. You''ll understand soon enough." "If you say so. What about the Bosses? How do we handle that?" "What do you mean?" "You discovered the quest. I can let you choose the Boss you want," Priam offered. Kazuki blinked before repressing a laugh. "What''s so amusing?" asked Priam. "We''re in Elysium," Kazuki replied when he caught his breath. "If I didn''t finish the quest the first time, it''s because I failed. I had a hard time escaping alive. If you manage to kill one, you deserve your reward." "Are they that strong?" "You''ll see. I''ll go right; you take the left." "It''s not wise to separate. If only we could coordinate our att¡ª" "I''m a hoplite," Kazuki cut in. "Overcoming adversity and improving is my way of life. I''m here to surpass myself and progress. I would like to complete the quest, but that''s a bonus. The most important thing for me is to face this immense wall until I can knock it down." "... I thought you wanted to improve Log-a-rhythm?" "I wouldn''t be here otherwise. However, we won''t survive in Elysium by being weak. An impregnable base like your tree will help, but only my spear will win me the war. Don''t lose sight of your true goal," advised Kazuki. There was truth in what the hoplite said, and Priam understood. "So, are we enemies on this one?" "Rivals," the hoplite smiled. Upon hearing the Champion hoplite''s response, Priam''s heart raced. His rival was right. Preparing the Necromoon and its Tribulations wasn''t just about accumulating resources. It was about transcending limits. "You''ve convinced me," Priam smiled. "I''ll take care of both Bosses in no time." "Unless I kill them first," Kazuki replied, baring his teeth. "Big talk for someone who had to run away with their tail between their legs last time." Kazuki''s eyes gleamed while Priam''s burned with intense determination. Their competitive spirits flared. Without a word, the two rivals parted ways. Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 7,8,9 AGI +9 As Priam progressed, he noticed the temperature dropping. The spruces were now covered in a fine layer of snow. Without the magic of [Moon Mist], his misty cloak would have frozen long ago. After leaving Kazuki, Priam activated [Phantom] to approach the center of the skulc microcosm. The fir branches became denser, but his skill helped him delicately navigate the obstacles. Priam seemed to have no mass as his kinetic energy control allowed him to step on the snow without sinking. Behind him, a tracker would find no traces. Like a ghost, Priam quietly advanced toward his enemies. He wasn''t in a hurry. The duel''s winner would be the one to kill one of the Bosses first. If Kazuki had failed the first time, he would be cautious this time. The hoplite wouldn''t accept two failures. Suddenly, [Broad Spectrum vision] detected something. Priam froze, focusing on his surroundings. Thirty meters ahead, an infrared spot stood out behind the trunk of a gigantic spruce. Squinting, Priam used his perception to discern the source of the anomaly. Then he saw it. Half-hidden by a dark trunk and thick branches, a humanoid creature waited. A scout. The monster was well hidden, motionless and camouflaged, but its heat gave it away. Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum vision] lvl 6 PERC +1 Priam didn''t try to identify his opponent to avoid alerting it. However, that didn''t prevent him from studying his adversary. The skulc was about two meters tall, with brownish-green skin. Its eyes scanned the surroundings like an eagle, and its muscles were poised for action. If Priam had initially thought he was dealing with a goblin cousin, the specimen before him brought him back to reality. No enemy in Elysium was weak, and this one was no exception. An obsidian gladius hung from its belt, and a few throwing darts were strapped across its chest. Despite the cold and calm, the guard remained focused. Priam''s instinct whispered to him to be decisive. He sent a thin mist thread toward his opponent. The mist''s density was so low that the line was invisible. Yet, when the thread penetrated within ten meters of the skulc, the monster''s eyes fixed on it. Without a moment''s hesitation, Priam rode his mist. No sooner had he materialized than he activated [Battle Footwork]. Catapulted forward by his aether, Priam summoned Promesse at the last moment. [Unrelenting Thrust]. Raising its blade, the skulc narrowly deflected Priam''s attack. It opened its mouth, ready to alert its kin - or maybe spit on Priam. Before a sound could escape its throat, Domain froze the air around its mouth. [Kinetic Control] absorbed the sound wave before Priam''s body collided with the creature, carried by his momentum. The two opponents rolled in the snow in silence. The skulc gained the upper hand in an instant, pinning Priam beneath it. After a submission, the warrior struck Priam''s head against the ground. His nose violently collided with a root. The scout then tried to break Priam''s neck. Too late. The monster''s eyes widened as it felt a force petrifying it. Priam disappeared into the mist, freeing himself from the enemy''s grip. He reappeared behind the skulc, wearing a somber expression. His Domain and [Kinetic Control] synergized to immobilize his enemy. Wiping a drop of blood from his nose, Priam felt a terrifying resistance fighting against his kinetic absorption. Either the skulc had titanic strength, or it had an epic skill. Placing his hand on the skulc''s chest, Priam absorbed its macroscopic kinetic energy. [Kinetic Control] trembled but managed to stop the enemy''s heart. A few moments later, the resistance disappeared. One down, Priam counted. His heart rate decreased as he began to analyze the fight. Priam had underestimated the skulc''s skill. The bloodthirsty - and, judging by its breath, carnivorous - creature had sublime knowledge of close combat. The monster''s technique and biology had surprised Priam. Their joints are different from mine. The skulc''s elbow had an amplitude of almost three hundred sixty degrees, destabilizing Priam. If the skulc had been able to ignore [Kinetic Control], Priam would have foolishly lost a life. I need to learn more about them. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. [Diagnostic] / [Identification] [Scout Skulc - Tier 0] - A basic military unit of the skulcs. Capable of remaining motionless and focused for several days, the scout skulc is a competent warrior. Blindly obedient to its superior, it is the weakest fighter among his kind. Its kinship with the goblin makes it cruel and bloodthirsty. Its draconic bloodline makes it sharp and talented. Weak points: heart - brain - core. Strong points: concentration, power, fearlessness. Note: the skulc''s gestation period is short (about three weeks), and the females'' litters can reach eight to ten individuals. Its growth is rapid, and it is considered an adult at three months. A diet rich in aether accelerates its development. A descendant of the dragons. Priam''s draconic heart raced. Annihilating this village became a priority. With a bit of luck, I could increase my compatibility with my heart... Priam knelt beside the skulc. It was time to forget reservations and learn more about his adversary. He had to improve [Diagnostic] and spot all the weak points of the skulcs. For that, he had only one solution. Materializing an ice scalpel in his hand, Priam got to work. Lvl Up: [Diagnostic] lvl 4,...,10 PERC +7 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 36,37 PERC +2 VIVA +2 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 25, 26, 27 PERC +3 WILL +6 [Tribulation]: Three attributes above 600 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 175 days 21 hours 38 minutes 54 seconds. Priam placed his fifth scalpel before standing up. He forced himself to witness the massacre as [Focus] and [Frozen Meditation] began to wane in intensity. Without these skills, he would have been unable to complete the task. Like a doctor in search of a breakthrough, he had operated on his "patient." Similar to an apprentice butcher or fishmonger, he had dissected the corpse to find its strengths and weaknesses. Deep within him, Priam had felt [Human Anatomy] react. There was a strong chance that the system would present him with an interesting evolution when he reached level 20. Feeling his thoughts wander, Priam reined them in. He had just dissected an enemy and wasn''t quite sure what to make of it. The creature before him was nothing human: its organs, muscles, bones, and ligaments were different. Its digestive system featured a strange crystalline organ. Its brain was entirely alien and resembled some form of hard coral. A pig was closer to him than this thing. The autopsy still disgusted him. In a way, Priam knew it was necessary. To reach the heights of power that would allow him to declare himself free, he would have to get his hands dirty. Nevertheless, it was necessary to set limits; otherwise he would lose his identity along the way. Dissecting this kind of monster... It''s something I can accept. Having accepted the situation, Priam felt his disgust recede. Casting a final glance at the corpse, a memory flashed back to him. His great-grandmother - a farmer - had once killed a rabbit in front of him before skinning it. At five years old, it hadn''t disgusted him. I guess humans do what they must to survive. With a wave of his hand, Priam commanded his Domain to cover the corpse in snow. A few seconds later, the pool of blood had disappeared. Priam continued to move toward the village. Mentally, he linked [Diagnostic] and [Phantom]. The System and its experiments had given him interesting information about the skulcs. At Tier 0, they had good hearing and sharp eyes. However, their sense of smell was weaker. Wrapped in a mist as white as the snow, Priam intended to capitalize on this. Like a white shadow, he moved silently through the snowy forest, camouflaged by his mist. Thirty seconds later, he stopped again. His infrared vision had just spotted a new ambush. This time, two enemies were in front of him. The first was at the base of the trunk, and the second was higher up. Priam summoned two ice darts and made them levitate. Focusing on [Kinetic Control] and [Priam¡¯s System], he targeted his two adversaries. Why aim manually when a program could do it for you? [Targets locked: two Skulcs (Tier 0). Visible weak points: left eye (first) and heart (second). Host not detected thanks to [Phantom], [Moon Mist], and a distance of more than thirty meters. Assassination reliability: 99%. Cost: 2.3 MJ.] Priam smiled as he read the report from his add-on. The scout above only exposed its head, and the one below was partially hidden. It wouldn''t save them. As Priam authorized the assault, [Priam¡¯s System] activated. The two darts vanished. The next moment, both Skulcs collapsed. Two and three. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 13,14 MEM+4 VIVA +2 Priam rushed to the first corpse to cushion its fall. An adult skulc weighed over two hundred kilograms and could easily break a spruce branch when falling. Intercepting the body, Priam gently laid it on the ground next to its dead colleague. He knelt to check the aftermath of his attack. The two darts had disintegrated into liquid water upon impact, but the damage was done. The brain of the first corpse had exploded, but not its head. The heart of the second corpse was pierced, but the ice hadn''t exited the body. In essence, his add-on had calculated the optimal energy to kill his enemies without overkill. In addition to saving energy, Priam was happy that he was spared having to clean up the area. A few moments later, the snow covered all evidence of his passage. Continuing on his way, Priam congratulated himself on creating his add-on. In a fast-paced fight, it could create shields and attacks autonomously. Not that I should rely too much on it. Priam didn''t plan to abuse this new combat option, but it was a valuable aid. A few dozen meters later, Priam reached the edge of the forest. Stealthily, he glanced ahead. About a hundred tents had been erected in a circle. In the center, a water basin provided drink to the tribe. A large menhir covered in runes stood at the center of the pond. Around fifty skulcs were currently worshiping it. Between the crowd and the menhir, a shaman chanted with closed eyes. No one had yet noticed his presence. Now, to kill the Shaman, which is better: Draconic breath or assassination? Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 399 Constitution 662 Agility 408 (+4) Vitality 538 Perception 600 (+16) MENTAL: Vivacity 338 (+4) Dexterity 434 (+2) Memory 139 (+5) Willpower 657 (+9) Charisma 427 META: Meta-affinity 336 Meta-focus 255 Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 119 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 594 (+24) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 21 hours 33 minutes 17 seconds. Chapter 145: Schr?dingers Mist Reacting to his thoughts, Priam''s draconic instinct stirred. A pessimistic feeling washed over him. If he attacked with a Breath, the Shaman would survive. Then, the entire village would pursue him into the forest. Not a good idea. Priam was confident in his ability to outmaneuver his enemies in the woods. Unfortunately, once the alarm was raised, the rest of his quest would become more challenging. His pyromaniac side itched to unleash an ultra-powerful attack, but Priam didn''t want to be controlled by his instincts. The mission took precedence. With regret, he temporarily set aside that option. Rationally, Priam knew it was better to face the boss without its minions. If he had to eliminate the weaker warriors first, assassination was a good idea. Surveying the village with a glance, Priam retraced his steps. The first to die would be the sentinels. Having encountered two sentry groups while advancing toward the village, Priam was reasonably sure there was a two-line security perimeter. Might as well start there. Three hundred meters further on, Priam stopped at the location of the first skulc he had killed. Mentally, he conjured a map of the surroundings and drew a circle centered on the village, passing through his current position. There was a good chance this circle corresponded to the first guard perimeter. [First perimeter around Skulc village: approximately 2,500 meters (distance to the village center: 400 meters).] Avoiding fir trees and focusing on [Phantom] and [Art of Movement], Priam began to follow the circle clockwise. Less than fifty meters later, he spotted a new sentry. Immobile and lightly covered by a snowy powder, the skulc looked in the opposite direction of the village. Priam was on its left, concealed behind the thick branches of a fir tree. His goal was to assassinate the target without it realizing. [Moon Mist]. Concentrating on his skill, Priam started to summon a bit of water vapor at his fingertips. In the form of gas, pure water was invisible. The white color of clouds or mist actually came from micro droplets of liquid water that absorbed and then scattered almost all of the sun''s white light. Only his Domain and mist concept allowed Priam to easily detect his invisible mist. Using [Moon Mist], he began to control it, creating knots and shapes. A few seconds later, Priam smiled. Despite its high cost, he could easily manipulate the water vapor. His gaze shifted to the lookout. The first skulc had spotted his invisible mist at ten meters. Either the warrior had an exceptional Domain, or Priam had made a mistake. The second option seemed more probable. Gently, Priam braided his water vapor like a cable before making it crawl toward his opponent. Outside his Domain, only his skill and affinity with the mist concept still allowed Priam to detect his own creation. The thread continued its path until it was less than ten meters from the sentry. Instantly, the skulc turned towards the attack, drawing its sword. Showing its teeth, it leaped. Its weapon sliced through the snow and the mist thread. Twenty meters away, Priam squinted. The skulc had easily detected the presence of his mist - while it was outside its field of vision - but not its nature. If it had understood it was mist, it wouldn''t have tried to cut it. Only a Roman emperor could be foolish enough to slash water. The skulc raised its head, surprised. The next moment, its gaze followed the mist thread. It looked in Priam''s direction without seeing him and began to walk along the invisible cable. Meanwhile, Priam tried to understand how the monster could detect his attack. If it can''t see the light... Aether? That was the only possible explanation. At fifteen meters from Priam, the skulc suddenly raised its chin. Its eyes fixed on Priam''s silhouette, and it opened its mouth. A fraction of a second later, thirty centimeters of Promesse¡¯s steel silenced it forever. Priam hastily buried the corpse before continuing. If skulcs could see the aether controlling his mist, that was problematic. It meant his mist would be visible to most of his enemies. His dreams of assassination were crumbling. Thoughtful, Priam stopped fifty meters further. An immaculate skulc stood forty meters ahead. No snow on it. It had arrived recently. The village organized a rotation of its sentinels. It seemed obvious, but it was troublesome for Priam. As he eliminated his enemies, one of the replacements would eventually notice. A problem for my future self. For now, Priam wanted to create invisible mist. He had an idea. [Aether Perception] allowed him to detect nearby aether. It was a skill Priam always kept active. The higher its level, the greater its angular resolution and the longer its range. Priam was pretty sure his skill hid a secret. Using [Aether Manipulation], he tried to redirect a tiny part of his aether into the meridians in his eyes. Without [Human Anatomy], he would never have attempted the experiment. Fortunately, the skill allowed him to highlight his meridians. Rather than manipulating aether directly, risking harm to his eyes, Priam chose to create a dam at a crossroads. His meridians formed a real labyrinth in his body. Mentally, Priam found a node, a crossroads of meridians at the level of his sinuses. There, a pair of channels went up towards his ears, another towards his eyes, and two paths descended into his nose. Priam partially blocked one of the latter, redistributing the excess into his ears, eyes, and right nostril. The next moment, the world gained new colors as [Aether Perception] absorbed the excess aether. Bingo, Priam smiled. He slightly increased the amount of aether redirected to his eyes, and the world gained even more clarity. The evidence was there: [Aether Perception] could be boosted. The more aether Priam allocated to his sight, the better it perceived aether. His meticulous manipulation of his aether was rewarded. Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 20 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 [Aether Manipulation] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Internal] - Increases your ability to manipulate aether within your body. Slightly improves your internal skills. POT -30 [External] - Increases your ability to manipulate aether outside your body. Slightly improves your external skills. POT -30 [Nature] - Reduces losses when your aether changes affinity. POT -30 Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 23 META (PERC) +3 You have selected [Internal]. POT -30 The question didn''t even arise. Priam intended to use Heavenly Dragon, his temperance method, soon. [Internal] was the most suitable enhancement for reforging his meridians. That was not to mention that most of his skills were resistances. This option made them more effective. [External] would have helped him with the manipulation of [Moon Mist] and [Nature] would have given wings to [Kinetic Control], but Priam knew his priorities. Reaching out, he summoned his mist again. A moment later, a knot of invisible mist lazily levitated above his hand. Despite the transparent nature of his mist, Priam could see the aether composing it perfectly, thanks to the boost from [Aether Perception]. He now knew how the skulc had spotted him. But how to change that? Busy with this new problem, Priam lost concentration for a fraction of a second. [Aether Manipulation] blocked the meridians leading to his nose, increasing the volume of aether sent into the tiny meridians covering his eyes. Some burst, and the world lost its colors. Only Micro prevented Priam from screaming. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. His eye sockets boiled as a terrifying power stirred in its sleep. The pain was so intense that Priam hesitated to rip out his eyeballs before regenerating them. Reason stopped him. A battle was approaching, and he would need all his abilities. Blind, Priam focused on his Domain to ward off an attack. The pain began to diminish as [Healing Meridians] and his vitality erased the damage. Gradually, his vision returned as his meridians reconnected. It took almost three minutes before Priam stood up again. At some point, the pain had made him fall to his knees. Fortunately, the sound of the snow wasn''t loud enough to alert the skulc lookout. Taking stock of the situation, Priam realized he had almost activated Hecate New Moon manually. The System had hidden something in his eyes. Apparently, his eye meridians were already under pressure due to the mutation and couldn''t support much more aether. Let¡¯s hope Heavenly Dragon will change that... His temperance method had to optimize his meridians and strengthen them. If that was the case, could it allow him to use his mythical mutation? Such questions could wait. Still trembling, he refocused on his mist. Slowly, he guided a bit of aether into his eyes again to boost his perception. His invisible mist appeared as a golden cloud in his aether sight. Against the white background of the snowy carpet, it was noticeable. He had to find a way to fix this. Priam then connected to [Moon Mist]. Thanks to the Tier 1 of his Merit Tree - The Mist hides you. You are one of its own, Mistwalker - the mist was supposed to be able to hide him. From there, one could think that mist was a stealthy concept. At least, that was Priam''s feeling. An idea born partly from his closeness to the mist. [Mist - Concept] - You have touched on a minor Concept. Affinity - Your connection now allows you to capture certain truths about Mist. Harmony - The source of aether is infinite. Allows you to use Aether Mist while expending more energy. Cost [Moon Mist] x10. His affinity with the mist allowed him to better understand it. If his instinct told him it was possible, then it was. Always linked to his skill, Priam took the time to reflect on his mist. Knowledge was the key. This phenomenon was a cluster of fine droplets, ice crystals, and water vapor that sometimes stuck around microscopic particles. A natural aerosol of water droplets¡­ and more. Depending on visibility and language, it could be called mist or fog. However, the mist was more than a physical phenomenon. Its ability to conceal events, disappearances, or monsters was legendary, and used in many tales. The Mist Concept took that into account. What particularly interested Priam was the beginning and end of the phenomenon. Its appearance, like its disappearance, was gradual. Mist arrived and departed unnoticed. It was in its nature. Clutching onto this idea, Priam connected to his concept. His soul touched the representation the universe had of mist and exchanged with it. He shared his thoughts, and the Concept shared back. Suddenly, something in his mind clicked into place. Priam smiled, receiving a sort of epiphany. Raising his hand, he commanded [Moon Mist] to create a nascent mist. It was still just a possibility, as present as absent. The mist would be and was simultaneously. According to [Aether Perception], there was nothing above his hand. According to [Moon Mist] and Domain, there was something. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 50,51,52 PERC +12 CHAR +6 META (AFFI) +9 Priam smiled. He could feel their connection and manipulate it, but yet, it didn''t exist yet. However, he had to act quickly. This state, reminiscent of Schr?dinger''s cat thought experiment, was unstable. The mist would rise, and every second it was prevented, Priam felt tension building up. Without wasting a moment, he sent his mist towards the skulc. Twenty meters. Fifteen meters. Ten meters. Priam held his breath. Five meters. The skulc continued to look straight ahead. The mist stopped two meters behind the sentry. It was unlikely that it had unlocked Domain, but Priam didn''t want to take any risks. Summoning Promesse, he rode the mist. [Unrelenting Thrust]. Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 10 AGI +3 The spear penetrated the back of the skulc''s skull, instantly ending its life. Without wasting time, Priam buried the corpse under a layer of snow and set off again. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 24 META (PERC) +3 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 21 META (PERC) +1 META (AFFI) +1 META (FOCUS) +1 Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 11,12 AGI +6 The skulc sentinels were strategically positioned every fifty meters. A quick calculation predicted seventy-eight watchers along the initial perimeter. Priam dispatched seventy-six of them within thirty-four minutes. The last one had met its demise before his arrival. Observing the absence of wounds, Priam''s thoughts immediately turned to Kazuki''s wind control. According to [Diagnostic], the hoplite had suffocated his adversary. The skulc had perished on the spot, and Priam noted no signs of struggle. Either the skulcs had an unknown weakness, or Kazuki had more than one trick up his sleeve. Without wasting a moment, Priam approached the second guard perimeter. Situated three hundred and fifty meters from the village center, it spanned approximately two thousand two hundred meters in circumference, as per his add-on. The key difference from the initial perimeter was that the skulcs now patrolled in pairs. Meaning twice the potential, Priam smirked. He swiftly identified the first duo and advanced. Through numerous trials, Priam had deduced that he could physically approach the skulcs within fifteen meters. Closer than that, and the creatures would detect him. Each level of [Phantom] reduced this distance. As before, the duo faced away from the village. Priam circled around them to position himself within their blind spots. Invoking Promesse, he halted twenty meters from his adversaries. In the green-and-white winter scene, the hunter watched his prey. The green skulc perched atop the green fir felt nothing as the ice dart penetrated its cerebellum. Simultaneously, Priam leaped toward his second foe. Breaching the fifteen-meter threshold triggered the skulc''s auditory senses. Catching wind of Priam''s presence, the creature began to pivot in the snow. Seizing the initiative, Priam unleashed [Battle Footwork]. An aether thread snapped like a stretched elastic band, distorting Priam''s form under the acceleration. Promesse delivered a fatal blow to the skulc before it could complete its half-turn. With a swift motion, Priam retrieved Promesse from the fallen foe''s ribcage and flung it backward. The fall of the first corpse ended on the spear¡¯s tip rather than in the snow where it would have created a cloud. Priam listened intently while a few drops of blood reddened the white snow. Silence. Satisfied, he swiftly buried the two lifeless bodies before proceeding to the next duo. His slaughter persisted for nearly a quarter of an hour. As he buried the twenty-seventh pair, a distant horn sounded. After losing a hundred and thirty-one of their brethren, the skulcs had finally detected the threat. Priam grinned, his earlier ease giving way to a more expected challenge. I was beginning to worry. When it''s too easy, there''s a catch. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 399 Constitution 662 Agility 422 (+14) Vitality 538 Perception 614 (+14) MENTAL: Vivacity 338 Dexterity 434 Memory 139 Willpower 657 Charisma 437 (+10) META: Meta-affinity 349 (+13) Meta-focus 257 (+2) Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 128 (+9) Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 587 (-7) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 21 hours 33 minutes 17 seconds. Chapter 146: Snow Ambush A skeletal figure halted before a curtain of vines. Fumbling blindly, it eventually located the secret entrance and ventured forth. Wild vines slid over its decaying flesh without causing it concern; their potent paralyzing poison had little effect on the undead. A few meters ahead, a second curtain impeded its progress. Seth stood before it, both ashamed and miserable. Swelling his chest, he attempted to draw courage with a breath, but his pierced lungs failed to take in air. The battle against the hoplite had been intense. [Necromancy and biomancy are two sides of the same coin. Too bad you''re such a lousy mage.] Seth shivered upon hearing the voice in his head. Shut up! A burst of laughter greeted his order. [Who are you talking to? You''re all alone, Seth.] Seth gritted his teeth, refusing to respond. He shouldn''t feed that... thing. [Dead Focus]. The laughter faded, bringing with it his thoughts and doubts. The skeleton''s gaze lost all emotion. Without hesitation, Seth pushed aside the curtain covering the entrance to the temple. Inside, a young boy rubbed his hands before a campfire. Lifting his head, he smiled upon seeing the walking corpse. "Seth! I was getting worried. Come eat, I caught something." [Dead Focus] trembled. In this cold and lifeless world, only the child''s joyful expression possessed a spark of life. The epic skill regained dominance, suppressing the necromancer''s emotions. The child patted the leafy cushion beside him, and Seth sat. A folded green leaf awaited him. "I had to make sure I wasn''t followed," he said, opening the leaf to reveal a white fish. "These calories are useless to me." The child vigorously shook his head. "You must maintain living habits if you don''t want your soul to change." Seth remained silent. The silence stretched for about ten seconds before the child sighed. "I hate it when you activate [Dead Focus]. Please stop." Without hesitation, Seth obeyed. His dark thoughts rushed back, and the necromancer closed his eyes. [You have¡ª]. The voice vanished. A small hand had just settled on his skeletal hand. "I''m here," the child smiled. "Let your emotions take over; they help anchor your soul." "..." As Seth hesitated to respond, he noticed the faint tremor in the child''s hands. Seth''s skeletal hand closed around the child''s head. Slowly, he caressed it. "Sorry for being a burden." "You''re not a burden!" The child abruptly lifted his head. "You''re my brother, and I love you more than anything in the world. I''ll find a way to fight the Necromoon''s influence." Seth smiled weakly. He trusted his little brother - if anyone could find a solution, it was him. However, a sense of shame overwhelmed him. He should have been a protector and guide. His brother shouldn''t have to bear his weakness... "Have you found other people?" the child asked. "Maybe they could help us find a solution." Seth opened his mouth but hesitated. What should he say? His brother was too innocent, and their rivals were too dangerous. The hoplite was a brute. The dryad refused to speak to him. The shapeshifter was even more terrified than him, and the assassin was elusive. Only the Var Elegis remained. Seth was undead, but to think about the homunculus sent shivers down his spine. That monster had already killed him once and could do it again. The rivals were dangerous. Seth''s instincts whispered to protect his brother. "No..." he replied weakly. It was the first time he lied to his brother, and the thought made him sick. "... Alright," the child smiled. "Come on, I''ve created a new body for you!" Seth stood up and followed his little brother. I''ll protect you, Osiris. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 19 VIT +2 CONST +1 Lying in the snow under one of the skulc corpses, Priam held his breath. Listening intently, he awaited the arrival of the avengers. They were taking their time. The excitement of the battle had given way to impatience and then boredom. After what seemed like hours, Priam glanced at his add-on''s timer. [1203 s. 1204 s. 1205 s¡­] Only twenty minutes, Priam grimaced. It wasn''t an hour, but it was still too long. What were the skulcs taking so much time for? Was it a strategy to make him succumb to the cold? With closed eyes, Priam semi-seriously considered this hypothesis. The wet snow efficiently stole his warmth, and despite his constitution, he was beginning to feel cold. The sensations in his toes were muted, and Priam shivered. According to [Human Anatomy], the cold hindered his muscle contraction. In other words, it was a powerful debuff. Using Micro and [Diagnostic], Priam analyzed his body. His extremities - hands and feet - were starting to lose too much heat. Blame the vasoconstriction: due to the cold, the contraction of certain blood vessels in the periphery concentrated his blood near vital organs. Using the perfect control he had over his body, Priam forced his hearts to beat a bit faster. Simultaneously, he manually relaxed the muscular arteries leading to his hands and feet. His blood began to warm his entire body. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 17 MEM +1 Priam enjoyed a few seconds of warmth before realizing that his warm body melted the snow around him. He cursed before reinstating his vasoconstriction, cooling his body once more. He could have prevented the snow from melting with [Kinetic Control], but he was afraid the skill might be visible to one of the bosses. If that happened, his ambush could backfire. Minutes passed, and the cold continued to gain ground. Damn. Priam swore, recognizing one of his weaknesses. His body was more resistant to high temperatures than low ones. A trickle of icy water ran down his neck. On the verge of leaving his hiding spot, Priam focused on [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism]. He refused to believe that legendary birds could die of cold. The rare-rank skill responded to his call. Through Micro, Priam felt golden particles manifest in his blood. The next moment, his entire body warmed up. Anxious, Priam monitored the snow covering him with Domain. Nothing. His skill had simply altered his own heat and not that of the environment. It was physically impossible, but the Phoenix bloodline pushed the boundaries of possibility. Priam exulted, realizing the implications of this discovery. [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] allowed him to control his Phoenix bloodline! Well, I¡¯ll test that later. As the minutes ticked away, impatience gave way to concern. Had he missed something? Instead of pursuing the attacker, had the skulcs decided to hide in their village? Or worse, flee? Of course, there was one last option. The skulcs had found the wrong assailant and were currently fighting Kazuki. Priam grimaced. He trusted the hoplite, but... "Nix zog. Klargrok le Zharuk," a voice said. [Skulc language: decoding in progress.] Finally! Perfectly still, Priam summoned his new undetectable mist. Guiding it through the thin layer of snow, he flooded the surroundings. His connection with the mist allowed him to locate a group of ten skulcs that halted above him. They''re around me, Priam smiled. "Blizzak grok drithok. Lok whoz duhg in." "Gruk lokz on own." From the tone of the two skulcs speaking, Priam understood they were in disagreement. It didn''t matter. Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 13 AGI +3 He had buried himself to enhance his assassination skills. "Yu, diggok!" the second skulc shouted. After a moment of hesitation, the smaller one knelt beside the graves and plunged his hands into the fresh snow. It was the moment Priam had been waiting for. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. With a swift motion, Priam rose while violently pulling the monster towards him. His abrupt movement caused a geyser of snow, obscuring the enemies'' view. Locked in an iron grip, the small skulc couldn''t dodge the Champion''s left palm when it struck his chin. A sharp sound and [Diagnostic] confirmed his death. Simultaneously, Promesse materialized behind two opponents. Guided by [Kinetic Control] and [Spear Slash], his linked weapon beheaded two enemies alone. Taking advantage of the falling snow, Priam leaped out of his hole and sent five ice darts towards his adversaries. Three died on the spot, one dodged, and the last one parried. Priam landed in a crouched position, one hand on the ground and the other on Promesse''s haft. The remaining four enemies assumed defensive stances, assessing their opponent with wary eyes. Snow fell slowly as Priam observed the two skulcs who had survived his attacks. A glance was enough to understand that these new opponents were made of sterner stuff than the simple lookouts. Standing at three meters tall, the two draconic goblins were muscular behemoths. Their red, cruel eyes stood out against their green skin. As powerful as they were swift, they exhibited impeccable mastery of their bodies. [Identification] [Skulc Warrior - Tier 0] - The standard skulc military unit. Proficient in melee combat and possessing some technique, they are not to be underestimated. A prerequisite of their caste is awakening a Supremacy or offensive concept. This development induces atavism; minor draconic traits may manifest in skulc warriors. Priam''s lips stretched into a smile. Atavism meant dragons. His draconic instinct trembled with impatience. The last snowflake fell. One of the lookouts couldn''t bear the tension and relaxed. Instinctively, he exhaled to take a new breath. Due to the cold, the moisture in his lungs condensed into a light white mist. The phenomenon might have seemed inconsequential, but Priam felt a connection between him and that mist. In a fraction of a second, he took control of it. The mist condensed further before freezing. The ice needle was then accelerated to pierce the skulc''s brain. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 53 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 In the same motion, Priam leaped towards the weakest of the combatants. One warrior attempted to block his path. [Battle Footwork]. The acceleration allowed Priam to evade the sword strike effortlessly. The last lookout tried to keep track of his opponent - fruitlessly. The tip of Promesse caught up with him. Transforming his linear momentum into a graceful spin, Priam confronted the two remaining skulcs. The warriors growled before leaping at him. Priam dodged two strikes before parrying the third. The second warrior tried to position himself behind Priam, and he stepped back. Opting to practice his spearwork, Priam feigned a downward thrust. The warrior disdainfully dodged, and Priam felt his cheeks redden. The skulc had easily seen through his ploy. The second warrior grabbed a handful of darts and hurled them at rifle-bullet speed. The area saturated with mist and his Domain allowed Priam to foresee the trajectories of the darts. He was gracefully dodging the attacks while exchanging blows with the first warrior. The ranged attacks grew more persistent, creating openings in Priam¡¯s defense. The nearest warrior attacked high, and Priam blocked, leaving his legs defenseless. With a swift kick, the skulc swept him off his feet. The Champion lost balance and collided violently with the ground. Domain sensed an incoming attack. Contracting his muscles to the maximum, Priam blocked with his forearm. His constitution was so high that the gladius failed to penetrate further than his skin. Triumphant, Priam rose with a spin. His opponent hesitated for a moment, unsure. My attributes are so high; I feel like I''m bullying him. Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 4 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 32 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 14 STR+1 Priam taunted him with a wink. Growling, the warrior came back at him, covered by his colleague''s darts. Priam used small kinetic doses to disrupt their trajectories. Simultaneously, he slashed towards the warrior. The warrior blocked the slash, then three thrusts in a row before counterattacking. Priam parried and dodged before seeing an opening. He struck, and Promesse hit the warrior''s thigh. Sparks flew as the metal of his spear rebounded off the skulc''s scales. Priam felt like he had attacked a steel wall with a stick. Atavistic scales! Chuckling, the skulc pressed his advantage. His gladius was covered in a red aura before accelerating towards the young man''s neck. Instinctively, Priam knew he was about to be beheaded. Roaring, he activated [Kinetic Control]. The blade in his Domain slowed down but didn''t stop. Its loss of speed, however, allowed Priam to step back in time. It''s official, Supremacies partially block my skills. The skulc used his momentum to unleash a new combo. He wasn''t playing anymore, and the speed of his attacks had nearly doubled. Against a superior swordsman, Priam was retreating. His back finally met a dead fir tree. The skulc''s gladius was approaching, and two darts blocked his exits. Priam melded with his mist, dodging a blow that cleanly cut through the trunk. Bored with the fight and his pathetic performance, Priam activated [Focus] and [Battle Flow]. It was time to pull himself together. The world slowed down, and his secondary thoughts vanished. Round two. As the tree collapsed with a world-ending sound, Priam reappeared behind the second skulc. [Tribulation Piercing Spear], [Aether Manipulation]. Priam overloaded his attack. Three threads of almost solid aether wound around his spear like red ribbons. [Aether Manipulation]. Drawing on his reserves of aether, Priam fully charged the strike. Promesse trembled as red and gold aether threads created a superb tapestry on its tip. Distantly, Priam heard the cry of a Phoenix. The mid-range skulc sensed mortal danger and quickly retreated. Activating Micro and a kinetic charge, Priam propelled Promesse forward. The spear stopped a few centimeters before hitting his opponent. The surprise in the skulc''s eyes was short-lived. The drill surrounding the point of the weapon''s tip continued its path, erasing the warrior''s head. Behind, the second skulc widened his eyes before rolling to the side. The attack created a line of destruction before dissipating after about twenty meters. Five more trees collapsed, part of their trunks evaporated. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] had annihilated all matter in its path, creating a vacuum trail in the forest. The left arm of the skulc warrior had disappeared. Priam began walking in his direction. "ROARRR!" the skulc roared, leaping towards him. [Parry], [Unrelenting Thrust] x5. The warrior blocked five times before counterattacking. His rage and pain seemed to have increased his strength. Priam waited until the last moment before throwing himself to the side. The gladius grazed him as he got back into position. Promesse''s tip sparkled as it descended upon the skulc. A kinetic charge increased its speed, and the impact sent the warrior flying backward. Priam got back into a defensive stance as he saw his enemy rise. The attack had shattered his scales before losing its power. Time to end this. The skulc raised his weapon and charged. The gladius''s blade skimmed the ground, aiming for the Champion''s shins. Priam jumped, pressing his right foot on the skulc''s chest. The scales on the latter''s chest opened wounds on Priam''s sole. [Kinetic Control]. The skulc was half-pancaked. Priam''s silhouette pierced the white cloud, and Promesse struck like lightning. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The skulc dodged with a roll with a strength born of despair. Priam landed on the ground and reached out. His hand brushed against the skulc''s chest, freezing him in place. Game Over. Priam approached and placed his other hand on the bald skull of the skulc. [Kinetic Control]. Resistance manifested, but Priam persisted. His Domain pressed against the skulc''s mind, making it recoil. Without this innate protection, his kinetic skill activated. The molecules in his opponent''s brain stirred. Heat was merely a consequence of kinetic energy on a microscopic scale. Priam now knew how to manipulate that without spending Potential. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 49 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 A second later, the skulc''s brain was boiling. Priam rose slowly and gripped Promesse. He was disappointed in his performance. In weapon proficiency, the skulc had been his equal. He needed to improve. "Fortunately, I feel like you''re going to help me," Priam smiled, raising his head. Around him, three hundred skulcs watched in silence. Priam''s gaze stopped on the largest among them. [Identification] [Skull - Skulc - Tier 1] - If the Shaman is the Brain, Skull is the Brawn. It looks like the Hulk. With tusks. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 401 (+2) Constitution 671 (+9) Agility 426 (+4) Vitality 540 (+2) Perception 619 ( +5) MENTAL: Vivacity 340 (+2) Dexterity 437 (+3) Memory 140 (+1) Willpower 657 Charisma 440 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 353 (+4) Meta-focus 261 (+4) Meta-endurance 185 Meta-perception 128 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 603 (+16) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 21 hours 2 minutes 57 seconds. Chapter 147: Skull vs Spear A few minutes earlier. Kazuki squinted as he observed most of the warriors deserting the village. They must have found Priam. Don''t die. Having infiltrated the village''s confines, Kazuki had concealed himself in a building. The simple wooden hut was as basic as it was sturdy. Inside, eight layers of dried herbs were spread across the floor. The skulcs lived in makeshift barracks. Kazuki had experienced trenches full of corpses that smelled better than this dormitory. The stench was unbearable. Seizing the opportunity of lowered security, the hoplite left his hiding spot. Naturally, he headed towards the village center. The colossal runic menhir would be stored in Priam''s world, but there could be other treasures. Moreover, if his rival faced one of the Bosses, Kazuki refused to be left behind. He maneuvered through about fifty assorted shanties before reaching the enclosures. Bovine-like creatures grazed peacefully on straw inside. The skulcs kept their food supply within the village, presumably to protect it from predators. Kazuki waited for a moment before checking behind the enclosure. An empty space, the pond where the menhir stood, and other shanties. Nothing of interest at first glance, but on closer inspection, Kazuki saw a hole. A few meters to the left of the menhir, a pit descended into the ground. Kazuki looked left and right. The village now seemed deserted. Without hesitation, he emerged into the open and started running. For an uneasy second, Kazuki sprinted with nothing to hide behind before jumping into the hole. It descended into darkness at a gentle slope, and Kazuki stopped just at the entrance. He listened. Nothing. Satisfied and curious, he ventured into the tunnel. His senses were alert, searching for traps or signs of life. Fifty meters further and about five meters underground, Kazuki stopped. The path forked. On his left, a thick curtain of braided vines concealed a room. On his right, darkness. An uncomfortable odor of excrement and blood emanated from there. The right path could lead to the females'' quarters. The warriors were all males, but their description mentioned mothers and a rapid gestation period. No females were visible in the camp; one didn''t have to be a genius to understand that they were probably herded underground. The monstrous way they were treated didn''t make them martyrs - Kazuki was fairly certain they would try to tear him apart with their teeth if they could. However, treasures wouldn''t be found in that direction. Kazuki turned to the vines. He carefully pushed them aside with his spear before stepping into a room illuminated by a few luminescent crystals. In the center of the room, an albino skeletal skulc was mating with a female. She must have weighed several tons. Her grotesque belly moved, the thin skin revealing the presence of a multitude of skulc fetuses. Without arms or eyes, the creature couldn''t live alone. She had been mutilated to prevent her from transforming into a male warrior. Female skulcs were nothing more than egg layers. In the list of things that should be burned with a flamethrower, this thing ranks just behind mosquitoes. Revulsed by the noise, the smell, and the sight of the show, Kazuki focused on the white skulc. The act of copulation was not pleasant. The monster chanted in rhythm with its thrusts, and Kazuki squinted. The Shaman - Kazuki would bet his hand on it - was preparing a ritual. Certainly a way to shorten gestation or strengthen the fetuses. [Symbiosis]. Without waiting any longer, Kazuki-Knightmare launched an attack. Priam felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. An explosion had just occurred in the distance. [Echolocation] calculated the epicenter: the village. The second Boss must have found Kazuki. Or the other way around. A deep sound caught Priam''s attention. The wind fell silent, and no skulc spoke. The only sound was Skull''s raspy breath. Priam locked eyes with the Tier 1 and lost his nonchalance. For the first time since his father''s accident, his smile faded. A sign of concern, tension, or concentration. Sometimes all three at once.
A green mountain of muscle, Skull wore vine pants and a red scarf. One didn''t have to look far to understand where the dye came from. The tyrant loved blood, and he was so powerful that the entire village obeyed him. Priam''s supernatural instinct told him that his chances of victory were slim. But not impossible. After all, he had his breath, his spear, his internal world, and... Skull disappeared. Priam felt a disturbance in his mist, then a movement in his Domain. His add-on automatically activated [Kinetic Control]. Skull''s fist struck his chest. The world flipped. Sky, earth, blue, white, incomprehension. Pain. Priam was thrown backward with terrifying force. A second later, his body collided with a huge fir tree and split it in two. The impact woke him, and Priam absorbed his kinetic energy to stop. Or rather, he tried. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 31,32 META (END) +6 His meridians were on fire, and the epic skill refused to activate. Carried by his momentum, Priam''s body exploded two more trunks before a third stopped him. The impact shook the tree, causing a snowfall that buried him. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 33,34,35 CONST +9 [Star Iron Body] was the evolution of [Blunt Resistance]. Proof of the severity of the blow, Priam was rewarded with three levels. For a few moments, he remained leaning against the fir tree, dazed. The snow numbed his body and mind. Then a wave of pain arrived, as strong as it was salvific. He had to react. What¡ªWhat just happened? [Priam¡¯s System] answered the question. [Summary: Skull''s Attack (Unique Skulc - Tier 1). Detected Debuffs: Disruption of your immediate perception. Combat Synthesis: Punch to the sternum. Automatic activation of [Kinetic Control]: Attenuation of received kinetic energy. Note: Energy too significant: overwhelmed meridians - cessation of the skill. Flight: 53 meters. Damage detected by [Diagnostic]: cracked sternum, nine broken ribs, pierced lungs, internal hemorrhage, temporary alteration of the cardiovascular system (damaged left heart). Conjecture on Skull''s status: Strength > 1500 Agility > 1000 Constitution > 1000] If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Priam swallowed hard as he read the system''s report. This simple movement made him grimace in pain. On the verge of fainting, he used Micro to force his left heart to return to a normal rhythm. The organ revved up like an old engine before restarting laboriously. I''m in bad shape. But why isn''t Skull taking advantage of my daze¡ª. His instinct screamed, and Priam straightened up. Ignoring the pain signals from his body, he leaped using a kinetic charge. The next moment, the trunk of the fir tree that had sheltered him exploded. Apparently, the Boss wasn''t planning to wait for the hero to regain his senses. Poor sport. Grimacing in pain upon landing, Priam looked ahead. At the spot of the first attack, Skull was juggling a few rocks, a bored expression on his face. "Nog grob drazzak. Me saash yu fasz," he said in a haughty tone. Priam didn''t speak the skulc language, but he was almost sure the Boss had just insulted him. Did the monster find him weak? A surge of anger welled up in Priam. How dare this creature scorn him? A fit of coughing shook Priam. Spitting blood, he triggered the power of [Three-headed Hydra]. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - ¡­ Your vitality allows you to restore any body part as long as you have the time and energy. You can regenerate a limb or organ once a day, extremely quickly. Your blood is already poisonous, so this Title increases its lethality. His chest trembled as his bones regenerated and found their place. Torn muscles were restored, and his heart regained a normal rhythm. Only his damaged meridians testified to the violence of the attack he had just endured. Fortunately, [Healing Meridians] was already at work. [Healing Meridians] - Your meridians use a tiny fraction of the aether that flows through them to regenerate over time. Priam fell to the ground in a crouched position. Though not at his best, he already felt capable of using his skills. It was good news because Skull seemed fed up with waiting. With a flick of the wrist, the Boss propelled one of the rocks he held in his hand. A cone of air formed in front of the projectile as it broke the sound barrier. Priam shifted slightly to dodge the attack. The speed of the rock decreased as it brushed past him - Domain and [Kinetic Control] taking their toll. There is no small savings. The projectile''s course ended in a geyser of blood: one of the watchful spectators had just lost an arm. Priam shook his head upon hearing the cry. What a waste. Why attack one of his subordinates? The reign of fear? Someone truly powerful didn''t need that in this world. The injured skulc fell to his knees, and one of his neighbors beheaded him. It¡¯s the law of this new world. Priam felt neither hatred nor pity for the skulcs. He had to kill them to be rewarded. He needed that reward to survive. In this world, the weak had no say, and Priam wanted to speak. He wanted to shout. The skulcs stirred at the death of one of their own. Some drew their swords but froze when Skull roared. The Champion was his prey. Priam smirked as his draconic instinct roared. "You''re not even a chapter in the book of my life," he growled. "Just an ephemeral obstacle." Skull understood he was being provoked. The moment Priam saw the muscles in the Boss''s thighs contract, he acted. [Focus], [Battle Flow], [Sixth Sense], [Emotional Discipline], [Diagnostic], [Kinetic Control], [Battle Footwork]. Never before had Priam triggered so many skills simultaneously. His meridians trembled as he stood ready. Priam blinked, and Skull seemed to teleport. Despite Micro, despite his perception and agility, and despite his active skills, Priam struggled to keep up. The skulc arrived on him in less than a second. [Dodge]. Priam used all the information from his skill and a kinetic charge to dodge the deadly attack. It was barely enough - Skull''s fist seemed homing. A second blow followed. Domain slowed it down, allowing Priam to step back. Invoking Promesse, he charged his spear with kinetic energy to block Skull''s third strike. His meridians aflame again, Priam maintained an impassive face. He no longer felt anger, fear, or pain. He was focused. Blocking the fourth attack dislocated his shoulder. [Human Anatomy] and [Kinetic Control] allowed Priam to reset it instantly. Skull smiled, revealing his sharp teeth, and headbutted Priam. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 36,37 CONST +6 The impact made him fall to his knees as his skull cracked. Another attack like that would kill him. Domain detected a kick, and his add-on forced Priam to merge with the mist. This ethereal state allowed his mind to refocus. Using his mental faculties to analyze the real-time combat, he had to face the truth: he was utterly outclassed. Skull was four times stronger and twice as fast as him. His technique was prodigious, and his skills blurred Priam''s senses. Every attack looked like a feint, and a mistake meant death. His chances of victory were slim. Infinitesimal even. Skull was so strong and fast that he trampled all of Priam''s certainties. How could the colossus move so fast without causing significant air movements? Without taking off with every step? Priam reappeared behind the titan. A thrust from Promesse bit into the boss''s leg. The spear collected only a single drop of blood before Skull turned. His fist hit the ground as Priam disappeared into his mist, creating a crater. Should I flee? A fir tree hid his reappearance. A scream shook its needles as Skull roared in rage. The Boss probably didn''t appreciate playing cat and mouse. Priam barely heard it. Despite his headache, his gaze couldn''t tear away from Promesse. A red, almost black, blood gleamed on its tip. That vision was hypnotizing. Without thinking, Priam brought it to his mouth and licked the liquid. His instinct left him no choice. A spasm shook him. Priam widened his eyes as he felt the warm blood flow into his esophagus and reach his stomach. Before he could even think of vomiting, the blood disappeared, absorbed by his body. Your draconic heart becomes more compatible with your body (+1%). New compatibility assessed at 80%. Update : [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - ¡­ The Dragon¡¯s second gift... Delayed until compatibility exceeds 90%. Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100% Priam froze. Without [Focus] and [Emotional Discipline], he would have burst into laughter. Change of plan. There was no more talk of fleeing. He had to win. The System''s reward became secondary. Priam wanted the powers of a dragon. I should be able to defeat him if I go all out. Priam''s superhuman brain sought a way to win. A possibility. [Sixth Sense] activated, and Priam smiled. It was time to step up. It was time to conquer. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 401 Constitution 689 (+18) Agility 426 Vitality 540 Perception 619 MENTAL: Vivacity 340 Dexterity 437 Memory 140 Willpower 657 Charisma 440 META: Meta-affinity 353 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 191 (+6) Meta-perception 128 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 617 (+14) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 20 hours 57 minutes 59 seconds. Chapter 148: Dragon’s Law A furious howl shook the forest as Priam vanished into the mist. Sixty meters away, he reappeared at the center of the circle formed by the skulcs. Without hesitation, he tapped into the mist concept. Taking advantage of the discount, he unleashed [Moon Mist] at full power. The air within his Domain transformed into a thick fog that began to spread. In a heartbeat, Skull spotted him. With a bound, the boss closed the distance. Anchored firmly, Priam intercepted a titanic blow. His shoulders absorbed the impact while his feet sank into the snow. The ground trembled, but not his gaze; fear had no place in his mind. Before Skull could launch another attack, Priam released some of the kinetic energy he had accumulated. Given the boss''s mass, he should have been pushed back about ten meters. Yet, Skull didn''t budge an inch. Demonic red eyes gleamed as he struck again. Priam absorbed part of the attack and blocked the rest, the force making him grit his teeth. Without ceasing to channel [Moon Mist], Priam formed a dome with the expanding mist. He aimed to use its opacity to gain an advantage, but Skull had other plans. A new kinetic attack slid off the skulc without effect. Swirling a thread of aether into his eyes, Priam swore. A shield conformed to the monster''s shape. Whenever Priam attacked, the shield quivered, dissipating the kinetic energy. Skull sneered, launching another assault. Let''s see how long you''ll keep laughing. If strength alone didn''t suffice, it meant Priam hadn''t used enough. With meridians ablaze, he released a quarter of his kinetic reserves. The deluge of energy finally shattered the boss''s protection. The skulc leader soared, engulfed by the mist. Priam screamed in pain as his meridians crackled. Micro allowed him to catch his breath. Without delay, Priam focused his aether into [Moon Mist]. The fog grew thicker, soon reaching the ranks of the spectators. The skulks became restless. Activating his skill, along with others, swiftly depleted his resources. Priam could feel the cost accumulating, unable to precisely gauge how much energy remained. Unaccustomed to the aether, his soul could only provide a rough estimate of reserves and regeneration. If only I could... [Aether Reserve: 126/191 Aether Regeneration: 35.3/day * 240 (ambient density)] Nice. [Priam¡¯s System] was indeed the best skill. The System was stingy with explanations, but his own system would one day uncover all its secrets. Setting aside his thoughts, Priam focused on his plan. First, he needed to create a cloud. A big one. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. A disturbance in the mist signaled Skull''s renewed assault. Enraged but unharmed, the boss stopped after covering a few dozen meters. Turning his head left and right, he sought his opponent amidst the fog''s opacity. Near the center of the forming cloud, Priam observed his opponent closely. To keep Skull occupied, he used his mist to materialize a dozen ice blades that crashed ineffectively against the boss''s tough hide. Like a dog chasing a stick, Skull headed toward the source of the attack. Fool. Without hesitation, Priam continued producing mist. If he couldn''t block Skull, at least he could evade him. [Aether Reserve: 91/191] The fog now licked at the skulcs'' feet. Most looked around, bewildered. Should they retreat to make way for their leader, or stay put? A terrifying roar echoed through the mist. Skull, losing patience, expressed his anger. Though muffled by the fog, the fearsome cry robbed the skulcs of reason. Remaining in their places, warriors, watchers, and veterans were swallowed one by one. A few seconds later, a monumental mist dome dominated the forest. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 54,55 PERC +8 CHAR +4 META (AFFI) +6 [Aether Reserve: 67/191] The energy cost was staggering, but Priam smiled. Only five levels remained for his Epic skill to become Legendary. Closing his eyes, Priam concentrated on his mist. The skulcs stood still, unsuccessfully probing the darkness created by his fog. It obscured light, sound, and aether. Even the vibrations created by the boss were swiftly absorbed by the thick cloud. His opponent nowhere to be found, Skull blindly massacred every tree in his path, sometimes passing just a few meters from Priam. Finally, it was time. [Focus]. Priam''s mind became a blade, wielded for one purpose: victory. [Priam¡¯s System]. In an instant, his skill calculated hundreds of trajectories before taking control of his kinetic reserves. Within ten meters of each skulc, the mist began to condense. Two heartbeats later, three hundred ice spheres appeared. [Priam¡¯s System] propelled them, nearly depleting Priam''s kinetic reserves. He fell to his knees as each projectile found its mark. Three hundred eyeballs pierced, and two hundred ninety-two bodies collapsed. The eight survivors staggered. Some fell to their knees, clutching their eyes and screaming. [Kinetic Control]. The spheres heated up suddenly, transforming into liquid and then boiling water. The last screams vanished. Priam no longer cared about them. A surge of power invaded his body and mind. The world slowed down, gaining sharpness. The beats of his hearts were so powerful they made the air tremble. A terrifying energy inhabited every cell. The Title he received as a reward for his quadruple Tribulation activated. Conquest transformed him into a juggernaut. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - You''re already a legend. Take control of your destiny. Choose one of the proposals and chart your course: Conquest. You are an artificial force. As such, you refuse to bow to Fate and Nature. Conquest is a force that gains in power until it is stopped. Become the unstoppable Juggernaut. In this merciless world, you''re charting your course. Long may it be. In battle, every enemy you defeat temporarily increases your momentum. Laughter echoed in the mist. Priam felt powerful. Conquest created a sense of invincibility surpassing [Emotional Discipline]. But how powerful was he? [Conquest - Temporary Boost: 210 skulc watchers defeated (PHY +105%). 82 skulc warriors defeated (PHY +82%). 8 skulc veterans defeated (PHY +8% META +8%). Status: Strength 401 > 1183 (temp) Constitution 689 > 2033 (temp) Agility 426 > 1257 (temp) Vitality 540 > 1593 (temp) Perception 629 > 1856 (temp) Aether Reserve: 86/210 (temp) Conquest Timer: 4 min 57s] ... I am unstoppable. Priam''s draconic heart quickened at the sight of his temporary attributes. That was the power of a Legendary Title. Coincidentally or not, Skull chose this moment to shatter a tree trunk less than three meters away. The wood exploded towards Priam but hung suspended in the air. Skull turned his head, suspicious. Priam leaped first. His powerful muscles created a crater in the ground as he reappeared in front of the boss. [Spear Slash]. Promesse described an elegant arc before striking the Tier 1''s temple. Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 12 STR +1 The impact''s violence created an energized shockwave that pierced the mist. Skull''s catapulted body finished its course after obliterating four spruces. Without hesitation, Priam lunged. His power was such that he seemed to teleport. His perception, agility, and strength far exceeded his dexterity. Without Micro, Priam would have been unable to control his own body. Laughing, he reappeared above the boss. Terrifying power filled his legs and arms. With a sharp motion, he brought down Promesse like a meteor. Skull barely had time to cross his arms. [Unrelenting Thrust]. Promesse''s tip penetrated the boss''s hide to the bone. Despite Priam''s immense strength, Skull''s constitution allowed him to defend himself. Conquest had closed the gap but did not enable Priam to dominate completely. Annoyed, Priam withdrew his spear before the monster could seize it. A kick forced him to step back briefly. With a hip twist, Skull stood up. Priam winked at him before disappearing into his mist, avoiding a deadly punch. Skull looked around before starting to sprint. Merged with his mist, Priam took a moment to understand. The boss was running toward the village. He''s trying to leave the fog! In Priam''s mist domain, Skull''s chances of victory were slim, and he knew it. Outside it, the outcome was less certain. After all, Conquest was a limited-time boost. Priam rode the mist, reappearing in front of his enemy. With a kinetically enhanced low strike, he swept the legs out from under his opponent. Skull fell heavily, and Priam seized the opportunity to control his mist. The fog dome began to move, centering on them. A second mental command instructed his mist to spin around them so as to disorient the skulc leader. Skull rose, roaring. A shockwave swept the surroundings before reaching Priam. His eardrums trembled but didn''t burst. Surprised, he decided to block a new punch. The boss''s attack didn''t even make him grimace. My constitution is over two thousand, Priam recalled. The colossus''s blows were no longer as deadly. The boss must have read his thoughts, for he roared in rage. His red eyes shone brightly, and his muscles contracted. The green of his skin turned red, and his fangs lengthened. The colossus grew another half meter in height, and his aura became oppressive. According to [Diagnostic], he had just activated a berserk skill. He didn''t even wait to be seriously injured before entering phase two. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Priam went on guard. Obviously, his opponent had activated his draconic power. Priam himself possessed a lesser version of Dragons'' breath and instinct. He knew how terrifying these gifts could be. Skull''s physical transformation could only signal the second part of the battle. If he wanted to win, he had to be serious. Despite his reluctance, Priam asked the System to display his Merits. Trees of Merit [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 0: Your aura is tinged with Conquest''s spirit. 12 Unused Merit Points. Priam didn''t even bother to survey the rest of the Trees. None other could grant him victory. [Sixth Sense] urged him to acquire it. Priam confirmed. Lvl Up: [Sixth Sense] lvl 2 META(AFFI) +3 META(PERC) +3 META(CHANCE) +3 [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 0: Your aura is tinged with Conquest''s spirit. ACQUIRED. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It''s hard to run away from a Conqueror. 11 Unused Merit Points. Priam probed his body. Something had changed. His aura, the manifestation of his Charisma, seemed different. Previously capable of pressuring his opponents, it now seemed capable of more. The Conqueror''s aura was heavy and sharp. Priam raised Promesse, and his aura enveloped it. Skull bared his teeth. The two adversaries leaped at each other. Promesse traced an arc in the air before meeting the boss''s fist. Priam suspected a formidable force hid behind the monster''s attack. Yet, his spear easily stopped it. In return, his temporary attributes decreased slightly. "Is that all you''ve got?" he taunted. Skull roared in rage. Priam smiled before attacking again. Blow after blow, slash after slash, Priam and Skull unleashed a torrent of attacks. Around them, the storm raged. The fog cloud had transformed into a tornado. Skull''s fist struck the ground, creating a crater and shaking the forest. Priam''s mist-filled eyes gleamed as his conquest aura surged. Within a fifteen-meter radius, spruces turned to sawdust. Skull''s tough skin was torn, giving the monster a reason to howl. He raised his fist and struck. Priam tried to dodge to his right, but the skulc had feigned. A terrifying kick ripped Priam''s left arm off. A kinetic charge cauterized his wound, and the battle resumed. Every second, Priam dodged, blocked, parried, and attacked. The speed and intensity of the combat were like a crucible. As his attributes decreased, Priam had only two choices: die or progress. Death''s approach gave him wings. Skull dodged an attack from Priam, slashing through a spruce as if the softwood were air. Priam evaded a monster attack that reduced a stone boulder to dust. The skulc leader was a genius pugilist, and Priam''s hearts beat rapidly. Unconsciously, he smiled. Skull was the strongest opponent he had ever faced. Despite his formidable attributes, the Tier 1 remained a terrifying threat. Every second, Priam¡¯s instinct screamed. Every beat of his hearts was a victory, one more moment where Priam lived. This battle was a dance with Death. Whirling around his opponent, attacking with all the fervor at his disposal, Priam felt alive. He loved that. The boss''s techniques were exquisite, his decisions quick and error-free. As durable as he was dangerous, Skull was an excellent training partner. In the adrenaline of battle, in the despair born of the gap between him and the skulc, Priam''s hearts beat with excitement. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 15,16 STR+2 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 11,12 PERC +2 DEXT +4 Lvl Up : [Dodge] lvl 20 AGI +1 ... Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 38 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 10,11 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 13,14 STR +2 [Priam¡¯s System] sent a warning. As Priam''s skills sharpened, the energy of Conquest decreased. His attributes dropped, and death approached. Each of the boss''s attacks was powerful enough to kill him, and the combat seemed to energize his opponent. Priam wasn''t the only one progressing, but he was the only one with a timer. Time to end this. A formidable punch created a tunnel in the air, passing a hair''s breadth from Priam''s ear. Imprinting a twisting motion, the Champion guided Promesse against the boss''s chest. The blade''s tip penetrated the skulc''s right pectoral before stopping between two ribs. [Kinetic Control] boosted the attack, perforating the monster''s lung. Skull roared, and Priam saw a flame coloring the back of his throat. He merged with his mist before a torrent of fire destroyed the forest. The burning trees and the smoke added to the mist to conceal his reappearance. The mist shook. Now standing a few meters behind Skull, Priam raised Promesse. Now! [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Using [Aether Manipulation], he directed his aether, following his skill''s instructions. Skull turned slowly and watched. The boss understood that the battle was coming to an end. He probably suspected that if he didn''t kill Priam now, the young man would escape. Maybe he was too proud to turn tail. In any case, the skulc roared, then coiled into himself. [Battle Flow] activated a fraction of a second before the boss leaped. Using Micro, Priam overclocked the muscles he had used tens of thousands of times. Neither too early nor too late, Promesse''s tip hit the boss''s chest. The aether drill attacked the monster''s skin. More! [Kinetic Control]. The cloud around the combatants froze. Risking bursting his meridians, Priam redirected all that kinetic energy into his spear. Promesse, a white aura around its tip, penetrated Skull''s body. Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 33,34,35 META (END) +9 Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 10 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 The spear pierced Skull and emerged on the other side. The momentum of the two adversaries brought them closer. A titanic fist struck Priam¡¯s hip. Under the impact, his fingers released Promesse. The shockwave uprooted nearby spruces. His dislocated body was catapulted through the forest. Bouncing off the snow, rocks, and stumps, Priam disappeared into the mist. Over a hundred meters away, another unfortunate tree halted his course. A trench several dozen meters long indicated the direction of the battle. The fog slowly began to dissipate. Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 38,39 CONST +6 Snowflakes fell on the desolate fir forest. One of them landed on Priam''s cheek. On the brink of death, he regained consciousness. His aether-starved mind hadn''t managed to take control of his body. He didn''t need his add-on to understand that he was in a sorry state. His spine had shattered at his pelvis. He no longer felt his legs. His human heart had stopped beating, and his draconic heart struggled to beat. With a thought, Priam regenerated his second heart through one of his Merits. The specter of death receded slightly. Gathering his will and pushing aside his fear, Priam tried to regain control of his body. Micro seemed to ignore his calls. That was not the case with his pain. Each movement was torture. Should he continue? Why not give up? He had a bonus life, after all. His instinct whispered to him to continue, for his reward awaited him. Priam clung to life. It took him several minutes to move his fingers. Persisting in his efforts despite his suffering, he managed to regain control of his arms. His skills remained out of reach, and Priam had to resign himself to crawling. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he braved the cold, fatigue, and pain. Leaving a trail of blood in the snow, he headed towards the origin of the battle. He didn''t stop once. If he had, he knew he wouldn''t leave again. Half-mad with pain, Priam would have been unable to say how long he crawled. Snow under his fingernails and fir needles in his wounds, his mind could only think of moving forward. When he looked up at Skull, fatigue didn''t even allow him to be happy. The boss was on his knees, a vacant look on his face. One of his hands tried to stem the flow of blood escaping from his body. His skin had lost its red hue to regain a pale green color. Skull slowly turned his head toward Priam. His hand fell to the ground, revealing a massive hole in his chest. Half of his heart was missing, and his lungs were gone. His vitality was trying to heal him, but a white aura prevented the organs from regenerating. Conquest''s aura had properties similar to a Mastery. Was there a link between the two? Priam felt he could dispel this aura. Skull looked him in the eyes before sighing. His heart beat a final time before the monster slumped. Behind him, a path had appeared in the skulc forest. Priam''s attack had decimated the trees over more than a hundred meters. The aether drill, reinforced by Conquest, had created a half-cylinder in the ground. The snow had covered it in white. The attack could have wiped out ten wyverns. Priam''s vacant eyes rested on Skull. His draconic instinct and body trembled, eliciting a painful groan. A primal power slumbered in the corpse, and Priam''s cells longed for it. His reward demanded to be harvested. Thus is the tradition of the Dragons. Priam trembled at the alien decree. A Dragon had uttered these words once, and they had become law. Dragging his body, Priam approached the corpse. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 (+18) Constitution 696 (+7) Agility 429 (+3) Vitality 540 Perception 632 (+13) MENTAL: Vivacity 341 (+1) Dexterity 443 (+6) Memory 140 Willpower 657 Charisma 446 (+6) META: Meta-affinity 364 (+11) Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 200 (+9) Meta-perception 131 (+3) Meta-chance 219 (+3) Meta-authority 15 Potential: 654 (+37) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 20 hours 24 minutes 51 seconds. Chapter 149: Soul Harmonization Jasmine treaded cautiously as she entered the eye of the cyclone. Moving with light steps, she embraced every shadow and tree, advancing while scrutinizing her surroundings. The remnants of the battle proved that she was in danger if any of the protagonists were still able to fight. It had been nearly an hour since the ground last trembled, and the dissipating clouds hinted at a subsiding storm. Most assassins favored the cloak of darkness, finding solace in shadows. Rain and clouds had often been Jasmine''s allies, but not this time. The misty dome that veiled the skulc forest was an artificial creation. She wasn''t foolish enough to play on someone else''s turf. However, time was of the essence. According to the Founder, there were two types of assassins: those who spent months meticulously crafting perfect conditions and those who seized opportunities. Jasmine didn''t have months, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Her two rivals were separated and oblivious to her presence. The assassin had thus decided to infiltrate the mist dome. I made the right call, Jasmine concluded as the mist gradually lifted. Hidden behind a mound of earth, she observed her rival on the brink of death. Covered in blood - both his own and that of the skulc leader - he lay unconscious. And naked. The fight must have been fierce for his clothes to be utterly destroyed. The assassin approached cautiously. Was it a trap? Had he truly traded his life for that of his opponent, or was he waiting for her approach to strike? Given his injuries, the latter seemed unlikely. His body appeared to have plummeted from a hundred stories. He was losing so much blood that it was a miracle he still breathed. Jasmine remained vigilant. Her rival''s heartbeat resonated powerfully. Her gaze naturally shifted to the skulc''s body. The Tier 1 Elysian monster was an impressive specimen with thick, resistant skin. Without a Mastery, piercing it would have been a nightmare. It was the kind of adversary Jasmine detested - too large for a dagger or a short blade to reach its heart. The gaping ribcage exposed a devoured heart. The black, energetic blood coagulating on her rival''s lips provided all the information she needed. He had defeated the skulc and then ate its heart. Probably a barbaric and grotesque technique to assimilate the skulc''s power. Without wasting any more time, Jasmine unsheathed a dagger. Activating her Mastery, she stealthily approached before piercing her rival''s heart. The blade sank effortlessly, destroying the vital organ as her Supremacy obliterated his spirit. Glancing at her quest, Jasmine furrowed her brow. Quest: At the Top of the World An assassin has no friends. A slayer shows no mercy. The Nightwalker has no rival. Be the last Rival standing. Rivals alive: 9/10. Reward: True Wish Difficulty: Primordial What the hell? A few hours after arriving in Elysium, her quest had updated, revealing the fall of one of her rivals. Since then, the count hadn''t changed. With this rival''s death, her quest should have displayed eight out of ten. Jasmine squinted before studying the corpse. Breathing, blood flow, residual electricity, spiritual presence - all the traces indicated he was dead. Jasmine knew her business; assassination was her trade. The System, however, seemed to disagree. Let''s see about that. It became personal. Be it the living, the undead, mutants, hiveminds, or curses - all had met their end beneath her blade. Jasmine began by piercing the dead man''s brain before injecting a concoction of poisons into his body. The quest remained unchanged. Undeterred, she engraved a banishment and an exorcism runes onto the rival''s forehead with the dagger. Still nothing. She dug in her pockets for a small vial of acid to dissolve the body. A few minutes later, only a solvent puddle remained. With a gesture, she set it ablaze. It burned within seconds, leaving only a handful of ashes on the ground. Glancing at her notifications, she gritted her teeth. The System stubbornly refused to acknowledge the rival''s death. Damn it. Jasmine swiftly rose. In her training, she had been ingrained to leave the scene of an assassination promptly, even more so if she wasn''t responsible for the death. Surveying the surroundings one last time, she spotted a tiny skull next to the ashes of her rival. The bone was fluorescent and contained a substantial amount of aether. At least I didn''t come here for nothing, she thought as she picked it up. In the next moment, she leaped into a shadow and vanished. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 16 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +11 WILL +3 [Dodge] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Swift Dodge - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Untouchable - Rare] - You''ve dodged bullets, punches, and raindrops. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Matrix Dodge - Rare] - You dodged before your enemy even moved. You eliminated an enemy with agility exceeding 1500 while in Tier 0. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 POT -20 You have selected the skill [Matrix Dodge - Rare]. [Matrix Dodge] - The best dodge begins before your opponent attacks. Decode nature. Understand your enemies. Discover yourself. You were force-fed the red pill. There''s no turning back. AGI +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 17,18,19 VIT +3 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 36,37 META (END) +6 Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 56 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 8,9,10 WILL +9 Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 14,15 CONST +2 VIT +2 META (END) +2 Lvl Up : [Acid Resistance] lvl 3,...,9 CONST +7 Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 19 META (AFFI) +3 Lvl Up : [Star Iron Body] lvl 40 CONST +3 [Star Iron Body] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, two upgrades are available: [Astral Steel Body - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Deep Space Iron Body - Epic] - You''ve proven your body''s toughness by traversing deep space. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 ...Decision postponed. [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 13 minutes 4 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 19 hours 46 minutes 17 seconds. The moment Priam felt the cool breeze on his skin, he merged with his mist. A part of it lingered above the ravaged forest, offering Priam a clear overview. Skull was dead, and no other skulc had approached since. The battle had been cataclysmic for the nearest trees, and a slightly more distant part of the forest still raged in flames. Dishnu must already be on the way to extinguish the fire. In a misty swirl, Priam materialized next to Skull. The monster was dead and he was alive. He had won. ¡°I won!¡± laughed Priam. Seconds later, he calmed down. ¡°No Title, eh? Too bad.¡± Nodding respectfully to his fallen adversary, Priam analyzed the body. His last attack had been devastating; Skull''s torso had more or less vanished. Only his heart had... Priam shuddered, recalling his last conscious moments. An irresistible hunger had compelled him to devour the raw heart of his foe. The act had made him stronger and more complete - Priam felt it deep within him - but the memory disturbed him. Because of [Eidetic Memory], Priam remembered vividly his animalistic behavior as he bit into the vital organ. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "What''s done is done," he muttered after a deep breath. Priam wasn''t too arrogant to think he could become powerful without a few sacrifices. Devouring the raw heart of a monster didn''t cross his moral boundaries. His gaze shifted to the colossal trench behind the body. Priam had to sacrifice his meridians to create such incredible destruction. Few superheroes from his childhood could boast of creating hundred-meter-long rifts in the ground. "Maybe I should shout ''Bankai'' next time I launch this kind of attack..." Turning his gaze inward, Priam smiled. His kinetic reserves had increased, and his meridians were in perfect condition. [He Who Eludes Death] remained his best Talent. The mist trembled, revealing a shining Promesse. Each of his deaths restored and reforged his bound spear. Thin white streaks reminiscent of his Conquest aura now adorned its shaft. The weapon was as beautiful as it was deadly. A notification flashed. Completed Quest: The Green Menace As expected from the [Reaper], you''ve once again massacred a village. Well played! Reward - Depending on your participation: 424 kills = POT +424 Bonus: Kill the Skull. Reward: Skull Key "Nice!" exclaimed Priam. The quest''s completion proved that Kazuki had done his part. The Shaman and the other skulcs were dead. That wasn''t the only good news waiting for him. Consumption of a fragment of draconic bloodline... Your draconic heart becomes more compatible with your body (+12%). New compatibility assessed at 92%. Title Update: [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - Your second heart has the power of a wyvern, a distant descendant of the Dragons. That alone would be impressive, but it also possesses a [Tribulation Dragon] affinity. While not unique, this affinity is exceedingly rare and creates a mighty heart. Only your body''s extreme adaptability allows you to accommodate this organ without perishing. The power of the Dragons now flows through your veins. Their bloodline awakens in you. Their power strengthens you. Be careful to remain the master of this power. The Dragons'' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation. The Dragons¡¯ second gift is an exceptional affinity for their element. NEW VIT +20% (30%) Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100% He had 8% left before upgrading his Title to Gold and acquiring the accompanying Merit. Moreover, the evolution of his attribute intrigued him greatly¡­ New Talent! [Tribulation Affinity - Seraph] - Your soul harmonizes slightly with the Tribulation Concept. ...Errors:
  • [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)]¡®s rarity is too low to manipulate a Seraph Affinity.
  • Your soul is too weak to accept this harmonization. Recommended Level: Tier 7 or equivalent. Current Level: Tier 0 (Pseudo Apocryphal).
Suggestion: Harmonize your soul with a sub-concept of Tribulation. New harmonization possible with each Title upgrade. Priam blinked several times as he read his notifications. There was a lot of information at once, but he focused on the most crucial. In a rare moment of cooperation, the System was warning him that his new Talent could have dire consequences. One didn''t need to be a genius to understand that a Tier 0 soul couldn''t withstand a Tier 7 Concept. If he attempted it... Priam''s instinct told him that all his problems would vanish. Permanently. Even if [He Who Eludes Death] managed to restore his soul - which wasn''t guaranteed - the harmonization would destroy it again. "That leaves me with only one solution." Priam opened his eyes and accepted the System''s assistance. Knowing that he had more or less stolen this affinity, he was surprised that the Concepts provided such after-sales service. Unless it¡¯s in their interest... Soul Harmonization: Current Level: Tier 0 (Pseudo Apocryphal) Your soul has already been modified by the following Concept: Mist (Harmony - Tier 1 - current affinity: 32%). Harmonization will increase your natural affinity by 20% for Tier 0 and 10% for Tier 1. Choose a second Concept compatible with your soul:
  • Tier 0:
Ice (25%), Vapor (21%), Iron (34%), Air (42%),... Motion (48%), Fire (84%), Light (78%),... Emotion (22%),... Puzzle (24%),... Luck (18%),... Volume (45%),... Measure (33%),... Breath (89%),...
  • Tier 1:
Glacier (12%), Cloud (21%), Steel (22%), Dioxygen (21%),... Kinetic (29%), Heat (46%), Combustion (37%), Shadow (21%),... Love (7%),... Logic (15%),... Stochasticity (11%),... Geometry (19%), Tempo (8%),... Will (17%),... Or increase your current harmony: - Mist (32%) "Whoa..." For the first time, Priam had an exhaustive list of concepts. By scrolling through the pages, Priam calculated that the list contained at least millions of Concepts. Most were noted in French, but some were written in English, Hoplite, or Rehms. There seemed to be an infinity of concepts, and no language had an infinite number of words. The vast majority of concepts simply appeared as question marks. Focusing on each word or question mark, Priam instinctively sensed what they referred to. Some concepts were extremely strange, like the one defining the fear felt by an otter struggling to find food. The simple fact that this Tier 1 concept was compatible with his soul was weird. For several minutes, Priam simply scrolled through the options, expanding his horizons. Quickly, he realized that their number fluctuated constantly. Some appeared while others disappeared. This must mean something about the concepts in general and their affinity with my soul. After ten seconds, Priam couldn''t contain his thoughts, and a flood of questions arrived. His current affinity with the mist concept was 32%. Was that high? What was the purpose of affinity exactly? Maybe unlocking and understanding a concept more quickly? Evolving or improving a concept? Could they exceed 100% affinity? What was the difference between a Tier 0 and a Tier 1 concept? They seemed linked. "Most importantly, what does apocryphal mean?!" he exclaimed. He was almost angry with himself. It was his soul, his identity, and he didn''t even understand it. So many questions and so few answers. Observing his options, Priam understood that he absolutely needed to acquire knowledge. Increasing his attributes and leveling up his skills wouldn''t be enough to overcome his Tribulations. If he wanted a chance, he had to create it. This list could help him. Instructing [Priam¡¯s System] to count and classify the different concepts, Priam closed the notification. He would come back to it soon, but it wasn''t a choice he wanted to make lightly. The mist concept had imposed itself on him during his Tribulations, but it didn''t really resonate with his path. Priam desired more affinity with his second concept. Using Domain, he searched for his second reward next to the corpse. Skull had been an impressive opponent, and the Skull Key promised to be interesting. His smile disappeared quickly. Where was this key? Priam mentally scanned his world, spotting Muyri sleeping near the pond, but he couldn''t find his reward. A moment later, his add-on activated. His system had recorded the signals sent by his mist and his Domain just before his death. A woman had stabbed him, simultaneously destroying his heart and spirit. A rival? But why¡ª. Priam caught himself. The answer seemed obvious. Why face Skull when you could directly retrieve the reward? At least she couldn''t steal my Potential or the reward for the Shama¡ª. Fuck! The ground beneath Priam''s feet cracked under the power of his leap. Kazuki was in danger. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 (+28) Agility 432 (+3) Vitality 547 (+7) Perception 637 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 341 Dexterity 444 (+1) Memory 140 Willpower 673 (+16) Charisma 450 (+4) META: Meta-affinity 371 (+7) Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 (+8) Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1091 (+437) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 9 minutes 2 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 19 hours 42 minutes 15 seconds. Chapter 150: The Guardian of Secrets Amidst the ruins of the skulk village, two combatants stared at each other in silence. One was covered in futuristic armor, the other was naked below the waist. Glancing at his quests, Kazuki grinned. The bounty on Skull had vanished: Priam had succeeded. If I don''t hurry, he''ll think I''m weak. This thought ignited Kazuki''s competitive spirit. The hoplite was as proud as he was strong. Unfortunately, his strength was futile against the omnidirectional shield summoned by the Shaman. So, he chose to suffocate his opponent. Let''s go with DPS rather than burst, as Priam would say. [Breathless] had been active for nearly twenty minutes, and despite his breath-holding training, Kazuki''s lungs were starting to protest. Nevertheless, he remained confident. When his ability had banished oxygen in a large radius, the skulc Shaman had ignored the lack of air, thinking he was safe within his shield. Now, his red eyes and tremors betrayed the air shortage beneath the barrier. The battle was nearing its end. Refusing to succumb easily, the skulc created a dozen red orbs with a flick of his wrist. They looked benign, but Kazuki wasn''t fooled. Each one was capable of significant destruction. Twelve at once? He must want to end the fight. With a snap of his fingers, the albino Shaman shot one of the orbs. Approaching within three meters of Kazuki, the attack penetrated the tornado swirling around the warrior. Born of his mastery of the wind, the air shield effectively protected him from the Shaman''s fiery projectiles. A gust of wind deflected the fireball at the last moment, heading toward a barracks thirty meters behind Kazuki. His armor wobbled under the explosion''s force. The released heat triggered alarms in his mecha. From the corner of his eye, Kazuki saw wood vanish and stone turn to lava. Immense magical flames burned the air despite the lack of oxygen. The infernal furnace resembled the hells described by some hoplite religions. The other destructive orbs vibrated before disappearing. Displaying exceptional agility despite his massive armor, Kazuki dodged or deflected them one by one. When the twelfth one exploded, he took advantage of the blast to leap into the air and target his opponent. [Railgun - MK Javelin]. The projectile fired by the mecha sliced through the air before hitting the Shaman''s shield, creating a bell-like sound. It was the first time the Boss''s protection had reacted. Kazuki was briefly surprised before spotting a crack in the barrier. A predatory smile formed on his lips. The eyes of the two adversaries met, and the Boss''s lips began to move. The shield dissipated just before Kazuki felt a disturbance in his tornado. Without hesitation, he leaped forward, activating [Heroic Tenacity]. The world seemed to freeze. Kazuki''s spirit left his body and armor to investigate. Around him, a hundred mini-suns had just appeared. The size of a passion fruit, they were extremely bright. The amount of aether injected into them by the Shaman was terrifying. It was an all-in move by the Boss. Quickly, Kazuki passed through one of these suns, ignoring its heat, before approaching the Shaman. He widened his red eyes, a veined hand on his throat. The lack of air was killing him, and his defeat was evident. Kazuki observed his opponent''s mad gaze for a moment before understanding. The albino skulc wouldn''t flee. He intended to drag Kazuki into his grave. Typical of a pyromaniac lunatic. Assured of his opponent''s plan, Kazuki turned back. The suns had already doubled in size. [Heroic Tenacity] didn''t stop time; it slowed it proportionally to the hoplite''s vivacity. Activating this skill was also an excellent way to drain his aether reserves. Having his body again, Kazuki felt the second part of the skill trigger. His immense will enveloped his armor, turning it as black as a moonless night. The next moment, a shockwave hit him. Terrifying heat and magical flames fought against his will to reach his armor. In vain. Lvl Up: [Heroic Tenacity] lvl 6 VIVA +9 WILL +18 [Tribulation]: Six characteristics above 400 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 15 hours 38 minutes 59 seconds. A second later, his momentum added to the explosion pulled Kazuki out of the lethal zone, and he retracted his skill. The heat wave made him grimace inside his mecha, but he focused on his goal. Three meters in front of him stood the stunned Shaman. The Tier 1 had sacrificed a significant portion of his aether to create an infernal attack capable of turning iron into gas. Yet, Kazuki emerged unscathed. How could he understand that the hoplite''s will was indestructible? His entire civilization relied on him. He was their Champion, their Spear, and their Shield. His Legendary skill was based on Kazuki''s ideals, granting him near invulnerability. Taking advantage of his opponent''s astonishment and fatigue, Kazuki grabbed [D¨®ry]. Pointing his spear at the skulc, Kazuki prepared for the final blow. Micro I, Mastery I - Spear, [Death Sentence]. Without a shield to stop it, the weapon easily penetrated the Shaman''s heart and began to glow. The conditions were met. Even before the Shaman could ignite his aether reserves, [Death Sentence] condemned him. His spirit disappeared, and the corpse fell at Kazuki''s feet. A notification chimed in his ears as a white token appeared before him. The hoplite grabbed it before collecting the javelins scattered on the ground. A few POT points were awarded to him, but most of the deaths were the work of the Shaman. The terrifying explosions he triggered in the underground had caused the tunnels to collapse. Females and juvenile skulcs had perished at that moment. While waiting for the flames to subside, Kazuki distanced himself. The Shaman''s final attack had destroyed half of the village. Only the runic-covered menhir seemed intact. His armor was not. [Knightmare Status: Critical state of thermal protections Damaged armor plates (5) 38% of sensors are out of service Low energy reserves Microprocessors overheating Damaged superconductor cooling system ...] The list of problems was long, and Kazuki sighed. His armor needed repairs. [Symbiosis - Off]. Knightmare disappeared into a mental space. As a linked equipment, it would regenerate on its own, awaiting its next summon. I hope it will be ready soon, he worried. Despite his temperament, Kazuki shivered. His Tribulations were starting in just over fifteen hours, and he was afraid. Afraid of dying, leaving his family and civilization behind. In this new universe, they needed him more than ever. His duty was to take risks to gain the strength to lead his people. "But the line between risks and death is thin," he sighed. Most of the flames quickly vanished with the Shaman''s death, and Kazuki headed toward the menhir. Skull was dead, and Priam wouldn''t be long. "So we came for this..." The hoplite scrutinized the stone carefully. The skulcs had worshiped it; hence it must have had a purpose. These creatures weren''t the type to worship a useless stone or god. Kazuki and Priam weren''t either. His findings were meager. The stone emitted a powerful aether field, undoubtedly thanks to the runes covering it. The material it was made of was impermeable and refused to give any information to his sensors or skills. [Multi-Analysis] [??? - ???] - ??? After ten minutes, Kazuki finished inspecting it by studying the stone''s angles. It seemed to have belonged to a more significant structure. Faced with the lack of results, Kazuki resolved to take a riskier approach. He placed his hand on the menhir''s surface. ... bl?zZ-¨¹ax-j?ll?k-?bl?t¨ºrat¨º-??r¨¹bl¨º-?n?rgl??h-bl?mpf. ... Hello, Kazuki, Champion and Heart of the Hoplites. Do you accept communication with the Guardian of Secrets (No. 37 458)? Kazuki hesitated for a moment before affirmatively responding. The last two sentences were written in hoplite, and the stone communicated in the same way as the System. If it wanted to harm him, Kazuki was pretty sure he wouldn''t be able to do much about it. "A language I don''t know¡­ It''s been a long time. Welcome to Elysium." Kazuki quickly turned upon hearing the new voice. His hand closed where his spear should have been, and he grimaced. The Shaman had turned his wooden spear into ashes. Before him stood a strange biped. About one meter twenty tall and robust, wearing a white toga that reached the ground, he was smiling. His features could have passed for a hoplite''s if one forgot that his skin seemed to be made of jade. That is, green and with a rocky texture. His two quartz eyes convincingly asserted that the creature was no hoplite. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nor alive. "Are you the Guardian of Secrets?" Despite the texture of his skin, the stranger easily nodded. "Indeed," he replied in perfect hoplite. Kazuki frowned. "I don''t hear your heartbeat," he remarked neutrally. He was wary of undead since his encounter with Seth and the Necrowolf. The Guardian remained silent. "... You''re not alive?" Kazuki asked when he understood that the Guardian didn''t intend to comment on his statement. "I fear your definition of living and mine may be somewhat different. I have consciousness and reasoning. I cannot say more without revealing secrets, and... I live up to my name." Now it was Kazuki''s turn to keep silent as he analyzed the Guardian''s response. It was likely that the latter was trying to convey a message. Each race, each civilization had its ways of life, and the Guardian of Secrets was not a hoplite. Kazuki had questions and didn''t mean to insult the individual before him. "In the eyes of my race, that makes you a person. What can I do for you?" Despite his stony skin, the Guardian''s smile widened. "You have questions, and I have answers. You have a physical body, and I am but a projection." "You propose a collaboration," summarized Kazuki. He was a hoplite of few words. "That implies a privileged relationship, and I''m afraid I cannot offer that now. Every Guardian will make you the same proposition: I will exchange the secrets I keep in exchange for Coins." "I have many questions." A gleam shone in the Guardian''s eyes. "Tier 9s seek our services." "Oh." Kazuki couldn''t help but look up at the three suns shining on Elysium. Priam had told him that one of them was the ancestor of the Phoenix. Such creatures must be Tier 9, right? If that was the case, the Guardian in front of him knew a lot. If he¡¯s speaking the truth. "Why is someone like you trapped in a stone in the middle of a skulc village?" "This secret costs twelve Bronze Coins. For this modest sum, you will learn much about the place where the System transported you," as he spoke these words, the Guardian displayed a bright smile. His teeth shone way too much, like diamonds. "... Suppose I want to pay, how do I obtain these coins?" "These Coins," corrected the Guardian. "My civilization fought to earn that capital letter." "How do I get these¡­ Coins?" Kazuki asked, trying to focus on the capital letter. It seemed to satisfy the Guardian. "By completing some quests." "Some Quests?" The Guardian shook his head, making his quartz eyes sparkle. "That capital letter is reserved for the System. Just quests. For example, I am curious about the customs of your race and its culture. I have analyzed your brain to facilitate our communication, but my code of ethics prohibits me from scanning the rest of your memory." Kazuki remained silent before sighing. A Tier 0 had no power in this universe. "I guess I should thank you for not violating my thoughts." The hoplite''s gaze drifted to the burning village. Life was hard in this world; only power mattered. And information was a weapon. "Your proposition is interesting, but I don''t yet know what I want to know." The Guardian''s smile became radiant. "This information will cost you zero Iron Coins. You want to know how to survive your Tribulation. You want to know how to survive the Necromoon. You want to know how to make the most of Tier 0 and then advance to Tier 1. You want to know if you can entrust your family''s lives to your rival. You want to know how to save your race. You want to know where your daughter is." The last flames reflected in the Guardian''s eyes, giving him a demonic appearance. Kazuki''s fist tightened. "I thought you hadn''t analyzed my thoughts." "The first rule of a Guardian of Secrets is to never lie. Nothing prohibits me from cross-referencing information. Let me make an investment: other Guardians have spoken to hoplites, and one of them spoke to your daughter." "Where?! How is she?" Kazuki cried. "The answer costs a Silver Coin." "... How much are my memories worth?" "There''s only one way to find out..." "Fifty-three Bronze Coins. Always happy to enrich our film collection," grinned the Guardian, returning Knightmare''s helm to Kazuki. A copy of his memories and some data from his AI hadn''t even yielded enough to gather information about his daughter. Moreover, a Silver Coin could be transformed into a hundred Bronze Coins, but not the other way around. "It''s to protect our poo¡­ our weak buyers," had explained the Guardian. "... What can I do to get more Coins?" Kazuki asked, clenching his fists. Shame stained him, but the hoplite opened his arms if it meant finding his family. The Guardian sighed. "You''ve sold almost the entirety of your race''s culture and memories for barely more than half the sum you desire. Tier 0 quests rarely yield more than a few Iron Coins. I regret to inform you that I''m not authorized to extend you credit. I advise you to wait before searching for your daughter." "Are you taking pity on me?" Shame transformed into anger. Despite his discipline, it seeped into his voice. A hint of sadness shone in the Guardian''s eyes. "Even if I wanted to help, I couldn''t." Kazuki looked at the Guardian without responding before sitting against the runic menhir. "At least she''s alive," he sighed. It was incredible already. His daughter must have chosen the Impossible difficulty, and if she was alive, she had survived. Maybe she''s somewhere in Elysium¡­ I hope not. If he wanted a chance to find her, he had to survive until then. "How do I survive my Tribulations?" he finally asked. Priam had told him about his own. He had barely survived a quadruple, dying once in the process. Kazuki had just triggered his fourth. Knowing he had already faced a Tribulation to exit Log-a-rhythm, he suspected his chances of survival were low. "Eight Bronze Coins," announced the Guardian. "... Deal." Coins: 45 bronze; 0 iron. "You''ve just triggered your fourth Tribulation. You''re strong enough to resist the first three, but the fourth will likely kill you,¡± recapitulated the Guardian. ¡°Several options are available to you, such as traveling to another Universe where Tribulations are simpler. The journey would almost certainly kill you, so I''ll set aside those options. Your best chance of survival is to gain power quickly but without exceeding other thresholds. For that, you have three choices. Unlock Micro II, Mastery II, Domain or a Concept." Kazuki grimaced. In the eyes of the hoplites, he was a genius. Yet, he knew better than anyone that it would take weeks of real effort and battles to unlock Micro''s stage two. Mastery II and Domain were currently impossible, and he had no idea how to unlock a concept. The Guardian continued. "Realistically, only Micro II is possible thanks to the Skull Key. I also advise you to trigger your Tribulations a second before advancing your Supremacy. Of course, all of this is a summary of a complete report that I have directly transferred to your AI''s memory." Using his retinal implant, Kazuki quickly found the file the Guardian referred to. It was over a hundred pages, providing several other leads for Kazuki and techniques to promptly unlock Micro II. Is it really possible in less than fifteen hours? According to hoplite texts, no more than five members of his race had reached this level. Kazuki was almost sure that three of them were lying. Would I be the third hoplite to unlock Micro II? He nodded towards the Guardian. He had paid a high price, but the information received was comprehensive and useful. "Thanks for all this," he said, turning on his heels. He had to find Priam now. "With pleasure. It''s in my interest to cultivate a good client. One last thing, though." "Yes?" "I got distracted and forgot to give you the location of the Skull Key." "I already know¡ª." "It''s hidden in your shadow," the Guardian interrupted before disappearing. Kazuki lowered his eyes just in time to see a blade gleaming. Exiting the mist dome, Priam saw a red horizon. The world was burning, and the clouds were weeping. It took him only a few seconds to reach the village by flying. Tapping into his kinetic reserves, he flew over it before spotting Kazuki. The hoplite was sitting cross-legged in front of the runic menhir, a javelin in his left hand. The hoplite¡¯s right hand was gone. "Kazuki," Priam exclaimed, landing next to him. "Is it the Shaman who..." ¡°It''s her," replied the hoplite, pointing to the other end of the square. Priam turned. It took him several seconds to spot a strange shadow hidden among the debris. The assassin was there; she was missing her left arm. Three kilometers away, Arnold was waiting. He didn''t want to approach the menhir for fear of annoying the First, but he also needed answers to his questions. So, he had sent a nanorobot to collect information. It had just reached the menhir. A few seconds later, the Guardian appeared next to Arnold. "A Var Elegis? I don''t know your race," the dwarf said joyfully. "The Empire will dominate all Universes." "... Something tells me your civilization doesn''t collect films," the Guardian sighed. "I want information about¡ª" "The information you seek about the First is beyond my reach," the Guardian interrupted. It had the power to observe the complete status of any Tier 6. Yet, [He Who Eludes Death] remained a mystery to his eyes. "... As expected from the First," Arnold replied. "I have other questions..." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 637 MENTAL: Vivacity 341 Dexterity 444 Memory 140 Willpower 673 Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1073 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 8 minutes 32 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 19 hours 41 minutes 45 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 151: Soul Tiers "Attacking a tank as an assassin is rarely a good idea," Priam commented. As he spoke, he began conjuring his new invisible mist toward the assassin. "If I hadn''t been warned, I would probably be dead," Kazuki replied in a neutral tone. While keeping an eye on his target, Priam frowned. "Warned? By whom?" He hadn''t detected anyone else. Kazuki nodded toward the menhir. "The menhir holds... a strange intelligence that sells information. He can hear us." "Oh." That changed things. "And the assassin? She failed to assassinate you once, and now I''m here. Why isn''t she running away?" "No idea, but it works for me. She''s the one with the Skull Key, right?" "...Yes," Priam admitted, a bit embarrassed. Kazuki met his gaze. "I need it," he said with rare intensity. "We''ll find her, my friend," Priam promised. Kazuki had helped him enough to deserve assistance. It was the second time the hoplite had asked for something, and Priam suspected it was important. As long as the assassin stays put, there''s hope. But why isn''t she fleeing?! Priam began to think while monitoring his mist. An assassin was most dangerous when their presence was unknown, and clearly, her ambush had failed. With no left arm, the unknown assailant must know her chances of defeating them were slim. Even if she was waiting for reinforcements, she should have hidden. Unless it''s a decoy and she¡¯s trying to draw our attention to a shadow. The only valuable thing here was the menhir, and Priam approached it. "How do we activate it?" he asked Kazuki. "Just touch it with your hand." It required physical contact. Would a shadow be sufficient? Priam started circling the construction, activating his Domain. The runic menhir was impervious to his sphere of authority, and the aether field it emitted cleared away any dust or debris. If the assassin tried to access the menhir using a shadow, Priam was confident he would detect it. Meticulously, he began scanning the stone''s surface. It took him no more than three seconds to spot an anomaly. About ten centimeters above the ground, hidden under debris, was a foreign object stuck to the stone. It was less than a micrometer in size, but it stood out clearly against the pristine surface of the menhir. It could be nothing, or it could be a probe from the assassin. Unsure, Priam decided to destroy it. He hesitated about using Promesse, but the target''s size made him reconsider. The tip of his spear was only a few microns itself, but he had to aim precisely. Might as well use the big guns. With the speed of a striking serpent, Priam placed his hand on the part of the menhir where the target was located. Connecting to [Concepts Archipelago], he opened a tiny portal under his hand leading outside the sun shining in his world. A fraction of a second later, he closed the portal. Lifting his hand from the menhir, he grimaced. Despite his resistances and constitution, his palm was charred. The skin resembled overcooked meat. The enticing scent of grilled food tickled Priam''s nostrils before he shook his head. He summoned Micro to focus his vitality on his hand. Such a wound should heal before his next resurrection. Time to make use of this attribute... ¡­ Hello Priam, Spear of Humanity and Chosen of ???. Do you accept communication with the Guardian of Secrets (No. 37 458)? The notification blinked in a corner of his vision, and Priam finished scanning the rest of the menhir before accepting. "My race is peaceful, but you should avoid summoning a sun so close to my phylactery. If your intentions had been hostile, I would have had to take regrettable measures." Priam turned around before opening his mouth in surprise. The glittering statue of a dwarf was talking to him. "I apologize," Priam said. "I was getting rid of a nuisance." "A nuisance for you, but a client for me. Even if Var Elegis''s film collection is simply disastrous." Priam nodded while quickly thinking. Var Elegis? This thing belonged to Arnold and not the assassin. Priam had to use all his composure to prevent his hearts from accelerating. Arnold was close, and Kazuki was injured. Could it be that our rivals are in cahoots? The thought that the assassin herself could be a Var Elegis didn''t even cross Priam''s mind. He instinctively felt he was dealing with one of his rivals. The System wouldn''t have chosen two people from the same civilization. Priam smiled at the Guardian. If he wanted to talk about movies, humanity could speak. "It doesn''t surprise me. I''m almost certain Arnold has the emotional capacity of a toaster. He''d be better suited to play a killer cyborg from the future than to be a director." The Guardian burst into laughter. "That''s very specific, but I like it! I sense you know a bit about movies, am I wrong?" "Oh, I''ve seen a few hundred masterpieces, but I don''t consider myself a cinephile," Priam smiled. "A few hundred? How many films has your civilization created?" The Guardian''s enthusiasm surprised Priam. Looks like I''m dealing with a film enthusiast. "Quite a few. Maybe a few hundred thousand." The dwarf gave Priam a bright smile. "I am the Guardian of Secrets. I can exchange your films... um, I mean some of your memories for iron Coins. Coins you can then exchange for answers to your questions!" Priam squinted before smiling. "It sounds interesting, but I''ll look into it later. Someone just stole my Skull Key, and that''s my current priority." "In exchange for a few films, I could reveal the location of that object," the Guardian proposed, rubbing his hands together. "It''s in the hands of an assassin who is currently watching us. I don''t see the point of paying for something I already know," Priam smiled. "Well, you still need to find her. It seems your friend''s time is running out," the Guardian pointed out. Priam turned to Kazuki, who was monitoring the assassin''s shadow with his back turned. His Tribulations were approaching, and despite his strong appearance, the hoplite must have had doubts. The Skull Key must help him with his Tribulation, I suppose... "I''m sure Kazuki has enough Coins to buy the assassin''s position," Priam retorted. At that moment, his mist reached the suspicious shadow and found nothing. Damn. Where is she? The dwarf narrowed his eyes. "I have other information that might interest you. If you buy them, I should be able to offer you a... bonus." "A discount coupon?" "I was thinking about her base." Priam nodded. Each rival was exceptional in their category, and if he couldn''t kill the assassin in one strike, he wasn''t confident in preventing her from escaping. "Deal." "Perfect! May I scan your memories to retrieve the films you''ve seen?" "I''d rather try something before if you don''t mind." "Oh?" [Priam''s System]. Invoking his add-on, Priam ordered it to access his eidetic memory and extract each film he had seen as a memory. A few minutes later, a mental list of the movies he had watched appeared. The goal was to challenge his skill while preventing the Guardian from accessing all his films at once. Now, how to transfer these memories to him? Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 15 MEM+2 VIVA +1 Priam closed his eyes and visualized his mental space. The sphere of [Priam''s System] orbited around his soul, all surrounded by the core of his Domain. Priam instructed his add-on to copy his Terminator memory and then reject the memory. A kind of bubble appeared on the surface of his mental system before detaching itself. Using his Domain, Priam guided this bubble to the edge of his mental space. Taking a breath, he pushed, and the bubble pierced the membrane before bursting. "Oh?" Priam opened his eyes toward the surprised Guardian. "I tried to transfer a film to you. Did you feel it?" The dwarf blinked before bursting into laughter. "I felt it infiltrate the ambient aether. Like all Tier 3s nearby, actually. I''ll create a mental bridge before you attract something horrifying. Done." By invoking his mental space again, Priam was surprised. A menhir as tall as a skyscraper had appeared not far from his soul. Immense runes, fiery and icy in color, were inscribed on it. Its terrifying presence weighed on Priam, making him tremble internally. The Guardian''s aura, so imposing that it surpassed Viracocha''s, prevented his mind from forming a coherent sentence. With paralyzed thoughts, Priam took several seconds to realize his terror. He felt as if he were hanging onto the International Space Station, orbiting above the world. A thought from the Guardian, and he would detach, condemned to wander in the vacuum of space for the rest of his short life. A primal fear crushed Priam''s guts. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Darn, maybe I shouldn''t have appeared in front of a Tier 0... Don''t panic and adapt," a voice resonated. Priam didn''t reply, silently observing the menhir. After several seconds, his mind thawed. His fear began to recede as his pride compelled him to withstand the stone''s aura. Viracocha first and now this¡­ The next time he faced a god, Priam refused to bend the knee. Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 11 WILL +3 "Very well," the Guardian congratulated him. "This is my spiritual form. If you transfer memories, thoughts, or emotions in my direction, I should be able to pick them up." "I... Okay." The sooner he finished, the sooner the titanic image would disappear. Priam got to work. He collected his films and sent them one by one to the Guardian. When his memories crossed the membrane of his spiritual domain, the Guardian instantly captured them. A kind of aether flow emanated from the stone and surrounded Priam''s soul. Each bubble was secured by this flow and brought back to the immense black stone. With an empty mind, Priam sent film after film to the Guardian. Gradually, the fear began to recede. He was not a man made to bow his head. Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 12 WILL +3 The second System notification gave him courage. At the fiftieth transferred film, Priam stopped and returned to the real world. "How many iron Coins do I have?" "Fourteen." "I need a point of comparison. Let me ask you a question. What''s the difference between a Tier 1 and a Tier 0?" It was a question Priam was asking himself more and more, especially after confronting Skull. "Twenty iron Coins," the Guardian smiled. Is that expensive? It wasn''t a huge amount, but Priam had more questions than films to trade. He turned to Kazuki. "How many Coins have you gathered?" "In total? Fifty-three bronze Coins." "What?" Priam turned towards the embarrassed Guardian. "Hoplite films all look the same, how can he have amassed so many Coins, and I so few?" Upon learning the hoplite language, Priam had watched a number of films. The action scenes were incredible, but he refused to believe that movies made by Tier 4s or 5s weren''t more impressive. The true power of human culture lay in philosophy, love, and new ideas. The Guardian shrugged. "It''s not me setting the value on your films; it''s other Guardians. It''s not my fault if they don''t have a taste for cinema. Your friend sold information about his life, his race, his history, and his culture. He''s older than you, and his AI has vast resources. That''s why he got more Coins." Priam shook his head. "I disagree. You must have the power to increase the value of the films I sell." "By dipping into my own savings. Why would I do that? If you don''t sell them to me, another human will sell them to another Guardian. If I have to wait a few centuries to enjoy these films, what does it matter?" Priam shook his head. "Most humans didn''t go through the Tutorial with a Netflix server in their pocket. I''m certainly one of the few with [Eidetic Memory]. If you want these films, I want a preferential rate." "I think you need answers more than films." "There''s only one way to find out. I refuse to be swindled," Priam said with a shaky voice. He hadn''t forgotten that the Guardian could easily turn him into an idiot with a mere thought. "So, you want to bargain?" "Yes." I won''t let myself be intimidated just because he''s more powerful than me. Silence settled for a few seconds before the Guardian started to smile. "I almost felt bad for ripping you off. I can offer you a film for two iron Coins. I won''t go any higher." Priam sighed in relief before admonishing himself for getting scammed before. To his credit, the imposing spiritual presence of the Guardian had prevented him from thinking clearly. "Deal." Ten films later, Priam had thirty-four iron Coins. "I hope you¡¯ll enjoy the films." "I love them," the Guardian replied. "Great variety, fascinating creativity and some special effects to avoid having only humans as actors. I''m starting to understand why the Concepts absorbed your civilization." So, we''ve been chosen... "I''d like the information I asked for earlier. And the location of the assassin''s base." "Cling!" The Guardian straightened up before continuing. "The difference between a Tier 0 and a Tier 1... It''s the soul." "The soul?" "Exactly. The body, the mind, and the soul are the three facets of a being. As a High Human, you already know you can evolve your race and body. Your mind is connected to your meridians, and I know you obtained a temperance die." Priam nodded. Analyzing Heavenly Dragon, his method of temperance, he had understood that his meridians were more spiritual than real. For now. "However, all of this is secondary to your soul," the Guardian continued. "It''s the true expression of your individuality. Your body can be destroyed, your mind can be dispersed, but if your soul survives, there is hope. Even mortals are entitled to the Wheels of Reincarnation." Priam couldn''t help but think of [He Who Eludes Death]. The skill targeted his soul and could restore his body and mind without any issues. The soul was the most important of the three facets; it was who he was. "The real power comes from the soul," Priam theorized. "Concepts, Domain, and Mastery are linked to the soul." This explained why the System had advised against harmonizing with the concept of Tribulation. His soul was too weak to bear it. "All Supremacies are rooted in the soul, even Micro," the Guardian corrected. "Understanding them is one of the ways to elevate it. Of course, in our universe, most people focus on Concepts." "So, a Tier 1 has understood certain Concepts or Supremacies. Why am I not Tier 1 then?" "You''re almost there." "Really?!" The Guardian shook his head. "I see that your language has words like academies, schools, and universities. During your education, you study, you work, you learn. At the end of it, you''re tested. If you pass this test, you get a diploma. Do you see where I''m going with this?" Priam took a second to ponder. "Having acquired Domain, Micro, and the mist concept, I''m already a Tier 1. But I won''t be recognized until I undergo a Tribulation, right?" "Almost. Tribulations are not just a test; they also modify your soul, making it more... complete." "Like [Iconoclast]?" The Title Priam obtained by urinating on the statue of Viracocha had crystallized his soul. The Guardian grimaced. "That Title is one of the ways to strengthen your soul without going through High Tribulations, Supremacies, and Concepts. It''s a very rare Title, almost Legendary. Viracocha is a minor god, or else you would have obtained the Legendary version." "Too bad he¡¯s so weak then." "You would already be dead if it were stronger." "Why?" "Ten bronze Coins," smiled the Guardian. "Forget it. I''m not sure I understand the Tier 1''s advantage over Tier 0." "Ten iron Coins." "... Deal." "Cling!" The Guardian seemed pleased to answer his questions. Or maybe he¡¯s tired of ignoring the skulcs'' questions. "High Tribulations bring to your soul a certain¡­ Quality ? Your language doesn''t have the right word. A certain authenticity that Aether recognizes. They make your soul more compatible with Concepts, facilitate the understanding of Supremacies, and increase your affinity with aether. At Tier 0, it''s a nightmare to acquire a Tier 0 or 1 Concept. At Tier 1, it''s natural." A Tier 0 wasn''t limited by its attributes, but by the quality of its soul. "So, it''s an elevation of the soul that allows a better understanding of the Universe¡¯s laws and thus further progress. Without it, it becomes difficult to unlock Supremacies and Concepts," Priam summarized. "Not difficult, impossible. A Tier 0 soul cannot develop a Tier 2 Concept or Supremacy. Unless you modify your soul by other means, but I don''t recommend it." Priam''s instinct awakened. "What do you mean?" "Tribulations are one of the few Laws common to all known Universes. They instill fear in the heart of every individual. Some have tried to circumvent this fate by elevating their soul by other means..." The Guardian stopped, hesitating to continue. "I haven''t paid enough for this information?" Priam guessed in a detached tone. "It''s one of the few free pieces of information we provide," the dwarf said, shaking his head. "Elevating your soul without Tribulation is complicated and painful. Often, it involves its destruction and then its reconstruction. A kind of artificial Tribulation." "Like a resistance but for the soul?" The Guardian grimaced. "Strengthening a body or mind costs nothing to the Concepts. Strengthening a soul does. Without the System''s help, the individual becomes a terrifying monster with a deformed soul. Worse, their existence contradicts some fundamental Laws, causing errors. When they multiply, the aether threads supporting reality tear, causing the extinction of entire worlds." "Oh¡­" "As you say. That''s why there''s a ban on soul elevation outside of Tribulation. These individuals are pests that the Universe seeks to eliminate. The reward for their death is incredible: a Grace. In other words, a High Tribulation without danger with the best benefits. Of course, it depends on the Tier of the abomination." "I hope I can get that kind of reward one day," Priam said in a tone he hoped was neutral. The Guardian burst into laughter. "When these abominations are detected, gods come out of their heavens to kill Tier 0s or 1s with their own hands. Collateral damage is enormous. A piece of advice, don''t get close to souls with a dubious Tier. The only fate of Apocryphal souls is death." Fuck. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 637 MENTAL: Vivacity 342 (+1) Dexterity 444 Memory 142 (+2) Willpower 682 (+9) Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1097 (+6) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 1 minute 2 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 19 hours 34 minutes 15 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 152: Fallout Priam forced a smile as Micro smoothed the beats of his heart. The Guardian was unfamiliar with humans, but an erratic heartbeat couldn''t be normal. Priam had to be careful not to arouse suspicion. He suspected that not everything about Apocryphal souls had been revealed. Perhaps because the Guardian didn''t know the whole truth? After all, the System knew he was an Apocryphal soul, and no one had tried to kill him yet. This could mean two things. Either there are different degrees of Apocryphal souls, and I am still within acceptable limits. Or [He Who Eludes Death] is stabilizing my soul. If Concepts could do it with a Grace, why not his Patron? After all, Priam didn''t feel insane. His memories indicated that his temperament had changed within reasonable limits - partly due to circumstances. This might explain why the Concepts attempted to kill my Patron. They were interested in his power. Of course, there was one last possible explanation. The Guardian of Secrets No. 37 458 seemed powerful and part of an organization with at least forty thousand others. They appeared to adhere to strict rules; otherwise, the Guardian would have read the memories of rivals. Priam was convinced that wasn''t the case. After all, Prince Phoenix himself had said he would torture Priam for eternity to extract secrets from [He Who Eludes Death]. It made sense to assume the Guardian followed a code of rules. It was highly likely that payment guaranteed the accuracy of information. But Priam hadn''t paid for information about Apocryphal souls. Did the Guardian have suspicions? Did he lie to Priam? In any case, Priam preferred not to ask more questions. "I see I''ve given you something to ponder." Priam almost jumped at the voice. He summoned a small smile and nodded. "Indeed. I now understand a bit more how the world works and what the Concepts are truly after." The Guardian burst into laughter. "We''ll talk about it again when you grasp the kind of world you''ve landed in. Meanwhile, if you''re not planning to trade more films, here''s the location of the assassin''s base." The Guardian snapped his fingers, and Priam felt a location appear in his mind. "Thanks. By the way, I was wondering, what other information can you give me for free?" "I see I''m dealing with a clever one," the Guardian grinned. "Sorry, but that information isn''t free." Priam rolled his eyes. "How much is it?" "A silver Coin. Now, if you''d let me watch my films in peace..." "Sorry for being poor. One last question before I go. Would you mind if I moved your menhir?" Priam asked. Normally, he would refuse to let a potential threat near his family, but he had seen the power of the Guardian. Being a few kilometers away from Log-a-rhythm or right next to it made no difference. The Guardian was more potent than a minor god like Viracocha. "If I pee on this menhir, would it improve [Iconoclast]?" wondered Priam. "Oh? You mean in the space where you placed a sun?" the Guardian asked, oblivious to Priam''s thoughts. "At first, but then next to my base," Priam replied. "The Necromoon is coming, and I don''t know if I''ll regularly be able to come see you once the event starts. Plus, I''m not the only one who will want to ask you questions." "Hmm," the Guardian seemed to hesitate for a moment. "My mere presence would put your dimension to the test. But a few minutes to return to your base? I agree on one condition." "Movies?" Priam guessed. The Guardian smiled. "I know you''ll eventually trade me your films. No, I want you to create a forum." "A forum?" "A public place outdoors, like an agora. It''s a structure you can create with the Land Owner''s Merit." Priam checked the Merit Tree. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. Seeing Priam grimace, the Guardian added, "I know your Merit points are scarce, but I promise it would benefit both of us in the long run." Hesitating, Priam took a few seconds to think. Merits were among the most impressive boosts the System offered. Unique enhancements he couldn''t buy with Potential. He was reluctant to part with them for nothing. "I need to know what a forum does first." "One iron Coin." It was almost a giveaway. "Deal." "The forum is the foundation of a camp. It''s where merchants and travelers gather. With the upcoming event, it could greatly interest you..." The Guardian''s conspiratorial air indicated that there was a secret or at least synergy between the forum and the approaching Necromoon. Even so, Priam was reluctant to lose such a precious asset. "One of my Merits allows me to emulate a Dragon''s Breath. Will the forum be as interesting?" "... This forum could save your base and your life within weeks. The decision is yours." Did Priam trust the Guardian of Secrets? Not yet, no. But a being capable of killing him easily had little to gain by tricking him for so little. In the end, it was a gamble, and Priam knew that one didn''t get to the top without betting once or twice. "I accept." "Great. And now... Hasta la vista, baby!" With a laugh, the Guardian disappeared. Weird dwarf... "I have the location of the assassin''s base," Priam declared, turning to Kazuki. He knew their rival probably heard him, but there was little chance she had deciphered the hoplite language. "It won''t be necessary," Kazuki replied, shaking his head. "Huh?" "I found our mouse. When you absorb the menhir, she''ll likely be distracted, and I''ll take the chance to attack." "Are you sure? We could simply set up an ambush and¡ª" "Priam," Kazuki cut him off, looking him straight in the eyes. "I need the Skull Key to unlock Micro II. I need Micro II to survive my Tribulations. I need to be alive to save my family and civilization. My path is clear to me. Every second brings me closer to my Tribulations, so let''s not waste time." The intensity of Kazuki''s gaze shocked Priam. He knew why he was fighting, and it gave him a terrifying strength. He''s driven. Kazuki''s determination stirred something in Priam. He too wanted a purpose. Without further ado, Priam turned and placed his hand on the menhir. [Kinetic Control]. The stone was impossibly heavy. Priam''s meridians began to groan as he expended more and more kinetic energy. Finally, in a tremor, the Guardian''s phylactery lifted slightly. At ground level, Priam summoned a portal leading to his world and released the runic stone far from Myuri. Priam closed the portal and shuddered. His mind felt nauseous, as if he had eaten too much. His spirit was destabilized by the presence of the Guardian of Secrets. I need to hurry home. An explosion echoed behind him, and Priam turned around. Kazuki''s mecha was single-handedly attacking the ruins of a burning barracks. Suddenly, the shifting shadow created by a flame behind a wall gained substance. A moment later, a female silhouette dashed towards the forest. Kazuki remotely piloted his armor, javelin in hand. As Priam prepared to pursue the fleeing assassin, the hoplite stopped him with a hand. "Let me handle this." Under Priam''s gaze, Kazuki threw the javelin. Wrapped in his Mastery, the projectile crossed space to reappear a few meters behind their rival. To avoid being impaled, the assassin jumped to her left. There waited Knightmare. The mecha shifted from purple to a dazzling white. "[Fallout]!" shouted Kazuki. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. An immense wave of light forced Priam to close his eyes. The next moment, the shockwave and heat hit him as the ground trembled. Despite the distance - over three hundred meters - between him and the mecha, Priam felt the scorching air arrive like an avalanche. His Domain activated to protect him. A few seconds later, he turned around. An immense flaming crater replaced the skulc village. Nothing remained of the mecha or their rival. Kazuki clenched his fists. "She''s still alive even if badly injured." "Your mecha¡ª" "It was the only way. It will come back stronger. Can you lead me to her base?" Priam winced at the sight of the small nuclear mushroom rising into the sky. "Let''s go quickly. Arnold must not be far from here." Without a word more, Priam and Kazuki darted away. Jasmine grimaced, hand on her belly. If her blood spilled on the ground, her rivals would have an easy time tracking her down. One of the pieces of the mechanical armor had pierced her stomach before [Shadow¡¯s Home] kicked in. The explosion had been so intense that it destroyed the shadow world before she could fully take cover, causing a backlash. Who used a nuclear attack in combat?! Jasmine was used to knives, firearms, and psychic powers, not atomic explosions. Dodging a paralyzing vine, Jasmine winced as she diagnosed her meridians. As if on fire, they prohibited the use of any skills. She had ingested a Mana Elixir, but it would take a few minutes to take effect. Time she might not have. The only silver lining was that the heat had cauterized the stump replacing her left arm. The thought made her laugh, then wince in pain. Everything had gone wrong. Running through the woods towards her hideout, Jasmine cursed herself. I''m so stupid! I should have left immediately. Despite his brutish appearance, the hoplite was skilled. Normally, she knew he wouldn''t have been able to detect her, but he must have used his Potential. Hidden in the ruins'' debris, it had been enough to find her. A bolt of pain shot through her body, from her guts to her shoulders. She deserved to suffer. Jasmine was no longer the assassin spreading death in a metropolis, ready to change faces and blend into the crowd. She was in a deadly forest with rivals more monstrous than the next. Foes she couldn''t seduce before poisoning them. Adversaries impervious to her charms, who wouldn''t put her in jail. Enemies who refused to die. How is the human still alive?! Jasmine was sure she had dissolved and then burned his body. Less than an hour later, he was back, unscathed. Did she burn a decoy? Yet, she had felt his mind inhabit the body. An illusion? Was the Mage in their group? Questions that would remain unanswered for now. Like all others now that the human had stolen the menhir. Jumping over a root, the assassin decided to reassess her goals. She had to face reality: she wasn''t up to the task for now. The System''s quest was a trap. "I''m an idiot," she muttered as she reached her hideout. The tree was nothing special. A perfectly common specimen in a vast forest. She looked left and right, making sure she was alone, before moving a moss covering a trunk. Behind it, a dark well awaited, carved into the hollow trunk. Let¡¯s retrieve everything and leave. This place is no longer safe. As Jasmine swung her leg into the opening, a hand landed on her shoulder. With reflexes born from thousands of hours of training, the assassin grabbed a blade strapped to her calf and pivoted. Her eyes instantly locked onto the neck of the stranger, and Jasmine aimed for the nape. Most creatures had their most important nerves there. Once severed, her attacker would be paralyzed. The blade shattered against the hard skin. With one hand, the stranger lifted her to eye level. Jasmine wasn''t short at one meter seventy-five, but her opponent was a giant. His bluish skin rolled over inorganic muscles. His cold eyes slid over her curves without being charmed. Her rival looked like one of the Patrollers who had populated her nightmares in childhood, but reality was far worse. The hand crushing Jasmine''s shoulder belonged to Arnold. The Var Elegis was the monster that scared the other monsters. The only rival who had managed to kill another. I¡¯m fucked. The Mana Elixir was rebuilding her meridians, blocking her access to Aether. Without that, Jasmine had no chance of escaping. For a few seconds, Arnold stared at her without saying a word. What was the point when they had no language in common? I need a miracle. Any god, please help me. At the sound of a leaf rustling, the Var Elegis turned. Pushing aside a giant fern, the hoplite and the human advanced before stopping a few meters away. Despair washed over Jasmine. The Concepts hate me. Priam''s gaze shifted from Arnold to Jasmine and then to Kazuki. His friend needed the Skull Key and, therefore, Jasmine. Their chances of victory were slim. The hoplite had lost a hand and his mecha. Priam had no [He Who Eludes Death] recharge. "You should go," Kazuki suggested. Slightly ahead of him, the hoplite''s back was straight. He knew he was going to die, but he faced it with pride. That asshole''s got class. Priam stepped forward. "I won''t let you hog all the glory." Kazuki was his friend. That reason was enough, but Priam had no illusions about his chances of escape. Even if he reached Log-a-rhythm, he refused to bring death and destruction to his family. Together, they had a small chance. Separately, none. Kazuki smiled without taking his eyes off the Var Elegis. Priam just held Arnold''s gaze while summoning his invisible mist. If the homunculus wanted a fight, he''d get it. This time I''ll make him bleed. Arnold stared at them in silence, and Priam analyzed him in return. His appearance hadn''t changed much since their first meeting, except for his eyes. The soulless monster who landed in Elysium now seemed to possess some emotions. Ignoring Kazuki, the homunculus seemed to size up Priam. Suddenly, [Concept Archipelago] trembled. The magical weight of the menhir distorted space. Under the pain, Priam''s gaze hardened. His internal world sought to expel the Guardian''s phylactery. The environment around the rivals began to warp as a second space overlaid. "Var Elegis d? men tu byr," announced Arnold, stepping back. With a wave of his hand, he tossed Jasmine at Priam''s feet. A nod later, the homunculus disappeared. Priam blinked before focusing on his internal world. By consuming his Potential, he managed to stabilize it. A few seconds later, he turned to Kazuki. "Did he just leave like that?" "It seems so. I don''t know what you did, but it was terrifying," replied the hoplite, professionally searching the assassin''s body. Their rival was a woman whose appearance seemed human. She looked at them in turn without moving. "I was using Potential to detect his skills. At the end, Arnold used a legendary skill, [Quantum Teleportation]. He must be far away by now." "... Damn monster." A monster that spared them, and in addition, gave them a gift. Priam had no idea why, but he wasn''t one to ignore a blessing. "Ha!" Kazuki stood up, smiling. In his hand, the Skull Key glowed faintly. "Mind if I?" "I lost it, and you found it. It''s yours." "Ours," Kazuki replied with a big smile. The man knew how to respect the bro code. "I''m happy for you," said Priam, hiding a grimace. His internal world wasn''t entirely stable. "We need to get back. My internal world is suffering, and I''m losing a lot of Potential." "I''m with you. And her?" Priam turned to the assassin and crouched in front of her, enveloping her in his Domain. The woman who had tried to assassinate him and Kazuki was no older than twenty. Pale gray eyes stared at him from under her black hood. Priam read fear, pride, and hope in them. What should he do with her? [Identification] [Jasmine Kaldwin - Arkana] - The assassin. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 637 MENTAL: Vivacity 342 Dexterity 444 Memory 142 Willpower 682 Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1067 (-30) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 50 minutes 54 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 19 hours 24 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 153: A Pact with the First Jasmine fixed her gaze on Priam, awaiting his judgment. Her large eyes, framed by long black lashes, seemed deceptively innocent. I wonder what''s going through her mind, Priam thought, furrowing his brows. He could feel his hormones reacting to the allure and charisma of the femme fatale. [Priam¡¯s System] triggered Micro, preventing his brain from producing unnecessary chemicals. Instantly, Priam regained rationality and thanked his high charisma. Without this attribute, Jasmine could have persuaded him to let her go. That wasn''t going to happen. Jasmine was an assassin. Her raison d''¨ºtre was to kill. That''s what her description indicated, and Priam had experienced it firsthand. She had tried to kill him. She had maimed Kazuki. If he released her, she would be skilled enough to track him, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Priam had enough reasons to be paranoid without adding an assassin to the list. So, it was a fact; Jasmine was dangerous, both to him and his family. Priam''s gaze hardened. He couldn''t let her go. He had to eliminate this threat. The obvious solution was to kill her - hoping the Necromoon wouldn''t resurrect her. But was there a way to turn the situation to his advantage? A way to deal with Jasmine permanently while benefiting from her skills? The seed of an idea sprouted in Priam''s mind. If he was right, he would have a new trump card. "Attack me, and you die," he declared, lifting the young woman. She didn''t understand his language, but his tone spoke for him. If she was qualified to be one of his rivals, she would understand. If not, too bad for her. Priam activated [Kinetic Control], immobilizing the assassin. Thanks to his Domain, he would sense the activation of any skill. That would be the death sentence for Jasmine. Kazuki nodded, positioning himself beside the assassin, in her blind spot. Pain shot through Priam''s body, meridians and mind. The priority was to get rid of the menhir before it destroyed his inner world. "Let''s go." Different biomes of the forest passed by; fir trees giving way to a jungle, then to oak and birch woods. Priam and Kazuki ran as fast as they could, mindful not to draw attention to themselves. Time was of the essence. Suddenly, they crossed an invisible border, and the air changed. Log-a-rhythm¡¯s domain extended this far. Smiling, Priam veered off before charging into a tree. Secret Passage. A portal opened, spitting him out in front of Log-a-rhythm. Night was falling in the clearing, and it was dinner time. As their arrival was heard, everyone - except Blueberry - turned, surprised. Their absence was supposed to last six days, and they were returning after just seven hours. "Priam!" exclaimed Alain, rising with a grilled fish in hand. "Is everything okay?" "Hey Dad. Well, Kazuki has a problem." The hoplite raised his forearm, now sporting a stump instead of a hand, and Louis swore. "And her?" Mirscella pointed to Jasmine. "An assassin who tried to kill us. Twice." Mirscella sniffed. "A rather poor assassin, then." During the conversation, Louis had approached the prisoner. "I''m proud of you, Priam. You go out for a few hours to harvest trees and return with a pretty girl in tow." "Two girls," Kazuki corrected. "And he almost brought back a third." Louis looked up at Priam. "You need to teach me your technique, son," he smiled before flinching. Mirscella had placed a hand on his shoulder. Coincidence or not, her fingers sank into the elder''s skin. Rest in peace old man. Priam shrugged before grimacing. "Sorry, but we''ll talk later. I have an emergency." His inner world was in an unstable state, threatening to explode. Priam quickly opened a passage beneath the menhir. He placed its exit five meters above ground, in the center of the clearing. Under gravity''s effect, the heavy stone fell from the sky, shaking Log-a-rhythm and the surrounding trees. Priam sighed in relief as his portal closed. Without wasting time, he ordered his add-on to scan his world. [Concepts Archipelago] [World information: Current aether density: 0.56 E>0.61 E. Radius: 30.78>34.12 meters. Energy sources: sun (light, heat, nuclear), host (Priam: gravity, aether, concepts). Gravity: 2 G (Earth = 1 G), Atmosphere: oxygen (25%), nitrogen (70%), unknown (5%). Concept fragment: purity, mental stamina, sand, mist, steel, vengeance, ?. Inhabitant: Myuri Features: Aether siphon (Enchantment: purity). Nurturing soil (silver) T2 Betula passiflora (gold) T1 Aetheric Sugar Maple (silver) - T1] Guardian: None Note: Spatial damages detected: the dimensional fabric stretched to accommodate the Menhir of Secrets (No. 37 458). Mending time: 5 days 12 hours 17 minutes 34 seconds. World analysis in progress...] Priam widened his eyes before bursting into laughter. The presence of the menhir had brutally pushed the limits of his world. This artificial and rapid growth had nearly destroyed it, but what doesn''t kill you makes you stronger. The radius of his world had gone from 30.78 meters to 34.12 meters. It might not seem like much, but translated into surface area, it was a 23% increase. Smiling, Priam turned to his loved ones. "Behold the Menhir of Secrets. Inside lives some kind of sage who can answer almost all your questions. Be cautious, though; he trades his answers for yours, so don''t burn all your credit." "Hmm, let''s see if he finds answers to my questions," snorted Sphinx. "You can complete quests to earn those credits," added Kazuki. "But... you''ll see." "Avoid trading your movie memories with him, don¡¯t forget to negotiate, and if you ask interesting questions, share the answers, okay?" Priam added. Everyone nodded in silence. Each had questions to ask. Priam looked at Rose, whose gaze resolutely fixed on the menhir, and opened his mouth. Hesitating, he eventually closed it. She had the right to know. While a debate erupted about which questions to prioritize, Priam headed towards the campfire. His father had set up some logs around a cooking station. Blueberry was finishing the skewers, a grin on his face. "Hey." "Hmm," the bear replied with a mouthful. "Don''t you have any questions to ask?" The question elicited a laugh from the bear, who swallowed in one gulp. "Someone''s gotta take care of the fish. Plus, I sense you have questions for two." Priam smiled. "I''m naturally curious." "I''m not. I was a wild animal not too long ago, you know? You humans have a talent for adapting, but not me. Give me time, and my questions will come. For now, I prefer to enjoy life and intelligence without worrying too much about tomorrow. Like Baloo." "Baloo?" "Rose told me about a bear in one of your stories. He says it takes little to be happy. I''m trying to follow his example." Priam smiled; he had always loved The Jungle Book. "Does it work?" "As long as I have food and a comfortable place for a nap," the bear growled, spitting out some fish bones. "And you? What are you going to do with this female?" Priam turned his head towards Jasmine, still paralyzed. "She has assassin skills. Despite what Mirscella says, I think she can be useful. The problem is, I trust her as much as I trust Claire." "Isn''t she the girl you beheaded in public?" "The very same," confirmed Priam. "Don¡¯t tell me you return to kill her before us?" "No, I came back so you could eat her." "Really?!" Priam could hear the hope in the bear''s voice. "Nope." Grumbling, Blueberry walked away. The bear had questions he had to find answers for himself. In silence, Priam joined Kazuki, who was waiting by the river. "Are you going to use the Skull Key now?" "No point in wasting time." "... Be careful," Priam said, extending his palm towards Kazuki. In his hand rested the miracle pill that would have cost his father''s life. The hoplite had the necessary vitality to use it to regenerate his hand. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Kazuki received the treasure in silence. His black eyes locked with Priam''s misty ones. Both knew that facing a quadruple Tribulation without the best preparations was madness. "Thanks. What about Jasmine?" the hoplite asked. "I think I''ve found a use for her." "You want to farm her survival rewards?" teased Kazuki. Priam shook his head. "No, that was stupid of me. You triggered a Tribulation to escape Log-a-rhythm, and she could do the same. With Potential, she might find another way. All these risks for a treasure... I was foolish." "Ignorant," Kazuki corrected. "It''s even worse. I was thinking more about..." Priam spent the next few minutes explaining his plan to Kazuki. The hoplite''s eyes widened. "Do you think you can do that?" Priam shrugged. "Theory doesn''t forbid it." "I''d prefer death," Kazuki decided. "Not everyone is a hoplite." "True. Here," Kazuki said, opening his hand. An eye lay there. "Holy fucking... What is that?" "An emergency ocular implant. It contains a cutting-edge hoplite AI. You should use it to upgrade your system. It''ll give you a better chance of executing your plan." Priam stared at the hoplite for a moment before taking the metal eye. Both knew it might be the last time Kazuki and he were talking. "Slay those Tribulations." "Count on me." Everything had been said. Kazuki turned to face the river and pulled out the Skull Key. The faint glow of the treasure quickly became brighter until they had to avert their eyes. Log-a-rhythm briefly questioned him, and Priam gave his approval. The next moment, the ground shook. Turning around, Priam gaped at the emergence of a large pit on the riverbank. A double-helix staircase descended into the depths of the earth. The first steps quickly disappeared into the darkness, a sign of a powerful illusion. "If I don''t return, my wife''s name is Hyshana. Tell her our daughter is alive." "Promise." Kazuki took a deep breath before stepping onto the first bone step. Without another glance, the hoplite Champion descended proudly. Priam hoped his noble friend wouldn''t die here, in an underground dungeon billions of kilometers from home. He sighed before turning to Log-a-rhythm. He, too, had work to do. Effortlessly, Priam released Jasmine from [Kinetic Control]. The most incredible aspect of all the magic he now wielded was how natural it felt. As innate as breathing. This freedom pleased him. And yet, I''m about to strip someone else of this freedom. "It''s your turn," he declared, locking eyes with Jasmine. The assassin stared back, bewildered. "If you want to live, the first step is that we can communicate. I have a deal to propose, and I''ll need your active participation. So speak." Jasmine blinked, silent. Priam sighed and mentally requested Log-a-rhythm to conjure a chair. The ground rippled before materializing one. Jasmine looked at the creation with wide eyes. "Chair," Priam said, pointing to the seat. "... Hyrb?" "H?rb," tried Priam. "Hyrb," Jasmine corrected. "Hyrb." Jasmine nodded. The ground absorbed back the chair, then crafted a simple wooden cup. "Cup." You have gained the skill: [Arkana Language - Rare]. [Arkana Language] - The language of Arkana, an ecumenopolis. This strange world consists of a single planetwide city where technology melds with the arcane forces of magic, birthing monsters and wonders. Its history, as murky as its politics, witnessed the creation of lawless zones where billions of nameless poor reside. Including a certain Jasmine. Legend has it you can walk for hours without encountering a single tree. MEM +3 Title gained! [Polyglot - Bronze] - You fluently speak five languages, including at least two alien tongues. Your worldview evolves, and you open up to others. The new connections in your brain allow you to learn foreign languages more rapidly. In such a vast universe, your collection is only just beginning. MEM +10% "You''re a Nightwalker? Like an assassin, but one who never misses their mark," Priam repeated after over two hours of elementary-level discussions. "That''s right," confirmed Jasmine. "But you missed twice." Jasmine flushed with anger. "My usual targets aren''t immortal nor aware of my attacks." "Sounds like excuses. But you managed to maim Kazuki, which speaks about your skills. Something bothers me, though: you mentioned targets. Why did you target us?" Jasmine hesitated for a few seconds before responding. "... I have a System quest that requires me to kill my rivals." "Oh." Priam was oddly reassured. If Jasmine was telling the truth, it meant she wasn''t a bloodthirsty psychopath. She had a - good? - reason to attack Priam and Kazuki. And no reason to harm my family. "What''s the reward?" "A True Wish." Priam widened his eyes. He had experienced a Minor Wish as a reward from the forty-fifth wave of the Colosseum. A True Wish had to be much more potent. He didn''t need to consult the Guardian to know that such a wish had few limits. "You got scammed by the system," Priam summarized. "It seems so." "At least now, I understand why you wanted me dead. Unfortunately, whatever your reasons, you tried to kill us. If I release you, something tells me that the next time, you won''t fail." "I didn''t kill you." "You didn''t succeed. I won''t differentiate between murder and attempted murder." "Are you going to kill me?" The assassin''s voice didn''t tremble. She has seen too much death to truly fear it. Yet the young woman''s eyes hadn''t given up hope. She wanted to live. "It would be a waste, but it''s a possibility. I was hoping to find a more mutually beneficial alternative for both of us. You have skills I want," confessed Priam. "Do you want me to teach you Nightwalker¡¯s skills?" "Not for now. I''m sure it would be interesting, but I already have a lot on my plate." "Do you want me to sleep with you then?" she asked, giving him a seductive wink. Her face and attitude had changed in an instant. The question bewildered Priam for a moment. What had her childhood been like for her to be able to play the role of a courtesan with such ease? Priam didn''t ask. He didn''t want to pity a woman he might have to kill soon. "Neither," he replied in a neutral tone. Jasmine gave up her role-playing to shoot him a perplexed look. "Then I don''t understand." "I want you to work for me. You would protect my family, train them and help us survive. The problem is, I can''t trust you. In fact, I''m pretty sure you''d try to kill me if you thought you had a chance. I need an absolute guarantee," explained Priam, asking Log-a-rhythm to serve them a glass of fresh sap. Jasmine picked up her mug. As she took a sip, a small smile lit up her face. "I could swear loyalty on my Potential?" she suggested. "Too many loopholes." Priam paused, choosing his words carefully. The way he presented his proposal would be crucial. He fixed his rival with a steady gaze. "I was thinking of monitoring your soul using my own system. If you try to betray me, directly or indirectly, it would kill you." It was a morally questionable proposition, but Priam had nothing better to offer. Jasmine had dug her grave by attacking him first. On the other hand, killing his rival seemed a monumental waste given the circumstances. Priam wasn''t so strong that he could afford to throw away a potential advantage. His offer was a compromise between his principles and his responsibilities. The young woman froze as she understood his intention. "You could turn me into a slave," Jasmine said, gritting her teeth. She was wrong, [Priam¡¯s System] could turn her into a puppet. A fate worse than death. Nonetheless, Priam winced at the assassin''s choice of words. "A slave is the property of a master, and I abhor this concept. I wouldn''t be your master, I would be your boss. It would be an employment contract, with breaks, rights, and a duration, but which would prevent you from betraying me. You would retain your dignity and free will." Jasmine fell silent. Her eyes fixed on her hands, her fingers twisted from stress. She had committed a transgression and now had to pay the price. Would she choose death or expiation? Priam had no other choice to offer her. "Servitude or death¡­" she finally replied. ¡°How do I know you''re telling the truth?" "You''ll use your Potential to host my skill. At that point, we can rewrite it to include your rights." After a brief silence, Jasmine looked him in the eye. "You want a weapon that won''t turn against you," she summarized. "You''re not a weapon; you have a consciousness and a soul. I want you to work for me, but I need guarantees. I''m not a monster, Jasmine, just someone who refuses to be betrayed again." His rival offered a sad smile. "You misunderstood me. I wasn''t saying that pejoratively. I''m used to being a weapon, and I prefer that to death. I accept. When do we start?" "Now," Priam said, glancing at his notifications. His system had just finished analyzing the hoplite AI. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 637 MENTAL: Vivacity 342 Dexterity 444 Memory 158 (+16) Willpower 682 Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1019 (-48) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 15 hours 40 minutes 49 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 16 hours 14 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 154: Soul Link After nearly two hours of negotiating the terms of the contract, Priam and Jasmine had come to an agreement. On almost everything. "Fuck, I told you I accepted your deal, no need to tie me up," the young woman growled. Feet and hands bound by Log-a-rhythm, Jasmine sat cross-legged on the floor. Priam didn''t want to risk a last-minute escape attempt. "You''re an assassin, and I have zero trust in you. Plus, there will be kids around, so watch your language." "Or what? You''ll kill me?" "Yes." Priam''s cold tone seemed to calm Jasmine. He stood in front of her. "We''re not equals. From now on, I''m your boss, and if you don''t like it, you know what to do." The two rivals locked eyes for a few seconds before the assassin lowered hers. It didn''t surprise Priam. The moment Jasmine agreed to have her soul monitored, she chose survival over pride. She had sold her soul and needed to learn to live with it. While Jasmine struggled to accept her new situation, Priam was deep in thought. [Evolution of [Priam''s System] due to the consumption of AI hoplite Deep Grey. Artificial General Intelligence level reached. Possibility to specialize [Priam''s System] according to the following hoplite technology:
  • Assistant: Your system develops conscious intelligence to better fulfill its missions. The Assistant and your soul work in symbiosis. The Assistant is a modified copy of yourself designed to anticipate your expectations and act proactively. The Assistant cannot use Supremacies or Concepts to their full potential.
  • Transhumanism: The boundary between man and machine gradually disappears. AI merges with your soul and transforms you deeply. Probable change of race. Optimization of logical, linguistic, spatial, and kinesthetic intelligence. Modification of character.
  • Partner: The core of AI takes on the identity of a person - real or imaginary - who accompanies and grows with you. Eventually, the AI could unlock its own soul. A high degree of freedom allows almost infinite potential for the Partner. Be cautious, as with individuality and judgment, your Partner may develop negative feelings towards you.]
Priam already knew he would choose Assistant but read each description attentively. There were good ideas he could develop someday. Transhumanism was unthinkable because Priam hated the idea of transforming his consciousness. What was the difference with death if he wasn''t himself anymore? There were philosophical considerations to the question - after all, considering that most of the cells in his body had completely renewed since the beginning of the Tutorial, was he still ''Priam''? - but he refused to accept modifying his soul like that. However, it was interesting to note that modifying his soul or consciousness would also likely change his race. There was a spiritual dimension attached to the race. If Priam continued to accumulate draconic or phoenix blood, would his race change? The answer might depend in part on his mindset and how he viewed himself. Partner was instantly ignored - Priam dreaded the possibility of an AI rogue knowing all his weaknesses - but was interesting. This specialization opened the door to creating life. By spending his Potential, Priam could connect artificial intelligence to the Concepts System. From there, it was only a step to attribute a soul. He confirmed Assistant. [Priam''s System] disconnected for a moment to update itself. It operated on a soul augmented by the System coupled with the brain of a High Human. An unprecedented and powerful hardware. [Update...] Priam felt his thoughts slow down. The skill used a significant part of his memory and vivacity. He glanced at Jasmine, hoping she wouldn''t notice anything. Fortunately, the assassin seemed preoccupied with her existential problems. As his add-on evolved, Priam felt like a pre-System human. The experience was quite traumatic - as if someone had stolen his mental faculties. He couldn''t solve ten physics problems in parallel anymore. There was something terrible about being mentally restrained. He felt like an idiot. A few seconds later, his brain reconnected. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 16,17,18,19,20 MEM+10 VIVA +5 [Priam''s System] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, you''re entitled to a bonus. Choose from these three options... Preselected Assistant option. Bonus deferred for the evolution to epic rank. [Update successful. Routines restarted. Select the Assistant''s personality: Human/System.] "Mmmh." Priam hesitated. If his Assistant had a human personality, he would want to talk to it. There was no harm in talking to oneself, and Priam did it regularly. But when a voice responds, it''s often a bad sign. System for now. [[Priam''s System]: Assistant - General Artificial Intelligence linked to Priam Azura''s soul. Current routines:
  • linked to Log-a-rhythm for monitoring the base in Elysium.
  • linked to Concepts Archipelago for monitoring and analyzing the internal world.
  • linked to [Eidetic Memory] and [Emotional Discipline] for mental monitoring.
  • linked to Micro, [Diagnostic], and [Human Anatomy] for body monitoring.
  • linked to Domain and [Kinetic Control] for monitoring the immediate environment and reacting to physical attacks.
  • linked to [Eidetic Memory] for monitoring treasures compatible with Heavenly Dragon.
New: Data on hoplite training and combat methods downloaded. Recommendation: incorporate into [Shadow Boxing] to improve martial performance. Anomaly detected in Concepts Archipelago. Presence of a foreign structure preventing the completion of the world analysis. The anomaly being at the heart of the sun (inheritance of the Phoenix Prince), the Assistant predicts a connection between the two. Recommendation: manual search by the Host. Minor recommendations:
  • pay attention to Myuri''s mental state.
  • lack of land in Concepts Archipelago.
  • Rose is certainly waiting for a discussion with you to finalize her plans. Despite your absence, you are an authority figure in her eyes.
...] Priam smiled as he swept through the rest of the notifications. His Assistant had compiled a list of hundreds of things to do. Most were very relevant. But before that... "We''re going to start," he said to Jasmine. "Ready?" "... Ready," the assassin replied after a long silence. She seemed less sure of her choice, which Priam could understand. Unfortunately, waiting longer would change nothing. He stood in front of Jasmine before sitting on the floor. He had briefly considered standing behind her, one hand on her head like a Sith Lord before changing his mind. It cost him nothing to make his future subordinate comfortable. Using his Domain, Priam touched Jasmine''s mind. Surprised or frightened, the young woman began to tremble. "Breathe deeply and let it happen. My Domain will simply create a bridge between our two minds," he explained. Jasmine swallowed before lowering her defenses. Slowly, Priam''s Domain advanced before feeling something. A flood of emotions poured into him. Thanks to magic, Priam was among the first men to understand a woman. Fear, disgust, anger, injustice. Negative emotions pressed against his Domain. Priam hesitated for a moment before selecting one of his own feelings - honesty. With a mental push, he sent it towards Jasmine. "I haven''t lied to you. I won''t torture or punish you. As long as you don''t try to betray me, you have nothing to fear from me," Priam assured Jasmine mentally. Using their link, he then showed her his morality and sincerity. It was a matter of perspective, but Priam was convinced it was the best decision for her. Or at least the best compromise. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Jasmine''s breathing calmed. Priam''s words, coupled with his emotions, made him credible. Other emotions overwhelmed the young woman. Curiosity, apprehension, resignation. Priam could accept that. Without even needing to ask, Jasmine''s defenses disappeared completely. Priam''s sphere of authority ventured further into the young woman''s mind before reaching her spiritual core. A sphere of shifting shadows represented Jasmine''s soul. These shadows existed independently of all lights. Jasmine had grasped a concept related to the shadow. Priam''s mind advanced, and the shadows separated, revealing a black sphere dotted with a myriad of golden points. Jasmine''s soul resembled a planetary city seen at night from space. Billions of tiny lights blinked, symbolizing life and modernity. Arkana, a human hive that never slept. The hunting ground of the Nightwalker. Can you create a mental satellite capable of monitoring and controlling this soul? Priam asked his Assistant. [Best suggestion: Creation of a synchronized copy of [Priam''s System]. Requires Potential expenditure to create the structure. Potential can be provided by the second host, for they are the ones who will benefit from it. Optimal cost as the blueprint is already known. Setting up a Raid 1 - data mirroring: Real-time replication of the system''s data on all its physical architectures to ensure continuous availability in case of desynchronization. Attention, to maintain a link between the copy and the main system, it is necessary for the copy to be in the Domain or under the influence of a relay.] Priam furrowed his brow. For Jasmine to be useful, she had to be able to travel to Elysium to fulfill missions. If Priam had to be constantly by her side, her only usefulness would eventually be as his shadow. Literally. That didn''t interest Priam. Can we work around this problem? [Possibilities:
  • Increase the size of the Domain.
  • Create relays (Log-a-rhythm''s domain will allow you to synchronize different system copies, for example).
  • Quantum connection between the copy and the original Assistant: Pro: Instant synchronization in the current Universe. Con: The copy is likely to be corrupted if the quantum entanglement is broken.
  • Spiritual connection between the copy and the original Assistant: Pros: Instant synchronization in all Universes. The copy is capable of defending itself even when isolated from the main system. The copy is capable of assisting the main system during an attack. Con: Requires a fragment of your soul. Chance of death: almost certain.]
Priam didn''t hesitate for a moment. The soul connection was the most powerful, and his Talent allowed him such madness. Maybe for another, a divided soul would be a problem, but not for him. Well, as soon as [He Who Eludes Death] is primed. "First, we''ll make the structure together," Priam explained. "Here''s what you need to create." Mentally, he sent the blueprint of [Priam''s System]''s structure to Jasmine. She remained undecided for several seconds. Priam felt her hesitation but remained silent. After all, it was up to her to make her choice. A proud death or an uncertain life. Jasmine was a survivor. The Potential appeared, forming a complex structure in a few seconds. Priam followed the creation of the second Assistant, checking that Jasmine didn''t include any backdoors. Once the foundations were in place, Priam deposited a load of [There is no Heaven]. If, for some reason, the Assistant was destroyed, Jasmine''s soul would not survive. Priam liked it when his enemies stayed dead. Lvl Up: [There is no Heaven] lvl 3 WILL +9 He then turned to the young woman to recite the terms of the agreement they had reached. "Here are the terms of our agreement. This Assistant will monitor your soul. You won''t try to destroy or modify it, and you''ll do everything in your power to prevent anyone other than me from accessing it. Your soul will be monitored for fifty of my years, and then this agreement will become null and void. If you disobey me or betray me, your soul will be destroyed. Those are your duties." Priam gave Jasmine a few seconds to understand the scope of the contract before continuing. "Now, your rights. You''ll have the right to refuse an order if it goes against your most cherished values - at the time of the order. You''ll have the right to question my orders at the moment I give them, but not afterward. In that case, I will have the final say. You''ll have the right to refuse to kill someone dear to you unless it puts you, my family, or myself in danger. You''ll be entitled to time off..." Upon hearing her rights, Jasmine gave Priam a complicated look. Her thoughts were a whirlwind in her head. Surprise, recognition, pity, submission, anger, pride, and relief. Priam furrowed his brow. How could Jasmine be relieved to make a contract with him? Priam asked the fateful question. "Jasmine, do you agree to respect these terms in the spirit in which they were stated?" "I agree." It was too late to back down now. A last surge of Potential entered the second system''s structure and sealed their agreement. When the divine aura withdrew, a satellite orbited around Jasmine''s soul. Priam connected to it, and through it, the algorithm of his Assistant copied in seconds. Bluish runes crossed the Domain before penetrating the new Assistant. The base of its system was coded in a language unknown to man, but which Potential had taught in part to Priam. Hidden in these arabesques of misty-blue aether was an artificial intelligence that resembled him. For a fleeting moment, Priam smiled as he checked the information transfer. He wasn''t destroying. Despite the terrible purpose, he was creating something wonderful. I love magic¡­ Then, the transfer stopped. The second Assistant, a satellite linked to Jasmine''s soul, shone before being swallowed by the shadows of her soul. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 21,22,23,24,25 MEM+10 VIVA +5 [Assistant(copy) in service. Synchronization with the main Assistant: on.] Priam only needed to concentrate to feel Jasmine''s soul. The assassin had no secrets from him. The feeling of voyeurism disgusted Priam. Mentally, he compartmentalized the information he received. His system needed to know the temperature of Jasmine''s palm, but not him. Priam was not a pervert and saw no interest in spying on her intimacy. Despite the harsh contract, he wanted a subordinate, not a slave. During the next few minutes, Priam set the information he would receive directly. In the end, only Jasmine''s position, health status, and mental state would be transmitted to him. His Assistant would take care of the rest and alert him if there was a problem. Priam opened his eyes, and his gaze met Jasmine''s. "I can feel our connection," she whispered mentally. She continued aloud, "You''re not spying on me," she noted. "You have the right to your privacy and dignity," Priam replied. "I repeat: you are not my slave." "We''ll see." "Now, I can remove that." With a thought, Priam released Jasmine from her chains, and the young woman stood up. "What''s the first mission?" Priam smiled, getting up as well. He walked a few steps away, checking the stability of their connection. Log-a-rhythm operated as a relay, and the connection between the two systems was clear. "Your first ''mission'' is to check the information your new system will send you. A list of obvious orders, such as ''Show good faith when following my commands,'' ''Don''t hide in some unlikely place between missions, waiting for fifty years,'' ''Don''t deceive me by omission,'' etc." "You''re a bit paranoid." "You tried to assassinate me," Priam retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Once you''re familiar with the rules, we''ll find you a place to sleep. Any preferences?" Jasmine shrugged. "I prefer lying down to standing." "Like most people. Anything else?" "... I like it when it''s not raining on me." Priam burst into laughter for several seconds before stopping, noticing Jasmine''s dark expression. "Wait, are you serious?" Jasmine''s gaze remained hard. "All right, come with me. It''s not a luxury hotel, but it should suit you." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 637 MENTAL: Vivacity 352 (+10) Dexterity 444 Memory 182 (+24) Willpower 694 (+12) Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1042 (+23) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 42 minutes 59 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 14 hours 16 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 155: Nocturnal Confessions Skull Temple - Thirteen hours before Kazuki''s Tribulations. Calm and collected, Kazuki stretched upon emerging from the basin. The contact of his feet with the stone created a fleeting wave of light that spread across the marble before vanishing a few meters away. It was the sole illumination in a dark world, revealing a physically fit hoplite. He was healthy, yet his features were strained. Kazuki took a few steps forward without a single glance backward. He knew he would see a heavy double door. The exit was as close as it was tempting. For him, it was synonymous with death. After a few meters, he entered a tunnel and passed by a mirror. In fiery letters, ¡®fifty-nine percent¡¯ was displayed. The reflective object displaying his progress was the only witness to the warrior''s nudity. Here, clothes did not last long. Beyond the mirror, Kazuki reached a large bowl. Unaware of its original purpose, Kazuki used it to count. Clenching his jaws, he broke one of his teeth before tossing the fragment into the bowl. Attempt number four hundred and twenty-three. Once his ritual was complete, the warrior plunged into the darkness. The light produced by his steps began to diminish in intensity. Kazuki prepared himself. Two meters ahead, the sound of a click warned him. Kazuki shifted to his right, dodging a crossbow bolt. The temple then shot two more. Then four. Then eight. Kazuki used a bolt caught in mid-air to deflect those he couldn''t dodge. The fifth ambush was devious. Eleven bolts shot forth when Kazuki had only heard ten clicks. It was where the warrior had been hit the first time. Now, he could easily avoid all eleven projectiles. He never knew where they came from, but their number remained constant. After a hundred meters, Kazuki stopped. The tiny waves of light caused by his movements disappeared. He stood before a hole. The hoplite warrior took a leap, covering more than ten meters¡ªa ridiculous distance under normal circumstances, but formidable given his attributes limited to a hundred. With Elysium''s gravity, it was barely enough to clear the gap. He landed in a controlled roll and continued on his way. Kazuki walked fifty more meters before reaching the second hole. During his second leap, he had to deflect a crossbow bolt mid-air. Seven minutes later, five hundred eighty meters from his starting point, he paused briefly to catch his breath. The toughest part was yet to come. Gritting his teeth, Kazuki gained some momentum and jumped. He landed eight meters further on an invisible pole in the middle of the void. Balancing on one foot, he deflected about fifteen bolts, each attempting to destabilize him. Not a single projectile touched him, saving him from contact poison. Without wasting time, the Champion hoplite stood up and leaped forward. The pole disappeared into the void the next moment. The second pole was a waste of time. Kazuki placed one foot on it before continuing his path. A crossbar appeared. Kazuki bit his bolt to grab the bar with both hands. With a thrust of his hips, he flew just in time. Behind him, the bar collapsed into the void. Kazuki landed on the cold marble and began to run. The ground exploded behind him, hurling large debris that he instinctively avoided. It''s now. The obstacle Kazuki had never crossed before. The endless void. The ground disappeared abruptly. Kazuki''s foot positioned itself on the edge of the hole and, using Micro, he overclocked his muscles to leap. Ten meters, nothing. Eleven meters, nothing. Twelve meters, nothing. Kazuki started to descend. Was there a trick? It was impossible to jump farther with his ordeal-limited attributes. Suddenly, a click. A crossbow bolt had just been fired. Kazuki contorted with a pirouette. The projectile passed a centimeter from his left foot. Instinctively, Kazuki kicked. The bolt was heavy. So heavy that the recoil allowed Kazuki to gain half a meter. A second bolt pierced his thigh, sending Kazuki onto sharp spikes. He died a few minutes later, exsanguinated. At the temple''s entrance, the surface of the basin stirred as a body resurfaced. Climbing the steps quickly, Kazuki displayed a fierce smile. His reflection in the mirror showed no scratches. As if it were a game, his death simply forced him to start all over again. The temple challenged him, pushing back the limits of his body and bringing him closer to Micro II. The training was cruel but necessary, for the Supremacy was his only hope of surviving his Tribulations. Kazuki quickly broke one of his teeth in the bowl before plunging into the darkness. Attempt number four hundred and twenty-four. The Tribulations would begin in thirteen hours. "I don''t intend to harm you," Priam said in his gentlest voice. Muyri curled up even more against Log-a-rhythm, and the young man sighed. The night had fallen completely, and despite the low light, Priam could discern tears wetting the scars of the young Empyrean. "Do you have any advice?" he asked Jasmine. She blinked before looking at her boss. "She''s afraid of you." "I can see that, but why?" "Perhaps she thinks you''ll enslave her?" "She''ll come to understand that this isn''t the case." Jasmine shrugged, and Priam sighed. "It''s night, and my father is sleeping. Accompany her to sleep; I''ll leave you my room for tonight," he decided. They would have time to prepare the assassin''s room tomorrow. Jasmine''s gaze turned to Myuri. "She wouldn''t have lasted three days in Arkana before ending up drugged in a brothel." "Charming city." "Not really." Jasmine approached the slave and took her into her arms. Myuri''s tremors subsided, but her eyes continued to search for Priam. She refused to meet his gaze but still tried to figure out where he was. Jasmine''s proximity didn''t seem to frighten her. Is she androphobic? What has this damn prince done to you? Priam stepped away before Myuri misinterpreted his anger. Behind him, the two young women disappeared into Log-a-rhythm. Now, let¡¯s see Rose. Under the red glow of the Necromoon shining in the sky, Priam walked towards the Menhir of Secrets. He glanced quickly at the bone stairs that had swallowed Kazuki. Good luck, my friend. Only one silhouette remained near the Menhir. After more than two hours, most pressing questions must have been asked, and most of his acquaintances had retired to sleep. They would review the news tomorrow. Priam approached and sat on the grass. "I feel like I''m sitting on a cloud," he smiled. "Alain asked Log-a-rhythm to modify the grass in the clearing. It''s like nature is giving us a hug," Rose smiled. "Best tree in this damn world. Aren''t you sleeping with Sphinx?" Rose shook her head. "She mumbles in her sleep. I don''t hate ASMR, but I don¡¯t want to ponder her riddles all night." "Overthinking and not sleeping. I know that feeling," Priam grimaced. Rose turned to him, locking her eyes with his. "Really? I thought you never slept?" Priam shook his head, plucking a few strands of grass. "With my constitution and vitality, I can stay awake and sharp longer. Plus, when I die, it gives me the equivalent of an optimal night''s sleep." There was another reason Priam kept to himself. I don''t have time to lose if I want to catch up with my rivals. It¡¯s not like a machine like Arnold needs to sleep, he thought while starting to weave the strands of grass together. "Don''t you miss dreaming?" A gust of wind picked up, and Rose shivered in the cold. Her clothes were thin, and Priam moved slightly closer. Using his Domain, he warmed the surrounding air to the temperature of a warm summer evening. "Thank you," Rose smiled. "You''re welcome. I still dream, I think. Between my death and the moment my soul becomes conscious again, there''s a short period. In those moments, my mind is truly free. And you?" "... I dream of Mom and Dad. They are with me and we explore this new world together." Priam looked at the menhir. "What did the Guardian say?" "There''s a possibility to resurrect my mother with Legendary rewards. The upcoming Necromoon event could help. But that won''t be enough to bring back my father." "I destroyed his soul." Priam had used [There is no Heaven] because he liked his enemies to stay dead. He didn''t regret his actions but understood his daughter''s distress. Rose shook her head. "My father was corrupted by a Prince of the Depths. This being still has a part of his soul. I could resurrect him after slaying that Prince. According to the Guardian, it would be conceivable for a Tier 6 or 7¡­" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Bechar was several centuries old and wasn''t even a Tier 4. "... It''s good to have a long-term goal." Thanks to his Domain, Priam felt a tear rolling down the teenager''s cheek. He pretended not to notice. After several minutes, Rose cleared her throat. "I will become strong. Strong enough to resurrect my mother, then my father. I''m working on runes with Alain, and I enjoy it. It''s easy and natural." "I feel we''ll need you for what''s to come," Priam predicted with a smile. Dishnu and then Alain had demonstrated the value of runes. His father was a remarkable architect, skilled with his hands, but he didn''t have a particular affinity for runes. If Rose said she was talented, Priam believed her. "Your father told me you have an exceptional mind." Rose smiled. "We used to play a lot of logic games, and I beat him more and more often. It annoyed him a bit, but he still smiled." "The pride he felt for you was stronger than his ego," Priam guessed. Anatole had loved his family more than himself. "Despite everything you and the others told me, his love gives me strength." Some monsters turned into angels when they were with their families. Of course, Priam hadn''t had the heart to reveal the most sordid details of what Anatole had done to Rose. "And you?" Rose asked. "Me?" "You constantly push your limits, and we all admire you for that. What gives you so much strength?" The question baffled Priam. What made him move forward? Looking at the crown of woven grass he was creating, Priam thought about an answer. The clearing fell into silence, and Rose turned red. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to be intrusive, I was just curious..." "Don¡¯t worry, it''s an interesting question. I just realized I don''t have a straightforward answer. In the beginning, I was looking to save my father. I¡¯m still searching for my sister, but if I''m honest, that''s not what propels me forward. It''s quite selfish, right?" "You''re allowed to be selfish." "I am," Priam admitted, finishing the woven grass crown. "I think I''ve always had an adventurous spirit, but I was also cautious. It prevented me from fully living my life before the Tutorial. Now, my resurrection power liberates me. It makes me want to walk into the lion''s den to see what is hidden there." "And what does it hide?" "Even more monsters and ever more dangers," laughed Priam. "The more I explore the System, the more I realize the chances of completing the game are slim. It makes me want to achieve it even more." "It''s a game for you?" Priam took a moment to think before nodding. "It''s easier to see it that way. You see, I was the first of the Tier 0s for this year''s Tribulation in this sector. Do you know what I want deep down?" Rose shook her head. "I want to be the strongest Tier 0 in the Universe. It''s impossible, as some races have too much natural advantage, but I want to climb as high as possible," Priam said, clenching his fists. "What are you going to do when you get there?" "I''ll eat a dragon steak," laughed Priam. "It must taste good... Have you always been like this?" "I think so. In video games or at school, I wanted to be the best. I''ve always been competitive, and my bloodlines make me even more so. I want to be the strongest to be the freest." Uttering these words, Priam''s heart raced. This sentence summed up exactly what he wanted. "You can''t stand having someone above you,¡± Rose understood. "Yeah," Priam admitted. "They always say there''s a higher mountain. I want to be the sun that dominates those mountains. Sometimes I feel ashamed looking at Kazuki. Behind each step he takes, there is the will to save his family and his race." "He''s terrifyingly intense," Rose acknowledged. "It¡¯s impressive, but I don''t have such a sense of duty. I like plunging Promesse into the bodies of terrifying beasts, and I like the world bending to my will. I want to cultivate my concepts, understand magic, and make Log-a-rhythm grow." Priam pointed to the Necromoon covering the world in bloody hues. "You see, it''s the kind of thing that annoys me incredibly. This cursed moon fills me with terror without even being aware of my existence... It pisses me off. I want to destroy it with my own hands." Rose smiled. "Maybe you''ll do it." ¡°Maybe.¡± Priam placed the woven grass crown on his head. "Too small." "A king isn¡¯t free; a crown doesn''t suit you," Rose teased. Priam burst into laughter before handing the crown to Rose. "For you, the future best arcanist in this world. I know you''ll impress us." Rose blushed as she received the crown. "I will!" ¡°I¡¯m going back to train. Bye Rose, sleep well.¡± Priam leaped to his feet, heading towards the river. Behind him, Rose quickly stood up before shouting. "You''ll have to let me taste dragon meat!" the teenager yelled. The rays of the three suns were beginning their celestial battle against the Necromoon''s sinister influence. Elysium was bathed in the golden glow of the three stars as morning dew adorned the clearing with minuscule droplets. Priam meditated on a solid aether platform a few centimeters above the river. With the aid of [Aether Manipulation], he had crafted a thin surface resilient enough to bear his weight. His Assistant maintained the creation, his mind preoccupied by the flame dancing between his fingers. Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 25,26,27,28 META (PERC) +12 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 22,23,24 META (PERC) +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (FOCUS) +3 Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 28, 29, 30, 31 PERC +4 WILL +8 In addition to his heat resistance, Priam''s innate Phoenix gift allowed him to control small flames. During the last Concept Archipelago analysis, his Assistant had uncovered that the Phoenix Prince had left something at the heart of the sun. Priam then remembered that he possessed the bloodline of one of the most powerful creatures in the Universe. A power he had completely neglected. The Phoenix bloodline surely had a purpose beyond lighting candles, and Priam was determined to discover it. His instinct whispered that it would be one way to complete his build. Whether as supernovas or concentrated points, flames could fulfill various roles. It wasn''t for nothing that they were the most represented power in manga. Unfortunately, the origin of his power eluded Priam. He had spent the last few hours attempting to increase the volume and intensity of the flame he created, to no avail. [Kinetic Control] and his combustion and thermal energy knowledge hadn''t helped. Something was blocking him. Yet, Priam knew his current bloodline was potent. What am I doing wrong? Was he missing a concept, or was it because he was in Elysium? On the horizon, one of the three rising suns was the progenitor of the Phoenix. Perhaps that was why the flames summoned by Priam had a subtle golden hue. There must be something else. Maybe he just needed to plunge his hands into the sun at the heart of his world and find the answers left by the Prince. A smile stretched across Priam''s lips. A bold solution that would enhance his resistances? The more he thought about it, the more jumping into the core of a star seemed like a good idea. "Priam!" His father called. The young man shattered his aether platform and plunged into the nearby river. The coolness of the flowing water woke him as he swam to the shore. "You''re up early," his father remarked, seeing him emerge from the water. "I didn''t sleep," Priam confessed. The best way to be the first up was to be the last to bed. "I can''t say I''m pleased, but you''re a grown man." Priam smiled, transforming the water droplets clinging to his naked body into mist. His coat thickened, concealing his chiseled muscles. The High Human physique was impressive. "I thought you could help me plan our camp?" Alain continued. "With the arrival of two recruits and hoplites soon, we need to think about it." Log-a-rhythm''s domain was expanding, and new faces were arriving. Alain had a multitude of ideas in mind and sought Priam''s input. Relocating the Menhir, planting trees, constructing cabins, setting traps... "I''m all ears, Dad," Priam responded with a smile. It was time to build a base. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 642 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 352 Dexterity 444 Memory 182 Willpower 706 (+12) Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 374 (+3) Meta-focus 264 (+3) Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 147 (+16) Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1062 (+20) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 5 hours 45 minutes 42 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 156: To build the future Trees of Merit: [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. 12 Unused Merit Points. "I''ve struck a deal with the Guardian; I must create a Forum," Priam declared. Alain nodded. "Then let''s start there. We''ll figure things out as we learn more about this Forum." Refusing to dwell on what he could have purchased with that Merit point, Priam confirmed the Land Owner selection. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. ACQUIRED [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System''s Local Network. 11 Unused Merit Points. Frowning at the second Merit, Priam realized that the Local Network was likely a form of internet. If so, he''d have to invest in it later. History had proven that it was impossible to thrive without this revolution. But there was something more intriguing. In the recesses of his mind, Priam sensed a new option. He clicked on it. Land Owner: Buildings: Log-a-rhythm (Tier 0) Menhir of Secrets (No. 37,458 - Tier 6) One Free building (Tier 1): Donjon (Silver) Portals (set of two, 30 km) Baron Manor (200 m2 - Comfort) Underground Base (100 m2 - Fortified) Tower (30 m - Gold - Self-defense) Protective Enclosure (2000m - Reinforced) Training Room (200m2 - Reinforced) Temple (200 m2 - Priest presence required) Ziggurat (200 m2 - Decay) Tribulations Chamber (Reinforced) Aether Pillar (Silver - Abundance) Aether Well (Silver - Conduction) Power Station (choose one energy form) Forum (600m2 - Attraction) Fountain (50 m2 - Attraction) Inventory (100 m3 - Time Freeze) Marketplace (200 m2 - Merchant Presence Required) Workshop (200 m2 - Choose Profession) Guild Hall (200 m2 - Representative Required) Library (400m2 - Material/Digital/Mental Interface) Theater (400m2 - Comfort) Bathhouse (200m2 - Relaxation) Sewer (3 000m2 - Purification) Laundry (60 m2 - Purification) Road (10 000m - Reinforced) School (400 m2 - Silver) Hospital (200 m2 - Abundance of Life) Stable (200 m2 - Abundance of Life) Fields (400 m2 - Abundance of Life) ¡­ Sphinx Throne (5m - Shiny) ¡­ The list extended, but Priam couldn''t identify the other words. In a universe with an infinite array of races, many buildings likely served purposes unknown to him. Priam read the list to his father before sharing his conclusions. "Aside from the Forum, I''m interested in the Donjon, the Aether Pillar, and the Aether Well. I don''t know what they do, but they seem cool." Alain chuckled. "We could ask the Guardian, but it would cost us. Personally, I find it intriguing that the System offers a Tribulation Chamber. We''ll need to build one ourselves. The other buildings are only useful in a town of at least a thousand people, and I could build most of them myself." Priam wasn''t sure their camp would exceed twenty people. Elysium was too perilous to accommodate a large group. "Yeah, summoning sewers might not be useful." "Easy to say when you''re not the one digging dry toilets," commented Alain. Without hesitation, Priam confirmed the Forum. He had no desire to be involved in constructing facilities that would be useless to him. Thanks to [He Who Eludes Death], he no longer had this kind of problem. The System asked where he wanted to place the building, and Priam turned to his father. Alain had selected a location on the forest edge, about twenty meters from Log-a-rhythm. Without fanfare, as if not to alert nearby monsters, the Forum materialized. The grass was replaced by a rectangular space, thirty by twenty meters, just big enough for a small market. On the ground, the forum consisted of a mosaic of ochre and white stones. Sweeping his eyes over the place, Priam instantly grasped that the pavement formed a giant rune. "Attraction," revealed the Guardian of Secrets, approaching. "It''s a potent rune that draws people and wandering merchants." "Is that why you wanted it?" Priam asked. "Of course. I have quotas to meet, you know? Spending millennia answering to stupid animals, bloodthirsty beasts, and Skulc tribes is bad for my career." "I can imagine. Do you want to attract my rivals here?" The Guardian hesitated for a moment. "Not just them." Priam narrowed his eyes at the evasive response. "If this thing is going to attract people here, I''d prefer to know. Otherwise, I might have to destroy this rune. My family''s safety comes first." An attack from rivals could be devastating, but Priam was confident he could repel most of them. However, if a local or monster became aggressive, it would undoubtedly lead to a massacre. "You promised to build me a forum," the Guardian pointed out. "That''s what I did. Now I can destroy it." "... I love clever people as much as I hate them," sighed the Guardian. "Fine, just this once, free information. This rune only attracts neutral or friendly people here. Merchants, adventurers, pilgrims,... I''ll leave the rest to your imagination." "So, if a rival comes here, they won''t be hostile?" "Not if the rune drew them here." Priam nodded, reassured. He had more questions, but decided to keep quiet. The Guardian would demand payment for the rest, and Priam didn''t want to waste his Coins. One thing was certain, though. If the dwarf was expecting visitors, then visitors would come. During the Necromoon event? "One last thing: can you move my Menhir to the center of the forum?" the Guardian asked. Priam turned to the dwarf. "A Tier 6 like you making a poor Tier 0 like me work?" "I can''t move on my own. Or rather, it would break the protection the System grants me. So, if you don''t want an Immortal showing up to collect your poor Guardian, be kind and move me." "It''s¡ª" The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Later," the Guardian interrupted. Without further discussion, Priam got to work. After several seconds of effort, the ground trembled when he released the heavy stone into the center of the forum. Fortunately, it had no consequences for the mosaic. "Done! You mentioned Immortals?" Priam asked. The question had been burning on his lips since he heard the name. "The soul becomes immortal upon reaching Tier 7. It''s still destructible but impervious to time. In theory." "In theory?" The Guardian shrugged. "It''s my personal opinion, but half of the Immortals aren''t made for immortality. They go completely insane after a few million or billion years." Priam remained silent. Living for so long that you saw everyone you loved die wasn''t for everyone. I wonder if the Guardian... Lifting his eyes, he found the dwarf had disappeared. "I can understand them." Priam turned to his father. "What?" "The Immortals. Before the Tutorial, I was tired, sick, and you and your sister were the only reasons I dragged myself out of bed. I was eighty years old and had no plans to become a centenarian." "... And now?" Alain smiled. "Now I feel fit, young, and I have goals. Don''t worry about me." Priam felt lighter hearing his father so upbeat. "Speaking of goals," Alain continued. "Except for Blueberry, everyone has come to see me at least once to discuss the direction to take." "Oh? Is there a problem?" Priam had secured a safe base with Log-a-rhythm and hadn''t really worried about the rest. "None," Alain smiled. "We''ve been here for five days, and we''re all starting to get used to life here. Everyone is working hard; we eat a bit of fish and some berries, and so far, aside from the Necromoon giving me nightmares, everything is fine." Priam grimaced. His father looked tired, and with his vitality, that meant he was really sleeping poorly. The old man continued. "But we''re going to be here for another six months. It''s time to organize ourselves." "Meaning?" "Improve our living conditions, defend our base, optimize our training," summarized Alain. "Well, I don¡¯t know about you, but I''m training hard. Really hard." "I never said otherwise, and I''m proud of you, son. But currently, you''re like Rocky Balboa training with tires and makeshift equipment. It works because we''re in Elysium, but it''s far from perfect." "Do you want to build a training room?" Priam joked. "Yes." Seeing his son''s surprised look, Alain continued. "I''m serious. You have [Gymnastics] and [Fitness], right? I don''t think doing push-ups will help you upgrade them to rare or epic levels." "I''m not lacking in attributes, Dad," Priam grimaced. "I have enough Tribulations on my plate as it is." "You must be the only one with this problem¡­ Okay, let''s take another example. Do you have any skills you want to level up right now that are causing you trouble?" "Yeah, [Star Iron Body]. It''s maxed out, but I need a feat to get a truly exceptional epic skill. My two current proposals are... disappointing." "Is it your resistance to crushing?" Alain asked. "And contusions. It''s the evolution of [Blunt Resistance]." Alain took a few seconds to think before smiling. "We could build a sort of hydraulic press! Rose would engrave resistance runes on the plates, and Sphinx would increase gravity locally. Now, should I go with oil or water? I suppose that..." Priam smiled, watching his father speak faster and faster. The artisan was excited about his ideas and wanted to implement them. "Dad?" Priam interrupted. The question woke Alain up. "Yes, son?" "Do you want to crush me with a hydraulic press? Am I such a bad son?" he laughed. Alain locked his green gaze onto his son''s misty eyes. "As a little boy, you were always crawling toward the waves on the beach. Each one had the power to kill you, but you didn''t care. You haven''t changed a bit." Priam remained silent as his father found his words. "I can''t stop you from jumping into the waves, but I can help you become stronger than them. All I want is for you to survive in the end. If I have to build you a hydraulic press for that, I''ll do it." Alain''s voice had lowered, and Priam felt his stomach knot. "... Sorry for worrying you, Dad." Alain forced a smile before placing a hand on his son''s shoulder. "Don¡¯t be, I''m proud of you." The two men stood like that for a few moments before Priam cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "Where was I?" asked Alain. "You were trying to tell me it would be interesting to stop living like savages and build a permanent camp with facilities to optimize our training." "Yeah, right. Moreover, building is also training; you''ll discover other facets of your powers." Priam immediately thought of the Phoenix''s flames. The bird was a symbol of resurrection and abundance. Maybe the best way to tame his flames wasn''t to force himself but to use them differently? "Where do we start?" Priam smiled. "By building two tree houses for your friends." Neither Jasmine nor Myuri were really his friends, but Priam didn''t correct his father. The two young women didn''t need to be ostracized. "I''m going to fetch some wood." Promesse''s blade cut through the tough oak with difficulty, sending large splinters flying. Louis burst into laughter as the trunk crashed to the ground, behind the Forum. "Alain is going to scold us if we bring back wood with such destroyed fibers," the old man chuckled. He was right, and Priam grimaced as he saw the shattered base of the tree. Promesse was razor-sharp, but the wood proved resilient. Not enough to resist [Spear Slash], but enough to make the cut look uneven. "It''ll still be good for the fire," Priam replied, hoisting the heavy trunk onto his shoulder. He laboriously reached the forum a few meters away and tossed the wood onto it. Turning around, he found Louis watching him with an arrogant smile. Thanks to his Mastery, the old man''s tree had been perfectly cut. "Need a hand, boy?" "I don''t want you to break an arm, old chap. I have an idea," Priam said. In his last battle, he had defeated Skull with his Conquest Aura. A technique capable of slicing through Tier 1 bones should be able to deal with a tree. The only problem was that he hadn''t charged Conquest. Was it a prerequisite? Mobilizing his charisma, the attribute governing his aura, Priam summoned it and wrapped it around the tip of his spear. The golden mist that appeared showed no trace of Conquest. I want to retrieve the conquering aura that sliced through everything in its path. The mist lazily stretched, indifferent to his desire. Using his will, Priam amplified his aura. Louis cautiously stepped back as he saw the misty halo condense. The tree branches froze, and the wind fell silent. Priam, focused, barely noticed these changes. Damn. His aura increased, but not its sharpness. Promesse was more imposing but not sharper. Drawing on his memories, Priam recalled the last exchanges of the battle. The formidable power that had allowed a Tier 0 to defeat a Tier 1. Nothing changed. Without losing heart, he then remembered his desire to win, his rage to conquer. Like a force of nature, he had crushed his opponent. [Eidetic Memory] made him travel through time, and Priam''s mind synchronized with his past fury. A boiling anger engulfed him. A click happened. The golden hue of his aura disappeared, replaced by a bone-white color. A moment later, the halo merged with the blade of his spear. Priam, a murderous expression on his face, advanced and struck. His weapon effortlessly sank into an oak that would have stopped a shell. In a world-ending crash, the tree collapsed. The enemy was dead. The sound of a twig snapping echoed behind him, and Promesse arced. Its tip stopped an inch from Louis''s face. "There''s no enemy, boy, just me," the old man said with a gentle voice. Short of breath, Priam lowered his spear, dispersing his aura. His rage receded, and his heart rate stabilized. "Sorry," he murmured after several seconds. "No problem. Your technique is interesting, but you have to control it, not the other way around." "I... You''re right. Sorry again." Priam had nearly killed his father''s friend and had no excuse. Louis shrugged, smiling. "It''s nothing, I told you. You attacked so fast I didn''t even have time to wet myself." Priam blinked before bursting into laughter. "What was that, by the way?" Louis asked, heading toward the trunk. "It looks like my Mastery, but..." "An aura that uses my charisma," Priam explained. "Your Mastery uses your will. There''s probably a connection between the two, but I don''t know more. I still need to train." "Mmm." The old man seemed lost in thought, crouched next to the stump. "Well, the cut is pretty clean. Your arm trembled a bit at the end, and your aura wasn''t uniform." Priam leaned over the stump, and his Domain confirmed Louis''s words. "I''ll take care of wood cutting from now on," Priam decided. The marks would allow him to measure his progress. "After all this, we could compare your aura and my Mastery if you want," Louis suggested. "With pleasure. But first, the wood." They had enough resources to build the cabins. Priam loaded a trunk onto his shoulder and levitated the other two with his Domain. Slowly, he headed toward Log-a-rhythm. Louis rode one of the trunks. Hyshana swore upon receiving a priority notification. The Hoplite Champion was enjoying a warm bath for the first time since the Tutorial. Annoyed, she validated the communication using her ocular implant. Sound only. Ishaka''s image appeared in front of her. Only the head of the Supreme Hoplite General emerged from his mech. A new armor, Hyshana noted. "What brings me this displeasure?" Ishaka rolled his eyes. "We''re allies for now, Hyshana, so let''s at least be polite." Before Hyshana could tell him to go milk pigjahbs, the general continued. "Our scientists have just finalized the bomb. The mechs will be ready the day after tomorrow. Your soldiers?" "Ready as well," Hyshana replied, clenching her fists. They were nearing the goal. "The day after tomorrow, are you sure?" "Sure. The mechs are almost good, we are just reinforcing electromagnetic protections. Kazuki mentioned three suns, and that increases the risk of EMP. In thirty hours, you''ll have the green light." "Perfect." "When do you plan to leave?" "In thirty hours." With those words, Hyshana cut the signal and stepped out of her bath. She still had a few hours to train. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 419 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 642 MENTAL: Vivacity 352 Dexterity 444 Memory 182 Willpower 706 Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 374 Meta-focus 264 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 147 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1062 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 8 minutes 9 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 175 days 3 hours 41 minutes 22 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 157: Final Preparations Priam carefully placed his load at the base of Log-a-rhythm before leaping. At the peak of his jump, he used the trunk as a springboard, gaining a few extra meters to reach the first branch. The tree had experienced a growth spurt, becoming the Guardian of the Forest. Perhaps it sought to dominate its fellow trees, physically asserting its position? Climbing from branch to branch with the help of [Art of Movement] and [Climbing], Priam felt joy surging within him. There was something cathartic about using his powerful muscles to travel up the tree. In seconds, he surpassed Rose''s tree house, then Mirscella''s and Kazuki''s. Each hut was better crafted than the last, and Priam suspected that upgrades would arrive soon. A little before the top of the tree, a broad wooden platform constituted Jasmine''s future room. The assassin was already there, accompanied by Muyri, Sphinx, Rose, and Alain. Upon hearing voices, Priam froze mid-air and listened. "I would prefer tiny openings. Just big enough for ventilation. It will be easier to defend," said Jasmine. She can already speak French? [The monitoring system deemed it worthwhile to transmit the necessary knowledge to her.] Priam''s gaze sharpened. His Assistant could enhance Jasmine''s abilities as well. This opened up numerous possibilities. "No one will attack you here," replied Alain. "If people attack, I have the right to eat them!" exclaimed Sphinx. "Anyway, the openings will be secure," added Alain. "Really? Do you have anti-sniper glass?" "No, but I will inscribe boundary runes around the opening," explained Rose. "With the quality of Log-a-rhythm''s wood and its aether, it''s an effective protection." Jasmine wrinkled her nose in an adorable expression. From his position, Priam couldn''t see it, but he could sense it. She didn''t seem convinced. He wondered why, and his Assistant responded instantly. [Jasmine prefers small, dark, and secure places. On Arkana, it gave her the illusion of safety. She doesn''t like big windows but doesn''t want to offend Rose. She wants to integrate to gain the sympathy of others and prevent the Host from turning her into a puppet.] Priam could understand why Jasmine was afraid of him. The fact that she tried to gain the sympathy of others suited him. After all, Jasmine would eventually appreciate the others if she was included in the group. And that''s a positive outcome. With a thought, Priam replenished his kinetic energy before continuing his jump. He landed on the platform, and all eyes turned to him. Rose and Alain smiled at him while Jasmine studied him cautiously. Myuri began to retreat behind Jasmine before a yellow cannonball shot towards Priam. "PRIAAAAAAAAAAAAAMM!" Priam burst into laughter as he caught Sphinx. The young mythological creature was in high spirits. "Hey Sphinx! What are you doing here?" "I''m trying to learn alien riddles! Jasmine taught me one, do you want to hear it?" "Of course," smiled Priam as the others waited patiently. "I carry life, yet secrets hold, A liquid tale, yet often untold. What am I?" recited Sphinx. Priam''s superhuman brain instantly found the answer. A fluid that carries life... He only knew two. If Jasmine knew what was good for her, there was only one possible answer. "Blood," he guessed. "Yes!" Sphinx''s laughter was infectious and brought smiles to everyone. Priam noticed that even Myuri seemed captivated by the creature''s cuteness. He turned to the others as Sphinx perched on his head. "I heard what you were saying when I arrived. Would it be possible to install sliding panels on Jasmine''s windows?" he asked his father. "That way, she can have openings of the size she wants." Jasmine turned to Alain, who nodded. "We''ll need to create rails, but it shouldn''t be a problem. Would that work for you?" "I don''t want to bother you," said Jasmine. "You''re not bothering me! Priam, can you bring me a big log, please?" "I hear and obey," his son mockingly saluted. A few minutes later, Priam returned with a floating trunk behind him. His father asked him to place it on the platform before marking it with charcoal. "My skills allow me to measure exactly," explained Alain to Priam. "You''ll have to cut planks from the wood following the lines." Alain stepped aside to make room for Priam, who summoned his aura. This isn''t the time to cut crooked... He felt Jasmine focusing on the misty halo while Myuri watched him. The power of his charisma made the slave forget her fear. Once again, Priam realized the need for progress. Remaining Tier 0 meant accepting that anyone too powerful could turn his life to ashes. Shaking his head, he refocused. With the help of [Eidetic Memory], he retrieved the sensation of rage that produced Conquest. As his aura began to turn bone-white, Priam activated [Emotional Discipline]. He needed his fury, but it had to serve him and not the other way around. The skill refined and purified his anger. The world lost its other colors as the aura became more intense. Priam began to cut. With his dexterity and Micro, it was child''s play. In a few seconds, the half-trunk disappeared, leaving behind about twenty planks. Log-a-rhythm absorbed the useless debris. Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 15 STR +1 "Perfect," said a voice in the distance. Priam''s arm trembled. Where were the rest of his enemies? Conquest had been summoned and was now demanding blood. For a second, Priam remained paralyzed, torn between his will and destructive whispers. [Emotional anomaly detected. Activating countermeasures.] His Assistant reactivated [Emotional Discipline], partially draining him of his rage. The sudden ebbing of his anger left Priam stunned. It was a gentle pat from Sphinx that finally woke him up. Promesse lost its lethal white glow, and Priam began to breathe again. He forced a strained smile as he turned around. His mental battle had lasted less than a second, and only Jasmine looked at him curiously. Kneeling, Alain was already marking some planks. "There, there, and there," he indicated to Rose, who nodded. "We''re going to start assembling the base of the walls," continued the craftsman, taking a plank under his arm. Curious, Priam followed his father as his hearts calmed down. Alain placed the plank perpendicular to the ground at the platform''s edge. Priam had done an excellent job, and its dimensions matched perfectly with the desired length. Once the plank was in place, Alain tapped the wooden base, and it magically hollowed out. A three-centimeter-wide and ten-centimeter-deep slot appeared in Log-a-rhythm wood. "Log-a-rhythm didn''t even ask for my opinion," said Priam, surprised. "That''s because I didn''t ask him anything. I have a skill to manipulate wood, but it consumes a lot of aether," replied Alain, embedding the plank in the slot. "No nails or screws needed!" Jasmine opened her mouth but closed it. "Do you have a question?" asked Priam. No question was stupid, and he wanted his subordinate not to hesitate to ask. That''s how they would avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. "Why don''t you ask Log-a-rhythm to form huts directly?" "I wish I could. In its internal space, Log-a-rhythm can easily manipulate its wood. That''s how it was able to create all the items we used yesterday to learn to communicate. Outside, it is more limited. Creating a cup or a chair slightly slows its growth, but creating a hut would burden him." "Also, it allows me to be useful," smiled Alain, taking a second plank. Priam stepped forward to touch the first plank embedded by his father. It disappeared halfway into the ground. There didn''t seem to be any separation between the plank and Log-a-rhythm platform. Weird. Even if the dimensions were perfect to the hundredth of a millimeter, the wood of the board should have twisted, contracted or expanded under the effect of heat and humidity. Here, the wood seemed to have fused with Log-a-rhythm. "I manipulated the wood to make it fit," explained Alain, seeing his son''s skeptical look. "Log-a-rhythm will bathe the embedded part with its sap, moistening the wood, which will expand, locking the plank. It''s very sturdy. Here, help me." Priam lifted a second plank that his father stacked on the first. Alain closed his eyes for a few seconds before stepping away. The second plank held without glue. "I created male and female parts in the wood to interconnect the planks. It replaces glue or screws." "Clever." Over the next three hours, Alain and Priam continued to lay down the different planks, gradually building the walls. The craftsman had Priam cut a door and openings for windows. Rose took care of the windows, engraving runes directly onto the wood. Her calligraphy was precise, and Priam found the rune combinations interesting. While Alain finished the rails for the sliding windows, Rose explained to Priam that the runes drew their power from Log-a-rhythm. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Rather than the ambient aether, Log-a-rhythm''s energy fuels the runes. It strengthens their affinity and, thus, the power of the boundary. In short, only what is allowed by the tree can enter the room. It''s not exactly a shield, but this rune was cheaper in Potential," confessed Rose. As she spoke, the runes connected. A force field was activated, preventing objects from entering the empty frame. An hour later, the hut was finished. Alain had just brought the final touches to the roof while Rose completed a temperature enchantment. Priam noticed that Rose''s new runes were multi-functional. Heat, one of the runes exchanged with the Guardian, could just as easily increase the comfort of a house as harm an opponent. Rose didn''t plan on staying weak. "Does it match what you wanted?" Alain turned to Jasmine. The young woman was looking at the hammock that Louis had delivered. The old man had woven the net using silk in record time. Running her hand over the soft thread, the assassin stepped forward to open her windows. Outside, the view of the surrounding forest was splendid. She stayed still for a moment before closing the shutters, plunging the room into darkness. The twenty-square-meter hut was still entirely to be decorated, but Priam smiled, sensing the evolution of Jasmine''s feelings. The young woman had initially been skeptical but was starting to understand that it wasn''t a joke. "Is this really for me?" her eyes asked Priam. "It''s really for you." Jasmine took a deep breath before turning to Alain and Rose. "That¡¯s fucking nice!¡± Seeing Alain raise an eyebrow, she coughed. ¡°I mean, thank you." "My pleasure," smiled Alain. "No problem!" exclaimed Rose before leaving, followed by Alain and Louis. "And now?" Jasmine asked Priam. "For now, I''m going to help my father. Your skill set isn''t useful for building, so take the opportunity to train. If you can, find Mirscella; you both have things to learn from each other." "And if she refuses?" "Then train on your own. The Necromoon is coming." Jasmine looked around one last time before smiling. "Thank you," she whispered before disappearing. She had blended into the shadows as Priam could blend into his mist. Without the add-on planted in her soul, Priam would have been unable to spot her. The gratitude made him smile. Even if she had tried to kill him, Jasmine wasn''t a bad person. She was just merciless toward strangers. Probably a survival reflex. A movement caught Priam''s attention. Myuri had distanced herself from him as much as possible before curling up in a corner. The sight saddened him. But if I try to approach her, it''ll be worse. He needed to start by making her comfortable, but who could take care of her? The former slave''s androphobia was severe, ruling out men. Jasmine and Mirscella had to train, and Rose was busy. That left only... "Hey Sphinx," Priam whispered. "Mmh?" asked his friend, who was napping on his head. "Could you try teaching Myuri our language? She''s afraid of me, and I need someone trustworthy for this mission." Sphinx straightened up before nodding solemnly. "Count on me! Why is she afraid of you?" "... I''m not exactly sure. It''s an enigma." Sphinx''s eyes sparkled. The next moment, she jumped out of Priam''s arms and headed toward the former slave. "Hey, I''m nice so I''ll let you pet me." Priam left the room, leaving the door ajar. Closing his eyes, he felt through Log-a-rhythm that Myuri was stroking Sphinx''s ears. No one can resist her, he smiled. It was decided to wait a while before constructing a chamber for Myuri. Before deciding on the location and decoration of her living space, the former slave needed to open up to others. She would live with Sphinx in the meantime. "The most important thing now is our protection," declared Alain. Seated on a rock, a stick in hand, the architect looked in turn at Louis, Priam, and Rose. "The barrier isn''t sufficient," Priam acknowledged. "It has been breached twice already, and Dishnu simply ignored it," added Rose. Usually discreet, the teenager was professional and pertinent. Priam was glad to see her participating. "Dishnu will have a harder time crossing it next time," assured Priam. "Thanks to its connection with my system, Log-a-rhythm has learned to analyze each entry." Alain nodded. "Good. However, the barrier is not our priority. It gives us time to hide in Log-a-rhythm, and for now, that''s all we ask of it. I was thinking more about our Tribulations." Priam tensed. "Kazuki?" Alain shook his head. "Not necessarily. Our hoplite friend is not stupid and knows he should avoid triggering them in Elysium. I think he''ll pass them where he currently is." No one knew exactly where the bone stairs led, but they had to hope that Kazuki could trigger his Tribulations there. This would avoid announcing his presence to the entire Elysian fauna. Louis coughed. "It''s not a solution for Mirscella or me. Blueberry and Sphinx still have some time left because they are not part of a civilization, but our Tribulations start in a few hours." This explained the absence of the thief. "You''re not training?" Priam asked, surprised. Louis shook his head. "I''m on the verge of triggering a triple Tribulation. I''d rather not tempt fate with a bad level-up. A double is enough for me." "Yeah, don¡¯t court disaster," Priam agreed. "How do you feel?" "Relatively confident," replied the grandmaster, smiling. "According to the Guardian, my Mastery level is exceptional for a Tier 0, and I''m on the verge of the second Stage. Since the trigger, I''ve upgraded several skills to Epic and unlocked Micro. My problem is that I''m afraid of attracting attention." "We set aside some questions to ask the Guardian," Alain revealed. "Mirscella discovered that a double Tribulation could attract Tier 2s or 3s." "Well fuck." "Language, son. According to the Guardian, the monsters here avoid multiple Tribulations or pass them in special places called dungeons. That way, they are sure to be undisturbed. The problem is that most of these dungeons are too far away, too dangerous, or take time to be cleared. For Louis and Mirscella, it''s too risky." "I could maybe welcome them into my world?" Priam suggested. Louis grimaced. "I asked the Guardian. He hesitated. According to him, it''s a technique used by Tier 5s to protect a small number of descendants. However, the slightest mistake can leave conceptual scars in the world. Even if your world withstands it, it could damage it in the long run." Priam remained silent. As the name suggested, Concepts Archipelago had a particular affinity with Concepts. That said, the System didn''t joke about Tribulations. If a mistake cost him his inner world, Priam would be disgusted. "Have you thought about a Tribulation Chamber?" he asked his father. "Thanks to the list provided by the System, we know it exists. Nothing prevents us from building one ourselves." "Is it possible?" Louis asked Alain. The architect hesitated. "We have no blueprint or plan. The Guardian''s blueprints cost at least a silver Coin." "We don''t have a blueprint, but we have Log-a-rhythm," Priam pointed out. "It can''t help directly, but its wood is resistant to Tribulations. If we build a kind of cage out of wood in my world, it might work." "We''re not sure," Alain repeated. His father seemed undecided, and Priam decided to take matters into his own hands. "Louis needs us, so we might as well do our best. Rose, could you enchant the wood to contain the Tribulation inside?" "By overloading the runes, maybe... I''ll do my best!" "I''ll let you take care of that. Dad, try to build rooms that fit together like Russian dolls. If the first one breaks, the second will hold up. Louis, come with me. I''ll let my Assistant analyze your style and point out your mistakes. Let''s get to work!" Time was ticking, and everyone got to work. Mirscella raised an eyebrow upon hearing Jasmine''s proposition. "You want to train with me?" Jasmine shrugged, perched on a nearby branch. "Priam told me you were an assassin. So am I. He thinks we have things to learn from each other." The rival was moderately convinced, but orders were orders. If she were honest, she also felt indebted. She hadn''t done anything yet, but Priam had already built her a house. A house of her own. She had never had a house of her own... "I was an assassin before your mother even came into the world," mocked Mirscella. "I never knew my mother, so it''s possible," Jasmine replied, thinking back to the orphanage where she had spent a few years growing up. "But if it¡¯s a dick-measuring contest, then I''ve killed thousands of people in my life and gone as far as mission fifty-four of the Hideout." The thief remained silent, and Jasmine inwardly smiled. Mirscella''s camouflage skills were impressive, but not enough to surpass the fortieth wave. Jasmine was much better and had demonstrated it by tapping her new ally''s shoulder without being noticed. "... My specialty is deactivating mechanical traps, infiltration, and gathering information," the grandmother finally replied. Pride wouldn''t help her survive, and she knew it. "Stalking, shadowing, infiltration, and suppression. We''re pretty complementary," Jasmine remarked. "My Tribulations are coming soon. What do you advise?" Jasmine took a moment to think. Her new add-on sorted through her memories in an instant before proposing an action plan. "Wanna play tag?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 (+1) Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 642 MENTAL: Vivacity 352 Dexterity 444 Memory 182 Willpower 706 Charisma 450 META: Meta-affinity 374 Meta-focus 264 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 147 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1063 (+1) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 23 hours 57 minutes 29 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 158: Get a Room! A stack of wood floated behind Priam as his Assistant had advised him to use [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist] at every possible moment. The surroundings were thus saturated with an invisible mist, courtesy of his routine application. It wasn''t the most efficient way to level up, but it wasn''t entirely futile either. Priam was edging close to level sixty, each small advancement bringing him closer to the Legendary rank. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 50 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META (FOCUS) +4 So, with the equivalent of a cubic meter of crimson wood, he passed through the portal. Entering Concepts Archipelago, Priam circled the central pond and continued for about ten meters. There, a hole had been dug - the future location of the Tribulations Chamber. At the bottom, massive stones had been arranged and cast in a semi-rigid resin, a kind of magical concrete providing a stable foundation capable of absorbing shocks without the chamber sinking into the soft earth. Log-a-rhythm had supplied the tons of resin needed for the project. Approaching the hole, Priam deposited the final load of planks next to the already massive pile and leaped. Below, Alain and Rose, kneeling on the resin, were inscribing thousands of runes. Dissipation, Restoration, Boundary, and Purification followed a precise plan. It was [Priam''s system] which had theorized a two-dimensional circuit based on electrical knowledge. Aether seemed capable of assuming properties of ''lower'' energies, such as electricity. According to Dishnu, a runic circuit could take many forms, and Priam had the idea to draw inspiration from logical, electrical, and electronic circuits. The aether, generated by capture runes, was redistributed linearly or divided by passing through current nodes before reaching dipolar runes. Priam had only touched the surface of the laws governing aether circulation. Still, if other similarities existed, this could mean that aether particles produced aetheric fields and could be approached by laws akin to Maxwell''s equations. In any case, it worked, and the combination of runes formed a closed circuit where aether followed a cycle. All of this was still theoretical, and Priam relied on this experience to refine his model and correct its flaws. With his Assistant and knowledge, he knew it was only a matter of time before he unraveled the secrets of the aether. "We have enough wood," Priam announced as his father finished a new rune. It glowed momentarily as the artisan pushed his aether into it. Satisfied, he looked up to smile at his son. "I hope Log-a-rhythm wasn''t too impacted." To avoid interference with the Tribulations, the chamber had been designed as a hollow ten-meter cube with walls ten centimeters thick. It represented a bit over thirty cubic meters of wood resistant to Tribulations, all provided by Log-a-rhythm. "It produced about thirty tons of wood," Priam grimaced. It was the mass of a twenty-meter-high oak, roughly corresponding to his tree''s own mass. The announcement snapped Rose out of her trance. She looked up with a worried expression. "That much?! Are our defenses weakened?" "No, it emptied the reserves it kept in its internal world. I took the second level of Guardian of the Forest to speed up its regeneration." Alain and Rose nodded, reassured, before returning to work. Each rune was small, and there was a large surface to engrave. Log-a-rhythm''s status had slightly changed. Log-a-rhythm: Measurements : Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 37 m2 (+2, due to Log-a-rhythm''s growth) Status Current POT: 52 Passive gain: 200 POT/day. Available Themes : ¡­ Guardian of the Forest III (2300) (-100)(-100) Root network - plant intelligence I (200) (-200)(-100) NEW Priam observed Alain and Rose''s work for a moment before furrowing his brow. His enhanced eyes detected errors in the engravings. Under his watch, his father made another mistake. His dexterity wasn¡¯t bad, but hours of repeating precise motions affected the quality of his work. Rose seemed more in shape, her hands remaining perfectly steady. However, she lacked the measurement skills of the architect, and some segments were not long enough. Both were undoubtedly aware of their mistakes but hadn¡¯t the time to rest or repair them. Without a word, Priam headed towards the nearest runes. His Domain covered a hundred inscriptions simultaneously, highlighting the flaws. Priam knelt down before running his hand over a defective Dissipation rune. Its role was to distribute the forces in the material. The idea was simple: there was the same energy in a 9mm bullet as in an average punch. The difference was that the bullet delivered its energy over a small surface, causing significant damage. The rune transformed a bullet into a punch. As each rune was connected to another, the force would not only be distributed over the surface of one rune but over the surface of all runes. In essence, an attack would have to break the entire resin block in one blow to hope to break it. Simple, but extremely effective for strengthening the structure. Using his Domain, Priam channeled his aether directly into the rune to activate it. It glowed slightly in his eyes. Concentrating, Priam followed the flow of aether inside the rune until it encountered an obstacle. In one spot, the engraving was not deep enough, slowing the aether. Priam looked up to find a tool. His father and Rose each held a knife, and Priam knew they had nothing else at their disposal. He hesitated for a moment to summon Promesse before dismissing the idea. A three-meter-long spear was not what one could call a precision tool. He had encountered this problem before while operating on his father, and Priam decided to opt for the same solution. Without waiting, he created a tiny ice scalpel and took control of it through his Domain and [Kinetic Control]. The blade approached the rune before scratching the place where the aether flow was hindered, fixing the flaw. Once satisfied, Priam pushed some aether into the rune and smiled. The flow was now fluid, reducing energy losses and strengthening the enchantment''s effect. Priam turned to a Boundary rune a few centimeters away. Measuring ten centimeters on each side, it had the opposite problem. The knife had bitten too deeply, disrupting the aether''s passage. Priam quickly sealed the hole with resin. Without waiting, he continued his path, testing and correcting the runes as he went. Around him, thousands of runes awaited. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 51, 52 VIVA +4 DEXT +6 META (FOCUS) +8 Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 57, 58 PERC +8 CHAR +4 META (AFFI) +6 Lvl Up : [Aether Perception] lvl 29, 30 META (PERC) +6 Lvl Up : [Aether Manipulation] lvl 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 META (AFFI) +6 META (FOCUS) +6 META (PERC) +6 Lvl Up : [Enchantment] lvl 2, 3 META (AFFI) +2 META (FOCUS) +2 META (PERC) +2 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 26 MEM+2 Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. VIVA +1 Five hours later, Priam stood at the bottom of a resin cube covered in runes. Alain and Rose had finished engraving the runic circuit two hours earlier, and Priam had continued to correct their mistakes. Unlike the others, his speed had increased over time. His superhuman mental attributes had helped, but it was his Assistant who had really shone. The artificial intelligence had created and updated a model, enabling a quick resolution of each previously encountered problem. The skill had evolved beyond Priam''s expectations. Towards the end, his mind focused on one rune while his Assistant simultaneously corrected five others. This single skill multiplied his efficiency. The data collected by his add-on was analyzed and transmitted to Priam. Since it was his soul doing the work, this translated into juicy level-ups. Better yet, the level-ups were concentrated in useful skills. The next Reunion was in six months, and Priam wanted to reach Tier 1 before then. Despite the limited time, his competitive spirit refused a mediocre Tier up. His Assistant had concocted a list aiming for the optimal Tier up: [Pre-Tier 1 Objective:
  • Maximize the number of Tribulations at Tier 0 (consult with the Guardian).
  • To achieve this: evolve High Human into a Tier 2 race (hint: analyze Jasmine and Myuri).
  • Obtain Heavenly Dragon (at least one Legendary resistance required).
  • Attain Spear Mastery.
  • Find a Concept for which I have a natural affinity.
  • Secure the best possible reward from the Colosseum.]
It was a lot. Yet, each step was necessary. Heavenly Dragon would allow him to temper his body, approaching the realistic limits of Tier 0. This was probably the reason the technique mentioned a Tier 1 transition. To achieve this, he would need several epic-rank resistances and one of Legendary quality. These attributes would push his Tribulation thresholds beyond reason. The only way to survive was to evolve beyond High Human, raising the thresholds. The last Supremacy and the Concept were obvious, but Priam also planned to briefly return to the Moon through his [Hearthstone]. His instinct whispered that it would be the last opportunity to plunder the Colosseum. If the fifty-fifth wave allowed the creation of a small world, what would the rewards of the hundredth wave be? Priam wanted to know. A notification from his add-on resonated, notifying him that the last rune had just been corrected. "It''s done!" he shouted, lifting his head. Twenty meters above, a silhouette twitched. "... I was in the middle of a dream," his father replied in a drowsy voice. "You''ll sleep when you''re dead." The old man mumbled something incomprehensible. He stretched before grabbing and tossing a plank into the hole. Priam caught it with his Domain and laid it on the ground. Others followed, and Priam arranged them at the bottom of the cube, side by side. "We¡¯re good," he said, giving a thumbs up once the bottom was covered. "Coming!" Priam widened his eyes as he saw his father jump from over twenty meters high before catching him with Domain at the last moment. "What the fuck Dad?!" Alain burst into laughter, proud of his joke. "I may be old, son, but I like having fun now and then. I can tell you we did bigger nonsense when I worked on construction sites. Anyway, let''s get back to it." The kind of nonsense that had led you to have a stroke upon arriving in Elysium. Priam preferred to keep silent. While continuing to chuckle, Alain began to merge the planks together, creating a uniform wooden slab. "Can I jump too?" a voice asked. Priam looked up at Rose and smiled. "I guess if the old man gets it, so do you." "Awesome!" Rose exclaimed before leaping. A magnificent somersault later, she landed smoothly next to Priam. A few seconds later, the three enchanters got back to work. The wood also had to be enchanted. "Ain''t too shabby," Alain grinned weakly. "It¡¯s incredible!" exclaimed Rose, despite her fatigue. Excitement kept her awake, but not for much longer. Priam merely smiled, proud of the accomplished work. They were inside the Tribulations Chamber. Buried ten meters deep and encased in a gangue of enchanted resin, the ten-meter cube was adorned with runes. The golden glow of the runes accentuated the crimson light emanating from the wood. "Time to see if it works," Priam smiled. He summoned Promesse and motioned for the others to step back. A simple thrust left no mark on the wood. Priam knew Log-a-rhythm possessed Protection III, and nothing less than his most powerful attack could scar the structure. Enhanced by various Boundary and Dissipation runes, the true resistance of the wood was unknown. "You should step back even more," he advised. Rose and Alain crossed the portal opened behind Priam and positioned themselves alongside Louis. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. An aether cone enveloped Promesse as Priam applied Micro. His muscles tensed up, and the attack shot towards the wall. Priam felt a peculiar resistance, as if Promesse was sinking into rubber. Blinking, he realized his attack hadn''t even pierced the protection offered by Boundary. The runic circuit was effective. A gleam sparkled in Priam''s eyes. Enchanted with Restoration runes, the Tribulations Chamber could partially regenerate. He wanted to leave at least a temporary mark. Priam summoned Conquest. Assisted by his Assistant, he wove an aether and aura cone around the tip of Promesse. [Tribulation Piercing Spear], [Kinetic Control], Micro. The spear shot like a missile. Priam''s form was perfect, and the energy contained in the attack pushed the air away. A bang echoed as the sound barrier was pierced. Outside, spectators were blown away by the wind crossing the portal. Priam felt his arm groan as Promesse hit the wooden wall. Boundary dissipated part of the attack before letting it pass. The spear''s tip struck the wood, and the Dissipation runes lit up. Instantly, Promesse came to a halt. Taking a deep breath and dismissing Conquest, Priam withdrew Promesse. Where the spear had hit the wood, there was only a tiny mark. Without his Domain, Priam wouldn''t have even detected it. The next second, Restoration activated, erasing the damage. One of Priam''s most powerful attacks had been ignored. Priam was so surprised that the rage that had given life to Conquest dissipated. For a brief moment, he considered using his Breath before abandoning the idea. The room was large - a hundred square meters of floor space - but the Breath would hurt him too. "I guess it can serve as a panic room," Priam murmured. He was impressed by the chamber''s resilience. Apparently, so was the System. Title upgraded: [Apprentice Aetherist - Silver] becomes [Aetherist - Gold]! [Aetherist - Gold] - In your quest for knowledge, you''ve started to acquaint yourself with aether. There are many ways to manipulate it, and you''ve opted for runes. You''ve created a Gold-rank artifact. Your Tribulations Chamber is primitive but sturdy. Its runic circuit is well-inspired and will withstand most Tier 0 Tribulations. You should identify it. You got a room, but you lack the lady. META(AFFI) +15% META(PERC) +15% [Identification] [Tribulations Chamber - Gold - Tier 0] - Created by Alain Azura, Rose Williams, and Priam Azura, this chamber is recognized by the System as capable of hosting a Tribulation. As long as the user doesn''t leave this room and isn''t assisted by an external force, the Tribulation will be contained. A smile lit up Priam''s face as he left his world. "The System recognizes the chamber," he announced, turning to Louis. "Your Tribulations won''t impact my world." The old man nodded. "Then let''s get started." "Now?" Priam asked, surprised. "Don''t you want to wait for Mirscella?" Louis shook his head. "If I have to die, I prefer she doesn''t have pathetic goodbyes as her last memory of me. If I have to live, might as well spare her the stress of waiting. Plus, I suck at goodbyes." Priam was both impressed by the old man''s resolve and slightly worried. Nevertheless, it wasn''t his place to judge. Louis shook hands with Alain, ruffled Rose''s hair, and nodded at Priam. With a straight back, he entered the portal without looking back. "Good luck, old brother..." Alain murmured as the portal closed on his friend. Shaking his head, he walked away slowly. Priam remained silent. His father was rational, and no words could reassure him. He needed actions and proof. It was in Louis''s hands now. "I''ll train and monitor the Tribulations. Wanna come?" Priam asked, turning to Rose. "I..." Rose hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I had some ideas while building the Chamber; I need to run some tests," Rose replied, walking away bravely. Faced with danger, some crumbled, and others fought. Rose was a fighter. Summoning a new portal, Priam entered his world. Above him shone a blazing sun. According to his Assistant, the Phoenix had left something for him there. Priam planned to wait for the end of Louis''s Tribulations before diving into the star, but nothing prevented him from analyzing it earlier. Suddenly, the world shook. The Tribulations had begun. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 724 Agility 432 Vitality 547 Perception 652 (+10) MENTAL: Vivacity 359 (+7) Dexterity 453 (+9) Memory 185 (+3) Willpower 706 Charisma 456 (+6) META: Meta-affinity 408 (+34) Meta-focus 284 (+20) Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 170 (+23) Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1094 (+31) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 54 minutes 9 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 159: Icarus lesson ¡°What''s a slave?¡± Sphinx asked with innocent curiosity. Myuri grimaced at the question. Seated on a wooden terrace at the summit of Log-a-rhythm, her feet dangling in the void, the young woman pondered for a moment. ¡°It''s when you have to do what others want and not what you want to do yourself,¡± she finally replied. It was that and so much worse. It was the threat of blows when a task was not well executed. It was the pain of the whip when she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was the deprivation of sleep, food, and freedom. It was cleaning the bloodstains from the sheets of a prince who had set his sights on one of her stepsisters, trembling at the thought of being the next chosen¡­ A meow brought Myuri back to reality. Blinking, she looked down at the mythical creature nestled in her arms. ¡°Sorry,¡± Myuri murmured, resuming her head scratches on Sphinx. A purr of contentment later, Sphinx resumed her series of questions. ¡°But why stay a slave? It sounds lame.¡± Myuri let out a small laugh. Sphinx was an incredible creature¡ªshe had learned Empyrean in just a few hours¡ªbut the animal was a feline. Myuri had already seen such beasts in the Palace''s menagerie, and these wonderful beings detested obligations. Myuri admired them for that. ¡°Because we don''t really have a choice. It''s either that or great pain. In the end, everyone obeys.¡± Or they die. ¡°Didn''t.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Didn''t, not don''t,¡± Sphinx corrected. ¡°You''re no longer a slave.¡± Myuri opened her mouth and then hesitated. She looked in all directions but couldn''t find the princess¡¯ rival. ¡°Around men, I will always be a slave. I''ve just changed masters, that''s all.¡± Sphinx shook her head vigorously. ¡°Priam doesn''t see you as a slave! He doesn''t see anyone that way.¡± Yet, Myuri had seen how he treated the other woman. Not with brutality, but he clearly gave her orders, and she feared him. The former slave opened her mouth to respond before closing it. Sphinx looked like an adorable creature, but she had a master too. Even if she¡¯s cute, trusting anyone is folly¡­ ¡°Well, that''s good then,¡± she lied, smiling. Sphinx sniffed as she stood up. She locked her eyes with Myuri. ¡°You don''t seem convinced, but it will come! In the meantime, I''ll teach you French. If you''re a good student, you''ll have the privilege of petting me.¡± The internal world trembled twice, once for each Tribulation. Priam closed his eyes and focused on Concepts Archipelago to sense what was happening. In the Tribulations Chamber, Louis was already bleeding. The muscles and bones of his right forearm had torn, and the old man displayed a concentrated expression. He moved the rest of his body slowly, as if careful not to break it. According to [Priam¡¯s system] that had observed the beginning, Louis had moved at an incredible speed, and his body couldn''t handle it. Priam squinted, understanding that the first Tribulation was likely changing his physical attributes, increasing his strength and agility while decreasing his constitution. Louis was currently too powerful for his own body. It was even more dangerous because his heart was also a muscle. If it tore too... The Tribulation was clearly designed to test his mastery of Micro. The martial artist had to understand and master his body to survive. The problem was that Louis faced a double Tribulation. A giant white crab finished materializing in front of him. The creature clicked its ivory claws twice before turning toward the human. In such a confined space, it would be challenging to defeat it, and more so if Louis couldn''t move. The old man began to move slowly as the crab approached at the speed of a galloping horse. Its pace was even more impressive given the heaviness of each step. The boss''s physical attributes were terrifying. A Tier 0 Viscount. Priam would have won in one attack, but Louis wasn''t him. One of the claws struck the martial artist''s shoulder with force before bouncing off. Priam widened his eyes, seeing the old man''s Mastery in action. The Supremacy reinforced his body, replacing his constitution with his will. A second attack had no more luck than the first, while Louis began to stretch slowly, ignoring his opponent. Priam reopened his eyes, asking his add-on to monitor and record the fight. The outcome was already certain. Either Louis would advance his Micro control before losing the mental energy fueling his Mastery, or he would die. Good luck, old man, thought Priam, focusing on his own trial. His gaze turned to the sun shining in his sky. A star that held secrets. Without wasting any more time, Priam leaped. He stopped twenty meters higher, absorbing his kinetic energy to avoid falling. Five meters in front of him was the sun. A small but terrifying star. The phoenix prince had managed to introduce concepts beyond Priam into it. Despite its barely one-meter radius, the star produced a gravitational field sufficient to remain static without exploding or imploding. Its light was as pure as the Sun that had bathed the Earth in light, and a force field prevented Priam from being incinerated. Without it, his Concepts Archipelago would look like Mercury, a dry and dead rock. Five meters from the astral body, Priam felt only a pleasant warmth and strong brightness. As he advanced further, the force field intensity would decrease. The temperature would skyrocket, and the light would burn his body. That was Priam''s goal. The Necromoon was coming, and one way for Priam to gain power qualitatively was to improve his bloodlines. After his battle against Skull, he knew how to boost his draconic bloodline: defeat the descendant of a dragon and devour their heart. Hardly appetizing, but Priam had done worse to gain power. Such an opponent wasn''t necessarily easy to find, but he was fortunate to know a Guardian of Secrets. For a few films, Priam was sure to get the location of a worthy adversary. He could finally achieve 100% affinity with his draconic heart, thus improving his Title and gaining qualitative advantages. Scales? Wings? Why not a tail? Priam shook his head with a smile. He would accept wings, but a tail would be aesthetically and physically inconvenient. He would have to change his fighting style and relearn balance. But the dragon''s blood was not the only thing flowing in him. A phoenix was waiting to hatch, and Priam was almost certain the solution lay in this sun. His bloodline had merged two resistances [Thermal Resistance] and [Heat Resistance] into [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism]. By improving this skill and discovering the phoenix prince''s legacy, Priam hoped to take control of his bloodline. At worst, it will bring me closer to the goal of the Heavenly Dragon. His method of temperance required six epic resistances and one legendary. Without wasting any more time, Priam levitated towards the sun. Instantly, the temperature soared, forcing Priam to close his eyes. The light blinded him while the radiation already reddened his skin. The film of perspiration on the surface of his body protected him from convection for a moment before evaporating. Then, the ambient air transmitted its heat to Priam, and his cells started to boil. [Ambient temperature > 500¡ãC.] The temperature at the Sun''s surface was estimated to be around 5000¡ãC. Priam knew he wasn''t ready to accept that kind of punishment, but he had hoped to resist this tiny sun''s radiation. He was wrong. The lethal heat made Priam groan. Although Micro largely blocked out the pain, there was something terrifying about watching his skin blistering. He felt as if facing a Tribulation. After a few seconds, burns began to cover his body as his mist dissipated. If a spectator had been present, they would have seen Priam''s naked body hanging twenty meters high begin to char. My resistances aren''t high enough. Despite his constitution, vitality, and resistances, the sun was roasting him. For a few moments, the smell of his burning flesh nearly made him vomit before his olfactory sense disappeared. Priam winced as he heard his skin frying. The torture went on. Priam¡¯s overheated brain began to lose consciousness, and his eyes boiled inside their sockets. Priam hesitated for a moment to retreat. He could always ask his father to build a forge or an oven to gradually increase his fire resistance. Just before leaving the furnace, Priam observed his add-on''s information flow. Louis continued to try. Despite the giant crab trying to cut him, the old man persevered, refusing fate and defying luck. His face was a mask of concentration as the second Tribulation unleashed on him. Tribulations were terrible, but they were the crucible that allowed mortals to approach the divine. Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 11 CONST +1 Priam inhaled, burning a part of his lungs in the process, and decided to persevere. If anyone could do it, it was him. Who said awakening a bloodline was simple? He felt he was on the right track. It was by immolating himself that he had started on the path of the Phoenix. This pain was the origin of this bloodline, and Priam hoped it would be the origin of his enlightenment. Mentally, he used [Aether Manipulation] to push more energy into his resistance. [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] shone like a star in his body, being his most active skill at the moment. Thanks to his perception of aether and Micro, he could distinguish the meridians guiding aether in each part of his body, helping it resist and adapt. The influx of aether overclocked his resistance, and the heat became a little more bearable. The next seconds wiped the smile off Priam''s face. He felt like he was dying, and his body protested against the suffering he endured. Unfortunately, Priam refused to cut off the pain. It was as immense as necessary: he needed to understand the action of thermal energy on his body. Using [Focus], Priam focused on Micro, forcing his cells to concentrate his vitality on his skin. His cells began to regenerate faster. His goal was to survive as long as possible, letting his body adapt. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Radiation and heat destroyed his body while [High Human Adaptation] ran at full speed. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 20 VIT +2 CONST +1 [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, you''re entitled to a bonus. Choose from these three options: [Ember] - Increases your resistance to high and low temperatures. POT -30 [Ash] - Increases your chances of triggering Nirvana upon your death. POT -30 [Cinder] - Increases your mastery of Fire. POT -30 You have selected [Cinder]. POT -30 Something shifted within him. His blood began to embrace the warmth. The initial results were in, and a dry, cracked smile stretched across Priam''s burnt lips. [Ember] could have amped up the efficiency of his training, but Priam never lost sight of his goal. The torment he subjected himself to, this prolonged self-immolation, wasn''t just about toughening him up but to stimulate his bloodline. Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 12 CONST +1 In his shaking palm, Priam conjured a white flame using his bloodline. It flickered for a moment, seemingly frightened by the frightening sun. Priam shielded it with his hand. He sensed the flame much like he sensed his mist. Not as vivid, of course, but he felt it. He was on the right path, which rekindled the courage to face the fire and suffering. Bring it on! Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 21 VIT +2 CONST +1 After thirty seconds, the half of his body facing the sun was covered in third-degree burns. Priam then utilized the merit of [Three-Headed Hydra] to regenerate his skin. In an instant, he regained a normal appearance. This only served to postpone the inevitable. His nerves reconnected, and his suffering flared. Clenching his jaw to the point of bursting his teeth, Priam endured. To keep going, his mind focused on his goal. This pain was proof that he was making progress. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 22 VIT +2 CONST +1 Seconds ticked away as his resistance increased. His Merits, Titles, and Talents synergized to transform his body. Through Micro and [Diagnostic], Priam sensed his cells changing. Dead cells vanished, consumed by the sun''s wrath, while new ones emerged. Some perished too quickly to divide, but others evolved in a favorable direction, having time to multiply before meeting their fiery demise. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 23 VIT +2 CONST +1 The law of evolution applied to his body, subjecting his cells to the trial by fire. The process was as brutal as it was painful, but Priam felt his hearts shake in his chest. [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] was altering his aetheric structure and his genetic code. Priam was a High Human, the ultimate form of humanity achieved by selecting the best possible genetic transformations. Yet, he had to go further to unlock a Tier 2 race. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 24 VIT +2 CONST +1 Studying Myuri and Jasmine''s genetic code would undoubtedly give him ideas, but a new path opened up for Priam. Tempering his body, boosting his resistances, and then cultivating the Heavenly Dragon was another method to further enhance his genetics. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 25 VIT +2 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 13 CONST +1 The seconds had turned into minutes, and the pain became unbearable. Despite the increase in his resistance and constitution, the sun remained as impassive as it was violent. Priam was at the edge of his domain, but the power of the conflagration terrified him. Burns had pierced his skin, reaching subcutaneous structures. His muscles, bones, sinews and tendons were damaged, while a part of his skin was charred. The blood tears that trickled from his empty eye sockets left scabs on his cheeks. The agony threatened to drive him mad. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 26 VIT +2 CONST +1 The white flame still burned in the core of his hands, and Priam focused on it, attempting and failing to forget the pain. He wanted to stop. Despite his progress, despite the System notifications, and despite Micro, the pain was immense. His eyes were gone, and his lungs were destroyed. Priam had perished from self-immolation before, but he had partly forgotten the pain. His resurrection and [Humanity adapts] had forced his brain to forget to avoid going insane. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 27 VIT +2 CONST +1 Today, he remembered. His vocal cords had long stopped functioning, and only the crackling of his body could be heard in his world. He didn''t even think about retreating anymore. He didn''t even think about screaming or fleeing. The fire ravaged everything, creating an intensity of suffering that shattered [Focus] and Micro. An intensity that made the flame he protected with his hands flicker. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 28 VIT +2 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 14 CONST +1 Priam lost track of time and the idea of summoning his add-on. His brain was nothing more than a liquid pool of fat and water. At some point, [Tenacious Spirit] took over to allow Priam to still feel the pain. His body was half-destroyed, but the agony persisted. I''ve got to keep going. If I stop now, I''ll never have the courage to start again. If I stop now, I won''t have the strength to be free and protect my loved ones. These phrases looped through Priam''s mind, helping him to cope with the torture. Every second he gained brought him closer to his goal. The fire could burn everything, but not his will. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 29 VIT +2 CONST +1 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 15 CONST +1 Suddenly, something changed. His body was like a dying candle. Priam was on fire and would not survive. His soul, his Title, and his bloodline finally recognized his sacrifice. He burned like a Phoenix, simultaneously the fuel and the flame. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 30 VIT +2 CONST +1 Despite the solar light, darkness claimed his consciousness. In that moment between life and death, Priam was the flame. He was the Fire. The pain made him forget even his name, but it opened a door. He finally understood, not just scientifically, but profoundly. He comprehended the destructive Fire that was ravaging his body and the creative Fire that was reforging it. Light, heat, and movement. Flames were the symbol of a living universe. A life that had created humanity. Then again, it was the fire that had elevated man, that had given him the power to subdue nature. Fire was an opportunity, and Priam''s burning spirit seized it. It was time to rise once again. His soul awakened to a second Concept, and the Phoenix awoke in his blood. Pride and joy replaced the pain. Then the flame consumed everything. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 743 (+19) Agility 432 Vitality 578 (+31) Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 284 Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1092 (-2) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 38 minutes 51 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 160: Hatched Phoenix Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 17 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: VIT +6 CONST +8 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 13, 14 VIT +4 META (END) +2 Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 31, 32, 33 VIT +6 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 CONST +5 [Light Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Great Light Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [LASER Resistance - Rare] - You tanked a Wyvern''s Breath. Stupi¡ª Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 [Solar Resistance - Rare] - Sunlight got the best of you before you developed skin cancer. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 POT -20 You''ve chosen [Solar Resistance - Rare]. [Solar Resistance] - Life and energy provider, symbol of hope and divinity, humanity has always worshiped the Sun. Its light has many benefits, but don''t overdo it. Like Icarus, you''ve burned your wings. Your DNA is now fortified against UV radiation. Your cells resist skin tumor growth. Your Domain can absorb part of the received light, transforming it into aether. This skill almost got named Sunscreen. CONST +2 VIT +1 New Concept! [Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept. Destroyer, Creator, Liberator. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it. Bloodlines: Phoenix - 1% - awakened (T1) NEW. Dragon - <1% - dormant. Title upgraded: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] becomes [Hatched Phoenix - Gold]! [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - The phoenix within you has hatched. Its brilliance shines bright, and its flames are already trying to conquer the world. Burning Yggdrasil, boiling the seas, and replacing the sun, that''s the Phoenix''s path. You control most T0 fires. Flames naturally temper you. Being on the verge of death has a minor chance of triggering Nirvana. It''s time to spread your wings. Will you survive? (Of course you''ll survive, you cheating scoundrel.) VIT +30% [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 35 minutes 38 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 38 minutes 51 seconds. A couple of minutes later, Priam came back to his senses. He was lying near the central pond of his world, under the branches of the young magical birch. Blinking, he leaned against the tree trunk, smiling as he read through his notifications. He felt invigorated. "I guess that''s normal considering my newfound vitality. I feel like I could lift a mountain." By now, Priam was accustomed to attribute increases, but his vitality had surged by more than ten percent. Such a significant boost made him feel remarkably awake. I haven''t felt this way since I discovered coffee in college. Alongside his improved form, Priam experienced a strange sensation. Something in him has changed. This certainty puzzled him. Closing his eyes again, he focused his perception inward, exploring himself. A myriad of sensations greeted him. He heard the blood pulsing in his veins and the air filling his lungs. He sensed a slight ambient humidity, the precursor to mist. He discerned the currents of aether escaping from the siphon, increasing the ambient density of his world. He felt the faint tremors of the ground caused by Louis''s Tribulations. And there, on the verge of his soul, was something new. A white flame was dancing. As if delighted to finally be noticed, the flame approached his soul, stopping in front of a sphere of mist. His Domain and his first Concept had long been intertwined to protect his soul. It was time to welcome a new Concept. With a thought, Priam attracted the flame, which penetrated the mist sphere. Instantly, the mist smothered it. The two Concepts were not of the same power and didn''t quite blend. With a furrowed brow, Priam forced his mist to release the flame. The liberated spark began orbiting around his soul, pursuing the other satellite¡ªhis Assistant. Under the warmth of his fire concept, Priam smiled. The flame illuminated and warmed his soul. Better yet, he now possessed a new sense. A new world opened up to him, similar to the mist but different. It was hard to describe with words, but fire was now a part of him. Priam could now feel temperature gradients in his Domain and the light on his skin. Fire was heat and light. Its current image was a mere spark, but Priam knew it would one day be a star. With closed eyes, Priam turned his head toward the sun and saw it. Its light was so intense that it pierced through his eyelids. [Solar Resistance]. As if a switch had been pressed, his Domain began absorbing photons, creating a sphere of night. In the heart of darkness, Priam could still make out the sun. Not with his eyes, but with his new sense. The sphere contained flames, and the flames were now Priam''s allies. His Fire Concept allowed him to feel the fire, but it was too far away to influence it. As with his mist, Priam had to create the flame to manipulate it. If he didn''t own it¡ªif his aether didn''t dominate the fire¡ªthen he had to use his Domain to take control. Opening his palm, Priam summoned a flame. His Fire Concept created a reddish-orange flame that intensified a moment later. His phoenix bloodline enhanced his mastery. Quickly, the flame turned into pure white, radiating an intense heat. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Flexing his will, Priam sent the fireball towards a mound of earth at the other end of his world. The attack covered fifty meters in a second before hitting the obstacle. Priam felt the heat of the explosion and burst into laughter. "You''re a wizard, Priam," he grinned. How could one claim to be a mage, sorcerer, or wizard without mastering at least one elemental attack? But this new Concept wasn''t just for lighting candles. I''ll have to modify my fighting style. If the mist allowed him to move and conceal himself, fire would allow him to attack. A thrust augmented by Conquest was powerful, but adding a flame capable of melting metal would be terrifying. Better yet, if Priam could condense his fireball into the shape of a spear, would the attack benefit from his spear skills? The real question was: could his Concepts synergize? A boiling mist or a blazing fog would certainly be useful for eliminating a horde of weak enemies. Priam''s breath quickened at the thought. But before that... With a thought, Priam extinguished the flames dancing in the crater that replaced the mound. Fire was destruction, but also creation and liberation. At least, that''s how the system notification presented it. These last two points were important, for him and the phoenix that had apparently awakened within him. Closing his eyes again, Priam detected no phoenix within him. Fortunately, he was almost certain he could finally get some answers. Stretching his hand toward the sun, Priam connected to the spark that illuminated his soul. The flame trembled, and Priam felt a part of his blood shine. My phoenix bloodline is reacting to the fire concept. Feeling its call, the star trembled under the power of an eruption. A jet of plasma shot towards Priam. Less than a meter from him, the burning gas transformed into the image of a phoenix. A tiny phoenix with fiery wings and eyes as marvelous as they were terrifying. Is that what they call a hot chick? "Congratulations on unlocking your Tier 0 bloodline," said the bird, which couldn''t have been more than a few centimeters tall. "Well, thanks. However, aren''t you supposed to be dead?" Priam thought he had a monopoly on resurrection. "And why are you so small?" The legendary bird stared him down. "Can''t you tell the difference between a fragment of the soul of a phoenix prince and a mere copy of its memories?" Upon careful observation, Priam realized the image before him emitted no aura. It was simply the hologram of the phoenix prince in the form of a bird. "You seem less... imposing." "It was the quality of my soul that pressured you. Even as a fragment, it remained powerful enough to command respect," boasted the phoenix. He didn''t answer the question about his small size. The bird squinted, and Priam decided to change the subject. "I suppose you''re the legacy the Prince left me?" "You''re not one of my offspring, no legacy for you. I¡¯m more like an aid." "I''m missing a few feathers to pass for your son," Priam smiled. The phoenix looked at him for a moment before shaking its head. "No, even with feathers, you''d look more like a chicken than a phoenix." I''m going to turn it into a phoenix nugget... "Anyway," Priam resumed through gritted teeth. "My phoenix bloodline has awakened, but¡­ I don''t feel very different." Priam wasn''t foolish enough to tell a phoenix that their bloodline was useless, but he believed it was. The Prince Phoenix nodded. "The power a bloodline brings depends on two factors: its purity and its stage. Currently, your bloodline is awakened; it¡¯s the first stage. Regarding purity, you have barely one percent phoenix blood. The power increase is far from linear, so the effects are limited in your case." "Are you saying my bloodline is powerless?" The phoenix was supposed to be a creature capable of miracles. Their first king was a legendary bird that had become one of the suns of Elysium. How could Priam accept that one of the advantages he thought he had over his rivals was so disappointing? The phoenix straightened up to its full, tiny height, glaring at Priam. "Powerless?! This noble blood has bestowed upon you a Gold-tier Title. It has increased your affinity for many concepts. It has granted you unparalleled resistance to flames, light, and heat. It even offers you the opportunity for Nirvana, and you dare find this gift useless?!" Priam felt the temperature rise because of the phoenix¡¯s wrath. The air shimmered, and each of its words was punctuated by flames. "Sorry," Priam apologized. "I may have taken some exceptional things for granted." The phoenix crossed its wings, which didn''t stop it from continuing to levitate. "It often happens. The purity of your bloodline is low, but it''s not a dead end for you." "How so?" Hope could be heard in Priam''s voice. The phoenix shrugged its wings. "Normally, increasing the purity of our bloodline is challenging. Most phoenixes receive drops of blood from Ancients, get a reward from the System or seek the help of talented geneticists and aetherists. Exceptionally, they survive a Nirvana." The phoenix paused, expecting Priam''s obvious question. "... What is a Nirvana?" Priam asked. On Earth, the word meant the extinction of the fire of passions or liberation from the cycle of reincarnations. Priam suspected there was a connection with dying fires and death. "A Nirvana is a transcending rebirth. As phoenixes, our greatest pride is the ability to resurrect, a quality even envied by dragons. All phoenixes with at least a noble bloodline can resurrect¡­ Under certain conditions." "A noble bloodline?" Priam interrupted. "Don''t interrupt me," the phoenix snarled. "More than fifty percent pure. Upon our death, we can choose to trigger a Nirvana. It''s a sort of test of consciousness. If successful, in addition to our resurrection, our soul is elevated, enhanced, and baptized. One of the side effects is increasing the purity of our bloodline." Priam''s breath quickened. "Does this soul elevation make it apocryphal?" "Of course not; I just told you that the soul is baptized. Although it doesn''t involve the Seven Concepts, the Nirvana is a kind of High Tribulation unique to phoenixes. It allows a few chosen ones to possess a soul more powerful than their Tier suggests. That''s why we are so feared," explained the phoenix with pride. An idea began to germinate in Priam''s mind. The System considered his soul apocryphal. He was almost certain that his repeated resurrections strengthened his soul. [Soul density since Assistant creation: +3%] This impression was confirmed by his add-on. The problem was that the System perceived this increase in density as an error. For now, Priam wasn''t worried, but more deaths could lead to more dramatic consequences. Yet, Priam currently had no desire to reach Tier 1. But Nirvana could solve my problems! "How do you trigger a Nirvana?" he asked. "First step: die," the phoenix replied naturally. "Second step: reduce your body to ashes. Third step: accept the nirvanic judgment." Seeing Priam''s lost look, the phoenix added, "You just need to want to attempt a Nirvana. Your bloodline will connect you to the birth world of our Primogenitors, and you will be tested." "Oh, so you¡¯re aliens, too?" Priam asked. The news surprised him. "There is only one native race in this universe; all others have been imported. But let''s stay focused: if you want to increase the purity of your bloodline, Nirvana is the key." "It sounds simple. What''s the catch?" The phoenix blinked for a few seconds before trembling. Finally, it couldn''t contain its hilarity and burst into laughter. Priam watched the scene with wide eyes. Where had the majestic presence of the Prince gone? Tumbling through the air, the bird took almost ten seconds before managing to respond. "The catch is that by accepting a Nirvana, a phoenix gives up a regular resurrection. If we fail, our death is final. You understand why few of us attempt the experience," it chuckled. "Death doesn''t scare me," smiled Priam. The phoenix stayed silent for a moment before sighing. "That¡¯s why my corrupted self would do anything to obtain your power. It''s like a cheat." ¡°I guess this bloodline synergizes well with my Talent.¡± "Indeed," the bird continued, "Speaking about synergy, would you tell me why you haven''t invested your Merit points yet?" Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 764 (+21) Agility 432 Vitality 645 (+67) Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 284 Meta-endurance 210 (+2) Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1089 (-3) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 27 minutes 17 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 161: Fire Sage Surprise painted Priam''s features upon hearing the question. How does this thing know I haven''t spent my Merit Points? Suspicion replaced surprise. "Are you spying on me?" he asked, his tone icy. Like anyone, Priam valued his privacy. The phoenix snorted. "Paranoia is a quality, but I assure you I''m just a simple hologram. I merely sense that you haven''t unlocked the [Hatched Phoenix] Merit." Priam nodded as if satisfied with the phoenix''s response, but deep down, he remained cautious. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. "Well, since these points are scarce... The mere prospect of making a suboptimal decision paralyzes me." Priam despised the idea of squandering such a precious resource. In video games, he was the kind of person who saved before every decision. The Phoenix looked at him for a moment before sighing. "The System is still new to you; you have no education." Although it was true, the phoenix''s condescension irked Priam. "My father is an architect, not a phoenix king." "My father is a consort, not a king. I''ll teach you what I know, but you''ll have to deduce some information yourself," the phoenix continued. "To prevent our enemies from discovering our secrets or... our traitors from revealing them, we sign confidentiality contracts." Judging by his tone, the phoenix included itself among those traitors. "Even a prince?" "Even a prince. Nevertheless, my knowledge is sufficient to help you immensely." "I guess¡­ But why do you want to help me? You made my sun, and now we¡¯re even." The ruby eyes of the phoenix sparkled, and for a moment, Priam saw the shadow of a Prince. "I want you to kill the corrupted me. The more I help you, the stronger our karmic bonds become. Beyond a critical threshold, a confrontation will be inevitable. I need an immortal to fulfill this quest." Priam hadn''t heard the capitalized letter and assumed that the phoenix was talking about his resurrection Talent, not his Tier. Priam could fail many times, but each death would make him stronger. The time would come when the corrupted phoenix would perish. "Let''s say I believe you. What do I need to do to catch up to a corrupted Prince?" "Start by buying the Trees of Merit for the dragon and phoenix. Some other Titles may disappoint at high Tiers, but not these two." Priam had already acquired the Dragon''s Tree but chose to remain silent rather than vex the hologram. He summoned the Merits tab. Trees of Merit: [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - Tier 4: Requires a Gold Title. [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flames increases. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. [Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity''s standing. [To the Moon] - Tier 0: Time stops for one second within a ten-meter radius when you are in mortal danger. [Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Weathered] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System''s Local Network. [Primogenitor - Gold] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It''s hard to run away from a Conqueror. [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy. [The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth. [Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race''s Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%. [Doctor - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your skills and Supremacies don''t need to overcome your patient''s passive resistance if they consent to the operation. [Spiritess - Bronze] - Tier 0: The regeneration of your spirit leaves no natural scars. [Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - Tier 0: Allows your lungs to absorb oxygen present in water. [Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity. [Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters. 11 Unused Merit Points. So many Merits and so few choices... Priam would have wanted to buy everything. Unfortunately, Merit Points were among the few resources Potential couldn''t buy. Non-refundable and non-exchangeable, these points were precious. Despite everything, Priam knew he had to make the most of his resources. He bought the first Tier of the phoenix tree. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flames increases. ACQUIRED. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Increases your resistance to flames. 10 Unused Merit Points. The effect of the Merit was immediate. The flame orbiting Priam''s soul woke up before intensifying. Bathed in its light and warmth, the mental space evolved. The nebulous sphere, the seat of Priam''s identity, remained unchanged, but its environment transformed. The infinite black void surrounding his soul, his Assistant, his Domain, and his Concepts colored a deep orange. Title won! [Fire Sage - Bronze] - Your natural affinity for the Fire Concept (T0) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Fire is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it. Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity; the Sage''s path leads to the Zenith but must still be traversed. Remember your burning love? Victoire wasn''t your perfect match, but she was hot! META (END) +10% Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 34,35,36,37,38 VIT +10 CONST +5 Priam''s heart tightened reading the System''s taunt. The Tutorial was still an open wound. He used his formidable will to focus on the changes happening within him. Senses heightened, Priam watched the phoenix''s flames dance vigorously. The sun changed color, and the air carried the delightful scent of ash. Priam raised his right hand and summoned fire. Spontaneously, a glove of white flame covered his hand. Clenching his fist, Priam marveled at the flame that enveloped and protected him. He didn''t even need to manipulate the fire. It responded to a simple thought, and each new action taught Priam something new. He was the maestro, and the fire was the orchestra. The flaming glove transformed into a fireball, then split into three. Priam juggled with them for a moment before merging them into a floating cube. He modified its color, brightness, size, and temperature. The cube landed in his hand, creating a bead of fire. The flame nestled in his palm, seeking approval. With each exercise, Priam''s understanding increased. Being a Sage didn''t mean mastering the concept perfectly. The Title was simply proof that he had the potential to master it. He still needed to train, but compared to his mist, his fire was almost playful. Where the mist was a capricious mistress, fire was a soulmate eager to reveal all its secrets. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. In about ten seconds, as a flame rolled between his fingers, the soul flame representing his concept grew again. It quickly reached the intensity delivered by the mist concept. [Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept. Destroyer, Creator, Liberator. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it. Harmony - The only fuel your flames need is ambient aether. "You''ve already unlocked Harmony?" the phoenix asked, surprised. "With my new affinity, it''s... like an obvious thing," Priam admitted. "I believe nothing has ever felt so familiar." Priam was good at many things. He excelled in school and admirably slew monsters. Yet, manipulating fire seemed to be second nature to him. It was an incredible sensation. "Good, that means you have a very high affinity with this concept," congratulated the phoenix. "The greater your affinity, the easier it is to advance your mastery and the less limited you are. It will also help you with a Tier up. What is your affinity level?" "One hundred percent." The phoenix blinked, looking at Priam. "You... You''re a Sage?" "Yep," Priam grinned. The phoenix opened its mouth, not responding for a few seconds before exclaiming, "That''s impossible!" "So was succeeding in a quadruple Tribulation, and yet..." Priam boasted. "Erase that idiotic smile," grumbled the phoenix. "I tested your affinities after you assimilated my bloodline, and you were only at sixty percent. The Merit you just acquired increases affinity by ten percent. When your fire resistance reached level twenty, you must have selected an affinity bonus. There''s still twenty percent that I can''t explain..." "Is there a problem?" Priam asked, seeing the phoenix dumbfounded. "None, it''s just hard to conceive. Even phoenixes are rarely born as Fire Sages. For basic Concepts, only Tier 3 races or higher can have an affinity naturally higher than fifty percent. There are exceptions like elementals, but they''re rare." "You just said I had sixty percent affinity," Priam pointed out. "After acquiring my bloodline. I don''t understand how you gained the last twenty percent." Priam thought for a few seconds. "With my scientific knowledge, I know a lot about flames, combustion, heat, and light. Besides, I''ve always loved fire," Priam revealed. As a child, he had nearly started several fires by reigniting embers from the fireplace. The phoenix shook its head. "It doesn''t work like that. Knowledge, training, and epiphanies increase your mastery of the Concept. On the other hand, natural affinity is an attribute of the soul. Regardless of your mental state or knowledge, it''s not something that varies. You loved fire because you had a great affinity with it, not the other way around." Priam pondered an explanation before grimacing. He had several leads, but he needed evidence. Assistant, monitor my natural affinities and their evolution. [New routine created.] Priam refocused on the bird. "Anyway, I''m a Sage. Should I buy the other merits?" "No, change of plans," announced the phoenix. Priam raised an eyebrow. "What plan?" The phoenix pressed its beak, reluctant to answer. Generally, a Prince was blindly obeyed. Although it was now just a hologram, habits died hard. Nevertheless, if Priam respected his knowledge, he didn''t intend to become a puppet of a dead bird. He held the volatile''s gaze for several seconds. "I''m not a weapon. If you want me to cooperate, trust you, and help you kill your original, you''re going to have to treat me like an equal." "Very well," responded the hologram. "Merits change according to certain prerequisites. You can spend your Potential to modify them manually, but you''ll soon need this resource. Thanks to Fire Sage, you should be able to access interesting Merits. What is the Tier 1 Merit?" "It increases my resistance to flames." The phoenix nodded. "Take it. With this Merit, when your resistance reaches the epic tier, you''ll receive a better evolution." Priam had already noticed that some evolutions required specific prerequisites. Thanks to the phoenix''s knowledge, he would avoid some pitfalls. Without further delay, he validated the merit. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Boosts your flame resistance. ACQUIRED. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Contemplate Nirvana. 10 Unused Merit Points. Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 39,40 VIT +4 CONST +2 [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Hatched Phoenix Metabolism - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Hatched Phoenix Resilience - Epic] -You''ve braved the flames countless times; they''ve remade you. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 [Precocious Phoenix Organism - Epic] - You plunge your hand into the flames. Pain isn''t enough to deter you; you know your path. Impressed by your will, the fire''s bite turns into a caress. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 ¡°Nice!¡± Ecstatic, Priam shared his advancements with the phoenix. ¡°Don¡¯t take it. [Precocious Phoenix Organism] is an excellent skill, but you can do better. Your core skills should aim for an ideal upgrade.¡± Priam frowned at this revelation. ¡°I¡¯ve never had that kind of option. Yet, I''ve pulled off some pretty impressive feats.¡± ¡°Impressive for a newcomer maybe, but if you want to reach the Zenith, it won¡¯t cut it. This kind of upgrade is costly: four times the potential the skill earned you. I know it''s a big sacrifice, but¡ª¡± ¡°I''ll do it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I''ll do it,¡± Priam repeated. ¡°I hate the idea of not doing my best, and I need extraordinary resistances for my temperance method. What do I need to do to unlock the ideal option?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t have access to that data,¡± admitted the phoenix. ¡°All I know is that in my youth, my mother soaked me in a star before collecting my ashes so I could resurrect.¡± Priam looked up at the sun. ¡°Well, I know what to do, but it''ll have to wait a few hours. The third Merit suggests contemplating Nirvana. Should I buy it?¡± The phoenix shook its head. ¡°It simply increases your chances of a successful Nirvana; it¡¯s useless for you. Sooner or later, you''ll succeed. The ideal skill should change that Merit. Focus on the draconic Tree.¡± Slightly embarrassed, Priam revealed to the phoenix that he had already acquired the available Merits. ¡°It''s not entirely optimized, but your second heart is special, so I guess it compensates,¡± analyzed the phoenix after Priam¡¯s report. ¡°But Soul Harmonization, a Talent capable of enhancing the natural affinity of the concept of your choice? It''s not the ultimate race for nothing. Wait until your concept reaches Tier 1 before activating it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You have a hundred percent affinity with the Fire Concept, but it''s only at the Harmony stage. Next comes Symphony, Unity, then the Tier up. In most cases, the Concept specializes according to your preferences. For Fire, it could be Heat, Combustion, etc. However, as a Sage, you can refine your concept.¡± The phoenix''s voice was excited, and Priam smiled. ¡°That''s when you''ll start to snowball.¡± ¡°Refine my Fire Concept into what?¡± ¡°It''s a hidden option. At Tier 1, Fire can evolve into... Damn, the information is also redacted! It shows how rare it is. Anyway, with this concept, you''ll truly be part of the elite, equal to the emperor''s sons and the gods¡¯ daughters.¡± ¡°Equal to a dragon?¡± Priam joked. The phoenix gave him an incredulous look. ¡°You''re mad.¡± Priam shrugged. He had already decided that one day, he would eat a dragon. ¡°If we''re done, I''m going to train,¡± he announced. ¡°One last thing,¡± the phoenix stopped him, perching on his hand. ¡°This knowledge was a bonus. I have something more... concrete.¡± At the zenith of Concepts Archipelago, a sun shone. In the last few hours, the fireball had found company. The black, empty sky that marked the world''s boundary was now adorned with a multitude of stars. An attentive observer would have noticed that each star was, in fact, a fiery pearl. Sitting cross-legged beside his pond, Priam focused on the astral ballet he orchestrated. The flames moved slowly, some accelerating, others slowing down. The exercise was challenging and aether-intensive, but fruitful. After only a few hours, Priam had unlocked Fire Symphony. His second concept had already surpassed his mist, showcasing the importance of natural affinity, even with a lower Tier. [Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept. Destroyer, Creator, Liberator. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it. Harmony - The only fuel your flames need is ambient aether. Symphony - You can store your flames within you. Smiling, Priam called the thousands of pearls back to him. In a few seconds, each penetrated his body before disappearing into his blood, closest to his phoenix bloodline. The Symphony perk was almost necessary for what he was about to do. The Necromoon was coming, and Priam needed the means to step up his game. Focusing on the fiery river coursing through his body, Priam invoked the skill offered by the phoenix. ¡°[Phoenix Wings].¡± Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 773 (+9) Agility 432 Vitality 666 (+21) Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 284 Meta-endurance 231 (+21) Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1103 (+14) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 7 hours 2 minutes 29 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 8 hours 5 minutes 42 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 162: Mechanical Phalanx In the dark sky of Concepts Archipelago, a figure danced, leaving a fiery trail behind. The glow of the flames cast a supernatural reflection in the Fire Sage''s hair. If mist had invaded his eyes, the fire had transformed his hair. Each concept brought forth a physical manifestation. Behind Priam, a pair of fiery wings vibrated. Each was composed of forty flaming feathers arranged like the petals of a half-lotus. Their size and placement left nothing to chance, exuding a beauty that would have moved any onlooker. Too bad the only one watching was the hologram of a dead Prince. Analyzing his wings with his Domain¡ªPriam couldn''t see them directly¡ªthe whole seemed to be the beginning of a geometric series capable of repeating. Natural inspiration and a touch of mathematics had been used to make [Phoenix Wings] a sublime skill. But that was just the beginning. Forty pairs of feathers were a low number destined to evolve. Congratulations on creating a new skill: [Phoenix Wings - Rare]. [Phoenix Wings - Rare] - With wings comes the ability to fly. Well, not for the emus, but they managed to beat the Australians, so their honor is intact. Associated with freedom, wings symbolize emancipation and represent the dreams of many men and women. Today, you can finally explore the skies. However, be warned: the higher you soar, the harder you fall. This skill is the start of a series. META(FOCUS) +2 META(END) +1 Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 2,3,4 META(FOCUS) +6 META(END) +3 Being of rare rank, the skill was temporary and aether-expensive, but the phoenix had confirmed that one day, these wings would become semi-permanent. The ability to freely summon phoenix wings brought a smile to Priam''s focused face. After another barrel roll, he came to a stop. Levitating fifteen meters above the ground, he focused on his new appendages. His aether permeated the wings, while his Domain fueled them with fire. Attached at his shoulder blades, the wings exchanged Priam''s aether for fire. Part of the cost was absorbed by his Fire Concept, reducing his expenses. The heat released into the air was captured by [Kinetic Control] to aid his levitation. Thanks to his dexterity, Priam quickly took control of his fiery wings, but gaining two new limbs was a strange sensation. Even stranger was their connection. The skill called upon his Fire Concept to summon and manipulate the wings. The synergy between Domain and Concept allowed potentially perfect mastery of the skill. Now, all he had to do was practice. Thanks to the Harmony¡¯s bonus of his concept, their creation was cost-free. However, flying consumed his aether reserves. Reserves that were not infinite. [Aether Reserve: 189/235] With the help of his Assistant, Priam could now gauge his aether levels. He needed two aether units for every minute of levitation. This figure increased when Priam tried to move. His wings would vibrate rather than beat, and his speed would then increase dramatically. After over two hours of training, Priam realized these wings were not just meant for slow and steady flight. Any rare skill could allow for that. [Phoenix Wings] focused on speed and maneuvering. A speed that seemed limitless. The more aether he spent, the faster he moved. Killing himself was a real danger if he forgot all caution. Test number two hundred and three. Priam used [Aether Manipulation], sacrificing twenty aether units to his wings. The air thickened as his speed skyrocketed. Something gave way. He absorbed his speed a fraction of a second later, stopping less than a meter from the edge of his world. From zero to four hundred meters per second instantly, he calculated as his eardrums vibrated from the supersonic boom that just caught up with him. Not bad. Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 5 META(FOCUS) +2 META(END) +1 On Priam''s back, a fifth pair of feathers gained realism, and their flames took on a golden hue. The skill was designed to change aesthetically, reflecting its level. Each level converted an additional pair of feathers. To Priam, it was as classy as it was useless. "You''re a rather vain race, right?" Priam asked as he returned to the center of his world. "Among other things," the small holographic phoenix agreed with a smug air. "That wasn''t a compliment." "You criticize a lot for someone who just received a skill with unlimited potential." Upon hearing the phoenix''s words, Priam apologized. The skill was incredible, and the blueprint provided by the phoenix was as complex as that of [Mask - Epic], confirming the generosity of the bird. "By the way, in this specific case, you misunderstand our vanity," the phoenix said. "The feather color change has a purpose." "Other than social?" Priam asked while still levitating. The phoenix nodded. "Legend has it that this skill was created by one of the first phoenixes for their disabled child. The ultimate goal of this skill was to recreate real wings, as perfect as those of a primordial phoenix. At that time, the Seven had not yet captured any of us, so this skill was developed in our original universe." Priam nodded and waited for the phoenix to continue before furrowing his brow at the phoenix''s silence. "And?" he asked after several seconds of silence. "Do I have to spoon-feed you all the answers?" the phoenix sighed. "Before the Tutorial, did you have access to the System?" "No, on Earth we..." Priam widened his eyes in understanding. "Without the System, it''s challenging to assess our mastery level of a skill. The coloring of the feathers replaces level-up notifications." "Exactly." "Clever," Priam acknowledged. Not as clever as inventing a System, but smart nonetheless. "By the way, you mentioned unlimited potential. Does that mean I can upgrade this skill to the Zenith?" The phoenix scratched its head. "I learned this skill as a child to better control my own wings. I was so small that I couldn''t sign a contract, that''s the only reason I could teach you such a powerful skill. For the next levels, you''ll have to rely on the System because I''ve never needed its epic rank." Priam was disappointed, but it made sense. The skill was rare because it was suitable for newborns. That''s why I didn''t need to spend Potential to learn it. "If I meet the right prerequisites, will the System provide me with the next skill evolution?" "I think so," replied the phoenix. "Now that you have no more questions, you should train. The wings can also defend and attack. During the fledgling stage, juveniles are trained to..." The phoenix was wrong; Priam''s curiosity was far from satisfied. What were the other interesting Merits? How to better manipulate his aura? How to better master his Fire Concept? Questions crowded his mind. Nevertheless, for the sake of his training, he stayed silent and listened. Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 6,7 META(FOCUS) +4 META(END) +2 Louis looked regretfully at the remnants of his left arm. They lay on the ground in a pool of blood, flesh, and bone. One minute ago, his will had finally buckled under the combined force of the crab and mental fatigue. Despaired, the old man had decided to fight back, refusing to die without a fight. Saturating his body with his Mastery and exhausting his will, he had delivered a punch containing all the stress that the horrible crustacean had caused him. His vengeful fist had pierced the shell and shattered the Tribulation''s brain. Exhausted by the backlash, Louis had let his guard down. Adrenaline had accelerated his heart rate, and the blood pressure had been enough to blow up his left arm. "I''ll tell the others I did this while battling an Earl," Louis decided. "Or even a Marquess." End of a Double Tribulation. The air changed, and a divine presence descended. Louis felt his attributes return to normal, while a multitude of notifications spammed him. A portal opened as Louis selected his rewards. "Glad to see you in one piece," Priam smiled as he entered the Tribulations Chamber. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "I lost an arm," Louis pointed out. He considered himself a tough guy, but Priam''s lack of shocked reaction bothered him. ''Louis, how are you? Oh my god, your arm! You''re not even crying? You''re so brave, Louis...'' Is that too much to ask? "Ah, yes. With your vitality, it should grow back," the young man reassured him. "..." For a person with two hearts, this kid is heartless. Did I mess up? pondered Priam as he saw Louis ignore him. Smiling, the old man reassured everyone around him, basking in their congratulations. Louis seemed to relish being the center of attention. When Blueberry dragged the giant crab''s carcass out of the Tribulations Chamber, gasps of surprise erupted from the onlookers. The old trickster''s joy intensified. "You killed that thing?" Mirscella asked, her surprise unhidden. "With a single punch," Louis boasted. "Can we eat it?" Blueberry inquired. "It¡¯s a great idea!" "I''m hungry!" added Sphinx. "Wait a moment," Priam requested. He approached the corpse and analyzed it using his Domain. Unfortunately, his sphere of authority was small, and the giant crustacean was massive. Priam circled the boss before climbing on top. There! Above the monster, where its armor was thickest, Domain detected something. The last time Priam felt this sensation was facing his own Tribulations. [Tribulation Hunter] activated, easily tearing a concept fragment from the corpse. Priam sent it to join the others in the pond at the center of his internal world. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 8 META (Chance) +9 "It''s all yours, Blueberry!" As others gathered for the impending feast, Priam checked his reward. [Concept fragment: hardness.] A simple yet effective concept. Priam had used a purity fragment to enchant the aether siphon in his world. Perhaps he could use this fragment to reinforce the Tribulations Chamber? Either way, he was satisfied. His skill allowed him to benefit from the Tribulations of his allies. Too bad he couldn¡¯t use it during his allies¡¯ Tribulations. The System would tolerate no cheating. After all, Louis could have easily defeated the crab if its shell hadn''t been so hard. "Oh well," Priam smiled, heading toward the campfire. The training was starting to wear on him, and he was hungry. "What is this delight?" Jasmine asked between bites. Sitting next to her, Priam raised an eyebrow. "You''ve never eaten crab? It''s a kind of crustacean that lives in water and devours anything it can find, dead or alive," he explained to his subordinate. The assassin shook her head. "I''ve never seen the ocean, and lakes are polluted on Arkana. The fish are radioactive abominations. Well, I''ve had aquarium fish once." Poor Nemo. With the amount of fish Alain caught, Jasmine''s diet was about to change. "Have you talked with Mirscella?" Priam asked, looking at the others. Around the fire, everyone was enjoying the meal, with Blueberry handling the cooking. Priam suspected the bear had spent Potential to unlock culinary skills. Jasmine was right; the crab was delicious. Even Muyri, nestled between Sphinx and Rose, was indulging herself. "We trained together all day. Her Tribulations are tomorrow, and I think she''s ready." "Is she better than you?" Jasmine let out a small mocking laugh at the question. "In tracking or infiltrating high society, maybe. As an assassin, she lacks nerve, skill, and experience. I''ve been trained all my life for it, and she... She''s pretty much self-taught," Jasmine replied, shrugging. Instead of answering, Priam chose to consult his Assistant''s report. A summary of Jasmine and Mirscella''s training was transmitted to him with just a thought. "You''ve improved," he commented, seeing the level-ups. "Mirscella has new ideas about using certain skills. The System likes it when we explore all possibilities." It was absolutely true, and the reason why Priam hadn''t yet upgraded [Moon Mist] and [Kinetic Control] to level sixty. The System expected more before allowing the transition to Legendary rank. "You''ve improved too," Jasmine remarked. Priam glanced at her before nodding. "I awakened a bloodline and unlocked a concept," he revealed, summoning a flame in his hand. It danced, casting shadows on the ground. "You use shadows, don''t you?" Jasmine nodded, closing her hand. The shadows on the ground gathered before enveloping the assassin. In the dim light, she was almost invisible. "Not bad," Priam commented as Jasmine dissipated her camouflage. "It''s a Tier 1 concept, right? Harmony stage?" "Symphony," Jasmine corrected. "Soon to be Unity. I received this concept at twelve," she explained, seeing Priam''s shocked look. "Arkana mastered concepts before the Tutorial?" It was unexpected but not surprising. Priam knew his rivals had an advantage. After all, the hoplites had Masteries and Micro, while the Dryas manipulated aether for millennia. Only humanity was mundane. But with [Humanity Adapts], it was only a matter of time before they caught up. "For centuries," Jasmine confirmed. "Our technology evolved to use concepts. But less than one in a million people could directly manipulate a concept. Those who did called themselves the Chosen..." Seeing Jasmine lose her appetite, Priam understood she didn''t appreciate those individuals. "That''s in the past now," he replied, not entirely believing it. Thanks to their bond, Priam felt that the assassin was concerned about something. "Are you doing something to the fire?" The question surprised Priam. Since the beginning of the meal, he had been practicing manipulating the campfire flames, controlling their intensity, color, and temperature. To avoid disturbing others, Priam decided to make only micro changes. The fact that Jasmine could detect a temperature variation of less than one degree Celsius surprised him. "Yeah, how did you notice?" If Jasmine could know, then other rivals could too. "The shadows cast by the flames are different. It''s subtle, but if I concentrate, it''s quite obvious." "I see. Since all concepts are linked, if I modify the fire, then the heat, air, light, shadows, and many other parameters change..." His actions had consequences that his enemies could detect to trace back to him. It was good to know, proving once again that Priam lacked knowledge. It was expected as the System was still new to him, but it was a flaw he needed to fix. While pondering, he watched Jasmine lean toward the flames to grab another crab piece. Priam''s gaze lingered on the slender figure of the young woman. She was really pretty, and her focused look added to her charm. Despite that, he had no intention of trying anything. This would not have been right because she couldn''t say no to him. Even without that, Victoire had left scars in his heart. "Damn," Jasmine muttered, furrowing her brows. Priam cracked a smile, understanding that she had set her sights on the biggest crab piece cooking in the heart of the flames. Because of its constitution, the crab''s flesh required a very high cooking temperature. With a thought, Priam canceled the heat transfers from the fire. Jasmine''s arm reached out to grab the crab piece before bringing it back to her plate. Blueberry gave her a dirty look, which she ignored superbly. Feeling Priam''s gaze on her, Jasmine turned to him. "Want some?" "Yeah." The three suns rose, dispelling the ominous influence of the Necromoon. The entire camp was still asleep, except for Priam. His vitality and frequent resurrections spared him this waste of time. The young man sat at the center of the campfire. Flames licked his body as he manipulated them. His Concept and Merit had further increased his fire resistance, and burning wood no longer harmed him. Better yet, he found the presence of flames... comforting. Priam knew that a plunge into the small sun would kill him, but he was relatively sure he could now survive several minutes in the sun''s radiation. He swept these useless considerations from his mind to focus on his concept. Enveloped by the flames, Priam felt their union becoming more intimate. Unity: to become one with fire. Suddenly, his instinct trembled. Priam turned his head toward the center of the clearing. Twenty meters away, the air shimmered, and space distorted. A rift appeared, growing into a portal. On the other side, Priam saw a phalanx of mechas. "What terrible timing," he grimaced. The hoplites were arriving, and Kazuki was still trapped in his Tribulations. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 773 Agility 432 Vitality 666 Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 298 (+14) Meta-endurance 239 (+8) Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 228 (+9) Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1120 (+17) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 21 hours 40 minutes 58 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 163: Friends or Foes? In the heart of her mecha, Hyshana took a deep breath as a surge of aether engulfed the military hangar. Kazuki hadn''t lied about the aether density in Elysium. Automated turrets and an entire battalion of hoplites surrounded the portal. A class-four railgun had even been built to contain any potential breach. Ishaka took the security of their new capital seriously, and Hyshana approved. The rift began to stabilize, and the general''s training kicked in as she assessed the situation. The passage created by [Hearthstone] led to a clearing with meticulously maintained blue grass. This worried Hyshana, as Kazuki wasn''t the gardening type. In the background, a towering tree dominated the space. That was the first word that came to the Champion''s mind. Her instincts sensed a potential threat, and she tensed. As the rift stabilized, she identified the oak tree illuminated by three suns. [Multi-Analysis] [Log-a-rhythm - Tier 0 - ?] - The Guardian of the Forest. Hyshana frowned. Her skill, an enhanced version of [Identification], should have provided more information. [Multi-Analysis] assessed the target using various sensors and her onboard AI. Typically, Hyshana would glean at least some weaknesses of the opponent. A shield against probes could explain the modest response from her skill. Another possibility existed: the tree was far more powerful than her. Hyshana had a way to determine which option was correct. [Survival Instinct] - Code orange. I have a chance to flee, but not to defeat it. At least, not with my own skills. The news was harsh, but Kazuki had warned them. In Elysium, the hoplites wouldn''t be the masters. The rift stopped expanding and stabilized as a portal. In a secure communication channel, Hyshana heard Ishaka''s voice. "Proudly bear the glory of our race, Champion." "I will, Supreme General." Hyshana didn''t like Ishaka, and the feeling was mutual. However, this mission surpassed their personal quarrel. Without further delay, Hyshana ordered her phalanx to advance. The formation included nine hoplites at the top of the Titan class, ten with her. One by one, the warriors crossed. A second later, Hyshana passed through the portal, which imploded behind her. There would be no return until the next Reunion. The hoplite troops took up position, forming a circle with their leader at the center. None were too close to each other to limit casualties in case of a zone attack. "Suspect individual at three, General." Allowing her AI to monitor Log-a-rhythm''s movements, Hyshana turned in the direction indicated by her subordinate. Near the river, a young biped seated in a fire observed the hoplites. Without clothing or weapons, he could have passed for a savage if not for a certain aura surrounding him. An aura of steel, fire, and conquest. A warrior. His relaxed demeanor and presence in a place that should have been secured by Kazuki shook Hyshana. Her husband would never let a stranger welcome her. Either he was a friend, or Kazuki was... Refusing to entertain the worst possibility, Hyshana commanded her mecha to approach the young stranger. If he was a threat, she needed to deal with it promptly. [Multi-Analysis] [Priam Azura - Tier 0 - Earl] - Kazuki¡¯s rival. Death¡¯s obsession. [Survival Instinct] - Code BLACK. Kazuki''s rival... The second Title was even more terrifying. Who could be powerful enough to obsess Death? Hyshana trembled for a moment before pressing on. "Code Black," she announced to her team. The hoplites slowly began to change position. The grand tree was no longer the priority. Hyshana''s heart beat rapidly as she concentrated on keeping her team alive. Facing a Code Black, escape was impossible. Even the nuclear bombs embedded in the mechas wouldn''t be enough to defeat this monster. Nevertheless, Hyshana refused to surrender without a fight. The hoplites faced death head-on. After stretching, the stranger stood up and took a step forward. Simultaneously, the flames vanished, and a cloak of mist covered his nudity. Hyshana''s sensors detected no use of aether, a sign that he had just employed two different Concepts. The casual display of power tightened the general''s heart. Was she going to die here, vanquished by the one who might have already killed her husband? The monster gave her a smile, and Hyshana had to invoke Micro to keep her anger low. Priam Azura, surrounded by a dozen of the world''s finest hoplites, didn''t seem worried. "Priam, Champion and Spear of the Humans," he introduced himself in the Hoplite language. He stopped about fifteen meters away from her and inclined his head slightly. The greeting mirrored Kazuki''s, confirming that the two rivals had interacted. "Pleased to meet you." His charismatic aura enveloped Hyshana, manipulating her emotions to accept his words. In a feat of willpower, the Champion activated Micro to clear her mind. The mere presence of the individual influenced her feelings, making her angry at herself and Priam. "Hyshana, Champion and Will of the Hoplites," she responded coldly. "I am looking for Kazuki, one of your rivals. Do you know where he is?" Priam''s misty eyes smiled as he pointed to a hole behind him. "Kazuki went down there almost two days ago. He¡¯s facing his Tribulations. All I know is that he''s alive." "I see..." One of the hoplites approached the hole, taking a detour to avoid Priam, who kept smiling. "There¡¯s two bone staircases going down. My sensors go haywire when I try to scan the depths," reported the scout. Hyshana gritted her teeth upon hearing the report. They were at an impasse. Priam''s attitude was friendly, but it might be a facade. She needed more information, but if the stairs were a trap, she''d be sending one of her men to death before the actual battle began. On the other hand, if he was telling the truth, she didn''t want to compromise the pact Kazuki had made. "Oh, you think it''s a trap," chuckled Priam after a few moments of silence. "I assure you, we are allies. Kazuki and I were rivals, but we made a pact to survive here. He''ll tell you more when he returns." "Which could be in a second or never," replied Hyshana. "Well, that¡¯s Elysium for you. But, you know that Kazuki is a tough guy." Hyshana stared at her opponent, scrutinizing his words in search of a clue. Priam sighed. "I understand your suspicion, but let''s logically analyze the situation: what would I gain from making all this up?" The implication was clear: Priam didn''t feel threatened, and Hyshana''s group wasn''t worthy of him setting a trap. It was terrible, but it was the truth. "Perhaps you have a weakness you want to protect? You''d win a frontal fight, but each of our mechas is equipped with a hydrogen bomb. If one of them explodes here..." Priam''s gaze flickered briefly to Log-a-rhythm before hardening. The hoplite strategist smiled: she had found a vulnerability. She''s completely paranoid! Priam was annoyed by the situation. Kazuki had vanished, and his wife seemed to think he was a manipulative killer. They had barely exchanged a few words, and the tension was so high that she had pretty much threatened him. Priam felt his patience wearing thin. Regarding the threat itself, Priam was conflicted. Log-a-rhythm would survive a nuclear explosion, but not necessarily the monsters attracted by the fireworks. I hope it won¡¯t come to that. After all, Hyshana was his friend''s wife. Kazuki had saved the lives of his loved ones several times, and Priam didn''t want their relationship to sour over a misunderstanding. I''ll make an effort for you, my friend... "I think we got off on the wrong foot," said Priam. "I can understand that the lack of information is stressful, but it would be a mistake for us to fight. As I told you, I am a friend of Kazuki." The mecha stared at him in silence, and Priam internally grimaced. He couldn''t see Hyshana''s expressions under her mechanical armor. He focused on his charisma, trying to glean some information. What he found made him swear. Hyshana took his desire for peace as an admission of guilt. Fucking hoplites! Their martial society hated weakness, and Priam had made a mistake by trying to be kind. Kazuki had integrated so well that Priam had forgotten that the hoplite was an exception, not the norm. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "The tree is important, isn''t it? That''s where you''ve locked up my husband?" Hyshana asked in a chilly tone. She didn''t know how close she was to the truth. One of the hoplites approached Log-a-rhythm, and Priam rode his mist. He emerged between the trunk and the soldier. "Despite the friendship I share with Kazuki, I won''t let a hostile individual approach my tree," he declared in a firm tone. The mecha froze, likely awaiting new orders. Tension was rising and Priam was already thinking about how to knock out Hyshana. Suddenly, the surface of the oak tree rippled to allow Sphinx through. All eyes turned to her, and the feline strutted, tail held high, until she reached Priam. "Who are these people?" Sphinx asked telepathically. "Kazuki¡¯s, and they think we captured him. I don''t know how to convince them otherwise..." "Let me handle it!" Priam smiled, deciding to trust the adorable creature. Thanks to her karmic instinct and cuteness, she might salvage the situation. Anyway, she wasn''t risking much. With her constitution and in her true form, Sphinx had a chance of surviving a small-scale atomic explosion. Which couldn''t be said for everyone. "No one leaves without my permission. Jasmine, if the situation escalates, you have my permission to attack," he sent to Log-a-rhythm through his add-on. Sphinx approached Hyshana''s mecha before sniffing it. "You''re your husband''s wife!" exclaimed Sphinx in her childlike voice. "... Yes? Do you know Kazuki?" Sphinx nodded. "He helps me catch fish, and I help him train. I increase the gravity around him during his exercises and pose riddles. He''s the most muscular hoplite I know!" Sphinx paused for a moment to count on her toes. "Well, he''s the only hoplite I knew... But now I know you! He told me his wife captured the moon in her hair, is that true?" After a second of silence, the mecha''s helmet opened, revealing Hyshana. Her martial face was enhanced by piercing eyes that observed Sphinx carefully. Impeccable black hair was gathered in a bun. Silver highlights, reminiscent of a sword blade or the moon''s gleam, were scattered throughout. "My husband always exaggerates," she finally responded. Sphinx nodded. "It''s because he''s in love. But you do have splendid hair!" "Not as splendid as your mane. I am Hyshana, and you?" "I''m Sphinx, and I''m twenty days old!" "You''re very precocious," Hyshana smiled, glancing at Priam. "Would you answer a few of my questions?" Thanks to his friend¡¯s natural charm, Priam sensed that the general had softened somewhat. Her mission was, of course, a priority, but she was willing to listen to Sphinx. Priam allowed himself a small sigh of relief. He had feared having to kill his friend''s wife. Sphinx jumped to land in a bound on Hyshana''s mecha. "You wanted to ask me questions? It is to confirm that Priam is really Kazuki''s friend, right?" Hyshana nodded. "That''s right." "Hmm... Okay. But first, you have to prove that you''re Kazuki''s wife." "... Pardon?" Priam and Hyshana stared at Sphinx, dumbfounded. The young legendary creature solemnly nodded her head. "Kazuki told me that villains are sneaky. Maybe you''re forcing us to prove our identity to lower our guard and give you information about our friend!" After a few seconds of silence, Hyshana cracked a smile. "All right, then. What can I do to prove my identity?" "Answer this riddle. Why have you already shot your husband a thousand times?" "Because I have a passion for photography." Sphinx turned to Priam. "It''s really her!" she shouted. Priam gave a thumbs-up to his friend. "I reckon I can give you the benefit of the doubt for now." Priam almost rolled his eyes. After more than a quarter of an hour in conversation with Sphinx, Hyshana had finally decided to believe him. "That''s mighty kind of you," replied Priam. He couldn''t contain all his sarcasm. "Indeed. Sphinx told me you''re Kazuki''s training partner." "That''s right. Want a demonstration?" Priam asked. An ordinary human might have taken this as a threat, but it was perfectly normal to ask for it in hoplite terms. Hyshana drew her sword. "That''s exactly what I want." Yeah, that¡¯s Kazuki''s wife. Sphinx yawned as the two adversaries locked eyes. Perhaps due to her age or feline heritage, she needed a lot of sleep each day. A mere twelve-hour night was barely enough. It was one of the differences between her and her best friend. Priam hardly ever slept, preferring to train. Sphinx felt sorry for him. Thanks to [¦Í¦Ï?? ?¦Ã¦É?? ?¦Í ¦Ò?¦Ì¦Á¦Ó¦É ?¦Ã¦É¦Å?], she gained attributes even while sleeping. This racial talent allowed her physical and mental attributes to stay at the same level. As one progressed, so did the other. Sphinx had other racial talents as a Tier 5 race member, but this one was her favorite. Of course, it remained inferior to her karmic sense. It was the Talent that had jolted Sphinx awake. The link connecting her to Kazuki threatened to break. Sphinx had leaped out of Log-a-rhythm to prevent Hyshana from provoking Priam further. If a fight had broken out, the hoplites would have been slaughtered, and Kazuki... "Ready?" Priam asked. Sphinx refocused on the fight. "Ready," Hyshana replied. She had abandoned her mecha and held a simple sword in her right hand. A spear of fire appeared in front of Priam before shooting toward Hyshana. She dodged, then leaped at her opponent. She moved fast, and her sword gleamed, but Sphinx wasn''t worried for her friend. Promesse appeared, and its blade intercepted the hoplite sword. Mastery crackled against the conquest aura before an explosion separated the two adversaries. Priam absorbed its kinetic energy before charging back at Hyshana. The hoplite struggled to regain her balance, pressed by Priam''s assault. For almost a minute, the two warriors deployed their techniques, without Mastery or aura, aiming to touch their opponent. Sphinx nodded as she watched Hyshana handle her sword. The swordswoman was impressive, fighting as if she were born with a sword in her hand. Priam defended himself with his superior attributes. His strength, speed, and reactivity were far higher than Hyshana''s. Sphinx noted with satisfaction that her friend never repeated the same mistake twice. Gradually, he refined his style using the opponent''s blade as a whetstone. For him, this fight was a joke whose sole purpose was self-improvement. Feint, thrust, parry, estocade... Hyshana''s repertoire seemed endless. In her hands, the blade was a brush painting a canvas. The hoplite warrior turned combat into an art, and Priam was sensitive to it. Of course, his own moves were different as they didn¡¯t wield the same weapon, but Hyshana provided him with inspiration. Priam stepped back when his opponent threatened to breach his guard. A smile adorned his focused face as he scrutinized each move of his adversary. Sphinx was willing to bet that his add-on was currently deconstructing Hyshana''s style. If they were to face each other again one day, Priam would know all the skills of the swordswoman. The intensity of the battle increased as Hyshana''s strikes gained momentum. Priam wasn''t the only one progressing. Aided by the phenomenal density of aether, Hyshana spread her wings. Suddenly, the Champion''s silhouette doubled. Activating Micro and her Mastery, she delivered a titanic double blow to Priam. It was the all-in move of an exhausted hoplite. Sphinx felt Priam gather his forces. Propelled by Micro and a terrifying amount of kinetic energy, Promesse accelerated towards the hoplite sword. The next moment, a shockwave blew the air from the clearing. Priam didn''t move an inch, while Hyshana was thrown backward. A pair of wings sprouted from his back before he disappeared from Sphinx''s view. Fifty meters away, Hyshana landed. Like a ghost, Priam appeared behind her before she could rise again. A supersonic boom shook the air as Promesse stopped a millimeter from the hoplite''s neck. The swordswoman''s eyes dilated, and the air around the two opponents vibrated. The next moment, Priam activated his kinetic skill, canceling Hyshana''s skill. "I lost," she admitted. Her defeat had been total, and the battle one-sided. Priam retracted his spear before tilting his head slightly. "I won, but it was a good fight. You have better technique than me." "You''ll catch up if you keep training with Kazuki." "Oh, you believe me now?" Hyshana nodded. "Some of your moves come from my husband, and they''re training moves. You couldn''t have copied them if you had just fought together. I see now that I misjudged you earlier. However, you must understand that this mission is too important to leave anything to chance." No apologies. As expected from a hoplite. "I understand. I''m glad the situation didn''t escalate," Priam sighed. "Me too," added a deep voice. In unison, everyone turned toward the bone stairs. A warrior emerged, and for the first time in weeks, Hyshana displayed a genuine smile. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 773 Agility 432 Vitality 666 Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 298 Meta-endurance 239 Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 228 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1120 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 21 hours 21 minutes 38 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 164: Chekhovs gun Hyshana''s smile vanished as she beheld Kazuki''s condition. She hurried to her husband''s side to support him while Priam instructed Log-a-rhythm to prepare a bath of regenerative sap. Approaching the couple with Sphinx by his side, Priam observed as the hoplites secured the perimeter, their efforts unnecessary. "My love, I''m back from the war," said the proud hoplite, leaving a trail of blood behind him. "Covered in honor and scars," smiled Hyshana before beginning to examine her husband. "You look like you''ve been chewed up by a monster," Sphinx remarked. "Yeah, seems rather serious," added Priam. The tiny scales on the hoplite warrior were drenched in blood. His right arm hung tentatively by a few tendons, and he moved with a limp. Several bones protruded from his body, and a portion of his entrails was missing. A scar across his face had claimed his nose and one eye. Blood-soaked hair and unsteady balance indicated a head injury. The perfect zombie picture. Despite all this, Priam sensed a dangerous aura around Kazuki¡ªsomething indefinable had changed. A pressure reminiscent of Bechar or the necrowolf surrounded him. His soul had changed. "I''m glad you survived, and I suppose you two have things to discuss. But why not do that in a bath of regenerative sap?" Priam suggested. Kazuki attempted to nod before grimacing. For the hoplite champion to show discomfort, his injuries must have been as severe as they appeared. "Good idea. Meet me later, we need to talk," Kazuki replied. "Deal," said Priam, stepping forward to help. "Now hurry before you collapse like a poorly assembled IKEA shelf." Kazuki and Hyshana gave him a puzzled look. "Ah¡­" Kazuki sighed in relief as he sank into the sap bath. "Do you want a nanorobot injection?" Hyshana asked, her voice filled with concern. The hoplites had brought supplies for medical treatment, and each mecha could operate on a hoplite with embedded technology and AI. "Let''s not waste our resources. With my new vitality, I''ll be fully healed in two or three days. This sap accelerates my recovery and gives my body the energy it needs to heal on its own." "Two or three days? That sounds... optimistic," Hyshana remarked. Kazuki looked at his wife with a sparkling gaze. Despite missing some teeth, Hyshana found him captivating. "I unlocked Micro II," he revealed, shocking his wife. Only a handful had achieved this feat in hoplite history, and none as young as Kazuki. "I can feel my body restoring itself. Give me a few hours, and I will accelerate this process. Micro III, here I come!" The next moment, he coughed up blood. "Kazu..." The intensity in her husband''s voice brought a smile to Hyshana''s face. Even with his horrific injuries, he still thought about training, improving, and surpassing himself. His body had changed, but not his spirit. The teenager who had sworn to become the hoplite Paragon was still there. "I''d like to stay by your side, but I can''t leave my phalanx alone... I''ll ask one of our men to keep an eye on you," Hyshana announced, rising. Kazuki''s hand closed around her arm. "We need to talk." "Yes, Love?" "First, I prefer to stay alone and concentrate on my recovery.¡± It was against the hoplite rules of warfare, but Hyshana trusted her husband''s judgment. ¡°... Okay.¡± ¡°Did you bring your Swords with you?" "A mix of my Swords, your Spears, and three of Ishaka¡¯s Shields." Kazuki''s face hardened, and Hyshana continued before he could protest. "He provided the portal that sent us here. He also redirected a lot of resources to upgrade our mechs. I didn''t really have a choice. At least, he got competent people. Our people are keeping an eye on them." After a few moments of silence, Kazuki grumbled. "You know how to earn the respect of your soldiers. They''ll be eating out of your hand in a few weeks... But a cataclysm is approaching. We have barely three days to prepare, and I don''t want to fight while watching our own men." Hyshana nodded. "I''ll keep an eye on them, but they''re also fighting for the Honor of the hoplite." Ishaka, the hoplite Supreme General, was power-hungry but not to the extent of betraying his race. "I know, but Priam is not a hoplite. They might decide to sabotage our agreement." Hyshana furrowed her brow. "Priam Azura is a Black Code, but if you''ve unlocked¡ª" "First, I will fight none of them," Kazuki interrupted. "Second, I think I''m stronger than Priam, but it''s hard to say. In any case, he would slaughter you. I''m incapable of killing him." "He''s that resilient?" Kazuki had unlocked Micro II, and the Supremacy was truly terrifying at this stage. The fourth and last hoplite Grandmaster was born four hundred years ago and could tear mechs apart with bare hands. With no System, his physical attributes probably didn''t exceed sixty. After five Tribulations, Kazuki''s limits were hard for Hyshana to imagine. "He can resurrect. I''m not arrogant enough to think I can defeat death yet." Hyshana remained silent for a moment before reaching out. Gently, she caressed her husband''s chin¡ªthe only untouched part of his body. "Death''s obsession. That''s the description the System gave me about him. I guess it was literal." Kazuki gave a faint smile as he met his wife''s eyes. "I already know what you''re thinking, Shana, but focus on the real enemies, okay? Priam is... he''s a friend, and I like his family." Hyshana opened her mouth in surprise. "A friend? The future Paragon Kazuki, instructor of the Titans, Heart of the people, and Master of the Spear has a friend? An equal?" Kazuki pulled his wife to kiss her forehead. "You''re my equal too." "And you moved heaven and earth to marry me. Should I be worried?" Hyshana teased. Kazuki burst into laughter before a fit of coughing seized him. He spat, and the sap bath turned redder. "Rest, my love. We''ll talk when you''re better," Hyshana whispered. Kazuki nodded with difficulty, looking into his wife''s eyes. "Shana?" "Yes, Kazu?" "I''m glad to see you again... Together, this world is ours." "And you are my world," Hyshana finished, leaning down to kiss her husband. Priam observed the various hoplite mechs. Unlike Kazuki''s armor, these were noticeably more massive. More Gundam than mechanized armor... The suns were gradually rising in the sky, but Priam hadn''t yet given permission for his companions to leave Log-a-rhythm. He trusted Kazuki, but not these new hoplites. Especially after hearing Kazuki''s distrust towards some of them. While stroking Sphinx, who purred in his arms, Priam tried to use his high charisma to gauge the soldiers'' attitudes toward him. He still struggled with the attribute, but he remembered Claire''s execution. Her aura had allowed him to sense the crowd''s emotions. Here, he detected nothing more than a mild apprehension. The trained hoplites focused more on securing the clearing than on him. Priam had excluded them from the Log-a-rhythm illusion to make their job easier. Log-a-rhythm''s trunk vibrated, and Hyshana emerged. The champion paused, likely giving orders to her soldiers before heading towards Priam. "Thank you for taking care of my husband," she declared, nodding. "It was mutual," Priam replied, smiling. He activated his Domain to block the spread of sounds and positioned himself so no other hoplite could read his lips. "Sorry to start like this, but among your subordinates, which ones are likely to attack my family?" By asking the question, he admitted to eavesdropping on the conversation between the couple, but he didn''t mind. His agreement with Kazuki allowed the presence of hoplite soldiers to organize the joint defense of Log-a-rhythm¡¯s clearing. If their presence was dangerous, the agreement was void. Priam wouldn''t take any risks concerning his relatives¡¯ security. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "They haven''t done anything yet, and I plan to discipline them. There will be no troubles," Hyshana promised. Priam nodded toward Log-a-rhythm. "I respect Kazuki, and I sense that you deserve my respect as well. However, we''re talking about my family''s security. I don''t plan to execute Ishaka''s warriors, but I want Log-a-rhythm to keep a close eye on them." The tree never slept and was linked to Priam''s Assistant. The clearing was its domain, and if something slipped past it... Jasmine will be there. Hyshana observed Priam for a few moments before nodding. "Very well, you''re the host. Rest assured, though, at the first sign of disobedience, I''ll personally execute the traitor. If you''d accompany me, I''ll introduce you." "Thank you." Satisfied, Priam followed Hyshana to greet each of the nine soldiers. Hyshana introduced them one by one as Priam greeted them with a smile. From now on, they would coexist. Despite their abrupt arrival, he was glad to see ten new defenders. Each soldier seemed like a monster solely concerned with killing any intruders. They were hoplite elites and would undoubtedly become terrifying in the near future. At least those who will survive. No one had died yet, but Priam knew it was the calm before the storm. Elysium was preparing to remove the training wheels. Priam had a bad feeling about the Necromoon event, and his draconic instinct rarely led him astray. "Any recommendations for the base defense? With the help of my soldiers, we could change the guard towers," Hyshana suggested after they finished their inspection. Priam gave a sheepish smile. "There are no guard towers. The base is surrounded by an omnidirectional barrier capable of holding off a monster long enough for us to retreat into Log-a-rhythm. The forest watches the surroundings, and the rest of us are training. I''m not sure we can afford to waste time watching trees, but that''s a personal opinion." Hyshana nodded. "This barrier is handy, but I''m almost certain some enemies can become invisible to the forest." Log-a-rhythm was challenging to deceive now, but a simple tree? Priam thought of Dishnu and nodded. "It''s possible." "Perhaps we could place cameras, motion detectors, and mechanical traps along the defense perimeter? Our AIs could monitor all of that." The idea was excellent, and Priam approved. "That''s an excellent idea. You might want to discuss these arrangements with my father; he also has ideas to secure the clearing." "I would be honored to meet your father." Priam gestured towards the trio. "These three," he indicated to Jasmine, who nodded. The young girl leaned towards Mirscella and tapped her arm several times with her finger. Mirscella simply smiled at the assassin, and Priam understood they were using a language akin to Morse code. The fact that Mirscella was aware of potential traitors reassured Priam. With their training in Elysium and their past experiences, he didn''t worry much about her or Louis. It was his father and Rose that concerned him more. Both humans were relatively fragile. "I was thinking of digging a trench and enchanted palisades. A patrol path could be useful in case we need to repel a siege," Alain said between bites. "Is there a risk of a siege?" Hyshana asked. "According to the Guardian of Secrets, the appearance of the Necromoon will drive the local animals insane. The protective dome of Log-a-rhythm might attract them if they''re seeking a safe place. Of course, it''s hidden by Camouflage, but one can never be too sure." "Well said. Can we temporarily disable the protection to avoid alerting the animals?" "It seems like a bad idea, but I didn''t have enough coins to know why." "Hmm... Gallad and Sakura each have runemaster training; they could help you set up defenses." Alain nodded enthusiastically. "That would be helpful. The deadline to build them is tight, especially if we need to create something for the river..." An aquatic attack wasn''t impossible, after all. The problems were numerous, and Priam was glad his father was there to think about them. "It''s delicious," Sphinx exclaimed, devouring another small cake. The hoplites hadn''t come empty-handed, bringing not only survival rations but also alcohol, an equivalent of flour, starches, meat, pastries, and even seeds that seemed to interest Louis. Before Sphinx and Blueberry could obliterate the cakes, Priam grabbed two in his hand and walked towards Muyri. The former slave had been watching him from the corner of her eye throughout the meal and trembled imperceptibly when he stopped by her. "For you," Priam said, placing one of the two pastries before her. Without waiting any longer, he stood up and headed towards Log-a-rhythm. The young woman needed time to open up. He smiled at seeing Rose trying to communicate with her. Arriving in front of Log-a-rhythm, he entered the small infirmary. Spatially separated from the main room, there was only space for Kazuki''s bath and a visitor. The hoplite opened his valid eye upon seeing Priam appear. "I have just woken up." "Log-a-rhythm warned me. So, how were those Tribulations?" Priam asked, placing the last cake on the edge of the medicinal bath. Kazuki smiled. "I survived, and I am much stronger." Priam smiled, remembering the hoplite''s words to his wife. He thought he had surpassed him. With my Conquest Aura, my Fire Concept, and Phoenix Wings, I wonder who has progressed more. I haven''t even used up all my Tribulations¡¯ rewards yet. "Would you be up for a little duel? Well, as soon as you look less like an undead." Kazuki¡¯s smile took on a dangerous edge. "With pleasure. Before that, I have some news about the Necromoon." "Really? How?" "At the foot of the bone stairs lies the Skull Temple, a kind of mental course to test skulc leaders. Triumph is rewarded and unlocks a hidden room that holds some secrets of the skulcs." "Archives about Elysium?" Kazuki raised his left arm, and grabbed the cake between two fingers. With a bite, he swallowed it. Apparently, he had already regenerated his stomach. Priam watched him lick his lips, smiling. "It''s too small to be called an archive. But there is a large mural that circled the room," said Kazuki. "Passing my hand over it, I had a vision." "About the Necromoon?" "Indeed. I saw a skulc city. Not just a savage camp, but a civilized city worthy of the descendants of dragons. Millions lived there, mostly Tier 0s and 1s, but also Tier 2s and above. One day, night fell, and the world was covered in crimson light. Most Tier 0s and 1s went mad and started attacking everyone. The elites tried to restore order, but it was chaos. There were many casualties. Beasts attacked, creating a breach in the walls. The wounded began to go mad in turn." Kazuki lowered his eyes to the necrotic mark he had received before Priam''s return to Elysium. The wound had almost disappeared. "In a few hours, everyone was dead. Only the leader and two shamans were left. Their powers were immense... High Tier 3s or 4s. They were waiting for suns that never rose. Instead, the immense charnel ground began to tremble. Blood rose into the sky to form a portal, and something crossed through." Kazuki had a somber face as he finished his tale. "The three skulcs tried to quell the terror. Two died quickly, and one of the shamans fled. She must have created the Skull Temple afterward." "... We knew it would be tough. The Guardian of Secrets is a Tier 6, and I feel that he also fears the Necromoon. But we don''t need to destroy it, just survive until the end of the event." "We have to prevent it from summoning abominations nearby," grunted Kazuki. "We can''t allow mass sacrifices." Priam nodded. "There aren''t millions of skulcs hidden in the woods, and I took care of the spiders that were nearby. There are no more large groups of monsters around here." Kazuki shook his head. "There are the rabhorns. We see few on the surface, but thousands are in the tunnels. They must be terrified of the Necromoon. If one of them gets infected..." All the others would eventually be corrupted. Either they would be sacrificed to summon a terror, or they would attack Log-a-rhythm. The territory of the rabhorns was close, and Priam would bet his two hearts that the System wouldn''t let thousands of magical rabies-infected horned rabbits coexist peacefully next to humans and hoplites. "I''ll take care of it," sighed Priam. Killing thousands of rabhorns didn''t appeal to him, but he had done worse to survive. He was ready to nip the problem in the bud. "I will prepare the defenses in the meantime." "Thanks. By the way, can you tell me what happened to your soul?" Priam asked, getting up to leave. He didn''t intend to ask for Kazuki''s exact rewards, but he was curious. "I unlocked Micro II and a bloodline," Kazuki smiled. "My soul... grew, I guess? I feel much closer to the Supremacies and Concepts, but it forced a Tier up. I used one of my rewards to postpone my High Tribulation, but it''s coming. In three months, I''ll be a Tier 1." If he survived. Priam preferred not to consider this possibility and focused on the clues given by Kazuki. The first stage of the Supremacy was the maximum at Tier 0, further proof that they were linked to the soul. A hasty breakthrough would lead to High Tribulation¡­ No way I¡¯ll Tier up before having exhausted the usefulness of Tier 0. "Congratulations," Priam smiled. "But I''m surprised you didn''t get the same Tribulation rewards as me. I never had the option to obtain a bloodline." Both had successfully undergone a quadruple Tribulation, and Priam was surprised that Kazuki had received different choices. "It has nothing to do with the Tribulations," Kazuki corrected. "If you pass the trial, you can select one of the temple''s treasures. I chose a diluted drop of blood from a Titan." Priam''s hearts raced. "There were other drops?" "I saw sphinx, black taotie, and phantom panther¡¯s blood. Plus the heart of the skulc shaman who created the temple." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 773 Agility 432 Vitality 666 Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 298 Meta-endurance 239 Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 228 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1120 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 19 hours 47 minutes 53 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 165: "Its gonna be too crispy!" Exiting Log-a-rhythm, Priam blinked to adjust his eyes to the change in brightness. Despite the soft light emitted by the phosphorescent sap, the tree''s interior remained relatively dark. Once his misty pupils contracted, Priam turned towards the stairs leading to the Skull Temple. One of the prizes intrigued him greatly: the heart of a Skulc Shaman, a descendant of dragons. A few days earlier, Skull''s heart had helped Priam assimilate his own bloodline. Could that of a Tier 4 Shaman possibly elevate his Title to Legendary? If so, his Breath and instincts would become formidable. "Maybe it''s the solution to pass my Tribulations... But not now," he murmured. The temptation to devour the Tier 4 heart was there, but Priam harbored no illusions. It wouldn''t happen anytime soon. The reason was simple: he had just unlocked Micro I; Micro II was still a distant goal. According to Kazuki, the temple was a trial designed to grasp the second stage of the Supremacy. The mental course created an avatar with limited attributes, and finishing it without Micro II was nearly impossible. "Perhaps with epic or legendary movement skills or special talents, but otherwise... I don''t see how," the hoplite had confided. [Art of Movement] and [Battle Footwork] being of rare rank, Priam knew he had no chance of quickly completing the trial. Not for now. Even if he could improve his Supremacy, did he want to? Kazuki had unlocked Micro II, and the System had initiated the countdown for his High Tribulation. Priam was pretty sure that the Titans'' bloodline had nothing to do with it. This meant that advancing Supremacy to Stage 2 triggered a soul evolution. At least, that was his theory. Micro II transformed the soul, and a High Tribulation was triggered to baptize it. Priam couldn''t afford to jump to Tier 1 already. He wanted the strongest possible foundations at Tier 0 to catch up to his rivals and all the other monsters inhabiting this universe. So, finishing the temple was out of the question, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t assimilate his draconic bloodline. He just needed to find another descendant of theirs. The Guardian of Secrets would assist in that. Moreover... "Jasmine?" "Hmm?" replied the mental voice of his subordinate. His Assistant relayed his thoughts to Log-a-rhythm, which communicated them to the assassin''s sub-system. "What are you doing?" "I''m reassuring Myuri while my shadow keeps an eye on the three suspicious hoplites." "Perfect. When you can, I want you to go down the bone stairs. They lead to a temple that will help you unlock Micro II. Train, but avoid unlocking the second stage of Supremacy, okay?" "Okay." "Perfect. By the way, don''t leave Log-a-rhythm''s domain until I''m back," Priam said before disconnecting. Satisfied, he allowed himself a smile. When Jasmine would have exhausted Tier 0''s possibilities, she could fetch the heart for him. It''s nice to delegate for once! Above him, the rustling of leaves warned him an instant before Sphinx leaped onto his head. "Is Kazuki okay?" his friend asked. "He¡¯s fine," Priam smiled. "I have to train, or he¡¯ll become stronger than me!" "I''m coming with you," Sphinx announced. Priam hesitated for a moment before nodding. If he couldn''t unlock Micro II, he might as well deal with the rabhorns. The creatures used narrow burrows, and Sphinx could easily dislodge them with her small size. "I''m going to slaughter some poor little rabbits, are you sure?" Sphinx''s eyes sparkled, and she licked her lips. "I''m even more sure now." Poor rabhorns. Priam and Sphinx headed towards a group in the center of the clearing. Alain, Hyshana, Mirscella, Rose, and two other hoplites brainstormed about the defenses to build. Nothing united a group better than a shared project and a common enemy. "... A silk net to cover the river," Alain suggested. "To prevent aquatic creatures from ambushing us." "Excellent idea, but we need strong silk," pointed out one of the hoplites. "I have what we need," Alain smiled. "Mirscella?" Priam interrupted. "Can we talk?" Mirscella nodded and apologized to the group before walking away with Priam. Arriving near the river, Priam turned to the thief. "Your Tribulations are coming soon, right?" "In a few hours," shrugged Mirscella. "I''m going to thin out the rabhorn population to avoid a massive attack during the Necromoon. If you plan to use the Tribulations Chamber, now''s the time." Mirscella pursed her lips, and Priam inwardly grimaced. She had decided to avoid the topic with others, probably out of fear. Louis and Kazuki had defied the statistics, but Tribulations remained terrifying. Despite exceptional talent and two Supremacies, the two warriors had ended up with serious injuries. Mirscella only had Micro. "You''re afraid of death." Mirscella shot him a dark look. "What does an immortal know about death?" "It wasn''t an accusation; I''m afraid too. I got my Talent because I refused to die. Today, I respect it, but it doesn''t terrify me." "I''m not terrified," Mirscella spat. Priam knew she wasn''t angry with him but with herself. "Then prove it. Remember why you came to Elysium." Alain, Blueberry, and Sphinx had followed Priam, and Louis had followed Alain and Mirscella. The former thief had come to surpass herself, to write her legend. It was time to close the prologue. Mirscella looked him straight in the eyes, and Priam held her gaze. He had too much respect for her to look away. "You''re a bit young to be so wise." "Barely younger than you," Priam replied. His answer elicited a smile from the thief. "Well, you¡¯re right, I''m scared. The countdown keeps ticking, and I only think about running away. I asked the Guardian of Secrets for a solution, and since then, I''ve been hesitating." "What?!" Mirscella flashed a sad smile. "The simplest is to sacrifice all my Potential to leave the System. I could still learn Supremacies, and High Tribulations would remain relevant." Leaving the System. Abandoning Titles, Talents, Potential, skills, quests¡­ and Tribulations. "I suppose that''s an option for some," Priam said. "But the terror of Tribulations can''t make me forget the freedom that the System lets me glimpse." "What freedom?" Mirscella asked with a bitter voice. "The freedom to fight, to face ever more obstacles until you die? If freedom exists, it belongs to Tier 10. Do you seriously think you''ll make it that far?" Priam shook his head, smiling. "Freedom is not a trophy. For me, it''s a way of life. My future is infinite, and I look at it with hope. Despite the stress, I love my current life." In a way, Priam was already free. "I see." Mirscella sat in the grass, looking at the clearing and the river flowing nearby. The old woman seemed lost in thought, and Priam and Sphinx respected her silence. After a few minutes, she stood up, an inscrutable expression on her face. "All right, a round trip to the Tribulations Chamber, please." "Now?" "My double Tribulation starts in a few hours. No point in waiting longer." With a small smile, Priam opened a portal to his world. ¡°Good luck.¡± "Thank you. See you later." The portal closed behind Mirscella. The young man then turned to the trees. "You heard her like I did." "She''ll make it," came Louis''s voice. "She''s stronger than she thinks." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The old man jumped from the tree before trotting towards Priam. "Could you let me into your world? I have... some gardening to do." "Gardening?" Priam raised an eyebrow. "You brought back some trees and shrubs, and the hoplites gave me seeds. If you''re ever far from here, a vegetable garden and an orchard could be useful." Without further comment, Priam let Louis into his internal world. If the old man wanted to be close to his loved one, it wasn''t for Priam to oppose it. "Adults are complicated," Sphinx sighed adorably. "They never say what they think." "Not everyone," Priam smiled. "Yes, some are too dumb to come up with good lies." "Others are just honest." "Then they''re children." A terrifying scream tore through the tranquility of the forest. Priam and Sphinx silently surveyed the surroundings. Behind any vine, leaf, or trunk, a monster capable of beheading them with a swipe of its paw could hide. The reassuring protection of Log-a-rhythm made them forget the terror of Elysium, but it was never far away. When the portal spat him out of the Tutorial, Priam had been terrified. Wandering through the deadly forest, surviving on roots, berries, flowers, and water, he had struggled against nature and his own fear to stay alive. However, [Eidetic Memory] revealed the truth: the jungle had been lenient with him. The flora had left him alone, and the hostile fauna had amounted to a sick spider and a juvenile horned rabbit. Most of his deaths were due to his incompetence and extreme weakness. Retracing the path he had taken while fleeing Kazuki, Priam noticed that things had changed. Most trees had withered or twisted, taking on a red hue. The color had nothing to do with autumn but instead with blood. The forest was becoming inhospitable, and the event hadn''t even started yet. The short and cool days would soon disappear to make way for a long night of horror. Pushing aside a vine with his spear, Priam squinted when it slithered towards him. Summoning his new concept, he created a cone of fire that destroyed it. The tree trembled as Priam moved away. He had nothing to gain by burning the forest. Five minutes later, Priam arrived at the clearing where he had lost to a simple rabhorn. The place was almost the same except for one thing. "The grass is tall," Priam murmured. "Log-a-rhythm isn''t here to tame it," Sphinx pointed out. Priam shook his head. "Last time, the grass had been grazed. Rabhorns must be herbivores like rabbits. If the grass is tall, it means no rabhorn has recently fed here." "It doesn''t surprise me; it''s creepy." The dark and glowing atmosphere of the clearing didn''t bode well. Priam didn''t need to let his imagination run for long to see tree branches transforming into crooked fingers. Creeping shadows and unnatural silence added a dramatic touch that augured nothing good. Priam looked up and gritted his teeth. In the sky, the three suns continued their course calmly. However, a fourth celestial body was visible at the zenith. The Necromoon didn''t even bother hiding from the day anymore. "Hurry up," Priam shivered. He felt like he was being watched, and it was getting on his nerves. [Moon Mist]. An invisible mist began to spread at ground level, conforming to the terrain''s shapes. Priam wanted to find the entrance to a burrow, and the perception his mist offered was perfect for that. His aether reserves were slowly diminishing as he surveyed the surroundings. If a rabhorn preferred the surface to the underground, there was a chance it was more powerful than a mere Tier 0. Four minutes later, Priam crossed the clearing before plunging back into the forest. He walked about forty meters before circumventing a tree. There, under a thorny bush, a hole was concealed. Priam continued his path to avoid alerting a potential lookout and leaped to perch on a nearby tree. Deploying his mist again, he spotted several burrows behind him. Apparently, the rabhorn he had killed almost three weeks ago inhabited the end of the herbivores'' territory. The burrows multiplied as they moved north. "All right, how to kill thousands of rabhorns?" Priam murmured as he observed the rabhorn holes with his mist. "By eating them?" Sphinx suggested, drooling at the corner of her mouth. "They''re herbivores," Priam pointed out. "They''ll defend themselves if attacked, but they''ll eventually get scared when we''ve slaughtered a few dozen. If they all hide in their burrows, it''s going to be tedious." "Could you block the exits and smoke them out?" "They can dig other exits." "Why not capture a baby and torture it so they come to save it?" Sphinx innocently proposed. "I... That''s quite horrible, isn''t it?" Sphinx shrugged. "We¡¯re here to kill them all. If we wait for them to starve, I''ll die of boredom." Priam looked at Sphinx for a moment before smiling. "I might have a way." The rabhorn first poked its snout out before emerging fully. It surveyed the surroundings, casting glances to the right, left, and even upward, before leaping out of its hiding spot. Blinking multiple times, it caressed its horn before heading towards a nearby tree. There, it climbed up to the lower branches to reach an abandoned bird''s nest. The creature dipped its snout into the nest, and Priam widened his eyes as he saw it devour some hidden berries. It has a stash of treats! Sphinx growled at the sight of the food. The rabhorn instantly turned towards them, and Domain detected an impending attack. Before Priam could evade, he felt an impact on his chest. Fuck. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +2 VIT +1 Riding the mist, Priam swung Promesse at the enemy. The creature''s still-shining horn intercepted a [Spear Slash]. Priam seized the opportunity to deliver a kick enhanced by Micro. Thrown backward, the animal violently collided with a trunk that cracked under the impact. The tree split when Promesse impaled the rabhorn. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 17 DEXT +3 Priam appeared on the shaft of his spear. With a firm grip, he seized his opponent by the neck and immobilized it using [Kinetic Control]. The horn directed towards the sky, the rabhorn was incapacitated. If I aim it at my enemies, I wonder if I could use it like a laser gun... "Are you okay?" Sphinx asked. His chest wound throbbed, and Priam glanced down. Instead of piercing through his body, the arrow of light had merely created a four-centimeter-deep hole in his flesh. "I''m fine," Priam declared. "I''ll be healed by the end of the day, but I''ll have to be cautious of these little monsters." [Identification] [Rabhorn - Tier 0] - A rabbit with a horn. Vegetarian. Excellent when roasted, it will delight your taste buds. Contains a lot of good proteins for your muscles. Its horn glows in the dark. Reduced to powder, it resolves some virility issues. "... The day humanity reads this description will be the end of this species," Priam predicted. "Do we torture it or eat it?" Sphinx asked. "Neither," Priam replied as his mist informed him that a second rabhorn was preparing to emerge from the burrow. Priam focused on the flame dancing at the core of his soul and smiled. The Fire Sage conjured a fireball the size of a basketball in his free hand and hurled it towards the burrow. The moment the second rabhorn appeared, it was met by the fiery projectile. The explosion shook the forest, annihilating the bush covering the tunnel and collapsing it. "His karmic knot unraveled," Sphinx announced, her eyes shining with a violet glow. "He''s dead." Having the ability to confirm a kill was a nice power. "You sense anything?" he asked. "They¡¯re moving down there, but that''s it." "Then let''s smoke ''em out." Priam hit the ground and headed towards the collapsed burrow. He cleared the entrance with [Kinetic Control] and then knelt beside the hole. About thirty centimeters in diameter, the tunnel plunged into the depths of the earth. Let¡¯s hope the underground passages are connected... Plunging his hand into the darkness, Priam summoned his fire concept. A burst of flame erupted from his hand, charring the tunnel''s interior and devouring the oxygen. The fire spread into the depths following the Fire Sage''s commands. At low power, this kind of technique only consumed the ambient aether. "Smells good," Sphinx whispered. "It''s barbecue time." Priam tapped into his aether reserves to fuel his concept. The fiery flow intensified, vitrifying the tunnel walls and incinerating everything in its path. Underground explosions occurred, and the ground cracked. In the distance, a fire geyser erupted from a burrow. "It''s gonna be too crispy," winced Sphinx. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 775 (+2) Agility 432 Vitality 668 (+2) Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 456 (+3) Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 298 Meta-endurance 239 Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1124 (+4) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 18 hours 58 minutes 13 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 166: He Who Burned The World As the flames decimated the underground world, Priam felt a surge of power engulfing him. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Conquest] had been activated, and every enemy slain bolstered his momentum. [Temporary Boost: 86 Rabhorns (T0) defeated (PHY +43%). Aether Reserve: 217/239 Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s] From the boost Priam received, his assistant could calculate the number of vanquished adversaries. With a solemn expression, he flooded the tunnels with devastating flames. Eyes closed, he sensed the fire born from his concept exploring every nook of the underground galleries in search of oxygen. Consuming the latter and the ambient aether, the flames multiplied. Mentally, his add-on crafted a map of the rabhorns'' territory. Luminescent points descended into the depths of Elysium or fled northward. Despite the unbearable temperature, some rabhorns survived long enough to escape. Tier 1s. They could be Tier 2s, but Priam doubted it. He had struggled to defeat two Tier 1 creatures¡ªthe Brood Mother and Skull¡ª and they were likely not among the most powerful Tier 1s. After all, they had been defeated by a Tier 0. If a Tier 2 rabhorn appeared¡­ Priam''s hand trembled as the image of the necrowolf overlaid itself on that of the rabbit. The Tier 2 creature had given him no chance. "Sphinx." "Hmm?" his friend responded, pawing the captured rabhorn. "If a Tier 2 appears, I want you to flee." "Why?" "Because we are too weak. If one of us has to die, it might as well be me." He had hesitated to speak the truth but felt the duty to educate his friend. He didn''t want to lie to Sphinx, even if some truths were hard to hear. She was young, not foolish. "Makes sense!" "And be careful when eating, their flesh is poisoned." Only the rumbling of Sphinx''s stomach answered him. Smiling faintly, Priam refocused on his concept. It was the first time he had created so much fire, and he felt a special connection forming between him and the unleashed inferno. It was an opportunity to better understand his concept, and he wanted to seize it. Without wasting time, Priam delved deep within himself. A flame danced vividly at the core of his soul, resonating with the hell roaring beneath the earth. Feeling his attention, it flickered more intensely. Its radiance warmed him, and its intensity enchanted him. Priam''s consciousness melded into the blaze, and the Fire Concept opened its arms, recognizing a Sage: a soul with perfect affinity. His perception merged with the flames, and Priam began to comprehend them. Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity were the four stages leading to the understanding of a Concept. Priam felt a natural and instinctive affinity toward the eruption roaring in the depths of the earth. Flames devoured oxygen and aether to spread even farther. Affinity was necessary to grasp a Concept, but it wasn''t enough to govern it. The Fire Sage vibrated in harmony with the furnace, its heat, light, and destruction. With closed eyes, he felt the multi-headed fire hydra raging, imprisoned in the depths. He heard the earth charring and the sand vitrifying. The fire monster continued to expand without ever extinguishing. In its wake, its wrath consumed organic matter and liquefied rock. The hydra grew even more, but the mass death of rabhorns heightened his perception. Priam''s consciousness stretched to follow the rampant destruction. Next came the Symphony. For Priam, this stage translated into music, emotion, and direction. He observed the fire, its blossoming, release, and will. Reciprocally, the Fire observed him. The Fire Sage revealed itself, sharing his emotions. His rage, anger, joy, and desire for freedom mingled with the flames, enhancing their power and passion. Like an orchestra, the blaze accelerated, seeking to devour its prison. In Priam''s soul, the flame grew, illuminating his consciousness and consuming his identity. Unity came at a price. Priam, or rather the Fire Sage, heard the whispers and desires of the Concept. The conflagration continued to grow, and the Fire Sage felt some creatures brave the flames in search of the invader. It was madness. The rabhorns had fled, and it was too late to turn back. Fire surged over their kingdom like an avalanche. The heat seemed boundless, continually increasing to create pockets of magma in some places. The flames fought against the world that birthed them. If Fire couldn''t break its chains, then it would melt them. The Fire Sage continued to produce more and more aether to fuel his flames. The more numerous and intense they became, the more his consciousness bathed in them with delight. Unity was within reach. "Enemies are coming," Sphinx whispered mentally. The Fire Sage looked up. At the edge of his mist¡ªan inferior concept to Fire in his opinion¡ªa hundred rabhorns observed them. Every second, dozens of enemies were added to the ranks of the army. The Fire Sage, an expression of disdain on his face, remained motionless. Gathering his will, he called his flames. The ground trembled as the earth prepared for a cataclysm. In absolute silence, the enemy horns began to glow. The Fire Sage, the embodiment of Fire, opened his mouth, and his vocal cords screamed the roar of an explosion. The impetuous flames obeyed. The forest lit up as hundreds of light spears shot toward them. "Priam!" Seeing her friend immobile, consumed by his concept, Sphinx transformed. In an instant, she regained her size and wrapped herself around Priam. The light spears pierced her fur, wings, and back. Roaring in pain, Sphinx hurriedly closed her eyes upon hearing Priam''s roar. The ground bulged before exploding. As if a volcano had been born from Priam''s will, a pyroclastic explosion erupted in the center of the rabhorn army. A pillar of fire rose into the air hundreds of meters high. The calamity disintegrated most of the enemies. The proud column dominated the forest for several seconds before descending as a firestorm. Each drop ignited the forest like a tear from a fire elemental. Incandescent meteors were falling from the skies, crushing the few surviving rabhorns. Sphinx grimaced as she stood up, then widened her eyes. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Waves of fire advanced toward the enemy territory. Each individual was engulfed in a sea of flames. A few seconds later, the fiery torrents left behind charred skeletons. Burning air currents were rising, carrying with them the toxic fumes emanating from the rabhorn''s poisoned flesh. Priam, displaying incandescent hair, stepped forward. His hand held a terrible power that easily pushed Sphinx aside. Clearing the path, he headed toward the smoking crater. Sphinx tried to follow but winced in pain and heat. She was too injured to move. "Priam!" she cried out. Her friend turned around, and Sphinx shivered. In his eyes, only a promise of destruction gleamed. [Temporary Boost: 438 Rabhorns (T0) defeated (PHY +219%) 175 Adult Rabhorns (T0) defeated (PHY +175%) 3 Despotic Rabhorns (T1) defeated (PHY +9% MENT +9% META +9%) Status: Strength 420 > 2113 (temp) Constitution 775 > 3898 (temp) Agility 432 > 2173 (temp) Vitality 668 > 3360 (temp) Perception 652 > 3280 (temp) Aether Reserve: 127/261 (temp) Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s Warning: Mental state affected. The Fire Concept is influencing the host''s personality. ... [He Who Eludes Death] being primed, the process of merging with the Concept can continue.] The radiant horizon was like a warm cloak enveloping the Sage. Before him, a colossal and wounded creature gazed at him sadly. A sphinx. The Sage briefly considered igniting it before coming to a halt. His instinct roared, finding within him a rage burning with a different fire. A spark begged him to spare the creature, and the Sage obeyed. Pleased to know that his Concept extended beyond the material world, he turned toward the crater. Walking on the ashes, he savored the sound of embers crackling beneath his feet. "Priam..." mewled the sphinx behind him. The Sage didn''t turn. Smoke swirled around him, filling his nostrils with the scent of coal and heat as he descended into the excavation. At the bottom, a hole resembling the gates of Tartarus had opened. Flames licked the Sage''s naked body as he ventured into the depths of his creation. Suddenly, he stopped, an annoyed expression on his face. The intensity of the flames became so devastating that they were beginning to burn him. Fire was not a concept meant to last or preserve. It was impressive because it was ephemeral. It turned the world to ash before disappearing in a spiral of self-destruction. The philosophical thought was simple, but the Sage smiled. Thanks to his Concept and affinity with this element, he gained a deep understanding of this lesson. Now, he had to experience it. The Sage taught Fire, and Fire taught him in return. In the core of his soul, the flame grew, and Unity approached. His body, bathed in heat and light, transformed into a torch as he continued on. With his constitution and vitality boosted, the Sage knew he could burn for a long time. The moment of extinguishing would come, of course, but before that, he would illuminate the world like a pyre in the night. His consciousness ravaged by flames, the Sage descended into the furnace. Reaching the edge, he jumped into the hole as his own ashes mixed with the scorched earth. His skin had already partly disappeared. Twenty meters below, he arrived in a pocket of flaming gas, magma, and rabhorn bones. The toxic vapors of their evaporated blood and harmful gases were ineffective against [Poison Body]. Suddenly, the colors vanished. The Sage smiled as his eyes calcined. Surrounded by his flames, his vision was useless. After all, he saw nothing but shades of solar white. The purgatorial ambiance resonated with the Sage''s fiery soul. A few centimeters below the magma puddle was the indestructible rock that seemed to make up Elysium''s mantle. Even the terrifying explosion had left no trace. There was only one path to the center of the rabhorns'' territory, and the Sage ventured into it. The tunnel must have been created for Tier 1s or 2s as it was wide enough for Priam to pass without stooping. Preceded by an ignescent tsunami, he contemplated the nature of fire while manipulating his flames. Like serpents, they twisted to reach the end of each adjacent tunnel, sometimes hiding a terrified rabhorn. With both the surface and the underground flooded by flames, no creature escaped his wrath. Suddenly, the Sage felt an individual ahead approaching rapidly. Without hiding his smile, he focused his flames to incinerate the intruder. The temperature rose quickly, and the last vestiges of the Sage''s skin disappeared. Despite this, the rabhorn still approached. Frowning, the Sage understood he had been too lenient. Fire never showed restraint, exerting its full power to crush any insect. Unleashing his conquest aura strengthened by the massacre, the Sage naturally applied it to his flames. Fire, too, was a conqueror. As if a switch had been flipped, the flames froze before radiating a silvery aura. When the fire resumed its course, the combustion chemical reactions accelerated. The flames had merged with Conquest to produce a terrifying weapon. A scream echoed in the tunnel as the Tier 1 perished. Two seconds later, the Sage passed by its bones, horn, and core. That was all that remained of the Tier 1. Its aether and body had disappeared to fuel the fire, while its spirit enhanced the Sage''s aura. The incident repeated several times in the following minutes. Like a conqueror leading an invincible army, the Sage finally arrived in a vast cavern. At its end, hundreds of terrified rabhorns had taken refuge against a wall. Other galleries existed, but they had been conquered from the surface, cutting off any escape. The Sage assessed his opponents before he felt a disturbance and dodged to his right. A light spear traversed the spot he had occupied a moment earlier. Unfortunately for the creatures, the incarnation of Fire''s perception and agility were too high for even Tier 1s to pose a danger. Fifteen other spears followed, and the Sage didn''t bother to avoid them. The attacks crashed without effect on his charred muscles. Only his fire was destructive enough to erase him. With a single thought, the flames gathered into a cyclone that drowned his enemies. For the rabhorns, the apocalypse lasted only an instant. A new wave of power invaded Priam, strengthening his flames and attributes. Satisfied with his action, he allowed himself a smile: fire was truly unparalleled. "Squik." The Sage squinted. In the middle of the sea of flames bathing the cavern stood a rabhorn abnormally calm, indifferent to the violent burning waves crashing against the rock and shaking the world. Fire couldn''t find a grip on the creature''s fur. As frustration penetrated the Sage''s hearts, the monster oriented its ears toward him. The next moment, his body was catapulted backward. At the end of the cavern, a wall halted his flight. The cave shook just as the violent impact created an impressive crater. A groan escaped the Sage''s mouth just before his body fell to the ground. "Squik?" [Tier 2 detected.] Crossing the flames like a conqueror, the Tier 2 advanced to crush the Sage''s head. Its right front paw settled on the human''s skull and pressed. The ground shook. The rabhorn blinked, surprised by the lack of resistance. Under its toes, it found no blood. At the other end of the underground hall, the inferno took the form of a winged man. In his veins, the blood of the phoenix and the dragon accelerated. He roared, and fire responded. The Sage had achieved Unity. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) ¡­ Consciousness partially shattered. Log downloaded by the Assistant. Chapter 167: All Hell Breaks Loose While the flames remained unchanged, the Sage had transformed. Once a wielder of Fire, he had become one with it. Almost. Merging with his flames consumed aether, and his reserves were far from infinite. [Aether Reserve: 82/325 (temporary) Conquest Timer: 4 min 44s] Yet, Unity was much more. The Sage smiled as a trident of light pierced through his body. The blinding attack left a hole in his abdomen before vanishing into the wall behind him. The Tier 2 had condensed enough aether in its skill for it to continue its path in the earth for about twenty meters, vaporizing any mineral matter in its way. The assailant tilted its head, seeing the Fire champion still smiling. No blood flowed from his wound, just a few sparks. His body had become fire. A flame sealed the hole, dissipating to reveal charred abs. Previous wounds lingered, but his vitality rapidly healed him. The Sage had achieved Unity, becoming immune to most physical attacks. "I am Fire, and Fire is me," he thundered in an alien tongue. An untrained ear would have heard crackling sounds and flame whispers. To emphasize his words, the Sage punched into thin air. At the last moment, his arm disappeared into the flames, reappearing against the rabhorn''s temple. Empowered by Conquest, the Sage''s strength exploded. With a terrible crack, the Tier 2''s body was catapulted against a cave wall, creating a hole. A flame flashed across the Sage''s severed shoulder and his arm reappeared. Now whole again, he effortlessly conjured a fireball the size of a house. He condensed it before launching it at the enemy like a Genki Dama. A wave of flames engulfing the cave followed the explosion. The next moment, the Sage evaded a terrifying counterattack by merging into his flames. His instinct warned that the second trident was dangerous, possibly infused with a Concept, Mastery, or Aura capable of harming him despite his connection to fire. Riding the flames, the Sage opened metaphorical eyes to a fiery realm. This parallel world was the Fire Domain. Unlike the mist, fire wasn''t omnipresent in the real world. Perhaps because Mist was a Tier 1 Concept and Fire a Tier 0? It was irrelevant to the Sage. Each flame and spark was a portal back to the material world. Having unleashed Ifrit''s wrath on the surface and in the underground, he had plenty of exit options. Above the rabhorn, a tongue of fire danced before revealing the Sage. Promesse materialized in his hand, adorned with flame-like patterns. The bound weapon had evolved with its wielder. Its tip lit up as the Sage''s fire and aura merged to deliver a finishing blow to the rabhorn. The Tier 2''s horn intercepted the attack before glowing. The Sage rode his flames, disappearing again into the Fire Domain. Suddenly, his instinct screamed. Without hesitation, he spent a significant portion of his aether to find a safe place. Above, the forest was reduced to ash and cinders. On a charred trunk, a flame grew, transforming into a humanoid figure. Just in time. Fifty meters away, the ground erupted in a luminous burst. Radiant tridents of light shot in all directions. Each had the potential to kill the Sage. With perception and agility, he avoided fifteen, contorting himself. One of the last weapons still found his chest. Piercing a charred pectoral, the attack was blocked by a rib. Boosted by Conquest, the Sage''s constitution was so exceptional that even a Tier 2 elysian''s special attack couldn''t pierce his bones. Feeling invincible, his Assistant reminded him of reality. [Conquest Timer: 4 min 17s] Without swiftly killing another enemy, his boosts would vanish. Time was ticking, and the Tier 2 was as terrifying as promised. Unlike Tier 1s and 0s, its attack didn''t disappear. The solid light harpoon remained lodged in the Sage''s body, and he frowned. The weapon must have interfered with his concept, for it was impossible for him to ride the flames. Annoyed, the Sage grabbed the trident to remove it manually. Barely touching it, the weapon exploded. Roaring in rage, the Sage was thrown backward, shards of solid light in his body. Cushioned by a mat of hot ashes, he felt his strength waning. [Aether Reserve: 41/325 (temporary)] [Aether Reserve: 40/325 (temporary)] [Aether Reserve: 39/325 (temporary)] His ember-like pupils widened as the Tier 2''s aether spread into his body, replacing his own energy. "Squik!" The rabhorn''s screech surprised the Sage. The Tier 2 was less than fifty meters away and seemed more annoyed than tired. Its horn glowed again, and a thousand spears appeared in the sky, aimed at the ground. A Tier 2''s aether reserves were incomparable to those of a Tier 0. For the Sage, the show of power didn''t matter. As the embodiment of an eternal Concept, it was his duty to win. Grinding his teeth, he plunged his hand into his wound, searching for solid light fragments. He yanked them out brutally, scattering ashes and charred flesh. Meeting the gaze of his nemesis, he disappeared. The deluge of light smashed the ground, shaking the ruined forest and raising a cloud of ash. The Sage reappeared in the cave. His consciousness was in dire straits, but he understood that an open-area battle wasn''t to his advantage. The Tier 2 had lived in the huge warren and would die there. With wings of fire spread and his body restored, the Sage floated in the air, waiting for his adversary. Flames had quieted, and lava had solidified. The room was dimly lit by a few holes in the ceiling due to the rabhorn''s attack. In the darkness, two ember eyes gleamed. The Tier 2 appeared. Without a word, the Sage''s wings vibrated, seemingly teleporting him behind the rabhorn. A serpent of fire coiled around his fist before striking. Enhanced by Conquest, his strength surpassed the Tier 2''s, lifting it off the ground. The Sage reappeared behind the rabhorn and executed a volley, then another. In the next seconds, he chained the igneous opponent into a devastating aerial combo. The choreography ceased when the Tier 2''s horn glowed again. Breaking the sound barrier, the Sage retreated as an intense and focused beam of light was fired. The ceiling lifted, and the laser pierced the clouds. Despite his constitution, the attack would have annihilated the Sage. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The Tier 2 realized he needed to finish its opponent, and the Sage agreed. It was time to end the battle. As the rabhorn struggled to breathe, wounded by the combos and fatigued by its attacks, the Sage spread his arms, summoning fire. Surface and depth flames converged. The blaze that had engulfed the forest and the tunnels vanished in a heartbeat. The wrathful hydra gathered its forces into a single point. Like a receding ocean, the sea of flames flowed, merging with the incarnation of Fire. The Tier 2 recoiled as rivers of fire entered the Sage¡¯s body. An orange glow emanated from his orifices, and his muscles glowed from within. The Sage screamed as his body absorbed the thermal energy and fire concept. His soul was flame-resistant, but his body wasn''t as well-tempered. The energy he manipulated was too vast, too intense. Yet, as the flames ravaged his body, they also baptized his flesh. Every surviving cell, refined by the fire, transformed the Sage''s body. He felt his physical affinity with the concept increase. His bones sang while cracking, and his tendons were tempered while burning. Time was running out. With an open mouth, the Sage consumed every last drop of fire on rabhorn territory. The entire forest, animals, and ambient aether gathered in the draconic third lung in the form of flames. The rabhorn looked at him anxiously, but it didn''t flee. Its horn glowed again, preparing another laser. The Sage accepted the challenge. Conquering Fire allied with the Tyrannical Dragon. A devastating Breath exploded. Hell broke loose, colliding with the laser. Both attacks measured each other for a moment before the fire broke its chains, annihilating the light. The Breath hit the rabhorn head-on, slamming it to the ground. Its fur began to vanish as the monster howled. Pressure and heat increased in the cave before its ceiling gave way. The earth burned, melted, and evaporated as the air turned into plasma. A tower of fire assaulted the heavens in a destructive imitation of Babel. The cataclysm lasted nearly ten seconds before the column dissipated. Of the Tier 2, only a horn remained at the bottom of a lava puddle. Elysian ground had bowed to draconic flames. The feat''s author was in no state to rejoice, his body also gone. The Sage had burned everything that could be, including himself. After several seconds, a sigh was heard. Feet passing through lava without touching it, the illusion of a young woman appeared. Her clothes and features changed every second, but her golden, piercing eyes remained the same. "What an idiot!" she cursed, watching the ashes of her rival lifted by hot air currents. She turned to an open chasm in the indestructible ground. The huge crack wasn''t caused by the draconic breath. The death of the rabhorn guardian had revealed it. The young woman hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. If he hadn''t wasted his last life, her rival would return quickly. Curious, he would plunge into the depths of Elysium. But I might as well make sure. Priam''s spirit dissipated in silence, stunned by his fractured soul. Nothing remained of his body but ashes and a few drops of golden blood mixed with lava. Phoenix¡¯s blood. As his consciousness scattered, Priam heard the voice of his heritage. Fire is a cycle. Nirvana triggered. Connection established. Death''s Obsession... A fitting name for a Phoenix. But you''re still raw. May the Fire¡¯s Unity teach you a lesson. Nirvana failure. The suns began to set as a fine rain extinguished the last lingering flames. The skies sought revenge for the fire that had failed to stay in its place. Facing the sea of ashes, flames, and mud, Sphinx wept softly. Priam had vanished without a word. He was her first friend, and he had hurt her. Mixed feelings battled in the child''s heart and incomprehension emerged from the conflict. She felt like sulking, making him understand that she was sad. But perhaps he needed her? "He was weird," she murmured. Despite the heat, he had looked at her with such cold eyes... As if he didn''t know her. Sphinx shivered, feeling very alone. "Poor darling... Are you hurt?" Sphinx raised an eyelid. A young woman was smiling at her. Ashen snow passed through her. [Grand Identification] [Error] - Incorrect target. Her skill detected nothing but her Karmic Talent did. "Who are you?" growled Sphinx, wiping the huge tears streaming down her cheeks. The woman seemed kind, but Sphinx didn''t need more friends right now. "My name is Ophia. I am¡ª" "Liar." "Excuse me?" "Your name isn''t Ophia." "Oh?" The stranger gave an awkward smile. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to lie to you, but names hold power." Sphinx already knew that. Thanks to her karmic talents, she could use a name to boost the power of her abilities. "Forget my name. I came to tell you that your friend is in danger," the stranger continued. Sphinx shook her head. The karmic link to Priam was inert, not broken. "He''s just dead." The stranger grimaced. "One might think everything''s fine," she ironized. "But his consciousness was damaged. He could need you to regain his senses. You''re not obliged to help, of course, but that''s what friends do..." "I... I think he doesn''t want to be my friend anymore. I must have done something wrong..." Fresh tears flowed from Sphinx''s gigantic face, and the stranger''s gaze softened. "Oh, my dear... It''s not your fault; he wasn''t himself anymore. His consciousness merged with an infinite Concept, and he let himself be controlled. That''s the problem with prodigies, thinking nothing can resist them. However, I''m sure he loves you a lot; otherwise, he would have attacked you. Deep down, he''s still your friend." "Really?" A note of hope pierced Sphinx''s voice. "Really." Sphinx sprang to her feet, shaking the ground. Her vitality had already healed her wounds. "Then I''ll find him to reassure him. After that, he''ll have to apologize by preparing me a meal and giving me lots of cuddles!" "That will be wonderful," the stranger smiled, turning towards the sea of ashes. "I saw his corpse fall into a chasm, in the center of the rabhorn territory. You should hurry before he resurrects..." Without waiting, Sphinx dashed forward. Before disappearing, she threw an invisible karmic harpoon at the unknown woman. Priam had told her to be wary of liars. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) Consciousness partially shattered. Log downloaded by the Assistant. Chapter 168: Down the rabbit hole Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 18 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +6 WILL +12 Merging notifications with the Assistant¡¯s Log: Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 14, 15, 16 AGI +9 Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 5, 6, 7 CHAR + 9 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 38, 39 META (END) +6 Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 53, 54, 55 VIVA +6 DEXT +9 META (FOCUS) +12 Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 13, 14 WILL +6 Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 15, 16, 17, 18 WILL +12 Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 16, 17, 18 CONST +3 VIT +3 META (END) +3 Lvl Up: [Solar resistance] lvl 3, 4 CONST +4 VIT +2 Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 8, 9, 10, 11 META(FOCUS) +8 META(END) +4 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 13, 14 PERC +2 DEXT +4 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 27, 28 MEM+4 VIVA +2 Lvl Up : [Aether Perception] lvl 31,..., 35 META (PERC) +15 Concept Update: [Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept. Destroyer, Creator, Liberator. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it. Harmony - The only fuel your flames need is ambient aether. Symphony - You can store your flames within you. Unity - Your soul is entwined with fire. In exchange for aether, so is your body. NEW Bonus (Fire Sage + Unity) - Access to the Fire Domain. NEW Your Fire Concept is ready to evolve to Tier 1. [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met: - Phoenix Bloodline - Burned by a star - Fire Unity - Fire Sage - Total immolation by draconic flames Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Fire Champion Physique - Epic] - The Sage immolated his soul, mind, and body on the altar of the Fire Concept. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320 ¡­ You have selected the skill [Fire Champion Physique - Epic]. POT -320 [Fire Champion Physique - Epic] - Forged by draconic flames, your body has transcended its potential by drawing from your bloodlines. Tempered by Fire, your physique acquires some qualities of your Sage soul. You are immune to Tier 0 flames. Hey, you''re hot! VIT +3 CONST +3 META (END) +3 Title upgraded: [Upgrader - Bronze] becomes [Upgrader - Silver]! [Upgrader - Silver] - You have pushed a rare skill to its limits at Tier 0, then increased its rarity. Too bad, you''re not the first of your civilization to achieve this feat. POT +200 Achievement - Legendary: As a Tier 0, you have eliminated a noble Tier 2 without help. You continue to challenge the odds, steadily shaping your future. Message for humanity: Priam Azura single-handedly eliminated a Tier 2. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 5000. Affinity Token - Tier 1 (20%). Evolution Token - Legendary skill. You have defeated [Tyrannical Rabhorn - Tier 2 - Viscount]. Nobility equivalent to Tier 0 - Marquess. Your Nobility Title evolves. Current Court: Moon Tyrannical Rabhorn''s Court: Elysium Do you wish to change Courts? ... [Moon Earl - Gold] becomes [Elysium Marquess - Legendary]! [Elysium Marquess - Legendary] - Abandoning the Moon Court, you enter the big leagues. Where the Earl begins to amass power, the Marquess must defend it. The System grants this power. Letter of Nobility (Elysium): Baron - Designate a territory shielded from the creation of wild rifts and Concept storms. Viscount - Instantly return to your territory - cooldown: (Ten to the power of Tier) years. Earl - Unlocked Sub-System: Army. Marquess - Defend your territory against an invasion to earn a reward. [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 17 hours 8 minutes 21 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 18 hours 11 minutes 34 seconds. When Priam opened his eyes, the cave''s temperature remained high. Sitting between two streams of viscous lava, he remained pensive for a few moments. [He Who Eludes Death] assured him of a clear awakening upon resurrecting, and [Eidetic Memory] prevented him from forgetting any of his actions. Priam couldn''t turn a blind eye to reality. He had been foolish. Uniting with an eternal Concept was like sharing consciousness with a quasi-divine entity. His personality had been overwhelmed and replaced by the Fire''s desire. Fortunately, the Concept''s destructive wrath had focused on the rabhorns. If Priam had harmed Sphinx... Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "I would never have forgiven myself," he murmured. He hadn''t done anything irreparable - at least not physically. A tiny part of him had resisted betraying his friend to the very end. Now, he had to sincerely apologize and reassure her. Sphinx was young, and Priam didn''t want this mistake to haunt her. However, all of this had led to a major breakthrough. Priam raised his hand, and his index finger transformed into flame. He had achieved Unity with the Fire Concept. It didn''t mean he had nothing more to learn from Fire, but rather that his new knowledge and experiences would gradually bring him closer to a Tier 1 Concept such as Heat or Combustion. That''s not the stuff dreams are made of. Their names indicated limited Concepts, and that displeased Priam. Fortunately, as a Fire Sage, he could refine Fire into a secret Concept. That''s what the Phoenix had asserted, and Priam could now confirm that information. He just needed to focus on Fire for it to whisper about a holistic Concept. A superior Fire. Priam shook his head upon hearing these murmurs. The Concept''s tone had changed compared to the rage-filled screams that had invaded his mind during Unity. His flaming index wavered, and Priam smiled, noting that his aether reserves were almost intact. His new resistance, [Fire Champion Physique - Epic], endowed his physique with some qualities possessed by his Sage soul. By improving this skill, he would be able to merge with fire for free. That wasn''t his only gain. He had earned numerous level-ups and an Achievement. Thanks to the latter, Priam now possessed two Tokens enabling him to upgrade a skill to Legendary rank. Considering that Heavenly Dragon required a minimum of seven Epic resistances and one Legendary resistance, these rewards came in handy. Speaking of his temperance method, his add-on had found something. [Detection of a high-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is recommended.] Diving his hand into the lava, Priam quickly detected a hidden item. The Tier 2¡¯s horn had withstood the cataclysm. According to his add-on, the horn was a trophy capable of creating a high-quality gate for Heavenly Dragon. But what defines a high-quality trophy? [Trophies are categorized into four qualities: inferior, common, high, and ideal. Only draconic trophies can be of ideal quality.] Priam grabbed the horn and observed it. Nearly fifty centimeters long and incredibly tough, luminous arabesques rippled on its surface. Worthy of a unicorn, the weapon was a marvel to behold and triggered [Tribulation Hunter]. Using his unique skill, Priam probed the material. At the edge of reality shone a crystallized ray of light. A fragment of the Light Concept? No, it''s a more advanced concept, a kind of crystalline light. Smiling, Priam stored his trophy in his internal world. "Six more to go..." The relic of the defeated rabhorn led Priam to a new thought. He was now a Marquess. According to the System, a Tier 2 Viscount was equivalent to a Tier 0 Marquess. Meaning the Nobility rank has a connection with the Tier. As Priam understood it, the primary goal of this scale was to divide individuals of the same Tier based on their power. So, it was natural that a Tier change caused a change in nobility. A Marquess¡­ A week after leaving the Reunion, Priam had already surpassed all lunar monsters. However, his Title change had another consequence. Trees of Merit: [Elysium Marquess - Legendary] - Tier 0: Creates one invasion portal. 10 Unused Merit Points. [Moon Earl] had disappeared, replaced by [Elysium Marquess]. It was now impossible to improve the Mist Concept using his Merits. It was a shame because that had been one of the few ways for Priam to increase his mist affinity. Fortunately, the Merits he had already purchased were still active, and his affinity with mist had not dropped. Priam had noticed that System upgrades were permanent. The Seven Concepts couldn''t - or wouldn''t - take back their gifts. Priam remained an excellent mist user but was far from being a Mist Sage. Now that he could compare it with another Concept, he realized his affinity for the mist was average for a practitioner. Each use of his mist brought him closer to Symphony, but he had no illusions. The gap between Symphony and Unity was immense, and Priam would take months or even years to unlock Mist Unity. He gave himself until the next Reunion - six months - to reach Tier 1. If nothing changed, Mist would eventually become useless. Yet there must be a reason why the System pushes humanity to develop this concept. As often, Priam had more questions than answers. He stood up before enveloping himself in a toga of mist. A fire mantle would have been more pleasant but more visible. Moreover, mist had the effect of concealing his presence. This supernatural effect was possibly what separated Tier 0 and Tier 1 Concepts. With his nudity covered, Priam headed towards the chasm that had appeared in the cave''s center. The fissure, wide enough to allow three elephants side by side, intrigued him. What cataclysm could have caused it? At the edge of the precipice, Priam looked into the heart of the abyss. He saw an absolute blackness that made his instinct tremble. As he prepared to turn away, his add-on sent him crucial information. A few minutes before his resurrection, Sphinx had plunged into the chasm. "Fucking karma," Priam sighed before jumping. The chasm plunged into the bowels of the earth. Terrifying darkness seemed to stir at the periphery of Priam''s vision, but [Priam¡¯s System] perceived nothing. Under the influence of fear, his brain was playing tricks on him. Taking a deep breath, he refocused. Every second, he hoped to see Sphinx''s portal appear. While likely impossible to target in death, he had resurrected since. The fact that Sphinx wasn''t already there boded ill. Descending slowly with [Kinetic Control], Priam carefully observed his surroundings. Far above him, the faint glow of the cave illuminated the area as he studied the walls using his Domain. Priam finally concluded that they were artificial, the rock having been carved by some kind of acid. Of course, there must have been a plethora of obscure concepts capable of producing the same result. After about fifty meters, Priam''s feet touched the ground. The tunnel continued in one direction. The walls, now completely smooth, reflected every sound. The silence was heavy, disturbed only by Priam''s breathing and the beating of his hearts. Five minutes later, a large double door appeared in front of him. Priam approached and frowned as he noticed that his Domain did not penetrate the material. Before he could study it further, the right door opened slightly. Clearly, he was expected. Feels like I''m entering the Boss''s room... With this thought, Priam wore a somber expression. Despite his enhanced attributes, he had to sacrifice his life to defeat the tyrannical rabhorn. A second boss would make short work of him. Standing before the partially open door, Priam hesitated to enter. Without [He Who Eludes Death], he took great risks. At the thought of his death, he clenched his fists. He didn''t want to die. He wasn''t a hero, just someone who had been lucky and made rational decisions to survive. He had taken risks to secure a better future, but it was always calculated. Passing through this door wasn''t a pragmatic decision. Yet, he knew he wouldn''t leave without Sphinx. Priam relaxed his fists before smiling. At the end of the dark tunnel awaited a creature of several tons with sharp fangs and cutting claws. She was his best friend, and she needed him. Without further delay, Priam entered. The atmosphere changed, as if he had stepped into another world. As the door closed behind him, Priam whistled, impressed. Before him lay a gigantic underground grove. An artificial sun illuminated a bucolic landscape of about two hundred meters in radius. Tall but spaced-out trees populated the area, while lush, grazed grass covered the ground. A river circled the miniature ecosystem. Without waiting, Priam jumped over the river and headed towards the first trees facing him. Reaching a hundred meters, the titans exuded a noble and ancient aura. I wonder if I could transplant them into Log-a-rhythm''s domain¡­ Surreptitiously, Priam picked up some pine cones, needles, and dead branches, storing them in his world. Suddenly, as he tried to pluck some lively leaves from a low branch, he saw a white flash. Twenty meters away, a rabhorn observed him, its mouth full of grass. Priam froze, recognizing a tyrannical rabhorn. The Tier 2 broke eye contact before resuming grazing. Priam released the leaves before moving away slowly. It only took him a few seconds to detect other rabhorns. The closer he got to the center of the grove, the more numerous they became. Soon, he couldn''t turn his head without seeing one. Yet, none attacked him. The trees finally thinned, and Priam emerged into a clearing. He stopped at the edge of the woods, on guard. In the center stood a leafy shrub. Its spirituality immediately aroused Priam''s suspicions. Its branches were covered with giant fruits and flowers. Despite the absence of wind, its violet leaves moved synchronously. An evil aura emanated from it. At the foot of the tree lay the corroded skeleton of a massive rabbit - or a rabhorn that had lost its horn. Alive, the creature must have been the size of an elephant. Next to it, Sphinx trembled with rage as a dozen rabhorns frolicked on her. Priam swallowed, seeing some specimens more terrifying than tyrannical rabhorns. We have no way to win. But that didn''t mean they couldn''t escape. Helped by his add-on, Priam began to devise a plan. "It''s useless." On Priam''s right, a young woman had suddenly appeared on a log. Sucking on some kind of corn cob, she smiled at Priam. Except for her golden eyes, her physique seemed modeled after Rose''s. "Aren¡¯t you a dirty spy?" Priam was willing to bet that the stranger''s appearance was not random. She had taken on the guise of a human so that Priam wouldn''t be on his guard. A crude manipulation at first glance, but also a subtle one. The stranger thus announced that she had access to Log-a-rhythm''s domain. Rose had never left the base, yet she had been spied on. His tree would have warned him if the young woman had escaped its surveillance. Unless, like Dishnu, the stranger could confuse Log-a-rhythm and manipulate Rose. In any case, it was a catastrophe. The stranger knew him, but the reverse was not true. The mysterious woman shrugged. "A spy? More like a curious girl. I don''t have much else to do." "Priam!" Sphinx suddenly stood up, knocking over some rabhorns that fell to the ground in cute poses. She shrank and ran into Priam''s arms, who was relieved to see that she was okay. "She lied to me," she spat towards the stranger. "She said you were here, but there are only uncooked rabbits." Some rabhorns squinted before returning to grazing. Seeing the Tier 3s so passive worried him deeply. More than anyone else, Priam knew their cruel nature. "The liar doesn''t order the rabbits. I think it''s a trap," said Sphinx telepathically. Priam was of the same opinion. "Yeah, let''s withdraw for now." "I''m afraid I can''t allow that." Upon hearing the voice, Priam and Sphinx trembled. An aura more intense than even Viracocha''s had just invaded the grove. His eyes turned toward the glowing skeleton resting under the tree. [Identification] [Sumstreh - Tier 4 - Earl] - ? Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 (+19) Agility 446 (+14) Vitality 680 (+12) Perception 654 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 371 (+12) Dexterity 475 (+19) Memory 190 (+5) Willpower 750 (+44) Charisma 470 (+14) META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326 (+28) Meta-endurance 256 (+17) Meta-perception 187 (+17) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 6086 (+4962) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 16 hours 49 minutes 14 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 173 days 17 hours 52 minutes 27 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800 Chapter 169: Eyes Are the Window of the Soul Prometheus halted his assault upon reading the announcement. Another Legendary Achievement... He stood still for a moment before sheathing his sword. "Let''s call it a day," he declared. Guandi nodded before following his king out of the training room. Two soldiers bowed as they passed, trailing behind. The rest of his close guard was on the field, defending humanity''s territory on Proxima. The group headed towards the meeting room, traversing rough stone corridors. One of the military engineering specialists had developed a skill for manipulating stone. Thanks to his tireless work and supported by a full team of healers and buffers, he had managed to create a sturdy headquarters in less than a week. After delving into the depths of the base, they arrived at a double door, modestly adorned with the symbol of the Divine Army. It was the sole decoration in the base, as Prometheus believed his troops had more important tasks than carving bas-reliefs. The symbols lit up upon recognizing the king, and the door swung open. Inside, a round table inspired by the legend of King Arthur stood. Six people were already seated, leaving four vacant spots. All rose to greet the king. The door closed behind Guandi, leaving the guards outside. "Thank you for coming so promptly," Prometheus began, settling into a wooden chair. His connection with his subordinates granted him various abilities, including communicating with them remotely. All the ministers who could attend were present. "Our Champion has just defeated a Tier 2. Gloria, what reactions should we anticipate?" A fiery-haired young woman stood. "Our troops are satisfied and reassured by Priam''s strength. Most believe that their King and their Champion are close allies. Of course, those who don''t appreciate Your Majesty will see him as a figurehead. This will help us identify the vermin. By the next Reunion, I''ll have a list of opposition leaders. I suggest Your Majesty gives them the choice between conversion and death." Prometheus nodded. His Talent, [King by Divine Right], allowed him to retain eternal loyalty from his subjects. Moreover, he could borrow a portion of their power. Surrounded by his army, Prometheus felt capable of facing a Tier 2. Killing it, however, was another matter. He''s still ahead... Yet, his power had limits. One of them was that, at Tier 0, his soul was too weak to accommodate more than six hundred loyalty oaths. Unlocking Concepts and Supremacies slightly increased the volume of his soul, but Prometheus calculated that he wouldn''t have more than a thousand connections available at Tier 0. Most of his commanders were absolutely loyal, but the rest of his army consisted of volunteers whose allegiance was sometimes questionable. However, that wasn''t his primary concern. He signaled his master spy to continue. "As for our enemies... Arkana will know before long, and the Empyrean Empire''s diviners already know everything. I have reasons to believe that Arkana will continue its slow expansion. They don''t see us as a threat and believe our Champion will burn his wings before becoming a menace." "They are mistaken," commented Prometheus. "I believe so too, but it¡¯s our luck," smiled Guandi. "Arkana has Tier 3s, and even our atomic weapons are ineffective against them." "The System keeps them in check. They can only defend while we can attack," Cecilia pointed out. The Mistress of the Arcane delved into the mysteries of magic and the System. "If we play our cards right, we will surpass them sooner or later." "The System''s leash will loosen with each Reunion." The entire assembly turned to Eloise. "Their attackers are Tier 0s for now, but by the end of the next Reunion, we will face Tier 1s." Her face seemed too perfect to be human. A halo above her head confirmed her alien origin. She was one of the Empyrean king''s bastards. Prometheus had no trouble converting her to his cause after Gloria kidnapped her. "Arkana is not the issue; what worries me is the Empyrean Empire," declared Prometheus. Their enemy had a mastery of aether built over generations. Moreover, devising strategies and ambushes against masters of divination was a doomed venture. Humanity needed time to adapt. "They might launch a mass attack to weaken or even eliminate us before the next Reunion," sighed Gloria. "Their soldiers are better than ours, and rumors are circulating that their outpost in Elysium is on the verge of being wiped out." A heavy silence hung over the meeting room. Priam was flourishing in Elysium, but his success fueled the hatred of their enemy. "We need to find a way to resist until the next Reunion," said Guandi. "Our racial Talent offers us a better progression curve, but they start from a higher point." "We need allies," stated Eloise. "Do you have something in mind?" asked Prometheus. "The odds are not in our favor: Proxima is a vast planet, created to fuel war between rival civilizations. We currently occupy a small continent, our two neighbors are belligerent, and escape is impossible. The internal situation is almost worse: locating humans scattered on this continent and welcoming them into our capital is a logistical nightmare." Everyone nodded. Eden, humanity''s capital, resembled a giant shantytown despite all of Prometheus and his ministers'' efforts. Housing millions of people in less than two weeks was simply impossible. Every day, thousands of migrants found their way through the forest and mountains to join them. More than battles, it was the organization that kept Prometheus awake at night. "But we are doing better than others. Without their electronic surveillance system, Arkana struggles to manage the influx of migrants. Their society is full of indebted people who lie about their identity. Traffickers thrive while the elites ignore the people. Betrayed by their leaders, how many would be willing to work for us?" Gloria nodded. "I already employ many of them. They have no attachment to their world." Eloise continued, "The Empire is worse. Many women refuse to return because of misogyny. The System has allowed them to escape their tormentors, and they intend to take advantage of it. Resistance pockets are popping up all over the continent. Separated, they are insignificant, but if we could federate and then absorb them..." "If we must lose an open war, let''s engage in guerrilla warfare," agreed Guandi. Cecilia grimaced. "It''s going to increase our logistical problems." Eloise shook her head. "Not if we decentralize Eden. We go to them, not the other way around. Feeding a million people is a nightmare, but feeding a thousand groups of a thousand individuals is simpler." "I''m not sure these rebels will accept our help." "They are caught between a rock and a hard place. If we arrive with soldiers, builders, farmers, and artists, they will be welcomed with open arms. It will relieve the pressure on Eden. Today, we forge connections; tomorrow, they will rally under our banner." The conversation continued as Prometheus listened. After more than half an hour of brainstorming, a plan emerged. "Contact the resistance pockets, send military support, and civilians to improve their living conditions. Each group will have at least one commander capable of communicating directly with the King to organize the resistance. We will focus our efforts on the Empyrean Empire to prevent them from launching a massive offensive," summarized Guandi. Prometheus stood up, and everyone else hurried to follow suit. "I approve. You know what needs to be done. However, do not forget the most important thing: real power is personal. Priam is the proof of that." [Identification] This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. [Sumstreh - Tier 4 - Earl] - ? Priam quivered as he read the identification. A Tier 4? Worse, a Tier 4 capable of hearing his telepathic conversation with Sphinx. Could he be delving into his thoughts at this very moment? Gotta assume that''s the case. Oppressed by the Tier 4''s aura, Priam struggled to think. Without considering the resource wastage, he opened the doors of his Potential. Divine fluid bathed his soul, and Priam sighed in relief. His tremors ceased, and [Focus] cleared his mind. "Excuse me but¡­ I can''t leave?" Priam demanded in a firm voice. "I don''t recall authorizing you to speak." Sumstreh''s aura intensified, and the specter of a gigantic rabhorn materialized. His luminous eyes locked onto Priam, and the world tilted. "Euw..." Priam regained consciousness in a pool of his own bile. Before disgust could set in, immense pain split his skull. He summoned Micro to stop it, to no avail. It wasn''t physical pain; the Tier 4''s soul tightly enveloped his. He was at its mercy. A growl made him look up, and Priam paled as he raised his head. "Sphinx!" With a groan, he crawled to aid his friend, who collapsed halfway between him and the skeleton. She had returned to her normal size, bleeding from every orifice. Her breath was raspy, and her heartbeat erratic. She must have tried to defend him, paying the price. Kneeling beside her, Priam felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. With a trembling hand, he began to gently stroke her head. "Sphinx..." he whispered. "I hope the lesson is clear." Sumstreh''s voice brought him back to reality. Furious, he turned to the skeleton, only to petrify. A spear of light had just appeared above his friend, lazily levitating above her temple. "I rarely grant a third chance. For the sake of your friend, don''t forget it." Priam boiled with rage. Despite all the hatred he felt for the specter, he merely gritted his teeth. For Sphinx. "All right. First off, I want a detailed report of your status ¨C skills, Talents, Titles, Merits, Achievements, Concepts, and Supremacies." Priam paled. He had hoped to use his unique gifts to escape. Careful not to meet Sumstreh''s gaze, he thought quickly. Obviously, the specter wouldn''t let him go easily. Should he try to escape now? Priam could teleport to his base with his new Title, but not Sphinx. "Your Nobility Title won''t allow her to flee with you." The little color remaining on Priam''s face vanished. Sumstreh could read his thoughts. [Focus]. "I''ll tell you everything I know," he promised. Sumstreh nodded. "Of course." "... and three thousand two hundred thirty-three Potential points." Sumstreh remained silent for a moment, processing the information Priam had just given. "I hoped you would have a System reward," the specter growled. "This Prometheus, to whom you gave your Tribulation rewards, can''t contact you?" "Not that I know of," Priam replied. He had given his rewards to help the Shield of Humanity and had no regrets. Priam put the survival of humanity above his own, and always had. Generosity was in his nature. "What foolishness... But I expected no less from a fool capable of entering my divine realm to save a child." Priam gritted his teeth as he continued to stroke Sphinx. A divine realm? But B¨¦char had said that was the mark of Tier 5s... Sumstreh growled. "Watch your thoughts, mortal. I was once a god, and thanks to the Necromoon, I will become one again soon." Priam opened his mouth before remembering that speaking without an invitation could be dangerous for Sphinx. Sumstreh''s specter smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "Ask your question." "Your Divinity... How could I assist you in your endeavor?" "By becoming devout." Priam had a bad feeling. Before he could react, space distorted. A moment later, he stood at the specter''s feet. It placed a hand on his skull. "Let me convert you." Without warning, a consciousness fractured Priam''s. The former god forcefully entered his soul space. The misty sphere that protected him, a fusion of his Domain and his mist concept, shattered. The foreign consciousness bypassed the flame illuminating the space before reaching Priam''s soul. "Concept - Sumstreh!" Priam screamed before falling to the ground, convulsing. As he futilely tried to resist, a web of impure light wove around his soul. Like a flame against the storm, Priam''s consciousness flickered, then extinguished. All went black. "You''ve slept enough," declared ¨¨ve. After nearly a day of waiting, she was starting to get fed up. Blinking, Priam rose before bowing toward his god. "Sumstreh will return," he prayed as a rabhorn rubbed against him. ¨¨ve bowed quickly before turning away from the skeleton. "Follow me," she commanded. The vacant-eyed follower trailed after her. Without wasting time, she crossed the grove and left the divine realm. Or what was left of it. Despite what he said, Sumstreh was only a fragment of a god that had perished. That''s what the Guardian of Secrets had revealed. As the heavy door closed behind her, sealing the divine Domain once again, ¨¨ve sighed in relief. She could think freely once more. After a few hundred meters, she stopped to observe her rival. Summoning a sphere of light, she probed his misty gaze. The eyes were the window of the soul. A few seconds later, she sighed. "You were supposed to resist the conversion..." The Guardian had revealed that, of all her rivals, only Priam had a chance of resisting conversion. A possibility was not a certainty, but it was the only option ¨¨ve had. A seed of doubt grew in her mind. Hearing Priam''s detailed status, nothing indicated he could get rid of Sumstreh''s mark. The soul considered the mark as a passive skill; even his pseudo-resurrection shouldn''t have been able to help. Either I''m missing a synergy, or he hasn''t revealed his method to potentially escape conversion. Glancing toward the rabhorn realm, ¨¨ve whispered. "Out of his Domain, Sumstreh can''t hear us anymore. If you''re worried about your mark, it records your status, position, actions, and can serve as a kill-switch. It sends information only once a day; otherwise, we would quickly develop resistance. Due to your racial Talent, I''d say you have three days before it activates." With glassy eyes, her rival just stared at her. He seemed lobotomized, which wasn''t far from the truth. ¨¨ve waited for about ten seconds before sighing. She turned and continued her path, with Priam following closely. As he blinked, his gaze changed. Confusion gave way to burning rage. Fake Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 ¡­ [He Who Begs Death to Spare him.] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 172 days 19 hours 50 minutes 12 seconds. Chapter 170: The Kill List A few hours earlier. Priam couldn''t make a move without Sumstreh reading his thoughts in advance, but his Assistant might be exempt. Otherwise, it would be game over. The add-on would open the gate to the Fire Domain, attempting a Nirvana before drowning the host''s soul in [There is no Heaven]. Priam would not become a puppet. The artificial general intelligence possessed a personality copied from the host and could analyze emotions and actions. Priam was too proud to become a slave. The only reason for his cooperation was that he believed he could escape one day¡ªthanks to his system. When his host activated [Focus], [Priam''s System] instantly understood it was his turn to play. The role of [Focus] was to prevent Priam''s thoughts from wandering and thus conceal the existence of his add-on from the Tier 4. The AGI began to formulate a plan. The initial conditions were terrible: Priam had no way of defeating a Tier 4 at the moment. Therefore, a groundwork had to be laid for the future. The first thing to do was to conceal his abilities, system, and status. If Sumstreh obtained this information, he would leave him no way to escape. The attribute difference was too significant to outsmart Tier 4. Falsifying information was easy as the AGI had complete access to Priam''s memory through [Eidetic Memory]. With altered memories, the host could lie while being convinced he was telling the truth. Of course, he had to be unaware of his own ability to lie; otherwise, he and Sumstreh would have doubts. Thus, Priam must not suspect the existence of the Assistant. There was only one way to do that. Mentally, the add-on connected to Concepts Archipelago. The various rewards Priam had earned were stored in the pond at the center of the world. The host had plans for them, but the situation demanded drastic actions. The system activated one of the Tokens obtained at the end of the quadruple Tribulation. Fusion Token - Epic skill used. Choose two epic or lower-rarity skills to fuse. [Incorporation of [Mask - Epic] into [Priam''s System - Rare]] Fusion of [Priam''s System - Rare] - lvl 28 and [Mask - Epic] - lvl 5. ... [Priam''s System - Rare] was upgraded. Lvl Up: [Priam''s System] lvl 29,...,35 MEM +14 VIVA +7 As an Assistant, the AGI didn''t truly have emotions. If it did, it would have been satisfied. By spending Potential during the fusion, it had observed it and gained valuable information about [Mask]. The skill was holistic, potentially capable of masking an individual''s presence, status, karmic link, aethereal code, genetic code, and even the soul. Each of these options allowed leveling up the skill to level sixty. If the host wanted to use all these aspects, a higher rarity was required. The System only needed one of these aspects. As an Assistant, it shared the attributes of its host, except for its soul presence. Now, it could hide this flaw. The satellite orbiting around Priam''s soul blurred for a moment before disappearing. The evolution had been instantaneous, and his system could now benefit from the properties of the camouflage skill. For added safety, the Assistant stopped its orbit and concealed itself near the flame symbolizing the Fire Concept. The satellite could hide in the Fire Domain in case of emergency. While Priam spoke, the add-on continued its work. Simultaneously, it modified the host''s Status using [Mask] and rewrote all his memories. Not just recent ones, but even the old ones. The host was as intelligent as he was suspicious. He would notice if his actions or memories seemed inconsistent with his personality. By reading his thoughts, Sumstreh would understand the deception. After saving a copy, the Assistant modified Priam''s memories, giving him a more generous and malleable image. His recent memories were slightly tweaked to conceal his Tokens'' disappearance or certain skills'' existence. The false god had to think Priam was harmless. Of course, these modifications were complicated by the rival''s existence. She had been spying on them for some time, and the Assistant had to be careful about what to modify. There could be no inconsistency between Priam''s Status and the enemies'' observations. If Priam was to reveal his talent for resuscitation, his add-on had to pervert it to avoid tempting the god''s avarice. The rewards from his quadruple Tribulation were given to Prometheus, portraying Priam as altruistic in line with his desire to save Sphinx. The second Legendary Achievement was concealed; Priam believed he had used flames given by the Phoenix to defeat Tier 2. Having used subterfuge, the System would not have validated his victory. The add-on then began monitoring the false god''s actions. Depending on what the Tier 4 had in mind, it had to be flexible. When the false god''s consciousness entered Priam''s soul to convert him, the Assistant activated another Token, a reward from his quadruple Tribulation. Token - Legendary Skill used. Choose a skill to upgrade to Legendary rank: Note: This forced upgrade will not result in any Titles or Achievements. No Potential or attributes will be granted for unearned levels. [Manipulation Resistance - Rare]. [Manipulation Resistance - Rare] is ready to evolve to epic rank. Two high upgrades are available to you. [Strong Will - Epic] - A divine consciousness attempts to fracture yours. You resist head-on. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 [Resilient Will - Epic] - A divine consciousness attempts to fracture yours. You bend to bounce back. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 [Resilient Will - Epic]. POT -160 [Resilient Will - Epic] is ready to evolve to Legendary rank. Two high upgrades are available to you. [True Will - Legendary] - Facing the divine assault, your will adapts. You evolve, searching for who you are. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360 [Sacred Will - Legendary] - Facing the divine assault, your will purifies yourself. Your sacred aura influences others. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360 [True Will - Legendary]. POT -360 [True Will - Legendary] - Born human in a world poor in aether, you have lived a life of ups and downs. Betrayed by some, loved by others, you''ve forged a dreamer''s character. When the apocalypse occurred, you welcomed it with open arms. Since then, you have moved through life without taking the time to question yourself: Are you still the same? Experience has reshaped you but also purified your will. Move forward with confidence, true to yourself, and pursue your dreams. This skill will not let you forget your identity. Living according to your true will is the assurance of never having regrets. WILL +18 CHAR +9 A Legendary skill increases your affinity with certain concepts. Your experiences will decide which ones. A Tier 0 is limited to five legendary skills. A Tier 0 cannot advance a skill to Mythic rank. Each rank multiplied the number of attributes gained by three. The Assistant had thought of using the second Legendary Token to improve [Frozen Meditation] but reconsidered. Too many Legendary skills, and Priam would be overwhelmed by Tribulations. A sure way to die. Spending Potential, the Assistant recorded the modifications of the false god while the host resisted manipulation with all his might. Quickly, the broken consciousness of the host went into hibernation. A few seconds later, the divine will withdrew, leaving behind a complex ritual. A succession of runes woven with solid light trapped the host''s soul. POT -748 Using a simulation model, the Assistant sought a way to undo it. Each unknown rune required a sacrifice of Potential to understand. Some were clearly rigged to collapse the structure onto the soul in case of manipulation, destroying it. POT -1143 The architecture made any manipulation complex, but the AGI understood that not everything needed to be undone. Not only because it would alert the false god, but mostly because few runes genuinely erased the host''s personality. They were the ones he had to destroy. Surveillance runes could be hacked using Potential. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Instead of directly releasing his host, the Assistant waited. Inside the divine Domain, it was complicated to hide anything from Tier 4. After several hours, the host woke up lobotomized, then followed his rival. As soon as he left the divine Domain, the add-on activated. Using [There is no Heaven], a skill capable of hurting souls, it cut some light threads of the divine mark. The runes were incredibly hard, a product of divine will, but the epic skill was the nemesis of gods. The personality suppression disappeared, and the add-on crushed his host''s memory before downloading the correct one. [True Will] activated, and Priam regained consciousness. Rage lit a fire in his eyes. Lvl Up : [True Will] lvl 2 WILL +18 CHAR +9 Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 15,16,17,18 WILL +12 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 36,37,38,39 MEM+8 VIVA +4 Lvl Up : [Aether Perception] lvl 36,37,38,39 META (PERC) +12 Lvl Up: [There is no Heaven] lvl 4 WILL +9 [Tribulation]: One attribute above 800 was detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 172 days 19 hours 50 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Following ¨¨ve, Priam took a few seconds to absorb what had just happened. The torture, the pain, the powerlessness, his shift in personality, memory alteration, and finally, his achievement. He had managed to outsmart a god, and he was free. His system was the best skill he had ever created, teetering on the brink of a rank-up. Despite his material gains, Priam trembled with rage. He activated [Focus] and [Emotional Discipline] to refrain from directly killing ¨¨ve. Yet, I swear you''ll die by my hand. His add-on created a kill list and added ¨¨ve''s sole name. A deadly honor. ¨¨ve¡­ It was the name the false god had implanted in Priam, ordering him to obey the young woman. He had never hated anyone with such intensity. Claire had betrayed him, but she hadn''t touched his family. Or rather, she hadn''t succeeded. ¨¨ve had condemned Sphinx. Priam''s friend had stayed with Sumstreh, and he had no way to retrieve her. Who knows what that sicko is doing to her? She wasn''t even a hostage; for Sumstreh, Priam was already converted. Perhaps the god was torturing the child? Maybe worse? Sphinx was young and impressionable. Every passing second might see his young friend influenced by Sumstreh. Lvl Up: [Emotional Discipline] lvl 8 WILL +3 Priam envisioned the worst, and his anger became difficult to control. He had to make a violent effort not to return for her. It was utterly pointless. But I won''t abandon you, Sphinx. Wait for me. His resolution was almost broken when ¨¨ve offered him a hint of an alliance. His rival''s audacity was almost comical. Priam remained in his role, silent, imagining a thousand tortures for the young woman. She would regret sacrificing such a pure child as Sphinx. "Let''s go," ¨¨ve said without looking back. Without Priam detecting any particular expenditure of aether, his rival''s body began to levitate rapidly toward the surface. What¡¯s her specialty? Using [Kinetic Control], Priam absorbed the kinetic energy in the air within his Domain and used it to propel himself. He quickly caught up with ¨¨ve, who accelerated. Once on the surface, they headed towards Log-a-rhythm, skimming the vegetation roof. According to Kazuki, flying monsters existed, and it wasn''t safe to linger in the skies for too long. About a hundred meters from the base, ¨¨ve plunged into the canopy. Priam followed, acting like a lobotomized individual. "We''re going into your base. Can you order your tree not to attack me?" Priam nodded. ¨¨ve would inaugurate the red list. She would be authorized to do almost anything but closely monitored. Priam wouldn''t leave her any privacy, searching for every weakness. When he was sure he could kill her, he would avenge Sphinx. "All right. We''ll need all your little buddies to execute the plan of... our master. Let''s avoid saying his name; it attracts his attention, and we don''t want to piss him off. Anyway, you''ll have to act like your old self. You''ll say the rabhorns are dead, but Sphinx... is in a dungeon, preparing for her Tribulations. Why did you attack the rabhorns, by the way?" How was a lobotomized person supposed to answer? Priam didn''t want to alert ¨¨ve. He wasn''t concerned for himself but for Sphinx. "... We were afraid the Necromoon would convert them and force them to attack the base during the event," he answered in a neutral voice. He prepared to attack, but his response seemed to satisfy ¨¨ve, who merely grimaced. "They were sacrifices to summon a boss. So, you''ll say we teamed up to kill them, and you suggested I join you. Will the hoplites accept me?" "... Kazuki will probably demand a spar first. If you''re strong enough and with my recommendation, he''ll trust you. The others obey him." "I suspected as much. Do I have to defeat him, or just go for a draw?" Priam let out an internal laugh. Kazuki had just succeeded in a quadruple Tribulation, and Priam was fairly certain he would have already used his rewards. The hoplite was a true monster, and even Priam wasn''t sure he could defeat him. Schadenfreude filled him at the thought of ¨¨ve losing. In any case, it would give him information about the enemy''s capabilities. "Better force him to forfeit." ¨¨ve nodded, thoughtful. "Pleased to meet you, I''m Ophia!" ¨¨ve exclaimed cheerfully. She had taken on the appearance of a pretty young woman who might have been charming if she hadn''t delivered Sphinx to a psychopathic Tier 4. "Everyone, meet Ophia, an ally who took care of the vermin while I faced the Tier 2," Priam announced with a fake smile. Due to the System announcement to humanity, Rose and Alain knew he had dealt with the Tier 2 alone. It was a flaw in his story ¡ª an announcement indicated a Legendary Achievement and rewards Priam had concealed ¡ª but as long as they didn''t mention it, ¨¨ve wouldn''t know. While his rival introduced herself, Priam locked eyes with Kazuki. A quick glance toward Log-a-rhythm, and the hoplite nodded subtly. "I''ll fetch Blueberry before he destroys our supplies," the hoplite grunted, disappearing into the tree. Priam ordered his tree to transmit a message to Kazuki. If some had to remain in the dark for their own safety and Sphinx''s, his rival had to know the truth. He wasn''t the only one. "Jasmine?" "Yes?" "Don''t change your attitude and act as if nothing happened. ''Ophia'' is an enemy who thinks I''m under control. Observe her every move and find her weaknesses. You''re the best assassin in your world, aren''t you?" "... The best Tier 0. Why?" Priam internally raised an eyebrow while continuing the oral discussion. There was probably an interesting secret about Arkana, Jasmine''s civilization, but it wasn''t urgent. As he recounted his adventures and explained Sphinx''s absence, he continued telepathically. "I want ¨¨ve dead. Not right away, because I have information to squeeze out of her. Be careful not to let her realize anything¡ªwe''ll all die otherwise." Before dying, ¨¨ve would tell Priam everything she knew about Sumstreh. Sphinx''s rescue depended on it. "You''re the boss. Can I know why?" "If she realizes something, her boss will be informed upon her death, and he''s an end-game monster." "No, why does she have to die?" Priam''s stomach twisted with anger. "... Sphinx isn''t in a dungeon. She''s being tortured because of ¨¨ve." Priam''s anger was so great that he let it traverse the link. He was surprised when a similar anger came back with Jasmine''s response. "This bitch is so dead." Upon hearing Jasmine''s reply, Priam smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 680 Perception 654 MENTAL: Vivacity 383 (+12) Dexterity 475 Memory 218 (+28) Willpower 832 (+82) Charisma 499 (+29) META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326 Meta-endurance 256 Meta-perception 201 (+14) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3427 (-2659) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Necromoon Event: 2 days, 17 hours, and 49 minutes. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 172 days 19 hours 32 minutes 26 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 171: Kazuki vs ève Kazuki scrutinized his opponent with unwavering focus. ¨¨ve¡ªor Ophia, as she preferred to be called¡ªwas a petite young woman, at least from the perspective of a titan-class hoplite. In reality, she stood twenty centimeters taller than Rose or Mirscella, resembling more of a high human than an ordinary one. However, looks could be deceiving. Priam had informed Kazuki that ¨¨ve concealed her true face. Only her golden eyes were authentic ¨C and even that wasn''t certain. Yet, despite Kazuki''s heightened perception and state-of-the-art mecha sensors, he couldn''t penetrate the illusion. It was dangerous because it meant she could also disguise an attack. His defense would be useless if he tried to block a chest strike while she aimed for his head. Even worse, ¨¨ve might be nothing more than an illusion. The hoplite entertained every possibility, never one to underestimate an opponent. Let''s see what Hyshana thinks about this. The warrior stretched before closing in on his adversary. Officially, it was just a friendly spar, but Priam had told Kazuki the truth. ¨¨ve was in cahoots with a Tier 4 individual with unknown objectives. The treatment they had inflicted on Priam proved their hostility. Their rival''s intentions were less clear, but she had orchestrated a trap for Priam and Sphinx to serve her interests. Sphinx... The child had carved a place in the hoplite''s heart through antics and cuteness. As his emotions threatened to interfere with his mission, Kazuki regained focus. "If you''re ready, we might as well start," he proposed as he approached ¨¨ve. She nodded toward him and then winked at Rose. "We''ll finish this conversation later." "Okay!" The teenager seemed to appreciate ¨¨ve, as the newcomer appeared close to her age and more open than Jasmine or Myuri. Two minutes later, Kazuki stood at one end of the Forum, facing ¨¨ve. Created by the System, the public square was an ideal training ground as it was virtually indestructible. All base residents with no urgent missions had gathered to witness the duel. Ophia ¨C or ¨¨ve ¨C was the fourth rival to join the base, and everyone wondered about her capabilities. "I''ll count from three," announced Priam. "Three." Kazuki gripped his spear, ready to strike. He grimaced internally as he felt his wounds flare up. His quadruple Tribulation had nearly bested him, and he wasn''t fully healed yet. He pushed aside his pointless reflections; war waited for no hoplite. "Two." The hoplite gathered his Wind Concept, determined to catch his opponent off guard. ¨¨ve winked at him. "One." Kazuki summoned Micro II and Mastery. The duo of Supremacies triggered, synergizing to surpass the mere sum of their abilities. His soul pulsed, his will concentrated into a perfect martial form. "Zero." The ground shook as the hoplite shot forward like a bullet. No supersonic bang ensued; the wind accompanied the warrior. A fraction of a second later, the tip of his spear pierced Eve''s eye. A spray of blood blossomed, transforming into a swarm of butterflies. The cloud rushed toward Kazuki, who grimaced; each wing could cut his skin. Summoning a gust, he rid himself of the pests before striking again. His rival''s body became transparent. His weapon sank into it before slowing down. The hoplite stepped back just a moment before the humanoid form exploded. Kazuki landed ten meters back, groaning. His left eyebrow was damaged, blood flowing freely. He summoned Micro II, swiftly closing the wound. A few seconds later, nothing remained of the gash. Eve appeared before him, and the warrior thrust. His spear penetrated the flesh without resistance, and the illusion vanished. Kazuki furrowed his brow before feeling his weight increase. Damn! He observed the ground and cursed. A ten-meter-diameter rune had just appeared around him. Gravity increased, and the Champion roared. Gathering his strength, he dashed out of the danger zone. The next moment, the rune disappeared. She can summon illusory runes. It was bad news; it meant ¨¨ve could freely use the ambient aether. Kazuki would run out of resources before her. I have to end this. He had to locate his opponent. [Odyssey] would reveal her position, but tarnishing his legend with a spar was a bad move. There had to be simpler solutions. [Taunt]. Kazuki''s charismatic aura detected a killing intent on his left. He dashed and thrust. At the Forum''s edge, ¨¨ve appeared, the hoplite spear planted in her throat. His rival flashed a smile, ignoring her wound, before countering with a punch. Kazuki''s heightened senses perceived no danger. He tried to step back, but ¨¨ve''s fist seemed inevitable. Reality stretched as the distance between the hoplite and the attack diminished. He couldn¡¯t flee. Finally, the blow connected. The spell affecting Kazuki''s perception shattered. When he managed to move away, he discovered with astonishment a hole in his chest. The punch had erased the flesh it had come into contact with, and his heart was almost exposed. A different opponent would have succumbed to pain, but Kazuki was a trained warrior. He knew he couldn''t afford to get caught up in his opponent''s game. Without giving fear a foothold, he doubled his attack to disrupt his opponent''s rhythm. His spear described a deadly arc, enhanced by Micro II and Mastery. The blade was surrounded by a coppery halo as it slashed towards his rival. In normal circumstances, the hoplite instructor wouldn''t have used such a devastating attack in a spar, but ¨¨ve was an enemy, and he wanted to check her abilities. If she was too weak to withstand it... No one will mourn her. The formidable blade only bit air; ¨¨ve had disappeared. The Champion grimaced as a stream of blood gushed from the hole in his chest. The hemorrhage was too severe for Micro II to handle quickly. The young woman reappeared a few meters away and had to dodge a wind blade. She vanished again as Kazuki summoned a tornado centered on him. He wasn''t going to play cat and mouse. The Forum was soon swept by violent winds, augmented by a Concept. The cyclone sang of death, revealing that the hoplite had reached the Symphony. Focused, Kazuki scanned the battleground for ¨¨ve. Nothing. The young woman seemed to have vanished. "This kind of technique won''t work against me," a voice said, seemingly from nowhere. Kazuki blinked, then furrowed his brow. There, less than a meter away from him, stood ¨¨ve. Winds capable of cutting oaks passed through her without harming her. The warrior didn''t let himself be intimidated. With a thrust, he sought blood. Activating Micro II and Mastery, he pierced the young woman''s chest. She shook her head, amused. She''s not there. ¨¨ve wasn''t a warrior. If she ignored his blows, it was because he wasn''t hitting her. I have to find her... Kazuki closed his eyes before deactivating his Concept and Mastery. It was madness, but his Tribulations had taught him that sometimes one had to abandon all retreat options to win. The hoplite warrior, spear in hand, focused entirely on Micro II. A clarity enveloped him. With senses heightened and instincts alert, Kazuki opened himself to the world. The wind on his skin, the warmth of the suns, and the clamor of the spectators were recorded and then ignored. Suddenly, he noticed a problem. The temperature sensed by his brain was slightly different from that measured by Micro. Kazuki traced the error before understanding. His senses were altered. His instinct trembled, and the hoplite executed a side step to dodge an attack. His muscles contracted and then relaxed. His body moved fifty-three centimeters instead of the sixty planned, and the attack tore through his right heel. Yet, Kazuki smiled. ¨¨ve was in front of him, but the attack had come from behind. He had been injured, but he had understood his opponent''s game. The warrior turned with his uninjured leg, and his arm moved like a snake. A few centimeters from his target, his brain ordered his muscles to stop the attack. Micro II bypassed the order and continued the strike. His hand closed in the void. Really? His instinct told him to tighten, and the hoplite obeyed. He squeezed, eyes closed, while the wind whispered the approach of a devastating attack. Ignoring the information, Kazuki continued to close his hand even as an arm pierced his heart. Despite his catastrophic injury, Kazuki remained standing thanks to Micro, his hand compressing emptiness. A few seconds later, his brain fainted due to lack of blood. A weight lifted off Kazuki''s shoulders. He could now command his body without being hindered. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. His senses unfolded, and Micro analyzed their information. Kazuki smiled, lifting some of the veil covering reality. His tornado had already ceased, and he held in his hand a woman''s body. Eyes bulging from strangulation, hands clenched on the warrior''s fingers, she seemed lifeless. Of course, it was false. An illusion within an illusion. Like my wounds. In the second stage, Micro could take control of his natural regeneration. Yet, Kazuki detected cells where his heart had disappeared. Faced with the paradox, his consciousness struggled for a moment before recognizing the truth. His heart, and then his Achilles'' heel, reappeared. After his eyebrow, ¨¨ve had never seriously injured him. Satisfied, the warrior then searched for his opponent. His eyes and Concept were useless against ¨¨ve, so he focused on his instinct. Nothing. "I don''t know where you are. Should we call it a draw?" Kazuki proposed, releasing the fake body that fell like a puppet. Spectators exchanged surprised glances as Rose covered her mouth in horror. "I cheated; it''s your victory," a voice replied. Everyone turned to one of the hoplites, whose silhouette trembled before transforming into ¨¨ve. The rival had never entered the arena. The corpse at Kazuki''s feet vanished like the illusion it was. The hoplite grunted. Priam sighed internally as Kazuki approached him. He, too, had failed to notice ¨¨ve infiltrating the hoplite group. For someone with his mental attributes, that was impossible. She''s using a concept that plays with our senses and memory... He sent a query to Log-a-rhythm, which assured him that it had always seen ¨¨ve alongside Hyshana. However, it had also witnessed Kazuki fighting a clone whose feet didn''t stir up any dust. So, her range is limited. She focuses more on consciousness than reality. Illusion? Mirage? Hypnosis? Priam despised this type of build. It screamed "manipulator" and reminded him that his rival hadn''t hesitated to sacrifice Sphinx. The strained smile on Kazuki''s face indicated he wasn''t the only one thinking this way. "Ophia is an asset; you did well to bring her back," the hoplite said. Simultaneously, Priam''s Domain noticed a repeated and fast contraction of a tendon in the hoplite''s elbow. [Code detection. Match found in hoplite base database. Translation.] "She''s using a Tier 1 Concept, likely augmented by a Talent and skills. Without Micro II, she would have trapped me," Kazuki explained. Priam continued the verbal exchange while also contracting one of his muscles. "Have you found another way to detect her?" Priam lacked Micro II but needed a way to monitor his rival. "My senses and Concept were entirely blind to her manipulations. Aura seemed to have an effect, but it''s not my specialty," Kazuki explained. "Could you detect her again?" "She won''t catch me by surprise again, but... I have no idea how to find her real body. I didn''t even notice there was one too many spectators." Priam nodded as ¨¨ve approached. Is this her real body? "Good fight, Kazuki. I hope you''ll forgive me for cheating, but your attacks were too powerful. A head-on battle isn''t my strong suit." "I appreciate you taking it seriously," the hoplite replied diplomatically. "The Necromoon is approaching, and I''m glad to have additional help." ¨¨ve sighed. "We''ll need all the help we can get." "Oh?" Priam turned to her, playing the role of an engaged leader. "You know something?" "The weather changes, night falls, and the dead awaken. In Elysium, that means long-buried skeletons find purpose again. Luckily, it''s an event." Seeing the confused faces of the two warriors, she clarified. "An event means missions and rewards. If we play it right, we can come out on top. That being said, the event is no picnic. People will die." "In war, there are always casualties." Priam remained silent. He refused to lose more loved ones. "You know more than us," Kazuki noted. "The Necromoon is coming in two days, and we''re gearing up. Maybe you have suggestions?" ¨¨ve nodded energetically. "I have a few ideas, yes. My power allows me to go unnoticed, so I should be able to enhance our camouflage by..." The new rival was dangerous, but there was no way of keeping her at bay without arousing her suspicions. Kazuki had decided to put her to work. Priam didn''t like it, but he understood the logic. After a few seconds, he walked away. The event wasn''t his only concern. He had triggered a sextuple Tribulation and suspected that the System wouldn''t let him accumulate hundreds over the next six months. He couldn''t keep running forward. Entering Log-a-rhythm to escape surveillance, Priam opened a portal to Concept Archipelago. Inside, he greeted Louis, who seemed thoughtful in front of a berry bush, before soaring toward the sun. Mentally, he checked on Mirscella. With closed eyes, the old lady trembled like a leaf, trapped in a nightmare. Good luck... "Hey," he said to the sun. The Phoenix manifested before him. It observed him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Unity in two days?! Are you speedrunning Concepts? How did you manage that?" Priam smiled before updating him on recent events. The Phoenix remained silent for a few moments before whistling. "You rely too much on your resurrection¡ªand that''s coming from a phoenix. You were probably close to becoming an incarnation of your Concept. A hollow shell whose soul was consumed by its Concept." Priam shuddered. If the Tier 2 hadn''t forced a mutual destruction, he knew he would have let the Fire Concept devour him. "What should I have done?" "Exactly what you did." The young man gave the phoenix a confused look, who chuckled. "You''re alive, aware of the risks, and more powerful than before. Be proud, learn your lesson, but don''t forget there''s no easy path to the Zenith. That being said, two days must be a record. It took me almost four months, and I was born with a gold spoon in my mouth." "How does one reach Unity without risk?" Priam asked. He couldn''t solve everything by dying. Even though it has worked quite well so far... "You progress gradually, using your Potential to simulate a partial Unity. You select Merits that reduce the distance or consume resources and concept fragments. The list is long, but in a word: you take your time." Mistwalker, one of Priam''s Merits, allowed him to ride his mist. It was undoubtedly one of the many Merits capable of helping someone reach Unity more easily. "We''ll discuss it again when you''ve refined your Fire Concept to reach Tier 1. For now, tell me how you resisted the Fallen." "A Fallen?" "The false god. It should be a weak Tier 4, but their conversion ability is formidable." "They didn''t look weak to me." "Any self-respecting Tier 4 should have been able to peel your soul without giving you a chance. Their soul quality is Tier 4, but I''m sure its volume doesn''t follow. We''ll talk about that later, I''m curious how you resisted him." "Oh, I created a kind of system that assists me..." As Priam explained, the Phoenix cooled down. In phoenix language, it was a bad sign. "Is there a problem?" "Yes and no. This kind of assistant was the specialty of a mighty clan¡ªtheir primogenitor was a Tier 9. A few million years ago, they disappeared. They resurfaced during a Universal War, lobotomized and serving a Primordial of the Depths. He had created a virus capable of taking control of their Assistant." "... I''ll avoid clicking on weird links." "I sense you''re trying to make a joke, but be careful with your add-on. Few Tier 0s can penetrate your soul to take control, but you''re not just facing Tier 0s. This Fallen could discover the truth if they ever get their hands on you again. I suppose you don''t plan on running as far away as possible while you still can?" Priam clenched his fist. "Not without Sphinx." Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 680 Perception 654 MENTAL: Vivacity 383 Dexterity 475 Memory 218 Willpower 832 Charisma 499 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326 Meta-endurance 256 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3427 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Necromoon Event: 2 days, 17 hours, and 19 minutes. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 172 days 19 hours 2 minutes 56 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 172: Resolutions The wings of the Phoenix subtly covered its beak; an avian equivalent of a grimace. "I''m an AI based on the echo of a Phoenix Prince created from a diluted tear. As such, I have a limited ego and an impossible goal: to keep you alive until you kill my original. I''m as much on your side as one can be." Priam relaxed his clenched fist before nodding stiffly. His draconic instinct whispered that the Phoenix was sincere, and this conversation held significance. "Why are you telling me all this?" "Because what I''m about to tell you might not make you happy. You''ve lost someone, and that''s tragic, but don''t react like a child." Priam couldn''t believe his ears. "I react like a child?" he repeated, bursting into a joyless laugh. "Sphinx trusted me so much that she followed me into another world. Since then, all I''ve done is disappoint her. She loved me, and I made her unhappy. To save me, she threw herself into the clutches of a psychopath. She could be tortured as we speak! Am I childish because I want to rescue her? What''s the point of this damn System if I can''t even save the ones I love?!" As Priam finished his tirade, a terrifying flame burned in his eyes. The fiery reflections in his hair revealed the draconic anger simmering within him. Seeing the compassion in the Phoenix''s eyes, Priam calmed down. "You''re not angry at the System, but at yourself. You''re rational enough not to rush into a hopeless rescue but feel like you''re betraying her by refusing to sacrifice yourself needlessly." Priam clenched his fists in silence. When his feelings were summarized like this, they seemed pathetic. Sphinx''s life was invaluable, and he felt dirty for pondering, for refusing to throw himself into an impossible battle. Yet, the Phoenix was right. Despite all his love for Sphinx, he was rational by nature. "If you continue to progress, you will lose people," the Phoenix murmured. "You''ll never get used to it, and it will hurt every time. Some steel themselves and silence their emotions. They never go far. The quest for the Zenith requires a rage and a will capable of conquering fate." "... I will save Sphinx. At least, I''ll try," Priam promised. "Of course, but first, you need to create a plan that gives you a chance, no matter how tiny. Better a pragmatist who saves his friends than a passionate one who commits suicide with them." "When you say pragmatist, I hear selfish," Priam murmured. "A selfish person ready to face a Tier 4 to save his friend," the Phoenix pointed out. "Sphinx''s trust in you is well-placed. The only selfishness you exhibit is thinking that everything depends on you. Let me be clear: you are weak. So weak that a Fallen didn''t bother checking under his shoe after crushing you. That''s why you''re here." Priam shivered, recalling Sumstreh''s divine consciousness that had eclipsed his own. Thanks to exceptional rewards and a bit of luck, he had survived. Yet, he was nothing against a Tier 4. "There must be a way to save her without necessarily facing Sums¡ª" "Stop!" the Phoenix interrupted. "Your soul is marked; do not speak their name, it would attract their attention." Priam nodded. ¨¨ve had said they should avoid mentioning that name as well. "There must be a way to save Sphinx without confronting that monster," Priam continued. The Phoenix nodded. "Certainly, but let me give you some perspective." Levitating with the help of his kinetic control and wings, Priam listened attentively. "Sphinx is trapped in their Divine Kingdom. Upon reaching Tier 5, the soul can create a kind of mini-world; like Concepts Archipelago but larger and saturated with Tier 5 Concepts. For those who choose to become gods, it''s called a Divine Kingdom because it can accommodate the souls of their followers. Normally, these worlds have a minimum radius of several kilometers. You tell me theirs is about two hundred meters in radius?" Priam nodded. "That''s the impression I got. Maybe some part was hidden, but¡ª" "No," the Phoenix cut in. "Two hundred meters in radius is certainly the size of their Domain. They must have synchronized their Supremacy and Divine Kingdom to stabilize the latter. That''s the only reason they can retain it after losing their Tier. It''s great news." "How so?" "If they can barely maintain their Divine Kingdom, there''s little chance they''ll kill your friend," the Phoenix said. "Sphinxes are masters of karma and enjoy certain powerful racial Talents. If they kill her, the backlash will resonate with their negative karma. They won''t take that risk when they''re in a position of weakness." Priam''s hearts palpitated with relief before a thought worried him. "So, they''ll forcibly convert her?" "Depending on the purity of Sphinx''s bloodline, that could be seen as an insult by her clan. They''d be signing his death warrant. No, I think they''ll want to sell her." The news hit Priam like a bomb. "Sell her?!" "Why not? If they can''t use or kill her, it seems like the most logical solution." "... Maybe I can buy her? With the help of a proxy, of course!" The Phoenix burst into laughter. "Do you have money? Even if you could buy Sphinx back, this Fallen would still be a threat to you because of the soul mark he implanted." "With time to analyze it, I''m almost sure I can destroy it," assured Priam. "It will take them a fraction of a second to dominate your soul. If you succeed, they''ll take Sphinx hostage. If you manage to free Sphinx, they''ll understand the ruse and kill you." "... Then they must die," Priam said. Of course, he had always intended to seek revenge, but he didn''t think that moment would come so soon. "You say they''re weak for a Tier 4?" The Phoenix shook its head. "No, I said they''re in a position of weakness. They can''t leave their Divine Kingdom fragment without destabilizing it. In a few hours, it would be destroyed, and they would lose their divine advantages. Currently, all they need to do is restore their Divine Kingdom to become a Tier 5 again." Priam took a few seconds to think. "If I know their objective, I can more easily create a plan to defeat them... How can they restore their Divine Kingdom?" "Without followers or suitable fragments of concepts, they will have to rely on rare resources." "Resources that could be rewards in the upcoming event?" The Phoenix cackled. "Possible. They will probably contact you at the beginning of the event to give you instructions; we can discuss it then. Meanwhile, you have a more urgent problem. A sextuple Tribulation, really?" Priam looked embarrassed. "Do you have any advice for me?" "I have a warning: a fighter cannot stack more than seven Tribulations. If you try, they will trigger instantly. No one has ever survived it - or at least, no one has boasted about it." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Damn..." Priam didn''t think he was so close to death. Suddenly, his Tribulations became a priority. My Tribulations, Sphinx, the Necromoon event... I feel like the next few weeks are going to be complicated. "No one forced you to accumulate so many Tribulations. Most people quickly move on to Tier 1," the Phoenix remarked. Priam snorted. "Would I have earned my title of Fire Sage if I had been Tier 1?" "Not for a Tier 0 Concept. Solidifying your foundations is good, but only if you''re sure you can survive it. Do you have a plan to survive?" "Well, I thought of reducing the number of Tribulations by increasing the Tier of my race. It would change my Tribulation thresholds and cancel some of them," Priam explained. "Excellent idea. It''s a big project, but at Tier 0, it''s your only hope. Have you started looking into it?" "I found two samples that should help me." Myuri and Jasmine each had a race close to high humans. By combining their three races, he hoped to produce something exceptional. "Then you have everything you need. Don''t waste any more time, and be careful not to trigger a seventh Tribulation," the Phoenix warned. The conversation had done wonders for Priam. He was still stressed about his life, Sphinx, and everyone else, but he now had an objective: survive his Tribulations. As he exited his world, he thought there was something terrible about having no room for error. Paradoxically, he welcomed this pressure with calmness. Either he would succeed in improving his race, or he would die. This simple truth allowed Priam to push aside his doubts and focus on what mattered. With a clear mind, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to open a portal to his highest branch and summoned Jasmine. While waiting for his subordinate, Priam sat cross-legged, observing the crimson leaves swaying in the wind. By a strange coincidence, Log-a-rhythm shared this color with the Necromoon. The only difference was that the satellite was terrifying, while his tree was majestic. Between the branches, the vast forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Terrifying monsters mingled with rare resources and mysterious rivals. Priam smiled, realizing that he was now a full-fledged rival too. The weak human who had crossed the portal three weeks ago was gone. A formidable and competent warrior had taken his place. A man who now had dreams. A shadow blurred as Jasmine emerged from it. The assassin wore a black outfit that clung to her skin, accentuating her feminine curves. "It''s a hoplite suit," she smiled, catching Priam''s gaze. "Hyshana gave it to me after our first spar. It blocks infrared and vibrations caused by my blood circulation. It can also change color to enhance my camouflage. The only problem is that it''s tight around the chest," winked Jasmine. Priam glanced at the mentioned area before turning his head, slightly embarrassed. The tight-fitting suit was clearly too small in certain places. "It suits you well. Maybe it will distract ¨¨ve." "My dagger between her ribs, that''s what''s gonna distract this bitch," cursed Jasmine as she sat down. "She has a Concept as powerful as mine, maybe two, and she masters them even better. However, she makes mistakes sometimes." "Meaning?" "She constantly uses an illusion and hides nearby. Occasionally, she lacks attention, and her true shadow reveals itself. I have a Talent for sensing if my prey feels observed, so I know she hasn''t spotted me. If you ask me, I''m almost sure I could assassinate her in less than half an hour. A bit more if she''s on her guard." Priam took a few seconds to think before shaking his head. "Too dangerous for now. But keep watching her; I want to understand her goals." "Very well." Jasmine''s earnest response surprised Priam, who locked eyes with her. "Far be it from me to complain, but I would have thought you''d make my life complicated. I more or less forced you to work for me, and you should hate me for it. That''s what ¨¨ve''s boss tried, and I hate them with all my soul." Jasmine smiled mysteriously. "Maybe I should hate you, but I don''t. I''ve spent my life obeying, and you''re the kindest boss I''ve had. Besides, you say you forced me to accept your deal, but aren''t we always forced? Working to eat, sleep, and thus survive is what all the poor on my planet do. Do you see a difference between that and slavery? I don''t." "You can leave a job whenever you want, not my service," Priam pointed out. "I was an assassin, do you really think I could leave my organization?" Jasmine laughed miserably. "In my opinion, I''m better off here than on Arkana. At least I don''t have to get fat pigs hard to get information." Priam grimaced. "I''m not going to ask you to do that." "I know. I''m just lucid enough to understand my situation and pragmatic enough to accept it. I tried to murder you, I failed, and I''m paying the price. I have fifty years to figure out what to do next. Unless I die before then." According to his system, she meant what she said. Priam shook his head. This new world allowed limitless freedom, and Jasmine didn''t seem to realize it. But who am I to tell her to change? I don''t agree with her, but it''s her choice. "Okay. Besides that, did you manage to reassure Myuri?" Jasmine shrugged. "She''s afraid of men, and I''m not really a psychologist. I told her that you were a fairly honest person and never tried to take advantage of my body, but a life of terror creates survival instincts." "It''s troublesome..." "Why?" Priam hesitated for a moment before revealing his condition. "I triggered too many Tribulations, and I plan to upgrade my race to change my thresholds. I thought of merging our three genetic codes to create something superior." Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "I know how you and I could mix our two genetic codes to create something new, but I''m not sure it works with three people." "I don''t mind flirting, Jasmine, but with my attributes, I only have a few resistances to level-ups left before dying permanently¡ªwhich would result in your death as well." "Fuck." "As you say." Jasmine cleared her throat. "Maybe you should get to work then? I''m not really in the mood to die." Priam nodded. "I''ll do that until the beginning of the event. I should need a bit of your blood and Myuri''s." "I''ll find that for you. Anything else?" "Go ask Kazuki for another suit like yours but adapted for Myuri. I want to give her a gift to ease our relations." "Better to ask for one of Hyshana''s kimonos then; Myuri isn''t really a fan of close combat." "I''ll let you handle it," Priam replied, standing up. Jasmine vanished into a shadow, and Priam looked up at the sky. A crimson sphere engulfed the firmament. Two days before the start of the event, the Necromoon was gigantic.Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 680 Perception 654 MENTAL: Vivacity 383 Dexterity 475 Memory 218 Willpower 832 Charisma 499 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326 Meta-endurance 256 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3427 Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. Necromoon Event : 2 days 16 hours 43 minutes. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 172 days 18 hours 26 minutes 16 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 173: The Necromoon Era begins. Blueberry deftly flipped the trout in the stone container, ensuring it soaked in the marinade. The preparation had been intricate, calling for maple syrup and endemic berry juice, graciously provided by Priam, along with a rhizome powder. Louis had assisted in gathering the ingredients, the old man developing an unexpected passion for gardening. According to him, every human needed to handle the soil at some point before returning to it. The bear didn''t necessarily share the old man''s patience or philosophy, but he had to admit that the ingredients from Elysium tantalized his appetite. The scent of maple syrup was divine, and the berry juice¡­ at the thought, Blueberry licked his lips. He had always been fond of berries. A delightful aroma wafted to his nostrils, signaling that the cooking was perfect. Without hesitation, Blueberry removed the container from the fire and sat beside the flames. Even in this position, his head towered nearly three meters high. The flames were comparatively small, but he enjoyed watching them. As a wild beast, he had always feared fire. Appreciating this spectacle reaffirmed that he had become more than a mere animal. Satisfied, he delicately used one of his claws to extract a fillet from the trout. He brought the piece to his nose and smelled it. The delicate aroma made him tremble with anticipation and he opened his jaws. As his mouth sealed shut, the bear''s ears trembled, and he began swaying back and forth, on the verge of singing. "Look for the bare necessities," he hummed. His taste buds vibrated under the delight and the myriad sensations emanating from the fillet. The maple syrup exploded in his mouth, bringing caramelized and floral notes that mingled with the berry juice. Its tangy taste blended with the rhizome ¨C a kind of ginger ¨C he had used. Their alliance created a piquant and spicy flavor, both warm and refreshing. Finally, the fish melted in his mouth, releasing its aromas and pulsing a wave of aether throughout the bear''s body. VIT +2 Lvl Up: [Delicate Palate] lvl 38 PERC +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Retronasal Olfaction] lvl 32 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Ambrosia Cooking] lvl 7 VIVA +4 DEXT +2 MEM +3 It was the best dish the bear had ever eaten, and the System seemed to agree. His epic skill [Ambrosia Cooking] allowed him to boost attributes by preparing a feast, and it was the first time he had gained two attribute points. He leaned towards the rest of the trout, determined to relish the second, still-warm fillet, when he caught a strange smell. The scent of a hungry person. Blueberry focused before smiling. "There''s a second piece left," he announced. Silence answered him, and he shrugged. "Oh well, if nobody wants it, I''ll take it." "Wait!" The bear smiled. A shadow dancing in the flickering flames grew into a human form. Suddenly, the dark shades of the silhouette dissipated to reveal Jasmine. The young woman approached Blueberry before sitting next to him. The first time she had done this, he had been surprised because she didn''t smell of fear. Most people worried about the proximity of a beast capable of decapitating them with a single move, but not Jasmine. The assassin had explained that the only item that had accompanied her during her childhood was a plush creature resembling him. For that reason, she felt at ease in the company of the bear, and the feeling had become mutual. There was a contained wildness in the young woman that appealed to Blueberry. For someone who had grown up in an ecumenopolis, Jasmine was remarkably untamed. "I thought I managed to erase my scent. How did you find me this time?" she asked, blowing on the trout fillet. "My new Title, [Bonfire Cook], lets me sense people who crave my food. It gives me some clues about their preferred flavor, and I can deduce their identity." "Your trout''s aroma fills the entire clearing; I can''t be the only one hungry," observed Jasmine. Blueberry was well aware of that. He could feel the eyes of the hoplites building barricades behind him. "You''re the only one I''m willing to share with." The young woman raised an eyebrow. "You, wanting to share food? Just admit you plan to ask Priam for more ingredients, claiming I ate everything." Blueberry didn''t like lying and decided to remain silent. Nevertheless, he crossed his arms in protest. "By the way, a suspicious individual is also hungry," he whispered. For a being of his size, he could sometimes be very discreet. With closed eyes, Jasmine was too focused on her food to respond. "There''s a young woman who also dreams of sinking her teeth into this trout fillet, and she''s right at the edge of Log-a-rhythm''s domain," Blueberry continued, seeing that Jasmine wasn''t taking the bait. "What?!" Jasmine opened her eyes, quickly swallowed, and turned to Blueberry. "Are you sure? How do you know it''s a young woman?" The bear smiled, seeing that his information intrigued Jasmine. "My Title indicates that her current tastes are slightly modified because she''s in her ovulation period. It only applies to female bears, so I assume it''s a woman?" Jasmine shook her head. "I''m not sure that applies to all living species, but whatever. It must be ¨¨ve avoiding the base. That''s why I couldn''t locate her since yesterday!" Jasmine groaned before shrugging and biting into the fish again. The sound she made while savoring her meal would have made Rose blush. Blueberry took it as a compliment. "Why do you dislike ¨¨ve?" he asked as Jasmine licked the bottom of the stone bowl. "... I distrust all rivals," Jasmine answered after surveying the surroundings. "You don''t distrust Priam or Kazuki." "Kazuki is an honorable warrior as long as you don''t cross his limits. I pity the fool who will lay a hand on his wife. Priam is a dreamer, eyes set on the stars and the Zenith. I''ve made the mistake of forcing him to avert his gaze, and I won''t do it again." "And ¨¨ve?" "I can''t fully figure her out, but my female instinct tells me she''s an arriviste. Just look at her build. Deception, secrecy, illusion... How can you trust that kind of woman?" "You hide in the shadows," Blueberry pointed out. Jasmine shot him a dark look. "I conceal my presence before slashing my target''s throat. It''s swift and straightforward. Occasionally, I charm them to lower their guard. You should worry when I''m invisible, not when I''m here. Since she arrived, I have spent half my days making sure I''m not in an illusion." Blueberry shrugged; he had nothing to hide. Unless ¨¨ve threatened the trout population in the river near Log-a-rhythm, he had no concern about her. "And Priam?" Jasmine tensed imperceptibly. "What about Priam?" "He doesn''t like her. I can sense it. Not at the smell level ¨C he masters that with Micro. But he doesn''t care about her." "He spends all his time trying to upgrade his race." Jasmine tried to steer the conversation away, and Blueberry accepted. "I thought he could borrow equipment from the hoplites?" "He did, but even so... It''s complicated," sighed Jasmine. "Bordel de putain de merde," Priam roared, resisting the urge to tear apart the hoplite mecha. The armor was a scientific marvel in its own right, a creation of hoplite scientists aiming to equip their warriors for any conceivable situation. One of the worst-case scenarios was the presence of ionizing radiation in Elysium, capable of damaging the hoplites'' DNA. Cancer would have affected the soldiers'' performance. Worse still, if the mission was to last several years, they were supposed to be able to reproduce among themselves. However, ionizing bombardment could reduce the ability of cells to replicate DNA properly. A hoplite child with a genetic anomaly would have created a number of problems during the mission. To deal with this situation, the mechas were equipped with - among other things - a medical unit designed to analyze and treat the cells and everything they contained. It was a recent addition, and one that Kazuki''s mecha lacked. Upon discovering this, Priam had almost danced for joy. Two days later, his hopes were dashed. In the beginning, things went well. His add-on had quickly absorbed the hoplite literature on genetics. Thanks to his mental attributes and [Eidetic Memory], Priam had become a savant on the subject, engaging in riveting discussions with one of the hoplites serving as a medical expert. The presence of a geneticist wasn''t a coincidence. All Titan-class hoplites were required to wear multiple hats: architect, physician, psychologist, physicist, mechanic, programmer, and more, boosting the mission''s chances of success. According to the expert, hoplites had spent centuries refining their genome, successfully crafting a Tier 1 race: the Titan class. The hoplite serum Priam had ingested before the Reunion was proof of their progress. With his System''s help, Priam had spent a day compiling available data and theorizing a method to elevate his race. Initially, the challenge seemed complex but not insurmountable. The first step was gathering genetic data from the three Tier 1 races: High Human, Royal Empyrean, and MKX Arkanian. Priam had begun with his own genetic material. The mecha had used a synthetic graphene-based substrate to create nanometer-sized holes. Submerged in a conductive liquid, traversed by an electric current, the substrate allowed DNA strands to pass through. Different strands altered the electric current in various ways, and measuring these disturbances enabled the sequencing of the entire DNA. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. His genome had been compiled by the mecha''s AI. While [Priam''s System] could have handled it, it would have taken considerable time. Despite the exceptional algorithmic structure of his system, it remained limited by Priam''s mental attributes. As DNA comprised four bases, corresponding to two bits, and a High Human being an evolved human, Priam''s DNA contained over six billion base pairs, nearly thirteen billion bits, or 1.6 GB. The mecha''s AI, running on a quantum computer, the compilation was as quick as its interpretation was disappointing. Even as a High Human, Priam''s DNA contained some redundant or non-functional elements, like an average human. During the Tier up of his race, the System had removed faulty genes and added useful ones, but left Priam with no user manual. Therefore, Priam had a perfect map of his DNA but didn''t understand the purpose of specific genes. Understanding them was crucial if he wished to acquire Empyrean or Arkanian genes in his DNA. Attempting to modify his DNA without comprehension was like blindly replacing car parts. Swapping an engine for a windshield wiper was bad, but when it came to his own body, it was worse. Fortunately, he could use his Potential to obtain information on each of his genes. This laborious and repetitive task was well-suited to his add-on. [Genome Analyzed: 37%] POT -152 A complete genome analysis would take two days, a short duration considering that before the apocalypse, humanity hadn''t come close to analyzing the entire human genome. Overcoming this difficulty, Priam had smiled before starting to compile the genomes of Jasmine and Myuri. Their genetic code was relatively close to that of a human, raising Priam''s hope of selecting interesting genes. The real difficulty arose later. To test the feasibility of his theory, Priam had attempted to modify one of the DNA sequences in one of his cells. The hoplite mecha had used a molecular scissor to introduce a local modification to the genome. Priam''s cell had promptly crushed the tool. After about ten unsuccessful attempts, Priam had left his internal world to find the medic. "Is there a problem?" "The genetic scissor is ineffective on my cells." "Hmm, you too?" "Me too?" "We brought one of our latest genetic enhancement serums to the Heart," the hoplite revealed, referring to Kazuki. "It proved ineffective. My theory is that beyond a certain threshold of constitution, the System is compelled to modify the aetheric code of cells to increase their resistance. Genetic scissors clash with this passive constitution." Having surpassed five hundred constitution points, Priam and Kazuki were beyond the reach of mundane methods. "Couldn''t Kazuki disable his own immunity with Micro II?" At this stage, the Supremacy was supposed to manipulate vitality for faster healing. The medic had shook his head. "It''s too ''deep'' for this stage. His words." "... Damn. I guess I''ll try another method." Hoplite technology had advanced to the point where it could use nanobots, manipulated viruses, and even quantum resonance to modify the genome. Priam had tested each method one after another until they were exhausted. None worked. A wall had just appeared a few meters from the finish line. Even if his add-on succeeded in merging the three Tier 1 races to create a perfect genome, potentially leading to a Tier 2 race, it was pointless if Priam couldn''t change his own race. "Bordel de putain de merde!" Priam exited the mech, wearing a dark expression. He needed this race change, and he needed it fast. Every skill level-up brought him closer to a seventh Tribulation. Seven was the number of the Concepts at the origin of this universe, and Priam had been warned: unleashing a seventh Tribulation would instantly summon them. The only outcome was death. A true and final death. To avoid this situation, Priam hadn''t even used [He Who Eludes Death] for the last two days. With no resurrection to replace a night''s sleep, Priam had had to sleep to rest his brain. After so long of being kept fresh by his Talent, real sleep had seemed strange to Priam. Rather than being nostalgic, he had hated his nap: it was an enormous waste of time. One of the advantages of [He Who Eludes Death] was that it freed up about a third of his day. Reaching the riverbank, Priam knelt before plunging his head into the cold water. The shock woke him, partially dispelling his pessimism. There had to be a solution. "Got a problem?" Hearing ¨¨ve''s voice, Priam almost grimaced. He wasn''t in the mood for pretense. If only I could crush her head against my knee, it would take my mind off things... "My constitution is too high for hoplite methods to modify my genome," Priam revealed, rising. "Oh. Can''t you create a skill to deal with that?" "As a last resort, maybe. But it would likely be an Epic or Legendary skill. The attributes it gives might trigger a seventh Tribulation. Of course, I could ask someone to create that skill, but it would cost a lot of Potential without knowledge." Elysium reduced the cost, but most people had very little Potential. Priam only had plenty thanks to his Achievements. Similarly, not everyone had a system and a perfect memory to become an expert in genetics in a single day. Eve nodded. "The hoplite medic could, but I forb..." She glanced over her shoulder before furrowing her brow. "I advise you against calling him. I don¡¯t trust him." Priam almost burst out laughing. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. "I''ll find a solution," Priam replied. "What did you want?" "It''s starting," ¨¨ve grimaced, looking up at the sky. Priam checked the timer before grimacing. "May luck be with us..." Event: Necromoon The Necromoon returns for vengeance. Competing with one of the Seven Great Concepts for dominion over ''Soul,'' their clash promises collateral damage. The dead awaken. The night stretches on. Terror has a name. The crimson twilight begins. ¡ª An event appears in your zone! Within it, you must abide by the event''s rules. Feats are optional but earn points for exchangeable rewards. To exit the event, leave the zone. Rule (Tier 0): Resist the Necromoon''s corruption. Feats: Survive until the end of the event. Survive the Necro hordes. Kill the Necromoon''s envoys. ??? Reward: Access to the Sun Shop (1 point). Good luck! As soon as the announcement ended, night fell and cold came. At its zenith, the Necromoon pulsed, generating a ripple. A crimson wave ravaged the sky, erasing stars and covering the cosmos in an unfathomable film of darkness. Visually, the firmament remained black, but Priam knew a barrier now enveloped a portion of the world. Escaping wouldn''t be easy. Before he could worry further, the crimson wave hit the protection around the clearing, shattering it. The next moment, it struck Priam, knocking him to the ground. Apart from the physical shock, he felt an unpleasant substance streaming over his skin. Oil? Lvl Up: [Necromoon Resistance] lvl 5 VIT +3 WILL +3 META(END) +3 "Fuck." The substance dried quickly as an intense cold seeped through him. Priam got up to survey the clearing. Kazuki and ¨¨ve were the only ones in sight. It was agreed that the rest of the base would stay in Log-a-rhythm at the event''s beginning, and everyone listened. Priam dispelled his misty garment and created a cloak of flames. The fire cleansed his skin, and he sighed in relief, feeling the malevolent influence and the frost recede. Suddenly, his instincts shivered. In the dark crimson night, without the camouflage of Log-a-rhythm, his flames were visible from afar. He met ¨¨ve''s gaze and swallowed at the sight of fear in her eyes. Less than two seconds after their appearance, Priam deactivated his flames. Too late. The forest trembled under distant howls. Event: Necromoon First wave: A horde masses near Log-a-rhythm. Defend your territory. Reward: 200 Sun points Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 684 (+4) Perception 654 MENTAL: Vivacity 383 Dexterity 475 Memory 218 Willpower 836 (+4) Charisma 499 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326 Meta-endurance 260 (+4) Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3278 (-149) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 1 hours 43 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 174: Priam of the Dead A mist materialized in the clearing. Tinted by the light of the Necromoon, its serenity was shattered by a swirling vortex. A silvery spear materialized in Priam''s right hand. The bound weapon trembled, its instinct resonating with its wielder''s battlelust. Its color had changed, forsaking the blaze of flames for the stealth of mist. If the Fire Concept were temporarily banned, Priam would use his mist. "The forest is shaking," murmured ¨¨ve, gazing into the void. "I... I see dozens of skeletons that¡ª" An eerie howl echoed again, interrupting his rival and sending shivers through the air in the clearing. Priam took a moment to inhale the almost toxic air. The scent of blood and death filled his nostrils. The world stirred under the influence of the Necromoon, rejecting the living. Sensing the wrath of the perverted nature, Priam smirked coldly. While his instincts whispered that the situation was catastrophic, danger awakened his warrior spirit. Recently, his spear hadn''t been enough to solve his problems. Sphinx had been kidnapped, ¨¨ve and Sumstreh were watching him, his Tribulations were looming, and his racial upgrade was more complicated than expected. His pride trembled after being diminished by recent events. "It pisses me off," grunted Priam. For the first time in a long while, the situation was straightforward. A monstrous wave was coming, and he had to kill them. No more games, no more deceit, no more masks. Priam just had to be the last one standing. [Focus]. Priam leaped, leaving ¨¨ve behind. The sight of the flames seemed to have enraged the monsters. Now, they were coming, and it was better to confront them as soon as possible. The power of his Micro-controlled body manifested as he covered the few meters to the embankment at the forest''s edge in a few strides. The trees protected by Log-a-rhythm were in a sorry state but still alive. Show me a real-time map of the domain with the enemy positions. [Creating a synchronized HUD.] In the upper right of Priam''s vision, a mini-map appeared. Any monster entering Log-a-rhythm''s domain would be detected and displayed. Priam wouldn''t let any enemy escape. A blue dot symbolizing Kazuki was to the east of the clearing, while Priam covered the west. They hoped no monsters would come from the north, crossing the river that flowed there. It was a natural border they hadn''t had time to secure yet. ¨¨ve was nowhere to be seen, but it didn''t matter. Priam didn''t plan to refuse her help, but he had no way to ask for it. And if she dares to interfere... Jasmine was watching. A red dot appeared on the mini-map, and Priam focused. The only thing that mattered now was the fight. An opening appeared in the nearest tree, and Priam vanished into it. Fifty meters away, Secret Passage allowed him to reappear on a large branch. Below him, a giant boar of sorts was heading towards Log-a-rhythm with laborious steps. Its skull must have reached Priam''s shoulders. Alive, the beast must have been formidable. Today, its appearance left little doubt about its necromantic nature. All flesh had vanished, and some of its bones were missing. Despite that, it moved relentlessly and stank terribly. To achieve the former feat, its skeleton had been complemented by bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles woven with a crimson aether. The white of the bones and the bloody red of the tissues gave the monster a terrifying image. Before attacking, Priam analyzed his enemy using [Aether Perception]. His supernatural vision allowed him to notice streams of aether penetrating the creature''s bones. Gradually, its steps became more assured, and its hooves sank deeper into the ground. The ambient aether continuously strengthens it. It was bad news because it meant no monster would stay truly weak. A wave of frail skeletons was worrying; a horde of robust revenants was terrifying. They needed to repel as many enemies as possible while they were weak. No time like the present. Priam armed his arm and threw Promesse. The spear shot through the air before hitting the white skull, reducing the bone to dust. The boar staggered before stabilizing. The ambient aether, influenced by the Necromoon, continued to penetrate the skeleton. Priam jumped from his branch, cautiously approaching as the boar turned toward him. After a few seconds, Priam frowned as he observed the formation of an aetheric skull. Contrary to all the movies he had seen, beheading the undead didn''t seem enough. [Identification] [Wild War Boar - Tier 0 - Corrupted - Common] - The skeleton of a Wild War Boar revived by the Necromoon''s curse. The Necro Concept can affect any remains of a body that once housed a soul. Corruption has several phases. The first phase inoculates a raging instinct to the corrupted. Trying to reason with or resurrect the former body owner is futile. Each phase brings the corrupted closer to the state of the Necromoon''s avatar, strengthening its body and consciousness. Beware of contamination. The influence of the Necromoon must be purged to kill them... Priam had several solutions for that, but most were unusable. The simplest way remained his aura. Priam infused it into Promesse. Silver-grey aether threads condensed at the tip of his spear before it penetrated the half-formed skull of the boar. The aetheric structure shattered into pieces. The explosion spread like a chain reaction, eliminating any bloody halo. Without the help of the Necro Concept, the skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones. Priam hesitated as he looked at the remains. He couldn''t burn them, but should he disperse them? He didn''t want to kill the boar again if the Necromoon could resurrect the same body multiple times. The Concepts must have sensed his hesitation because their aura manifested for a brief moment. A bluish light enveloped the bones, reducing them to dust before merging into Priam. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 That solves the problem... Without wasting time, Priam bought access to the Sun Shop. A temporary tab opened in his System¡¯s HUD. At a glance, he recognized a list of resources, opportunities, Tokens, and more. Seeing from the corner of his eye that more red dots appeared on the mini-map, Priam instructed his Assistant to analyze the Sun Shop. List the items, and check if the quantities are limited, or if some options appear or disappear. If you find a high-priority item, notify me. [New routine created.] Without waiting, Priam turned to his next opponent. Twenty meters away, the skeleton of some kind of crow approached on foot. A delicate aetheric structure began to cover its wings, indicating that the corrupted would soon defy gravity. At least, that''s what it would have done if Promesse hadn''t shattered its keel. Priam retrieved his spear a few moments later, pleased to have earned an easy Sun point. During the next few minutes, he ran in all directions, farming points by bursting skeleton after skeleton. He encountered a Tier 1 only once. The creature must have been dead for decades because its bones had largely lost their resilience. Promesse, enhanced by Conquest Aura, quickly pulverized the Tier 1. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 1 - common) - Sun point +10 Sun points: 27 "Finally," Priam murmured, feeling his Conquest Aura slightly increase. His previous victories hadn''t brought him any bonuses due to their ease. He couldn''t fully enjoy his Legendary Title if the enemies remained so weak. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Another pleasant surprise was the number of points received. Priam didn''t yet know what they were for, but he knew one thing. The more he had, the better. Currently, they¡¯re weak, so let¡¯s accumulate as many points as possible. Despite the lure of gain, Priam remained focused. He wasn''t fighting to amass wealth but to defend his life and those of his loved ones. Promesse in hand, the young warrior resumed the hunt. A few seconds later, two red points appeared simultaneously. Although the event was recent, the weakest of the corrupted could now walk at human speed. In a few seconds, they would leave the forest to reach the clearing. Priam couldn''t accept that. Mobilizing his add-on, he threw Promesse at one of them before charging the second. The spear pierced through the foliage before hitting the head of a panda-sized squirrel. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 18 DEXT +3 At the same moment, Priam''s hands closed around the nape of an undead bat. With a twist of his torso, he summoned the strength to break the creature''s neck before dissipating its instinct through his aura. Four hundred seventy-eight in Dexterity... I have some room to maneuver. A glance at his mini-map made him swear. Three points had just appeared. Grouped, they were advancing rapidly. The torpor that possessed the new revenants was gradually dissipating. Crossing through a Secret Passage, Priam emerged in front of a trio of undead skulcs. Two of them had nothing left but bones, but powerful muscles still covered the skeleton of the third. The state of their bodies indicated that he had nothing to do with their death. It was fortunate because, otherwise, hundreds of skulc skeletons would have been on their way. Brandishing Promesse, Priam parried the attack of a rusted sword that gleamed with a crimson halo. The impact pushed the warrior back without breaking its blade. The influence of the Necromoon spread to the weapons of its revenants. The other two skulcs had moved to flank him. Priam focused on his spear, smiling. With a shoulder twist, he dodged one attack and blocked the other. A kick sent the nearest skeleton flying into a tree. Both the trunk and the monster''s ribs cracked. Using Micro, Priam took control of his body, dominating his muscles and initiating a lethal thrust on the skulc that had missed its attack. Reinforced by his aura, the attack shattered the skull and blew away the unlife of his opponent. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 12 STR +3 Strength. Priam nodded imperceptibly. He could still gain one hundred and eighty points of this attribute before it became dangerous for his Tribulations. A wail from beyond the grave made him turn around. The first skulc reached him, and Priam gracefully dodged its charge. With his attributes, skills, experience, and Supremacies, the difference between him and the revenants was enormous. Extending his leg, Priam tripped the skeleton, which fell to the ground. Before he could finish it, the last skulc executed a slashing attack. Priam caught the rusted blade barehanded, immobilized it, and raised his leg. His foot crushed the chest of his opponent, breaking multiple ribs as it was propelled backward. The System made its body disappear before it touched the ground. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 The last skulc had risen and was looking at Priam with bloody eyes. A primal hatred burned in them. No other red dot was shining on his mini-map, and Priam decided to test the limits of the curse. The skulc swung its sword like an executioner. Priam''s Domain stopped it, and [Kinetic Control] stole its thermal energy. Using a knifehand strike, Priam struck the frozen weapon, shattering it. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 56 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META(FOCUS) +4 Soon¡­ The action must have surprised the skulc''s primal instinct as it remained still. Priam stepped forward, reaching his opponent''s level. Despite his tall stature, his eyes were at the level of the skulc''s chest. A sweep kicked down his opponent, allowing Priam to seize and then rip off its skull. The bone lost its bloody aura, but the main body retained it. The warrior began to dismember his opponent''s remains. A few seconds later, only the ribcage was still influenced by the Necromoon. Priam continued his macabre experiment, removing bone after bone. When less than half of the ribs remained, the bloody presence disappeared. The Necromoon needed a minimum of material to support their soldiers. "Without a special method, killing these minions is a nightmare," Priam murmured as he stood up and looked at his hands. Nothing. Touching the corrupted bones seemed safe¡ªat least with his constitution. Glancing at his mini-map, he grimaced. Five red points had just appeared. Priam hesitated for a moment on the tactic to adopt before widening his eyes, seeing five more points emerge. The System had mentioned a horde, and a horde was coming. Understanding that, Priam paled. He couldn''t stop an infinite number of creatures alone. His powers capable of causing repeated area damage were too visible. Without even thinking about his Fire Concept, a hailstorm would partially destroy Log-a-rhythm''s forest. His add-on informed him that twenty more enemies were arriving. Simultaneously, ten blue dots appeared on his mini-map. Priam sighed in relief, seeing the hoplites and Blueberry rushing to the barricades. Opening a portal to his inner world, he shouted. "Louis, we need you!" Without lingering, the old man crossed before looking up at the Necromoon. "Bloody..." A growl made the warriors turn around. Behind them, a half-decomposed panther growled. [Corrupted invisible to Log-a-rhythm. Correction.] A new red dot appeared, making Priam grimace. Log-a-rhythm''s domain, even boosted by Land Privilege, wasn''t infallible. The dead panther remained stealthy enough to infiltrate his territory. Which means that the corrupted still partially retain the Talents of their former bodies. The panther leaped, Priam raised Promesse while Louis spat. The monster perished before even touching the ground, a hole between its eyes. It slumped at Louis''s feet before its body dissipated under the System''s action. "[Mastery - Body]," explained Louis. "Cool. Disgusting, but cool. Let''s go defend the barricades," declared Priam. A hundred more red dots had just appeared: it was time to defend Log-a-rhythm. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 425 (+5) Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 684 Perception 654 MENTAL: Vivacity 385 (+2) Dexterity 481 (+6) Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 499 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 330 (+4) Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3285 (+7) Tier 0 Sun points : 32 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 1 hours 42 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 175: The Last of Us A monstrous yet silent crowd was withstanding the defenders'' gaze. The Necromoon''s slaves looked at the living with eyes burning with hatred. "I feel like we''re the last survivors in this world," murmured Priam. "It''s a biodiversity disaster," agreed Louis. "It''s mostly a disaster for my nostrils," Blueberry grumbled. Priam couldn''t help but agree. With every inhale, he felt like he was breathing in the distilled scent of a charnel house. "Even my cat''s litter smells better," grimaced Louis, pinching his nose. "What''s that?" asked the bear, scratching his ear. "A place to do your business," replied Priam. "That¡¯s weird. There are places where you can''t?" The bear inquired. A bad feeling grew in Priam. "Since you''ve been here, where have you been sh¡ª" "Silence!" Kazuki''s voice echoed. The hoplite used his Concept with terrifying precision to simulate sounds directly in the defenders'' ears. Without Domain, a warrior would have been defenseless against this kind of power. With a glance, Priam checked the emotional state of their strategist. Kazuki clenched his teeth, attempting to solve an unsolvable problem. How could fourteen defenders defend such an imposing base? Priam and the rest of the fighters stood on an earthen rampart. Recently constructed, the defense formed a semi-circle forty meters from Log-a-rhythm. Its two ends met the river that secured the north of the base. The rampart''s soil came from a ditch just in front, three meters deep, rigged with enchanted stakes. At the top of the mound, Priam, Louis, Blueberry, and the hoplites had been waiting for a few minutes. Each was responsible for defending a section of about ten meters. The task would have been impossible for a human, but Priam could cover that distance in a fraction of a second. The cold wind changed direction, carrying the putrid smells toward the forest. As his nose was finally freed from torment, Priam felt his patience waning. The wait was becoming burdensome. A silent question lingered on everyone''s lips. "Why aren''t they attacking?" It had been three minutes since Priam and Louis had joined the other defenders. No Necromoon servants had pursued them out of the forest. The horde gathered under the cover of trees, silent and terrifying. The red eyes and bloody halos of revenants of all kinds contrasted with the black background of the underbrush. Added to the sound of bones clashing and flesh rubbing against bark, the scene was horrifying. Even more horrifying was the number of enemies. Priam''s HUD was covered in red dots. "There must be a leader," Kazuki finally declared. It was the most probable explanation. Their basic instinct didn''t allow them to wait to launch a brutal assault. A higher consciousness commanded them. "I volunteer to eliminate it." It was Hyshana''s voice. Her husband had dampened her voice before relaying it himself, demonstrating once again his mastery of his Concept. "You would be too easily corrupted," Kazuki refused. Hyshana was a warrior who excelled in close combat, not in reconnaissance or elimination. "Priam, Jasmine, Elaine, are any of you confident?" Elaine? Priam turned to a hoplite juggling with golden runes. She was a glass cannon sniper. "Sir, I can''t do much without knowing the leader''s position," the hoplite replied. "What is ¨¨ve doing?" Priam asked mentally his subordinate. "She''s heading towards the territory of the rabhorns. Should I follow her out of Log-a-rhythm''s territory?" Outside of his land, Priam would have no connection with Jasmine. She could evade him for the rest of her days without a problem. Worse, if Sumstreh captured her, the god would discover the truth about his condition. Too risky. "Abandon the pursuit and find the leader of the revenants. Kill them if possible, otherwise send me their position. Do not leave Log-a-rhythm¡¯s domain." "Understood." "Jasmine will take care of the leader," Priam announced to the group. Without his most powerful attacks, he couldn''t afford to plunge into the sea of revenants. If corruption reached him, he would have to commit suicide. While usually a positive thing, the gained attributes were now dangerous. "Good. For the rest, stay at your posts, conserve your aether, and avoid flashy attacks. Priam, how long until the barrier is restored?" [26 min, 43s before Log-a-rhythm''s protective barrier''s reactivation.] "Twenty-seven minutes." "Then we must protect Log-a-rhythm for twenty-seven minutes. It''s our top priority; we''ll eventually be overwhelmed without it. Any questions?" The activation of the event had destroyed Log-a-rhythm''s protection. Yet, it was their only way to survive an infinite horde. "Log-a-rhythm currently has over a thousand Potential points," revealed Priam. "I was thinking of purchasing Abundance - Life II or Camouflage II." Priam wanted the hoplite''s advice on this kind of tactical decision. Kazuki had been the active military leader of an empire for decades. The High Human wasn''t arrogant enough to think his calls would be any better. "Could Life reinforce Log-a-rhythm''s resistance to corruption?" "It''s almost certain. But if Camouflage is powerful enough, it could end the conflict," analyzed Priam. If the revenants couldn''t find their base anymore, its inhabitants would no longer be in danger. Silence answered him, as Kazuki was deep in thought. "Let''s wait for the barrier to be restored," the hoplite decided eventually. "If we can''t defend, we''ll use Life. Otherwise, Camouflage will be more useful." As if waiting for Kazuki''s decision, a roar came from the cover of the trees. From the shadows, hundreds of animals, each different from the others, began to march. Bone-white, putrid black, and bloody red mixed to form a colored wave of death. The ranks of the dead were tight, and their contained rage made the air tremble. Priam paled at the marching necromantic army. The fate awaiting those who succumbed to corruption was chilling. Priam was confident in his ability to survive, but he feared for his loved ones. The battle would be tough because each corrupted could spread the Necromoon''s curse. Unless I kill them first, he motivated himself. "[Spirit of the Braves]," declared Hyshana''s voice just before a wave of vigor invaded Priam. His already formidable endurance seemed bottomless now. A tremor shook the rampart as the first corrupted monsters impaled themselves on it. Priam sighed in relief as he saw the skeletons crumble to dust. The spikes were working. Furious and enraged, the revenants continued to throw themselves into the ditch. A few seconds later, the situation was beginning to deteriorate. If the bones disappeared, the System did not take care of the recently dead revenants'' putrefied flesh. As the corpses piled up, the pit filled. "Contact in a few seconds," Kazuki said. "Let your blades sing!" Priam prepared Promesse as the claws of a giant reptile reached the rampart''s edge. The enemy was finally here. Without unnecessary thought, Priam attacked, splitting the skull of the claw''s owner. Turning his hips a few degrees, Priam used [Unrelenting Thrust], retrieving his weapon and attacking again, pulverizing a new enemy. Everywhere, the corrupted ones climbed. The pile of crushed bones, flesh, and revenants was rising, allowing the enemies to progress. Imagining a death line, Priam began to leap from one end of his section to the other, slashing and thrusting tirelessly. Entering a deadly routine, part of his consciousness calmed down, focused on eliminating opponents optimally. He micro-controlled his muscles, executing his skills perfectly. Time lost its meaning. Promesse beheaded, pierced, eviscerated, pulverized, and bisected his enemies. His Sun points accumulated as the pit filled with white powder. Like a death machine, Priam made no mistakes, directing his armed arm against every monster that dared to cross the death line. He was in the zone. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 39 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 13 STR +3 As his vengeful arm destroyed a new Necromoon slave, Priam detected out of the corner of his eye the skeleton of a monkey that had just climbed the wall. The no monster''s land had been breached. Priam leaped and impaled it. The world gave him no respite as five new arrivals penetrated the left of his section. Barely out of breath, Priam understood that defeating the hundreds of corrupted ones coming was impossible. I need to change tactics. [Moon Mist], [Kinetic Control]. His summoned mist quickly condensed to form ice crosses. Floating in the air in front of the army of death, the sharp crosses began to rotate on themselves. Quickly, their speed became so fast that a spectator would have thought they were seeing circular saws. Enhanced by the Conquest Aura, the weapons were terrifying. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Priam grimaced as he felt his mind split into several parts. Controlling so many weapons simultaneously was a complex task. Fortunately, the System was there to help. [Focus], [Battle Sense]. The five crosses began to move slowly. A moment later, Priam gained confidence and sent them into the attack. Bounding toward the enemies climbing the rampart, the first circular saw easily traversed a skull, a sternum, a tibia, a femur, and a bone Priam didn''t know the name of. Three of the five opponents died on the spot. A second pass took care of the stragglers. The rest of the blades followed, creating carnage in the enemy lines. In a few seconds, they decimated two dozen adversaries, allowing Priam to catch his breath. He directed his gaze to his right and grimaced. Blueberry roared, covered in red blood oozing from myriad small wounds. Despite his colossal power, the Viscount was in a precarious situation. Dozens of revenants crowded against him, attacking without thinking of protecting themselves. The berserk bear eliminated three opponents with each attack, demonstrating his terrible power. It wasn''t enough. If this continues, it will escalate, Priam worried. All had used their Potential to unlock [Necro Resistance], but he knew better than anyone that resistance was not immunity. If Blueberry continued to endure attacks, corruption was inevitable. Two of the deadly crosses were redirected to help Blueberry. With their help, the bear pushed back his adversaries. He had enough awareness left to nod in the direction of his friend. I won''t let you die. Through two black runes laser-etched into her eyes, Jasmine could see from the shadows. Today, she almost regretted her power as the spectacle unfolded, haunting her. The horde of revenants showed no sign of abating. Like puppets, the corrupted moved through the trees in long single files. All anatomies, skeletal or zombified, were visible. Animals, monsters, reptiles, rabhorns, skulcs, and spiders rushed toward the defenders. None sensed her presence. Tucked within a branch¡¯s shadow, enfolded in darkness, Jasmine was invisible and intangible. She leveraged her position to observe the army of the dead. Their leader would undoubtedly be concealed by the multitude, but a single mistake would reveal their position. At that moment, Jasmine would strike. Where is that fat heap?! Scanning the army of the dead, Jasmine tried to deduce the leader''s position from their movement. Even if the creature possibly had satellite vision like Seth, they would prioritize safety. The Necromoon had undoubtedly partly erased their ego, but a strategist was worth a thousand soldiers when you had enough of them. And the Necromoon had an infinite supply. We can''t defeat them all. Her boss and Kazuki could kill thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. But if ¨¨ve had fled, they were much more numerous than that. So, the boss had to be eliminated. If she were correct, they would hide where their army was strongest¡ªwhere the Tier 1s were. Jasmine quickly surveyed the battlefield. On the right, Louis, Blueberry, and Priam were wreaking havoc. Despite his age, the old man was a monster. The young woman was impressed by his formidable use of his body. Each of his movements sliced through bones, putrid flesh, and blades with ease. Louis danced, and monsters died. Blueberry seemed to be gradually succumbing to rage, and Jasmine worried. If the bear made the mistake of leaping into the crowd of revenants waiting at his feet¡­ Fortunately, Priam was watching. Her boss used circular saws to farm the un-life of the corrupted. In a choke point, Priam could have held back a whole horde of Tier 0s. On the left, Kazuki and Hyshana were also doing well. The couple took care of a section of over thirty meters, decimating the revenants with their mechs. In the center, no hoplite was currently overwhelmed, but most were in trouble. A few, like the sniper, were doing well, but they didn''t have an endless supply of ammo. Without their mechs, the situation would have been perilous. If the enemy isn''t stupid, that''s where they''ll strike. Carefully observing the battle, Jasmine smirked when she spotted a suspicious movement. Some monsters, camouflaged by the minion tide, were stealthily approaching the hoplite soldiers. The corrupted leader had found the weak link in the defense and intended to attack. "Priam, there''s a vulnerability towards Elaine. They''re going to attempt a breakthrough," she sent through the link that bound them. "I got it." Jasmine bit her lip upon hearing the response. The bond Priam had created between them was highly intimate for her. When he spoke to her, she felt his breath, conviction, and trust in her soul. She couldn''t even imagine him failing. Rather than using circular saws, her boss sent creeping mist towards the attack. The fog seemed different than usual. Corrupted ones were often silent, but there was something in the silence emanating from the mist that sent shivers down Jasmine''s spine. Suddenly, a dozen corrupted ones leaped at the hoplite sniper. Jasmine began to carefully observe the rear of the horde. If the leader were to make a mistake, it would be now. Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 57 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 16,17 STR +2 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 15 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 14 STR +3 "I got it." Keen on not alerting the enemy, Priam chose to bring his mist closer before creating sharp crosses. Following an impulse, he tried to incorporate his Aura into his Concept. The result was terrifying. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 59 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Charisma exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! The discovery allowed his charisma to surpass the first milestone. Priam instantly felt a difference in his presence and control of his Aura. The latter had become more tangible. Once a thing of the mind, his Aura now had weight, significance. Priam Azura existed, and the world acknowledged his presence and its effects. Let¡¯s try again. With disconcerting ease, his aura merged with his mist, transforming it. As proven by his Unity with the Fire, Concepts had a defined instinct. When his Aura fused with his mist, its nature metamorphosed. His mist was no longer insidious and elusive; it was conquering and destructive. Priam loved it. Activating his charisma, and thus his aura, to the maximum, Priam directed his fog towards the revenants. The overwhelmed abominations froze as the aether structure supporting their skeletons collapsed. Before Priam, the corrupted were in disarray, unable to resist his power. The deadly fog continued its path, mercilessly annihilating each corrupted one it touched, like their nemesis. It conquered aether, devoured energy, and corroded matter, Priam realized. Before he could experiment further, the Tier 1s launched their attack. To counter them, Priam summoned a dozen mist tentacles. Intercepting the attackers, the fog evaporated them on contact. Freshly resurrected, the corrupted did not yet deserve their Tier. Only the former Tier 2 resisted the corrosion long enough to reach Elaine. The hoplite extended a hand tattooed with a glowing rune. A spear of light left her hand, pushing the assailant into the Conquest mist. Sacrificing part of his Conquest bonus, Priam strengthened his fog, annihilating the corrupted one. The next moment, the army of the dead descended upon the defenders as if possessed. "Brace yourself!" Kazuki shouted. "Allow me¡­" Priam replied before closing his eyes. Drawing from his reserves, he summoned all the mist he could. His meridians groaned under torrents of aether. A wave appeared among the defenders, and Priam fused his entire Conquest Aura into it. He opened his eyes and let the wave surge. The floods devastated the enemy ranks like a divine cavalry charge. Faced with such fury, the revenants were obliterated. The tsunami carried away part of the horde, leaving behind a white ground and a light silence. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - common) - Sun point +100 Banishment of¡­ - Sun point +1784 Breathing heavily while the other defenders looked at each other in amazement, Priam scrolled through his long list of notifications. Something had changed. Finally, reaching the bottom, he found it. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 60 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 [Moon Mist] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 437 (+12) Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 684 Perception 666 (+12) MENTAL: Vivacity 388 (+3) Dexterity 487 (+6) Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 506 (+7) META: Meta-affinity 415 (+7) Meta-focus 334 (+4) Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3304 (+19) Tier 0 Sun points : 2103 (+2071) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 1 hours 29 minutes 28 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 176: There Is No Coincidence When Priam''s conquering fog annihilated the mightiest corrupted, the undead army froze. The next moment, a murderous frenzy seized them. Some revenants were trampled in the violent fury of the ensuing assault. Failing to create a breach, the elusive leader had decided to throw caution to the wind. However, given the enemy commander''s style, they were unlikely to join the assault. Which could betray them. Jasmine''s shadows probed the forest, alert to every corrupted being. Animal and humanoid skeletons, decomposing bodies, all joined the melee. The scene was terrifying, but Jasmine spotted no stragglers. Does the commander control from a distance? As thousands of necromantic monsters surged toward the base, Priam unleashed a veritable tsunami of fog. Jasmine widened her eyes as she lost her connection with the shadows enveloped by the mist. The attack was destructive enough to affect the Concepts locally. She wasn''t the only one shocked. In the ditch at the foot of the rampart, one of the putrefied corpses released a black, oily smoke. Slithering, it slid along the ground toward the forest to escape destruction. In a second, it had vanished into the undergrowth. All this time, the leader had hidden close to the action, feigning death. While Priam was busy slaughtering hundreds of skeletons and Kazuki defended the base, Jasmine was the only rival capable of stopping the commander. She rode a shadow, determined to prevent them from leaving the base. Time was of the essence because Log-a-rhythm''s influence over the forest was still weak; its territory reached only about twenty meters into the woods. Jasmine''s body followed a shadow leyline, reappearing between the black smoke and the exit. Bathed in the crimson light of the full moon, the forest was terrifying. Under a branch, a shadow observed her prey. [Huntress''s Eye] allowed Jasmine to examine their weaknesses. [Predator''s Instinct] revealed that her presence was not yet detected. Both skills were particularly useful for an assassin. As the smoke passed beneath her, Jasmine threw an aether dagger. The weapon plunged between the leaves, embedding itself in the leader''s shadow, who abruptly froze. Jasmine''s aether strengthened the bond between the wielder and their shadow, while her Concept immobilized the latter. [Recognition] [Banshee - Tier 1 - Corrupted - Viscount] - One of Those Who Announce Death. Corrupted by the Necromoon, this banshee is now the cause of tragic destinies. Corruption: Stage 3 - Necro Court Viscount. The corrupted swarm stirred before revealing a silhouette. Humanoid, with gray hair and enormous ember-like eyes, its skeleton was black as obsidian. A kind of shadowy veil covered its body. The creature turned its head painfully, observing the aether dagger planted in its shadow. Its coal-red eyes glowed with fury, and it let out a terrible scream. The shockwave traversed the forest, rallying the corrupted. Hidden by [Shadow''s Home], Jasmine avoided the brunt of the sound attack but still felt her mind cracking. The leader was not weak. Nor was Jasmine. Necromantic monsters lunged into their leader''s shadow, trying to dislodge the weapon. A futile endeavor leading them into the dark depths of the Shadow Domain. Jasmine was pleased with her new ability. Opening a gate to the Domain of a Concept required being both a Sage and reaching Unity. Jasmine had spent almost seven years at the Symphony stage, approaching Unity slowly. Perfectly aware of the dangers of this final step, she had progressed with caution. Considered a genius by her organization, she should have reached Unity in one more year. Priam had succeeded in a few days. Jasmine''s pride urged her to catch up. Thanks to the add-on given to her by Priam, she had experienced the Unity trial in advance. For several days, waiting for the event to begin, the assassin had trained, reliving the sensations and dangers of Unity. A few hours before the event started, she had plunged into the Shadows. She emerged united with the Concept and in full possession of her faculties. Yet, Jasmine took no pride in it. Following the path laid out by her boss was infinitely easier than being a trailblazer. She considered herself indebted and wanted to erase part of that debt by killing the banshee. Jasmine spent almost a minute watching the corrupted fall one after another into the Shadow Domain. When the Necro Viscount began to stir, Jasmine decided to end the fight. [Shadow bidding], combined with her Talents and Concept, was a formidable skill, but the banshee was not weak. In fact, it was strong enough to resist the pull of the Shadow Domain. Jasmine had only two ways to defeat it: for one, plunge her enhanced dagger into its heart. The problem being that the Banshee might use its last strength to scream. The final attack had a high chance of taking Jasmine to the grave. That was out of the question. There was another way. Before the banshee could free itself, Jasmine entered its shadow. [Head over Shadow]. Her shadow merged with that of the leader. The absence of light grew to cover both opponents. The next moment, the shadow burst, revealing the absence of the two fighters. Jasmine had drawn the leader into her shadow. Twenty-six minutes after the start of the battle, Log-a-rhythm trembled as it recovered its cooldown. Confused and saddened to find necromantic monsters on its territory, the primal mind of the tree requested permission to reactivate the protective barrier. Priam pierced the skull of yet another skeleton while granting approval. A ripple in reality spread from the tree to the edge of its domain. In the sky appeared a transparent barrier. A cloud, a result of Log-a-rhythm''s Camouflage, partly covered the Necromoon''s rays. The corruption of the nearby forest began to slow. The leaves, whose green had started turning bloody red, froze a gray color. The ambient aether began to change composition, tripping up the corrupted and relieving Priam. With the barrier in place, the horde was no longer endless. Letting out a berserk roar, Blueberry lunged at the thousand undead survivors. Priam and the others followed. The fights were as brief as they were intense. Ten minutes later, the last revenants collapsed, followed by the defenders. The firsts had been caught by death, the seconds by fatigue. Despite his vitality, Priam leaned against a trunk while catching his breath. Nothing was more exhausting than a battle. Nothing rewarded a warrior better. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 58 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 18,19 STR +2 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 16 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 15,16 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 2,3,4 AGI +6 DEXT +3 Priam had been careful not to use too many different skills, limiting his level-ups. His aether reserves were depleted, and his meridians were damaged. Yet, he smiled while checking his HUD. No red points remained in Log-a-rhythm''s territory. "It''s over," he murmured. "For now," replied Louis before spitting a clot of blood onto the ground. The two warriors were close to each other, the last fights bringing them together. It was a coincidence as the other defenders were out of sight. "Is the barrier safe?" "No corrupted are attacking it. Camouflage discourages them, and they turn back." As Priam announced the news, his smile widened. They had won, and the System manifested to confirm their victory. Event: Necromoon First wave: Victory! You defended your home against a horde of corrupted. Reward: 200 Sun points Feat: The necro commander was vanquished. Bonus Reward: 100 Sun points "Three hundred points for all this... I hope it''s going to be worth it," muttered Priam. "It better be," grumbled Louis, massaging his back. "I''m too old for this shit... Are the others okay?" "Everyone is alive," Priam shrugged. Except for Jasmine, he had no way of knowing the exact health status of the other defenders. The assassin was unconscious in a strange area. She''ll come back when she can. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Priam wasn''t worried; she was forbidden to leave the base. A growl reached his keen ears, and the warrior grimaced as he stood up. "I''ll check," he said to Louis, who nodded. Limping, Priam walked toward Blueberry. He found the bear in a pool of whitish blood. The bone powder formed a precipitation in the red liquid. Horrible wounds covered his friend''s body. Blueberry had taken down hundreds of revenants and had paid the price. Priam felt his stomach knotting as he approached. [Diagnostic]. The result of his skill exacerbated his worry. Compared to the bear''s size, the wounds were small. The advance of necro-corruption was much more troubling. Without wasting a moment, Priam approached his ursine friend, lifting him with [Kinetic Control], then entered a Secret Passage. A bath of sap awaited Blueberry inside Log-a-rhythm. The vat was so large it occupied almost half of the total space available in the tree. Blueberry growled as Log-a-rhythm''s vitality penetrated his body to help repel the threat. "How is he?" Kazuki asked, entering the tree as well. The hoplite seemed tired, but his armor had protected him from injuries. He held a mug full of vitalizing sap in his hand¡ªa gesture from Log-a-rhythm. "The sap slows the progression of the curse but doesn''t stop it," Priam said, gritting his teeth. "... And with Life II?" Kazuki asked with concern. Priam wasted no time and opened his menu. Log-a-rhythm: Features: Abundance - Life I Abundance - Aether I Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage Land Owner II Camouflage I Guardian of the Forest II Mighty roots I Measurements: Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 42 m2 (+5, due to Log-a-rhythm''s growth) Status Current POT: 1 093 (+41 from samples) Passive gain: 100 (+100) (-100) POT/day. (+100 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest II) (-100 POT/day: penalty - necro corruption of ambient aether) Available Themes ¡­ Abundance - Life II (800) (-200 from Aetheric Sugar Maple sample) Time: 38 days since creation When Priam validated the theme, a storm of vitality surged from the tree''s roots and descended from its leaves. The System converted the spent Potential into vitality, advancing Log-a-rhythm''s attribute qualitatively. In a matter of seconds, concealed by Camouflage, the tree shot up by two meters, then shook its branches ¡ª and the cabins constructed on them. Just as Priam began to entertain the notion of a transformation into a treant, Log-a-rhythm pulsed one last time before calming. The pulse sent a massive wave of luminous sap along its vessels and roots. Blueberry''s bath took on an amber-red hue. The liquid traversed the clearing, nourishing the ailing grass and reaching the wood. The Guardian of the Forest shared its strength with its wards. Trembling in turn, the trees began to glow a holy crimson hue. Energy coursed through the plant vessels, cleansing and replacing the Necromoon curse. The sickly appearance of the shrubs started to fade away. The malevolent influence of the event was locally pushed back. Priam was ready to bet that the plants in the domain would flourish in the coming days. Log-a-rhythm: Status Current POT: 293 Passive gain: 100 (+100) (-50) POT/day. (+100 POT/day : bonus - Guardian of the Forest II) (-50 POT/day: penalty - necro corruption of ambient aether) Priam grimaced upon noting that the penalty of the Necromoon had not completely vanished. I suppose it''s not a Tier 9 for nothing... "Woah!" Kazuki exclaimed, watching the wall project a video of the outside like a one-way mirror. The grass had already regained some vigor. "Log-a-rhythm shares its abundant vitality with its forest," Priam smiled. "At what cost?" Priam grimaced. "The barrier protects them from the influence of the Necromoon. Thanks to that, the trees will heal quickly, but Log-a-rhythm loses fifty Potential points per day. In the long run, that''s a lot." "The Sun Shop should be able to solve this problem." "Really?" The news brought a smile to Priam''s face. "You won''t be smiling when you see the cost of the infrastructure and resources available." The hoplite turned to the wall projecting a view of the clearing. The hoplites were already emptying the ditch and restoring the defenses. Everyone knew that this wouldn''t be the last horde to attack. "I was right to make this deal with you," declared Kazuki. "Without Log-a-rhythm, some of my subordinates would be dead today." "Without you, I couldn''t have defended this base. Everyone wins," Priam smiled. Alone, Priam would have had no choice but to welcome the tree into his internal world. He would then have lost his base in Elysium, which would have impacted his chances of survival and the comfort of his loved ones. Assuming it was possible, as Log-a-rhythm was massive. "Any news of ¨¨ve?" Kazuki asked. "We lost track of her when she entered the rabhorn territory. I bet she''ll be back soon." "With new orders," predicted Kazuki. "I''ll be ready," Priam promised. During the Necromoon¡¯s event, it was normal for people to go missing¡­ "Don''t hesitate if you need help." With those words, Kazuki turned. "I''ve proposed a meeting with Hyshana and your father to discuss the Sun Shop. We need to decide on our purchases. Are you coming?" "I''ll be there." Kazuki nodded before leaving the room. Priam turned to Blueberry and diagnosed him again. Log-a-rhythm''s vitality, combined with the absence of corrupted aether, seemed to be helping the bear. The advance of corruption was halted, and the situation was stable. If nothing changed, his resistance would increase, and he would wake up stronger than ever. "Sleep well, my friend," said Priam, activating his Domain. He used his kinetic skill to remove the dirt, mud, blood, and fish bones embedded in the thick fur. A few seconds later, Blueberry was cleaner than he had ever been. Only the grimace on his face proved that he wasn''t just sleeping. The expression tugged at Priam''s heart, but nothing could be done. The curse of the Necromoon was a torment. To distract himself, Priam opened his notifications. [Moon Mist] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Two upgrades are available: [Elysium Mist - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Mist Concept (Harmony), Elysium Court. Your mastery of the mist has allowed you to access its Concept. In harmony with the mist, you begin to change its nature. No future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Conquest Mist - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Mist Concept (Harmony), Conquest Aura. Your Aura has partially infused your Concept. Your mist evolves and adapts to the changes you bring to it. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 180 "..." Priam opened his mouth before sighing deeply. He had always known that improving a skill to the Legendary rank was a challenging task, but he had underestimated the difficulty of obtaining a good upgrade. The first option wasn''t even worth using his neurons to consider. It was easily accessible, but Priam wanted the best. Of course, he knew he''d have to make concessions. Mathematically, he couldn''t select only ideal upgrades. As his skills would rise in rarity, the cost of upgrades would become terrifying. A common skill delivered one Potential point per level, a rare skill, two points, and an epic skill three points¡ªone hundred and eighty points over sixty levels. The ideal upgrade of a skill cost four times what the skill had given to its user. "I would need to pay seven hundred and twenty Potential points for the ideal upgrade of an epic skill to Legendary rarity," calculated Priam. Without quests or Achievements, it was impossible to obtain. Priam had risked his life to earn his Potential fortune. Even so, he needed to gather the necessary prerequisites to unlock the upgrade. Priam knew he would have to resign himself to improving some skills with a high upgrade. He could accept that. But a medium upgrade? "Out of the question," he declared, closing his menu. [Moon Mist] was one of his oldest skills, and despite his relatively weak affinity with the Mist Concept, Priam knew there were solutions. Finding a bridge to another Concept, improving his affinity, or even... An idea sprouted in Priam''s mind. Moon Mist refers to the mist, but also to the moon! A recurring theme, as the System ensured that Priam encountered several moons. The Reunion had taken place on the Moon, the event had been triggered by the Necromoon, and in his eye, a mythical mutation harbored Hecate New Moon. This was no coincidence. "The System is showing me a way. I wonder what lies at the end¡­" Understanding this, Priam squinted his eyes. Should he follow the beaten path or venture off track? The decision was too crucial to be taken lightly. I need to talk to Phoenix and the Guardian of Secrets about this. But before that... Casting a final glance at Blueberry, Priam stepped through a portal. It was time to see what the Sun points could offer him. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 449 (+12) Constitution 794 Agility 455 (+9) Vitality 684 Perception 667 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity 390 (+2) Dexterity 495 (+8) Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 506 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 338 (+4) Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3321 (+17) Tier 0 Sun points: 3229 (+1126) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 0 hour 37 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 177: Wish List "Hey son, everything okay?" From the tone of his father''s voice and the concerned glint in his eyes, Priam understood that an honest answer was expected. "I''m good, Dad," Priam replied, embracing his father. The hug lasted a few seconds before Priam released his father. "I''m stressing a bit about my Tribulations." And I worry for Sphinx. Those were the words Priam wanted to utter, but he couldn''t. The old man had always been honest; if he knew the truth, ¨¨ve would sense it. Priam refused to put his father in danger, even if it meant lying to him. "Well, I''m sure you''ll find a solution. Deadlines have always fueled your motivation. I remember you always cramming for your exams at the last minute." Priam burst into laughter. "Tribulations would be a deadly exam!" As he spoke, his thoughts turned to Mirscella, trapped in her mind in his inner world. Would the old thief overcome her Tribulations? Deciding to trust the grandmother, Priam looked around. On the terrace hidden in the branches of Log-a-rhythm, his father stood alone. "Where are Kazuki and Hyshana?" "They''re harvesting Sun Points from their unit." "Excuse me?" Priam turned to his father, surprised. "The points aren''t individual?" Alain shook his head. "Yes and no. The simplest way is for you to see for yourself." Priam displayed his menu and selected the Sun Shop. The window expanded before splitting into multiple tabs. Sun Shop: Resource Item Fragment Territory Medicine Lottery Auction (Locked) "Seven tabs for seven Concepts," Priam remarked. "They''re really obsessed with that number." Clicking through the different tabs, he noticed that, unlike the others, Territory offered the option to pool Sun points for purchasing improvements and infrastructure. Curious, he opened it. Sun Shop: Territory: [Note: After analyzing the Territory tab (4 562 910 entries) and with the help of simulations, some noteworthy options have been selected. These "favorites" are indicated by a ?. Click for further details.] Priam''s eyes widened as he saw the number of entries for the Territory tab. It was the tab with the fewest entries, and yet he had no chance of analyzing them manually without spending years on it. Luckily, that''s what my system is for! Without further ado, he began to review the various options. Some infrastructures are available as blueprints at half the cost. Protective Barrier II (10 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 1 000 square meters and stopping attacks from an average Tier 0 Elysian Baron. Camouflage II (10 000 points) - A camouflage enchantment covering 1,000 square meters, disrupting the senses of an average Tier 0 Elysian Viscount. ? Alarm I (5 000 points) - An alarm covering 500 square meters, detecting most common Tier 0 intruders (Elysium standard). ¡­ Necro Purification Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 500 square meters. ? Natural Growth Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 500 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. ? Guardian of the Forest Ritual III (25 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 2,000 square meters. ? ¡­ Holy Guardian Blueprint - The blueprint of a Holy Guardian. Variable price.
  • Juvenile Aarht (120 points) - An omnivorous reptile capable of changing the color of its scales. Standard power at adulthood: Tier 0 - common.
  • ¡­
  • Mist Wyrm Egg (249 000 points) - Avian predator, the Mist Wyrm is as terrifying as elusive. With its Draconic Mist Concept, it traps its prey in mazes of mist. Standard power at adulthood: Tier 4 - Duke. ?
  • Plasma-eating dragonfly Larva (249 000 points) - This predator infests specific Concept Domains and elemental worlds. Their ancestor was a mutant dragonfly that devoured a star. Standard power at adulthood: Tier 4 - Duke.
  • Stochastic manta ray Egg (249 000 points) - This cartilaginous fish lives in the abyssal Depths. The only way to encounter it is by not searching for it. Masters of an evolved Concept, these rays disrupt probabilities¡ªnot always to their advantage. Standard power at adulthood: Tier 4 - Duke.
Holy Guardian I (5 000 points) - Transforms a blueprint into a Guardian. Capable of detecting intruders, it defends your territories. Properties: Immune to the Necro curse. Resistant to the Necro Concept. Cannot leave your Territory. ? ¡­ Tribulation Chamber II (10 000 points) - Improvement. Forum II (10 000 points) - Improvement. Rampart II (10 000 points) - Improvement. Skull Temple IV (50 000 points) - Improvement. ¡­ Gravity Trap I (5 000 points) - A gravitational trap capable of shredding an average Tier 0 (Elysium standard). Gravity Trap II (10 000 points) - An upgraded gravitational trap capable of shredding an average Tier 1 (Elysium standard). Requires Gravity Trap I. Crushing Trap I (5 000 points) - A mechanical trap capable of shredding an average Tier 0 (Elysium standard). Bio Trap I (5 000 points) - A biological trap capable of crushing and digesting a weak Tier 0 (Elysium standard). ? ¡­ Auto Turret I (5 000 points) - A turret capable of riddling an intruder with projectiles. Requires ammunition. ¡­ Artisan I (5 000 points) - Summons an Artisan. Requires Workshop or Forum. Judge I (5 000 points) - Summons a Judge. Requires Tribunal or Forum. ¡­ Merchant I (5 000 points) - Summons a Merchant. Requires Shop or Forum. Diviner I (5 000 points) - Summons a Diviner. Requires Boutique or Forum. Guard I (5 000 points) - Summons a Guard. Requires Barrack or Manor. ¡­ This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Consulting his system¡¯s favorites, Priam realized that his add-on was proposing to capitalize on the synergy between Log-a-rhythm and the infrastructures offered by the Sun Shop. Smart. A notable exception was the Myst Wyrm. Had [Priam¡¯s system] chosen a partner for him, or was its fate that of an omelette to purify his draconic bloodline? Priam resisted the urge to click on the favorite icon to find out more and analyzed the rest of the tab. As his eyes scanned the list, his heart raced. The event was a Pandora''s box. If the Necromoon was a terrible curse, the Sun Shop symbolized hope. To think I used to see corrupted as enemies. In Priam''s mind, every skeleton had just transformed into a gold coin¡ªcoins ready to swarm him as soon as he lit a flame. Alain smiled as he saw his son''s face light up. "Are you already making a wish list?" "Maybe," Priam laughed. "How many points do we have?" "Nine thousand four hundred forty-two," Kazuki''s voice answered. The hoplite had just crossed a portal with Hyshana. "Half of that because all participants earned three hundred points by repelling the horde." At the word ''participant,'' Priam looked at his father, who confirmed. "The runes we placed on the wooden spikes took out a lot of monsters. I gained almost a thousand points without brandishing a weapon. Only Myuri got nothing." "You and Rose did a great job," Hyshana smiled. Satisfied that the hoplites recognized his father''s value, Priam quickly calculated. "With me, we''re almost at thirteen thousand points," he revealed. "We can round up to fifteen thousand with Blueberry." Kazuki whistled at the number. "Your mist wreaked havoc. However, I don''t think we should spend it all on infrastructure. Strengthening our base is crucial, but this shop should also help us progress individually." Hyshana nodded. "The System doesn''t give gifts; the shop is a tool to survive the event." "Infrastructure helps the group, while the other tabs help the individual," Priam summarized. "Did you spot any useful rewards?" Kazuki nodded. "Several. Take the Holy Pill I, a drug that can partially dispel Necro corruption for a Tier 0. Five hundred points each, but in case of emergency, it''s priceless." Sounds like a home shopping network pitch. Nevertheless, Kazuki was right; with one of those pills, Blueberry wouldn''t have been in danger. "Body Temperance Pill, ten thousand points," Hyshana continued. "A catalyst during temperance. Perfect for building a solid foundation before advancing to Tier 1." Priam nodded. After his race upgrade, he planned to start tempering his body. "Mist fragment, ten thousand points," Alain said, looking intently at his son. Buying Concept fragments was even more profitable for Priam than buying an average enchanter. He hadn''t fully exploited this ability of his inner world, but according to the Phoenix, it was one of his best advantages. "[Free Spirit - Rare] - With this spear in your hands, you will no longer lower your gaze in the face of Death," Kazuki read. "One hundred copies, forty-nine thousand points." Priam whistled at the prices. "We haven''t finished farming skeletons. Basically, we need points to progress, but some of these infrastructures could be vital in the future. When we have to buy one, I propose everyone contributes." It was his French side speaking. Each person contributed a small part of their earnings to buy a common good. It worked well on the scale of a small, united community. "Equal or fair contribution?" Hyshana asked. "Can you clarify what you mean by fair?" "Inversely proportional to the contribution in combat." We don''t have the same definition of fair... Considering the hoplite warrior culture, Priam expected this question. "Without my father and Rose, some would be dead by now. Any individual with area damage will destroy more skeletons, but we also need DPS to defeat the Bosses. Measuring an individual''s contribution is hard when each one can make a difference." "That''s true. I hope you didn''t find my statement insulting; it wasn''t my intention," Hyshana apologized, looking at Alain. "Not at all. It just motivated me to kill more corrupted than you in the next battle," Alain smiled. Hyshana seemed surprised for a moment but then smiled back. The teasing was friendly, but she seemed ready to pounce on the first revenant. "A contribution seems wise, but will it be per individual or per group?" "Per individual," Priam asserted firmly. The two spouses looked at each other for a few moments, communicating silently. With the hoplites being more numerous, they were disadvantaged by an individual contribution. However, Priam knew cohabitation could only work long-term if they considered themselves a single group. Creating an additional distinction between hoplites, humans, empyreans, and arkanians would go against this goal. Of course, future Reunions and the politics of their respective civilizations would create problems in the medium term, weakening their unity. A fact everyone was well aware of. "The long-term survival of our races depends on us three," Priam said, interrupting the couple''s thoughts. "Even if a war breaks out between our two civilizations, we must remain united in Elysium. An equal contribution per individual seems the best way to create cohesion." Hyshana and Kazuki stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Everyone has to feel concerned about the group''s future," Kazuki confirmed. "I renew my promise to you. Tonight, let''s officially celebrate our alliance!" "Excellent idea," Alain smiled. Priam contented himself with a relieved nod. "As for the infrastructures, I propose allocating them the general gains," Hyshana resumed. "For our first battle, that''s three hundred points per person, totaling four thousand eight hundred. Almost enough for something basic." "I''ll top it up," Priam offered, calculating that the hoplites were contributing three thousand three hundred points. Hyshana looked at him for a moment before nodding in gratitude. Buying a good image with the hoplites for two hundred points was a great deal in Priam''s book. "Is there anything urgent to buy?" "Something to defend ourselves?" suggested Alain. "But not barriers; Log-a-rhythm could buy them alone, and they wouldn''t really protect us." The accessible barriers would block Tier 1s, monsters that weren''t a deadly threat to Priam or Kazuki. "I agree," Hyshana said. "The two main dangers are the hordes and the Bosses. Our current protections shield us against weak hordes, and improving our barriers won''t help against the Bosses." "Alarm II would be a good start," Kazuki grumbled. "The third danger remains our rivals, and if one of them manages to infiltrate our base, it would be terrible." The subtext was clear: Kazuki wanted to know ¨¨ve''s position. Alain winced. "We would first need to buy Alarm I and then upgrade it. That would cost fifteen thousand points, our entire savings." Everyone started brainstorming, trying to find a smart and affordable idea. After five minutes, Priam shook his head. "We''re going in circles," Priam declared. "The fact is, we don''t have enough information to make the best decision. My system gave me some suggestions, but to triumph in such a Tower Defense event, we need to know the rules. The Guardian of Secrets should be able to offer us some perspective." The Phoenix, having never entered Elysium, knew nothing about the Necro Event. The Guardian was the only one capable of answering their questions. Hyshana nodded. "Good idea. I insist on paying half the cost of the public utility questions." Priam gave her a smile. Only a united group had a chance against the coming storm. Seth furrowed his brow as he opened his eyes. Thanks to the First''s mistake, he hadn''t had much trouble directing a horde of corrupted in his direction. Yet, despite the fury of the assault, none had died. A barrier now blocked access to their base, and no random revenant would break it. Some Necromoon servants were capable, but Seth couldn''t easily control their thoughts. I could go myself, but it would be dangerous... The mist tsunami had left an impression on Seth. Even the First''s subordinate was dangerous. His resilient body would be useless if she pulled him into her shadow. And with the Sun Shop, they can buy counters to my necromantic powers. "Relax," Osiris said, strengthening his brother''s muscles. His organic magic worked miracles, even on a dead body. "You''ll get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that." "I''m too dead to have wrinkles," Seth joked. Osiris rolled his eyes, and the necromancer focused on the positive. His other ambush had worked. The Empyrean parasites were in a tight spot. Soon, the princess would be... Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 META (AFFI) +15 Lvl Up: [Probability Manipulation Resistance] lvl 4,..., 13 META (CHANCE) +30 ¡­ Fuck. The vengeance of the Chaos Princess promised to be terrible. Despite his brother''s request, Seth frowned. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 449 Constitution 794 Agility 455 Vitality 684 Perception 667 MENTAL: Vivacity 390 Dexterity 495 Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 506 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 338 Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3321 Tier 0 Sun points : 3229 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 0 hour 31 minutes 25 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 178: Chaos Princess Wrath "Hey, kid, finally decided to sell me your other films?" "Hasn''t anyone sold them to another Guardian yet? I suppose humans with [Eidetic Memory] are rare," Priam smiled within the mental space surrounding his soul. Communicating with the Tier 6 in this place reduced the chances of espionage to zero. "Some have already sold ideas, scripts, and even dialogues," sighed the Guardian. "But I''m a cinephile; I need to see the director''s creative hand and the actor''s genius." "You''re a dwarf of culture. However, luxury comes at a price," Priam winked. The Guardian burst into laughter. "Make me an offer." "One gold coin for my entire collection. A good deal," Priam smiled, sending a list of the movies he possessed. "Almost three thousand movies... Not bad. But some had a limited budget. Are you trying to rip me off?" "A limited budget?" "The dialogues are terrible, and the actors don''t even have clothes." "Oh... That''s on purpose. It''s a type of film very popular on Earth." "Weird. Nevertheless, it''s way too expensive. Art not imbued with Concepts rarely goes beyond one silver coin. Here''s my counteroffer: a hundred and twenty bronze Coins." Priam shot a stern look at the Guardian. "That''s miserable for a significant part of human culture." "It''s not like you produced these works." "People have poured their souls into these projects." "I understand, but I won''t go any higher. It''s already a generous offer from me; half of that sum comes from my own pocket." Priam tried to bargain for a few minutes, adding the rest of the works he had seen, read, or heard. In the end, he received a hundred and thirty-two bronze coins for his trouble. Most of the other works had already been sold. Except for video games and movies, art was easily reproducible for a human with a lot of Memory. "If it consoles you, you earned twice as much as the hoplite for almost a hundred times fewer works." That didn''t surprise Priam. Hoplite culture was mainly limited to action movies. Keanu Reeves might have hoplite blood... "Let¡¯s start," declared Priam, trying to forget that he had just sold human culture. "Is it possible for me to present theories to you? Only stop me if they''re incorrect." "It ain¡¯t what you don¡¯t know that gets you into trouble. It¡¯s what you know for sure that just ain¡¯t so," Mark Twain had said. If Priam managed to escape Sumstreh, it would be precisely because of that. He wanted to make sure it wouldn''t happen to him. The dwarf burst into laughter. "Of course not. You would just have to adjust your theories until I validate them. If you want answers, you''ll have to pay." Priam didn''t even flinch; he expected this response. "Too bad. First question. Can you hear a lot of things with your senses? If someone tried to buy information about me, how much would it cost?" The Tier 6 had to suspect that Priam was no longer mind-controlled. If Sumstreh found out, it would be terrible. "That one''s free. I can''t betray the secrets I''ve discovered myself as long as you welcome me into your territory." "To encourage people not to get rid of you," Priam understood. "If every Guardian were a spy ready to sell the secrets they detected, no Noble would want us in their territory," the dwarf confirmed. "Other Guardians are also unable to speak... unless they discover your secrets in another way. Of course, I can still sell your secrets if one of your friends sells them to me." "Seems fair. Next, how to unlock the Auctions in the Sun Shop?" "Twelve iron coins. To unlock the Auctions, you need infrastructure capable of hosting them, a means of transporting goods, and a Tier 2 specialized Merchant. For example, a Forum, our Secret Channel, and a Tier 2 specialized Merchant." Priam''s heart rate accelerated. "I suppose you can take care of the Secret Channel... for a fee?" "We take a ten percent commission." The Guardian and Priam exchanged a smile. All that was left was to select a Merchant in the Sun Shop. For fifteen thousand points, the base would be connected to the outside world. Access to Auctions was a boon for exchanging information and resources without the risk of encountering hostile locals. "When will the Necromoon Event end?" Priam asked. "Seven bronze coins. When the Concepts push it back." Seven bronze coins for that? The dwarf noticed Priam''s annoyed look and grimaced. "Everything related to Tier 9s is surrounded by mystery. If you''re worried about the Sun Shop, the last Necro event lasted fifty thousand years. These floating islands should leave the event zone before then, but you have time to enjoy the Shop." Priam just stared at the dwarf, stunned. How was he supposed to react to such enormous numbers? The System woke him up. Announcement to Wandering Islands: Arnold NetSky shot down a Necro Envoy (Tier 3) at Tier 0. Congratulations on this Mythic feat! ¡°...¡± For several seconds, Priam reread the notification, shocked. He found it hard to accept. Even with luck and an excellent matchup, he knew he had no chance against a Tier 3. "How?" Priam asked. "One hundred bronze Coins. Your rival paid to protect his information." "Forget it." He had no interest anyway. The Var Elegis had won because he was stronger than Priam. Priam reread the announcement one last time before smiling. We both have come a long way... Probing his hearts, he was surprised to find himself excited. If Arnold could defeat a Tier 3, then anything was possible. His rival was ahead for now, but Priam intended to catch up. He would surpass him. Sumstreh... To save Sphinx, Priam had to survive and progress. He turned to the Guardian, his misty eyes sparkling in the crimson night. "Except for improving my race, how do I succeed in my next Tribulations?" The dwarf, with a thin smile on his lips, replied. "Eight bronze coins. You have no way to avoid your Tribulations. However, you can take advantage of the war between the Concepts and the Necromoon: Sun points and the Sun Shop are not taken into account in the calculation of Tribulations. For example, you could buy a drop of draconic blood to enhance your bloodline a second after the start of your Tribulations." "I haven''t seen that kind of item... Oh." The Guardian had just given him a clue. Some items might be revealed only under certain conditions. Priam would have liked to test his theory by comparing his list with Jasmine''s, but the young woman was unreachable. "Thanks for the info." "I don''t know what you''re talking about," the dwarf replied. "Would I survive if I triggered my six Tribulations right now?" Priam forced himself to remain calm, but failed. The answer to this question was too important. The dwarf sighed. "One iron coin. Currently and with luck, you could resist a triple Tribulation. It''s already exceptional. But I have good news for you." "... How much does it cost?" "That''s the best part: it''s free!" Something in the Guardian''s smile made Priam suspicious. Nothing was free, especially not information. For a moment, Priam almost turned a blind eye to the gift before succumbing to curiosity. "How is that free?" he sighed. "It''s a gift from a third party. I know you''ve been trying to improve your race and that you have a constitution problem. To solve it, you''d need to use a drug or a ritual to temporarily lower your attributes. You can find this kind of product at the Auctions for about two hundred and fifty thousand points." The Guardian had just confirmed to Priam that Auctions allowed the purchase of items not present in the Sun Shop. Pleased to have obtained this information without paying, he replied. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "But fortunately, you have another miraculous solution," Priam predicted with all the irony he could muster. "Bingo! You just have to ask a biomancy expert to help you during the race upgrade." "Where is this mage?" "That information will cost you money. All I can tell you is that his name is Osiris. He''s Seth''s brother." Priam narrowed his eyes. "And who wants to see me face Seth? How do they know I need this?" "They only bought information that could be useful to you while being unfavorable to Seth. It''s signed: Sincerely yours, Esm¨¦e. Trying to climb the social ladder?" the dwarf winked. "I would rather bring down a god." A few minutes later, Kazuki, Hyshana, Alain, and Priam were back on top of Log-a-rhythm to discuss the Guardian''s responses. "Auctions are an excellent goal, but we have nothing to sell for now," summarized Priam. "However, we learned something crucial: The Necromoon will stay for a long time, and so will the Sun Shop." "It seems to please you," noted his father. "Because it''s excellent news," Kazuki understood. "We have a colossal advantage over our rivals in this event: a base." Hyshana sharpened her blade. "If we set up an economic strategy, our defenses will kill corrupted, and we will reinvest those points in better defenses." "Industrializing the death of our enemies through our territory," Priam summarized. "Other rivals will have to wander to find a few skeletons, while hordes will rush into our traps." "That''s an excellent idea. Infrastructure projects become a priority again," said Kazuki. "But the beginning will cost a lot. We''ll have to buy each trap, each turret, each destructive ritual and compare their efficiency to deduce the best farming method." "Don¡¯t forget the Holy Guardians. But in the long run, our defenses will become truly terrifying. Possibly enough to fight..." Priam coughed, avoiding his father''s gaze. "To fight some Tier 4s." Hyshana nodded. "By terraforming the forest a bit, we can create a path strewn with obstacles and line it with defenses to grind the hordes gradually." "Every tree is an extension of Log-a-rhythm," Priam reminded. "Let''s try to transplant as much as possible." Everyone nodded. "A death path is an excellent idea. With the barrier, we could control the flow of revenants into our base. If we guide them into traps, bottlenecks, and unfavorable positions... I will plan a maze," Alain proposed. "... Are you sure, Dad?" "I''ve never been a killer, but I''m pragmatic, son. This world kills those who aren''t. I don''t have the talent or the nature required to wield a sword, but I loved my job as an architect. Let me handle it." "I can''t wait to see the plans," Priam smiled. A part of him, the one that had hesitated to bring his father to Elysium, was relieved. Humans, young or old, would adapt. Hyshana accompanied Alain inside Log-a-rhythm to assist him with her military knowledge and AI. She cast a piercing look at her husband as she left the platform. "She thinks I''m going to try to find Arnold and challenge him to a duel," Kazuki explained to Priam once alone. "Is she right?" "Dying and leaving my wife alone to save my race would be cowardly." Despite his weapon, Kazuki was more the Heart of the Hoplites than their Spear. "I don''t understand how he could defeat a Tier 3," Priam admitted. "He did it; that''s all that matters," replied the hoplite Champion, shaking his head. "Now, it''s up to us to catch up with him." The two rivals looked at each other, finding a fiery combat spirit in each other''s eyes. "I have a lead, but I need Seth''s location. You left nanobots in his flesh, right?" This had happened just after the battle against the necromancer. The latter was certainly capable of detecting a biological or spiritual tracker, but technology didn''t seem to be his strong suit. "I destroyed them remotely after retrieving the position of his base. When are you leaving?" Kazuki asked, giving Priam the coordinates. "Now." Around Priam, the forest was devastated but alive. Plants bent under the influence of the Necromoon. The tree trunks bowed, as if refusing to reach for the bloody celestial body. The brightness was low, barely revealing the silent crowd of corrupted haunting the undergrowth. Log-a-rhythm will have work to do... Everywhere, flora fought against the curse. Vegetation seemed less inclined to transform than animals. Perhaps it¡¯s harder to instill a destructive instinct in a plant. Corrupted trees were as rare as living animals. The eerie spectacle and lugubrious atmosphere sent shivers down Priam''s spine. As he was running, a branch snapped under his foot. Two corrupted wolves lifted their heads, observing the top of the tree, a summit lost in thick fog. A moment later, the two revenants were engulfed by the mist. Priam moved swiftly, dragging behind him a colossal net of conquering mist. Leaping from branch to branch, he didn''t hesitate to use his new ability to harvest all the corrupted within his reach. Leaving a trail of permanent death behind him, Priam slowed upon seeing a light. He stopped to summon the undetectable mist he had used to kill the skulcs. Merging with it, he continued his journey as a white ghost. The devastated forest suddenly gave way to a magical environment. Magnificent trees housed a bioluminescent ecosystem. Spectral white mushrooms trembled with energy. The ambient aether showed no traces of the Necromoon''s influence. A hundred meters away, a dilapidated structure lay amidst colossal trees with deep roots. Large blocks of stone, their mortar yielding, covered the ground. Small columns surviving time and bas-reliefs covered in fractals gave Priam pause. Any civilization that survived in Elysium couldn''t be simple. I bet anything these ruins are trapped¡­ Prudent, Priam headed towards the main entrance before stopping. Esm¨¦e was angry with Seth. She must have manipulated the probabilities against him. Priam observed the sky, the earth, the stones, and the insects. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A bee the size of his fist buzzed around a flower, and a two-headed lizard ran along a wall to hide behind some vines. His Fire Concept detected a fire. The next second, it disappeared. There. Priam, in mist form, approached the vines. It took him only a second to find a way through. A tunnel lay behind, leading to a partially destroyed room. In the center, a campfire burned, illuminating a little boy who stared fixedly at some kind of red vine in his hand. When the object contracted, Priam understood he was looking at a muscle. Osiris was alone. A few minutes earlier. Seth raised his eyes, sharing the view of one of the specters he controlled. A red dot, trailing a flaming tail, crossed the sky towards the temple. It was unlikely to get hit by an asteroid in Elysium, yet the Princess defied statistics. [Are you sure you want to stay here, Seth? You''re endangering your dear brother.] The necromancer grimaced upon hearing the voice. Osiris''s presence usually reduced his schizophrenic episodes, but the situation stressed him. Worse, his second personality was right. He was currently a magnet for disasters. The campfire crackled, and a spark flew before landing on the rival''s leaf mattress. With a wave of his hand, Seth stopped the fire from starting. The third one in a minute. "I''ve got something to do," Seth said, standing up. Osiris didn''t take his eyes off the artificial muscle. "Have fun," he replied, distracted. Seth smiled, seeing his brother working to help him. If he succeeded, Seth would have a much more powerful replacement body. Leaving the temple, Seth crossed the spectral forest before moving away. He chose a direction opposite the clearing that housed the Tutorial portal. Esm¨¦e knew the place too well and could cause terrifying accidents. Despite his progress, Seth had no desire to encounter the Judge, the First, or the Var Elegis. After dodging the asteroid fall¡ªwhose trajectory had deviated for an unknown reason¡ªSeth approached the border of the floating island. Riding the rays of the Necromoon the Princess''s powers didn''t apply, but the malevolent influence corrupted him quickly. Seth used this means of transport as a last resort. A hundred kilometers later, he stopped at the border of the floating island. An agitated and terrifying ocean stretched beneath him. At this distance, she shouldn''t be able to¡ª. "A corrupted Champion? What a shame¡­" echoed in his head. Seth widened his eyes. None of the invisible specters patrolling the surroundings had detected the stranger. He looked up. A female biped looked at him, a bone dagger in hand. The tattoos on her face vibrated with power. It wasn''t one of his rivals; it was a local. A powerful one. His skeleton shook. Seth had carried it long enough to recognize the properties of a Tier 3. Where did she find a local Tier 3? Screw you, Princess! [You''re the one who''s gonna get screwed.] A moment later, as a mad laugh echoed in Seth''s head, a second asteroid struck the ground. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 449 Constitution 794 Agility 455 Vitality 684 Perception 667 MENTAL: Vivacity 390 Dexterity 495 Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 506 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 338 Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3321 Tier 0 Sun points : 3693 (+464) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 169 days 23 hours 47 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 179: Trust me, I’m Friendly. "You must be Osiris," said Priam, materializing with a smile. Empty-handed, his charisma activated, and draped in a cloak of mist, he aimed to appear as friendly as possible. After all, he needed Osiris'' help, and threats wouldn''t aid his cause. Despite his apparent lack of weaponry, an enemy would be mistaken to believe Priam was defenseless. An invisible mist enveloped the room, ready to unleash Promesse. In the center of the room, the innocent campfire had a burning desire to help the Fire Sage. The child turned around, a surprised expression on his face. "It''s me! How do you know my tongue?" "I have some rudiment," Priam smiled. The knowledge that had cost him forty bronze Coins. He didn''t regret the purchase; the language of the two brothers was special. [Duat Language - Epic] - A language spoken by the living and the dead. For those who practice it, death is a temporary interruption of life, not a definitive end. Born from complex Concepts, its words influence souls and spirits. Be careful not to sell your soul by mistake. If you have one. MEM +3 META (Authority) +6 "Your accent is weird," Osiris laughed, pushing back his long black hair. "Are you friendly?" "I mean you no harm," Priam promised. He smiled as he saw Osiris nod. He had just passed some kind of test. "And you, are you friendly?" "Yes!" said Osiris before displaying an embarrassed expression. "Well, except with the bad guys. I put them to sleep, and Seth captures their souls. But since you''re not a bad guy, we can be friends!" Scary kid. "It''s great to help your big brother... Is that an artificial muscle in your hand?" Priam asked to divert Osiris'' attention. "Yes, but it''s defective," the child sighed, brandishing the muscle. Priam approached, enveloping the organ with his Domain. The muscle was saturated with aether and much more powerful than a human one. "It''s infused with your aether. Are you using a skill to strengthen it?" "Not right now. Most enhancements are temporary, but this is a prototype that retains its physical attributes permanently. To achieve that, I had to modify the aetheric structure of the muscle cells in the System''s fashion," the child explained in his high-pitched voice. Osiris seemed extremely mature for his age. This might have made some people uncomfortable, but not Priam. He himself had been rather precocious. "You mean you''ve artificially increased the strength, constitution, agility, and vitality... permanently?" Osiris nodded, focusing on the organ. "Not vitality, but the rest, yes. By observing my own cells, I was able to isolate the System runes governing these three attributes. I copied them onto a muscle cell, which I cultivated to form a complete muscle." The subject greatly interested Priam. For a human, the System was as magical as it was mysterious. Yet, it also followed rules. Knowing them meant avoiding detours on the path to the Zenith. "Why not vitality?" Priam could understand that a perception rune was less crucial on a muscle - even though it allowed Micro to better understand the organ''s state - but vitality allowed fibers to regenerate faster. "The System runes are tiny. Each cell has dozens of runes, with the larger ones being those of the attributes. I don''t have the System''s precision, so my runes are larger. There was no room to implant vitality." The child''s ashamed expression was adorable. Despite his genius, he felt inadequate. "Still incredible!" Priam exclaimed to lift his spirits. "Did you copy the runes one by one?" With [Aether Manipulation], his Domain, and his system, Priam was capable of such a feat. Osiris certainly didn''t have access to the same tools. The child shook his head. "I created a fourth rune that encompasses the previous runes and spreads throughout any material infused with my aether. That''s why I didn''t have room for vitality. It only takes a few hours for the entire muscle to be uniformly infused and reinforced." "Is that what happens in our bodies?" Priam asked before grimacing. The question was stupid. "No, otherwise there would be a fraction of a second when our cells are weak; just after their creation but before they receive their runes. The System uses another method. I have theories, but nothing concrete. All I know is there''s a connection with our aether and attributes. If I saturate a lizard''s body with aether and cut off its tail, it will regrow without attributes." Priam''s mind and his add-on began to race at full speed. If Osiris was telling the truth, the consequences were terrifying. For example, it was possible to trap someone in their own body after purging their aether. Micro, the Supremacy that managed an individual''s control over their body and internal aether, became fundamental. Ignoring these considerations, Priam had an idea. "Can you create clones?" If Osiris could clone his cells, he could eventually clone bodies. By enhancing their attributes, he would have access to an army. "Not for now," Osiris sighed, turning his gray eyes toward Priam. "I haven''t managed to reproduce the entire rune network. I lack many attributes, not to mention skills. Because of that, I have to fill the runes of this muscle myself." Too bad, I wanted to introduce Sumstreh to the Attack of the Clones. "With this technique, could you increase an individual''s attributes without developing their skills?" "That''s what happens when you consume a treasure," Osiris smiled. "I just inject aether compatible with the cell runes." "Smart." And terrifying. Mentally, Priam elevated Osiris''s level of danger. The child''s fine control allowed him to increase someone''s attributes without the person gaining a skill. It was a terrible power in a world where certain attribute thresholds triggered deadly Tribulations. "What''s your current limit per rune?" Priam innocently asked. "Five hundred points. With my Tier 1 race, that''s the maximum energy my cells can withstand. After that, the runes burst with the cell." "My race is also Tier 1, but I continue to gain attributes with each level-up even after surpassing this threshold," Priam remarked. "I suppose the System must change the rules at that point?" Surpassing the threshold caused a qualitative change and increased the attribute''s versatility. Thanks to that, Charisma improved the compatibility of his Aura with his Concepts. "Yes, the network changes," Osiris confirmed. "I think auxiliary runes are created, but [Aether Perception - Epic] doesn''t allow me to see deeply enough..." "Reaching five hundred is a milestone for both the user and the System," Priam understood. Silence settled between the adult and the child, immersed in their thoughts. Priam wondered what to do with Seth''s brother. Kazuki''s AI had recorded the fight against the necromancer, and Priam had watched it. The deceased rival was powerful, but the influence of the Necromoon made him predictable. A predictable opponent wasn''t dangerous. Osiris was different. He observed the muscle with the intensity that Priam had when putting everything into surviving. Osiris wouldn''t let anything distract him from his goal. In a few years, this kid will be a monster or a hero. Depending on my choices, he''ll be either a valuable ally or a terrible enemy. "Do you want to stay with your brother?" Priam asked. Osiris turned his gray eyes in his direction. "I have to protect him." "He will hurt you." "Not if I save him first." The child''s clear gaze didn''t waver. Priam nodded. "If you fail, come find me." "...Did you come to kill my brother too?" Osiris''s fists clenched. He''s nervous. "Too?" Priam asked. "Half an hour ago, his clothes caught fire while we were eating. A few moments later, all his specters died one after another due to various accidents. He left after detecting an asteroid fall. I know he was afraid for me, but I couldn''t do anything..." Priam shuddered at the extent of Esm¨¦e''s powers. She wasn''t the most dangerous rival in a fistfight, but with time and information, she became a terrifying enemy. Fortunately, she must be spending more time trying to kill her brother than thinking about me... "Seth annoyed a princess. All Disney movies have the same moral: don''t mess with the princess." "In my country, the princess ate people," Osiris shrugged. "What''s a Disney?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "It''s an animated movie. I could show you one if you help me with something." Before the Tutorial, Priam prepared to be a physics teacher. He was used to children and knew being honest about his intentions was always better. "So, you didn''t come to kill my brother?" Osiris confirmed. "I won''t piss on his body to extinguish a fire, but I didn''t come to kill him. He attacked one of my friends, but if you help me, I''ll consider it water under the bridge," Priam promised. Although if he becomes a god, I might consider pissing on him. Gotta upgrade [Iconoclast]. "What do you need me for?" Osiris asked. "I plan to upgrade my race to Tier 2," Priam revealed. "For that, I plan to..." In the next few minutes, Priam and Osiris exchanged thoughts on the feasibility of his technique. Clearly interested, the child studied and tested Priam''s hypotheses. From the first seconds, their collaboration became fruitful. Priam had accumulated a plethora of questions, hypotheses, and theories. His Vivacity, eidetic memory, and knowledge made him an excellent geneticist. By consuming Potential, few problems became unsolvable. Yet, his conversation with Osiris illuminated the path to racial upgrade. A mutual epiphany seemed to have seized them both. In his original world, Osiris was a prodigious biomancer, surpassing his older brother. The child had less computing power than Priam but an innate understanding of anything related to biology. His ideas were bright, his questions pertinent, and his intuitions brilliant. The two complemented each other. They optimized the upgrade method in less than half an hour, surpassing Priam''s ambitions. Engrossed in their passionate conversation, they spoke faster as the problem unraveled. Finally, the solution emerged into the light. Lvl Up: [Human Anatomy] lvl 18,19,20 MEM +3 [Human Anatomy] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Anatomy - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Zootomy - Rare] - By dissecting animals, you begin to better understand their anatomy. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 15 [Humanoid Anatomy - Rare] - You have conducted impressive research on the anatomy of different humanoids, even sequencing their genetic heritage. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Humanoid Anatomy - Rare]. POT -20 [Humanoid Anatomy] - Human, empyrean, and arkanian. You have studied, sequenced, and analyzed part of the genetic code of three humanoid species. Through constant regeneration, you begin to have precise knowledge of your own body. Macroscopically and microscopically, you continue your study of humanoid organisms. Creating a cat-girl species is no longer just a dream. MEM +3 "So, it is possible to reduce the energy of a rune to lower an individual''s attributes," Priam smiled, ignoring the System''s taunt. The applications in combat were numerous, but that wasn''t what interested him. To elevate his race, Priam needed to modify his genetic heritage. His high constitution made that impossible, but Osiris and he had just found a way to temporarily reduce it. All that remained was to finish analyzing the human, empyrean, and arkanian genomes. In a day or two, Priam would upgrade his race. "But you have to be the one to do it, and it has to impact all the cells in your body simultaneously. The best way is to create a ritual. I can do it," Osiris proposed. Priam shook his head. Creating a ritual required acquiring new runes and thus a lot of Potential. It was unfair to let a child take the loss. "You''ve already helped me a lot. I certainly gained days of research from our conversation alone; not to mention I needed the initial technique. I''ll take care of it." "Please..." Seeing Osiris lower his eyes, Priam felt a tug at his hearts. Osiris was a good boy and had helped him a lot. "Do you have something to ask me?" "I want you to bring back my brother," Osiris asked. His bright eyes struggled to hide tears of worry. Priam grimaced. He should have expected that. "I¡ª" "I''ll also give you a drop of my blood to make sure your new race will be Tier 2!" A silence began to settle as Priam hesitated. Seth was a dangerous and crazy individual who had attacked Kazuki and Sphinx. Yet, thanks to Osiris, Priam had enough knowledge to create a ritual to ensure his Tier up. Helping Osiris save his brother was different from forgiving Seth. In addition, with this drop of blood and a ready ritual, he could be done in two days. At that point, the Tribulations wouldn''t risk killing him every moment. I''d also have a more powerful race. Not Tier 3, but close... "Please... You''re my only friend..." Seeing the child''s big eyes, Priam felt his hearts squeeze. His charisma and instinct told him that this was no attempt at manipulation. Well, it was manipulative, but not in a magical way. Priam considered himself a good friend and a terrible enemy. Osiris, a child, had helped him without asking for anything in return. If I abandon him now, I''m not worth much... "Just this once," Priam sighed. A silhouette streaked above the forest canopy. Harnessing the full might of [Kinetic Control], Priam absorbed the thermal turmoil from the air into his Domain, fueling his flight. His velocity approached that of sound, a boundary he cautiously avoided breaching to keep the attention of Elysian monsters at bay. Beneath the bloody moon, Priam tracked the glow of a firefly. Enchanted by Osiris, the insect guided him toward Seth''s soul. After five minutes, the verdant horizon morphed as he neared the coastline. The island abruptly terminated, yielding to emptiness. Below, an endless ocean unveiled itself to Priam. Despite the titanic waves clashing kilometers beneath him, the sight of the sea reassured him. Born by its side, it embodied nature for him. As Priam watched the raging sea, an undead leviathan broke through the crimson surface to devour a bird. From the floating island, the avian had looked tiny, but its size had been massive. The mere sight of the sea monster gave Priam a headache. "I''ll bathe next time," he said, turning away. The firefly fluttered in his palm, and Priam followed its path along the coast. A few seconds later, he halted. Several kilometers away, a plume of smoke ascended. Focusing on the insect, Priam cursed before cautiously approaching. Esm¨¦e had some persistence in her. Seth must have taken a beating. Over a half-kilometer radius, the trees had vanished. The earth had been upheaved, and wisps of smoke ascended from a gigantic crater. Did he take a meteor to the face? Were the princess''s skills truly this terrifying? It was suspicious. Squinting, Priam discerned a humanoid figure at the center of the crater. The stranger juggled a skull. After a final glance at the firefly, Priam sighed. Rather than remain stealthy and risk his intentions being misinterpreted, Priam opted for an open approach. Within a kilometer, the stranger turned toward him. He is near the first perception threshold¡­ Unless he''s been onto me for a while and is trying to catch me off guard. Spotted, Priam accelerated, landing about thirty meters from the warrior. Tattoos adorned his face, and scales resembling skin covered his body. The stranger observed him in silence. "Hey, I''m friendly," Priam began in the Duat language. Infused with Concepts, it could convey intent to any being capable of dying. The warrior opened his mouth, flicking his forked tongue in the air. Does he have snake blood? Or... Priam''s eyes widened as he felt his draconic bloodline react. The stranger tossed the skull into the air before vanishing. The next moment, his fist pierced Priam''s fiery body. United with the flames, the high human invoked Promesse. The spear''s shaft, boosted by Micro and the staggering strength of its wielder, violently collided with the warrior''s temple. [Kinetic Control]. The warrior''s body catapulted backward at nearly four times the speed of sound. "I said I''m friendly," Priam growled, catching Seth''s skull. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 449 Constitution 794 Agility 455 Vitality 684 Perception 667 MENTAL: Vivacity 390 Dexterity 495 Memory 229 (+11) Willpower 836 Charisma 506 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 338 Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 21 (+6) Potential: 3309 (-12) Tier 0 Sun points: 3693 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 169 days 22 hours 56 minutes 57 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 180: The End Justifies the Means "Did you really lose to that?" The skull remained silent as Priam ascended into the sky. He had hesitated about finishing his opponent, because this one was a native. [Identification] [Vyphers - Tier 0 - Baron] - A warrior from the local Snahert tribe. Half humanoid, half serpent, the tribe''s elites cultivate a draconic bloodline. Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 12 MEM +1 A victory would strengthen his bloodline and increase the compatibility between Priam and his heart. However, Vyphers possessed a draconic bloodline, marking him as an elite of his tribe. He was too weak to have earned that distinction. There was only one explanation: he was someone powerful''s son. Therefore, killing him for immediate gain seemed foolish. Priam had other ways to purify his bloodline. Sighing at the missed opportunity, he began flying toward the island''s interior. His primary goal was to return Seth''s skull to his brother. As he left the crater, his draconic instinct roared. The Dragon faces their enemies. The high human abruptly stopped. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Vyphers getting back up. Despite the distance between them, Priam recognized the defiant gaze of the warrior. He refused to admit defeat. "Damn it," Priam swore, summoning Promesse once again. "What are you doing?" The gravelly voice in Priam''s head could only come from the skull he held. "You decide to speak now?" Priam aimed while preparing a terrifying kinetic charge. In his Domain, the air temperature dropped to minus two hundred degrees Celsius. The gazes of the two warriors met as Priam shot Promesse. The sudden acceleration made it invisible. "That idiot is trying to buy time until an officer arrives!" The spectral image of a giant serpent appeared around the Tier 0. Promesse shattered the defense before causing a significant explosion. The dust obscured Priam''s view, but he grimaced, listening to his instinct. The other dragon candidate was still able to fight. "What''s the power of the one who defeated you?" asked Priam. The skull began to levitate before attempting to flee. Priam''s Domain immobilized it in a fraction of a second. "Do you want us both to die?!" Seth mentally yelled. "You¡¯re wasting our time." Priam linked his conquering aura to his Domain, and the light in the skull''s eyes began to tremble. "Stop this!" Priam canceled his aura before it dissipated the necromancer''s spirit. He had made a promise to Osiris and intended to keep it. "... It was a Tier 3. We need to flee!" "If I don''t beat this kid, my bloodline will regress. That''s not happening." That''s what his instinct whispered. In a battle between two dragons, there had to be a winner and a loser. "... Screw it. Beat him quickly." Priam didn''t bother to reply. Refusing to store Seth in his internal world for obvious reasons, Priam firmly grasped the skull and invoked [Phoenix Wings]. Drawing from his kinetic resources and aether, Priam accelerated. His wings vibrated as the air exploded. In a second, Priam accelerated to three times the speed of sound. His arrival caused a gust that cleared the dust, revealing a giant serpent. After his metamorphosis, the warrior measured nearly fifteen meters in length. Promesse pinned his tail to the ground. The enemy was terrifying, but Priam was no longer a mere human. Death had forced him to grow up fast. The monster''s head quickly lunged to bite. Swift as lightning, Priam dodged to the left. With the help of his wings and kinetic skill, he was over ten times faster than his opponent. A sharp fang cut through the air a few centimeters to his right. Priam seized it before kinetically immobilizing his opponent. His right hand released Seth¡¯s skull before closing into a tight fist. Micro overclocked his muscles, [Kinetic Control] accelerated his speed, and Priam struck. The first blow landed on the serpent''s snout, shattering his scales. Priam had released his kinetic domination just before his blow impacted the enemy. A second followed, splashing the ground with cold blood. The third pierced the reptile''s right eye. The serpent trembled in pain and rage. Priam felt his opponent resisting the kinetic freeze. His scaly skin became transparent, as if trying to shed to escape the grip of the epic skill. A cold smile appeared on Priam''s lips as a fourth blow shattered one of the serpent''s bones. His Conquest aura merged with [Kinetic Control], strengthening it. Priam''s charisma crushed the enemy''s resistance as META (focus) tightened the kinetic grip. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 59 VIVA +2 DEXT +3 META(FOCUS) +4 The fifth blow sent the serpent backward. The fang Priam held burst, releasing a stream of venom. Instead of falling to the ground, the toxin lunged at Priam. His mist coat partially froze, blocking and imprisoning the poison. Priam collected a few drops of venom and blood, storing them in his internal world before landing next to the wounded serpent. Promesse appeared in his hand, and Priam plunged it into the salivary glands of his opponent. That''s where the venom was produced. The liquid spread rapidly into the Snahert''s wounds. Roaring in pain, the pseudo-serpent turned to look at Priam with his remaining eye. It began to glow, and Priam felt his body instantly stiffen. A draconic Talent! Paralyzed, Priam could distinguish nothing but a golden and inhuman eye. The basilisk''s Talent prevented him from moving physically or even using [Kinetic Control]. Fusion with one of his Concepts was impossible, and even summoning a mist wall to block the enemy''s vision had no effect. When the basilisk locked its gaze on prey, it didn''t let go. Fuck! Let''s see if your Talent bypasses even the laws of physics. Instead of succumbing to panic, Priam decided to heat the air in front of him. In seconds, the thermal agitation of air molecules in his Domain created a mirage effect. Like in a desert, the rays of light were deflected. The golden eye disappeared from Priam''s mind, and he roared in turn. Eyes closed, the high human struck, knocking the snake to the ground. Unleashing his Fire Concept, Priam set his enemy on fire. A part of him was horrified by the prospect of burning a humanoid enemy alive. Another part only saw the serpent that had tried to kill him. Blinded by a draconic anger, Priam roared. Uttering a final cry of pain, the flaming monster transformed back into a humanoid. Curled on the ground, the tribesman trembled. Priam observed the defeated opponent''s gaze before summoning a cold mist avalanche. Before long, the tribesman was encased in an ice coffin. It¡¯s over. Priam''s instinct roared as the dragon awoke in him, claiming its due. The veins of the defeated warrior trembled as a drop of golden blood gathered in one of his empty eye sockets. It went through the ice coffin before plunging into Priam''s chest. A warmth enveloped him, starting from his draconic heart before spreading throughout his body. Consumption of a fragment of draconic bloodline... Your draconic heart becomes more compatible with your body (+8%). New compatibility assessed at 100%, congratulations! Enter sleep for heart integration? Not now. ... Evolution temporarily postponed. "Let''s go," declared Priam without a last glance at the loser. In his hand lay a skull. "About time," grumbled Seth. Eleha sighed upon discovering the block of ice. Vyphers was alive but in a terrible state. His face, half swollen and half burned, revealed deep cuts. His eyes had been gouged out, and his spasms indicated brain damage. Yet, none of this mattered before his lost bloodline. The serpent no longer resembled a dragon. The young fool had been mentally defeated, and his bloodline had been harvested. It would have been better for him if he were dead. His father, Ophis, would be extremely annoyed by the disappearance of a drop of draconic essence. It came from the Tier 4 Python defeated jointly by the three tribes. Once distilled, a portion of the obtained blood had acquired draconic properties capable of awakening a bloodline. "And you lost everything," Eleha murmured. Her gaze turned inland. One of the champions possessed a draconic bloodline. He had taken care to defeat the son of the Snahert Chief without killing him, probably hoping not to break off any chance of negotiation. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Knowing Ophis, it was a lost cause. "Should we pursue the culprit?" Broli asked. The young Gaesert was the last member of the scouting trio sent out by the tribes. A bit simple-minded, he was still serious and diligent. Eleha preferred him to Vyphers. The huntress hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Ophis is not my leader. Vyphers volunteered and failed, too bad for him." "Do we leave him here?" Eleha looked at the pathetic warrior at her feet. "... You carry him." Priam touched down near the temple of Osiris and Seth. "How do you know this place?" "Osiris sent me to save your ass. Do you think I''d have helped you otherwise?" "If you''ve harmed my brother, I¡ª" "Unlike you, I don''t harm the innocent," Priam said, pushing aside the curtain of vines that shielded the entrance to Osiris''s chamber. A substance clung to his fingers, and Micro shook as it partially lost control of the body. "I''m an idiot," Priam grimaced, seeing his fingers stiffen. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 19 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 The rapid increase in resistance indicated a potent poison. "You could have warned me about the deadly vines," he told Seth. "Osiris must have modified their poison, right?" "I hope it kills you, your body is magnificent." The remark was accompanied by an insane laugh. "...Thank you," Priam replied, eyeing the vines. They could be useful to farm his resistances after enhancing his race. Using his Domain, he seized the vines and pulled. The vine tore from the wall, and Priam grabbed it barehanded while his arm went numb. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 20 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (END) +1 Opening a passage to his internal world, Priam tossed the vine inside. Struck by a sudden idea, he closed the portal while his arm was still inside. The portal vanished, severing his arm at shoulder height. Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 5,6 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Space Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +9 A new way to attack my enemies. Priam smiled, invoking the power of [Three-headed Hydra]. His Title reconstructed his arm instantly as the high human entered the cellar. It was a drastic method to rid himself of poison, but Priam could afford it. "We are alike, you and I. We have no attachments to a useless body," said Seth. Seeing his rival casually amputate himself before recreating an arm did not disturb the necromancer. "The difference between us is that I have a body. Osiris, I''ve got a package for you!" Priam shouted. The little boy turned at the sound of the voice. His gaze immediately fixed on the skull, and he jumped joyfully. Priam threw Seth''s head to him with a smile. The necromancer was a massive jerk, but his brother was pure. "Seth, you idiot! Where''s the rest of your body?" Osiris worried. "... We''ll talk about it when the First is gone. Unless you can kill him?" "Be polite, Seth. I asked him for help." Osiris turned to Priam and bowed. "Thank you, Priam. I''ve completed the ritual, and I''ve prepared a drop of my blood for you." The child placed Seth''s skull on a small column and grabbed a seed, bringing it to Priam. "The drop is inside. The ribs correspond to the ritual. This rune is for..." In the following minutes, Osiris explained to Priam the utility of different runes and their functions. "Thank you, Osiris. It''ll greatly help me." "If you''re done, tell him to leave," grumbled Seth. Osiris rolled his eyes before giving a sheepish smile to Priam, who returned a frank one. "One last thing," Priam said, turning to the skull inhabited by the spirit of his corrupted rival. "Why did Esm¨¦e attack you?" "... Will you leave if I tell you?" "Without even saying goodbye." "A Necro Herald detected the presence of divine aether in the vicinity. Probably a monster preparing for Tier 5. All the local Necro Nobles received orders to investigate." Priam was almost sure he knew who the Herald was referring to. A certain fallen god had something to worry about. "What¡¯s the connection with Esm¨¦e?" he asked in a neutral tone. "I tried to corrupt her as her power would be useful to summon a Necro Envoy. It''s a kind of Boss that could destroy the divine enemy. Don''t worry, with the arrival of the locals, I have other fish to fry." Priam shook his head. "There''s a misunderstanding: I could help." Reading the expression of a skull was not an easy task, but Seth looked perplexed. "You would take the side of the Necromoon?" This entity was the antithesis of life and Priam''s enemy. However, if he could use it to free Sphinx, he would. "I am planning to wait until the future god is weakened by your Necro Envoy before striking. I''m sure the Achievement will be worth it." Using his draconic instinct, Priam conjured a false greedy gleam in the depths of his eyes. He had no intention of revealing to Seth that he had other reasons to desire Sumstreh''s death. The skull burst into a diabolical laughter. "I guess you''re not the First for nothing. Maybe we could get along." Suddenly, Seth began to scream in rage. "What? You''re saying he''s not telling the whole truth?!" The movement of his jaw caused the skull to topple from the column. It fell before anyone could catch it and rolled to a wall. "Shut up!" "Excuse me?" Seth''s anger disconcerted Priam. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" the necromancer yelled again before trembling. Silently, Osiris picked up his brother''s skull and gently placed it back on the column. Seeing his sad expression, Priam decided not to ask any questions. "Sorry, brother... I suppose you won''t want to kill the Princess?" Seth asked, now calm again. Priam understood that the episode of madness was over. "For my loved ones to have asteroids raining down on them? Not really. There must be other solutions." Seth nodded. "Harvesting souls. For a Tier 3 Envoy, the ritual needs a hundred thousand." "And for a Tier 4?" "At least a million." "You can start preparing the ritual." Wait for me, Sphinx. Priam collected hundreds of Sun points again as he returned to his base. The number of buried skeletons should have been limited, yet the forest was teeming with enemies. One million was a ridiculous number, but the supplies were there. Arriving at his base, Priam noticed the hoplites and their mechas starting to terraform the terrain. Hyshana and Alain stood side by side, overseeing the work. Priam greeted them before reaching the center of the clearing, where Kazuki and Jasmine were training in close combat. Priam was reassured to see that the young woman had awakened. His add-on explained to him that she had taken time to drown the corrupted spirit of the Banshee in her shadow. The fight had made her stronger, but she wasn''t the only one. For the past week, the hoplite had progressed at a terrifying speed. Micro II granted him absolute control over his body. Meticulously overclocking his muscles and enhancing his instinct and perception, the Supremacy was turning him into a monster. The evolution of his physique allowed him to deepen his martial skills. Watching the hoplite fight was like witnessing an artistic performance. Against him, Jasmine was technically outclassed, but the assassin used shadows to disrupt her opponent''s rhythm. Her own shadow attacked Kazuki''s in a surprising two-dimensional battle. Each blow to his shadow unsettled the warrior, preventing him from unleashing all his abilities. The assassin''s attacks were precise and decisive. Where Kazuki fought to win, Jasmine struck to kill. The hoplite had the advantage, but any lapse on his part would be fatal. A few minutes later, Jasmine disappeared into the shadows before reappearing outside the duel''s boundaries. "Out of aether," she explained, breathless. Kazuki nodded before furrowing his brows. "When are your Tribulations?" "... In a week." "Then go train." The role of martial instructor suited the hoplite. Jasmine nodded towards Priam before vanishing. Kazuki summoned a mini-tornado to dry the sweat beading on his scales before greeting his rival. "You seem satisfied," he remarked. "It''s time to enhance my race." "Are you sure you don''t need my blood?" Priam shook his head. "Despite our physical resemblances, our genetic heritage is quite different. Maybe for Tier 3." "Hmm. Have you found Seth?" "And his brother. An incredible little guy. I made a pact with them to summon a Necro Tier 4." "... Can we trust them?" "Of course not, but it''s one of the only ways to save her." Kazuki nodded. "We won''t abandon her." The two warriors fell silent, thinking about Sphinx. "You said one of the only ways?" Kazuki finally asked. "... There are new players. I met a local." "Have you established good relations?" Priam blushed. "I tried to be friendly!" Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 449 Constitution 815 (+21) Agility 455 Vitality 687 (+3) Perception 667 MENTAL: Vivacity 392 (+2) Dexterity 498 (+3) Memory 230 (+1) Willpower 836 Charisma 506 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 342 (+4) Meta-endurance 262 (+2) Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 21 Potential: 3324 (+15) Tier 0 Sun points: 4010 (+317) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 169 days 22 hours 25 minutes 34 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800 Chapter 181: The Legendary Primogenitor Gabrielle stared at the Necromoon, a scowl etched across her face. The bloody orb had replaced the stars she once cherished. Now, the perpetual twilight unsettled the tribesmen''s circadian rhythms. Despite their vitality, many clan members were worn out. The constant battles also induced mental fatigue, escalating the number of casualties. Gabrielle''s stomach twisted at the memory of the torrents of blood she had witnessed throughout the day. Every shadow now seemed to conceal a corrupted being, lurking to kill her in her sleep. A heavy mass collapsed into the hammock next to hers, causing Gabrielle to jump in terror. "Who''s there?!" "It''s just me," groaned a weary voice. Placing a hand over her chest, Gabrielle waited for her heartbeat to steady before responding. "You scared me half to death," she whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping children nearby. "Weren''t you supposed to assist a scout today?" "I just got back. Eleha had me running for kilometers carrying Ophis''s son." "Eleha the Smiling Blades?!" "The very same." "How is she?" Eleha might not be a Gaesert, but Gabrielle still admired the huntress. Some whispered that she had a chance of reaching Tier 4. "Strong, skilled, and impatient." "That''s the definition of a Tier 3. And Vyphers?" Ophis''s son, the chief of the Snaherts, was known for being an insufferable fool. "He was an insufferable fool." "Was?" "... He fought one of the Champions." "Did he win?" Broli burst into laughter. "Quiet, you''ll wake everyone," Gabrielle hushed. "Sorry," Broli apologized, calming down. "Vyphers was on the brink of death when they found him. The Champion spared him, but took his draconic essence." "Ophis¡¯ gonna be furious." "Hard to tell with that cold-hearted monster. He was mostly annoyed that Eleha left his son alone." Elysium had never been a peaceful place, especially during the Necro event. "Why did she do that?" Broli grimaced. "Officially, so that danger can help him grow. Unofficially, the Snahert¡¯s young master was insufferable. I don''t know if the explanation will convince Ophis, but he can''t do much to her anyway." "... Do you think he''ll go after the Champion?" Gabrielle asked with a worried tone. The tales of the Champions had shaped the childhood of every tribe member. After all, their ancestors were also Champions. "... I don''t know. Eleha said it''s a complicated matter. We''ll have answers soon." "Soon?" "The tribes break camp in three days. In a week, we''ll be neighbors..." The passage closed on Priam, isolating him from the outside world. Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the room. Approximately thirty square meters, illuminated by the golden and crimson veins of the tree. A powerful vitality aura enveloped the High Human, penetrating his cells and recharging his batteries. Coddled and protected, Priam felt good. Smiling, he turned to the only metallic component in the room. The hoplite mech contrasted with Log-a-rhythm''s sylvan architecture. Priam would have preferred not to use the device, but the quantum processor would be necessary. A glance at his HUD informed Priam that a new objective was fulfilled. [Royal Empyrean Genome Analyzed: 100%] POT -396 [MKX Arkanian Genome Analyzed: 100%] POT -198 [High Duatian Genome Analyzed: 2%] POT -6 Soon. The evolution of his race was near. Thanks to hoplite technology, Priam had sequenced the blood of Osiris and Vyphers. Now, Priam possessed the genetic heritage of five humanoid alien species. Titan Hoplite and Snahert were too genetically distant from High Human, but the other three genomes would suffice. Royal Empyrean, MKX Arkanian, and High Duatian had the same number of chromosomes as a High Human. Analyzing their genomes revealed many close sequences. Coincidences or Concepts¡¯ machinations, Priam didn¡¯t care for now. "Time to choose the characteristics that interest me from the different races," he murmured. As his system compiled genomes, Priam sat cross-legged, activating [Focus] and [Frozen Meditation]. His mind sharpened as unnecessary thoughts faded away. Let¡¯s start. Connecting to [Eidetic Memory], Priam felt the results of his add-on''s analyses downloading into his memory. The volume of data was so significant that he winced in pain. Massaging his temples, Priam spent several minutes checking all the knowledge related to his genes and those of Jasmine and Myuri. Lvl Up: [Humanoid Anatomy] lvl 2,...,6 MEM +15 Witnessing the complexity upon which life thrived, Priam marveled. The next moment, [Frozen Meditation] neutralized the unnecessary emotion. Without wasting time, he created a mental model of DNA intended to be the foundation of his future race. It was time to choose the most interesting elements from each genome. Eyes closed, Priam envisioned the structure upon which to build his future race: the DNA of a High Human. A double helix-shaped macromolecule appeared in his mind. Encoded inside was Priam''s entire genome. The System had done a fantastic job, and High Human was close to Tier 2. His racial talent, [High Human adaptation], was exceptional, and Priam intended to build on it rather than replace it. There was a second reason for Priam to choose High Human as the foundation of his future race: to retain his identity. Cosmetic changes, even significant ones, posed him no problem, but the structure of his brain was a sensitive point. [Tenacious Spirit] had awakened his intellect, but the cerebral organ still had the potential to influence his ego. Using the High Human blueprint, Priam began mentally removing all non-functional genes. About twenty percent of the sequences disappeared, optimizing his genome. Observing his DNA, Priam began choosing the sequences to replace with alien sequences. Like an enthusiast assembling his computer or car piece by piece, Priam added better genes. Quickly, he realized that, despite his Vivacity, he couldn''t calculate all the consequences off the top of his head. Like a complex algorithm, the slightest alteration of his genome led to cascading errors. Aware of his limitations, Priam had borrowed the hoplite mech lying in a corner of the room. He shared the necessary data with the AI, letting the quantum processor calculate the consequences of his modifications. Sequence after sequence, Priam began modifying his DNA, testing different combinations, and trying to perfect his new race. His system and the mecha''s AGI helped him predict the ideal changes. Most changes were subtle. Some muscles shifted, while some proteins and biochemical reactions changed. Borrowing some genes from Jasmine, Priam improved the structure of his bones and lymphatic system. Myuri''s race, Royal Empyrean, allowed him to slightly modify his brain and nervous system. The organ being plastic, Priam knew that some modifications could be dangerous, but he relied on [Tenacious Spirit] and his Potential to smooth out the edges. Some characteristics remained unchanged, starting with his two hearts. Priam discovered that his Titles had modified his DNA. His descendants would have a non-zero chance of being born with two hearts. Some of his resistances and his phoenix bloodline had also changed his genome. Priam incorporated the changes brought by Jasmine''s resistances, such as Shadow Resistance, adding certain qualities to his skin. On the other hand, he was surprised to find that his draconic bloodline and Hecate New Moon were invisible on the genetic level. It raised interesting questions. Time passed as Priam continued his calculations. Despite his mental abilities and the help of a quantum computer, creating a race was a lengthy process. [High Duatian Genome Analyzed: 100%] POT -182 The notification briefly caught Priam''s attention. Osiris''s genome meant new possibilities and the need to tweak his model. Priam would accept nothing less than perfection. Seated cross-legged, periodically nourished by Log-a-rhythm, the First continued his research. Lvl Up: [Geometry] lvl 2,..., 11 VIVA +10 MEM +20 Lvl Up: [Comparison] lvl 13,..., 20 MEM +7 Possibility of integrating [Comparison] with [Priam¡¯s System]. ¡­ Validated. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 40 MEM +2 VIVA +1 [Priam¡¯s System - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met: - Soul bonded - Artificial general intelligence - Divine Deception - Merged with a High potential Epic skill. - Self-made Skill. Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Priam¡¯s System - Epic] - Reliable, adaptable, autonomous, and efficient, your system is the ideal Assistant. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320 ¡­ You have selected the skill [Priam¡¯s System - Epic]. POT -320 [Priam¡¯s System - Epic] - Your Assistant improves its models and algorithms. This AGI excels in data comparison and calculations. Merged with [Mask], it can mask both its presence and yours. Existing in symbiosis with your soul, it now incorporates your racial Talent. Adaptable, its only limits are yours. A glitch in the matrix. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. VIVA +3 MEM +3 META(Authority) + 3 Lvl Up: [Humanoid Anatomy] lvl 7, 8, 9 MEM +9 Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 32, 33, 34 PERC +3 WILL +6 Sporting a brilliant smile, Priam opened his eyes. Suppressing a yawn, he stood up and began a few stretches to wake up his body and mind. He had reasons to be satisfied: in addition to his system''s ideal upgrade, the blueprint for his next race was ready. His new race would surpass a High Human on all fronts. Thanks to an optimized genetic code, an adult would naturally possess over a hundred points in each attribute. It was the threshold for the System to recognize his species as Tier 2. But the best was still to come as with the Tier up came a second racial Talent. According to Osiris''s research, the racial Talent was a natural rune located at the core of each cell in an individual. This had been confirmed by the Guardian, who had added that these runes were a manifestation of the race¡¯s Concept. The history and mentality of individuals contributed to the creation of this Talent. As the Primogenitor, its Concept would be decided by Priam, creating a racial Talent perfectly tailored to his needs. Imagining his future Talent, Priam put an end to his stretches and promptly began the ritual. Time was precious. The serene atmosphere created by Log-a-rhythm was an illusion; outside, the event raged on. Turning his eyes to the ground, Priam instructed Log-a-rhythm to cover the floor with a vast network of complex runes. Osiris had done a remarkable job, using his Potential to create a ritual that would help Priam temporarily weaken his cells. Thanks to this, he could surpass his constitution and modify his DNA. Better yet, the young High Duatian had integrated the possibility of generalizing the modifications to all his cells. A few minutes later, the ritual was ready. Seated at the center, surrounded by a multitude of sigils, Priam took a deep breath. Here we go! Opening determined eyes, he directed his aether into the runes, creating a resonance with the ritual. Silvery energy began to fill half of the sigils. In a few moments, a void of aether appeared around Priam. The difference in energy density created a suction effect. Priam felt his aether reserves slowly drained into his ritual. I should have known. Using [Aether Manipulation], he blocked his own reservoir. The transfer ceased as the ritual expanded the size of the vacuum. The growing pressure difference led to an increase in suction force until something gave way. The runes inside his cells began to lose their aether. Priam grimaced as he felt his attributes decrease. Although temporary, the phenomenon was particularly unpleasant. I feel like I''ve just had chemotherapy... Enduring the feeling of extreme weakness, Priam gritted his teeth and waited. As soon as his system announced that his physical attributes were below the first threshold, Priam grabbed a metallic cube at his feet. Of hoplite origin, it contained molecular scissors and sensors necessary for modifying a genome. Using his Domain, Priam retrieved an attribute-weakened cell from his saliva, guiding it into the cube. The hoplite tool began to modify Priam¡¯s DNA, using three drops of blood from Jasmine, Myuri, and Osiris for the genetic material needed. For thirty seconds, Priam and his updated system watched the miracle of alien technology. Thanks to his Domain, they could check that the changes made were the ones desired. When the cube opened, revealing a cell a few micrometers in size, Priam smiled. The biological unit was so small that only his Domain allowed him to detect it. Nevertheless, it contained the sum of his efforts from the past few days. A colossal amount of time and Potential had been invested in this simple cell. Let''s finish this. Priam directed his aether to a second nexus, which distributed it into a network of still inactive runes. The powered sigils created a halo around Priam''s naked body as he began to levitate. The modified cell entered the ritual, which analyzed it. Priam felt pressure descend upon him as his runes compared each of his cells with his future genome. Finding no match, the final part of the ritual activated to modify Priam''s entire cell structure. The ambient aether was siphoned into the High Human''s body to transform every strand of DNA present in his body. The ritual hummed as the energy storm metamorphosed its creator at a microscopic level. Priam lost track of time until his system informed him of the end of the ritual. Descending slowly to the ground, he grimaced in pain. His genetic code no longer matched his body, and cell division began, leading to errors. Before damage appeared due to the divergence between his genome and his body, Priam activated the integration of his second heart. His instinct whispered that the awakening of his bloodline would facilitate his transcendence. A draconic roar capable of shaking the gods echoed in Priam''s ears as he lost consciousness. A vine as thick as a hoplite''s thigh snatched the last revenant, crushing it. The bones disappeared beneath the earth, clearing the battlefield. Not a trace remained of the corrupted horde that had stood there moments before. Kazuki grinned, watching his latest acquisition in action. The Bio Trap III had set them back twenty-five thousand Sun points, nearly half of what they had earned since the beginning of the event. From his perspective, it was a savvy investment. The Bio Trap was an organic structure with dozens of vines, each capable of overcoming a Tier 1. Although less powerful than other traps, it had the advantage of obeying Log-a-rhythm and being reusable. It drew energy from the digestion of its victims, converting surplus into fertilizer useful for enhancing the growth of trees in Log-a-rhythm''s domain. With this economic strategy, the base expanded, and Sun points flowed. This virtuous circle provided Kazuki a glimmer of hope about the hoplites'' survival in Elysium during the Necro event. "Champion Kazuki, Lord Priam is undergoing evolution." Interrupted in his thoughts, Kazuki turned to the soldier saluting him. The guy had loaned his mecha to Priam two days ago and must have used sensors to monitor his condition. "Excellent news, Titan Clark." The soldier opened his mouth, then closed it. "Is there anything else?" "No, Champion." "Then you can return to your post." "Yes, Champion." As the hoplite walked away, Kazuki sighed before opening the communication channel he shared with Hyshana. [We need to keep an eye on Clark.] Priam opened his eyes to an incomprehensible spectacle. Immersed in an ocean of colors, shapes, scents, memories, thoughts, past, and future, his mind calmed. His soul, still unable to fully grasp aether, chose to be lulled by universal energy. After surveying the surroundings, Priam turned his attention to himself. His body resembled a wisp, a floating flame in the primordial fluid. In his center, a draconic heart pulsated Tribulation affinity throughout his being. The affinity was soothing his soul and aiding his development. As a wave of aether penetrated him, Priam felt immense joy. He knew the Concepts had accepted his new race and initiated a baptism process. While waiting for the end of the primordial ceremony, Priam''s mind summoned the System. Successfully created Tier 2 race. Congratulations! Would you like to choose a name? ¡­ Homo Elysian. He had chosen this name long ago. A name representing what he was and what he aspired to be. A name embracing the past and dreaming of the future. [Homo Elysian - Tier 2] - As the optimized fusion of four rival races, Homo Elysian transcends the simple sum of its parts. Its virgin history confers it a pure aetheric code. Characterized by fantastical adaptation, Homo Elysian benefits from the abilities of the races it integrates. Primogenitor, choose a racial Talent to merge with [High Human Adaptation]. The other two Talents will merge to create a second racial Talent. [Royal Path - Gold] - Royal Empyrean''s racial talent. Your will passively guides aether, manipulating probabilities to achieve your goals. [MKX Flair - Gold] - MKX Arkanian''s racial talent. Your animal instinct is highly developed. [Soul Duality - Gold] - High Duatian''s racial talent. Your soul is linked to your body. The degeneration of your physical envelope leads to that of your soul. PHY +10 MEM +10 Dexterity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! System note: For the moment, there is no known superior race for Homo Elysian. The only Tier up possibilities are:
  • Absorption of alien codes.
  • Catalyzing new spontaneous developments with Racial Talent.
Modification of Tribulation thresholds: To avoid unnecessarily restricting users whose race has the potential for rapid development, the System grants different Tribulation thresholds according to the race¡¯s Tier. Homo Elysian is a Tier 2 race. The new thresholds are now every 1(+2) hundred. Tribulation Thresholds: One attribute above 300 was detected at Tier 0. Three attributes above 300 were detected at Tier 0. Six attributes above 300 were detected at Tier 0. Twelve attributes above 300 were detected at Tier 0. One attribute above 600 was detected at Tier 0. Three attributes above 600 were detected at Tier 0. For a total of six Tribulations. The user has already withstood four Tribulations at Tier 0. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 18 hours 42 minutes 17 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 900 Titles upgrade! [Primogenitor - Gold] becomes [Primogenitor - Legendary] [Primogenitor - Legendary] - You pioneered a new Tier 2 race. It''s your job to keep improving it. Your charisma doubles when you talk to a member of your own or your original races. You can convert some similar lifeforms to your race. CHAR +30% > CHAR +40% [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] becomes [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Your draconic heart holds the power of a Tribulation. Your bloodline is now awake. The Dragons'' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation. The Dragons¡¯ second gift is an exceptional affinity for their element. (Select) Choose an attribute to evolve. VIT +20% > VIT +30% Bloodlines: Phoenix - 1% - awakened (T1) Dragon - <1% - awakened (T1) NEW. Reading his notifications, Priam thought of rivals, enemies, and the incomprehensible powers of the Necromoon or the System. The trials awaiting him were terrifying, but Priam had taken a new step on the Zenith Path. Wait for me Sphinx, I''m coming! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 464 (+15) Constitution 827 (+12) Agility 470 (+15) Vitality 749 (+62) Perception 683 (+20) MENTAL: Vivacity 416 (+24) Dexterity 508 (+10) Memory 313 (+83) Willpower 858 (+22) Charisma 554 (+48) META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 342 Meta-endurance 262 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 24 (+3) Potential: 2246 (-1078) Tier 0 Sun points: 4010 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 18 hours 42 minutes 17 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 900 Chapter 182: Obsession and Predation A seismic jolt rattled the aether galaxy. In his luminous wisp form, Priam marveled as the foundations of the universe trembled after the baptism''s end, integrating a new nuance into the laws of the Universe. A new race had emerged. As the quake''s intensity waned, Priam''s consciousness felt the pull of reality. His awareness was plucked from the pure and infinite world of aether to return to the safety of his soul. Micro, Domain, and his Concepts reconnected, allowing Priam to regain his senses. The Primogenitor opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings. His body was lying on the ground at the center of unlit runes. Log-a-rhythm''s sap gently illuminated the room, and the hoplite mecha was waiting in a corner. Nothing had changed. "Except me," murmured Priam. For a moment, he didn''t recognize his own voice. His vocal cords now had access to a broader frequency range, and his auditory system captured sounds more finely. Examining his body, he noticed he had grown a few centimeters taller. His lean silhouette resembled that of a predator, with elegant muscles poised to pounce at his will. While stretching, Priam marveled at the fluidity of his movements. His new nervous system allowed him finer control over his body. But genetic changes weren''t the only factor explaining his condition. Priam reread one of the latest notifications. Dexterity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! A new attribute threshold had been crossed. The last one, Charisma, had allowed him to merge his Aura with his Concepts. I wonder what Dexterity does. To find out, there was only one way. Priam recalled the katas practiced by Kazuki during his training. The hoplite''s exercises seemed simple, but Priam had never been able to imitate them, partly due to anatomical differences but mainly because the hoplite had sublime control over his body. [Shadow Boxing] summoned Kazuki''s image, and Priam began to mimic him. Guided by Micro, his body took one step, then another. A fascinating dance began, with seemingly impossible positions executed effortlessly. The speed of kata execution gradually increased, testing his new limits. His physique felt more familiar, now capable of using small overclocks naturally. Starting a new series of particularly challenging katas, Priam widened his eyes as a bad feeling invaded him. Could it be? Halting the exercise, he attempted a quadruple somersault. The next moment, the room shook as Priam''s head collided with the floor. Far from being saddened, the Champion was smiling. After sitting cross-legged, Priam closed his eyes and imagined a very high jump. Even before starting, he knew he would fail. Dexterity now allowed him to sense when a feat was beyond his body''s capability. The attribute went further by showing him a solution. A quadruple somersault was possible with a second overclock but would tear his quadriceps. The upgrade seemed trivial, but Priam knew that being aware of his limits was paramount. Most battles between two opponents of similar levels were won by exploiting a mistake. [He Who Eludes Death] granted him a second chance, not a third. Priam stood up, smiling, in excellent spirits. Dexterity''s upgrade was good but far from the most important. Without waiting, he opened his list of merits. Trees of Merit [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 4: Draconic atavism manifests. Your spirit is covered in runic tattoos. Dragon scales provide the ultimate defense. [Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title. [Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Hardly Hatched, already a Fire Champion. As such, you know how restricted Fire is. The Seven Concepts have imprisoned its potential in a shell. Let it hatch. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. [Hermes'' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium. [Upgrader - Silver] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills [Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity''s standing. [To the Moon - Bronze] - Tier 0: Time stops for one second within a ten-meter radius when you are in mortal danger. [Admirer of Atlas - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength. [Weathered - Silver] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective. [Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people''s hostile thoughts toward you. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. [Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths. [Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic. [Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System''s Local Network. [Primogenitor - Legendary] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It''s hard to run away from a Conqueror. [Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy. [The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth. [Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race''s Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%. [Doctor - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your skills and Supremacies don''t need to overcome your patient''s passive resistance if they consent to the operation. [Spiritless - Bronze] - Tier 0: The regeneration of your spirit leaves no natural scars. [Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - Tier 0: Allows your lungs to absorb oxygen present in water. [Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity. [Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters. [Fire Sage - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Fire Concept spark that warms your soul comes to life as a fire elemental of absolute loyalty. Evolves with your Concept. [Elysium Marquess - Legendary] - Tier 0: Creates one invasion portal. 10 Unused Merit Points. Priam wasted no time and validated the Draconic Merit. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 4: Draconic atavism manifests. Your spirit is covered in runic tattoos. Dragon scales provide the ultimate defense. ACQUIRED. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. 9 Unused Merit Points. For the second time that day, Priam felt an infinite power touch him. The next moment, his skin tingled. Dispelling the mist cloak that covered his modesty, Priam observed his body. His physical appearance hadn''t changed. Pressing a mental switch, primal energy invaded his spiritual body. Since it overlapped with his physical body, a shift occurred. Tiny silver scales, made of aether, appeared on his skin. Cool. Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to tighten around his arm like a boa constrictor. A root grew from the ground, coiling around the scaly member. The more the tree tightened, the more Priam smiled. He felt the pressure but not the danger. Testing the limits of his new defense would be necessary, but Priam wasn''t short of enemies. At the thought of a battle, his new draconic heart accelerated, sending colossal energy into his body. Priam used Micro to block the adrenaline; he had other things to do before, starting with choosing his new racial talents. When Priam found her, Jasmine was having lunch with Rose, Blueberry, Louis, and Myuri. The five companions gathered on a terrace atop Log-a-rhythm brought joy to Priam. Despite difficulties, their bonds had tightened. "Hey," said Priam, pretending to ignore Myuri''s flinch. The empyrean still seemed to fear him. "Hey, Priam," smiled Louis. "Finally out of your lair." "Hmm," replied Blueberry with his mouth full. Rose greeted him, blushing, while Jasmine squinted her eyes. "What?" asked Priam, sitting on a stool summoned by Log-a-rhythm. "... You look better than before," said Jasmine. Priam blinked before smiling. With his transformation, his features had slightly changed. "I just upgraded my race using part of yours. I guess I fit better into your civilization''s aesthetics now." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "It''s not just that," replied Jasmine, leaning over the table to get closer. "You''re almost hypnotic." Priam made an effort to keep his eyes at the level of the alluring assassin''s face. "One of my Titles doubles the effectiveness of my Charisma on members of my race or my original races. Do you really feel it?" "My [Manipulation Resistance] just leveled up by looking at you, Rose is discovering the utility of peripheral vision, and Myuri stopped trembling to start blushing. At this point, your charisma is weaponizable." Priam glanced at the former slave, who looked at the ground, petrified by Jasmine''s words. A smile appeared on his face. If his Charisma could break the ice between him and Myuri, all the better. Simultaneously, he thanked his add-on for creating [True Will]. Without resistance, any high-tier specializing in mental manipulation with a charisma build could enslave entire worlds. I should stop raising flags... "Speaking of my new race, I can now convert you. It would reduce your number of Tribulations." Jasmine widened her eyes before shaking her head. "I have a quadruple tomorrow. I want the best possible reward. After that, I¡¯m in." Priam nodded. Thanks to his link with the assassin, he knew she desired freedom. With the System, it was tied to personal strength. "All right. That goes for all of you. Well, except Blueberry." The bear growled. "Do I stink or something?" "Now that you mention it, there is a smell," joked Priam. "Sorry, my Title doesn''t allow me to convert you. Maybe when I upgrade my race to Tier 3?" "For me to lose my fur and hibernation ability? I like you guys, but you''re ugly. I shall remain a bear." Everyone smiled before Priam remembered the purpose of his visit. "I wanted to ask you both a few questions. About your racial Talents," specified Priam, looking at Jasmine and Myuri. Jasmine shrugged before serving herself more soup under Blueberry''s watchful eye. "It''s not very complicated. [MKX Flair] allows me to sense when I''m in danger, when I''m being observed, or when my prey knows I''m there. It''s a racial Talent developed by my former organization for centuries, and why they sponsored me when I received it. It''s useful for fighting and surviving," summarized Jasmine. Priam nodded. Among the different Talents, it was the easiest to understand. He turned to Myuri. "Could you tell me about yours? [Royal Path] interests me." The scared slave looked up before turning to Jasmine, who winked at her. Nodding imperceptibly, Myuri swallowed. "... It is the Talent of the royal family," she murmured before pausing to gauge his reaction. Priam offered a smile without pressuring her. "When they want something, the world ensures they get it." On paper, it was utterly broken, but Priam knew there had to be limits. "What if two royals have opposing goals?" "The one with the most... authority wins." META Authority? "What are the limits of the Talent?" "... The King can influence any commoner but struggles with the nobility," Myuri revealed after a moment of hesitation. Is there a connection with the awareness of being influenced? Others'' will opposes the King''s? The more powerful the soul, the stronger the resistance? It would partly explain why Esm¨¦e manipulated objects to kill Seth rather than animals or corrupted. A rock doesn''t resist. "Thank you both," smiled Priam. "No problem," replied Jasmine, serving herself another bowl of soup in front of Blueberry''s nose. The bear growled. "Make yourself at home." "That''s what I''m doing. Do you want some?" she asked Priam. The Champion glanced at Blueberry, who rolled his eyes. "I''ll let you finish in exchange for some maple syrup." "Deal!" Priam exclaimed. Enjoying a delicious lunch with his loved ones, Priam smiled. He was delighted to learn that Rose continued to progress and that Myuri was gradually emerging from her shell. As Jasmine recounted how she defeated Hyshana during their last training session, Louis leaned toward Priam. "Priam?" he whispered. "Hmm?" "Do you have any news about Mirscella?" Priam grimaced. The thief had started her Tribulations several days ago. "Still nothing. The fluctuations of the Tribulations have almost disappeared, but she remains asleep." "... I see. She must be consolidating her gains." "Let¡¯s trust her." An hour later, Priam found himself alone on the terrace, gazing at the crimson horizon, gearing up to make a pivotal choice. Though he wished for more data to make an informed decision, he understood that waiting was a gamble he couldn''t afford. The corrupted were growing in strength, and his rivals were keeping pace. With the arrival of the locals, it was high time to kick things up a notch. Summoning his system, he carefully reviewed his options one last time. [Royal Path - Gold] - Royal Empyrean''s racial talent. Your will passively guides aether, manipulating probabilities to achieve your goals. [MKX Flair - Gold] - MKX Arkanian''s racial talent. Your animal instinct is highly developed. [Soul Duality - Gold] - High Duatian''s racial talent. Your soul is linked to your body. The degeneration of your physical envelope leads to that of your soul. "I want to keep [High Human Adaptation] as the foundation of my Talent. Its synergy with [He Who Eludes Death] is too good to ignore," Priam voiced his thoughts. "If I choose to fuse it with [Royal Path]: Adaptation plus probabilities equals..." Priam pondered the possibilities. The new Talent could boost his odds with every death as long as he stuck to the same objective. Powerful, yet Priam was not a fan of leaving his destiny in the hands of something as capricious as luck. Moreover, diluting the adaptation of his race might not be the wisest move. "Not this one," murmured Priam before considering the next option. "[MKX Flair] would adapt my instincts against my adversaries. It''s powerful in theory, but any foe I can''t overcome without it will find a workaround. That leaves [Soul Duality]..." Osiris had shared details about his racial Talent. According to the child, it allowed one to sense their soul. For someone incapable of resurrection, it was an excellent means to acquire and enhance Domain. Some consequences might seem negative at first glance, but it was all a matter of perspective. Body damage reflected on the soul, and vice versa. Cultivating the body equaled cultivating the soul. Moreover, the term ''physical envelope'' was broad. Seth had transferred his soul to a Tier 3 skull using necromancy. Priam and Kazuki had thought that death was driving him mad, but it wasn''t true. The exceptional constitution of the skull reinforced his soul, enabling him to resist the influence of the Necromoon. For someone incapable of aging and with a body that regenerated daily, the Talent was exceptional, not to mention its synergy with Priam''s first racial Talent. Fusion of [High Human Adaptation] and [Soul Duality]... ¡­ First racial Talent unlocked! [Homo Elysian Obsession - Legendary] - The body and soul of the Homo Elysian are closely entwined. From this intimate connection arises a primal desire: survival. In trials and suffering, you grow, transcending your limits. Legend has it that a Homo Elysian can even adapt to death... Fusion of [Royal Path] and [MKX Flair]... ¡­ Second racial Talent unlocked! [Homo Elysian Predation - Legendary] - Your will manipulates the instincts of your enemies to facilitate your designs. Your instinct has a minor chance of hearing the whispers of the aether. The world hunts alongside the Homo Elysian. Priam felt his soul gleam before pulsing. The connection between the material and the spiritual had strengthened. The sensation filled him with joy, as if he had just rediscovered something precious that had been denied to him all along. The boundary between mortal and immortal had just crumbled. His memory flashed with an image of a famous painting, "The Creation of Adam," where God and the first man reached out to each other. Right now, his soul embraced his body. Priam felt his draconic heart throbbing forcefully, sending torrents of energy into his arteries, nurturing both physical and spiritual form. His Domain detected changes. His human heart was now adorned with a silver halo, representing his obsession. Meanwhile, his draconic heart was surrounded by a golden halo symbolizing his predation. The Homo Elysian was ready. All that remained was to choose the attribute to evolve and to advance his Concepts. For that, nothing beats a good old-fashioned battle. The System seemed to concur. Event: Necromoon Champions of the Sun. Earn the maximum Sun points. Timer: 1 hour. Reward (Tier 0): First place: Blueprint - Holy Guardian (Sun Wyrm Egg) Second place: Blueprint - Holy Guardian (Moon Wyrm Egg) Third place: Automatic Resurrection (Body&Soul) Priam flashed a smile as he observed the infinite horde of revenants swarming in the distance. "I hope you''ll join in, too, Arnold¡­" A pair of fiery wings emerged from his back, and Priam took flight. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 464 Constitution 827 Agility 470 Vitality 749 Perception 683 MENTAL: Vivacity 416 Dexterity 508 Memory 313 Willpower 858 Charisma 554 META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 342 Meta-endurance 262 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 24 Potential: 2246 Tier 0 Sun points: 4010 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 16 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 900 Chapter 183: When a Concept Hatches Priam grimaced as the rays of the Necromoon touched his skin. Leaving behind the protection of Log-a-rhythm, he was swiftly flying away. The event¡¯s rewards were tempting, but Priam refused to jeopardize his loved ones. Zooming through the skies, Priam replaced his mist cloak with flames and activated his scales. Their protection cost him no aether and partially blocked the crimson light of the malevolent satellite. The relief made him sigh with contentment. Priam''s willpower and constitution were too high for mere exposure to necro light to pose a danger, but the lunar caress was degrading. Just as he would refuse to dive into a pool of excrement, even if his vitality guaranteed good health, Priam abhorred the bloody rays of the moon. It sought to violate his soul, manipulating his consciousness, and that was unbearable. A deathly silence caught his attention. Below him, hills and valleys were covered with trees and rivers. Every plant seemed to be a haunt of the corrupted. As far as Priam could see, hundreds of thousands of glowing eyes fixated on him. Suddenly, one of the revenants screamed, triggering a chain reaction. The shattered silence faded with the arrival of the dreadful clamor. Priam looked back, confirming that Log-a-rhythm had disappeared behind a chain of tall hills. I''m far enough, he decided, coming to a halt. A louder cry than the others echoed, restoring silence. Priam summoned Promesse upon spotting a familiar Tier 2 in the distance. At the end of the valley, the necrowolf observed him from a promontory. The beast that had swiftly decapitated him a few days earlier had not forgotten their meeting. Nor had Priam. Smirking, the Homo Elysian weighed his spear as his system provided a trajectory capable of hitting the animal. Arming his weapon, Priam focused on his connection with Promesse and used Micro to guide [Spear Throw]. When his will resonated with his linked weapon, Priam arched his body. The force came from his pelvis, traveled up his back to his shoulder, and then exploded in his arm. Half a dozen muscles overstrained as Priam''s back turned into a bow and his arm into a whip. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 19 DEXT +3 [Kinetic Control] boosted the attack as Promesse left Priam''s Domain. The characteristic thunder of the broken sound barrier echoed in the valley. The spear disappeared. Priam activated [Three-headed Hydra], regenerating the half-dozen muscles that had exploded upon the launch. Simultaneously, he observed the necrowolf. Promesse reappeared a few meters from the target. Just as Priam feared the creature would dodge, he felt [Homo Elysian Predation] activate. The corrupted wolf thought it could tank the attack head-on. It was a mistake. For the second time in its existence, the creature''s instinct had betrayed it. Three kilometers from Priam, the forest trembled. A shockwave lifted a dust dome, briefly pierced by a spear rejoining its master. Priam grimaced, noting the absence of Sun points. The attack had hit, but he was still too weak to one-shot a Tier 2. Soon... The dust cloud parted, revealing his adversary amidst uprooted trees. The necrowolf''s skull had split open, exposing a broken spine. Priam flashed a mocking smile. "I''m here; come get me," he taunted. The beast didn''t dare, disappearing into the forest. At Tier 2, the corrupted weren''t entirely stupid. Priam knew it would return with reinforcements. In the meantime, let''s accumulate some easy points. His hearts pulsed, sending a wave of energy throughout his body. His soul illuminated before resonating with the flame symbolizing his Fire Concept. Surveying the tide of corrupted, Priam smiled. A lone man soared high above the valley. Like a star defying the Necromoon, his flames infuriated millions of powerless corrupted below. Summoning a fireball, Priam hurled it into the horde writhing beneath him. The explosion shattered the silence and the status quo. Roaring, hundreds of skeletal creatures took flight. Deathsquitos, bats, raptors, birds, and various necromantic creatures rushed towards him. Laughing, Priam summoned a fiery wave that intercepted the assault. The overheated air wiped out the Tier 0s while the flames ravaged the Tier 1s. Only a dozen corrupted survived the devastation. On his part, Priam had not yet depleted his resources; his Fire Concept manipulated the ambient aether. As the last flying Tier 1s approached, [Priam''s System] transformed his cloak into a protective coiling snake. In a fraction of a second, its volume multiplied as it stretched out to devour the survivors. Priam had no need for an elemental as long as he had his system. [Temporary Boost: 237 Corrupted (T0 - common) defeated (PHY +23.7%). 17 Corrupted (T1 - common) defeated (PHY +17% MENT +17%). Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s Aether Reserve: 262/262] Feeling his attributes increase under the effects of Conquest, Priam decided to kick it up a notch. He had about fifty-eight minutes left to accumulate as many points as possible. With a defiant glint in his eyes, Priam decided to show his rivals what he was capable of. Honestly, he wanted to prove it to himself. A portal opened beneath his feet, leading to the Fire Domain. The infinite fire burning there responded to the call of the Fire Champion. Following his will, a cascade of flames began to fall towards the ground five hundred meters below. The blazing deluge would destroy everything in its path, consuming the corrupted to fuel its rage. The snowballing ability of fire was its main advantage, but Priam wanted more. Releasing his Conquest Aura, he merged it with the conflagration. Like a king finally crowned, the fire crackled, its flames shining with a silvery brilliance. When the fiery avalanche touched the ground, the valley trembled. Both trees and undead turned into torches before being consumed. Their resistance to fire seemed negative. Priam smiled, feeling his Aura decrease before filling up again. Fire and Conquest were two forces that consumed everything in their path, feeding on this destruction. Bodies, minds, and curses were crushed, annihilated, and transformed into energy. Observing the massacre, Priam quickly realized that the number of Tier 0s mattered little against his Concept. His build was perfect for dealing with a multitude of weak opponents. Let''s see if Arnold can do better. In the following minutes, like the pyroclastic eruption of a volcano, the cataclysm spread across the valley, devouring undeads, trees, earth, and air. Nothing seemed able to resist Priam as his attributes skyrocketed. [Temporary Boost: 7 563 Corrupted (T0 - common) defeated (PHY +268%). 548 Corrupted (T1 - common) defeated (PHY +232% MENT +250%). Temporary maximum attributes reached. Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s Aether Reserve: 262/262] Only the sight of the trees ravaged by flames somewhat dampened his enthusiasm. Despite his personality being influenced by Conquest, Priam did not appreciate seeing the forest go up in ashes. However, he had no choice: it was better than having plants corrupted by the Necromoon. With the extreme aether density, there''s hope that everything will grow back within a few weeks. Suddenly, the protective snake expanded, biting into thin air twenty meters from Priam. Caught in its fangs, ¨¨ve appeared. Leaving the Divine Realm, ¨¨ve sighed with relief. She hated feeling Sumstreh scrutinize her soul for any vulnerability. Fortunately, the fallen god had once again failed to pierce her spiritual protection. After leaving Priam''s base, ¨¨ve had been ordered to monitor the other rivals. That had been her job until a few minutes ago when the new event was announced. Seeing Sumstreh curse the System and the Necromoon, ¨¨ve had felt a certain schadenfreude. Such quests urged the ambitious to hunt, potentially revealing the Fallen''s location. With the arrival of the tribes, they feared even recalling Priam despite the failure of their divine mark. ¨¨ve had been tasked with delivering orders to her rival. Arriving on the surface, ¨¨ve headed towards the First. Gliding a few inches above the ash carpet, she glanced at the few shoots already reaching for the sky. The aether density in Elysium was so high that even the most ordinary trees grew rapidly. In a few weeks, the forest would reclaim its rights, erasing all traces of the confrontation between the First and the rabhorns. The few corrupted wandering among the ashes didn''t notice her for a moment. The consequence of one of ¨¨ve''s best skills, [Insidious Scotomization - Legendary]. Once affected, the subject developed a powerful denial regarding ¨¨ve. Her appearance, position, and existence were ignored. Even their memory was tampered. Recently, she had used it against Kazuki, manipulating an illusion during their duel while her real body was hidden among the hoplites. A terrifying power that had little hold on Sumstreh. A few minutes later, ¨¨ve reached the top of a rise. The orange clouds coloring the sky indicated that the First was not far. "Holy..." ¨¨ve widened her eyes, seeing the valley in front of her. Millions of corrupted screamed as they moved towards a cyclopean cascade of flames. Every second, dozens of undeads entered a conquering fire. Despite the number of revenants, the corrupted legion seemed unable to stop the spread of the fire or even endanger its creator. Priam Azura seemed the incarnation of an enraged angel. Levitating half a kilometer high, he dealt divine punishment to the helpless impious. One could say many things about the First, but he knew how to smite his enemies. ¨¨ve frowned, probing the inferno. Something had been added to it. Ordinarily, [Insidious Scotomization] should have allowed ¨¨ve to be ignored by the Fire Concept, but this fire was different. Was it really the work of a puppet loyal to Sumstreh? Glancing towards the Fire Champion, ¨¨ve decided to send an illusion to communicate. Sumstreh had received no information from his divine mark since its installation, and they worried. The Fallen was almost sure that the Necromoon''s influence disrupted the information''s return, but there was a slim chance that the First had freed himself. If that were the case, Eve didn''t want to die. A spectral swallow flew towards the fiery silhouette. Less than fifteen meters from the Champion, he spotted the bird. Seeing the snake coil to destroy her creation, ¨¨ve turned it into a humanoid copy. Her eyes met those of her rival, who held back his hand. "¨¨ve," Priam said. "I thought it was an enemy." "So, we''re not enemies?" ¨¨ve smiled. "We serve the same god," Priam replied as the snake released her. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "How did you spot my illusion?" "Instinct." An unsatisfactory answer if ever there was one. "... I have instructions for you. From our master." The word disgusted ¨¨ve. "I''m listening." "You must become a Prince and save five million points. The Sun Shop has an item he''s interested in." ¨¨ve was aware of the ridiculousness of the request. Five million Sun points were the equivalent of five million basic corrupted. Only stopping to sleep and eat, the First would have to spend a hundred days killing a revenant per second to achieve it. It was possible in theory, but not in practice. The Necromoon continuously reinforced the corrupted, and not all of them were Tier 0s. In a few weeks, the majority would be Tier 1, and Tier 3s would become commonplace. "Very well," Priam replied, tilting his head. "However, it might take some time. With his power, our master could certainly finish it faster." ¨¨ve frowned before understanding her rival¡¯s confusion. "You¡¯re wrong. Sun points are awarded based on the user''s Tier. A Tier 1 gains zero points by killing a Tier 0 corrupted." The System wouldn''t let a Tier 4 get mythical rewards easily. "I''ll handle it," Priam replied. "What item should I buy?" "I don''t know yet," she shrugged. Sumstreh was suspicious of her. Just as she was of the First. Let''s see if you''re still there... "By the way, your sphinx friend is still alive. Our master is trying to awaken her potential. If a tiny part of you still exists, it can rest easy." Priam''s misty eyes revealed nothing. After another failure, ¨¨ve''s instinct whispered that nothing remained of her rival. "What a shame... How many Sun points do you have?" "Thirty-two thousand." "The blueprint for [Grand Fire Resistance - Rare] costs thirty thousand points. Buy it for me," ¨¨ve asked, looking at the cataclysm below. During their conversation, Priam''s Concept had continued to eradicate the horde. If Sumstreh ever sent Priam after her, ¨¨ve refused to die without resisting. A ruby appeared in Priam''s hand, and he tossed it to her. ¡°Perfect. Oh, I almost forgot: the Divine Realm is off-limits. Our master does not wish to alert the Tribes.¡± Without a last glance at Priam, ¨¨ve broke it. The insane influx of information cut the link between her and her illusion. Several kilometers away, ¨¨ve opened her eyes and grimaced at the rising heat. Without a final glance, she turned around. There was much left to do. Lvl Up : [True Will] lvl 3 WILL +18 CHAR +9 This bitch¡­ Priam gritted his teeth as he watched ¨¨ve vanish, taking almost all of his points with her. He had complied to avoid putting Sphinx in danger. Using Micro, the Champion channeled his anger. It wasn''t worth getting upset over a future corpse. Shifting his gaze back to the burning horde, Priam let his system continue its search. During the discussion, the add-on had attempted to pinpoint ¨¨ve''s location. [Aether Perception], enhanced by Conquest, his Fire Concept, his Aura, and even his instinct had all failed. Fortunately, the System provided a clue. Or nearly. Priam had gained a level in his sole Legendary resistance: ¨¨ve was using a mental block to keep him ignorant. She had undoubtedly timed the conversation to prevent [High Human Adaptation] from developing a resistance. Too bad for her, Priam had evolved since their last encounter. The add-on paused its investigations after a few minutes. Priam didn''t want to lose focus on the main goal. For now, the priority was to finish first. How many corrupted would Arnold defeat? Ten thousand? Fifty thousand? I''ll do better. Redirecting all his attention to the infinite horde, Priam resumed his massacre. Blades of fire incinerated more and more skeletons. Priam, standing alone against the necro legion, advanced. Once again, he realized that in this new world, power was the only path to freedom. Minutes passed as the timer dwindled. With each moment, the incandescent islet gained ground over the sea of corrupted. Focused, Priam and his system dominated the flames, targeting the fleeing and dodging the watercourses. Ten minutes before the event''s end, ten Tier 2 corrupted led by a perfectly healthy necrowolf appeared. Riding the wolf, a cloaked silhouette raised its hand. Instantly, all the corrupted in the valley froze. After nearly a hundred thousand deaths, the big boss appeared. Priam''s misty gaze met the bloody eyes of the opposing leader. As his flames continued to engulf dozens of corrupted every second, Priam had a bad feeling as he saw the creature lower its hand. The horde descended into madness. The undead began eliminating each other, to Priam''s astonished gaze. What in the world¡ª Reality¡¯s fabric trembled behind the corrupted leader. A crimson sigil appeared in the sky. Measuring about twenty meters in diameter, it gained brilliance as the corrupted slaughtered each other. [Estimated completion of the sigil: 100,000 sacrifices.] Seeing the Tier 2s content to watch, Priam understood they intended to let the rune and its effect defeat him. Despite his curiosity about the massive ritual, Priam knew he had to thwart their plan. With a mental command, Priam directed the wave of fire toward his enemies. Three kilometers away, the Tier 2s took defensive positions. Priam ordered his system to snipe the creatures. One, two, three... Fifty fireballs, each the size of a house, appeared around Priam. Catapulted, they descended one by one upon the enemy. The ensuing explosions shook the valley. Priam squinted as he observed the result of his artillery barrage. A second later, the retaliation came. The flame cloud parted, allowing black javelins to pass through. Propelled at three times the speed of sound, they would reach their target in less than three seconds. [Priam¡¯s System] summoned an ice wall that shattered, forcing Priam to merge with his flames. Deflecting an attack from a Tier 2 wasn''t so easily achievable. Reappearing three meters away, Priam summoned Promesse and infused it with a portion of his Aura. Using his new physical attributes, he hurled it with all his might. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 20, 21 DEXT +6 [Spear Throw] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Long Shot] - Your enemies die without even spotting you. POT -30 [Sniper] - Your shots elude your enemies'' instincts. POT -30 [Bullet eye] - A fly at a kilometer? No problem. POT -30 You have selected [Sniper]. POT -30 After selecting a bonus that synergized with his new Racial Talent, Priam smiled as he saw Promesse hit the porcupine behind the retaliation. With six times his ordinary physical attributes, the attack was as spectacular as it was fatal. The necromantic creature exploded in a cloud of blood and bone dust. Headshot. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - Baron) - Sun points +1 000 "Both qualities multiply," Priam theorized, looking at the earned points. As Priam was recalling Promesse, the necromantic leader snapped his fingers. The next moment, a dark veil concealed the enemies. Without a firing line, Priam could no longer target them. The leader is competent. Priam hesitated on the next move. Should he confront the Tier 2s or settle for the small fry? Despite the exhilaration of dominating a horde of corrupted alone, Priam felt mental fatigue accumulating. His Conquest Aura would eventually dissipate, depriving the inferno of much of its lethality. Glancing at his HUD, Priam saw less than ten minutes left on the event timer. His system indicated that the bloody sigil would activate before the end. The leader wouldn''t let him off easy. Sighing, Priam urged the Fire Concept to assail the Tier 2s. Advancing rapidly, the wall of flames and ashes engulfed thousands of undead on its path. Less than five minutes before the timer''s end, the first wave of flames licked the dark dome protecting the leaders and the sigil. A second crashed against the barrier, making it tremble. Wave after wave, Priam directed his wrath against the corrupted. In vain. The blaze besieged the artificial rampart for about ten seconds before Priam accepted his powerlessness. The dome, a black island lost in an infernal ocean, seemed weak but would hold until the sigil activated. Determined to stop it, Priam stared at the black dome, hesitating. Should he use his Breath? His ultimate attack could certainly destroy the protection but would leave him defenseless afterward. Against a dozen corrupted Tier 2s, with no Breath, Aura or aether, his chances were slim. Which left only one solution. Opening his Merits, Priam selected the Phoenix tree. As the Phoenix had predicted, the ideal upgrade to his fire resistance had changed his Merit. Trees of Merit [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Hardly Hatched, already a Fire Champion. As such, you know how restricted Fire is. The Seven Concepts have imprisoned its potential in a shell. Let it hatch. 9 Unused Merit Points. Could there be more to the Fire Concept than Priam was able to access? If so, he wanted it. [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: ACQUIRED [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 3: Leaving behind the fragments of a broken eggshell, you near the cliff. The ground is far away, but Pyro is building up in your wings... 8 Unused Merit Points. The flame illuminating Priam''s soul transformed into an egg and he was seized by the beauty of the primordial runes inscribed on it. Suddenly, the Merit summoned a divine flow that bathed the egg, revealing to the Fire Champion an eternal chain locking it. Do you wish to unleash Fire? Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 464 Constitution 827 Agility 470 Vitality 749 Perception 683 MENTAL: Vivacity 416 Dexterity 517 (+9) Memory 313 Willpower 883 (+25) Charisma 570 (+16) META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 342 Meta-endurance 262 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 24 Potential: 2223 (-21) Tier 0 Sun points: 96752 (+92742) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 16 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 900 Chapter 184: Requiem for a Life Do you wish to unleash Fire? "Yes!" Responding to Priam''s will, the chain oppressing the egg shattered. The Concept hibernating inside must have eagerly awaited this moment as the shell began to glow. The chrysalis quivered like a Pok¨¦ball before exploding. A torrent of flames engulfed Priam''s soul space. Full of fury, they crashed against his soul and Sumstreh¡¯s divine mark. Fearful that the Concept might destroy the tampered structure, thus alerting the Fallen, Priam attempted to tame it¡ªwithout success. He sighed with relief as the divine threads making up the mark trembled before stabilizing. Despite all its power, this new fire wasn''t yet capable of bending the work of an ancient god. Enraged by its failure, the fiery onslaught continued towards the limits of the soul space. The boundary was materialized by a protective sphere, the spiritual seat of Priam''s Domain. The brutal charge of fire struck the Supremacy from within, causing it to swell. Priam screamed in pain as he felt the orb expand under the pressure. Simultaneously, his new racial Talent reflected the damage to his body; some cells boiled, others exploded. Priam spat blood as [Tenacious Spirit] took over his damaged brain. A few seconds later, the spiritual flames receded like the tide, leaving the protection of his soul space in a sorry state. Such damage could lead to ego erosion and the onset of madness. [Homo Elysian Obsession] transformed that by linking body and soul. Priam''s vitality, boosted by his temporary attributes, surpassed four thousand. In seconds, his physical wounds healed, mending his soul in the process. Wiping blood from his mouth, Priam was surprised to find that the radius of his Domain had doubled, multiplying its volume by eight. The use of the Supremacy had become second nature over time. Thanks to it, Priam perceived every breeze, every temperature gradient, and could use any skill outside his body. A two-meter radius sphere of authority was nice, but perhaps it was possible to further increase its volume? The expansion of Priam''s Domain was directly linked to the growth of his soul space. The explosion of his new Concept had enlarged the authority bubble surrounding his soul. Thanks to [Homo Elysian Obsession], the sphere had adapted to his new volume. Theoretically, I could increase the size of my soul space without purifying my soul. The last thing Priam needed was for the System to declare his soul apocryphal. He wasn''t arrogant enough to think he could survive if the System put a bounty on his head. Noticing the boost received, Priam decided to convince his friends to change their race. His racial Talents were even more exceptional than he had imagined. The Duatians could also enhance their Domain, but [Soul Duality] offered no specific adaptation. Moreover, soul wounds were harder to heal than physical ones. Priam could heal his body thanks to his terrifying vitality, but Duatians did not have access to such a capability. If even a scar remained on the body, the soul would be scarred. There came the point where, tired, the soul refused to heal, thus preventing the body from regenerating completely. Duatians had developed biomancy and necromancy to overcome these issues but never managed to eliminate them entirely. Fortunately for Priam, he had [He Who Eludes Death]. [Timer - completion of the summoning in 1 min 34 s] Brought back to reality by his system, Priam focused on his new Concept. It had replaced the Fire Concept and orbited around his soul. The spark had such an intense aura that it seemed capable of producing plasma. Fire evolves into Pyro! [Pyro - Concept] - The fragment of a shattered Concept from an eighth throne Candidate. Let the failure of its creator be your stepping stone. You still master the Fire Concept. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Pyro and manipulate it. Natural Affinity: 60%. Priam remained momentarily bewildered reading the name of his Concept. Pyro meant fire in ancient Greek. It was obviously a translation by the System, but in fantasy culture, pyromancy was the magic of fire. Pyro was a magical fire. "As for what kind of magic we''re talking about..." Priam surveyed the battlefield. The dark island protecting the Tier 2s and the sigil continued to resist his assault. Outside the sea of flames, the corrupted horde continued to kill each other. A few flying undeads still attacked him, but his add-on had his back. It was time to test his new Concept. Priam injected Pyro into his flames, which turned pure white. The horde paused momentarily, sensing the belligerent Concept''s presence. The waves of fire crashing against the dark dome froze before redoubling in intensity. The impact sent incandescent sprays into the air that never came back down. Priam widened his eyes at the phenomenon: the air was burning. Sharing Pyro''s perception, Priam noticed that his flames were no longer consuming just flesh, wood, and bones but also the earth and even water. This should have been impossible: fire was rapid oxidation, and the two hydrogens of a water molecule were already bound to the oxygen atom. The hydrogen being oxidized, water had already burned. Clearly, the laws of chemistry did not stop Pyro. All Tier 1 Concepts have a particularity, Priam recalled. Mist could conceal his presence, and Pyro could burn any material. Understanding how was undoubtedly necessary to advance his mastery of the Concept, but a glance at the timer confirmed that it was not the time. Priam applied his will to his flames, urging them to quickly devour the Tier 2 fortress. A few seconds later, the dark dome began to crack before collapsing. An infernal sky descended upon the Tier 2s. Skills were cast, delaying the cataclysm. Recalling the flames that had developed by consuming the horde, Priam threw all his strength into the battle. Pyro, enhanced by a sea of fire and his Conquest Aura, crushed the resistance of the Tier 2s. Engulfed by the deluge of flames, chained by their ritual, the corrupted officers succumbed one after another. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - Baron) - Sun points +1 000 ¡­ Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - Viscount) - Sun points +10 000 Just as a hint of a smile appeared on Priam''s face, he saw it: the sigil was glowing. "... Fuck." Like a pierced canvas, a bloody portal pierced reality. A bloody intent descended on the valley, knotting Priam''s stomach. From the opening emerged the skull of a giant skeleton. It was difficult to gauge the size of its whole body, but its mouth was huge enough to swallow a human in one bite. The creature began to contort to step in Elysium, and Priam braced himself. Despite the terrifying presence emanating from the corrupted, he had no intention of backing down. [Identification] [Necro Giant - Tier 3 - Corrupted - Viscount] - A corrupted giant native to the Necro-verse. Even as a simple legionnaire of the Necro army, this soldier is dangerous. Corruption: Stage 3 - Necro Court Viscount (currently weakened). Beware of contamination. Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 13 MEM +1 Some sort of purple smoke clung to the skeleton''s bones, licking the air. Its eye sockets were glowing with an unholy gleam. The nightmarish appearance of the Necromoon¡¯s servant was tainting the world. Clenching his teeth, Priam summoned back his flames around him, as if to warm himself. A fireball as tall as a twenty-story building condensed around him. The legionnaire''s attention was drawn to the light, and a spasm of terror shook Priam. Lvl Up : [True Will] lvl 4 WILL +18 CHAR +9 [Tribulation]: One attribute above 900 was detected in Tier 0. Three Tribulations are coming. Time: 166 days 16 hours 1 minute 12 seconds. The hex evoking a supernatural fear in Priam broke. Trembling with anger, he clenched his jaw so hard that some teeth shattered. Priam could accept losing but not being ridiculed. "I won''t run," he murmured, as much for himself as for the world. Priam was pragmatic but also proud. [He Who Eludes Death] was primed, and he had a considerable margin before his Tribulations became deadly. In victory as in defeat, this battle would increase his power. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Suppressing his emotions, Priam focused on the fight. Arming Promesse, he aimed for the giant''s vertebrae, hoping to decapitate it. His motionless opponent seemed more interested in the Necromoon than in him. Might as well capitalize on it. Over a kilometer away, Priam sniped the monster. His spear, boosted by his attributes and a colossal amount of kinetic energy, hit the opponent''s neck, making it stagger. Priam winced as he noted that the purple smoke clinging to the creature had absorbed most of the kinetic energy. Even so, its constitution is above five thousand. The attack drew the giant''s attention. It leaped, creating a crater where it stood. Seeing the colossal mass approaching, Priam fused with his flames. The giant''s hand pierced his nova without touching the Fire Champion. The next moment, the world of flame trembled before exploding, ejecting Priam''s body. The light of the Necromoon bathed the valley, preventing the Unity between the Fire Champion and his Concept. Surprised, Priam did not have time to react to the ivory fist that hit him. Like a comet, Priam crashed violently on the slope of a hill bordering the valley. Only his constitution increased by Conquest saved him. Opening an eye to watch the skeleton, Priam let out a groan of pain. According to Micro, his human heart had exploded, pierced by half a dozen rib fragments. His chest was in a sorry state, and his spinal cord was severed. Without Micro, Priam would have been paralyzed. The pain increased as his vitality regenerated his body, trapping the bone fragments in his organs. Clenching his teeth, Priam overclocked his muscles to sit up. He would have preferred to operate himself to restore his body, but the approaching necro legionnaire deprived him of that solution. Using Promesse as a crutch, Priam limped toward the giant. The latter''s gait seemed confident, indicating an intellect superior to a mere zombie. Priam intended to make him regret his attitude. With a thought, he recalled the huge fireball still hovering above the valley. Simultaneously, he opened his mouth and inhaled. The ambient aether trembled before rushing into his spiritual lung. The giant lost its assurance and accelerated. Apparently, respect for dragons was multiversal. The nova and the skeleton arrived at the same time. The former rushed into Priam''s throat, charged with Pyro and Conquest. The latter closed its hand on the Homo Elysian and pressed. [Kinetic Control] failed to immobilize the giant, the authority of the skill finding no grip on the giant''s aura. As his shoulders dislocated under pressure and his organs exploded, Priam changed targets. Applying [Kinetic Control] to himself, he turned his body into a statue to withstand the squeezing. His meridians groaned under the amount of energy he absorbed every second. His skill and constitution struggled to keep him alive. Suddenly, the giant''s bones turned crimson as the legionnaire turned serious. The next instant, the pressure increased tenfold. One of Priam¡¯s main meridians gave way under the aether flow. In a gory explosion, his torso exploded. His spiritual lung destabilized before bursting, releasing the entirety of the Breath. The skeleton screamed first in rage and then in pain. Dishnu squinted as a second dawn rose over the valley. A nova vaporized part of the Necromoon''s servant before illuminating the valley. A thousand corrupted were freed from their chains as the entire side of a hill caught fire. The Guardian of the Forest looked at the flames sadly. How many thousands, tens of thousands of peaceful plants had perished since the beginning of this cataclysmic battle? Too many. This world, like many others, was based on a fragile ecosystem, but most of his rivals were blind to it. Even the First, despite his connection to one of them, was blind to this reality. However, the Necromoon and its minions were worse; a plague that had to be fought with all his might. Seeing the giant stagger and then fall to its knees, Dishnu decided to seize the opportunity offered by his rival. Already, the sepulchral light of the Necromoon began to regenerate the missing skull of the giant. Invoking the blessing of the forest, Dishnu leaped. Mirscella¡¯s Tribulation. "Here, my dear. Happy birthday!" The doll was beautiful, but that was insignificant compared to the rest. Her mother''s genuine smile and tender gaze almost brought a tear to Mirscella''s eye. She knew this reality was a fa?ade, yet the woman''s love felt so palpable. For someone who had lost her parents at a tender age, this vision was a blessing. Clutching the doll close, Mirscella¡¯s eyes searched for an escape route, a way to triumph over the Tribulation. A part of her couldn''t help but return a smile to her mother. At thirteen, Mirscella''s routine involved pilfering to quell her hunger. She remembered having to evade the Soviet police. In this dream, hunger was a distant memory as she was mastering the violin. Discovering a true talent for music, she used it as a vessel to express her emotions. Several months into her Tribulation, Mirscella performed before a crowd at an end-of-year ball. Her performance was met with warm applause. Mirscella bowed, a smile on her lips. She had played exceptionally well, and her healthy brain hadn''t betrayed her. Parkinson''s was a distant memory, allowing her fingers to dance to the music she had composed for her parents from another life. At the age of nineteen, she crossed paths with Andr¨¦ once again. The passionate young man dedicated himself to animal shelters, and Mirscella didn¡¯t need to stab him for a loaf of bread. His brilliant personality, sincere smile, and generous ideas soon captivated her heart. Restaurant lunches, romantic strolls, and idyllic getaways¡ªMirscella let herself be wooed. Her studies were meaningful, her family loving and her friends charming. The trap of the Tribulation was closing in, and she knew it. Yet, Mirscella finally felt alive. Hearing the cry of the newborn, Mirscella let her tears flow. The former thief wouldn''t have allowed such displays of weakness, but a mother was entitled to it. Since her marriage to Andr¨¦, time passed at a normal speed. If before the world had the properties of a dream, now it seemed more like a reality. Was it still an illusion? The taste of food was real, the music made her heart beat, and Andr¨¦''s love was warm. In her arms, her daughter''s two dark eyes sparkled. Mirscella was convinced that everyone possessed a soul in this alternate reality. Swimming in bliss, the young woman wondered if this world was a way for the Concepts to apologize. Another cry echoed, and Mirscella forgot her questions. "You''ve got it in your blood, Mom!" exclaimed Katarina, landing on the ground. The teenager had developed a passion for martial arts, and Mirscella decided to train with her. "... In another life, I was a thief," winked Mirscella. Amused, Katarina burst into laughter. "Besides stealing Dad''s heart, you''re more used to giving. Or were you some kind of Robin Hood?" Mirscella smiled. "I was too afraid to be generous. When all you have is money, it''s hard to part with it. Today, with you and your father, I thank life by giving back." Katarina returned her smile. "You could be super generous by buying me an outfit for the upcoming ball, do you know?" Amused, Mirscella rolled her eyes. "I''ll go dry off," announced Mirscella as she got out of the water. The joyful cries of her grandchildren drowned out Andr¨¦''s response, but her husband''s smile told her everything she needed to know: ''Go rest, my dear; I''ve got the little monsters.'' Wrapping herself in a beach towel, Mirscella smiled, watching her family play in the water. At sixty, life was still gentle with her. She had worked honestly and seized fulfilling professional opportunities. Now, she was surrounded by a happy family that discussed every problem without yelling. Mirscella was proud that her children confided in her willingly and even prouder of her relationship with Andr¨¦. Grabbing a pen, Mirscella smiled. Her body had also escaped the shadow of disease. The former thief didn''t possess supernatural powers, but she didn''t need them to be happy and fulfilled. Opening her bag, Mirscella glimpsed the gleaming blade of a dagger. Instinctively, she knew she was presented with a choice. All she had to do was grasp it to exit her Tribulation. A thin smile on her lips, Mirscella pushed the dagger away to retrieve a diary. "Sorry. I hope you''ll forgive me, but it''s my decision." Mirscella Tsevskaya sat on the pebbles, opened her diary, and began composing a melody. "Requiem for a Life." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 464 Constitution 827 Agility 470 Vitality 749 Perception 683 MENTAL: Vivacity 416 Dexterity 517 Memory 314 (+1) Willpower 909 (+26) Charisma 585 (+15) META: Meta-affinity 415 Meta-focus 342 Meta-endurance 262 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 24 Potential: 2228 (+5) Tier 0 Sun points: 112 464 (+15 712) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 15 hours 29 minutes 46 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 16 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 185: Sun Steel Body In the void that cradled his soul before each resurrection, Priam grimaced. He had felt it wither as his body exploded. [Tenacious Spirit] hadn''t even had time to activate before his soul flickered out. [Homo Elysian Obsession] had its perks, but that was its major drawback. When his body took damage, so did his soul. "I wonder if I can fix this," Priam''s soul murmured before assessing his gains. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 19 Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: STR +15 CONST +11 META(END) +13 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +3% (63%) Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 20 VIT +1 [Hemorrhage Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, two upgrades are available: [Hemorrhage Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Hemorrhage Resilience - Rare] - You''ve endured numerous internal and external hemorrhages. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 Not even a high upgrade? No way. ...Decision postponed. Lvl Up: [Perforation Resistance] lvl 20 CONST +1 [Perforation Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Perforation Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Perforation Resilience - Rare] - Various weapons and magical attacks have pierced you. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Kevlar Tissue - Rare] - Your organs have all been simultaneously penetrated by shards of your own bones. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Kevlar Tissue - Rare]. POT -20 [Kevlar Tissue] - To better withstand perforation and penetration, the tissues of your organism evolve. The establishment of a new molecular structure, along with the strategic rearrangement of fibers in your body, allows them to gain flexibility. You don¡¯t fear bullets; bullets fear you. CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 40 META (END) +3 [Erosion Resistance] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Erosion Resistance - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Strong Meridians - Epic] - Your meridians have been damaged and regenerated many times. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 [Meridians Resilience - Epic] - You''ve blown up one of your main meridians and are still alive. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 It''s a resistance too important to miss out on an ideal upgrade. ...Decision postponed. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 17, 18 PERC +2 DEXT +4 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 2 MEM +3 VIVA +3 META(Authority) + 3 Lvl Up: [Necro Resistance] lvl 6, 7, 8 VIT +9 WILL +9 META(END) +9 Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 19 WILL +3 [Star Iron Body - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met: - Plunge into a chaotic space - Draconic Scales - Homo Elysian Obsession - Pyro Concept - Crushed by a Tier 3 Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Sun Steel Body - Epic] - Steel forged in the heart of a shining sun once reinforced the scales of a young dragon. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320 I wonder how normal people manage to unlock ideal upgrades... I guess they die trying. You have selected the skill [Sun Steel Body - Epic]. POT -320 [Sun Steel Body - Epic] - Crushed by dimensional currents, crushed by a giant, your scales mixed with your flesh. The heat from Pyro melted them, and your legendary Obsession integrated them into your body. Its aethereal structure evolves to forge an ideal material. Your physique passively shares the resistance of your scales. Improving one improves the other. This resistance should tip the scales in your favor. CONST +6 META (END) +3 You have acquired the skill: [Aura Resistance - Epic]. [Aura Resistance] - Aura is an energy field created by Micro. It instinctively translates the body''s presence, allowing it to charm reality. Each natural Aura is unique, but all are dangerous. With this resistance, your body fights against the supremacy of an enemy Aura. You don''t deserve to awaken your Aura yet. CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 META (Authority) +3 [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 16 hours 2 minutes 29 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Ten seconds after his body exploded, Priam''s soul possessed a new physical vessel. He had hesitated to resurrect so quickly. If a healthy necro legionnaire awaited him, Priam would have to flee for his life. On the other hand, if his draconic nova had injured his opponent, he might have the chance to finish the boss. This feat could secure his position as the event''s top player... which was ending in barely a minute. Without wasting time, Priam opened his eyes, got into a defensive stance, and surveyed his surroundings. He was surprised to find his foe engaged in a struggle with a second giant three hundred meters away. The Tier 3''s skull and first vertebrae had melted ¡ª Priam''s handiwork. This handicap prevented it from fighting at full strength. The second colossus, a humanoid tree of sorts, was hitting at the exposed aetheric necro structure. To press his advantage, the vegetal titan created a myriad of rotating runes that covered the valley. The monumental ritual purged the atmosphere of the Necromoon''s influence, preventing any regeneration of the corrupted. An uppercut from the treant fractured one of the skeleton''s ribs while pushing it backward. Its hand grabbed the undead before transforming into a multitude of roots. Like snakes, they began infiltrating between the bones, seeking to immobilize the corrupted. The bony giant struggled to break free but couldn''t. Observing the two adversaries, Priam squinted. The colossal treant seemed familiar... Dishnu? How is he this powerful? [Aether Perception]. The truth dawned on Priam and his eyes widened. Aether streams from millions of trees in the valley strengthened his rival, enabling him to confront the Tier 3 on equal footing. The valley trembled under the blows of the titans. Priam gritted his teeth, watching the giant battle. He had made incredible progress, but Arnold and Dishnu still remained superior. An optimistic inner voice whispered that he had narrowed the gap, but Priam silenced it. It wasn''t enough yet. But that distance could still shrink by killing the Tier 3. Invoking Pyro, Priam incinerated the undead that had closed in on him. Dishnu probably thought it was his duty to take down the monster, but Priam needed that kill to ace the Necro event. Was it a kill steal? Priam believed it wasn''t; he initiated the fight, and his death wasn''t a surrender. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Determined to finish off the Tier 3, Priam instructed his system to oversee the massacre of the corrupted. The add-on seized control of his Concept, devastating the ranks of the corrupted with inhuman efficiency. To step into the titan-sized battle, Priam needed the Conquest attribute boost. Summoning Promesse, Priam took a moment to admire the weapon''s new appearance. Its tip was now forged in a deep burgundy steel, with solar-hued arabesques running along its shaft. [He Who Eludes Death] had upgraded the spear, imbuing it with the properties of his new Concept and ideal skill. The weapon was as deadly as beautiful, and Priam planned to leverage this first quality. It was his only hope to take down the Tier 3. A second Breath would leave him without energy, and even using his Tokens, Pyro wouldn''t reach Harmony in a few seconds. Promesse would be the murder weapon. To increase its lethality, Priam began weaving the aether threads of [Tribulation Piercing Spear] around its tip. The skill created a sheath around the blade that multiplied its penetration power. Following an impulse, Priam created a second sheath around the first, then a third. The Tier 3 could never be too dead. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 11, 12 STR +2 AGI +2 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 31, 32 META (PERC) +2 META (AFFI) +2 META (FOCUS) +2 Priam''s plan relied on a simple fact: the Necromoon or its Concept created a necromantic structure that allowed their necroslaves to move. According to his system, it was also likely that the heart of the structure, its nexus, housed the spirit or servant''s instinct. Destroying it would turn a skeleton into a pile of bones. For this, Priam needed a powerful and focused attack. The nexus, previously protected by the ribcage, was exposed by Dishnu. To strike accurately, Priam relied on his rival¡¯s help, whose roots were immobilizing the corrupted. Priam took aim, listening to [Spear Throw]. Like an athlete, he stretched his body and waited until the last moment to shoot. Three seconds before the end of the event timer, Priam grabbed Pyro, which had already massacred hundreds of corrupted. The flames had already burned almost an acre of the forest. Using [Kinetic Control] and tapping generously into his Potential, Priam absorbed the kinetic energy of particles in the blaze. The movement of molecules and atoms suddenly slowed. Without thermal agitation, the overheated air froze, instantly dissipating the flames. In an instant, the thermal energy of a titanic blaze was converted into kinetic energy and redirected into Promesse. The spear had already left Priam''s hand and vanished under the brutal acceleration. Following the trajectory calculated by Priam''s add-on, the weapon crossed the sky to strike the skeleton. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 22, 23, 24, 25 DEXT +12 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 60 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 [Kinetic Control] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Later! The necromantic horror didn''t attempt to dodge. Perhaps without a head, it had lost its main detection abilities, or maybe [Homo Elysian Predation] had momentarily redirected its instinct. The reason mattered little in the face of the result. As the triple cocoon of [Tribulation Piercing Spear] and the Aura injected into Promesse pierced the nexus of the Tier 3, Priam fell to his knees. According to Micro, [Diagnostic], and [Humanoid Anatomy], half of his meridians had just snapped. The amount of energy released was such that his human heart had exploded. His system invoked the power of [Three-Headed Hydra], as its cooldown had reset with his death. His heart was restored as Priam wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, observing the result of his attack. The skeletal giant had a gaping hole in its ribcage. Three ribs were gone, revealing a path to an ink-like heart. Promesse was embedded in it, planted in an organ that was part organic, part magical. Priam winced as he saw it pulsate. Damn it. In a sigh, feeling his pathways leaking his aether, Priam recalled Promesse just as Dishnu summoned a vegetal chrysalis around the skeleton. The attack had been violent enough to kill ten Tier 2 rabhorns but had not vanquished a weakened Tier 3. Arnold was still ahead. A notification from the System snapped him out of his thoughts. Event: Necromoon Champions of the Sun. Ranking (Tier 0): Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim - 248 942 Priam Azura - 169 112 Dishnu - 148 712 Tyr L?gs?gumad - 135 426 Aydan L¨®thandorim - 64 137 Congratulations, you place second. Reward: Second place: Blueprint - Holy Guardian (Moon Wyrm Egg) Moon Wyrm Egg - The Space Terror. Like the different phases of the Moon, this descendant of the Dragons is capable of changing their hunting methods. As elusive as the New Moon, as powerful as the Full Moon, they know how to adapt to slay their prey. Standard power at adulthood: Tier 4 - Prince. ¡°With quite a setup, Esm¨¦e is downright terrifying,¡± murmured Priam. Instead of rejoicing over his reward, he scrutinized the ranking. Jasmine had sought information from Myuri about the Princess''s power. Manipulating probabilities seemed to be a power as versatile as it was complex. According to the former servant, Esm¨¦e had to know all the parameters of a system and set up unstable elements before she could truly unleash her capabilities. Priam and his system had concluded that his rival was a dangerous opponent when she set the rules and rather weak when caught off guard. Clearly, she had anticipated this event. That didn''t bother Priam much. The first prize was undoubtedly better, but a wyrm with an affinity for the moon was great when he had to upgrade [Moon Mist] and control Hecate¡¯s New Moon. The vegetal cocoon closed completely around the giant, and Priam looked up at Dishnu. With giant strides, the treant was quickly approaching. Up close, the Drya''s combat form was terrifying. His body was an assembly of half-necrotic trunks, roots, and branches. His eyes were two red dots piercing cracked bark and burning with intense hatred. Priam was ready to merge with his mist at the first sign of hostility. Dishnu had always seemed peaceful, but it was clear that he wasn''t entirely himself. Without an extra life and unable to use any active skills, Priam preferred not to take any risks. With a crack, the treant''s torso opened to let out the Drya. Casting a saddened look at the chrysalis containing the skeleton, he turned to Priam. ¡°I thought I would have to take care of Log-a-rhythm after your death...¡± ¡°Sorry for surviving. Are you trying to convert the corrupted?¡± Priam asked, looking at the vegetal cocoon. Dishnu shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, it''s impossible. His heart contains a Necro Concept fragment too pure to erode. I just bought us some time to escape.¡± ¡°Escape? I''m not sure he''s ready to fight anytime soon.¡± ¡°He can absorb the corrupted to regenerate. In a few minutes, he''ll have regained his strength and will know our techniques.¡± ¡°To think Arnold managed to kill one of those monsters alone¡­¡± Dishnu remained silent for a moment before looking towards the horizon. ¡°This kind of event is not his specialty, but he would have had no trouble taking second place. I think his victory cost him dearly.¡± ¡°I like that theory, so I''ll believe it. Would you mind dropping me off at my base?¡± Priam asked without shame. Without his most powerful abilities, he saw no point in unnecessarily endangering himself. The Drya gave him a look that Priam couldn''t decipher. ¡°I suppose I could go check on Log-a-rhythm...¡± he finally replied. Priam grunted. An egg half a meter tall sat on a wooden pedestal. Inside Log-a-rhythm, Priam grimaced from pain that Micro couldn''t silence. His shattered meridians poisoned his body with impure aether. His spiritual body was eroding; he had no more than two days to live. No cause for concern for him, who was observing the Holy Guardian he had just summoned. The first level had been almost free, but the subsequent ones became expensive. Holy Guardian I (5 000 points) - Transforms a blueprint into a Guardian. Capable of detecting intruders, it defends your territories. Properties: Immune to the Necro curse. Resistant to the Necro Concept. Cannot leave your Territory. ACQUIRED ¡­ Holy Guardian IV (50,000 points) - Develops the power of your Holy Guardian and grants it the potential of a Marquess. Only a High Tribulation can improve your Holy Guardian''s Soul Tier. Properties: Immune to the Necro curse. Resistant to the Necro Concept. Cannot leave your Territory. Development speed x4. Number of available resurrections: 4. Natural affinity (Moon): 90% (50% (base) + 40%). ACQUIRED Developing his wyrm''s power had cost Priam ninety thousand points. It was expensive, but it would be profitable if the creature quickly reached its adult power. It would hatch in a few days if Priam didn''t find another use for it sooner. [Detection of a high-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is recommended.] Priam knew he couldn''t sacrifice one of his pets to complete Heavenly Dragon. However, as long as the egg hadn''t hatched, it was fair game. "Might as well wait," he decided. Priam could buy a Mist Wyrm egg for a little over a quarter of a million Sun points. Before completing Heavenly Dragon, he still needed to upgrade [Aether Perception] and [Aether Manipulation] to Epic rank. In the meantime, he would let this egg grow. As he prepared to leave the secret room, Priam''s draconic instinct stopped him. A Moon Wyrm... Opening a passage to his internal world, Priam placed the egg at the bottom of the central pond. It was directly connected to his soul, and he invoked his own [Moon Mist]. A fog appeared, camouflaging and incubating the egg. Priam smiled as he left Log-a-rhythm. He found Jasmine at the top of Log-a-rhythm. The assassin swung on a flexible branch, twenty meters above the ground. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Priam asked. ¡°Yeah, I would like you to transform me into Homo Elysian a second after the beginning of my Tribulations.¡± Priam nodded. Jasmine had decided to attempt a quadruple Tribulation. The ordeal would start in a few hours, and resetting her race would have turned a quadruple Tribulation into a double, increasing her chances of survival but reducing her potential. Jasmine had chosen servitude over death by accepting their pact, but that didn''t mean she was cowardly. The assassin was afraid of death, but she was even more fearful of powerlessness. Without Priam''s guarantees, she would never have accepted her soul leash. ¡°Did you buy a Hydra Pill?¡± Capable of reforming the body in moments, this pill was essential for changing race without suffering from genetic incompatibility issues in the middle of a Tribulation. Jasmine nodded. ¡°I''m ready. Mirscella is still in the Tribulations Chamber?¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°Yes, but I don''t sense anything except her breathing and heartbeat. She must be asleep, so you can start whenever you want.¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°I bought everything I wanted. No reason to wait any longer.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Priam replied, opening a passage to the Tribulations Chamber. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 489 (+25) Constitution 856 (+29) Agility 473 (+3) Vitality 765 (+16) Perception 685 (+2) MENTAL: Vivacity 421 (+5) Dexterity 538 (+21) Memory 318 (+4) Willpower 925 (+16) Charisma 585 META: Meta-affinity 418 (+3) Meta-focus 350 (+8) Meta-endurance 296 (+34) Meta-perception 204 (+3) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 30 (+6) Potential: 1940 (-288) Tier 0 Sun points: 53 122 (-59 342) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 10 minutes 16 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 13 hours 43 minutes 9 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 186: Character Creation A cold light illuminated the hundred-meter-sided cube. The metallic floor held rows of various machines obeying strict algorithms. Arnold NetSky, the owner of this internal world, adamantly refused to let an AI oversee the factory. His consciousness embedded in a surveillance unit, the Var Elegis protocols monitored robots coming from a stabilized rift. This portal was connected to a pocket realm which was excavated by his machines. The tons of collected earth were transported to large tanks, each filled with water and magnetic particles for magnetic density separation. Diverse metallic, organic, and mineral elements were classified, collected, and stored. If any doubts lingered, optical techniques finalized the sorting. This was crucial for Arnold because, unlike his rivals, his organism was silicon-based rather than carbon-based. To restore a lost limb, he couldn''t simply consume local flora or fauna. He had to extract the matter from the ground, a laborious process. It was necessary because his victory against the Necro Envoy had been Pyrrhic. The Princess'' help had facilitated its summoning, but sacrifices had been necessary to defeat the servant of the Necromoon. The Var Elegis¡¯ survival had been ensured only at the cost of [Legendary Token - Save]. The reward from the sixty-fifth wave of the Colosseum had allowed him to retain his life after the fusion of his atomic heart. Even so, he had lost his physical body. Arnold had no regrets about his decision. Thanks to it, he had obtained the title of Elysian Duke and its inherent privileges. The upgrade from the Sun Shop had been particularly appreciated and had allowed him to advance his project: the construction of a new body. Arnold was impatient: his new physical abilities, innate Talents, and basic attributes would be enough to reach the next Racial Tier. The System would then recalculate his Tribulations, allowing the Var Elegis to unlock new Legendary skills without fear of crossing any thresholds. To the gentle hum of machinery, he monitored the machines putting the finishing touches on his new vessel. Created from the Legendary and Mythical rewards he had received since the Tutorial, his new physique would enable him to confront Tier 3 opponents head-on. An incredible prospect for a Tier 0 but insufficient. According to the Princess, the three tribes were led by Tier 4s. The processors of Var Elegis were already searching for methods to counter this new threat. Perhaps it is time to visit the First? Secure in an underground base, Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim observed the draconic egg. Her reward. A Sun Wyrm slumbered within, waiting to unleash its power upon the world. Unfortunately, its glory would be short-lived as the creature belonged to her brother. Aydan had forbidden her from bonding with the noble beast. He had spent his Sun points to obtain Holy Guardian III. As a Viscount, her brother couldn''t purchase the fourth upgrade, reserved for Earls. Because of this, the creature''s potential was limited. The egg trembled, releasing a gentle warmth. The Sun could be destructive, but it could also exude a certain vitality. "Disappointed?" a voice asked behind her. Esm¨¦e rose, dusting off her dress and inclining her head. "Prince Aydan. No, this reward is rightfully yours by birth." The response brought a smile to the prince''s face, and Esm¨¦e struggled to hold back laughter. Despite his intelligence, Aydan was easily manipulable when his ego was stroked. The prince approached the egg and caressed it. "It will be magnificent," murmured Aydan. Esm¨¦e nodded. For once, her brother was right. "Are you taking good care of it?" "I''m constantly rewriting probabilities to ensure his bloodline is as powerful as possible. It''ll be a variant." "A variant?" Her brother looked into her eyes for the first time. "All stars are different, and some shine brighter than others. The System limits the Holy Guardians, but two beasts are not necessarily equal. Your Sun Wyrm will be a king among kings," declared Esm¨¦e. "Excellent. I want you to dedicate yourself fully to this task." "What about household chores?" "To hell with cooking and dishes! You were a mediocre cook anyway. Ga?tan will handle it from now on. I want my Sun Wyrm to destroy our rivals and defend us against those tribes of savages, understand?" Esm¨¦e concealed a smile before nodding. "It shall be done according to your orders." "Of course. Any news from the Var Elegis?" "Nothing since he gave us the rift¡¯s location." Arnold had provided them with the location of an unstable rift leading to another world. Esm¨¦e had then worked for days to force the corrupted to summon two Necro Envoys. Her own opponent¡ªa Tier 3 Earl¡ªhad been unlucky: the rift had telescoped the summoning portal, dragging the monster into a fatal space storm. The System had not deemed Esm¨¦e worthy of an Achievement, but her role in its death had earned her almost a quarter of a million Sun points and the Title of Marquess. As for the Var Elegis, he had managed to defeat his own unassisted. "As long as this monster doesn''t attack us¡­ I leave you with my future mount. You are authorized to purchase anything useful for his growth. Nothing else," Aydan said as he exited the room. Esm¨¦e bowed and only raised her head once her brother was gone. How difficult it was to obey a fool. He hadn''t even realized that his orders allowed Esm¨¦e to consume resources as long as they were potentially useful to the Wyrm. Her brother wouldn''t have made that mistake with a man, but Esm¨¦e was a woman. As always, my weakness is my strength. Opening her grimoire, the princess took her pen and continued manipulating probabilities. It was in her interest for the Sun Wyrm to be strong. Strong enough for her brother to think he had a chance against the First, the Var Elegis, or some other virtually immortal monster with a low tolerance for stupidity. Louis took Mirscella in a princess carry, a worried expression on his face. "Are you sure she''s okay?" "... She''s breathing, and Domain detects no physical injuries," replied Priam. "We should check with the Guardian of Secrets for more information." Priam could have learned more using [Tribulation Hunter] or [Diagnostic], but his severed meridians prevented him from using his aether. Of his active skills, only his system, directly connected to his soul, continued to function. Nodding, Louis crossed the portal with Mirscella, giving a forced wink to Jasmine. "You got this." "Of course," smiled the young woman. Once alone, Priam sat cross-legged in front of Jasmine. The two rivals took each other''s hands and closed their eyes. Priam activated [Primogenitor] and felt the Title scan Jasmine. His brain received a terrifying amount of information that his Assistant began to compute. [Jasmine Kaldwin - MKX Arkanian. Genome analyzed at 100%. Connection with [Primogenitor], [Diagnostic], and [Humanoid Anatomy]... Error, [Diagnostic] impossible due to severed meridians. Connection with [Primogenitor] and [Humanoid Anatomy] established. Subject Jasmine Kaldwin is compatible with [Primogenitor]: possible race change. The subject''s genome has already been analyzed; no additional Potential is required. Would you like to use the standard Homo Elysian model or customize it?] Customize it. With closed eyes, Priam felt his add-on create a mental space to help modify Jasmine''s future body characteristics. In front of him, a three-dimensional model appeared: his own naked body. Being the only existing Homo Elysian, he was the only entry in the database of his system. "This world can¡¯t handle two Priams. If you don''t mind, I''d prefer to remain a woman," an amused voice said. Priam groaned, recognizing Jasmine''s voice. Thanks to the connection between their souls, she could access the mental space created by their shared system. Priam hesitated for a moment to cover the nudity of the model before deciding against it. If he showed Jasmine that he was modest, she would make fun of him. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Being a male is simpler; we don''t have breasts to throw us off balance." "I''m used to it. Besides, a generous chest helps divert my victims¡¯ attention." "It wasn''t very effective on Arnold and Kazuki," remarked Priam. "No, but I almost succeeded with you," teased Jasmine. Priam internally winced, remembering Jasmine''s initial capture. The young woman was very attractive, and without [Focus], he could have been distracted. Assistant, monitor my emotions and trigger [Focus] and [Emotional Discipline] when distraction is untimely. [New routine created.] "Hurry up and create your new body before I give you a unibrow.¡± "Wait, I can customize my appearance?!" "Like in any good RPG." "Nice!" Jasmine''s attention focused on Priam''s naked body model, who waited in silence. It took only a few moments before he felt her curiosity. "Is there an issue with my body?" "Why do you have fur?" Priam burst into laughter. "These are body hairs. Most humans are born with them. Don''t you have them on Arkana?" Priam found it strange because Jasmine looked like a young human woman in her twenties. Some of her organs were different, and a few mutations existed, but the differences between a human and an Arkanian were internal rather than external. "I don''t think so? I mostly dealt with the criminal underworld; many shaved their heads to leave no traces behind. Anyone born with that would definitely pluck them. Even the nobles avoided leaving their DNA lying around," explained Jasmine. "... Makes sense. In any case, you can remove them," replied Priam, asking his system to remove the hair from the model. Jasmine remained silent for a moment before asking hesitantly. "If my racial upgrade resets my body, will my scars disappear?" Thanks to their mental link, Priam conveyed the equivalent of a nod. "Is there a problem?" "There''s a rune branded on my heart indicating my affiliation with my organization. It''s a kill switch." Priam shuddered upon hearing that. He hesitated for a moment before simply saying what he thought. "That''s barbaric. I''m sorry you had to suffer like that." "It''s in the past," replied Jasmine. "I... I''ll have to talk to you about some things before the next Reunion." "Does it concern your organization?" Priam saw no point in delaying an important discussion. "Yes. They controlled me through this kill switch. They invested too much in my education to let me go. I know their secrets, their training, their skills... They''ll try to buy me back." Jasmine''s voice trembled. "I''ve already told you, you''re not a slave: no one will buy you," said Priam. "They won''t take no for an answer." "The only other answer will be Promesse." A note of terror crept into Jasmine''s voice. "They have Tier 3s under their command." "You know I''m tough to kill." "Alain or Rose aren¡¯t. They¡ª" "Your¡ªOur enemies will die," Priam interrupted, a note of fury in his voice. "I''m aware that many will try to target my loved ones to control me, but I''ll take precautions to protect them." Turning his family into Homo Elysians, entrusting them with a sub-system, keeping them in Concepts Archipelago... After the fiasco with Sphinx, Priam had begun to ponder how to safeguard his family. "Jasmine, you grew up seeing your organization as something monumental, but in six months, you''ll destroy those Tier 3s. This new race will help you, and this quadruple Tribulation too. Trust yourself." "... Okay." A seed of hope appeared in the young woman''s heart. She was the only one who could make it grow. "To answer your question: any physical trace of the kill switch will disappear. However, I can''t promise anything if it''s tied to your soul." "It was purely physical," Jasmine murmured. Priam sensed a wave of relief emanating from the young woman. Her seed of hope blossomed, and Priam smiled before turning his mental gaze away. Sensing Jasmine''s happiness through their spiritual connection made him feel like a voyeur. "Let''s continue this race change," he suggested. Jasmine nodded before starting to customize the model. Gradually, it began to take on the young woman''s current appearance. "Do you want to finish alone?" Priam asked politely. Jasmine was gorgeous, but he didn''t want to take advantage of this race change to ogle at her. "With your Domain, you already know what I look like naked," replied Jasmine, shrugging. "It''s nice of you to offer, but I prefer you here to tell me if I make a mistake." "As you wish." The assassin slightly adjusted the position of her muscles, bones, and organs, reforging her body into a war machine. Once satisfied, she focused on her look, increasing her height, subtly changing the roots of her hair, the placement of her nails, and the alignment of her teeth. As her appearance approached the divine, she altered the color of her black eyes. Soon, two enchanting light gray irises reflected Priam''s gaze. "What do you think?" she asked joyfully. "What do you mean?" "Physically. Do I look good?" Priam observed Jasmine''s naked model, trying to keep a critical eye. Her features were graceful, her curves harmonious, her dimples adorable, and her smile charming. With her wild hair cascading along her back and her firm muscles, she looked feline and sexy. The young woman was stunning, but Priam hesitated to admit it. Jasmine was his subordinate, and as long as she was, he only wanted a professional relationship. "Beauty is subjective¡ª." Jasmine cut him off. "Assassination is much simpler when the target wants to sleep with me. They take me to a quiet corner where I can plunge a dagger into their heart. Would you want to sleep with this body?" Something about Jasmine''s sentence displeased Priam. "You talk about your body as if it were an object." "It¡¯s a weapon, a blade that must be sharpened." "Is that what your organization taught you?" Priam winced. Jasmine didn''t miss the disapproving note in his voice. He felt anger rising in her, but she remained silent. "Sorry, I shouldn''t judge you without knowing your past. It''s just that..." "That you don''t need to be sly to win your fights. You think you''re better than that," Jasmine finished. Priam thought for a moment about his encounter with Sumstreh. He had needed to lie, to cheat to survive. I''m a hypocrite. Jasmine didn''t have his immortality. She had to put her pride aside to stay alive, and he couldn''t judge her for that. "You hate the organization that trained you, but you don''t deny the education you received," Priam understood. "I didn''t train all my life to seduce, fight, and wield shadows for nothing. I hate my teachers, but I cherish their teachings," confirmed Jasmine. "I admire your pragmatism. Forgive me; you do what you want with your body." Thanks to their link, Priam felt Jasmine''s surprise and then gratitude. "What?" he asked. "Few leaders acknowledge their mistakes." "Yet it''s the best way to progress. If you think I''m making a mistake, tell me." Jasmine nodded and Priam smiled. "Anyway, do you confirm this appearance? I don''t see how you could improve it further." Jasmine smiled at the veiled compliment. "This body suits me. And now?" "Brace yourself; it''s going to hurt," Priam warned, activating [Primogenitor]. The Title replaced Osiris¡¯ ritual. The ambient aether trembled before rushing into Jasmine''s body, modifying her genome. A few seconds later, she let out a groan of pain as the ritual ended. Now, she only had to ingest the pill bought at the Sun Shop to recreate her body and complete her racial upgrade. But first, Jasmine had to trigger her Tribulations. The whole point was to leverage the power of her new race to endure a quadruple. If the System validated the racial upgrade before the beginning of the Tribulations, their thresholds would change, thus ruining all their preparation. There was no time to waste. Priam quickly stood up before opening a portal behind him. "Try to beat my record," he said. Jasmine gave him a thumbs up. The portal closed behind Priam as his internal world trembled. The Tribulations were beginning. A scream made him turn around. Louis had just collapsed in front of the Menhir of Secrets. Above him, Mirscella held a dagger covered in blood. Her eyes gleamed with a crimson light. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 489 Constitution 856 Agility 473 Vitality 765 Perception 685 MENTAL: Vivacity 421 Dexterity 538 Memory 318 Willpower 925 Charisma 585 META: Meta-affinity 418 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 296 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 30 Potential: 1940 Tier 0 Sun points: 53 122 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 12 hours 59 minutes 9 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 13 hours 32 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 187: To Those Who Are Gone The crimson eyes of the thief gleamed with a hatred so old that it became incomprehensible. More than Louis''s blood on Mirscella''s dagger, it was that gaze that unsettled Priam. The Tier 3 necro he had just faced possessed the same. Shit! With his mental attributes enhancing his thinking speed, Priam needed only a fraction of a second to make a decision. How and why were questions he couldn''t afford to ponder. Mobilizing his Mist Concept, Priam summoned a dense wave of mist to separate Mirscella and Louis. The old man lay collapsed on the ground, and the cobblestones of the forum prevented Log-a-rhythm from opening a Secret Passage to secure him. Mirscella adjusted her grip on her dagger and thrust it towards Louis. The speed of the attack caught Priam off guard. The former thief was not weak, but she had never been this fast. More concerning, no corrupted minion moved so fluidly. Ignoring his suspicions, Priam realized that his mist wouldn''t arrive in time to prevent the strike. Using the ancient Merits of [Moon Earl], Priam sacrificed a portion of his aether to merge with the ambient moisture. He reappeared between the two elders, just in time to intercept the attack. Mirscella''s dagger collided with Promesse¡¯s shaft with such force that Priam was forced to kneel to absorb the full impact. Her strength surpasses mine! A second attack followed. Drawing from his Potential, Priam focused on the information contained in [Parry]. Aided by divine inspiration, he optimized the placement of his block, overclocking his muscles to disperse the attack''s energy to the maximum. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 17 STR +1 The forum shook. Using his Domain, Priam attempted to kinetically immobilize Mirscella. Instead of her slowing down, he screamed in pain. A firebolt surged through his body as Priam tried to access his aether. One of his main meridians was still severed, preventing the use of active skills. Priam understood that he could only rely on his Concepts, Supremacies, and some passive skills for now. As a third attack threatened to dislocate his shoulders, Priam summoned Pyro. Enhanced by Conquest, a geyser of flames erupted towards Mirscella. In a rage-filled scream, the creature leaped to the side to dodge. Priam took advantage of the moment to rise. His Domain informed him of Louis''s condition. A deep gash in the abdomen was bleeding profusely. Seizing the old man by the arm, Priam tossed him out of the forum. The grass opened a passage into Log-a-rhythm where he fell, but the martial artist executed a somersault to avoid it. "No!" "Get to safety!" Priam shouted, turning towards Mirscella, who was launching another attack. He parried again, grimacing as he felt his body endure the assault. Mirscella''s attributes were terrifying, and without his recent level-ups, Priam''s constitution wouldn''t have been enough to withstand the attacks. "Don''t hurt her," Louis yelled from behind him. Blocking deadly attacks one after another, Priam almost burst into laughter. Without aether or life bonuses, he was the one in danger. However, he wasn''t obligated to face the thief in a duel. The clash of weapons was sure to attract Kazuki''s attention. I just need to survive until then. As if reading his thoughts, Mirscella unleashed a barrage of attacks. Retreating under the violence of the assault, Priam felt his system communicate with Log-a-rhythm. [Identification] required the circulation of his aether but not his soul add-on. [Information from Log-a-rhythm: [Necro Envoy - Tier 0(3) - Marquess - Corrupted] - A high official of the Necromoon. Adaptation to a new vessel temporarily occupies her soul. The Necro Concept will gradually increase the physical limits of the possessed vessel.] Priam paled as he read the description of the Necro Envoy. Since Mirscella wasn''t mentioned, it was likely that she had disappeared entirely. Priam thought he knew why, but that wasn''t the most concerning part. Before him stood a Necro Envoy capable of facing Sumstreh. Only her recent possession of Mirscella''s body prevented her from wiping the floor with Priam. Taking advantage of a new strike, Priam allowed himself to be pushed backward towards the forest. The Necro Envoy leaped after him before an onyx lance appeared in her path. With a pirouette, the enemy avoided impalement and paused, analyzing her new adversary. "This thing is no longer Mirscella," Priam warned. "I can see that," replied Kazuki. "Should we capture it?" Priam grimaced, glancing at Louis. Kneeling, one hand pressing his wound, the old man looked at Mirscella''s possessed body, immense grief in his eyes. "...If we can," Priam decided. Perhaps one of the rewards from the Sun Shop could bring back the old thief. As Kazuki nodded, Mirscella opened her mouth. "I don''t think you can," she said in English before leaping towards the forest. Stunned by the corrupted''s speech, Priam and Kazuki reacted a moment too late. The Envoy''s speed was terrifying, and she vanished between two trees. Only the characteristic sound of fractured bones confirmed to Priam that the creature''s attributes were limited. She is using Micro! Seeing Kazuki leap in pursuit of the Envoy, Priam rode his mist to intercept her. The corrupted dodged an [Unrelenting Thrust] without stopping. Priam crossed through the fog twice more before stopping as his severed meridian prevented him from recharging his aether. Avoiding all the hidden bio-traps, the Envoy reached the Log-a-rhythm barrier in a second. A hoplite sentinel lunged at her, trying to slow her down. With a disdainful movement, Mirscella blocked the mech''s metallic fist and slashed. A dark aura covered the blade of her dagger as it effortlessly decapitated the armor. With a slight nod, Mirscella evaded a javelin thrown by Kazuki''s mech. Her body lost its colors, and the Necro Envoy passed through the barrier. Giving them a final mocking smile, she disappeared. Kazuki screamed in rage. "Mirscella Tsevskaya is dead," confirmed the Guardian of Secrets. Priam''s heart tightened as he saw Louis lower his head in misery. The old man was holding his stomach, refusing any treatment until he had answers. "How could a Necro Envoy reach the heart of our base?" growled Kazuki. His subordinate had been beheaded simultaneously with his mech, and the Champion was furious. "The Tribulation erased Mirscella''s mind," Priam theorized. "On a spiritual level, she was dead. Even though Log-a-rhythm''s barrier absorbs much of the Necromoon''s light, it''s imperfect. Her physically healthy body made her a prime vessel for an Envoy... Am I right?" "The Tribulation erased her soul rather than her mind, but you''re correct about the rest," confirmed the Guardian. "From the description you gave me, her Tribulations were mental. These are particularly dangerous as the Concepts target any psychological weakness." "Mirscella wasn''t weak," murmured Louis. The dwarf sighed. "Perishing to the Tribulations is not weakness. From Tier 1 onwards, they kill more than old age. Mirscella was the first to succumb, but certainly not the last in your group." He turned to Louis. "Her heart continued to beat, and her features weren''t tense. She didn''t suffer." Louis remained silent. "So, any death can awaken a corrupted," summarized Kazuki, looking at the pyre being erected behind him. The hoplites were watching their comrade''s corpse, waiting to burn it. No other corrupted would wake up in the heart of their base. "It''s a good idea to burn your dead," confirmed the dwarf. Priam watched the hoplites gather dead branches in silence. Rose, Myuri, Alain, and Blueberry hadn''t triggered any Tribulation yet, but it would come. As if I would accept seeing them die without doing anything. "You... You told Rose she could resurrect her mother." Priam refocused upon hearing Louis''s voice. "Can Mirscella...?" Secret Wallet: - 8 Iron Coins. Priam had taken it upon himself to pay for the old man''s questions. If it could help Louis sleep better at night, it was worth it. "Everything is possible in this world," replied the Guardian. "However, some deaths are more final than others. Mirscella''s soul wasn''t corrupted by the Necromoon, so resurrection is possible. However, the Tribulations erase any spiritual trace. A ritual won''t be able to restore her soul. She was a Tier 0, so you''ll need a Mythical Resurrection Token." The smile that was forming on Louis''s face froze, sensing the dwarf''s somber mood. "Is there a problem?" "Mythical is a rarity hard to access at your Tier; your soul can''t even accept a skill of that level of rarity. It''s the kind of Token that appears as a reward for the ninetieth wave of the Colosseum." Priam groaned upon hearing that. The Colosseum''s difficulty increased exponentially with the number of waves. Maybe he would reach the ninetieth wave, but if he obtained such a rare Token, he would keep it for his father or one of his close friends. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "I will defeat that wave," declared Louis. Priam was struck by the determination in the old man''s voice, and even Kazuki nodded solemnly. He will succeed or die trying... "...There''s something else. It''s not certain, so I won''t charge you for the information," the Guardian said after a respectful moment of silence. "Karma is one of the seven Concepts that govern this Universe. Many legends speak of exceptional beings who chased a dream with such intensity that Karma offered them a quest. I believe it happened to Rose''s father." Louis widened his eyes. "Are you saying that if I prove my worth, I''ll receive a quest to resurrect Mirscella?" His voice trembled slightly. "If your quest allows you to transcend your potential and show something interesting to the Concepts... yes." "Thank you," Louis whispered before turning to Priam. "I need to rest." With those words, he turned away, leaving a dark puddle of blood where he had stood. Despite the pain, a new flame lit up in his eyes. The old man had a purpose. Priam, Kazuki, and the Guardian remained silent. All three knew that such a quest was of unimaginable difficulty. To resurrect his daughter, Anatole had sacrificed his life and the lives of tens of thousands of humans. Despite his genius and unparalleled aether mastery, he had to sell his soul to succeed. Priam and Kazuki thanked the Guardian before approaching the pyre. "Mirscella spoke English," pointed out Kazuki. "She has access to the information in Mirscella''s brain. We must assume she knows our weaknesses." "By launching an attack now, she could surpass our defenses. It''s time to spend our Sun Points to strengthen the base," declared Priam. "The base and its occupants. Eiji would still be alive if his armor had been more resistant." Priam wasn''t sure about that. The Envoy''s Aura seemed mastered. However, faced with the hoplite''s grief, he kept silent. After all, reinforcing the base''s occupants was still a good idea. "I saw you''ve got a new weapon," remarked Priam. "I bought a rare spear for nineteen thousand Sun points," replied Kazuki, showing the weapon that had repelled the Envoy. The onyx alloy seemed to absorb light. "Don''t you prefer an epic spear?" Priam asked. The hoplite would quickly outgrow the rare spear. "As a Viscount, rare is the highest rarity the Shop offers me," grimaced Kazuki. "Even if I could, an epic weapon costs at least fifty thousand points. It''s going to take me forever to slaughter so many corrupted." Priam had the advantage of being able to destroy hundreds of basic undeads per second, but that wasn''t the case for Kazuki. "Each Soul Tier or Noble Tier multiplies the value of a corrupted by ten, and it accumulates," revealed Priam. "Killing a Tier 2 Viscount would earn you ten thousand points, and make you a Marquess as a bonus." "You make it sound so simple," replied Kazuki. "It''s the kind of fight where I would put my life on the line... But you''re right; I need to access the best offers in the Sun Shop." That''s why Sumstreh wants me to become a Prince, Priam understood. Even with five million Sun points, I can''t buy the item they want. Sun Shop: Resource Item Fragment Territory Medicine Lottery Auction (Locked) ¡­ Item: Short Iron Sword (10 points) - A basic short iron sword. Blade length: 59 cm; Handle length: approximately 10 cm; ¡­ ; Blade width at the tip: 1.5 cm; Weight: 1.2 kg. ¡­ Ragnarok Herald (Spear) (245,000 points) - They will reject the message; they will fear the messenger. Customizable dimensions. Ten copies. "The limit for a Marquess is two hundred and fifty thousand points," said Priam. "But the best available weapons are of epic rank. I suppose one must be a Duke to access the Legendary rank." "Do you have things to prioritize buying?" Priam''s Assistant had compiled a list of some interesting items. Among them were tools to improve one''s resistances, some encyclopedias, and puzzles to better master one''s aether. It could propel me to epic rank for [Aether Manipulation]... The complete collection cost almost four hundred thousand Sun points. "You''re short of points," Kazuki guessed with a smile. "The richer I become, the more I realize how poor I am," Priam feigned lamentation. He remained much richer than Kazuki. "Let''s start by hiring a merchant. The Auction may offer weapons cheaper than the Shop. A second-hand Legendary weapon will always be better than a brand-new epic one." According to the Guardian, the presence of a Forum, a Merchant, and the Menhir of Secrets would unlock the Auction option. "I agree. It''s also an opportunity to learn more about this world," said Kazuki. Priam mentally confirmed his selection. Merchant I (5,000 points) - Summons a Merchant. Requires Shop or Forum. ACQUIRED. Merchant selection... Scanning your territory... Match found. Your territory and location match the criteria of two Merchants. Ymir - Tier 0 - White Elf (47%) / Skulc (30%) / Others (23%) Ymir Saharn is a wandering merchant who has spent his life traveling through the Wandering Islands. Thanks to his iron will, he easily controls the impulses of his Skulc heritage. Commission: 15% Galina - Tier 1 - Ogress (100%) Galina Ikorg is a merchant formerly based in Elopee. Her tendency to crush bad payers'' skulls earned her a century-long sentence in Elysium. Commission: 20% Note: Merchants are not hostile to the Lord or their subjects at the time of their summoning. The System cannot be held responsible if strained relations lead to negative consequences. "... Let¡¯s go with Ymir. If the System doesn''t manage after-sales service, a Tier 1 can be a danger." "And an ogress would clog our composting toilets in less than a week," added Priam. A white sigil appeared on the forum floor in front of them. Drawing in the ambient aether, the symbol began to activate. Ymir Saharn will be teleported to your territory in two hours. "That must be to prevent users from hiring an army of guards or healers during a battle," Kazuki grumbled upon seeing the announced wait. The Sun Shop was a tool, not a weapon. "It might be for the best. It''s time to pay our respects," said Priam, turning towards the clearing. A few hoplites were carrying their comrade''s body towards the pyre. "Now that Eiji fell in battle, I wonder who will be the second," Kazuki murmured. Mirscella''s Tribulation had been inevitable, but Priam knew Kazuki blamed himself for his subordinate''s fate. If they had been stronger, he would still be alive. Priam remained silent. His encouragement would have sounded hollow. In the center of the clearing, the wood crackled beneath the tall flames. The smoke wafting upwards seemed to tremble at the sound of Kazuki''s voice. "As the sun sets on the battlefield''s embrace, A warrior''s journey finds a resting place. In the hallowed grounds where heroes repose, His spirit ascends on the path they chose." The hoplite dirge resonated within Priam, stirring half-buried emotions. As the soldiers sang in unison, humans and Blueberry remained silent. All took the moment to reflect and mourn, lulled by the threnody. On the pyre, a flower burned alongside Eiji Tanaka. Today, their group had lost two people, but only one body was freed from the Necromoon''s terror. Louis, a bandage on his stomach, seemed determined to track down the second. Tears of rage and pain streamed down his weathered face. While the music gripped his heart, Priam watched his loved ones. The Guardian had been brutally clear. Mirscella was the first to fall, but wouldn''t be the last. The Necromoon, his rivals, the locals, or a Tribulation would claim them sooner or later. Who would be next? His father, a non-combatant? Rose, with a life ahead of her? Sphinx, sold to a tyrant? Priam wanted to roar in the face of this inevitability. Despite the progress he had paid for with blood and tears, he remained weak. The more he loved, the more he had to protect. The funeral song died on the hoplites'' lips, and Priam locked eyes with Kazuki. The two rivals were thinking the same thing. As the wood crackled, breaking the clearing''s silence, Priam let the flames carry away his hesitations. In this world where anything was possible, there was only one way to defy fate. I must become stronger. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 491 (+2) Constitution 856 Agility 473 Vitality 765 Perception 685 MENTAL: Vivacity 421 Dexterity 538 Memory 318 Willpower 925 Charisma 585 META: Meta-affinity 418 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 296 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 30 Potential: 1941 (+1) Tier 0 Sun points: 48 122 (-5 000) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 11 hours 34 minutes 40 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 12 hours 7 minutes 33 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 188: Oasis As the warm breeze carried away Eiji''s last ashes, everyone resumed their tasks. It was time for the living to fight the dead. Under Hyshana''s orders, the eight surviving hoplites went their separate ways. Three headed towards Log-a-rhythm to rest. Kazuki had sought permission to let his soldiers sleep safely. The hoplites fought to defend the base and deserved to rest in a protected place. Moreover, if one of them were to pass away in their sleep, they wouldn''t succumb to corruption. Two other soldiers were assigned to military engineering. Their initial task involved deconstructing their old barracks, with Hyshana deciding to recycle the wood to reinforce the rampart surrounding the clearing. The last group had the most critical mission. Armed and vigilant, they patrolled the domain''s border, opening the barrier and guiding the corrupted into bio-traps. The base needed Sun points more than ever. A few minutes before the merchant''s arrival, Priam followed Alain and Rose. The two artisans were working on a defensive turret project. Priced at five thousand points in the Sun Shop, its blueprint was available at half price. In addition to the discount, building the machine allowed the two humans to enhance their skills. As Alain refined his wood control, Rose traced runes that would enable the turret to condense ambient aether into projectiles, rotate, aim, and fire. "How does the turret identify the corrupted?" asked Priam. "I bought a rune that establishes a connection between an object and Log-a-rhythm," explained Rose. "The original turret targeted Necro Concept carriers, but Log-a-rhythm isn''t as limited. Moreover, its knowledge of everyone''s position enables it to prevent friendly fire." "The connection is made through ambient aether?" "It requires direct contact, but the roots make that easy." "That''s clever!" exclaimed Priam. Rose smiled before showing him the rest of the circuit. Dozens of sigils intersected like components in an electrical network. That Rose could create such combinations with mental attributes below a hundred proved her extraordinary talent. "You can be proud of yourself," smiled Priam. The teenager blushed. She was at a stage in her life where she needed recognition to thrive, and Priam was happy to offer sincere compliments. [Two minutes before the merchant''s arrival.] "I have to go; the merchant is coming," said Priam. "I hope he sells spices! By the way, when do we become Homo Elysian?" asked Rose. "I''m interested in the attribute boost." "I''m waiting for Jasmine to finish her Tribulations. If the System doesn''t take this boost into account, then it''s better to wait for your first Tribulation," explained Priam. If that were the case, the racial upgrade would increase their chances of survival. At the mention of Tribulations, Rose and Alain cast a fearful glance towards the pyre. Mirscella''s death was a warning that everyone took seriously. "We''ll wait..." replied Rose. Priam nodded before heading to the forum. Kazuki and Hyshana were already there. The two hoplites weren''t wearing their armor, but each had a hand close to a weapon. In front of them, the summoning sigil finished charging with aether in a bright flash. Priam expected a portal to open and was disappointed. A transparent bubble expelled all matter, then burst, revealing a massive white bison with intelligent eyes. "... Doesn''t look like an elf," commented Priam as he approached to caress the creature''s immaculate fur. Standing close to two meters, Priam wasn''t small, but his hand barely reached the bison''s shoulder. "Where is your master?" The bison blinked before opening its mouth. Reality warped to the right of the Menhir of Secrets. Thunder accompanied the appearance of a red and white pavilion. Lavishly decorated, the tent would fit in a desert oasis. Two flaps covering the entrance opened to let an individual out. Priam hadn¡¯t expected Ymir to be so majestic. His wise eyes calmly surveyed the world. The elf was tall, slim, and had white eyebrows that surprised Priam. Snowy hair was gathered in a chignon held by a handle-less blade. His albino skin was partially concealed by a dawn-colored mage robe. He looked more like a scholar than a merchant. The elf stepped forward, crossing his fingers in front of him. The impractical gesture made it challenging to strike easily and must be a form of greeting. "Lord Azura, Ymir Saharn offers his respects," he said in an unknown language that Priam had no trouble understanding. A Talent necessary to communicate with his clients. "Merchant Ymir, it''s a pleasure to have you among us," replied Priam, gesturing to Kazuki and Hyshana. "Here are Kazuki and Hyshana, Champions of the Hoplites and defenders of our base." Ymir mimicked Priam''s gesture to greet the two hoplites. "I entrust my safety to your expert hands." He turned to Priam, who was still caressing the bison. "I see you''ve met Ka''shak. He''s a bison with a taotie bloodline. The ideal companion for any wandering merchant." "A life that must be as exciting as it is dangerous. I presume the current event convinced you to abandon the wandering aspect of your profession." Ymir smiled, revealing blood-red teeth. "Elysium is dangerous in normal times, and the necro event only worsens things. I needed a base, and you needed a merchant... Here we are, brought together by the System," the elf smiled, placing his palm on his forehead. It must be a religious or superstitious gesture. "The System rewards those who help themselves." Priam appreciated the neutrality of the System. "Do you need time to prepare your goods?" "Not at all. I''d be happy to show you my humble shop." The merchant invited them into his pavilion. Upon entering, Priam whistled in astonishment. The tent was spatially enhanced, and the interior was the size of two tennis courts. Rows of shelves and stalls were arranged to allow visitors to admire the displayed items. "As a wandering merchant, I sell everything," explained Ymir. "In my bazaar, you''ll find weapons, medicines, elixirs, pets, food, clothes..." "Egg-laying birds?" asked Hyshana. The hoplites were more carnivorous than omnivorous, and the diet of fish and berries was starting to tire them. "Let me prepare an omelette to convince you to buy some auhracks," smiled Ymir. The elf didn''t look like a merchant, but he had a business sense. "Living as a wandering merchant in such a dangerous world must not be easy with creatures lurking around," remarked Kazuki, running his finger along the tip of a bone lance. Ymir shook his head. "My skills allow me to avoid the most perilous places. It''s the thieves that are the most challenging to deal with. Tradition obliges me to bury them myself." The implication was clear; Ymir wasn''t defenseless. "What kind of currency do you accept?" asked Hyshana. "Normally, I engage in bartering with local tribes¡ªcores, rare plants, leathers... However, I can now accept Sun points." The information was interesting. The use of bartering meant that no power had succeeded in imposing its currency. Their region was a sort of Wild West: opportunities were plentiful, but no higher authority would protect the rights of the inhabitants. "Are there many local tribes?" asked Kazuki. Ymir shrugged. "The Wandering Islands are immense. I''ve spent the last century exploring them and have only seen a small part. What interests both of us are the nearest tribes. One of my Talents indicates three tribes are approaching and likely to settle here." Priam grimaced. According to Seth, the tribes had Tier 3 fighters. At least. "Why would three different tribes decide to come at the same time?" Hyshana''s question interested Priam, who listened closely. "The Seven push away the most dangerous creatures when new Champions arrive. This predator vacuum is a boon for locals living in fear of a cataclysm triggered by a bored high Tier." "Do you think these tribes will be hostile?" Ymir placed his palm on his forehead again. "Only the Seven know. Nevertheless, for reasons that border on superstition, tribes refuse to establish territories. Your camp, though primitive, is their only way to access the Sun Shop Auctions. If you play your cards right, their presence will be a boon rather than a bane." Priam''s face remained impassive as he insulted Seth inwardly. Let¡¯s hope leaving one of theirs for dead isn''t reason enough for them to attack us... While Kazuki asked for details about the nomadic lifestyle favored by the Wandering Islands inhabitants, Priam pondered the opportunity offered by these tribes. Perhaps I could direct them against Sumstreh... A few minutes later, seeing Priam gazing distractedly at his merchandise, Ymir approached. "My instinct tells me I will have a better chance of selling you plant samples than this crockery." Priam looked up in surprise at Ymir. Log-a-rhythm had already accumulated over eight hundred Potential points, and he was already considering which upgrades to purchase. I could sacrifice some plants to it. Ymir led him to the end of the pavilion. Kazuki and Hyshana had disappeared behind shelves, but the elf didn''t seem concerned. It was safe to assume that he knew everything happening in his shop. "This is my garden," he said, opening a sliding door. "I use some of these plants in my diet, but everything is for sale." The characteristic smell of earth assaulted Priam''s nostrils upon entering the greenhouse. Heated and artificially lit, it probably didn''t exceed thirty square meters but displayed an impressive variety of vegetables, flowers, and tubers of all kinds. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Establishing a mental connection with Log-a-rhythm, Priam smiled as an alien curiosity invaded him. If he could sacrifice this garden, Log-a-rhythm would gain thousands of potential points. "How much would one of each plant cost?" asked Priam as his hearts accelerated. "For such a massive purchase, I can give you a wholesale price: three million Sun points." Priam opened his mouth, stunned by the merchant''s audacity. "Three million?!" "Half of these plants have little value, about a hundred thousand points," explained Ymir. "The other half is rarer. Some plants come from other sectors of Elysium, even from other worlds or universes, brought back by travelers, descendants of Champions, and merchants. The only reason I have such a wide variety of plants is my vegetarian diet." Priam looked at the plants resignedly. As a merchant, it was expected that Ymir would boast about his goods, but he had little to gain by cheating the lord who hosted him. If Priam felt wronged, nothing prevented him from demanding reparation... A small voice in his head whispered to steal what he coveted, but Priam silenced it. Stealing from strangers to survive was acceptable, and he had done it during the Reunion. However, his honor forbade him from stealing from someone who depended on him. A lord who pillages his territory sacrifices the future. "We''ll go gradually then," replied Priam. "Do you have plants with anticoagulant properties?" [Hemorrhage Resistance] was currently stuck at the common rank because Priam refused to choose a mediocre upgrade. His System had given him an idea to unlock a high upgrade: dying from bleeding. For that, using a plant capable of thinning the blood was necessary. Ymir showed him twelve different plants, and Priam bought them all for fifteen thousand Sun points. Being stingy about his own progress was foolish. "Do you need anything else?" asked the merchant. "The main reason for your summoning was to unlock the Auctions. Is it possible now?" "I will go establish the contract with the Guardian of Secrets today. My commission is fifteen percent. Is that acceptable?" "That suits me. How do we proceed?" "Follow me," smiled Ymir. The merchant led him to the center of the pavilion, where an altar-like structure stood. Kazuki and Hyshana approached as Ymir conjured a holographic screen. "Opening a new channel only requires your spiritual signature and the name of your territory." As the altar scanned him, Priam thought of a name. He had never really had a reason to name his base, but they needed one to open up to the world. "Any ideas?" asked Priam. "You''re the Lord," replied Kazuki before looking at his wife. "Hyshana says I have no talent for finding names." "He wanted to name our daughter Dorii. In English, that would be Speary," sighed Hyshana. "A powerful name," defended Kazuki. "Right?" The name was ridiculous, but Priam didn''t want to betray his rival. He just had to dodge the question. "... I''m not familiar enough with hoplite customs to have an informed opinion." "In any case, it''s your responsibility as Lord to name your territory," insisted Hyshana. Priam thought about his territory, Elysium, his new life, and his loved ones. What did he want to create as a base? A haven of peace, abundance, and exchanges for its residents. A sanctuary in the heart of a ruthless world. Naturally, a word appeared. "Oasis." The portal leading to the clearing closed behind Priam. The Auctions would soon be available, but Hyshana and his father knew what to buy. While others could manage the camp, Priam, Kazuki, and Jasmine were the only three capable of handling the worst threats. So, Priam decided to delegate some tasks to focus on his progression. "Finally alone..." Tired from his recent social interactions, particularly the funeral vigil, Priam forced himself to relax. Unless the base were under attack, he would not be disturbed. In the training room created for the occasion, he was cut off from the world. The dim light emitted by the sap pulsating in the wood beneath his feet was the only stimulation. Log-a-rhythm served him a bowl of fresh sap as Priam contemplated his upcoming training. Without meridians, there was no aether. His options were therefore limited to Supremacies and Concepts. Priam hadn''t decided yet what to do with Mist, and though he had an idea to boost his Pyro affinity without using draconic Soul Harmonization or an affinity Token, this idea required his death. That left his Supremacies, particularly Mastery. Its absence highlighted one of Priam''s weaknesses: insufficient mastery of the spear. It was time to remedy that. Promesse appeared in Priam''s hand. "Today, I need to train alone," Priam murmured to his weapon. "Please don''t try to help me." Priam thought he felt a sense of approval from his weapon. "I''m ready," he announced. [Start of the "Spear Mastery" training program.] The formidable AGI of his system had prepared a program tailored to Priam to work on his Supremacies. The method was based on the training, duels, and battles observed by Log-a-rhythm. Each occupant of the base had been analyzed, and the Assistant had compiled the collected data. [Step 1: Use Micro to ignore your sight sense.] Priam complied. A veil of darkness fell before his still-open eyes. The sound of his breathing and hearts intensified while his sense of balance heightened. [Step 2: Use only Micro to control your body. Avoid any instinctive movement. Use Domain to navigate in space. Tip: Pay attention to air movements, sound wave propagation, and temperature gradients within your authority sphere. The slightest suspicious data can reveal the presence of camouflage or illusion.] As a plan to overthrow Sumstreh took shape in his mind, Priam had not forgotten ¨¨ve. His add-on had devised a training to counter his rival''s powers. Having already unlocked Micro I, Priam completed Step 2 without much difficulty. However, he was aware that maintaining this control in a stressful situation would not be as easy. [Step 3: Follow the movements of your Shadow Rival.] A shadow appeared, identical to Priam in every way. The illusion, a mental injection from his add-on, took shape and began practicing hoplite katas. Priam copied it while monitoring the air disturbances created by his movements. Priam pirouetted through the air with his spear, a deadly grace unfolding in each fluid movement. His lithe form weaved an intricate tapestry of precision and power. In the dim light, his every step echoed the artistry of a warrior lost in the cadence of battle. Seconds turned into minutes, and the exercise became inhumane. Focused, Priam forced himself to analyze every piece of information transmitted by his Domain. His terrifying quickness increased his thought speed, but he was born human. The upgrades of his race had not changed his brain structure. Thus, he could not process multiple problems simultaneously. Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 9 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 With the level-up, a minuscule amount of aether entered his body. Under normal circumstances, Priam wouldn''t have noticed, but the absence of aether circulating in his meridians made the influx evident to his senses. A skill¡¯s level-up gives me aether? Where does it go? Surprised, his concentration broke, and Priam failed to execute a movement. Annoyance surged in his chest, and he forced himself to exhale. The shadow restarted from the beginning, and Priam imitated it. As the exercise progressed, his frustration disappeared. While his breath became raspy, Priam stumbled upon a challenging kata. Refusing to succumb to frustration, he merely breathed. His mistake showed him the way. He just needed not to repeat it to improve. Cut off from the world, Priam failed and restarted, again and again. Without daylight or a watch, time seemed suspended. He wouldn''t have been able to say when, but eventually, practice made perfect. Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 10, 11 STR +2 AGI +2 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 7,...,15 AGI + 9 Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 14, 15, 16 AGI +3 DEXT +6 There was nothing like stretches and hoplite katas to work on flexibility and physical coordination. Priam smiled as he saw his strength and agility reach four hundred ninety-five points. The first threshold was close. [Step 4: Face your Rival Shadow. The shadow will change in size and technique every ten minutes. Tip: Since [Kinetic Control] is unavailable, simulating the clash between two weapons is impossible. An evasive fighting style has been selected to account for this limitation. Despite this, resetting your body as soon as [He Who Eludes Death]''s cooldown ends is strongly encouraged. Death number 7 (Exsanguination) is preferred.] Priam had a thin smile, remembering the creative deaths listed by his system. The worst part is that I''ll end up testing them all... The shadow went on guard, and Priam cleared his mind. It was time to unlock his Mastery. [Focus]. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 495 (+4) Constitution 856 Agility 495 (+22) Vitality 765 Perception 685 MENTAL: Vivacity 421 Dexterity 547 (+9) Memory 318 Willpower 925 Charisma 585 META: Meta-affinity 418 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 296 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 30 Potential: 1962 (+21) Tier 0 Sun points: 34 853 (-1 731) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 43 minutes 22 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 166 days 5 hours 16 minutes 15 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 189: Hot-Blooded, Cold-Blooded, Bloodless Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 12, 13, 14 STR +3 AGI +3 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 5, 6, 7 AGI +6 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 AGI +10 DEXT +5 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 19 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 17, 18 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 20 STR +1 [Spear Slash] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Great Spear Slash - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Many Slashes - Rare] - You mastered several slash variations. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Hoplite Slash - Rare] - Your body and mind have assimilated the Hoplite expertise of the spear. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Hoplite Slash - Rare]. POT -20 [Hoplite Slash] - For millennia, hoplites have refined the Art of War. Many of them have reached Mastery in their weapon of choice: the Spear. This ancestral knowledge has been passed down and purified over the years to create a devastating style. By observing the greatest contemporary hoplite masters, you have captured the essence of an ever-changing form: the Hoplite Slash. Don''t confuse a duel with a battle. STR +3 Lvl Up: [Osmosis] lvl 6 PHY +1 META (AFFI) +4 Agility exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Strength exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Drawing from the knowledge offered by his skills, Priam moved his body with agility. Dodging a thrust with a step to the right, he spotted an opening but chose to step back. The next moment, his opponent turned the frontal movement into a lateral strike. If Priam had attempted to counter, Shadow-Hyshana''s sword would have disemboweled him. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 20 PERC +1 DEXT +2 This was followed by a devastating combo that forced Priam to give up even more ground. Listening to [Battle Footwork], Priam used quick but sure steps to stay out of reach of the enemy''s blade. Priam could have easily won a fight against the real Hyshana, but the shadow hoplite possessed his attributes. Without a Concept or active skill, Priam was overwhelmed by his opponent''s style. It was the best way to feel the technical gap between him and Hyshana. The gap created by Mastery. For now, Priam was outmatched... Yet his determination and racial Talent aided him in adapting. After ten minutes of torture, the shadow changed, taking the form of Louis. Taking advantage of the brief respite offered by the transformation, Priam launched into a deadly combo that the illusion of the old man avoided effortlessly. Body Mastery and Micro made it as agile as an eel. The shadow played with Promesse, waiting for the right moment to counter. The two opponents danced for several seconds, advancing and retreating, turning around each other in a deadly waltz. Priam smiled, overclocking his muscles one by one, using his attributes to their maximum. The strength and agility milestones had altered his body, allowing his muscles to summon more strength and injecting more flexibility into his tendons. His body was now capable of withstanding more violent efforts. However, unlike a quantitative increase in his constitution, the strength and agility thresholds qualitatively reinforced his tissues. The improvement was useful for any user, but Micro owners had a particular use for it. Previously, Priam had to be careful with each overclock. Most of the time, he used a series of micro-overclocks to speed up at key moments in a fight. Overclocks that were too long or intense tore his muscles and tendons or damaged his joints. Only his bones could withstand the repercussions thanks to the first constitution threshold. Now, more extreme overclocks were possible. The first physical thresholds complemented Micro, and Priam was sure it wasn''t a coincidence. The System - or perhaps the laws of all Universes - tended to create a path that led each organism to a peak of power where each improvement complemented the others. The Zenith. Breathing heavily, Priam felt fatigue accumulating. Using Micro and overclocks so freely depleted even his titanic endurance reserves. Pushing Louis''s shadow into a corner of the room, he pressed his advantage before delivering the final blow. Overclocking the most powerful muscles in his body, Priam focused on the knowledge brought by his latest skill. [Hoplite Slash] showed him the way, guiding Promesse in a perfect arc that sliced through the air with crushing intensity. Pressure built up in his body before exploding into an irresistible attack. For a moment, the movement transcended the possible, opening an eternal door. Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 2, 3 STR +6 The blow sliced through the air without touching Louis. The shadow must have used its Supremacies and a movement skill to avoid being cut. Despite the power of the attack, Shadow-Louis had evaded. It was inconsequential; Priam had felt the Mastery. It still eluded him, but he already felt closer to his weapon. The first time was always the hardest; now the door was ajar. Under the speed of the attack, a gust arose in the training room. Shadow-Louis leaped, ready to counter as Priam braced himself, grimacing. In the heat of exhilaration, he had forgotten to analyze the sound waves and air movements in his Domain. In a real fight, such errors could have cost him dearly. Promesse barely parried the shadow''s first attack, but its foot struck Priam''s lower abdomen. Game over. Priam canceled the shadow before sitting on the floor, letting the tension leave his body. When Louis used his Body Mastery and Micro, Priam stood no chance. The shadow''s movements became lightning-fast, and its attacks exquisite. His two Supremacies supported each other, allowing Louis to briefly triple or quadruple his attributes. It didn''t matter; Priam wasn''t there to win. He was there to lose, to reveal and patch his weaknesses, and to observe the movements of a master. It was already paying off, as evidenced by the upgrade of [Spear Slash]. All hoplites learned spear handling from a tender age. Some, like Hyshana, developed a preference for the sword, yet none forgot the weapon that had forged them into warriors. Priam had faced every hoplite for hours, analyzing their movements and imitating their forms. Every soldier who came to Elysium was a master and a prodigy. All had trained since birth and were heirs to an ancient martial art. Each master had developed their own style, so there were as many variations as there were hoplites. But by facing them, by analyzing their technique and forms, Priam had discovered a common foundation. A pure and stable core on which their spear expertise rested. A normal human would have taken years to integrate hoplite knowledge, to glimpse the martial truth in the different movements. Priam had taken a few hours. It was, of course, due to his great vivacity and his system capable of dissecting the trajectory, shape, and tempo of hoplite attacks, but also thanks to his Supremacies. Micro gave Priam almost perfect control over his body and increased his coordination and affinity. Domain allowed him to observe the execution of his movement, making sure it was ideal. All his advantages synergized to allow Priam to progress at a terrifying speed. When he unlocks Mastery, the last Supremacy, it will enhance his natural talent, synergizing with his other Supremacies to complete his build. [[Spear Grappling] should unlock Spear Mastery I.] Priam agreed with his add-on. The last spear skill that would complete his set was based on grappling. In other words, the spear shaft would be used to trip an enemy, redirect an attack, or even strike after a wide-ranging slash. There were, however, two problems with acquiring the skill. The first was the lack of data for his system to simulate and analyze the skill. When facing corrupted beings, hoplites used thrusts and cuts more than the shaft of their spear. Why topple an enemy when you could crush their skull? Hoplites only used grappling in their duels, but those had become scarce since the beginning of the Necro event. If a soldier had enough energy to fight, it was better to acquire Sun points. The second problem was the spar. [Unrelenting Thrust] and [Hoplite Slash] could be practiced against a shadow. But to acquire a grappling skill, a real duel was needed. "I need Kazuki''s help. But first, I have to reset my body." Training without Aether had been a success because Priam had been able to focus on the teachings of his skills rather than their power. He had even made a serendipitous discovery: each skill level-up absorbed a certain amount of ambient Aether. His current theory was that skills, like attributes, were runes inscribed in his cells or his soul. Perhaps both. During a level-up, skills required Aether in small quantities, either to fill themselves or to be edited. It was merely conjecture for now, but Priam wagered it was close to the truth. But how had he absorbed Aether without meridians? [Osmosis] was the answer. The lack of Aether circulation in his body had forced it to absorb ambient Aether. The skill was still weak, but Priam was convinced that it could eventually allow him to freely use ambient Aether. If that were the case, his reserves would be infinite. The possibility was interesting but distant. There were more urgent matters. [[He Who Eludes Death] primed. It is advised to use Death #7: exsanguination. The probability of obtaining a high upgrade for [Hemorrhage Resistance] is high.] If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Upon seeing his add-on¡¯s advice, Priam became pensive. How had he ended up here? His cold pragmatism urged him to seize every opportunity to grow stronger. Otherwise, he would regret it. Nevertheless, a small part of him, one that hadn''t yet fully adapted to this new world, mourned. Inflicting horrendous suffering upon oneself for progress seemed dreadful. Through his actions, he changed a little more each day, drifting further from the student he had once been. A unique tear trickled down Priam''s cheek. Ignoring his fears, he proceeded to spend five thousand Sun points to buy a rare scalpel. Without Aether, he could no longer condense ice into a blade. He could have cut himself with Promesse, but the spear was impractical for what he was about to do. Priam lay in a bath of fluid sap and closed his eyes. Invoking Micro, he blocked his nociceptive receptors. If he had to die, it might as well be painless. The lifeblood began to flow from his wounds, trickling into the bath, and Priam was surprised by how swiftly his strength ebbed away. [Hemorrhage Resistance] was too weak compared to his vitality. Both of his hearts were pumping a massive volume of blood through his cardiovascular system, and the significant flow prevented his blood from clotting. As if that weren''t enough, Priam also noted his blood''s minimal reaction to the air, the liquid refusing to solidify. Undoubtedly, it was a side effect of his vitality, preventing his body from reacting to external substances. Feeling his body drain was a harrowing experience, prompting Priam to ingest the herbs purchased from Ymir to expedite the process. His blood began to flow freely. Simultaneously, [Homo Elysian Obsession] activated. As the vital fluid fled Priam, he felt his soul cracking. [Immediate memory loss. Loss of consciousness. Loss of will. Source: [Homo Elysian Obsession]. Emergency protocol in place.] Priam grimaced, trying to concentrate his will to stay conscious. He had things to do before dying. The next minutes stretched. Priam lost liters of blood before realizing that his bone marrow was producing an enormous amount of blood cells. Certainly one of the advantages brought by the first threshold of his vitality. I would never have discovered this if I hadn''t bled several liters in a few minutes... Unfortunately for his vigorous organism, Priam was determined to reset his body. His face turned pale, his hearts pounded, and dizziness and headaches shook him. Several times, he forgot the situation and thought he was being attacked. Why was he lying in a pool of his own blood? Without his add-on reminders, Priam would have forgotten his goal. Damn, I must stay focused! Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 5 WILL +18 CHAR +9 As his mental lapses became more concerning, Priam began to question his system''s advice. Had it been hacked? Panic gripped him for a moment before partial memory returned. Taking advantage of a last moment of consciousness, Priam decided to speed things up. Holding the scalpel with difficulty in his left hand, he opened his chest. Covering the blade with his Aura, Priam used it to sever his sternum. Once the thorax was open, he took a final breath and performed an aortic dissection on his human heart, then on his draconic heart. Blood surged inside the aorta wall. Priam instantly realized that he would not recover from the cardiac hemorrhage. Good¡­ Mentally, his ego was already eroding. Who was he? [Imminent death. Implementation of test protocols #1, #2, and #3. Test #1: search for increased Pyro Affinity through adaptation to spiritual damage. Search for increased Domain through adaptation to spiritual damage. Test #2: search for increased Pyro Affinity through adaptation to physical damage. Test #3: search for Nirvana through immolation with Pyro.] Mobilizing Pyro and Conquest, the Assistant created fireballs in the center of Priam''s lungs. Simultaneously, the spark symbolizing the Pyro Concept orbiting around his soul destabilized. A rift leading to the Pyro Domain tore through the mental space. The next moment, Priam''s body and soul were engulfed in flames. Nirvana activated. Connection established. Pyro¡­ The fragment of one of my fieriest children. It''s a potent Concept, but a proud one. If you manage to make it evolve, come back to me. Nirvana failure. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 20 Message from your patron: My Concept synergizes with your newfound Talent to expand the size of your soul. The perks are apparent, but beware the High Tribulations... Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: VIT +15 WILL +6 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +5% (68%). [Supremacy - Domain] - Sphere of authority radius: +0.5 meters (2.5 meters). New upgrade available for [Hemorrhage Resistance]. [Hemorrhage Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Hemorrhage Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Hemorrhage Resilience - Rare] - You''ve endured numerous internal and external hemorrhages. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 NEW - [Thick Blood - Rare] - You''ve lost nearly all your blood. You''ve experienced a cardiac hemorrhage. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 You have selected the skill [Thick Blood - Rare]. POT -20 [Thick Blood] - Your blood transforms to clot more easily. You shouldn''t bleed out after nicking your pinky finger. Blood is thicker than water. Yet, is it the blood of covenant or of kin? The choice is yours to make... VIT +3 Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 6 WILL +18 CHAR +9 Lvl Up: [Aura Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 META (Authority) +3 Title won! [Bloodless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your blood. Your body adapts and discovers another vital fluid. The aether flowing in your meridians gradually permeates your body. This is the first step on a mythic path. On the ground, you see a dragon''s footprints. You have a little blood left. On your hands. VIT +10% [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 23 hours 52 minutes 17 seconds. "The wolf leaves his den." "I was hungry," Priam replied, smiling at his rival. "The Auctions?" "Will get us out of the Stone Age," Kazuki completed. "Your father found reagents capable of reinforcing the stone, allowing Rose to create more powerful runes. They''ve started upgrading the rampart to rank II, and we plan to buy rank III soon." It only took a glance for Priam to understand why. The trees lining the clearing were in a pathetic state. It didn''t seem to bother Blueberry, who was tending to a barbecue. The aroma tickled Priam''s nostrils. The bear must have found spices at the Auctions. "Was there an attack?" Judging by the Sun points Priam had passively earned during his retreat, tens of thousands of corrupted beings had met their demise. "A big one. We spent all our points to buy bio-traps, and it barely sufficed. I was close to calling you for backup. By the way, Louis is sure he spotted the Necro Envoy watching the battle." Kazuki shrugged. "I don''t know if he''s right, but it''s likely." Priam grimaced. "I see. No casualties?" "Our ammunition reserves bled, but not our men." "Good. I''m not sure if it''s the best timing for you, but do you have time for a duel?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "Don''t you have enough opponents as it is?" "I feel like I''m on the verge of unlocking Mastery. I want to face another spear master to learn grappling." Kazuki''s gaze shifted. He scrutinized Priam''s face for a bit before nodding. "You''re close. Follow me." Kazuki led him to a circle of packed earth that served as a dueling ground for the hoplites. Most were busy fortifying the defenses, but two soldiers were tending to their gear on the side. They saluted Kazuki. "I may not be your instructor anymore, but I advise you all to watch this duel," Kazuki said. The hoplites saluted before observing Priam with intensity. "No active skills, Concept, or Aura," Priam proposed. "Just the spear," Kazuki smiled before assuming a stance. His flawless position offered no openings. Priam had fought his shadow dozens of times, but it made no difference. With a spear in hand, Kazuki was a monster. "Ready?" Priam''s hearts quickened. He would awaken his Supremacy during this duel. "Ready." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 525 (+30) Constitution 860 (+4) Agility 525 (+30) Vitality 840 (+75) Perception 689 (+4) MENTAL: Vivacity 421 Dexterity 562 (+15) Memory 318 Willpower 984 (+59) Charisma 615 (+30) META: Meta-affinity 423 (+5) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 (+3) Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 (+3) Potential: 1974 (+12) Tier 0 Sun points: 47 791 (+12 938) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 6 minutes 59 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 23 hours 40 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 190: Aced it - Part 1 "Ready." Kazuki lunged forward, his new onyx spear in hand. Raising his weapon, he brought it down as if he were chopping wood. The ground beneath Priam''s feet compressed as he blocked. Enhanced by Micro II, the hoplite''s strength was formidable. Trapped between the ground and the enemy''s spear, Priam grimaced as he saw the hoplite prepare a knee strike. Turning his own spear clockwise, Priam guided the enemy''s away and blocked the knee with the shaft of Promesse. The force propelled him backward, and his feet dug trenches to absorb the kinetic energy. Even before he looked up, his Domain warned him that Kazuki was coming back for an attack. Dodging the charge with hoplite-inspired footwork, Priam struck. [Hoplite Slash]. Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 4 STR +3 Kazuki blocked, a knowing smile on his lips. "Feels like I''ve seen that move before." "It''s yours," replied Priam, taking the initiative with a combo. A piercing thrust was deflected and transformed by a pirouette into an oblique slash. Kazuki stepped back, and the grass exploded as Promesse hit the ground. The cloud of dust and dirt obstructed all vision, but his Domain warned him: a rock was hurtling toward him. Priam tilted his head, avoiding the projectile before leaping. His overclocked muscles shattered the ground beneath his feet as he reached Kazuki. Anchored firmly, the hoplite endured a second [Hoplite Slash]. The clash of weapons echoed in the clearing, bringing smiles to the fighters'' faces. With a quick wrist movement demonstrating great dexterity, Kazuki coiled his spear around Priam''s and ripped it away with a twist. Promesse flew behind the hoplite Champion and planted itself in the ground. "Losing your weapon is losing your life," warned Kazuki before counterattacking. Priam grimaced before evading a series of rapid attacks. While retreating, he sought a way to retrieve his spear, but Kazuki was everywhere. Using his superior technique, the hoplite created openings in Priam''s retreat. In a deadly dance, both fighters gave their all, one attacking, the other evading. Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 21 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Aware of the threat, the Homo Elysian activated Micro at full throttle. Awakening his limitless endurance, Priam decided to leverage his physical advantage. Overclocking a dozen muscles, he waited for the enemy''s spear to be slightly offset by an attack before advancing. Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 10 AGI +2 DEXT +1 Kazuki instantly raised his weapon, but the hoplite had underestimated Priam''s speed. The onyx spear bit into his thigh, failing to penetrate the tough muscle before Priam entered the hoplite''s guard. His thick blood quickly coagulated, refusing to nourish the grass. In close quarters, Priam punched the hoplite in the chest. Kazuki absorbed the blow by jumping backward, landing twenty meters away. The hoplite''s anatomy was more protected than a human''s, and his rival merely spat out a bit of blood. Priam wasn''t fooled¡ª with Micro II, Kazuki''s directed vitality would soon repair the damage. The crucial thing was that he had repelled his opponent. Priam advanced, retrieved Promesse, and assumed a fighting stance. Kazuki gave him a smile before leaping. The two spears clashed, resonating in the clearing. With a fluid movement, Priam feinted, diverting Kazuki''s attention, then delivered a kick. Kazuki chose to absorb it and return an elbow strike. The two combatants briefly separated, catching their breath. Priam wiped the blood from his jaw, smiling. He had less technique, but his attributes were superior. His constitution was so high that it was less dangerous to hit a concrete block than one of his bones. Judging by Kazuki''s grimace, his elbow hadn''t enjoyed the experience. The hoplite raised his onyx spear, and Priam growled. His rival wouldn''t make the same mistake again. The two opponents silently charged at each other. Neither was foolish enough to waste oxygen by shouting. The exchanges between the two rivals intensified as their destructive blows created cascades of sparks, illuminating the duel zone. Kazuki focused on grappling, demonstrating the subtleties of the spear technique. The shaft was a formidable weapon when wielded with agility and dexterity. Focused, Priam and his system learned. The match was, above all, a lesson. Minutes passed, and Priam gained confidence. Kazuki was an intelligent teacher who knew how to instill confidence in his students. The blows became more violent, promising an imminent resolution. Without making any glaring mistakes, the hoplite left a few openings for Priam. Suddenly, the long-awaited moment arrived. In the midst of a brutal exchange, Kazuki swung his spear like an axe. Priam blocked the attack, advancing while Kazuki retreated. As Promesse was perpendicular to the enemy''s spear, Priam slid it forward. The tip of Kazuki''s weapon rose as Promesse approached the hoplite. With a quick movement, Priam turned his spear, bringing the tip downward. Kazuki leaned backward to protect his neck and avoid being slashed. That wasn''t Priam''s goal. Promesse continued its circular arc, its shaft still holding the enemy''s spear. As its tip approached the ground, Priam shifted it with a shoulder twist. The weapon slipped between the hoplite''s legs and pressed under his left knee. Priam only needed to lift his spear like a lever. Pushed upward by Promesse, Kazuki''s leg rose. Priam pressed on the chest of his off-balance opponent to make him fall. Clearing the enemy spear, Priam pointed Promesse at his rival. You have gained the skill: [Spear Grappling - Rare]. [Spear Grappling] - A spear is a polearm typically designed for thrusting. But you can''t solve all your problems with the sharp end. In close-quarters combat, the shaft allows for grappling maneuvers that will send your opponent to the ground. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! When you''re this close to your foe, your breath should be enough to defeat them. A month without brushing your teeth, aren''t you ashamed? STR +1 AGI +2 "You got it," guessed Kazuki. The spearmaster could smell that kind of thing. "Thanks to you," smiled Priam, swinging his weapon aside and leaning forward. Extending his hand, he helped Kazuki to his feet. Priam harbored no illusions. The hoplite had seen through his act and had only allowed the charade so that he would gain the skill. "Well executed. You have all the ingredients to unlock Mastery now. What you need is to gather them in a fluid style. You''ll train with my soldiers; it''ll do them good to face someone like you." "Okay." Kazuki nodded before hesitating. Looking around, he quickly contracted certain muscles under his skin. Priam''s Domain spotted the movements, and his system translated the coded language. "Rose and Myuri are starting to ask questions about Sphinx. She''s been missing for too long." Priam clenched his fists before nodding imperceptibly. It was time to accelerate things. Rose meticulously sketched the final rune using the invisible ink acquired from the Auctions. The liquid embedded itself in the wood like a transparent tattoo. Only a special lantern could reveal the ink, preventing any spy from decoding the circuit reinforcing the barricade. Stepping back from her creation, Rose cracked a tired yet satisfied smile. The past hours had been dedicated to designing and replicating the same geometric pattern on the wooden barricade. Myuri and Alain had assisted her, significantly reducing the time required for the task. They could be proud; the rampart cut a fine figure. Rose''s runes created relatively simple enchantments. The majority absorbed the ambient aether, filtering it before guiding it to other enchantments. One strengthened the wall''s structure, dispersing the kinetic energy of an attack over a wide area. Another created a barrier between the wall and the air, requiring any assault on the fortification to first breach this layer. Yet, what made Rose most proud was the vitality rune. Basic corrupted beings lacked consciousness, possessing only instinct. The Necro Concept aimed to convert the still uncorrupted living beings. That explained why the revenants didn''t attack the trees¡ªalready corrupted¡ªbut lunged at the defenders. Rose had had the idea to inscribe vitality runes within the rampart, diverting the undead¡¯s attention and guiding them towards the bio-traps or automated turrets. One of these vitality pockets was just above her, and Rose climbed to the top of the wall using a ladder before checking her creation. The defensive artillery dominated the forest, ready to fire at the corrupted as soon as the hoplites reopened the barrier. The turret resembled a levitating, perforated wooden sphere above a disc connected to Log-a-rhythm. Its omnidirectional aim was an asset, and its aether projectiles could obliterate a corrupted being. With a firing speed of twelve rounds per minute¡ªone shot every five seconds¡ªthere was room for improvement, but the material couldn''t support a higher rate according to Alain. He was the one who carved them out of wood, and the old man knew what he was talking about. Rose pocketed eighty percent of the Sun points collected by the turret, with the rest going into a communal fund to improve Oasis'' defenses. That was quite a sum, but far from what she envisioned. For her, the event was an opportunity to become strong enough to resurrect her mother. "The wood held up," Alain smiled as he approached. The two enchanters had feared that the material would degrade under the impact of aether. "But we''ll need to use Log-a-rhythm wood if we want to upgrade the turret to rank two or three," Rose sighed. "Producing wood slows its growth. In the long run, it''s a miscalculation. For now, it''s more economical to create five rank one turrets than one rank two¡ªfor comparable performance." As an elderly person, Alain was accustomed to taking a step back to assess problems. "But progress is slower," Rose pointed out. "I know we''re at war, but we can''t just turn Oasis into a fortress. We need to look beyond this event. Surviving our Tribulations won''t come from farming the same skills." Oasis. The new name for the base appealed to Rose. It summarized their situation well. "... You''re right. I''ll mention it to Priam," Alain sighed. "Did you check the Shop?" Seeing Alain''s smile, Rose quickly opened the Sun Shop. Selecting the rampart, she let out a cry of joy. Sun Shop: Territory: Rampart III (25 000 points) - Improvement. The System deemed their rampart efficient enough to be rank two. "We can be proud of ourselves," Alain smiled. "I''ll ask Priam to upgrade it to rank three at the end of his training," he said, moving away. Rose turned to the young man. Agilely, he dodged the attacks of a hoplite at a terrifying speed. Every move of his caused gusts, and his accelerations seemed on the verge of breaking the sound barrier. Since yesterday, he had been training with various soldiers without taking a break. Beyond his formidable vitality, Rose admired his determination and will. Was he born with this zeal for life and the drive to transcend himself every day? Rose had asked Alain the question. According to his father, Priam had always been eager, but the Tutorial had reignited the embers smoldering in his heart. The young man had waited for life to offer him a quest that resonated with him. Now he was thriving. "Do you admire him?" Rose blushed at Myuri''s soft voice. "I admire his will," Rose confirmed. "Even though he killed your father?" Rose shook her head. She found it impressive that Myuri was so brazen with her and so terrified in front of Priam. "My father committed suicide, and Priam was his weapon. I never blamed him because he''s not responsible. But I''m surprised that it interests you so much. Were you close to your father?" Myuri hesitated before answering. "I don''t know my father for sure. I think it''s the King." "Wouldn''t that make you a princess?" Myuri grimaced. "Royalty''s bastards become royal slaves. We serve in other castles than our mother''s to avoid alliances. I don''t know my parents, but I was the King¡¯s chamber slave and one of the few he never bedded." Myuri''s words made Rose wince. "To avoid genetic diseases?" Rose guessed. Myuri nodded. "They weaken the royal Talent." A cry made them turn around. Priam had just sent his opponent to the ground. Another one was already presenting himself. "You should talk to him, you know? He doesn''t bite," Rose smiled. Myuri averted her eyes. "... He terrifies me." Rose had a compassionate smile. She had never suffered because of a man, but her mother had already warned her. What had happened to Myuri was terrible. "I can''t understand what happened to you," Rose said. "But I know you''re strong enough to overcome your fears. I admire you a lot, Myuri." Seeing the former slave''s stunned expression, Rose understood that she had probably never received a compliment. "Come on, there''s still work to be done." Myuri nodded silently. Chapter 190: Aced it - Part 2 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 5, 6, 7 STR +9 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 19 STR +3 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 11, 12 AGI +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 STR +5 AGI +10 Facing Priam, a new hoplite took a defensive stance. Lifting his spear, he nodded in respect before leaping forward. Soon, a deluge of thrusts, slashes, and feints rained down on Priam. Despite mental fatigue, his weakening arm, and his dissatisfaction, the young warrior parried, blocked, dodged, and countered. The pressure accompanying the fight forced Priam to focus. Once again in the zone, he shed the extraneous. Only the spear remained. Priam was in a sort of trance. The duels flowed one after another, each adversary an expert with a style fiercer than the shadows he had summoned during his training. His system had done its best but couldn¡¯t simulate the hoplites¡¯ Supremacy. Mastery was more than just a technique. It was a truth, a path, a unity. A philosophy. The tip of a spear approached his head, and Priam pivoted slightly to evade it. His add-on pinged him, rating his dodge as excellent. His system analyzed each duel, helping him refine his fighting proficiency. Overclocking the muscles of his torso and arm, Priam attacked, adding a twist to his thrust. The air screamed as the tip of Promesse hurtled toward his opponent. Despite his superior mastery, the attribute gap forced the hoplite to overclock his body to resist the impact. Priam nodded as he analyzed his opponent''s defense and pressed his advantage. His muscles, attributes, and instinct resonated to optimize each move in a deadly choreography. More than the veneer provided by a skill, Micro was one with him. The Supremacy gave him perfect control of each gesture, and his body responded instantly. Dodging the hoplite blade that threatened to decapitate him, Priam counter-attacked, aiming for his opponent''s agile legs. The latter was moving too much for his liking. His long spear bit cruelly into his enemy''s thigh, partially severing a muscle. Promesse was more alive than ever in his hands. His spear skills were forged in his body, imprinted in his muscle memory, written in his mind, and engraved in his soul. Each duel was a crucible that purified Priam''s style. Facing masters was an exceptional opportunity as he could witness the connection between warriors and their weapons. The hoplites, in turn, opened up. When Priam had violently thrown the first soldier to the ground, the others had smiled. Products of a strong martial culture, they appreciated Priam''s will, talent, rage, and above all, his strength. A few words of encouragement were murmured at the end of each fight. A few quick pieces of advice were dispensed. Respect appeared in the soldiers'' eyes. Priam respected them in return and learned from every battle. Under the crimson light of the Necromoon, he refined his art. Yet, in his focused eyes, a gleam of frustration shone. All the ingredients necessary for Spear Mastery were present, but the Supremacy still eluded him. The duels had been going on for almost a day now, and while his skills progressed, Priam didn''t feel any closer to the epiphany. What was missing? Dodging a slash that threatened to open his abdomen, Priam dashed forward. Lifting his leg, he executed a roundhouse kick with all his might. His heel struck the hoplite''s solar plexus, and although the warrior absorbed the blow by moving with it, a crack indicated a few broken ribs. The guard raised his hand as he landed outside the circle. "I lost. A good fight," said the hoplite between two laborious breaths. "A brave opponent," Priam added with a smile. Fatigue was no excuse for rudeness. As the hoplite headed towards Log-a-rhythm to drink some regenerative sap, Priam tightened his grip on Promesse. Another failure... I''m no spear genius like Kazuki, but my technique is excellent now, so what am I missing?! Priam had progressed at breakneck speed using his physical and mental attributes and his system, but he felt he was reaching a turning point. To progress further, he lacked the talent that Spear Mastery would give him. Yet the Supremacy was still eluding him. The snake was biting its own tail. As his hearts raced with frustration, Priam decided to carry on regardless. Through duels, he would eventually find what he lacked! "Who''s next?" he asked the audience. "Me." Priam turned to Louis. The old man had been observing him for some time now. He seemed diminished, but his eyes harbored smoldering embers of rage. "... Are you sure?" "We both need a good fight. You to stimulate your blade and me to resume my journey." Priam opened his mouth before closing it. Louis had been affected by Mirscella''s death and the awakening of the Necro Envoy. Despite that, it was dangerous to underestimate the old man. A lifetime of combat and meditation had forged an iron will and honed a remarkable martial proficiency. Priam took his stance. "Whenever you''re ready." Without a word, Louis leaped forward, closing the distance between them. The palm of his hand parried Promesse as his foot whipped through the air. Priam blocked with his shin, grimacing. His attributes were high but insufficient to face Body Mastery. The two adversaries exchanged a few blows, and suddenly Louis breached his guard. He was so close that Priam no longer had the distance to thrust. He stepped back, and Louis followed, blocking a slash before Promesse could even accumulate kinetic energy. Priam was only entitled to his spear skills, and they were unable to block the blow he received to his stomach. Bent in two, Priam barely had time to see the martial artist''s knee smash against his face. Propelled backward, he caught himself in a roll but took a few seconds to regain his senses. Louis waited at the center of the circle, his face neutral. "The spear is weak in close combat." Louis had spent decades training youths but found it difficult to judge Priam''s talent. His attributes, Talents, race, and the System in general prevented him from doing so. The young man was a prodigy with the spear, but was he the first of a thousand, a million, or a billion? It was hard to say. Nevertheless, it was evident that the boy was ready. He only had one step left to unlock Mastery, but it was the hardest. Priam had to crystallize his knowledge and transcend the mundane. Any other path would be shameful. Wielding a spear as dangerous as Promesse, Priam had to prove himself worthy. Louis could almost hear the weapon roaring, calling for blood and battle. Without a word, the young warrior got up and took his position in the circle. Louis waited for his opponent to blink, then leaped forward. A fatal error in a high-intensity fight. Dodging a powerful but soulless thrust, he ducked to avoid a slash. Priam''s attacks were so perfect that their trajectories became obvious. Louis could have explained it to the young man, but the lessons learned in pain were the ones that were never forgotten. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Taking advantage of a flaw in his opponent''s guard, Louis dived into close combat. Feet, fists, and daggers; these were close combat weapons. The spear was not one. Seizing Priam''s wrist, Louis attempted a judo hold. The young man used Promesse to remain stable. Lifting his knee, the old man struck at his opponent''s testicles. A low blow, but necessary. As expected, Priam pivoted to absorb the attack with his thigh. Using his opponent''s movement, Louis threw him into the air. Priam landed outside the circle. "You protect your family jewels but don''t use them much." The young man''s mask fell for a moment, revealing an angry expression before he sighed. Louis almost smiled seeing him resist the rage. It was a powerful emotion, but useless in a fight. His own anger was powerful enough to set the world on fire, but the old man forgot about Mirscella''s death during the duel. His emotions provided him with direction, but it was his will that allowed him to climb the mountain. Priam came back at him, and Louis dodged dangerous slashes. Body Mastery could block many things, but his mental endurance was limited. Resisting a devastating combo, Louis opened his mouth. "Your technique is improving, but your strikes lack soul. Behind every genius, there is a passionate man." Priam hesitated for a moment, and Louis took advantage to throw himself at his feet. In a capoeira move learned fifty years ago, he swept his opponent to the ground. I knew those dance classes would come in handy one day. Spitting out some dirt mixed with grass, Priam got up, a troubled expression on his face. His technique had improved incredibly in the last twenty-four hours, but it hadn''t been enough to break through the wall that was Spear Mastery. Yet, Louis''s words had shaken it. "That''s good advice, old man." "I''m still young enough to kick your ass." Priam raised an eyebrow. "You still got it, but I only use five skills. It''s not exactly a fair fight." "I recognize a loser''s line when I hear one." Masking a smile, Priam got back into position. In his hand, Promesse vibrated. His spear was ready to fight, to progress, and to move forward. So was he. Without warning, Louis leaped forward. His fist was colored with a blue aura. Priam parried and lifted his foot to counterattack. The old man blocked with his elbow and turned. [Roundhouse kick incoming. Advice: dodge backwards.] With a thought, Priam silenced his add-on. If Louis was right, he had focused too much on technique and not enough on passion. This wasn''t a kata contest, it was a duel. His spear blocked the attack, and his feet dug trenches in the ground to absorb it. His arms protested, but Priam smiled. Advancing a step, he swung Promesse in an arc intended to bring down his opponent. Louis jumped over the slash, and Priam tried to punish the aerial dodge with a thrust. Seizing the tip of Promesse between his hands, Louis began to rotate himself. During his spin, he used his shoulder as a lever to wrench the spear from its wielder. Obeying the laws of physics, the weapon''s shaft began to rise. Time stood still as Priam''s hands opened. His system would have wanted him to abandon his spear and attack Louis with a kick. In the midst of a somersault and unbalanced by Promesse, the old man was unable to defend himself. Victory was assured. His soul refused. Promesse was his, and a warrior without his weapon was dead. The last piece of a puzzle he hadn''t even been aware of assembling appeared in his mind. Priam closed his hands around the shaft of Promesse. Tipping over Louis''s shoulder, the spear and its bearer soared. The sky below him and the earth above his head, Priam locked eyes with Louis. The change in perspective and his realization created an epiphany. Pulling his spear to him, Priam closed his eyes. A spear was both simple and complex. Complex because he could have spent millennia training without practicing all the possible combinations. Simple because it was primarily there to advance, pierce, and conquer. The warrior called his weapon, and it responded. Two instincts merged and Priam-Promesse thrusted. The trajectory was not ideal, and his movement was suboptimal. It didn''t matter. For a moment, the spear advanced, propelled by its wielder. Nothing could stop them. The next moment, inertia took over, and Priam landed a few meters away. In his hand, Promesse shone, its tip red with blood. A sheath of golden energy wrapped around it. "Bravo, kid," Louis smiled, waving his pierced hand. Congratulations, you''ve unlocked Mastery - Stage 1. [Supremacy - Mastery - Spear] - Your soul can now see the world through the prism of the Spear. In these moments, you observe and navigate through a different reality. Operating in Stages, Mastery is used in every Universe. Your deep knowledge of Spear Art unlocks the Spear Link - Stage 0. You have overlaid your will with that of your spear to influence the world - Stage 1. Current stage: 1 - Mastery Imprinted Bonus: PERC +20 / DEX +20 / MEM +10 / WILL +10 Achievement - Legendary: The Supremacies¡¯ trilogy, enhanced by a Concept. In less than a year, you have created a sublime foundation at Tier 0. Face your Tribulations and advance on the Zenith Way. Message for Wandering Islands & Humanity: Priam Azura becomes an Ace. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 5000. Fusion Token - Epic skill. Title [Ace]. Title won! [Ace - Legendary] - The System acknowledges you as worthy of training. Among the multitude of souls populating this Universe, yours stands out. Despite this Title, you are not the only one. VIVA +20% MEM +20% Vivacity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 (+32) Constitution 860 Agility 552 (+27) Vitality 840 Perception 714 (+25) MENTAL: Vivacity 505 (+84) Dexterity 587 (+25) Memory 385 (+67) Willpower 998 (+14) Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 423 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 7 004 (+5 030) Tier 0 Sun points: 56 214 (+8 423) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 3 minutes 49 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 3 hours 37 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1200 Chapter 191: Jasmine’s Tribulations Announcement to Wandering Islands: Priam Azura becomes an Ace. The notification momentarily shattered Sphinx''s concentration. Lost amidst level-up messages, the announcement brought a smile to the young sphinx''s face¡ªthe first since her capture. Priam continued to advance. For the first time in several days, the glimmer of hope within her soul grew. Beneath her, the Fallen''s skeleton trembled. Sphinx got back to work, fearing her tormentor''s mood. The movement of the bones pulled on the chains that bound them, and Sphinx groaned as she felt the spikes embedded in her flesh tremble. According to Sumstreh, negative emotions like pain would enhance her affinity with the negative karma he had accumulated. "¨¨ve." Sumstreh''s voice rumbled, and an image of the deceiver appeared. Sphinx shot her a disdainful look while manipulating the karma of the ancient god. "Yes, Master?" "Priam has just become an Ace." The statement was a simple affirmation, but it carried an accusation. "The distance between the tribes and Oasis is too great for me to monitor him regularly," ¨¨ve replied, unfazed. "The three tribes are beginning negotiations to decide the future location of their respective bases, and I thought this would be the perfect time to sow discord." "That sounds like an excuse." ¨¨ve trembled upon hearing the Fallen''s words. "I thought Tier 4s were more important than Priam." "Not if he''s an Ace," Sumstreh growled. "I beg your pardon. Does this change anything?" "It changes everything! It''s almost impossible for a lone native to get that Title. The consequences are manifold, but suffice it to say that he will experience explosive growth. He has a chance of becoming a Prince." Seeing ¨¨ve''s eyes widen, Sphinx felt very proud of Priam. He''s going to kill you, you liar! "The tribes will try to contact him," predicted Sumstreh. "I want you to quickly organize an attack within the weakest tribe. It will buy us some time. Then, go find Priam with one of my rabhorns. I won''t waste such an important piece. You may leave." "Yes, Master," ¨¨ve replied, bowing. Before disappearing, her illusion cast a regretful glance at Sphinx, who growled. "What¡¯s Oasis?" asked Sphinx, feeling the Fallen''s attention on her. "Priam''s base¡¯s new name. The connection to the Secret Channel obliges him to have one." The base had a new name! Sphinx rolled the word on her tongue before deciding she liked it. On Earth, oases were found in deserts, and the first sphinxes had been carved in deserts as well. It was obviously a tribute from Priam. "Little sphinx, you should keep gnawing at my karmic bonds if you want me to release your friend," said Sumstreh''s specter before disappearing. Sphinx narrowed her eyes before getting back to work. Despite what Sumstreh had said, she knew Priam continued to fight. Their karmic bond was growing stronger, which could only mean he had a plan to save her. When Priam came, she would be ready. Jasmine landed in a disastrous roll. The wooden floor was as hard as stone, and its golden runes had dangerous angles. The impact cracked her pelvis, and the injury reverberated through her soul. The pain splitting her skull made her groan. Her new [Homo Elysian Obsession] passive wasn''t always an advantage. Instead of pressing the attack, her shadow twin retreated. Her fourth Tribulation had endowed her shadow with consciousness and a body. By absorbing her blood, the Tribulation had gradually gained colors. The crimson light in the chamber now illuminated a twenty-year-old woman draped in darkness. In front of her, Jasmine looked like Mirscella''s grandmother. The second Tribulation aged her rapidly. "You are so old. Your weakness disgusts me." "Fuck you." The insult exhausted Jasmine. Her breath was short, and the shadow wasn''t wrong. Her own weakness disgusted her. As she rose to her feet, Jasmine almost slipped on a puddle of her own blood and had to lean against the cube''s wall to keep from falling. Her opponent burst out laughing. "Are you sure you don''t want to come out now? You''ve survived for more than twelve hours. You''ve won," sneered the shadow. Jasmine winced at the provocation. She hadn''t just survived, she had won in the beginning. Her twin had had to flee into the shadows, buying time until Jasmine''s aging caught up with her. Now, her handicap was too great. Her only chance of survival was the white portal levitating from the cube''s ceiling. A deadlier trap than her doppelganger. [Nirvana Gate] had appeared after twenty-four hours, with instructions inscribed on its sides.
  • Passing through the Nirvana Gate ends Jasmine Kaldwin''s second Tribulation (Accelerated aging).
  • The first person through the door is healed and freed from all bonds. All contracts, karmic ties, promises, and obligations are voided.
  • The second person through the door gains the memories and bonds of the first person.
  • The gate¡¯s exit is in Elysium (Wandering Islands, Oasis, in front of Log-a-rhythm).
By crossing the third Tribulation, Jasmine would be healed and purged of all negative effects, including Priam''s system. According to the shadow, it was her reward for surviving a day. It was obviously a trap. Her double would follow behind her, becoming a sort of doppelganger with her memories and bonds¡ªmeaning her system. So far, nothing lethal. The problem lay in the synergy with the first Tribulation, which prevented anyone from monitoring her Tribulations, even deactivating the system implanted in her soul space. Crossing the portal, Jasmine and her double would appear in the middle of the base. The real Jasmine would be healthy and without a system, while the fake would be slightly injured and with a deactivated system. The outcome was obvious: Priam and her friends would attack the real Jasmine, forcing her to flee or defend herself. Even if Jasmine managed to explain the situation, there was a high chance Priam would impose a new system on her and spare her double. As if I''m going to accept having a doppelganger. Fucking Tribulations. Whatever the situation, trust would be shattered. Despite the risks, Jasmine had hesitated for a long time to cross the gate. Thanks to the first Tribulation, she could think without fearing that her add-on would fry her soul. Not crossing meant fighting against her copy as age weakened her a little more each second. The fight was a lost cause. Crossing meant gaining freedom. For someone who had always been little more than a slave, the temptation was terrible. Priam had warned her that the Tribulations would target her weaknesses, but nothing had prepared her for this. Freedom was within reach. Maybe she could escape right after crossing? Priam was powerful, but he couldn''t follow her into the Shadow Domain. Jasmine, however, faced a crucial question. Free to do what? The accelerated aging had made her aware of her inevitable death. Life would end, and her freedom was only valuable if she used it to pursue her dreams. Nonexistent dreams... until recently. The first years of her life had been happy, but her memories of that blessed time were confused. The subsequent years were tragic. Raised in an orphanage, Jasmine had been trained to become the perfect killing machine. Beaten, trained, tamed, she had eventually obeyed, killing hundreds of innocents and monsters. When Priam had chained her again, Jasmine had felt a kind of relief. Her ego was so broken that she didn''t know what to do with her limited freedom. Being free meant being responsible for her actions, and Jasmine feared that. Priam''s orders didn''t bother her. Her boss killed his enemies himself and had entrusted her with the security of the base''s inhabitants. Jasmine didn''t mind killing, but the change suited her. She liked eating with Blueberry, laughing with Rose and Sphinx, and reassuring Myuri. She felt integrated, serving a purpose. Slowly, these strangers had become friends, and orders had become duties. Rescuing and avenging Sphinx felt natural. That''s what she wanted to do. Jasmine realized she wasn''t ashamed to obey Priam. She had never been free, but who truly was? Priam placed his freedom above all, but the young woman didn''t need that to be happy. "You sound like a dog," her shadow sneered. "Happy to obey your master. Developing affection for those who oppress you." "... Did you expect better from a girl like me? That''s how I was raised." "Trained, you mean. The first rival who spares you and doesn''t torture you deserves your loyalty?" "My friends deserve my loyalty," replied Jasmine. "Priam is not your friend." "He''s my boss, but Blueberry, Rose, and Sphinx are my friends." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Yeah? But what kind of friend abandons her friends? Poor Sphinx..." A feeling of anger rose in Jasmine before she crushed it. The shadow sought an opening while weakness overcame her. Soon, her heart would give out. Suddenly, Jasmine received a notification. Announcement to Wandering Islands: Priam Azura becomes an Ace. Noticing her surprise, the shadow raised an eyebrow, and Jasmine almost burst into laughter. If her boss always found a way out, she could imitate him. "Do you want me to go through the door to win? But why don''t you go first?" The Tribulation frowned. "What do you mean?" "If you go through, you''ll be free. You''ll get a body in perfect health, without chains." "If I do that, you''ll remain old, on the verge of death. Stopping the Tribulation doesn''t mean the damages of time will disappear." "That''s my problem," replied Jasmine. Her shadow took a moment to think. "I think I''d rather have you go through first. I''ll take your place, and everything will be perfect." "Perfect? You''ll be chained to Priam by a soul contract. That suits me because I''m broken, but you''re a shadow. Being free is your dearest desire." Jasmine mastered the Shadow Concept enough to know that. "By getting my memories, your ego will be drowned. Your body will live, but you''ll be dead." The shadow was sixteen hours old. Getting two decades of memories would shatter her emerging personality. The Tribulation stared at her for a few seconds before gritting her teeth. "I could kill you now." "If I die, there''s a good chance my Tribulations will disappear. Including you." The shadow remained silent for a few moments. "... You want me to go through first so that Priam kills me." "Don''t you think you can escape?" taunted Jasmine. Both knew the shadow had little chance of killing him, but could Priam catch her if she was determined to flee? Before reading the notification, Jasmine would have bet not. Now she was less sure. Her boss was a monster. The shadow stared at her briefly before throwing a shadow dagger. Jasmine winced, dodging. Her body was even older than Mirscella''s, and every movement threatened to break her bones. Blindness had deprived her of sight, and she relied only on the perception offered by her Concept. Aging badly was a terrible thing. The shadow dagger crashed against the wall of the Tribulations Chamber, and Jasmine prepared for another attack. It never came. Her shadow had crossed the [Nirvana Gate]. Grimacing from arthritis, Jasmine summoned a shadow platform to follow her. Priam''s thoughts surged abruptly. Having never seen notifications of this kind, there was a chance he might be the first Ace of humanity, but more importantly, the first among rivals. Unless one of them had declined the announcement or acquired three Supremacies and a Concept before the Tutorial. Priam hadn¡¯t canceled the announcement to send a message. With the tribes approaching, he needed to be taken seriously. This Title demonstrated great potential. It was less impressive than being powerful but better than nothing. In addition, the announcement was sure to pique Sumstreh''s interest. The more powerful Priam became, the more likely he was to fulfill the Fallen''s mission. To save Sphinx, Priam needed the false god to invest in him. "I..." Priam raised his head to Louis before furrowing his brows. Louis moved slowly. No, it''s me who''s thinking too fast! According to [Diagnostic], his brain was rapidly heating up, and his stamina was decreasing to support a higher thinking speed. The first threshold of Vivacity could overclock the brain. Priam pressed a mental switch, and his thinking speed returned to normal. "... see you''ve mastered it," Louis continued. "Your advice opened my eyes," Priam smiled. "Thank you." Louis shrugged, but Priam noticed that he stood a bit taller. The old man was pleased to have been able to help. "You¡ª" Kazuki landed between the two men, making the ground shake. "I see you''ve taken the lead. Even Arnold will have to take you seriously," the warrior smiled. "He''s ahead for now, but I''m running fast. What about you? Still lacking Domain?" "I haven''t made any progress in weeks," the hoplite grimaced. "You... Do you have any advice?" Asking for help seemed to annoy the proud hoplite. Louis approached, interested. "I cheated to earn it," Priam admitted. "The System separated my mind from my brain after... losing the organ." Arnold had helped him take that step. "Then I used a wyvern''s breath to erase my body and allow my spirit to feel the world." "... I''m not sure we can emulate that technique," Louis sighed after a few seconds of silence. Kazuki just grunted as the astonished hoplites remained speechless. "Domain involves the mind and soul," Priam continued. "It''s the hardest Supremacy to acquire at Tier 0. It''s probably what''s preventing our rivals from unlocking [Ace]." "But it''s possible. Prometheus has a Domain," Louis pointed out. "I''m almost sure he can borrow skills from his subordinates. Maybe even their Talent. By using good combinations, he was able to create a unique condition allowing him to unlock Domain. It''s hardly replicable." Priam was still satisfied to have unlocked [Ace] before Prometheus. The King certainly lacked a Concept. "It may be difficult, but others of our rivals will achieve it," predicted Kazuki. "Probable, but I don''t see how... Oh!" While Kazuki raised an eyebrow, Louis sighed. "Drop the dramatics, kid. Did you come up with a brilliant idea?" "It''s my specialty," Priam replied with a smile. "The very principle of touching one''s soul is dangerous because that''s how one becomes apocryphal. Bad idea. But there''s a way to become aware of one''s soul and mind without triggering the System''s wrath..." "Seth and Osiris''s racial Talent. You want me to change my race," Kazuki understood. The solution seemed obvious, but Priam had never seen Kazuki very interested in the possibility of upgrading his race. "Exactly. You don''t have to change much, just copy a part of the Duatians'' genome. I can take care of it if you want," Priam smiled. Kazuki had helped him a lot, and he was happy to be able to repay the favor. "... I''ll discuss it with the others," the hoplite replied after a few seconds of silence. "Is there a problem?" "My race was modified to keep only the best hoplite genes, but I remain a hoplite," Kazuki explained. "I am the Champion of my race but also its Heart." With these words, the Champion walked towards Hyshana. Louis and Priam exchanged a surprised look before one of the soldiers approached. "Priam." "Sadao. I''m not sure I understand Kazuki''s problem." The hoplite nodded. "For the hoplites, the General represents an ideal. If he manages to carve out a place in this Universe, then our people can too. Changing race would be admitting his limits and thus ours. In the current context, many would be disappointed, and some demagogues would take advantage to strengthen their political position. The General doesn''t want to create a schism." "There will always be a corrupt politician to stir up shit," Louis spat. "Kazuki''s not as free as I am," Priam understood. The hoplite Champion''s choices had an impact on the lives of billions of his brethren. Where Priam had refused more responsibilities, Kazuki had embraced his. "Refusing to change is taking the risk of not being able to protect you. Changing is disappointing your people," summarized Priam. "There''s no good choice," Sadao confirmed. "The General will inevitably disappoint some hoplites, and that bothers him." "All this for a Title," Louis sighed. "Is it at least good?" "It''s Legendary. It should be pretty good," replied Priam, opening his Merits. Trees of Merit [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. ¡­ [Bloodless - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your blood network transforms into a second set of meridians. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 0: Ideal Candidate: select one of your common, rare, or epic skills and get an ideal upgrade. 10 Unused Merit Points. "Holy..." Priam was speechless upon seeing the Merit. "A problem?" Louis asked. Looking up, Priam looked at Louis. "The first Merit gives a free ideal upgrade. Nobody should reach Tier 1 before getting this Title." "... Sounds powerful. Which skill are you going to select?" As Priam wondered which skill would be most interesting to upgrade, a portal opened a few meters away. Jasmine emerged, looked him in the eyes, and smiled. "I did it! But I need help, a monster is coming," she said, turning towards the portal. [No subsystem found. Tribulation Affinity detected]. Who''s that bitch? Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 998 Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 423 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 7 004 Tier 0 Sun points: 56 214 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 59 minutes 32 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 3 hours 32 minutes 45 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1200 Chapter 192: The Prestige Hope Sector, Viracocha¡¯s Heaven. In a nightmarish metal temple, a god of mist, lightning, and malevolence was sitting on a colossal stone throne. His crescent pupils stared into emptiness as he handled a hundred problems simultaneously. The crusade against Qucha raged on, dominating his primary consciousness. Most of his parallel thoughts were engaged in managing his internal world, while a fraction trained his skills. Finally, a minority of his consciousness attempted to address the issues concerning his upcoming Tribulation. The System had undoubtedly concocted something terrifying, and many of his faithful would perish. Viracocha¡¯s build focused on the sacrifice of his followers rather than his own, and he was confident in his survival. However, his enemies, Qucha foremost among them, would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to attack. The countdown to his Tribulation was ticking, and he had to resolve the goddess issue before that. He glanced at his notifications. [Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending. Future Tribulation delayed until: Time: 84 523 days 18 hours 24 minutes 9 seconds. Two hundred and thirty years. A lengthy span for some mortals, but a relatively short deadline for a god. Suddenly, one of his minor consciousnesses brought up a Hope Sector announcement. Priam Azura had just become an Ace. For a thousandth of a second, Viracocha''s major consciousness was astonished. The mortal, less than an insect, had chosen the Zenith Way. He surely believed he was the chosen one awaited by the Seven. What folly. Viracocha had long understood that the Zenith Way was a trap¡ªa means for the Seven to closely monitor all the greatest geniuses. The System littered their path with obstacles, forcing their development in the hope that they would find answers to eternal questions. Skillfully manipulating time, space, order, and karma, the Concepts compelled these prodigies to clash, honing their skills in an endless cycle of battle and growth. Those who survived this crucible eventually became the titans of the Universe. The vast majority were crushed without remorse. A thought crossed Viracocha''s mind. Despite all his efforts to stay away from conflicts that could lead to his demise, he had bestowed his blessing upon an Ace. His suspicious nature suspected that the System had planned it all along. He thought he had paid the right to proselytize during the Reunion of Humanity, but his offering must not have satisfied the Seven. Greedy bastards... The news bored Viracocha. Priam Azura was currently nothing more than a mosquito, but in this Universe, things changed rapidly. Yet, not for a moment did he consider retracting his blessing. The Champion of humanity was currently in Elysium, and any direct interaction would increase his karma with the Spearhead World. A Universal War was approaching, and Viracocha had no desire to die on some battlefield fighting against aliens so that the Seven Grand Concepts could find their own inspiration. One of his consciousnesses connected to the blessing he had granted the human. The Concept he had crafted to become a god had to do with death. In this regard, it was pretty simple for him to check if Priam was in danger. The received data made him smile. The human had nearly succumbed three times in the last week. "How many times can you dance with death without granting it a final kiss?" chuckled Viracocha. The laughter made thunder roar and millions of followers in the Heaven shudder. "I did it! But I need help, a monster is coming," Jasmine said, turning towards the portal. [No subsystem found. Tribulation Affinity detected]. Priam squinted at the woman. Naked and seemingly eager to defend Oasis, she presented the image of a trustworthy ally. Yet, Priam didn''t believe it for a second. Who''s that bitch? Summoning Promesse, he approached her and glanced at the portal. It was linked to his internal world, but he couldn''t see what was happening in the Tribulations Chamber. Neither he nor his system had noticed any issues, which meant it was part of Jasmine''s Tribulations. "Kazuki!" Priam shouted. "Enemy incoming." The wind rose, heralding the arrival of the hoplite. The next moment, the ground shook to cushion his landing. Equipped with Knightmare, Kazuki was ready for battle. The three defenders positioned themselves in an arc facing the portal, with Jasmine in the center. "Who''s the enemy?" Priam asked. "My double. We spent almost a century killing each other, but I managed to escape. The portal healed my aging, not hers. She can steal some Talents, that''s how she stole my system¡ª" The portal trembled before spitting out a mummy. The fake Jasmine threw a shadow dagger that Priam intercepted. Despite the ravages of time, [Primogenitor] recognized the body he had created for the young woman. A body that possessed his subsystem. Priam straightened up, his voice extremely cold. "Two Jasmines, huh? The first one who moves before I clarify things dies," he growled. His gut told him someone was trying to trick him. The young Jasmine froze as the mummy raised blind eyes to Priam. In the background, Kazuki murmured something before nodding. The next moment, his spear tore off the left arm of young Jasmine, narrowly missing her heart. "According to Blueberry, she''s the fake one," warned the hoplite. Priam had no idea how the bear had discovered this, but he trusted his friend. The doppelganger melted into the shadows, and Priam activated his Domain. His attributes supported his sphere of authority, allowing it to crush his enemy¡¯s Concept. The darkness summoned by his opponent froze, preventing her from riding the shadows. Priam used the brief window created by the surprise to throw Promesse. Wrapped in Aura and Mastery, the spear cut through the air before shattering the shadows covering the ground. The doppelganger and her leg did not reappear in the same place. Priam leaped, grabbing the fake Jasmine''s head and smashing it against the ground. Simultaneously, he used his Domain to search for the Tribulation fragment. After Louis''s Tribulation, the summoned crab had contained only a fragment of Resilience Concept. Here, [Tribulation Hunter] detected a fragment similar to the wyvern''s whose heart he now carried. Tribulation Affinity will disappear if she dies, Priam understood as he located the fragment. It was hidden in the creature''s shadow. Priam plunged his hand into the shadow but only touched the ground. "You should release me, you idiot," spat the doppelganger as a trickle of blood ran from her lips. "I am Jasmine''s fourth Tribulation. If you kill me, the System will attack you." Priam furrowed his brow. Bechar, Maya, and Mercury had all explained to him that interfering in another''s Tribulations was a death wish. Otherwise, any High Tier would protect their progeny. "I''m already interfering, and I don''t feel the System''s warning," remarked Priam. "Because you are part of her Tribulations. Depending on her choices, you were supposed to face each other," the doppelganger spat. Priam turned to Jasmine, who was listening to the conversation. The Tribulations had turned her into a barely living mummy. I had almost forgotten how terrifying Tribulations can be... "She''s twisting the truth," murmured Jasmine. "Crossing the portal freed her from all constraints. She no longer has to obey the System, and it doesn''t have to protect her. You can strike." Jasmine''s blind eyes filled with darkness as she activated her Concept. Instantly, the shadow under Priam''s fingers gained substance. Deciding to trust Jasmine and his instinct, Priam enveloped his hand in Aura and searched the shadow. [Tribulation Hunter] found the Tribulation fragment and pulled. The doppelganger screamed as Priam absorbed the affinity. Some kind of star appeared in his body, riding his meridians before reaching his draconic heart, where it vanished. Tribulation Affinity detected. Your Soul Tier is too weak to support an increase of your Tribulation Affinity. Decomposing Tribulation into sub-Concepts. Soul Harmonisation: Choose a sub-Concept compatible with your soul:
  • Tier 0:
Ice (25%), Vapor (21%), Iron (34%), Air(42%),... Motion (51%), Light (86%),... Emotion (22%),... Puzzle (24%),... Luck (18%),... Volume (45%),... Measure (33%),... Breath (91%),...
  • Tier 1:
Glacier (12%), Cloud (21%), Steel (22%), Dioxygen (21%),... Kinetic (33%), Heat (54%), Combustion (41%), Shadow (21%),... Love (7%),... Logic (15%),... Stochasticity (11%),... Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Geometry (19%), Tempo (8%),... Will (25%),... Or increase your current Affinity:
  • Mist (32%)
  • Pyro (68%)
Pyro is an artificial Concept, why is it under Tribulation? Unstable Tribulation Affinity. Choose a sub-Concept. Unlike previous opportunities to increase his affinities, the System demanded a fast decision. Priam swiftly assessed the elements at his disposal to make a choice. Thanks to [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [He Who Eludes Death], incinerating his body and soul with Pyro allowed him to boost his affinity with the Concept. Boosting Pyro''s affinity seemed futile, so it boiled down to Mist or a third Concept. Priam held no particular affinity for mist, but the System nudged him in that direction by bestowing [Moon Mist] upon him at the start of the Reunion. Following the System''s advice might limit his immediate freedom, yet it could open doors to unique opportunities. A third Concept was not ruled out, but Priam aimed to consolidate his strengths before accumulating more. The question is whether I''m pragmatic enough to make sacrifices if it increases my chances of victory in the end... After a brief hesitation, Priam chose Mist. His draconic heart pulsed an aetheric wave through his entire body. Some dissipated into the atmosphere, but the majority penetrated his soul space. Priam''s soul trembled. [Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +22% (54%). Using Domain, Aura, and Kinetic Control, Priam immobilized the doppelganger, who writhed beneath him as his soul underwent transformation from the Tribulation Affinity. The change was radical. Without even meditating, Priam felt a closer connection to his Concept. It entrusted him with more secrets, and a light mist began to materialize in his soul space. Priam sensed he stood on the precipice of a major breakthrough. As the doppelganger seethed with rage and Kazuki slowly raised Jasmine, Priam understood he couldn''t continue holding his cards. The tribes were arriving, rivals were plotting, the necro event raged, and Sumstreh kept a watchful eye on him. Enemies were plentiful, and he needed power now. When you do something, might as well do it right. With his decision made, Priam invoked the Soul Harmonization conferred by his draconic bloodline, selecting Mist once again. [Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +10% (64%). The Concept became even more familiar. It was as if Priam had shunned a fruit for years and was now rediscovering it. The sensation was highly pleasing. Without pausing, Priam opened a portal to Concepts Archipelago and retrieved a Token. [Affinity Token - Tier 1 (20%).] The Token he received when he killed his first Tier 2 transformed into silvery dust, penetrating his body. [Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +20% (84%). Priam''s soul space quivered as the mist thickened. Simultaneously, the world resonated with the transformation of his soul. Fog began to fill the clearing, dispelling other Concepts. Symphony and Unity, the next stages of his Concept, no longer seemed impossible. Hearing Jasmine cough behind him, Priam refocused on his captive and released his kinetic hold. "Any last words?" "If you spare me, I''m willing to make the same deal as Jasmine. You''ll have two assassins at your beck and call," pleaded the doppelganger. "... Jasmine, it''s your call," said Priam. Two assassins were a good deal for him, but Jasmine wasn''t his slave. She had the right to refuse to be cloned without her consent. Pragmatically, Priam wanted to improve their relationship. Better an excellent subordinate he could trust than two shadows gnawing at their leashes. "I don''t want a doppelganger. We''d end up killing each other," Jasmine stated. Priam could understand the sentiment. His right hand trembled as he activated [There is no Heaven]. A quarter of his aether was absorbed and then transformed by the epic skill. A transparent, ultra-dense energy fluid traversed the meridians of his arm and hand before disappearing into the doppelganger''s skull. In a final spasm, her body froze. [Reactivation of Jasmine¡¯s sub-system. Data collection¡­ Jasmine Kaldwin has triumphed over her quadruple Tribulation. Refusal to publish her Achievement. Summary: Ranking - Tier 0 Tribulations: Sector Elysium - year: 4 463 Sector Elysium - decade: 18 652 Sector Elysium - century: 149 523 Sector Elysium - eon: 3 643 541 167 Sector Elysium - All time: REDACTED Universe - year: 17 652 Analysis: After comparing Jasmine Kaldwin and Priam Azura''s rankings, it appears that Elysium is where the majority of prodigies in the Seven Concepts Universe concentrate. Jasmine Kaldwin has passed with flying colors her Tribulations, patching many weaknesses. Her affinity with the Shadow Concept now reaches 100%.] Priam stood up before approaching Jasmine. He felt her emotions again, indicating that the sub-system had resumed its operation. His subordinate was suffering, her body and soul ravaged by time. "Your Tribulations are over," Priam reassured her. "You can be proud, Shadow Sage." The compliment made Jasmine smile. "It''s thanks to the memory and ties I got from my shadow. But I paid a high price; this body is a ruin." Priam grimaced. A Homo Elysian had a much longer lifespan than an average human, but it wasn''t infinite. Even the Sun Shop was powerless against aging ¡ª at least with his level of clearance. "Can you modify her genes to fix that?" Kazuki asked. Behind him, Louis, Blueberry, Rose, and others had drawn closer, concerned. The deaths of Mirscella and Eiji were still fresh. "... I don''t think so," Priam replied. "It''s not the purpose of [Primogenitor]. I might be able to manually create a new body from a cell, but it would take time. Even then, we''d need to transfer her soul." With enough Potential, it might be possible, but Priam knew there was another problem. Because of [Homo Elysian Obsession], the aging of the body had impacted his subordinate''s soul. More than her physical condition, it was the erosion of her soul that was killing Jasmine. She shook her head. "I planned to use one of my rewards to rejuvenate. Unless you want all the Tribulation rewards?" There was a worried glint in her blind eyes. Priam crouched in front of Jasmine. "You''re not my slave," he said softly. "Those are your rewards. And you shouldn¡¯t worry, I just thought of something," he said, turning to the doppelganger''s corpse. "We could transfer your soul into this body. It seems the same as yours." "It has a Shadow Heart, so it''s even better than mine," said Jasmine. "But how do we transfer my soul?" Priam turned to Kazuki. "Could you take her to see Seth? I''d handle it myself, but I think it''s better if I stay here for now..." Kazuki frowned. He didn''t like the necromancer much. "... I can. Would he help us for free?" "Against one of Jasmine''s rewards." "You would risk her life for a Shadow Heart?" Priam shook his head. "For much more than that. A Homo Elysian''s soul is linked to their body. They''ve been eroded by time, but Osiris should be able to reverse the trend by continually healing her body. Thanks to the mending process, she''ll become aware of her soul..." "... Unlocking Domain and Ace." Kazuki nodded. "I hope. Plus, I wouldn''t be surprised if she gets a Title for escaping death by aging or for reversing the process," Priam smiled. He was almost envious; [Ageless] was not yet in his Pok¨¦dex. "Of course, it''s your decision," he said, turning to Jasmine. The mummy gave a tired and wrinkled smile. "I''m going to need power if I want to slit Bastard''s throat, so let¡¯s do this." "Bastard?" Using their spiritual connection, Jasmine clarified. "The one who kidnapped Sphinx. He doesn''t even deserve me uttering his name." The idea was good and elicited a small laugh from Priam. It was better not to use Sumstreh''s name in case Eve was spying on them. Priam stood up. "So it''s decided. I know you don''t like Seth," he said to Kazuki. "But it would be a good first collaboration." Kazuki exchanged a solemn look with Priam. Both knew the next collaboration would be to prepare an open battle against Sumstreh. "Don''t worry; I know how to make concessions to win a war," Kazuki said. "Keep one of your rewards ready in case there''s a problem," he advised Jasmine. The young mummy nodded before grimacing. "Might as well go now because I feel myself weakening," she sighed. Kazuki gently took her in his arms and loaded her other body, leg, and arm into a micro-tornado. "Protect the base," he told Priam. "Come back soon, Jasmine!" Rose shouted. The other spectators joined in the goodbyes, and Priam smiled, feeling the assassin''s surprise and then joy. She was pleased with her choices. Before Jasmine left Oasis, Priam sent some instructions to her sub-system. Outside the territory of Log-a-rhythm, he wouldn''t be able to monitor her anymore. Jasmine was starting to gain his trust, but he preferred to take precautions. "Back to work, everyone!" Hyshana shouted to disperse the small crowd. "Sun points won''t farm themselves!" After encouraging his loved ones, Priam opened a portal to Concepts Archipelago. He needed to discuss matters with the phoenix prince. The enemies were closing in, and Priam wanted to be prepared. It''s time to check [Kinetic Control]¡¯s upgrades and acquire some Merits. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 998 Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 423 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 7 004 Tier 0 Sun points: 56 363 (+149) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 32 minutes 13 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 3 hours 5 minutes 26 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 193: The Eighth Concept Priam stood quietly, observing his inner world. [Concept Archipelago] was a sphere with a radius of thirty-six meters, its borders leading to... nothing. While his birth Universe was infinite, with boundaries in perpetual expansion, his own world was more like a bubble existing in an incomprehensible space. The only certainty he had was that tearing this bubble would condemn the world. Leaning over the spiritual pond, his world''s fulcrum, Priam contemplated the various treasures he had amassed. Fragments of Concepts, Tokens, the aether-siphoning sphere he had built with his father, and the Moon Wyrm''s egg. Despite the aether currents caressing it, the latter showed no signs of hatching. Below, aether flowed out of the enchanted sphere and dispersed into the world. Some was absorbed by the flowers and bushes planted by Louis, or by the two trees transplanted a few days ago. A glance confirmed the magical birch was producing passiflora again, and the maple was thriving. The remaining aether pushed the boundaries of the bubble, gradually expanding the size of the world. [Concepts Archipelago] [World information: Current aether density: 0.61 E>0.69 E. Radius: 34.12>36.87 meters. Concept fragments: purity, mental stamina, sand, mist, steel, vengeance, ?. Inhabitants: Priam, phoenix trainer. Features: Aether siphon (Enchantment: purity). Nurturing soil (silver) T2 Betula passiflora (gold) T1 Aetheric Sugar Maple (silver) - T1 Tribulations Chamber (gold) - T0 Phoenix Sun (?) - ? Guardian: None] His system had finished analyzing his world but couldn''t identify the Tier of the sun. The item humbled its owner; a mere fragment of a phoenix Prince''s soul had enough power to create a star, however small. It shouldn''t have existed due to its low mass, but the phoenix Prince''s Concept made it possible. I wonder what his Concept was? Perhaps Star... Despite his colossal progress, Priam was far from being able to defeat such an opponent. Yet, karma would one day force a confrontation. The sight of the sun heightened the urgency he felt deep within. With the announcement of his new Title, [Ace], tribes and Sumstreh would soon be knocking on his door. Keeping cards close to his chest could be wise, as demonstrated in his encounter with Sumstreh, but the Fallen wouldn''t give him a second chance if he discovered the deception. It was time to transform his potential into power. Priam opened his pending notifications. [Kinetic Control] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Three upgrades are available: [Kinetic Domination - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Domain, [Physics - Forces], [Physics - Energies], [Erosion Resistance]. You neglect subtle kinetic applications to concentrate on power. Shock and heat become your weapons. You sow destruction on the battlefield. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 180. [Chemical & Kinetic Control - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Pyro Concept (Affinity), Domain, [Physics - Matter]. Pyro grants you an affinity with thermal energy. Domain allows you to finely manipulate particles. You can now catalyze or halt certain chemical reactions. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 180. [Thermal & Kinetic Control - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Pyro Concept (Affinity), Domain, [Physics - Energies], [Physics - Matter]. Your affinity with thermal energy and Domain enable you to manipulate thermal agitation as well as the movement of molecules and atoms. In your Domain, absolute zero coexists with plasma. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 180. A disappointed smile played on Priam''s lips. He expected the absence of an ideal upgrade, as Pyro was more focused on combustion than thermal mastery. His Concept was only loosely compatible with kinetic energy, his skill¡¯s identity. Nevertheless, Priam wished for an ideal upgrade. [Kinetic Control] was the first skill he created, based on his scientific knowledge and dreams. As versatile as it was powerful, it could target macroscopic objects and microscopic particles. The limitations imposed by lack of Potential had gradually disappeared. Today, Priam could manipulate the temperature of an object or attack an enemy several kilometers away by throwing his spear. "I wonder if I''ve reached the power of a railgun..." [Promesse launched by Micro and charged with [Kinetic Control] has an energy of 8 MJ. Recently, the energy of this attack hasn''t evolved much. Analysis: Your physical strength accounts for 0.4 MJ, with a gesture optimized by [Spear Throw]. The remaining energy (7.6 MJ) comes from kinetic augmentation. It is advisable to improve this aspect to increase the energy contained in your attack to reach the level of a railgun (32 MJ). Current limits:
  • The kinetic energy transfer from [Kinetic Control] is not instantaneous. To increase the amount of energy imparted to your weapon, you need to increase the transfer duration (thus the size of the Domain) or the transfer speed (the level or rank of the skill).
  • Increasing the speed of kinetic energy transfer comes with meridian stress. You can reinforce them by increasing the level or rank of [Erosion Resistance] or tempering your meridians. You can increase your number of meridians with the first Merit of [Bloodless], thus dividing the intensity of the aether flow in each parallel pathway.]
"...Interesting," murmured Priam. "What''s interesting?" The Homo Elysian smiled as he saw a small phoenix descend from the sun. "My system just pointed out weaknesses in one of my skills. That, plus the upgrades suggested by the System, gives me ideas on what to attempt to unlock an ideal upgrade." "Show me all of that." Priam shared the System''s proposals and the discoveries from his add-on with the phoenix. "... If I sacrifice a significant amount of kinetic energy over a short duration, I should be able to unlock a high upgrade focused on power and destruction." "Your spear will leave your Domain before you can unleash all your kinetic energy on it." "I was thinking of targeting the bedrock of the island. It''s so massive that it''s not likely to move," replied Priam. "It could work, but there''s a chance your meridians will explode before you can deplete your kinetic reserves," the phoenix pointed out. "I''m considering getting a second set of meridians with the [Bloodless] Merit. It would halve the aether flow in some meridians." "A barbaric Title, but a useful one," acknowledged the phoenix. "Did you have it?" The phoenix shrugged its wings. "I can''t reveal such things, but... Let''s just say all noble phoenixes endure the Five Tortures, as children call them." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Priam understood the phoenix was offering a clue. [Brainless], [Heartless], and [Bloodless] were Titles accessible to a phoenix or a user who knew a high-Tiered healer. [Spiritless] shouldn''t be part of the Five Tortures, as healing the spirit was almost impossible. Only Priam could easily evade such death. "I bet on [Boneless] and... [Skinless]?" Priam asked, shivering. He knew his quest for power would spill blood, but he felt it was a lot of his own. The phoenix shook its head. "Many creatures don''t have skin. As for the rest, no need to waste your breath: I can''t say more." Priam''s eyes sparkled upon hearing the phoenix. Some creatures had no bones, yet the fiery bird hadn''t mentioned it... "For [Kinetic Control], you''ll need to boost your thermal mastery if you hope for an ideal upgrade," resumed the hologram. "Unity with Pyro should suffice," Priam smiled. In addition to the kinetic feat, the Unity had a chance to unlock a legendary ideal upgrade. A sturdy foundation capable of supporting his ascent to Tier 1. The phoenix blinked before surprise turned into respect and then sadness. "So, you got it... That¡¯s good." The bird''s tone piqued Priam''s curiosity. According to the System, Pyro was a fragment of a Concept wielded by an Eighth Throne Candidate. "Do you know the origin of Pyro?" Priam asked. "... I already told you that one of the three suns illuminating Elysium was my ancestor. Our first King tried his luck before turning into a star." The Seven remained Seven, and the King''s Concept was now fragmented. Priam nodded, silently thanking him for Pyro. "Obtaining Unity with Pyro will take years if you''re not a Sage. I hope you''ve kept some Affinity Tokens," the phoenix continued. "It would be a waste. I discovered that my affinity increases upon resurrection when I burn my body and soul with Pyro." The phoenix opened its beak, but no sound came out. Ignoring the flames covering its body, it looked like a clueless chicken, but Priam kept that thought to himself. After a few seconds, the bird sighed. "Your Patron is terrifying, and your racial Talent synergizes with their gift... I guess they foresaw it. It means you can become a Sage with all offensive Concepts. I advise you not to reveal this secret," the bird warned. "Is it that rare? I didn''t have much trouble increasing my affinities with my Merits," Priam remarked. The hologram smirked. "Except for a few races whose vitality makes them nearly unkillable, most of your Titles are very difficult to obtain. Special conditions, treasures, or renowned healers are needed. Few people have as many Merits as you do." Due to the survivor bias and his gifted rivals, Priam often forgot that the vast majority of inhabitants in this Universe were crushed by the System. What he took for opportunities were death sentences for someone else. "If we forget the System, to increase an affinity, you have to purify your bloodline, consume legendary resources, or receive an epiphany. Phoenixes with noble bloodlines naturally become Sages of certain compatible Concepts. For other Concepts, the clan sponsors the best by providing resources. Only dragons can easily become Sages." "Mm... I lack the resources to become a Sage with Mist. Is there an Ace Merit that allows it?" Priam asked with a cocky smile. The phoenix stared at him for a moment, narrowing its eyes. "You seem quite proud of yourself." "I''m the first rival to unlock the Title," Priam replied. In his opinion, he had every reason to be proud. "You only lacked Mastery, and your training partner was a spearmaster. You could have unlocked the Title two weeks ago." Priam grimaced. The phoenix was right, and they both knew it. "In any case, the second Ace Merit allows you to increase the affinity of a Concept. I suppose you''re ready to spend your Merits?" "That''s why I''m here. I need advice because I have many Titles and few Merits." An idea crossed Priam''s mind, and he exclaimed, "I just thought: what''s stopping me from becoming the Sage of many Concepts to farm Titles?!" Using offensive Concepts to destroy his soul and body, Priam could theoretically gain many Merit points. "You can be the Sage of as many Concepts as you want, but you''ll receive only one Merit point per Tier. You got a point for Fire Sage; you won''t get another for a Tier 0 Concept." The phoenix crushed Priam''s dreams with a monotone voice. "Besides, having many Concepts of the same Tier is complicated. Don''t forget the inherent nature of a Concept: your soul influences a portion of reality through its affinity and understanding. If you possess two close Concepts, your understanding will eventually create a link between them, and they will merge. That''s often how one accesses a higher-tiered Concept." "But my soul can''t accommodate a Tier 2 Concept," Priam pointed out. "It can, it''ll just force a High Tribulation. If you only have two Tier 1 Concepts, you can prevent a fusion with willpower, but from three Concepts upwards, it''s dangerous." Priam thought back to the list of his affinities with the different Concepts he had received. "What''s the difference between a Tier 0 and Tier 1 Concept? Besides the magical effect." The phoenix took the pose of a thinker. "A vast question... Tier 0 Concepts are more basic but have a broad influence. A Tier 1 Concept has a narrower field of action but is more capable. For example, Fire and Air merge to form Combustion. You choose to specialize in the part the two Concepts have in common. Air and Iron form Rust, Air and Water create Mist, Iron plus Carbon make Steel..." "Except for Pyro." The Tier 1 Concept didn''t come from any fusion. "Except for Pyro. It holistically strengthens Fire. It gives you a solid foundation to create a Tier 2 Concept. I only know of one other Concept of the same kind." Priam didn''t bother asking which one; he had enough on his plate for the moment. "So, I can merge any Concept with another?" "Of course not. Merging two Concepts that belong to the same Grand Concept is simple. Likewise if they''re two Tier 0 Concepts. But at higher Tiers, things get complicated. Some Concepts are compatible, and others are not. The soul needs to take a certain form to understand certain Concepts, preventing it from understanding others." "... If I choose my Concepts poorly, there might be no possible fusion," Priam understood. "That''s why Grand Concepts can''t merge. Order and Chaos are heterogeneous." "More like no Concept can contain them," corrected the phoenix. "But then, can I get stuck?" Priam imagined choosing two Concepts whose evolutions were mutually incompatible. He would be trapped, forced to forget one Concept... "Can you even erase a Concept?" "Now that''s a creative way to commit suicide," grimaced the phoenix. "Concepts influence you as much as you influence them. The only way to delete a Concept is to modify your soul. You wouldn''t be the same person anymore. The solution is much simpler: create your own Concept. If you think the world should be different, it''s up to you to change it." Priam''s heartbeat accelerated as he understood. "The Eighth Concept doesn''t exist yet. The System wants us to create it." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 998 Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 423 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 Meta-perception 204 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 7 004 Tier 0 Sun points: 56 575 (+212) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 22 minutes 17 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 2 hours 55 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 194: The Defiance of a Rising Star Priam''s heartbeat accelerated as he understood. "The Eighth Concept doesn''t exist yet. The System wants us to create it." "Indeed. But it''s far from simple; otherwise, my Ancestor wouldn''t have faltered," the phoenix replied in a melancholic tone. Priam held a few moments of silence as a mark of respect. Even though it was just a hologram, the phoenix had been a significant aid, and Priam empathized with its sorrow. "Regardless, it''s premature to dwell on that now. My enemies are drawing near, and I''d like to invest my ten Merit points. Any advice?" The phoenix flew to a bush, picked a berry, and pecked at it. Its beak evaporated the fruit upon contact, and it sniffed the released gas. Priam blinked in astonishment. "I''m a somewhat special hologram," the phoenix smiled. Perhaps due to his bloodline, Priam could now discern when a bird was happy. "Well, [Ace] is a no-brainer. The Title is crafted to fill your gaps. [Bloodless] is decent for increasing your meridians count and tempering your body." "I already have a seraphic-grade temperance method," Priam pointed. "Designed for Tier 0. I''m talking about another tempering. It will be useful for¡­ your bloodlines and Micro." The phoenix wore an annoyed expression, and Priam understood that it couldn''t divulge more. "Anyway, only the first Tier of [Bloodless] interests you for the ideal upgrade of your kinetic skill. You should save the rest of your Merit points for [Iconoclast]." Priam recalled the mentioned Merit. [Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. "I thought it was a trap?" Priam raised an eyebrow. In a previous conversation, the phoenix had warned him that the gods, Viracocha first among them, wouldn''t forgive him for choosing this Tree. "It''s a good way to get on the gods'' bad side," the phoenix acknowledged. "But I believe you''re already on a crusade against the one who captured your friend, right?" "...He''ll pay for it," Priam swore. "Or you''ll die. I''d tell you it''s a stupid idea, but I think you''re well aware," the phoenix sighed before evaporating another berry. "You should keep four Merit points in reserve, in case the Fallen notices you''re not his puppet. [Iconoclast] will help you not get crushed like an insect under the spiritual pressure of a Tier 4." Priam recalled the helplessness and terror that Viracocha, Sumstreh, and the Guardian of Secrets had stirred in him. The weight of their souls was so heavy before his that he couldn''t even defend himself. If [Iconoclast] allowed him to bypass the issue, then it was a must-buy. But not until the last moment. "They banned this Title because it enables resistance against them," Priam realized. "Motherfuckers!" The phoenix flew toward the birch and began observing the passifloras. "They do much worse than that: the most powerful clans allow their children to unlock this Title and its Merits. It''s quite useful for climbing the Nobility ranks. Another way to widen the gap with the commoners." Priam gritted his teeth before bursting into laughter. Facing the bird''s astonished gaze, he explained, "I love my freedom, and I love pissing off those who look down on me. This Tree allows me to do both at the same time." "You liked pissing on them too," replied the phoenix. Priam grinned in amusement. "Okay, you''ve convinced me. However, is it necessary to take it so early? I fear very little with [He Who Eludes Death], and I''d like to avoid catching a curse from Viracocha." "You fear very little? If the Fallen dominates your soul with his spiritual superiority - which is quite simple - you''ll be trapped in your body, unable even to commit suicide. He''ll lobotomize your soul, and that''ll be the end of you. And me. And everyone you love." The phoenix''s words struck Priam, knotting his stomach as he envisioned the torment Sumstreh could inflict on his family. "...If I take [Iconoclast], will I have a chance to harm Bastard?" he asked in a cold voice. Priam liked the name Jasmine chose for the Fallen. "...Take it." The phoenix couldn''t say more, but it was enough for Priam. He would keep four Merit points for the Title. When Bastard fell, Priam didn''t plan to watch the fight from afar. Pyro will burn him alive. "Very well. And for my last Merit?" Five points in [Ace], one for [Bloodless], and four for [Iconoclast] totaled ten. That was his current Merit points, but becoming a Mist Sage would earn him another point. "No Merit is useless, but [Weathered] or [Three-Headed Hydra] are interesting. The first will help you unlock ideal upgrades for your resistances more easily. The second will allow you to restore your body and thus your soul. By torturing yourself a bit, you should be able to unlock Domain II at Tier 1." "I feel like all my progress is made in pain," Priam grimaced. "As is often the case. But let me tell you that even by agreeing to suffer, most races cannot achieve Domain II at Tier 1. Out of a hundred [Ace]s, only one upgrades this Title to mythic at Tier 1. And believe me, you want that upgrade," the bird said before settling on a ripe, shiny passiflora. In seconds, all that remained were pits. Priam nodded. "I suspected that Domain was hard to obtain." Kazuki wasn''t an idiot, but his rival struggled to attain Supremacy. "Physical races have an advantage with Micro, those using tools prefer Mastery, and ethereal races have an affinity with Domain," the phoenix explained as it flew to the pond to wash its beak. It was interesting, but it didn''t help Priam choose. He invoked both Merits to compare them. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. [Weathered - Silver] - Tier 0: Your resistances are even more effective. "[Three-Headed Hydra] doesn''t synergize well with [He Who Eludes Death]." The hologram lifted its head to respond. "You know you can consume your Potential to change a Merit, right? Ask to reverse it." Priam furrowed his brows and connected to his Potential. Editing the Merit of [Three-headed Hydra - Silver]... [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: Exchange your lifespan to dramatically increase your regeneration speed. Validate this change for 1 750 POT? Priam grimaced at the price. The new Merit suited him well, and he hesitated with [Weathered]. Nevertheless, he had one last question before choosing. "What about [Horseman of the Apocalypse]?" Priam liked the Conquest Aura, and he was sure the Title would aid him even more if he managed to succeed in a quintuple Tribulation. [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It''s hard to run away from a Conqueror. "It''s an exceptional Title, one you should invest in as soon as you customize your Aura. The catch is that the second Merit is inevitably a mutation of your eye. And you already have one, don''t you?" "Hecate New Moon. Does it ring any bells?" "None, but it surely has something to do with the Mist and Moon theme of your Reunion. In any case, overlaying two mutations without mastering the first would be foolish. Now, validate your Merits, and let''s deal with [Ace]," the phoenix said impatiently. Apparently, the Title was worth the detour. Priam was annoyed by the response, but it made perfect sense. He remained still for a few seconds, paralyzed by indecision. Which Merit should he choose? Ideal upgrades would be interesting in the long run, but Priam had immediate problems. Becoming a tank was never a bad idea. Discarding his last doubts, Priam validated the transformation of [Three-Headed Hydra]. A source within him opened, pouring streams of Potential into his soul. The System trembled before updating. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: Exchange your lifespan to dramatically increase your regeneration speed. POT -1,750 Taking a deep breath, Priam validated two Merits. He had made his decision, and there was no need to linger further. To be patient to achieve the best result was a quality, but he knew that sometimes, you had to go all-in to hit the jackpot. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2 ACQUIRED [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 3: The poison in your blood now causes accelerated aging. [Bloodless - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your blood network transforms into a second set of meridians. ACQUIRED [Bloodless - Bronze] - Tier 1: Aether flows through your veins, elevating your body. LOCKED - Requires epic-grade temperance. 8 Unused Merit Points. The effect of the first Merit hit him like a tsunami, and Priam collapsed onto the grass of his world. As his veins pulsed under the influence of divine energy, a wave of indescribable sensations swept through his body. The vigor of a hydra awakened in his blood, and his mind became aware of a new ability. While he still didn''t master Micro enough to manipulate his vitality, Priam now felt hidden potential in each of his cells. The second Merit kicked in. A divine flood filled his veins and arteries, strengthening them to prepare for the passage of aether. Part of the blood network was rearranged, channels redirected to guide the aether where it needed to go. Priam smiled as he saw his Pathways reconstructed and decided to activate his new ability. All his cells stirred, exchanging the future for the present. His heartbeats intensified, his kidneys filtered more, acidity increased in his stomach, and his brain awakened. Simultaneously, the rearrangement of his body accelerated, new meridians connected to the old ones, working in harmony to obey his commands. As Micro observed the changes to his body, Priam''s hearts pulsed again, sending a mixture of blood and aether coursing through his body. Priam trembled as he felt his cells vibrate. His body bathed in aether shouted its joy, and his soul quickly joined the symphony. Lvl Up : [Aether Perception] lvl 40 META (PERC) +3 [Aether Perception] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, one upgrade is available: [Aether Perception - Epic] - Boosted by META(perception), your soul appreciates aether through your senses and Supremacies. You see the surface of the world. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 998 Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 423 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 299 Meta-perception 207 (+3) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 256 (-1 748) Tier 0 Sun points: 56 753 (+178) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1 hour 43 minutes 49 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 165 days 2 hours 17 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / attribute > 1 200 Interlude: Mercury, the rise of a merchant. Gaia, private estate of the Riuslings clan. Mercury descended from the luxurious fiacre lent to him by his guild. A gust of wind made him stagger, and the elven coachman behind him had to prevent him from falling. "Thanks. Without you, the fall would have been rough," Mercury smiled, avoiding looking behind him. He had a slight vertigo, and the floating island he had just landed on was situated several hundred kilometers above the capital. "Not as rough as the fine. Without a license, you have no right to fly or fall into the VIP airspace," the coachman replied as he climbed into the driver''s seat. "A friend''s widow had to sell their house after he committed suicide." "...My condolences." "Don''t be sorry; she''s sleeping in my bed now," the coachman laughed before whistling, urging the four pegasi to take off. Symbols of his guild, Olympus, the creatures soared, carrying the carriage. The enchantment to keep the taxi stable and the legendary beasts were costly, but it was a sacrifice willingly made by his guild to maintain its status. Mercury doubted that the pegasi would impress his client of the day. As his vehicle drifted into the air, he turned towards a monumental portal forged from black metal. Mercury had no idea about the alloy''s nature, but its imperviousness to [Identification] demonstrated its value. Taking a deep breath, the merchant froze his face into a smiling mask and advanced. The heavy gates opened slowly, revealing a sea hidden behind the walls enclosing the island. As he entered the property, Mercury didn''t hear the slightest runic crackle, proof of the quality of the rituals protecting the vast domain. He stopped a few meters away, observing the path of fine sand that split the sea in two. The way was evident, but did he really have to walk kilometers alone? No one was waiting for him, except for a pair of menacing bronze and steel statues. "Junior Merchant Mercury, I presume?" The voice belonged to the automaton that Mercury had mistook for a statue. Three meters tall, the metal golem left its pedestal and approached with preternatural grace. "That''s me." The automaton turned towards the sandy path and began to walk. Mercury raised an eyebrow before following suit. The reception was strange but not necessarily evidence of disdain. Each faction had its own rules and customs, and Mercury knew that draconic forces were particularly uninterested in all other species. If they didn''t devour you alive, it was already a mark of respect. Three strides later, Mercury left the sandy path, leaving behind a vast sea. The automaton must possess a space-manipulating enchantment. A thin smile appeared on the merchant''s face. The wonders of this world never ceased to amaze him. Before him stood a mountain, transformed into a mansion. A single peak existed, at the crossroads between natural terrain and a castle. The structure seemed to have been carved from a single block of black marble with silver veins. Windows of various sizes, more or less hidden, were visible in the broken-angled rock. Not a speck of dust desecrated the wonder, and time seemed to have no hold on the fortress. An enchantment bestowed a halo of black light on the stone, completing the creation of a fantastic atmosphere. Black light?! Seeing the laws of physics so easily ignored, Mercury understood that the builder had been a High Tier. Perhaps even one of the few Immortals of Sector Hope. The automaton moved towards an arch covered in vines. A crack appeared, revealing an imposing double door. The entrance led to a hall carved from bright white marble. In the center, a smiling young human awaited. "Young Master Aarthash is waiting for you in his office. Please, follow me." Mercury followed her, remaining vigilant. The maid emitted high-frequency spiritual disturbances, revealing a soul baptized by High Tribulations. However, to his knowledge, no human had yet reached Tier 1. The servant had taken the appearance of a human, but for what purpose? To win him over? Or to prove that they knew humans well? The Riuslings were one of the most powerful clans in the sector. Recently, they had invested in many human businesses. On Gaia, the giant continent where Mercury had landed, over five million humans had appeared. A significant number were sponsored by major powers hoping to gain weight in the upcoming human Reunions. The servant stopped in front of a stone wall that disappeared, revealing a cave with golden reflections. "I will wait outside," the maid smiled. Mercury entered and almost jumped when the doors closed behind him. A telepathic invitation touched his soul, and he advanced, taking care to keep his eyes on his feet. Many treasures lay on the floor, and the draconic bloodline of the Riuslings was pure enough to arouse paranoia. It was undoubtedly a rumor spread by the clan itself to flatter their heritage, but Mercury preferred not to take any risks. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. If Aarthash Riusling thought Mercury coveted his treasures, he would kill him. "Welcome, Junior Merchant Mercury," a voice as powerful as it was majestic roared. "Raise your head. Unlike thieves, merchants steal without hiding." Mercury complied, smiling politely at the host''s jest. His smile lasted only a fraction of a second, eclipsed by the admiration inspired by the drake standing before him. Aarthash might not deserve the title of Dragon, but he was nonetheless the most majestic creature Mercury had ever seen. Four metallic wings covered a body adorned with precious scales. Powerful muscles protruded under his skin, and esoteric Concepts seemed to manifest in his starry eyes. "You look like an elf with no affinity for aether," Aarthash said, releasing Mercury from the grip of his charisma. "Your civilization must exploit this resemblance." "You are absolutely right, Young Master Aarthash," Mercury replied, focusing on his posture. Legend had it that dragons appreciated politeness, and those who possessed their bloodline liked to imitate the originals. "It is thanks to this that I was accepted at Olympus." Mercury grimaced, realizing he had invoked the name of his guild. It could be seen as a feeble attempt to protect himself. "No need to remind me of where you come from, Mercury. I didn''t bring you here to eat you," reassured Aarthash, bursting into laughter. A weight lifted from the merchant''s shoulders. When he was summoned by the young master of the Riuslings, he had tried to guess why. Only two explanations had appeared. Some young members of the aristocracy in Sector Hope were known to devour members of new species introduced by the System in search of a useful racial Talent. It was more interesting to kill essential specimens of a race than thousands of weak ones. If Aarthash had no intention of tasting his flesh, there was only one possibility... "Do you know that our clan sponsors tens of thousands of humans?" the drake continued. "Some have brought us interesting information. Priam Azura, your Champion, has just become an Ace. Do you know him?" The question was rhetorical; Mercury wouldn''t have been invited otherwise. "I had the opportunity to do business with him," the merchant admitted. "Tell me more," ordered the drake. His aura and charisma merged, gently pressing Mercury. His mouth opened, and he began to speak without hiding anything. In a few minutes, he summarized his interactions with Priam. Aarthash nodded thoughtfully. "I believe I understand his character better... Too bad he''s in Elysium; it makes him impossible to contact." Mercury remained silent. Both knew that contacting someone in Elysium was not difficult, but the consequences on the eve of a Universal War could be terrible. Aarthash turned towards him. "Do you think he will resume facing the waves of the Colosseum before the next Reunion?" Mercury nodded. "It''s likely. He has the ability to return to the Moon, and the rewards from the first Reunion are too useful to ignore." "Good. Let it be announced that if Priam Azura, Champion of Humanity, reaches wave eighty, I will buy and release all willing humans under contract in Gaia. If he reaches wave ninety-five, I will send them to join your Front." At these words, a light nova formed around Aarthash before exploding. His draconic bloodline was pure enough that he couldn''t easily go back on his word. Mercury stood in stunned silence. Among the five million humans on Gaia, half had signed malicious contracts. Most were barely more than slaves. Freeing them was expensive, but nothing that could dent a Prince''s fortune like Aarthash''s. Apparently, Priam''s new Title made him interesting in the eyes of the powerful. The second promise was much more surprising. After the Tutorial, humanity had been dispersed across thousands of different worlds. Approximately one percent of humans, chosen from those who had passed a Tutorial other than easy, had ended up on a virgin planet: the Front. To spice things up, the System had grouped humanity with other newly imported civilizations. Thus, humanity was not alone on the Front. One of these races would prevail at the end of the third Reunion. They would then have a stable headquarters, ensuring a safe place in this new universe. Earth could eventually become a second headquarters, but it was currently infested with monsters. The reconquest of their world would begin during the second Reunion, but Mercury knew it would take time. The situation on the Front was disadvantageous for humanity. According to his informants, Prometheus fought valiantly for the survival of their species, but the rival civilizations were terrifying. Three million new humans arriving with resources could change the game. But why help us so much? Sending so many humans to the Front before the third Reunion was incredibly expensive. For the same price, Aarthash could have bought three billion Tier 0s. "It''s very generous of you," Mercury thanked after regaining his composure. "Rare are the relationships my money can buy," Aarthash replied simply. For the drake, it was obviously an investment. "Humans won''t forget your kindness." "It has nothing to do with humans," Aarthash replied. "Your species is interesting, but I especially want to forge a connection with a potential powerhouse. It''s also a way to ensure he deserves his Title." "Priam will make it," Mercury assured. Aarthash narrowed his starry eyes. "We shall see. My Tier 0 record was wave ninety-four. A record that has stood for millennia in our sector." Mercury widened his eyes. Aarthash Riusling was known to be an Ace and a rising star in Sector Hope. His draconic bloodline was incredibly pure for such a remote corner of the Universe of the Seven. "What is the boss of wave ninety-five?" Mercury asked. The stars in Aarthash''s eyes shone as he answered. "The phantom image of an ancient Phoenix Prince." Chapter 195: Shopping Spree "Everything okay?" Priam opened his eyes and gazed at the sun dominating his world. The lonely star was standing out against a black firmament. "I''m good," he replied, rising to his feet. Using Micro, Priam marveled at his veins glowing with aether. His second meridian network would undoubtedly assist in enhancing [Kinetic Control] and [Erosion Resistance]. But before that, he wanted to finish his shopping spree. "[Aether Perception] has reached level forty," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The System offering you the weakest upgrade, I presume?" The phoenix chuckled at Priam''s disappointed expression. "You''ve neglected a crucial skill. It not only amplifies meta-perception effects but also enhances your instinct. It''s one of the few skills that can elevate your talent." "... You think I should upgrade it with [Ace]''s Merit." said Priam. The phoenix shrugged. "[Aether Perception] will stay with you for life. If that''s not a good enough pitch, here''s another: this skill will help you understand the world and your powers. Maxed out, it could theoretically allow you to assimilate a Concept or Mastery you encounter for the first time, analyze [He Who Eludes Death], or decipher the System." Priam''s eyes sparkled. A month had passed since the start of the Tutorial, and he had changed in many ways. The student he once was would never have thought of opening his heart to unlock a Title. However, some traits of his character remained the same. As an adult, Priam had pursued a scientific path out of curiosity about how the world worked. The universe had expanded, and so had his curiosity. "I admit I neglected the skill," Priam acknowledged, sitting in the grass. "But it was due to a lack of time. I aspire to travel and understand this world and its magic, so your arguments hit the mark. But what about [Aether Manipulation] or [Tribulation Hunter]?" Priam thought he could access ideal upgrades for the rest of his skills. Using the Merit on them would be a waste, and Priam hated waste. The phoenix nodded. "Excellent choice. [Tribulation Hunter] is a unique skill, created from [He Who Eludes Death], allowing you to navigate your tribulations while recovering fragments of Concepts, right?" "That''s right. I increased my affinity with the Mist Concept by almost twenty percent by recovering Jasmine''s Tribulation affinity." "Combined with your adaptation and resurrection, the possibilities are..." The phoenix shook its head. "Unfortunately, it''s a unique skill created from an alien power. I doubt the System can upgrade it, but you can try. Don''t validate; just check if it works." There was no point in theorycrafting a future build if the skill couldn''t be selected. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 0: Ideal Candidate: Select one of your common, rare, or epic skills and get an ideal upgrade. ACQUIRED. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 1: Sensible Candidate: Select one of your Concepts and increase your natural affinity. 7 Unused Merit Points. Select a skill. [Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic]. Errors:
  • Unique skill.
  • Alien skill.
Select another skill. "It returns an error," Priam replied. He was disappointed but not surprised. "I suspected as much. Now, [Aether Perception] would be a good choice, as I think you have a better chance of reaching a high upgrade with [Aether Manipulation]." "You think I won''t achieve a high upgrade with [Aether Perception]? Or perhaps an ideal upgrade with [Aether Manipulation]?" "Not a snowball''s chance in hell." Priam frowned. "I don''t want to be arrogant, but I''ve overcome many challenges so far. It might take a while, but by buying aether puzzles from the Sun Shop, your help, thousands of Potential points and¡ª" "My mother is Tier 7, and despite all her efforts, I failed to get the ideal manipulation upgrade," the legendary bird interrupted. "Nor did anyone in my clan. I trained for almost a decade, consumed treasures to increase my meta-perception, studied the memories of some Aces who unlocked the ideal upgrade with a Merit, and meditated in front of marvelous aether constructions. All in vain." As it spoke those words, the phoenix seemed nostalgic. "I''m pretty sure I wasn''t far from a breakthrough, but we''ll never know." "Why didn''t you wait longer?" "Because I wanted to get Ace''s mythical upgrade at Tier 1." There was a time limit after which these Titles could no longer be obtained. For the mythical rank of Ace, it was ten years from... "Ten years from when?" "The countdown starts when your first attribute surpasses a hundred or when your soul turns ten," the phoenix explained. "In any case, you don''t have the time or opportunities to unlock both ideal upgrades. Maybe there are methods in older Sectors or Elysium, but you''ll never get your hands on it." "Damn..." Priam had some assets, like the Colosseum rewards or the Sun Shop, but it wouldn''t be enough. "I hate the idea of not reaching perfection," he sighed. "I understand, but you''ll have to get used to it. It''s the lesson I learned after failing myself..." The phoenix''s gaze wandered for a moment. "This universe is almost infinite, and there are monsters who are a thousand times more talented than you. You''ll fail often, but who cares? I didn¡¯t choose you because you were the most talented." "I''ll be the last one standing," Priam said with a slight smile. "Exactly. Even the greatest geniuses will only have one or two extra chances. You have as many as you want, so focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses." The advice was excellent. Part of Priam hesitated to give up the possibility of a perfect build, but he knew his time was limited. He couldn''t spend a decade at Tier 0. "My forte is survival, not understanding. That''s a flaw [Aether Perception] can fix. Okay, you''ve convinced me. But why perception over manipulation?" "From my experience, it''s better to have an ideal perception and high manipulation than the other way around. What good is a divine skill if you can''t see what you''re doing?" "Make sense." "Of course. Plus, you''re right: with the Sun Shop, my help, tons of Potential, and the instinct provided by the ideal upgrade of [Aether Perception], you have a chance to get the high upgrade of [Aether Manipulation]." Priam nodded and validated the Merit. [Aether Perception - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Ideal Aether Perception - Epic] - The Ace plunges into the ocean of aether. You might drown, or you might learn. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: Free. You have received the skill [Ideal Aether Perception - Epic]. [Ideal Aether Perception - Epic] - Your soul morphs to open up to aether. Both primordial energy and fundamental particle, it is the source of everything, and you begin to understand it. Too many live without knowing what the world is made of or understanding the laws that govern them. The arcane reveals itself gradually, abysses of potential and ranges of possibilities. Vertigo seizes you at the immensity of Creation. This skill is a flutter of wings. It''s up to you to transform it into a tornado. META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 Inside his soul space, shielded by his Domain and Concepts, Priam''s soul enveloped itself in a radiant cocoon before imploding. Seven primordial consciousnesses descended. One of them safeguarded Priam''s consciousness and ego. Another locally halted time, dividing this untamed river. Bending reality, each entity contributed to the transformation of his soul, careful to give without taking, stoking the Homo Elysian adaptation to lead him on a divine path. Beneath the cocoon of light, soul fragments morphed in shape, color, and aura. An impossible geometric object began to tremble in the heart of Priam''s shattered soul. The paused time prevented [He Who Eludes Death] from counting. Four of the Seven allied to stabilize and soothe it. The rules were strict, and they had no intention of violating them today. Once the improvements were complete, time resumed its course. As the Concepts withdrew, the cocoon of light cracked before dissipating into a shower of aether. Its metamorphosis complete, the new soul reconnected with its Concepts and Supremacies. Micro assisted Priam in re-entering his body, and he drifted into slumber. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Finally awake. How are you feeling?" "Like a visually impaired guy putting on glasses for the first time," Priam whispered, eyes closed. The world hadn''t changed, but Priam had. His Domain now saw what had always been there, eluding him. And by seeing, he finally understood. Priam loved to unlock Concepts and increase his attributes. He relished seeing his progression, feeling it in his powerful muscles and solid bones. There was something magnificent about flying, hurling fireballs, or riding his mist. Yet, the clarity brought by [Aether Perception] provided a new kind of ecstasy. Priam was like an ignoramus having the rhythm of seasons and Earth''s place in the Universe explained to him. His enhanced perception revealed the world''s wonders, whispering the secrets of creation into his ears. Ingenious intuitions emerged, and the world transformed into a puzzle whose pieces naturally aligned to form a meaningful picture. Priam''s misty eyes moistened before tears rolled down his cheeks. "I was blind..." The phoenix remained silent. Minutes later, Priam wiped his eyes and stood up. "It was the right decision." "I think so, too. Look at the mist," advised the phoenix. A light mist covered the ground, playing with the flora and Priam''s every breath. Feeling the world through Domain, ideas flooded his mind, and connections sparked in his synapses. Watching the high humidity transform into dew on a leaf, a new facet of his Concept revealed itself to Priam. As he made deductions, passionate about his discovery, his system unlocked Ace''s second Merit, selecting his Mist Concept. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 1: Sensible Candidate: Choose one of your Concepts and enhance your natural affinity. ACQUIRED. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Eidetic Memory, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. 6 Unused Merit Points. Title won! [Mist Sage - Silver] - Your natural affinity for the Mist Concept (T1) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Mist is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it. Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity: the Sage''s path leads to the Zenith. Mist erases details, blurs tracks and absorbs waves. Origin of mysteries, those who lose themselves in its meanderings cannot escape without paying your tax. META (END) +20% Note: [Mist Earl]''s Merits are merged with [Mist Sage]''s Tree. Incorporation of the Bronze and Silver Merits and spiritual fusion of the Gold Merit. For the second time in minutes, Priam''s soul evolved. Infused by his affinity, aether spontaneously formed new spiritual connections, allowing his consciousness to resonate with the Mist Domain. Priam''s thoughts and reasoning accelerated as new facets of the mist unveiled themselves. Like a friend, the Concept enveloped Priam, body and soul. Bathed in opaque fog, none of his senses, not even his Supremacies, could distinguish the mist from him. Priam''s presence dissipated, merging with the fog as never before. Both everywhere and nowhere, Priam opened his eyes to a fantastical world. For a few seconds, his breakthrough superimposed his internal world with a misty domain. A few moments later, as the phenomenon magically dissipated, Priam smiled. "Symphony." This single word conveyed everything. "You''re close to Unity," noted his advisor. "The System integrated the Merit into my soul, allowing me to ride and merge with mist," explained Priam with a big smile. "I know it''s artificial, but my new affinity has reconciled me with the mist." "What''s the characteristic of Symphony?" Priam opened his notifications. [Mist - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 1 Concept. Elusive, Omnipresent, Indefinite. Affinity - Your connection allows you to capture certain truths about Mist and manipulate it. Harmony - The source of aether is infinite. Allows you to use [Moon Mist] while expending ten times less energy. Symphony - Your mist is both present and absent. It''s up to you to decide who can feel it. "I can project mist and choose who can see it," Priam summarized. "Useful for infiltrating certain places or trapping an enemy in hostile territory." "It has excellent synergy with Pyro," replied the phoenix. "You know what to work on." "I don¡¯t?" The phoenix blinked once before sighing. "My bad, I forgot your lack of familiarity with the Concepts." Priam smiled, noting the absence of condescension in the bird''s voice. He had proven himself, earning the phoenix''s respect. "The four stages of a Concept are crucial. Affinity means you have mastered a Concept enough to use it. At some point, your soul harmonizes with it, unlocking a new ability. When Harmony is complete, a Symphony is born, unlocking another ability and, more importantly, the capacity to create an orchestra." Priam''s eyes gleamed. "An orchestra of Concepts? You mean using them together?" "A symphony is more than the sum of two instruments. Each Concept you push to Symphony can use the Harmony and Symphony abilities of the others." "Could I create a sea of fire around an enemy before materializing it?" Priam asked, smiling. "Or avoid friendly fire." Priam nodded as his system searched for techniques. This new synergy was intriguing, but he could only use it with simple flames¡ªhe hadn''t unlocked Symphony with Pyro yet. "I''ll continue then," Priam smiled, activating his new Merit. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Eidetic Memory, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity... 7 Unused Merit Points. Warning: activating this Merit will modify your soul, breaking the weakened seal set by your god, Sumstreh. Would you like to proceed? "...Fuck." "Problem?" Priam examined his soul and grimaced. It had enlarged when its structure had been altered under the influence of the Seven. The threads constituting Sumstreh''s mark were now taut to the limit. "Bastard''s seal is close to breaking. This idiot can''t even create something solid." Priam had a strong urge to destroy the Fallen''s mark, but he still needed to play a double game. "Talents are inscribed in the soul," the phoenix grimaced. "Give it a few days to stabilize before using your Merits." "Too bad, it puts an end to my power-ups. By the way, I also have an attribute to improve thanks to my draconic bloodline¡­" The phoenix''s eyes sparkled. "You should improve it as soon as you can. Unfortunately, I can''t say more. Just know that phoenixes evolve their Vitality when their bloodline becomes pure enough." Priam nodded. He didn''t plan to enhance his Vitality, but it was interesting to know that dragons weren''t the only race capable of improving their attributes. "All right. For now, I¡¯ll work on [Aether Manipulation] and temper my body. Any advice?" The phoenix nodded. "You''ll have to use manipulation exercises and solve puzzles. The Sun Shop should provide useful brain teasers." Priam grimaced. "I''ve seen some for four hundred thousand Sun points. Maybe I can start with your exercises?" "I can''t reveal those of my clan. Give me a few days to create some, will you?" Priam furrowed his brow. Time was precious, and he wanted to start tempering as soon as possible. He was too poor for the better puzzles. Even if he farmed corrupted beings, he wasn''t a Duke or Prince and couldn''t buy the best items. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Maybe I don''t have to pay for it myself." Exiting Concepts Archipelago, Priam surveyed his surroundings. Thanks to the efforts of the hoplites, humans, and Log-a-rhythm, Oasis was taking shape. Blueberry cooked while Myuri, Rose, and Alain enchanted the rampart. Further away, the hoplites annihilated hordes of corrupted, farming Sun points and honing their skills. Priam smiled at the sight of a turret taking down several corrupted. As the Lord of the area, he levied a tax on every kill made by defensive structures. His smile vanished when he saw Louis meditating on a branch, motionless. Aether trembled around him, signaling the old man''s attempt to unlock a Concept. Good luck. Assured that everyone was in good shape, Priam dashed toward the forest. Fifteen minutes later, mist stirred on top of a hill. A naked young man with misty eyes and fiery hair emerged. Looking back, Priam spotted Oasis two kilometers away¡ªneither too close nor too far. Climbing to the top of a tree in a single bound, he cupped his hands in a horn shape in front of his mouth. Gathering all the air from his lungs, Priam shouted at the top of his voice. "¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨VE!!!" [Kinetic Control] manipulated the air pressure, increasing the amplitude of the sound wave and isolating his eardrums. The howl spread through the valley, shaking the air, trees, and millions of corrupted. In the ensuing silence, Priam felt his stomach knotting. He feared another confrontation with Sumstreh, but thinking about Sphinx restored his courage. To save his friend, he needed power. Tempering his body required [Aether Manipulation], and the skill demanded puzzles too expensive for a Tier 0. But not for a Tier 4. It was time for Sumstreh to invest in his champion. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 998 Charisma 615 META: Meta-affinity 426 (+3) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 (+55) Meta-perception 214 (+7) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 259 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 61 342 (+4 589) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 21 hours 53 minutes 48 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 196: He Who Conned the Gods ¨¨ve jolted as one of her illusions heard the shout. What lousy timing, she thought, focusing her attention. She quickened her pace and entered the tribal encampment. The six guards paid her no mind, [Scotomization] forcing them to unconsciously reject her presence. Their immediate memory was rewritten, preventing them from seeing or remembering her. Inside the camp, a child mounted on a pack animal stared at her. ¨¨ve grimaced, realizing she had been spotted. [Scotomization] had prioritized the guards to avoid awkward questions. Priam¡¯s yell had shattered her focus, allowing the child to catch a glimpse of her. A child''s attention could be focused on many things, and this one had chosen ¨¨ve. If she talks to me, I''m done... Reluctantly, ¨¨ve began to summon her aether. "Tymile, look ahead or you''ll fall!" Her mother''s call diverted the child''s attention, and she turned with a clownish grace. ¨¨ve sighed in relief. She wouldn''t have to trap the child in an illusion. At that age, the long-term consequences could be dramatic. What am I saying... What kind of hypocrite worried about a child''s brain development just before committing an act of terrorism? The young woman continued on her way, all the while thinking about Priam. Was there a problem? As a fanatic following Sumstreh''s orders, his issues probably involved the Fallen. If she failed to resolve them, her head would roll. Yet, she couldn''t join him right now. She had an attack to carry out, and the meeting of the Chiefs of the three tribes was the only time she could act. After that, the Tier 4s would disperse in the camp, making infiltration much more challenging. Her Talents, Titles, Merits, and skills synergized to erase her presence, but a Tier 4''s Domain could detect her. At their level, their mental attributes were sufficient to know the identity of every tribe member. An outsider like ¨¨ve, even disguised, would stand out instantly. Quickening her pace, a fresh boar carcass on her shoulder, ¨¨ve continued down one of the main arteries of the camp. Around her, hundreds of tribespeople strolled, regularly exchanging dark glances. Now that their journey was over, and the most dangerous creatures were behind them, tensions were rising. Under the haughty gaze of the proud Aelbes, the strong Gaeserts despised the cunning Snaherts. The grand alliance would soon come to an end. With her face painted with Aelbes marks and her features slightly altered by her illusions, ¨¨ve looked straight ahead, passing by two Gaeserts women. The elder one wore leather and bone armor crafted by a master artisan. The materials were from a powerful beast, indicating she was a huntress. The younger one was clad in plant-based fabric and sported multicolored feathers and magical beads. The absence of calluses on her hands revealed she was an apprentice apothecary. The fighter didn''t spare ¨¨ve a glance, busy calming the frustrated teenager. "Laepa, let me at least search for some antidote among the local plants. The Snaherts will poison us when it''s time to choose the best settlement location!" "Certainly not. There are millions of corrupted outside; you''d get torn apart. And watch your words; we are still allies." "Not for long," the teenager spat. "Old rivalries are resurfacing." "Nonsense. The opinion of the powerful is the only one that matters." "If two youths kill each other, the Chiefs won''t be able to contain the clan''s wrath. Sooner or later, it will explode." ¨¨ve wholeheartedly agreed. She had been studying the tribes for days, learning their language, customs, and habits. Only a spark was needed to ignite a war. And I could be that spark. The huntress sighed loudly. "That''s enough, Gabrielle. I''ll go fetch herbs while visiting the Champions. You find Broli and pacify his friends. The Chiefs are discussing a peaceful way to choose our future territories, and they wouldn''t be pleased if a kid ruined everything." Gabrielle sniffed. "The day the Snaherts choose a peaceful outcome, I''ll kiss a dragon¡¯s ass." "Language!" ¨¨ve left the two tribeswomen behind and ventured towards her right, into the Gaesert quarter. She had long thought about her target. The attack ordered by Sumstreh was meant to divide the tribes. Using poison, the Snaherts'' weapon, to reach the Gaeserts was the idea she had settled on. In the long run, the political consequences would be the most interesting. Passing by a large tent, ¨¨ve heard youthful laughter. A nursery... The most effective way to trigger a war was to target children, but she refused. Sumstreh controlled her life, not her thoughts. If she stooped to massacring kids, she would have to bear that weight on her conscience. Selling Sphinx and Priam was tough enough without adding to it. Their sacrifice had been necessary, but ¨¨ve still had remorse. Resuming her journey, she soon reached a large tent. The smell of blood and the shouts of the cooks left no doubt; she had found the kitchens. Placing the boar in front of a surprised apprentice, she smiled. "A gift." "This is the Gaesert mess hall, not the Aelbes''," he said respectfully. The marks on Eve''s face designated her as a Tier 2 huntress¡ªnot too powerful to be recognized, not too weak to be easily accosted. "One of your warriors saved my life during the journey. A gift to thank your fighters." Instantly, the apprentice chef puffed up his chest. If the Aelbes were the most powerful, the Gaeserts were the most united. The glory of one reflected on the entire clan. "I''ll prepare it personally," smiled the teenager. "Very well, but it''s for your warriors. I treated it against necro-corruption, but one can never be too cautious." The apprentice nodded, and ¨¨ve hoped he would listen. She didn''t want the soul of a teenager weighing on her conscience. Leaving behind a boar poisoned to the bone, ¨¨ve hurried to leave the camp. The First was waiting. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 2 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 Floating cross-legged just a few centimeters above the forest floor, Priam channeled several of his abilities. A delicate mastery of [Kinetic Control] allowed him to hover and regulate the ambient temperature. Simultaneously, [Moon Mist] concealed him from the senses of the corrupted creatures howling in agony less than thirty meters away. Priam understood their rage. In their shoes, burned by Pyro''s flames, he would have howled too. His call fifteen minutes ago had drawn hordes of enraged revenants. The Necro Concept strengthened them over time. Now, even the weakest among them could physically defeat Rose or Alain. Yet, the fire inherited from the ancestor of phoenixes ravaged their ranks effortlessly. Priam advanced faster than the Necro Beasts. As his fiery storm blocked the advance of the undead army, Conquest further fueled his flames. He was relatively sure that one of his meta-attributes intensified the fire, but he hadn''t yet identified which one. While his system exterminated the corrupted, Priam focused on the aether. The ideal upgrade of [Aether Perception] had changed everything. He now saw the currents of the fundamental fluid with the naked eye. The world was more beautiful, vibrant, and, above all, more complex. Previously, Priam perceived aether when it gathered in large quantities. Now, his Domain detected the thousands of minor flows constantly exchanged by objects. Suddenly, a change caught his attention. A first wave of aether surged in his direction, followed by a second. The particles entered his mind, and Priam felt his focus diminish. His thoughts changed direction. Alerted, Priam overclocked his vivacity and focused on [True Will]. The manipulation began to slow down as Priam''s defenses activated, and his thoughts accelerated. Someone was trying to corrupt his memory. Eve? A member of the tribes? The Necro Envoy? Fuck, I have to remember that someone is trying to manipulate me. Record a memory backup. [Creating a routine. Monitoring memory. ¡­ Routine failure. [Eidetic Memory] detects no falsification. ¡­ Routine failure. [Eidetic Memory] detects no falsification. ¡­ Routine absent.] Reading the reports from his add-on, Priam began to break into a cold sweat. His opponent was skilled enough to influence his system''s behavior. Without [Aether Perception], he wouldn''t have even noticed the manipulation. If I do nothing, I''m screwed! The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Opening his Potential, Priam immersed his mind in the flow of divine inspiration. Whoever his adversary was, he refused to lose control of his thoughts. Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 7 WILL +18 CHAR +9 Will exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! Title won! [It''s over 1,000! - Silver] - The first threshold could be a coincidence. Not the second. You like it when your attributes rise. When numbers go brrr. It''s a sign of great intelligence. PS: This Title does not confer attribute bonuses. Take your Merit point and go. Quantifying his will was difficult, but Priam felt his thoughts gaining inertia with the second milestone. The enemy continued to gain ground, but not as quickly as before. Priam realized that it wouldn''t change much. In a few seconds, he would forget the assailant. When defense no longer worked, it was time to go on the offensive. Priam turned in the direction of the waves and bluffed. "If you don''t stop this quickly, you¡¯re dead." Priam tensed. He would have preferred to attack with a Pyro Breath, but if his opponent was several hundred meters away, they would have time to dodge. In the event of no response, he would flee. Twenty meters away, the mist swirled, revealing ¨¨ve. His rival seemed stunned. "How?" This bitch! With a thought, Priam recalled his fog, summoning a dome of flame. The temperature soared, and Priam internally smiled as he saw ¨¨ve start to sweat. His rival wasn''t blocked¡ªafter all, she had managed to come¡ªbut she seemed uncomfortable in the furnace. "You can make me ignore your presence, but not the aether you emit," he replied confidently. It was false; outside his Domain, Priam''s perception wasn''t yet refined enough to detect his rival hidden by an illusion. That would come. "...You''re not the First for nothing. Did you summon me?" "I need to talk to our god." Priam had to suppress a cold smile when uttering those words. He hated Sumstreh, and showing deference to the Fallen angered him. On the other hand, the prospect of deceiving the god delighted him. This buffoon will die by the hand he¡¯ll arm. Ignoring Priam''s murderous thoughts, ¨¨ve nodded as she pulled a rabhorn from her satchel. Its white fur, fluffy tail, and cute horn concealed a mean Tier 1 monster. "That¡¯s good; he wanted to speak with you too." Seeing the creature, Priam ordered his system to activate the preparations. He hadn''t expected to see the Fallen so quickly but had anticipated many situations. His memory was rewritten in a fraction of a second. When the rabhorn''s eyes lit up, Priam¡¯s ego had vanished. The young man bent his knee, sensing the arrival of a terrifying presence. "Priam, I''m glad to see that you continue to improve," Sumstreh''s voice thundered. "You ordered me to become a Prince, and I live to serve," the believer replied in a voice vibrating with veneration. The rabhorn''s lips stretched into a smile too perverse for such a cute creature. "See, ¨¨ve, you would be as happy as your rival if you accepted to let me mark your soul." "I''ll stick with the leash you''ve so generously bestowed upon me," ¨¨ve replied before pointing at Priam. "He had something to tell you." The rabhorn shook its head before turning to its faithful. "Really?" "Yes, your Divinity. I discussed the best method to become a Prince with the Guardian of Secrets. Your humble servant would have great chances of reaching this rank by tempering his body with Heavenly Dragon. I used Ace''s first Merit to obtain [Ideal Aether Perception], but I would need help for the high upgrade of manipulation." "... Do you want my help to buy aether puzzles?" Priam regained consciousness upon hearing these words. [High probability that Fallen Sumstreh is projecting his presence without being able to use his powers. No interaction with the divine mark detected. Reloading host''s original memory. Dynamic modification of memory activated: Liar mode. Host now believes in his lies.] "I beg your pardon if I ask too much, but I thought becoming a Prince was a priority," Priam said, looking at the ground. It was easier for him to hide his revulsion and anger by avoiding the glowing gaze of the rabhorn. "It''s a priority if you can become one, but even in Elysium, Princes are rare." "I won''t fail." Priam had no need to lie to utter that phrase. After a brief hesitation, he continued. "The most profitable investments are never without risk, but my Talent is powerful. With your help, I will become a Prince sooner or later. Let me be your weapon." A long silence answered Priam. "Your divine mark doesn''t respond. Is it purely the Necromoon''s doing?" Priam hid a smile. Sumstreh wasn''t really worried, confident in his own power. A fatal error. First, the bait¡­ "This may be linked to the Necro Envoy''s activity?" Now, let''s see if you bite. Sumstreh did not respond immediately, and Priam forced himself to remain relaxed. If the Fallen attacked, it would be now. "You speak the truth. What Necro Envoy?" Priam suppressed his joy. A huge computing capacity was useless when you were stupid. It is almost too easy. "A Tier 3 Marquess who possessed the body of a soulless human. She is rapidly regaining her power and seems interested in Oasis and the surrounding areas." Sumstreh''s aura disappeared instantly. "¨¨ve." "I was monitoring the tribes, I couldn''t¡ª" The rest of her sentence was lost in a scream. The rabhorn had just ripped out her tongue. A spray of blood splattered the white fur of the animal. "What good is your tongue if it can''t inform me?" Sumstreh jumped, landing at Priam''s feet. Despite the difference in size, the creature''s implacable eyes made the situation terrifying. "You and ¨¨ve will attract the Necro Envoy''s attention with the help of the tribes. Moreover, I want a ban on entering rabhorn territory. Do you understand?" "Yes, your Divinity!" "If I sense a single Tier 4 or the Necro Envoy approaching my Divine Kingdom, I will use the sphinx child as a karmic bomb." Priam kept his eyes fixed on the ground, his emotions imprisoned deep within his heart. Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 9 WILL +3 Suddenly, some kind of black diamond fell to his feet. "A fragment of the fulcrum of my former divine kingdom. You should be able to exchange it for a quality aether puzzle at the Auctions. It''s roughly equivalent to six million Sun points¡­" A spasm shook the rabhorn, which collapsed to the ground. In the background, ¨¨ve moaned in pain, covering her mouth. "Do not disappoint me." When his new perception assured him that the Fallen had left, Priam allowed himself a smile. He had felt Bastard''s reluctance. The loss of the fulcrum¡¯s fragment pained him. That''s how you steal from a god! The System agreed. Title upgrade! [Iconoclast - Gold] becomes [Iconoclast - Legendary]! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 385 Willpower 1 028 (+30) Charisma 631 (+16) META: Meta-affinity 430 (+4) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 (+7) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 268 (+9) Tier 0 Sun points: 115 031 (+53 689) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 21 hours 34 minutes 43 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 197: Intimidation While sprinting, Gabrielle wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. As she approached, the two hunters guarding the boar pen furrowed their brows. "Oh, it''s little Gabrielle. Is there a problem?" "Open... the... pen..." The teenage girl could barely speak, her breath short. The two guards exchanged uncertain glances. Despite her status as an apprentice apothecary, Gabrielle was too young to command them. "I know you''re not one to spout nonsense, but I need to know why," one of the two men said. Gabrielle opened her mouth, stifled a sob, and closed it again. Seeing the orphan''s condition, the two guards understood something serious was happening. "OPEN THE PEN!" Broli was rushing towards them and his panic convinced the guards. A few minutes later, Gabrielle, Broli, and half a dozen Gaeserts reached the clan''s mess tent. A dozen docile boars followed them. The scene could have been astonishing, each beast being a Tier 2 known for its vicious nature, but no Gaesert present was bothered by it. "Mama Apo, here they are!" Gabrielle entered the main tent. Broli followed, grimacing at the heavy scent of blood. The tables had been cleared to accommodate the unconscious bodies of about forty people. "How is he?" Broli asked, approaching the clan''s healer. A woman who had seen many seasons gestured for him to be silent. "Fewer words, more actions. Bring in Prasher." Broli complied. Gabrielle moved away from the entrance as the ground trembled. A boar of almost five tons entered behind Broli. As the clan''s oldest and most powerful domesticated animal, the Tier 3 was terrifying. Mounted on legs higher than men and thicker than tree trunks, the beast approached Mama Apo to look. When it saw the scarred warrior lying on the table, blood oozing from every orifice, the boar''s eyes turned red. Beside him, Broli swallowed, realizing that his uncle was between life and death. "I need some of your blood to save him," the apothecary asked calmly. The boar calmed down before lowering its head. With a light touch, the old woman opened the thick leather of the Tier 3. A stream of blood flowed out before stopping in mid-air as a large sphere. "Come closer, Gabrielle; one day, it will be your turn to do this." Gabrielle approached, observing her master at work. "Galgo is a Tier 3 warrior. To optimize his healing, I will transfuse blood of the same tier." Tossing some herbs into the blood orbs, Mama Apo watched the blood boil and turn into fiery red before nodding. "Prasher is the boar breeder. We regularly inject him with small amounts of snake venom to produce antibodies. These herbs temporarily increase the effectiveness of the antidote." The blood globe split into nine beads that flew toward the suffering warrior. Each penetrated an orifice before disappearing. Gabrielle heard Broli gulp behind her but paid no attention. She had long understood that saving people was a dirty job. "If I had more time, I would separate the antibodies from the blood to administer a concentrated serum." "What about our stock?" "I injected the huntresses with it. Why did I make this choice?" The warrior''s body began to convulse, and Mama Apo approached. With one hand, she calmed him and applied her magic. One of her abilities allowed her to stimulate her patients'' vitality and direct it in the right direction. "You used the serum on the huntresses because boar blood would be fatal to them. On the other hand, the transformation of our warriors makes them compatible with this blood," Gabrielle replied. Like Broli a few weeks earlier, each clan fighter merged with a boar''s core during their coming-of-age ceremony. The operation transformed them like a weak bloodline, altering their metabolism. Their physical attributes increased, and they awakened defensive talents. "Is that the only reason?" Gabrielle took a moment to think. "The huntresses are physically weaker. If you had waited, they would have died before I brought back the boars." Mama Apo turned to Gabrielle, a sad smile on her lips. "Even so, not all of them will make it... Broli, your uncle will live." "Really?!" "The poison was too weak to spread the necro corruption." "Thank you, Mama Apo!" That was why Mama Apo had saved him first. Of all the men, the Chief''s brother had the best chance of survival. And the clan couldn''t afford to lose a Tier 3. Broli smiled, unaware that his uncle''s survival meant the death of another man. "Gabrielle, we still have about ten warriors to treat," said the old apothecary, heading to the next table. Gabrielle followed suit, leaving Broli to calm the enormous boar and watch over his uncle. A life is saved, but how many will die today? wondered the teenager. She felt powerless. Cries temporarily drowned out the groans of the Gaeserts. These savages know how to use their vocal cords to mourn their dead. With a gesture, Ophis, Chief of the Snaherts, dismissed his scribe as the tent flaps opened. "Five of my huntresses. Three of my warriors. Dead. Twelve others are in a coma, poisoned!" Braato''s rage was genuine, and Ophis frowned. Four guards entered the tent, weapons ready, but none tried to intervene. The Chief of the Gaeserts was a colossus capable of tanking attacks from a Tier 5. It was ridiculous to think the four Tier 3s had a chance, but they were doing their duty. With a slight nod, Ophis dismissed his men. "I''m aware, and I''m sure you know I''m innocent." In different circumstances, Ophis would have loved to reduce the number of Gaeserts sharing his island. However, the Necro event was raging, and he needed all the allies he could get. "If I had any doubt, I would have already knocked your jaw off," growled Braato. Ophis rolled his eyes but made no comment. "I want you to find whoever did this." "Why me?" "Because the skulc¡¯s butthead who did this thinks like you. The coward prefers to divide us rather than strike head-on." Ignoring the insult, Ophis narrowed his eyes. Braato raised an interesting point. "The enemy knows us. We must stand united to thwart their plans." "United? My clansmen are demanding payback. None of them will be willing to step up to the front lines during the next corrupted attack to defend your Snaherts. Politics isn''t our strong suit." It was the understatement of the century. Ophis suppressed a grimace. Without the Gaeserts to tank the assault, his fighters would be injured. How many would fall against the Necromoon¡¯s slaves? "We stand as allies, and I treat this assault with utmost gravity," declared Ophis. "I shall conduct an investigation. In the interim, may I dispatch our Shaman to attend to your wounded?" Mama Apo was an exceptional healer, but poison was the Snaherts'' business. "The poison ain''t the problem; it''s just a carrier for necro corruption." "Our adversary abides by no rules," Ophis grumbled. The Necromoon claimed the souls of those it killed. For the tribesmen, it was a profound insult. "Can''t the Sun Shop aid those in a coma?" The System provided pills to combat necro corruption. Although they came at a price, Braato would have paid without hesitation to save his clansmen. "The pills we can get our hands on are just too weak." "... Thus, only one solution remains: The Auctions." [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Already tired of pissing on statues? While calling Sumstreh a god is stretching the truth, he does have some god-like traits. Despite the Tier difference, you''ve stolen from, conned, humiliated, and ridiculed him. Are you that cunning, or is he just that stupid? Probably a bit of both. You become even more resistant to auras. The doors of the Divine Realms close: upon death, your soul cannot be captured. MEM +10% NEW WILL +10% CHAR +10% META (Chance) +50 Priam grinned as he saw his Memory increase again. It was now his only attribute below five hundred points¡ªexcept for the meta attributes. Reaching the first milestone with all attributes would undoubtedly bring rewards. At least, Priam hoped so. A gulp caught his attention, and Priam looked up. ¨¨ve had just swallowed a white pill and was shaking, trying to heal her tongue. Taking advantage of his rival''s distraction, Priam leaned in to pick up the black diamond dropped by Sumstreh. When his hand touched the fulcrum shard, his whole body roared with desire, paralyzing his thoughts. The diamond fell to the ground as Priam''s add-on pushed him away with a kinetic flick. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. What just happened?! [Archipelago Concepts response. High probability of evolving the internal world by absorbing the fulcrum fragment.] Faced with an object capable of upgrading it, Priam''s internal world had spontaneously reacted. Since the world was linked to the soul, and the soul was connected to the body through [Homo Elysian Obsession], Priam had been paralyzed by the onset of evolution. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam grabbed the diamond before encasing it in a shell of ice. He had no confidence in storing the object in his internal world and with no clothing, he couldn''t stow it in a pocket. The only downside to being butt naked. Once the diamond was secured, Priam headed towards ¨¨ve. When his Domain enveloped the young woman, she looked at him. "What are you doing?" she said without opening her mouth. Sumstreh had injured her, but she could still use her illusions. [Ideal Aether Perception] detected the origin of the skill, and Priam asked his add-on to gather all possible data on it. "Our god asked us to draw the Necro Envoy''s attention with the help of the tribes. I''d like to know what you know about them." Priam hadn''t forgotten that Bastard wasn''t the only threat. ¨¨ve''s golden eyes filled with anger, a feeling that disappeared when she blinked. The illusions not only concealed her appearance but also her emotions. "We''ll talk about it in Oasis. Protect me while I meditate." Priam stared at his rival in silence. The young woman''s almost hostile tone provoked his anger, and the violent emotion brought painful memories to the surface¡ªSphinx¡¯s capture and the violation of his soul. Priam''s self-control cracked as the atmosphere quickly became awkward. After about twenty seconds, the wrathful warrior took another step forward. Far from being romantic, the physical closeness was meant to be intimidating. At the optimal distance to deliver a headbutt to ¨¨ve, Priam locked eyes with his rival. "I don''t believe you''re in a position to give me orders." The cold tone and Priam''s posture spoke volumes about his hostility. "Are you threatening me?" "Indeed." After duping Sumstreh, Priam refused to let himself be dominated by his rival. "Sumst... Our master wouldn''t like that," tried ¨¨ve. "The fact that you''re afraid to say his name makes me think otherwise. Our god wants results, and so far, you''ve achieved nothing impressive." "I just earned a Title for poisoning and killing several Tier 2s." Priam instantly understood who had died. "I''m sure that will convince the tribes to help us kill the Necro Envoy," he ironized. "No one knows it was me." "We''re facing Tier 4s." Sumstreh had provided valuable information to Priam about the natives. "Do you really think the tribes will be fooled by a Tier 0?" Despite the illusion, Priam could see the aether on the surface of his rival''s body when she was in his Domain. ¨¨ve clenched her fists. "I took precautions." "I hope for your sake. Otherwise, I know a way to gain the tribes'' help." Bringing ¨¨ve to the tribes'' justice would surely improve Priam''s reputation. Faced with the thinly veiled threat, ¨¨ve activated a skill. Priam''s newfound sensitivity to aether alerted him, and he mobilized his Domain, Aura and [Kinetic Control]. Boosted by Conquest, he put pressure on his rival. ¨¨ve''s body froze, and Priam let the mist fill his eyes. Two white pupils locked onto two golden eyes. "If I sense you move, there won''t be enough intact bones in your body for the Necromoon to resurrect you." "You wouldn''t dare." "Try me." The anger in Priam''s misty eyes was genuine. ¨¨ve had sacrificed him and Sphinx. She might not have had many other choices, but Priam had the right to hate her. The only thing preventing him from killing his rival was Sumstreh. The Fallen was disappointed in ¨¨ve, but not to the point of killing her. Plus, she diverted his attention from Priam. After several seconds, the tension became unbearable. ¨¨ve probed his eyes, and the rage she saw must have convinced her because she slouched. Seeing the defeated posture, Priam opened a portal to the Tribulations Chamber. "I''m taking us back to Oasis, and you won''t ditch me along the way," he declared. ¨¨ve shot him a dark look as she entered Concepts Archipelago. Closing the portal, Priam glanced behind him. Behind the curtain of mist and flames, a giant stood out on the horizon. It was still far, but Priam recognized another necro giant. The Necromoon''s army was growing every second. The giant looked in his direction, and Priam disappeared into the mist. Returning to Oasis, Priam found his father and Rose discussing with Hyshana. "It would be dangerous to wait any longer," warned Alain. "The current defenses won''t last a second against Tier 2s, and we don''t have the skills to upgrade the walls ourselves." "Every point invested in traps and turrets pays interest. Defenses bring in nothing," Hyshana pointed out. "What''s happening?" Priam asked, appearing next to the campfire. The two humans jumped, surprised by his arrival. The hoplite had a more violent reaction. A light blade appeared in Hyshana''s hands and stopped a few centimeters from Priam''s face. The sword disappeared the next moment, and she raised an eyebrow. Only Blueberry didn''t react, focused on his grilling. "Do you want to give me a heart attack?" asked Alain. "There''s no more inheritance; I don''t see the point," Priam winked. The old man burst into laughter. "How did you do that?" asked Rose, her eyes shining. Priam shrugged. "I can ride the mist and make it invisible to you. You saw me appear spontaneously, but I just stopped my fusion with the mist." "Is it a skill or your Concept?" asked Hyshana. "My Concept. [Moon Mist] mainly helps me enhance its power." Without the skill, Priam could only summon a limited amount of mist per second from the ambient aether. With it, he could consume his own aether to create a cloud in a few seconds. A small cloud. "The legendary upgrade will certainly help me go beyond my Concept, but the epic skill isn''t enough." Priam understood that skills were based on Concepts, but the advantages of the former over the latter were still a bit unclear. He knew his doubts would be cleared when he obtained his first natural legendary skill. "What were you talking about?" Alain and Hyshana opened their mouths at the same time, but Rose was faster. "After destroying hordes of corrupted all day, we''ve accumulated quite a few Sun points. Hyshana wants to invest them in traps and turrets to earn even more points. Alain suggests a more defensive option: upgrade our wall to survive the hypothetical appearance of Tier 2s," explained Rose. "The best defense is offense," said Hyshana. It didn''t surprise Priam that the hoplites knew the saying. "Solid and well-defined walls would allow us to build other structures and protect our guests." Priam turned to the Forum. The Guardian of Secrets wasn''t at much risk, but Ymir''s bison wouldn''t fit into Log-a-rhythm. In case of an attack, it would die. "Can''t we do both?" "Being average everywhere is being good nowhere. The idea is not to abandon one or the other strategy but to prioritize one. We need to choose a direction and an identity for Oasis. As the Lord, it''s your responsibility," declared Hyshana. "What do you mean?" "Does Oasis aim to be an offensive outpost built around Log-a-rhythm, or do you want to invest to create a solid and habitable base?" Priam looked at Log-a-rhythm, the first gift he had received from the System. Vibrant with green, gold, and crimson, the tree seemed to sing as the wind swayed its leaves. Soaring into the air, it seemed to defy the universe to bring it down again. A defiance echoed by Priam. "I chose the name Oasis for a reason. This base will be a sanctuary for my loved ones in this terrifying world. A home that will welcome us after every journey. A haven of magic to study the mysteries of aether and the System... The outpost will be Concepts Archipelago. Oasis will be a home. Yours too, Hyshana." "You sound more like a Shield than a Spear." "A Spear for humanity; a Shield for those I love." Something changed in Hyshana''s gaze. "Then let''s upgrade the wall. Here''s the hoplite''s contribution: forty thousand Sun points." "Thank you." Priam opened the Sun Shop. Sun Shop: Territory: Some infrastructures are available as blueprints at half the cost. Protective Barrier II (10 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 1 000 square meters and stopping attacks from an average Tier 0 Elysian Baron. Camouflage II (10 000 points) - A camouflage enchantment covering 1,000 square meters, disrupting the senses of an average Tier 0 Elysian Viscount. Alarm I (5 000 points) - An alarm covering 500 square meters, detecting most common Tier 0 intruders (Elysium standard). ¡­ Necro Purification Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 500 square meters. Natural Growth Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 500 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. Guardian of the Forest Ritual III (25 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 2,000 square meters. ¡­ Holy Guardian V (100 000 points) - Develops the power of your Holy Guardian and grants it the potential of a Duke. Only a High Tribulation can improve your Holy Guardian''s Soul Tier. Properties: Immune to the Necro curse. Resistant to the Necro Concept. Cannot leave your Territory. Development speed x5. Number of available resurrections: 5. Natural affinity (Moon): 100% (50% (base) + 50%). ¡­ Tribulation Chamber II (10 000 points) - Improvement. Rampart III (25 000 points) - Improvement. ¡­ Sun points: 155 244 "I think we''ll be able to upgrade more than just the rampart," smiled Priam. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 413 (+28) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 430 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 268 Tier 0 Sun points: 155 244 (+40 213) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 21 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 198: Tower Defense Rampart III (25 000 points) - Improvement. ACQUIRED Sun points : 130 244 Select a blueprint. Priam held a blueprint crafted by a professional architect, watching as changes unfolded. His father''s career began with drawing electrical lines and telecommunication centers, then shifted towards schools, town halls, and eventually houses. While he lacked the perfect skills to raise fortifications, Priam didn''t have a wyvern hunter diploma. Yet, that hadn''t stopped either of the two men from excelling. "You''ve kept the location and length of the old rampart," Priam remarked. "If I alter that, the Sun points cost will go up," explained Alain. "It''s an improvement, not an extension." His father had done the necessary research to enhance the base defenses, which was good because Priam couldn''t be everywhere at once. "Still, the height and width of the wall are increasing. There are also crenellations protecting the rampart walk and slots for turrets." "As long as we don''t move or extend the rampart, it''s fine for the System." "Great job," Priam smiled, sacrificing the blueprint at the Sun Shop. Now, one question remained: how would the System upgrade the rampart protecting the Oasis clearing? Would little angels descend from the sky with hammers, nails, and planks, or would a flash blind Priam''s view while the Concepts altered reality? The algorithm behind the System opted for a blend of beauty and efficiency. When the change occurred, Priam was blinded by his newfound affinity for aether. A gargantuan amount of energy surrounded the rampart, summoned in a way that eluded his understanding. "What the¡ª" Seeing his father and Rose step back, Priam realized everyone could see aether with the naked eye. The fluid was so concentrated that every liter of air held thousands of times the amount of aether Priam could compact in a Breath. Yet, he didn''t feel endangered; the aether was perfectly controlled by the System. Under the influence of the Seven, the energy merged with the rampart, penetrating wood, enchantments, earth, and the few stones forming the makeshift protection. The matter liquefied, changed shape, then resolidified. An impressive wall now surrounded the clearing in a sweeping arc. Each end plunged into the river, making it challenging for any foe to enter easily. A single gate, crafted from white wood, allowed entry and exit from the base. Priam felt a sense of pride in his stronghold. The colossal rampart added a touch of grandeur to Oasis. Another part of him analyzed the magic of the Concepts. The sublime mastery of the System had transformed energy into matter without wasting anything. Priam''s new perception showcased the omnipotence of Concepts, quickening his hearts. Is it omnipotent? It was one thing to know that the System had no real limit; it was another to witness a wall of wood and stone over a hundred meters long materialize before his eyes. "Awesome!" exclaimed Rose, running toward the wall. Others followed. The rampart now stood five meters high and three meters wide. The side facing the forest was now made of white marble veined with black. The rest of the structure was made of indestructible ebony wood, lending a certain flexibility to the design. Stairs allowed access to the wall walk, and Priam climbed them. Running his finger over the wood, he realized the System hadn''t merely processed the boards used for the previous palisade; it had changed its nature. [Identification] [Rampart III - Silver - Tier 0] - Created by Alain Azura, Rose Williams, and improved by the Sun Shop. A fortification a hundred and four meters long, five meters high, and three meters wide. The exterior is made of common wandering marble, treated and enchanted. The rest is made of rot-resistant common ebony wood, providing some flexibility to the structure. Only the incessant assault of a Tier 0 Elysian Earl could damage this wall. Active Enchantments: Resilience (III) Solidity (III) Boundary (III) Relay - Barrier (III) Reading the description, Priam gave a faint smile. The time when he was an Earl wasn''t so distant. The term "incessant assault" was vague, but it was clear the rampart could withstand a Breath. "The material is robust enough to support more potent enchantments." Hearing Rose''s voice, Priam rode the mist to catch up with the group examining the rampart. "What does that mean?" Priam asked. "By buying the next blueprint, we can upgrade this wall to rank IV ourselves," explained Alain. "I''m not sure we''ll have the time before you upgrade it again, but at least it''s a possibility." One reason his father had voted for the rampart was that the previous one was made of soil and cut trunks. Their origin was local: the forest surrounding Log-a-rhythm. The trees were relatively young, yielding wood too weak to withstand powerful enchantments. The lack of resilient material had forced Priam to purchase the improvement at a high cost rather than its blueprint. "It''s a fine rampart, but is it sturdy?" Hyshana asked, summoning a blade of light. "Should be¡ª" Before anyone could stop her, the hoplite swung her blade against the stone. The sword exploded in a cascade of light without leaving a trace on the wall. The spectators remained silent as Hyshana nodded. "Not bad." Typical hoplite... "It can withstand assaults from an Earl," Priam informed, continuing to pace the wall walk. "Before his Tribulations, Kazuki certainly couldn''t have damaged the structure." "I love my husband, but he''s only been benefiting from the System for two months. Our most formidable opponent is the Necro Envoy, who owns Mirscella¡¯s body. They¡¯re powerful enough to destroy this rampart." Everyone winced at the hoplite''s words, but no one contested. "If the Necro Envoy could, she would have already killed us," Alain said. "I don''t believe they¡¯re the type of enemy to play with their prey." "They could just jump over the rampart," Priam grimaced, leaning over the crenellations. Alain, Rose, and Hyshana gave him confused looks. "What?" "We''ve been brainstorming about the base defense all day. It would be really dumb not to have thought of that," Rose replied. "The fourth enchantment allows the rampart to relay the barrier surrounding Oasis." The Land Owner theme had enabled Log-a-rhythm to create a protective dome over its entire domain. Intangible and invisible to Priam''s allies, the barrier repelled enemies and served as support for certain enchantments, such as Camouflage. "Meaning?" Priam asked. His father and Rose had nearly spent their entire Potential on researching enchantments and had questioned the Guardian of Secrets about it. He willingly confessed his incompetence in that area. "It means that this new rampart passively creates a new barrier in front of it. No enemy will jump over the rampart before destroying the protection. Moreover, it extends beneath the ground to the nearly indestructible bedrock of the island. There are a few holes for the roots of Log-a-rhythm, but they are almost as sturdy as the rampart." "So now we have two barriers?" "One large, covering the entire domain, and one at the level of the rampart," Rose confirmed. "Without it, this structure would have limited usefulness." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Even without that, the walls are cool. Priam remembered his childhood building defensive walls in strategy games. There was something cathartic about being protected behind a large stone rampart. A transparent barrier didn''t offer the same reassurance. "The real advantage is that it''s more resistant than the barrier at the same rank," Rose smiled. "Should we upgrade the barrier?" Priam asked after a moment of reflection. During his first shopping spree, they had focused on traps to gain more Sun points than invested. Today, they faced an enemy capable of bypassing their barrier and reaching the weakest among them directly. The threat of the Necro Envoy urged him to invest in the base''s defenses. "Yes, and quickly at that," Hyshana grimaced. "The current barrier often fractures." "Say no more." Priam reopened the Sun Shop and upgraded the barrier three times. Protective Barrier II (10 000 points) - A one-way protective barrier capable of covering 1 000 square meters and stopping attacks from an average Tier 0 Elysian Baron. ACQUIRED Protective Barrier III (25 000 points) - A one-way protective barrier capable of covering 2 500 square meters and stopping attacks from an average Tier 0 Elysian Viscount. ACQUIRED Protective Barrier IV (50 000 points) - A one-way protective barrier capable of covering 5 000 square meters and stopping attacks from an average Tier 0 Elysian Earl. ACQUIRED Protective Barrier V (100 000 points) - A one-way protective barrier capable of covering 10 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a weak Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. Sun points: 45 244 For a moment, the dome covering Oasis revealed itself. The protection covered the sky, forming a perfect half-sphere that prevented any enemy from approaching by land or air. Thousands of new runes appeared on its surface, illuminating Oasis while absorbing the surrounding aether. Outside, the corrupted beings threw themselves at the now-visible barrier. His connection with Log-a-rhythm allowed Priam to learn the truth: such weak attacks were inconsequential against the new barrier. The day might come when the Necromoon foot soldiers became powerful enough to breach the defenses, but it was distant. Gradually, the barrier became invisible again, and the camouflage enchantment confused the corrupted beings. A few seconds later, only one in ten revenants still attempted to enter Oasis. "According to Log-a-rhythm, even if they attacked every square centimeter of the barrier simultaneously, they would cause no damage," Priam said. "What about an enemy like the necrowolf?" Rose asked, trembling. One didn''t need to be an empath to see that the memory of the attack terrified the teenager. Priam remembered the creature that had beheaded him upon his return to Elysium. Three attacks had been enough for the beast to fracture the barrier. "It could attack all night in vain," Priam reassured. "The protection can withstand attacks from Elysian Earls, roughly equivalent to a weak Tier 2. It''s as resilient as the rampart." "Are you sure? The necrowolf killed you easily when you were just an Earl." Priam grimaced. "The description specifies that it''s calibrated for an Elysian Earl. I was a Moon Earl when I lost, and there''s a difference between these two courts. Don''t worry, if another one of those creatures shows its face, I''ll turn it into minced meat." Rose nodded with relief. The possibility that a single creature could devastate their base was terrifying. "I have forty-five thousand points left to boost our defenses. Any ideas?" asked Priam. Hyshana nodded. "The Necromoon enhances the corrupted beings, and some are starting to see through the camouflage. If we don''t address the problem, the base will disappear in a few weeks." Priam blinked in surprise. The hoplite had delivered the shocking news in such a calm tone that he was caught off guard. "I..." Leaning against a crenellation, Priam massaged his temples. Is it too much to ask for a few days of tranquility? "Can you explain?" Hyshana nodded. "The necro revenants are growing stronger over time. Their strength increases, their reflexes sharpen, and their magical skeletons solidify..." "Their senses evolve too?" "Indeed. Some can sense the camouflage created by Log-a-rhythm. It attracts them, and, lacking a better word, I''d say they investigate. For now, it''s inconsequential¡ªwe bring these mutants in and kill them¡ªbut the day will come when they all sense the ritual." "We won''t escape the event by hiding behind a single enchantment," Priam said. "We''ll have to fight, kill those corrupted beings, and grow faster than them." His Marquess quality allowed him to create protections capable of repelling Marquesses, and it wasn''t a coincidence. Even spending weeks farming wouldn''t allow him to buy the most powerful protections. For that, he had to become a Duke, then a Prince. The System reminded him that to keep his loved ones safe, he would have to fight. "Is everyone in agreement to upgrade our camouflage?" A portion of his Sun points came from the tax he took on every kill from traps and turrets, so it seemed fair to vote on what to improve. Seeing Rose, Alain, and Hyshana nod, Priam reopened the Sun Shop. Camouflage II (10,000 points) - A camouflage enchantment covering 1,000 square meters, disrupting the senses of an average Tier 0 Elysian Viscount (Elysium standard). ACQUIRED Camouflage III (25,000 points) - A camouflage enchantment covering 2,500 square meters, disrupting the senses of an average Tier 0 Elysian Earl (Elysium standard). Sun points: 35,244 In the center of the clearing, an aether vortex entered Log-a-rhythm. The tree''s leaves quivered and then rearranged themselves, forming esoteric lines. A trained eye would have spotted a giant rune. Briefly, the illusion of a forest covering Oasis appeared. Priam blinked, dispelling the mirage. Their camouflage was now more potent. "My Greek god physique won''t be drawing in the corrupted anymore," Priam quipped, striking a pose. He was well aware that his transformation into Homo Elysian had bestowed upon him exceptional proportions. "I''ve seen Greek god statues, and not everything was impressive," retorted Rose, blushing as Priam raised an eyebrow. Uncomfortable with the idea of cracking sexual jokes with a teenager, Priam struggled for a response. "Three-quarters of them are animal corpses. I wouldn''t be proud to match their beauty standard," laughed Hyshana. Priam burst into laughter. "I deserve that," he admitted, thanking the hoplite for providing him with an exit. Simultaneously, he realized that it must be challenging for Rose to be in a foreign world without peers her age. The hoplites were disciplined, Blueberry was in his natural element, Alain was content to have his son back, and Louis and Priam were engrossed in quests too significant to ponder anything else. But Rose was just a teenager. I wonder if she could connect with the youth from the tribes... "We''ll need to upgrade the camouflage ritual to rank III," said Alain, pulling Priam''s attention back to the conversation. "The enchantment is designed for a thousand square meters, and that''s six times smaller than the size of Oasis. That dilutes its power: that''s why the corrupted beings find us." Hyshana shook her head. "Other Champions already know our location. The tribes likely have warriors powerful enough to see through a rank III or even IV camouflage. After all, regardless of its rank, it''s a Tier 0 enchantment. Camouflage is only useful for disrupting hordes of corrupted beings." "I agree," Priam said. "Tribe Chiefs are Tier 4. At Tier 0, only a Prince would stand a chance in a fight. Following this logic, we''d need improvements purchasable by Princes to disrupt their senses. It''s currently impossible." "How much would it cost?" asked Alain. After analyzing the Sun Shop, Priam''s system had an idea of the logic behind it. Priam couldn''t spend more than five hundred thousand Sun points at once, so a Marquess was limited to rank VI. Sumstreh wanted him to become a Prince to buy an item worth five million points. That was the equivalent of rank X. "An X-rank item should cost between five and ten million Sun points." Everyone present widened their eyes when they heard the sum. "If I had that many points, I wouldn''t even know what to buy..." murmured Rose. "Don''t ask Blueberry. He''d buy ten million sausages at a Sun point a piece," winked Priam. "And he''d eat them all," smiled Alain. "Now what?" "Now, it''s time to reinforce Log-a-rhythm." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 413 Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 430 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 268 Tier 0 Sun points: 35 244 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 20 hours 38 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 199: Tower Defense II Necro Purification Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 500 square meters. ACQUIRED Natural Growth Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 500 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. ACQUIRED Guardian of the Forest Ritual III (25 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 2 500 square meters. ACQUIRED Sun points: 244 Purchasing the three upgrades simultaneously, Priam closed his eyes and connected to Log-a-rhythm. Three days into his stay in Elysium, he had planted the seed offered by the System on the stump of a magical tree, the sole relic of a royal elf. By mixing his saliva with the seed, he had established a powerful and spiritual connection with the tree. Using Micro to cut off his external senses, Priam found the glimmer in his mind symbolizing the tree and reached for it. A curious instinct, the beginning of consciousness, revealed itself to Priam. Alien senses assaulted him. He was a tree. His roots pulsed beneath his feet. His leaves absorbed polluted light. Potent sap ran through his trunk. Half of his mass was hidden in a strange dimension. As Priam tried to get used to the new sensations, he felt the System acting. The branches of Log-a-rhythm grew rapidly. Guided by the Seven, they changed shape to form a hundred natural runes. Ambient aether rushed into the runes, creating resonance. Above Log-a-rhythm, a giant rune appeared on the surface of the protective dome. The crimson light emitted by the Necromoon passed through the golden rune before settling on the tree''s leaves. A simultaneous sense of relief emanated from both Log-a-rhythm and Priam. For the first time since the beginning of the Necro event, the light no longer sought to corrupt the photosynthesis necessary for the tree''s growth. Until now, the plant had to combat the detrimental influence of the Necromoon using its Life affinity. It had succeeded, but the vile aether projected by the Necromoon remained terrifying. Now, the perverse sensation was incredibly muted. It hadn''t disappeared, as Necro Purification Ritual I was too weak for that, but it had diminished. The only drawback was the affected area: five hundred square meters were barely enough to cover Log-a-rhythm¡¯s crown. Consequently, Priam wanted to buy rank II, but was now too poor. A new input drew his attention. The System started the second ritual, Natural Growth I. This time, Log-a-rhythm''s roots trembled, subtly changing position to draw a second set of runes. The resonance occurred again, and a gigantic rune was created under Log-a-rhythm and part of the clearing. A somewhat mutated sensation disturbed Priam before he realized its origin. Log-a-rhythm was absorbing light rays, soil nutrients, and ambient aether more rapidly. It was difficult to quantify the impact this would have on its growth, but Priam thought it would be approximately five percent faster. It was little, but every bit counted. For the final ritual, the System chose to complete the runes created during its first encounter with the drya. A large concentration of aether appeared where Priam and Dishnu had once traced esoteric lines. The ghost of the ritual resurrected as new lines drawn in the soil continued the work of the two rivals. New runes inscribed themselves in the earth while refinements were made to Priam''s amateurish efforts. In a matter of seconds, a new sigil was born. Like a fractal, the seal patterns were repeated several times within each subpart. Priam felt dizzy seeing the System''s work. Was nature drawing inspiration from Concepts, or was it the other way around? The presence of fractals, structures similar at all scales, made him realize that the secrets of enchantments might be more accessible to humanity than he had initially thought. What humans lacked were the theoretical runic foundations. After that, humanity would soar on its own wings. The giant rune lit up before penetrating the ground, rearranging the interconnected roots of Log-a-rhythm, of the herbs in the clearing, and of the trees in the forest. Taking advantage of his connection, Priam touched this new link and was astonished by the possibilities offered by the ritual. All the plants in the Oasis domain were now capable of circulating part of their Potential, vitality, talents, and abilities. Log-a-rhythm could now use the wood from the trees to create structures and constructions. Simultaneously, the vegetation gained some improvements from their Guardian. "I¡¯m now dirt poor, but the tree trunks will be harder to cut in the future," Priam smiled. Bombarded with questions, he explained what had just happened while opening the Log-a-rhythm menu. Log-a-rhythm: Features Abundance - Life II Abundance - Aether I Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage Land Owner II Camouflage II Guardian of the Forest III Mighty roots I Necro Purification I Natural Growth I Measurements Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 47 m2 (+5, due to Log-a-rhythm''s growth) Status Current POT: 1 043 Passive gain: 100 (+150) (+10) POT/day. (+150 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest III) (+10 POT/day: bonus - Natural Growth I) Available Themes Primo (1 000 000) Tal Quercus (10 000) Nature (1000) Cocoa (500) Sequoia (1 000) Tea (500) Abundance - Life III (2 500) Abundance - Aether II (1 000) Protection IV (5 000) Tribulation Resistance III (2500) Secret Passage II (700) (-300) Camouflage III (2200) (-300) Attraction (500) Underground (400) (-100) Comfort (500) Volume (500) Water Control (500) Land Owner III (2 200) (-300) Guardian of the Forest IV (4 800) (-100)(-100) Mighty Roots II (1000) Root network - plant intelligence I (100) (-300)(-100) Root network - plant control I (100) (-300)(-100) Necro Purification II (1000) Natural Growth II (1000) Time: 44 days since creation "Freebies galore!" Rose exclaimed. "You should buy these." Priam hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "If I upgrade Guardian of the Forest again, they might mutate spontaneously. I prefer focusing on improvements that are unavailable in the Sun Shop." "Have you sorted them already?" Hyshana inquired. "Abundance - Aether, Protection, and Tribulation Resistance. Unlike a bunch of minor improvements, these three will have a real impact on our future." Priam cast a thoughtful gaze upon his tree. Against his current foes, Log-a-rhythm was too weak. That had to change. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Well, no rest for the wicked," Alain grinned. "With all these defensive upgrades, we can concentrate on enhancing new turrets. Rose has a good idea for that." Rose clapped her hands, suddenly thrilled. "I was thinking of using rabhorn horns to shoot spears of light! With Tier 1 or 2 horns, we could get fantastic results." Priam''s smile froze. "Where do you plan to get those horns?" "Hyshana will fetch the ones you left during your last massacre," Rose said. "That way, we recycle, and it doesn''t cost us a thing!" "... Don''t go down into the caves," Priam warned Hyshana. "Is there a problem?" "A Tier 4 is sleeping down there." The hoplite squinted. "I guess that''s where Sphinx is tackling a dungeon too?" "Exactly." "And when is she supposed to come out?" Priam clenched his fists. "I plan to pick her up soon." Hyshana nodded, while Alain and Rose looked at the two fighters strangely. Priam forced a smile to avoid dangerous questions. "Till then, we''re going to sell a treasure!" Lifting Sumstreh¡¯s gift trapped in ice, Priam winked. "It''s worth around six million Sun points in the Auctions." Rose and Alain''s double gasp of surprise widened Priam''s smile. "Who wants to come¡ª" Priam stopped. A gust of wind had just swept through the clearing. Passing through Log-a-rhythm''s foliage, it had shifted the leaves, creating a passage for the Necromoon''s light. The moonbeams touched the ground, and for a moment, Priam saw a sentence. "May I enter?" The sentence had only lasted a moment, but with his eidetic memory, Priam knew he hadn''t hallucinated. "We have a guest." "A problematic one?" Hyshana asked. "I don''t think so; otherwise, she wouldn''t have announced herself. Rose, go find Myuri to inform her that Esm¨¦e is coming. If she wants to remain hidden, it''s her right." "Okay!" [... Downloading data package from Jasmine''s sub-system. Connecting to [Polyglot]... Success. Downloading into [Eidetic Memory].] Priam grimaced as he felt a part of his frontal lobe heating up to absorb the data from his system. Two tears of pain rolled down from his eyes, which he quickly brushed away. Micro could have allowed him to ignore the agony, but Priam''s instinct told him to accept it. No one reached the top without suffering. You have gained the skill: [Empyrean Language - Rare]. [Empyrean Language] - The Empyreans have long conquered their entire solar system. Despite the flaws of these people, their mastery of aether is certain. The grammatical structure of this language indicates that its creators paid as much attention to the feminine gender as to the masculine. Strange for a notorious phallocracy... It took you ten years to learn English at school, and a few seconds to learn this language. Talk about lost time. MEM +3 When the pain receded, Priam merged with his mist. He hadn''t wanted to learn the Empyrean language while in mist form. His brain needed to be rewritten, and he didn''t know how Unity would interact with a sudden influx of data. Most likely, it didn''t matter, but why take a risk? Sharing his senses with his mist, Priam soon found Esm¨¦e. She seemed alone, which surprised him. The princess was reading a book in a forest filled with necromantic creatures. By some fantastic coincidence, none approached her. Those walking in her direction were invariably drawn to a falling leaf, a reflection on a pebble, or the crackling of a dead branch. The most terrifying thing about her power is that one isn''t even aware of being a victim... Mentally noting to build resistance to this Concept, Priam raised a mist curtain around his rival and appeared a few meters away. The image struck him. Esm¨¦e¡¯s sublime looks contrasted with the horrific ambiance of the forest. "Princess Esm¨¦e, it''s a pleasure to see you again," he said in perfect Empyrean. Micro I, his memory, and his dexterity allowed him to directly find the right language moves. "A shared pleasure, Marquess Priam," Esm¨¦e replied, rising. She performed a bow that made a sun-colored strand fall over her beige leather ensemble. "However, you flatter me; I am but a Marquess myself." "With such a rapid ascent, I''m sure you''ll earn the Title of Princess soon," Priam smiled. "May I offer you a refreshment?" His rival had manipulated a gust of wind inside Oasis. Refusing to receive Esm¨¦e would only insult her. "By all means." Esm¨¦e observed the double white doors of the rampart open, creating a temporary hole in a barrier capable of stopping her brother''s best knight. His fortifications cost more than our entire base. "This way," Priam smiled. Esm¨¦e followed him, observing her rival. A living mist, both visually and magically opaque, covered his body like a fantastical tunic. Every now and then, a flame was shooting through the cloud like a bolt of lightning, changing its color to sunset orange. Priam was wearing his power like a garment. Esm¨¦e''s concept didn''t allow her the same extravagance. Her rival¡¯s cloud-colored eyes, and his proud walk gave him a conquering aura. She had seen men imitate this kind of attitude before, but it always seemed artificial. It was the nature of the First. After traversing a no man''s land of traps and turrets, Esm¨¦e turned her attention to his base, Oasis. It was one thing to read its description in her [Grimoire], another to see it. On the right, a merchant and the Guardian of Secrets occupied the Forum. On the left, a group of hoplite warriors trained on a beaten earth square. Each seemed at least as competent as the royal troops. Behind her, a woman, a teenager, and the First''s father observed them from the rampart''s parapet. Finally, in front of her stood a Tal Quercus. The tree didn''t touch the sky yet, but its presence was already imposing. It projected an authentic royal aura. Protective and selfless, it contrasted with the stern and cold presence of her father. The influence of the Necromoon decreased as one approached, much to Esm¨¦e''s delight. At the foot of the tree, a giant bear was cooking some skewers. If the sight initially disturbed Esm¨¦e, their smell changed the direction of her thoughts. No one seems terrified. I guess that''s normal with this kind of defense. "You must feel safe at night," Esm¨¦e said, looking towards the Necromoon. "If that word still has any meaning." "The fortifications reassure the non-combatants." "Do you plan to bring in many non-combatants?" "I have many plans," Priam smiled. Esm¨¦e returned him an innocent smile. She couldn''t help but ask. All rivals wondered about the First''s plans, and she was no exception. Passing by the bear, Priam hailed it. "Blueberry, can you prepare a snack for the princess, please?" The bear raised its head and looked at Esm¨¦e before nodding. "Ice sorbet?" Blueberry''s question awakened memories in Esm¨¦e. A sweet taste from her childhood returned to her mouth, and nostalgia drew a smile on her face. "That would be perfect, thank you." Arriving under the leaves of Log-a-rhythm, Priam gestured, and a garden service sprouted from the ground. Going around the wooden table, Priam pulled out a chair and waited. Esm¨¦e realized she was supposed to sit there. "Thank you. Is this a custom of your civilization?" Esm¨¦e asked as Priam took a seat across from her. "My civilization has many diverse customs. I grew up reading... romantic books. A word that doesn''t exist in your language but refers to poetry, sensitivity, and everything related to the romantic relationship between two people." Priam furrowed his brow before shaking his head. "My explanation may lack rigor; I am more scientific than literary. In any case, the heroes of my childhood stories were often... gallant." Esm¨¦e smiled at seeing her rival annoyed again. "It''s difficult to communicate when a language ignores certain concepts. Fortunately, one of my powers allows me to understand your words. Thank you for your gallantry." The concept was entirely foreign to Esm¨¦e, but [Grimoire] had translated it. The mere fact that a civilization could invent such an idea filled her with joy. It meant that her quest was not impossible! Priam simply smiled as two wooden mugs descended from the branches. "Log-a-rhythm sap is full of vitality and nutrients," Priam said. "Oh?" Taking her mug, he lightly clinked it against Esm¨¦e''s. "Cheers! Another earthly custom," he added. Seeing that Priam was waiting for her, Esm¨¦e hesitated before lifting her own mug. How many times had she been tried to be poisoned or drugged like this? "The only poison in there is the fast sugars," said Priam before taking a sip. Considering her rival''s immortality, the gesture shouldn''t have reassured Esm¨¦e. Yet, it did. In Priam''s misty eyes, she saw nothing but amusement. He had understood her concerns and was waiting for her reaction to judge her character. Those who betray are afraid of being betrayed. I have a clear conscience. Esm¨¦e brought the mug to her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise. "It''s fresh and sweet!" Priam winked before taking a second sip. Esm¨¦e put her mug down, smiling. "It reminds me of spiced kalac''s saliva. Maybe I could treat you to a taste someday." "Saliva?" Priam asked, a hesitant look on his face. Esm¨¦e realized with amusement that his hair was slightly changing color depending on his emotions. Or rather, the flames within them changed color. "I''m sure you''ve eaten stranger dishes before." "I''m French. Half of humanity finds it weird that we eat snails. All right, if you prepare spiced kalac''s saliva, I''ll taste it." "The preparation is complicated, and they say I''m a lousy cook," Esm¨¦e warned. "People are jealous," Priam winked. "As a polite guest, I promise to praise your drink." "Even if it''s bad?" "Especially if it''s bad. If it''s good, I''ll be too busy drinking to talk." For the first time in a long time, Esm¨¦e sincerely laughed. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 417 (+4) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 430 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 33 Potential: 5 268 Tier 0 Sun points: 244 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 20 hours 12 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 200: Will You Marry Me? "I''d say I''ve read thousands of books, not tens of thousands. I wish I had, but school got in the way," chuckled Priam. "How was it?" Esm¨¦e asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. "School?" Priam shrugged. "It was nice, but I realized it too late. Spent fifteen years thinking it was a chore. I was quite the restless kid; sitting still for hours bored me." Esm¨¦e smiled fondly. "Twenty years later, the restless kid scares away monsters." Priam burst out laughing. "Yeah. Fortunately, books calmed me down." "Why did you change your mind about school?" "University and odd jobs taught me how fortunate I was to get free education in high school." "I used to think my life was horrible too," said Esm¨¦e. "It wasn''t until I talked to Myuri that I realized how lucky I had been..." Priam glanced up at Log-a-rhythm, where Myuri hid. Aydan''s former sex slave remained silent in his presence for now, but he hoped that would change over time. "Do princesses go to school?" Priam asked, changing the subject. "My sisters and I had tutors. I enjoyed the lessons, but the teachers refused to answer most of my questions. So, I turned to books," smiled Esm¨¦e. "I spent most of my time in the library, where I could be left alone." "School bullies avoid libraries. What kind of books did you read?" "Everything. The library was connected to a platform that housed all the books in the Empire. I would switch genres periodically: historical texts, philosophical essays, mythological tales, newspapers... I was quite dismayed when I realized I couldn''t read everything the Empire published!" "I feel you. Do you have a favorite genre?" Esm¨¦e nodded. "Novels. I realized I wasn''t alone in having stories swirling in my head. In those books, I could travel, leave the Palace, meet people, and experience positive emotions. Most importantly, I saw how men interacted with their equals and..." She trailed off, but Priam understood. Esm¨¦e had identified with free characters and desired that freedom. "You realized you weren''t inferior to men," Priam finished. Esm¨¦e looked at him, surprised, before shaking her head. "I know we''re not from the same civilization, but I find it strange that you don''t look down on me for my gender." "To look down on someone is to underestimate them. I won''t make that mistake," winked Priam. Esm¨¦e let out an adorable laugh. "Too bad." At that moment, Blueberry arrived, carrying two wooden planks. Seven opened shells filled with chilled foam were arranged on each. "Six sorbets, each prepared from a different berry. The last shell is filled with salted caramel to enhance the flavors." "Whoa... You''ve outdone yourself!" exclaimed Priam. "It cost me three hundred twelve Sun points," declared Blueberry. "That''s generous of you then." Seeing the bear''s grimace, Priam burst out laughing. "I''m kidding, I''ll reimburse you." Satisfied, the bear left the rivals with their dishes. "Bon app¨¦tit," said Priam in French. "Toi aussi," replied Esm¨¦e before grabbing a shell. For a few minutes, silence was only interrupted by the sound of eating. "That was exquisite," declared Esm¨¦e as she finished her shells. "Hmm," replied Priam, grabbing his mug to rinse his mouth of the sweet taste. He blinked as he realized it was empty. "Someone finished my drink," he grumbled. "I think I know the culprit," smiled Esm¨¦e. "That''s a sign we''ve been talking for a while," replied Priam, returning her smile. "I had a great time, but we haven''t talked business yet." Esm¨¦e nodded, pushing aside the empty shell plate. She adopted a professional demeanor, and her warm smile vanished. Such a pity. "Let''s get straight to the point. What does Aydan want?" Priam asked. "My brother would like access to the Auctions." Priam almost rolled his eyes. He hadn''t used the Auctions yet, but Esm¨¦e already knew he had that option. I''ll have to ask the Guardian of Secrets how to block confidential information. "Haven''t you found a trade channel?" Priam asked. Accessing the Auctions required a building, a merchant, and a channel to transport items. Priam had access to the Secret Channel thanks to the Guardian of Secrets, but there must be other possibilities. Esm¨¦e shook her head. "I''m afraid these channels are quite rare. Obtaining them with a Merit of a Nobility Title is possible, but my brother is reluctant to spend four points on that." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I understand," said Priam. He himself lamented his low number of Merit points. "I''m not opposed to the idea, but there are conditions." "That''s natural. May I know them?" "The first: in addition to the ten percent commission from the Secret Channel and the fifteen percent from our Merchant, Oasis will take ten percent." Esm¨¦e pursed her lips. "That makes a total of thirty-five percent." "You''re good at mental arithmetic." Esm¨¦e raised an eyebrow in a way that Priam found charming. "The Necromoon is our common enemy. It''s in your interest that we have the weapons to confront their ilk." "How can we be sure these weapons will only be used against the corrupted?" Priam objected. "In any case, maintaining and improving our defenses to ensure peaceful trade is my responsibility. As a royal, your brother may not be accustomed to paying taxes, but I''m afraid I have to stand firm on this." A one-third tax was high, but Aydan''s options were limited. It was unlikely that other rivals would have access to the Auctions. Only the tribes remained, but their commission would certainly be higher than Priam''s. The percentage was reasonable, and both rivals knew it. "My brother will be disappointed, but I accept," announced Esm¨¦e. She had objected only on principle. "What''s the second condition?" "I would like your help to unlock a probability manipulation resistance." Priam had tried to use his Potential to unlock this resistance, but the System had demanded nearly three thousand Potential points¡ªa prohibitive cost. Priam''s primary goal was to spend his Potential on acquiring the high upgrade of [Aether Manipulation]. Spending such an amount of aether to counter a possible attack from Esm¨¦e was too costly for now. Esm¨¦e leaned forward, fixing her gaze on Priam''s face. After about ten seconds, the young man coughed. "Do I have sorbet on my chin?" The question made his rival smile and revealed a dimple. "No." "No to what?" "To both questions." "I had to try," replied Priam. He had asked without shame, aware that Esm¨¦e would likely refuse. He didn''t intend to explain the details of his abilities either. "In that case, I''ll need your help to tilt the odds in my favor in a future battle." "Against whom?" "A Tier 4." Esm¨¦e furrowed her brows. "The tribes haven''t survived this long for nothing. If they find out I''ve been involved in the downfall of a Chief or a Shaman, I''ll be dead." Priam noted that she hadn''t declared herself unable to manipulate Tier 4s. That gave him hope. "I don''t plan on attacking the tribes," he reassured her. "My target is a local beast. The vanguard will consist of Tier 3s or 4s, and our role will simply be to support them." Hesitant, Esm¨¦e began to play with a lock of her hair. Priam decided to drive the point home. "If all goes well, the System will reward us." "... We''ll need to define the exact terms of my help and get my brother''s authorization," replied Esm¨¦e. "Will he oppose it?" "Well, he prefers me to remain weak..." Priam felt his hearts quicken with anger. He wanted to stack the odds in his favor to ensure Sumstreh''s defeat. That Esm¨¦e''s brother could ruin that made him furious. However, something bothered him. According to his add-on, this wasn''t the first time Esm¨¦e had tried to turn him against her brother. She had altered his words during their first conversation to create artificial tension. "You want me to kill your brother." Esm¨¦e shook her head. "I can''t let you say that. If you try, I''ll have to stop you." The princess''s words were straight, but her eyes said something else. Priam''s recent experience with Sumstreh''s divine mark gave him a clue. She''s forced to protect him. If I kill him, I should inform her afterward rather than before. But was it in his best interest? Priam liked Esm¨¦e. The young woman was his age, stunning, intelligent, talented, and capable. She had a natural charm that attracted him. However, she was a stranger, and Priam was a pragmatic man. His goal was to save Sphinx, not Esm¨¦e. If Aydan had a more interesting proposition than Esm¨¦e''s... "Forget what I said then. Anyway, actions speak louder than words," said Priam. His statement was intentionally open to interpretation. "I kindly ask you to convey my offer to your brother. This could be the beginning of a fruitful collaboration..." If Esm¨¦e wanted his help, she would convince her brother. Esm¨¦e nodded. "I''ll return with an answer soon. Were those your conditions?" Priam nodded. "Yes. Did you have anything else to tell me?" "I have a personal offer and... a proposal from my brother." Intrigued, Priam focused on his rival. "I would like to be able to use the Auctions freely for a week. At the end of this week, I want you to open a passage to your Moon using [Hearthstone]. In exchange, I promise to hatch your Moon Wyrm into a mutant form within a month. This will increase its power and potential by a Noble Tier." She knows a lot about me... Priam thought of the reward he had obtained from the last event. The Moon Wyrm egg waited in Concepts Archipelago, and he didn''t have time to care for it properly. As for Esm¨¦e''s requests, they cost him nothing. It was possible that his rival would steal some rare resources on the Moon, but only the Colosseum rewards truly interested Priam. His path was different from Esm¨¦e''s, and he doubted she would steal unique rewards from him. He didn''t plan to return to B¨¦char until after obtaining the Heavenly Dragon to go as far as possible in the Waves. "I accept. Let''s sign a contract on our Potential," declared Priam. It took a few minutes for the two rivals to agree on the terms and swear with the System as a witness. Once satisfied, they exchanged a smile. "A win-win deal as I like them. It reminds me that I owe you a racial upgrade." Esm¨¦e had entrusted him with Myuri to obtain the genetic code of the Royal Empyreans. "Is it possible just before my trip to the Moon?" asked Esm¨¦e. "No problem. We only have your brother''s proposal left, I believe?" Upon hearing the question, Esm¨¦e hesitated. "I..." Priam raised an eyebrow. She seemed strangely timid all of a sudden. His senses picked up on an increase in the young woman''s heart rate, and he braced himself to react. Had the prince ordered an attack? "Is there an issue?" "None. My brother proposes an alliance between our two civilizations," Esm¨¦e said, avoiding Priam''s gaze. The response left him puzzled. "An alliance?" "A marriage," clarified Esm¨¦e. "Between you and me." Chapter 201: The Downsides of Being a Superstar "My brother proposes an alliance between our two civilizations," Esm¨¦e said, avoiding Priam''s gaze. The response left him puzzled. "An alliance?" "A marriage," clarified Esm¨¦e. "Between you and me." Stupefied, Priam remained silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. His laughter lasted a few seconds before he managed to compose himself. Wiping away a tear, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I beg your pardon, I didn''t mean to be insulting. It''s... I always thought it would be me proposing to my wife, not the other way around." Esm¨¦e shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. Priam''s laughter seemed to have dispelled her uneasiness. "I take no offense," smiled Esm¨¦e. "It''s just as strange for me because in my culture, it''s the man who addresses the father or brother to ask for marriage. The woman doesn''t have a say." "Especially when it''s a political marriage?" replied Priam. Esm¨¦e nodded. "I would have thought your brother would make this proposition himself. Was he busy with other matters, or is he simply afraid of me?" "He had nothing urgent," replied Esm¨¦e with a concealed smile. "To most of our rivals, you are a mysterious and powerful man." Not sure if Arnold or Dishnu see me as powerful. Priam shuddered at the thought of the Var Elegis. They had been silent for a while, but Priam knew they would make themself known again. Who knows, maybe they''ll end up killing Sumstreh while searching for a new Achievement... Esm¨¦e took another sip of fresh sap, and Priam understood that she was awaiting his response. "I would like to start by saying that I am flattered that such a beautiful and talented woman is proposing marriage to me... Even if you don''t have a choice," grimaced Priam. "I realize your brother doesn''t care, but I do: what do you think about all of this?" "What do I think?" asked Esm¨¦e, looking surprised. "I never really had an opinion on my marriage. Without the Tutorial, I would already be engaged to the heir of one of the noble Houses of the Empire." "For once, the Concepts intervention was welcome." As Priam uttered these words, he wondered how much of the Tutorial''s timing was a coincidence. After all, one of the Seven was the master of time. "However, things have changed. It''s a significant decision, especially with our long lifespans." Esm¨¦e gave him a complicated look. "A geas prevents me from living the life I want." "A kill switch?" guessed Priam. "Not just that," replied Esm¨¦e vaguely. She seemed reluctant to talk about it, and Priam could understand. For him, who wished for nothing more than freedom, a geas was a terrifying prospect. "I admire your courage, and I know you''ll find a way to break free from it." Priam meant it. Esm¨¦e was his rival, after all. After a brief pause, a genuine smile appeared on the princess'' face. "Thank you. Regarding this marriage, I''m not sure what to think. The idea of being someone''s slave disgusts me, but I don''t think it would be the case between us." "To love a flower is to also love her thorns. My wife will be my equal," vowed Priam. "I would like to be my husband''s equal." "I don''t see why that wouldn''t be the case. This new Universe is vast, and many will want to marry you." "But not you?" asked Esm¨¦e. Priam looked up at the branches of Log-a-rhythm above them. The green and crimson leaves created beautiful plays of light. The brightness reminded him of twilight. The beginning and the end of a period. "My parents divorced when I was nine years old." His Charisma attribute warned Priam of the emotions of people close to him. Sensing Esm¨¦e''s incomprehension, he clarified. "It means their marriage ended. Does that not happen among the Empyreans?" "I''m not sure about the rest of the population, but nobles kill their wives when they tire of them." The casual horror of Esm¨¦e''s words made Priam sigh. Just when he thought he despised a civilization, it managed to sink even lower. "You went to great lengths for me to despise your brother when all you had to do was tell me the truth... Anyway, their divorce shook me. I didn''t hold it against them¡ªI wanted them to be happy¡ªbut it has followed me all my life in my romantic relationships. I''ve always been afraid of getting attached just to realize it wouldn''t work." Esm¨¦e remained silent. Charisma confirmed to Priam that his words resonated differently in the young woman''s heart. For me, it''s love, for her it''s... Trust? It wasn''t the time to analyze his rival, and Priam continued. "My ex was very much in love with me. I felt a bit guilty for not feeling the same way about her. She was perfect, and I didn''t love her. What was wrong with me?" Priam locked eyes with Esm¨¦e. "At the end of the Tutorial, I understood. Victoire''s soul and mine didn''t resonate, and there was nothing we could do about it. Love cannot be commanded. Now, I hope to find someone who understands me. Someone with whom I wouldn''t have to wear a mask. Someone for whom I would want to surpass myself. Someone with whom I could build something obvious, enduring, and true." "... Marriage is important to you," understood Esm¨¦e. "It''s not just a political alliance." "For me, authentic relationships are vital," confirmed Priam. "I''ve worn masks all my life, and I refuse to continue. Being free means being able to be who I truly am with my friends and with the one who will share my life. I will never sacrifice that on the altar of power." "That''s noble," smiled Esm¨¦e. "Thank you for explaining that to me." "I wanted you to know why I refuse your brother''s proposal. You''re an incredible woman, but I won¡¯t marry you under these conditions. We both deserve better." Esm¨¦e''s breathing quickened, and her eyes sparkled. "I''ll convey your refusal to my brother," she smiled. Priam returned her smile. A few moonbeams slipped through the leaves and caressed the princess''s face. Priam found himself wanting to caress it too. Maybe it''s time to move on from Victoire... "You mentioned your ex in the past tense. Is she dead?" asked Esm¨¦e. Turning his head, Priam nodded. "If you want to resurrect her, one of the rewards from the Colosseum allows it," said the princess. Priam shook his head. "I don''t want to resurrect her. I''m the one who killed her." "Oh." There wasn''t much to add. Silence settled before Priam sighed. "This marriage... What''s in it for your brother?" The question was direct, but Priam knew Esm¨¦e would answer, if only to ruin Aydan''s plans. "It was my father''s idea. With the geas, he would retain authority over me. Controlling an immortal Ace interests him." Priam raised an eyebrow when Esm¨¦e mentioned his particular talent. Is it a warning? If she knows, then Aydan does too... "Why does he think I care about my wife''s fate?" asked Priam. "I doubt he feels the same." "He doesn''t, but you''re not alike," replied Esm¨¦e. Priam nodded, thinking that he was currently orchestrating the downfall of an ancient god to save Sphinx. Esm¨¦e continued, "On Proxima, the Empire is facing humanity. Father had to learn about you and your customs. If I wasn''t enough, he would have counted on our potential children to control you." "The bastard is cunning," acknowledged Priam. He felt anger rising in him as he imagined the hypothetical situation. "But if he had tried something like that, I¡ª" A cascade of notifications interrupted him. Lvl Up: [Divination Resistance] lvl 20,...,40 META (AFFI) +63 What the..? Official Message from moderator Ga?mportishtt: An exceptional and temporary ban (256 hours) has just been lifted on the level-up of your skill [Divination Resistance]. Cause: Complaint from a Tier 7 Elysian King regarding the opacity of your status. Suspected involvement of a High Tier alien or an apocryphal soul effect. Verdict: A personal investigation by the administrator of Sector Hope, Thaal the Immortal Gambler, revealed no trace of corruption. Sanction: None. Note: As the System is not a tool of repression, your experience has only been delayed through temporary manipulation. We apologize for the inconvenience. Meta-Affinity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Priam trembled as he felt the ambient aether converge towards him. The fluid began to accompany each of his breaths, as if influenced by his body and soul. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The influx of aether increased his regeneration, and Priam smiled. He conjured an aether rubik''s cube in the palm of his hand and manipulated it with disconcerting ease. The effect of meta affinity was finally becoming apparent. Aether regeneration plus precise manipulation. New notifications caught his attention. [Divination Resistance] has reached level 20, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options: [Status obstacle] - Makes revealing your status more complicated. POT -30 [Scry shield] - Makes revealing your actions more complicated. POT -30 [Position jammer] - Makes your location harder to determine. POT -30 After a brief hesitation, Priam chose the second option. His unique abilities were already concealed, and his position was irrelevant as long as he had family. He could flee, but his loved ones or Log-a-rhythm couldn¡¯t. [Scry shield] - Makes revealing your actions more complicated. ACQUIRED POT -30 [Divination Resistance] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
  • Otherworlders attempted to read your record.
  • Over a billion people attempted to read your record.
  • Tier 8s failed to read your full record.
  • Homo Elysian Obsession.
  • You falsified a divine mark.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Revelation Resilience - Epic] - Many have tried to read your status and reveal your actions. Few have succeeded. Potential Cost: 320 Hell yes! You have selected the skill [Revelation Resilience - Epic]. POT -320 [Revelation Resilience - Epic] - For such a young user, your records are dense and of interest to many individuals. This skill should allow you to keep some secrets. Attempting to access your Akashic signature is now a nightmare. Your trails are deep but form a maze for those trying to follow them. You¡¯re a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 Achievement - Legendary: As a Tier 0, you have unlocked five ideal upgrades. Miracle collector, you continue to push the boundaries of possibility. Message for Humanity: Priam Azura unlocks a fifth Ideal Upgrade. Message for Wandering Islands blocked by user. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 5000. 500 000 Sun points. Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic). Now I understand better, thought Priam as he read his notification. The absence of recent level-ups in [Divination Resistance] had seemed strange to him. The entire Sector Hope and the Wandering Islands must have wondered who this new Ace was. As a result, an astronomical number of people had used skills to learn more about him. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 2 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 Priam almost burst out laughing. So that''s what it means to be famous. Apparently, some High Tiers had failed to obtain all his information. Priam theorized that it was partially due to [He Who Eludes Death] but primarily to [Tribulation Hunter]. Administrator Thaal had modified the skill during his previous Tribulations. Thus, even System moderators could not access his true status. A feat for a Tier 0 like Priam. The System rewarded exploits even when the user didn''t deserve them. With a thin smile, Priam mentally thanked the administrator who watched over him. Thaal certainly had a plan concerning him¡ªas everyone seemed to¡ªbut Priam had acquired a fifth ideal skill thanks to him. A skill particularly useful for the upcoming battles, but also for Heavenly Dragon. The temperance method required an epic resistance per Gate, seven in total, plus a legendary resistance for the fulcrum. Priam had achieved more of this goal. Assistant, give me an update on my temperance method. [About Heavenly Dragon: After reorganizing your meridians using [Aether Perception] and [Aether Manipulation], comes their anchoring. Heavenly Dragon possesses seven gates and a fulcrum, each requiring a resistance, a treasure, and temperance. Nine epic resistances detected: Tribulation Hunter (Unique). Fire Champion Physique (Ideal). Sun Steel Body (Ideal). Revelation Resilience (Ideal). Space Resistance. Consequence Resistance. Depths Resistance. Necromoon Resistance. Aura Resistance. One legendary resistance detected: True Will. It is advised to improve other resistances to epic and legendary ranks to have the choice of temperance method. This method modifies your body''s affinity and shapes its future. It is advised to maximize your resistance level-ups and obtain ideal draconic trophies to access perfect temperance.] "Congratulations," said Esm¨¦e. "Thank you," replied Priam, raising an eyebrow. "And here I thought I had managed to prevent the spread of my Achievement in Elysium." Priam had refused to publish his Achievement in the Wandering Islands to keep a low profile. Moreover, his new resistance was both epic and ideal. All that hadn''t prevented the princess from detecting his Achievement. "[Spoiler] is an ideal and legendary skill supported by a powerful Concept and specialized Talents. Even the Tier 4 defenses you mentioned at the beginning of the conversation won''t stop me for long," smiled Esm¨¦e. In Priam''s mind, the importance of his rival skyrocketed. She had just informed him, albeit indirectly, that she had already begun to scry Sumstreh. She too is a monster. In a different way than Arnold or Dishnu, but she''s terrifying in her own right. Her ability to gather information synergized with her probability manipulation skills. Esm¨¦e only needed to push in the right place to trigger a terrifying chain reaction. "I am delighted to hear that," said Priam. "By the way, their code name is Bastard." "It is indeed wise not to speak their name so close to them. Why Bastard?" "Because they¡¯re a bastard," Priam simply replied. Esm¨¦e didn''t need to know that they held Sphinx prisoner. Despite the sympathy he felt for the princess, they were not yet allies. She had to first convince Aydan to help Priam take down the Fallen. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 3 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 "I would have liked to chat more, but I fear this new Achievement will not go unnoticed. Before we part, let me take you to the Auctions," Priam proposed as he stood up. The deal they had made was that the princess could use the Auctions for her own purposes for a week before Priam sent her to the Moon. In return, she would hatch his Moon Wyrm in a mutant form. "With pleasure," smiled Esm¨¦e, rising as well. The table and two chairs were reabsorbed by Log-a-rhythm without leaving a trace in the clearing. Reaching her side, Priam gallantly offered her his arm. "In my country, there was a time when noble ladies would take the arm of a cavalier to walk together. It was an opportunity to socialize and a gesture of courtesy. Would you do me the honor?" Esm¨¦e looped her arm through Priam''s. "I''d like to learn more about the ladies of your world," she smiled. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 431 (+14) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 520 (+90) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 42 (+9) Potential: 9 969 (+4 701) Tier 0 Sun points: 502 856 (+500 963) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 18 hours 49 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 202: A Rough Start Part 1 Tutorial - Horizon Beach, Arcachon Bay, France, Earth. Tutorial - Selected difficulty level: Impossible. Before Priam''s eyes, the holographic interface, visible only to him, flickered to life. System Initialization... The Seven welcome you to their Tutorial! Choose a specialization. Fighter. Non-combatant. "... Fighter." Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. Main Quest: To Infinity and Beyond. Cross one of the hundred portals scattered across Earth. Rewards: Access to the Seven Concepts Universe, ???. Difficulty: Impossible. Time remaining: 7 days. Description: In an alternate reality, the arrival of the Seven has upheaved the world order. Earth is changing as fauna and flora adapt to the Concepts. Humanity faced a choice. Every human who chose a Free or Easy Tutorial disappeared. The rest were corrupted by the [Redacted]. Only those who chose an Impossible Tutorial survived. This reality will disappear in a week. This Tutorial is sponsored by [Redacted]. Survive for a day to receive a reward. Time was freed, and the sun vanished behind the horizon. Priam read and reread the system message. Information was concealed within those words, and Priam didn''t like what he understood. I have seven days. In this alternate reality, most of humanity is dead. Surviving a day is impressive enough to warrant a reward. Fuck. His girlfriend squeezed his hand, pulling him back to reality. "Do you think this is a prank?" asked Victoire. Priam banished the HUD with a thought and surveyed the surroundings. From atop his dune, he had a panoramic view of the beach for kilometers. The first thing that struck him was the disappearance of hundreds of vacationers. Their friends had also vanished. A glance confirmed that footprints in the sand abruptly halted. Not a prank. As far as his eyes could see, only about twenty individuals remained. All writhed in agony, seized by unspeakable suffering. "I''m not sure these are actors," replied Priam, pointing to a man in his forties. Driven mad by pain, the man shoveled handfuls of sand into his mouth as he crawled toward the waves. Further away, a teenager trembled. In a particularly violent spasm, he stumbled over a basket and fell headfirst onto a driftwood trunk. The trunk, brought by the waves, hadn''t yet eroded its branch stubs. Victoire gasped in horror as she saw a piece of wood pierce the boy''s neck. Blood gushed from the mortal wound. Horrified, Priam recoiled. A hundred meters away, the black blood dripped onto the sand. With night falling, the scene became even more terrifying due to the lack of light. Suddenly, the trunk trembled, then lifted, propelled by the adolescent rising to his feet. Priam widened his eyes, retreating once more. The inhuman movements animating the boy sent shivers down his spine. A form passed by them. Swearing, Priam lunged to grab Victoire''s hand. "What are you doing?!" he hissed. "We need to help him!" she cried. Priam''s heart raced with fear. "Don''t shout!" Victoire shot him a puzzled look. "He''s injured and terrified," she whispered. "Go alert the rescue center." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "What are you talking abou¡ª" Priam stopped and took a quick breath. It wasn''t the time to argue. "It''s too late for him, you know that." At least, it was too late for a human. Victoire gritted her teeth, refusing to acknowledge reality. "Let me go!" A howl made them turn around. The sand-eating man was running toward the teenager. Priam and Victoire watched him tackle the boy before violently biting his neck. "Oh my god..." "Shit. We''re in danger, Vic!" Victoire''s eyes were red from tears, but Priam held her gaze. He knew she would come to her senses. His girlfriend was as altruistic as she was intelligent. "It''s just us two now, Vic." A tear rolled down Victoire''s cheek, and Priam pulled her into an embrace. "... I''ll follow you," she murmured. Behind her, other howlers were rushing to the feast. Priam''s family owned a house behind the dunes. The village, located at the end of a peninsula, was wedged between the ocean and a colossal basin. The two lovers had returned through the dunes, then crossed three gardens and two roads before reaching the house. On their way, they encountered no living soul. Only the chilling howl of a dog and the sound of smoking cars disturbed the quiet village. The drivers who drove them had vanished, not their vehicles¡¯ momentum. Opening the glass door of his house, Priam ushered Victoire inside before locking it behind them. She drew the curtains while her boyfriend quickly searched each room. A minute later, they sat down in the living room. Priam¡¯s eyes stared into space, a sad smile adorning his face. Few other people would be able to comprehend the young man''s thoughts, but Victoire had been in love with him for a long time. "The house is empty¡­" Priam was only here for vacation, but his father lived permanently in the villa he had built with his own hands. Yet nothing moved in the house as night fell. Alain must have chosen one of the first two difficulties. He had thus escaped the corruption mentioned by the System. The image of the impaled youth appeared before Victoire''s eyes and she shuddered. "Alain''s probably kicking back just fine," Victoire reassured Priam as he reached for his phone. "We''re in some kind of parallel universe. If he opted for Free or Easy mode, he''s probably soaking up rays on a beach somewhere." "No signal," Priam stated, a sad smile playing on his lips. "A parallel universe... You''re not buying into this, are you?" "Do you?" "I believe that an entity capable of teleporting humans, freezing electromagnetic waves, and improving my body can pull off a lot of stuff." Priam''s tone put Victoire on edge. "What kind of improvement are you talking about?" "I gained a skill just by rushing here. [Stealth]. It bumped up my agility by a point, and... I feel more nimble," he said, leaning forward. With legs straight, he reached down to touch his toes with his palms. Victoire''s eyes widened. She could do that, but Priam had never managed it. Deciding to follow Priam''s lead, Victoire leaned forward to touch her toes. You have gained the skill: [Gymnastics]. [Gymnastics] - You''re practicing in order to stretch and warm up your body. Get ready for splits and backflips. The word "gymnastics" comes from the Greek word ¦Ã¦Ô¦Ì¦Í??, meaning "naked." That might explain why many System users boost this skill level when procreating. AGI +1 Deciding to put her newfound agility to the test, Victoire launched into a quick warm-up. She was used to regular training and knew her body well. After a minute, she stopped. "My muscles are more supple and quicker. My joints are more flexible. It''s mind-blowing!" She looked up at Priam. "But how?" "No clue," Priam replied, shrugging. "Part of me is convinced I''m dreaming." "And the other part?" "It''s wondering what the limits of this System are..." The contrast between Priam''s priorities and their situation made Victoire smile. With humanity''s disappearance, monsters, the possibility of death... Priam was leaving all that behind and moving forward, eager to explore these new possibilities. He had been waiting for something like this his whole life. "You''re elated." Priam looked at her before shaking his head. "I¡ª" "Don''t lie to me, my love. I''m not accusing you. I''m even happy for you. I know very well that you always dreamed of more than what this life gave you. I thought, by being with you, that I could bring that spice, but... it was really the magic that you were missing." Priam stared at her for a few seconds before dropping his mask. A smile spread across his face. "I''m worried about my dad and sister, but you''re right, I find all this fascinating. And you, Vic, you okay?" The apocalypse was here, billions of people had been erased, and Victoire had just witnessed a teenager bleed out. And worse. Yet Priam''s gaze reassured her. Far from being scared, he was confident. It was one of the qualities she loved about him. When he decided to do something, Priam gave it his all. And she had never seen him fail when it mattered. "I''m scared, but I have faith in us..." Her voice cracked. A tear rolled down her cheek. A moment later, Priam''s arms enveloped her. His sea scent reassured Victoire. "We''ll make it. We''ll find that portal." "... And then?" "Then, we''ll repopulate the world." Victoire let out a small laugh. "Fool," she smiled, wiping away her tears. Laughing had done her good. "Priam?" "Yes, Sunshine?" "We''re highly likely to die." It was more of a statement than a question, and Priam remained silent. "But there¡¯s also the chance to survive and discover a new world, right?" Priam''s embrace tightened. "Yes, Vic." A question rose within her. Victoire tried to push it away. As long as she didn''t voice it, as long as she was uncertain, anything was possible. "In this new world, do you think..." Victoire''s voice faltered, and she stepped back to look into the eyes of the man she loved. Priam''s dark gaze shone with emotions. Sadness, excitement, warmth, tenderness, and... Love? Could you love me back in this new world? "Vic?" Victoire suppressed her tears and feelings. It wasn''t the time. She didn''t want to pressure him. She didn''t want a pity response. Summoning all her strength, the young woman forced a smile. "I''ll tell you if we survive." Chapter 202: A Rough Start Part 2 Priam stared at Victoire before nodding. "As you wish." With a knot in her stomach, the young woman forced herself to smile. It is for the best. "What''s the plan?" Victoire asked to change the subject. "The Tutorial started an hour ago,¡± said Priam after checking his watch. ¡°We have a week to find a portal¡ªa short time. There are a hundred on Earth, too few to search randomly." "The Tutorial is sponsored by someone," Victoire remembered. "We''ll get our first reward in twenty-three hours. Could be the position of a portal." "Possible, but it''s an Impossible quest. I doubt they''ll give us all the information so easily." "Are we supposed to figure it out ourselves?" "It''s a possibility. The portals could be visible from afar, and their location is not necessarily random. The seven wonders of the world, some modern monuments, etc." "I don''t like that option. It relies too much on luck," grimaced Victoire. "Me neither. I find it stupid: if we were in the middle of the ocean when we accepted this Tutorial, we wouldn''t stand a chance." "Maybe luck is an essential component of this Tutorial?" "Possible. The beings behind all this are clearly alien. It would be presumptuous to think we understand their logic. However, there is another possibility." Priam raised his index finger. "The System has mechanics that resemble those of an RPG. We''ve received a quest, skills, and attributes. A specific action may unlock the location of the portals." "What kind of actions?" Priam grimaced. "The dangerous kind." Victoire stifled a yawn as she followed Priam. The sun had barely risen, illuminating the empty roads. It felt like they were alone in the world. It was an illusion: terrifying screams had often awakened them during the night. Priam raised his hand, and Victoire froze. The young man stopped and listened intently. In his other hand, he held a long stick. Its blackened tip had been hardened with a blowtorch. A hiking backpack and his grandfather''s hunting rifle completed Priam''s panoply. Far from being a weapon of war, its presence was nevertheless reassuring. "Let''s cross," Priam whispered. Nodding, Victoire followed him. A dark spot caught her eye, and she paled. On her right, about thirty meters away, a dog lay in a pool of blood. The Labrador''s body had been half-devoured. Victoire felt her stomach churn. Before she could vomit, Priam blocked her view. "Don''t look." A few minutes later, they arrived at a sandy beach. In front of them, Arcachon Bay stretched peacefully. The water reflected the sky and the splendid colors of the sunrise. Less than two kilometers on their right, the entrance to the bay flowed into the ocean. On their left, several columns of smoke rose from the peninsula and the mainland. The dry, warm summer air combined with automobile and domestic accidents was wreaking havoc. Priam placed his hiking backpack on the sand and unfolded an old map. Victoire took the opportunity to open her own bag and grab one of the bottles she had brought. Priam had insisted on taking seven liters of water per person in addition to some food. A few medicines and clothes completed their possessions. Enough to last a week, but not too much to overload themselves. "So?" she asked after taking a sip. "There''s an airfield on the other side of the bay, next to Arcachon. It''s five kilometers inland," said Priam, pointing across the bay. "Eight kilometers from here as the crow flies." Victoire grimaced. The portion of the bay in front of them was three kilometers wide. It was impossible to swim across for an untrained person. On the other side of the water, Victoire could see the Dune of Pilat¡ªthe highest in Europe. "Are you sure you want to go there?" Priam nodded as he folded his map. "We don''t have a choice. We''ll have to hurry when we¡¯ll find out where the portal is. With a microlight, we could cover fifteen hundred kilometers without worrying about encountering a human driven mad... Or worse." Victoire shivered at the thought of the creature that had disemboweled the Labrador. "How do we cross?" Priam pointed to the hundred or so boats waiting on the water, simply tethered to moorings. "We can take a motorboat and be there in half an hour. Or a sailboat, but then we''ll depend on the wind." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Having grown up on the bay, Priam was a competent sailor. "Do you have a motorboat license?" "If the police catch us, I''ll pay the fine." Victoire chuckled. "Do you have a preference?" "The sailboat is safe and quiet. The motorboat is fast and noisy. Let¡¯s go with the former." Victoire turned to the bay. The blue of the water, the yellow of the sand, the gray of the sky, and the green of the forest on the horizon created an enchanted and familiar landscape. Yet, for the first time, Victoire felt her stomach knot with fear. The deep water seemed to harbor nightmarish creatures. "I''m scared," she confessed. "Can''t we go around?" Priam shook his head. "The bay isn''t wide, but it extends far inland. Going around it on foot would take us a day or two, during which we''d be exposed on the beach." "We could¡ª" A growl cut Victoire off as she turned around. Twenty meters behind them, a woman emerged from a thicket of brambles. The thorns had torn her body and T-shirt, revealing a battered physique. She was injured. "Ma''am, don''t come any closer," Priam warned, dropping his bag and rifle. He grabbed his stick while Victoire headed for the firearm. She had never hurt anyone, but the woman''s wild and enraged appearance suggested that words alone wouldn''t resolve this conflict. "As a last resort," Priam said, seeing Victoire''s initiative. "The noise will give away our position." Victoire swallowed hard and grabbed the gun as the woman began to run. "Ma''am!" Priam exclaimed. Trying to raise the rifle, Victoire began to tremble. Her strength left her as the hostile woman advanced toward Priam. The prospect of hurting someone paralyzed her. Everything happened in an instant. Priam crouched, placing the base of his improvised spear against the ground. Driven by her momentum and rage, the woman impaled herself on it. The hardened wooden stake pierced her chest, puncturing her heart. The woman collapsed onto Priam, who groaned in shock. Victoire rushed forward as her boyfriend pushed the corpse away with a frantic gesture. The dead woman lay motionless on her back. Her furious features relaxed as Priam got up, breathing heavily. Shocked, Victoire opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She watched the corpse without moving. A noise snapped her out of her stupor: Priam was moving away. Covered in blood, he staggered toward the water. "You¡ª" "Not now," he muttered before diving in. Half an hour later, Victoire assisted in hoisting the sails of a small catamaran. Priam worked in silence, shirtless. He had buried his bloodied T-shirt in the sand. "I''ll steer to find the best wind angle. Could you handle the mainsail rigging?" asked Priam. Victoire breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his voice. She knew her boyfriend, knew that his silence was due to stress, and also knew that it was best not to rush him. "Sorry for staying quiet," he apologized. "I needed some time to think." "I understand." Victoire paused. "Do you want to talk about it?" "Not really," he sighed, seeming exhausted. The Tutorial had started about ten hours ago, and he had already had to kill someone. "There''s nothing to say. She was... You saw her. Or it." The image of the woman''s corpse flashed back into Victoire''s mind, and she swallowed hard. The slit eyes, the violet blood, and the long nails didn''t belong to a human. In her savagery, the woman would have slaughtered them. "She was¡­ corrupted," Victoire replied. "You saved our lives when I couldn''t pull the trigger." Priam remained silent. The sound of the wind in the sails filled the silence before he spoke again. "... I''m sorry," Priam murmured. "About what?" "You find yourself in a hostile world when you hate violence. All because the selfish person I am dreams of being free," Priam said through gritted teeth. Victoire let go of the sail and approached Priam to take his hand. "I chose this challenge because I wanted to stay with you, that''s true," Victoire confessed. "But it''s my decision. If I love you enough to follow you to hell, you can''t do anything about it. You''re selfish, and I''m a fool hopelessly in love." Priam squeezed her hand. "You¡ª" Victoire interrupted him. "You already have enough trouble managing your feelings without considering mine. You have plenty of qualities, my love, but your heart still eludes your mind. Besides, I don''t know how you would survive without me." Priam raised an eyebrow. "I''d be cold at night?" "You would have reached the airfield, and then what? You don''t know how to pilot a microlight." The retort stunned Priam. "I¡­ Well, I¡¯d have learned from a book." "You''re a genius, my love, but you sometimes overestimate yourself,¡± smiled Victoire. ¡°I''ll handle the plane, and you''ll handle the monsters. Now, tell me what''s wrong." Victoire knew Priam well enough to know there was a problem. Her boyfriend was never defeatist. One of the qualities that had stolen Victoire''s heart was his determination. He was an icebreaker who cleared insurmountable obstacles using sharp logic and holistic intelligence. "... When I killed the creature, I received a notification. The nearest portal is at the top of the Eiffel Tower." Victoire''s eyes widened. Paris was a city of over two million people in a very small area. How many corrupted humans were roaming the capital? "How are we going to do this?" she asked after a short pause. "I don''t know. The thing on the beach impaled itself on my spear. If it had dodged, it would have torn out my throat with its teeth. I''ve seen enough zombie movies to know that firearms are a bad idea. Even if we trained for a week, our attributes would still be too weak to cross an ocean of monsters," Priam grimaced as he rummaged through his bag. Pulling out a knife, he began to cut the rope at the front of the boat. At the other end, a concrete slab buried in the sand kept the boat in place. "I''ve been thinking, but I can''t find a solution," Priam sighed. Victoire realized that his eyes weren''t afraid. They were fatalistic. Priam was pragmatic enough to understand that they had almost no chance of surviving this Tutorial. Chapter 202: A Rough Start (Last part) The wind blew in the right direction, propelling the catamaran toward the Dune of Pilat. With a firm hand on the helm, Priam steered the small sailboat. Beside him, Victoire remained silent, likely mulling over the information shared by the System. Hidden Quest completed: Get your hands dirty. You have purged the soul of a corrupted Rank I. Reward: Intel The nearest portal to you is atop the Eiffel Tower. The quest provided not just one piece of intel, but three. Knowing the portal''s location now only fueled Priam''s determination to reach the airfield. Getting to Paris by any other means was out of the question. The woman on the beach was a Rank I corrupted. This was either the most powerful or the weakest class of corrupted. Who am I kidding? Priam harbored no illusions: not all his enemies would impale themselves on sharp sticks. The last clue he discerned was the existence of hidden objectives. Killing a higher-ranked corrupted was sure to offer another reward. Perhaps a starting point for a solution... "We''re almost there," said Victoire. After an hour of sailing, the sailboat had crossed the bay smoothly and silently. A hundred meters ahead, the water gave way to sand. Just as a smile formed on Priam''s face, the wind died. The sailboat halted, and he cursed. Was this a trap by the System? Without wind, oars, or an engine, they could remain stranded here for hours. So close, yet so far to the beach. "What do we do?" asked Victoire. "...We wait a bit," he said in a dark voice. He was angry with himself: why hadn''t he thought to bring oars?! Forty minutes later, the two lovers exchanged a glance. "Damn. We''ll swim," Priam sighed. They couldn''t afford to wait here for hours. The boat was clearly visible from the beach, and the city behind it likely harbored a bunch of corrupted humans. "The provisions?" Victoire asked. Priam tossed a buoy into the sea and placed the bags and rifle on it. The balance was unstable, but the absence of wind and waves worked in their favor. Priam attached a rope to the buoy and wound the other end around his wrist. "The water doesn''t inspire confidence," Victoire whispered. "Please, don''t raise flags..." The dark water that had welcomed him all his life suddenly seemed foreign. Taking a deep breath, Priam smiled at Victoire and then dove in. Living by the ocean, he knew how to swim swiftly. It wouldn''t take him more than fifteen seconds to reach the shore. A few meters later, the System rewarded his impeccable front crawl. You have gained the skill: [Swimming]. [Swimming] - Life evolved in water three billion years ago. Born of this extraordinary fluid, you return to it today. If not with grace, then with passion, at least. Are you sure it''s wise to read this message now? STR +1 As Priam read the last sentence of the description, he felt something under his hand and hastily pulled back his arm. Too late. Letting out a cry of pain, he stood up¡ªhis foot touched the ground! Looking at his hand, he almost vomited. His left ring finger was gone. A disturbance in the water caught his attention, and Priam felt his stomach knot. Despite the shallow water, he couldn''t distinguish his legs. "Priam?" Behind him, Victoire was swimming closer. Something touched his right leg, and Priam recoiled, hitting the water with his valid hand. "Swim!" Priam shouted before running after his girlfriend toward the shore. Water up to his hips, he hoped to scare off the aquatic creature and protect Victoire. A few seconds later, he joined Victoire on the beach, breathless and shocked. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yes, but... Oh my god! My heart, your hand!" Victoire tore off her T-shirt to fashion a makeshift bandage. Tired and shocked, Priam pulled weakly on the buoy''s rope, retrieving their belongings. Ten hours later, Priam felt his heart racing. His wound had stopped bleeding. He had found medical gauze in a pharmacy, and Victoire had cleaned it. Yet, he felt unwell. An extreme fatigue dulled his body and numbed his mind. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Deep down, Priam knew he wouldn''t last a week. Perhaps not even the day. The wound was strange, almost¡­ corrupted. That''s Impossible difficulty for you. Paradoxically, his condition had given him some perspective on the situation. The world was over. Nothing but an intervention from the System could save him. If he continued to be cautious, he would die¡ªand with him, Victoire. As if I''d accept that. "This is madness," his girlfriend murmured. Priam blinked before grabbing the steering wheel to fight off vertigo. They were in the cabin of a delivery truck, atop a steep street. Five hundred meters away and over twenty meters below lay a stone-covered market. "This is our only chance to catch up. We''ve worked for hours on this." Using a ladder, Victoire had taped a phone five meters high. The phone''s alarm would sound in a few seconds. "This has to work," Priam muttered. Too far to hear the shrill sound, he smiled when the first corrupted gathered at the bottom of the street. Emerging from buildings, narrow alleys, and sewers, the creatures clustered around the sound source. Some leaped to dislodge the phone¡ª in vain. The alarm continued to blare, agitating the creatures. A few seconds later, Priam''s smile widened: a different monster was approaching from an adjacent alley. It towered over its kin in size and bulk, but Priam was sure it wasn''t a corrupted rugby player. It was a monster. His stomach twisted in fear as he beheld the horror half a kilometer away. "What''s that thing?" Victoire murmured, her voice trembling. Priam''s vision had never been impressive, and his contact lenses didn''t allow him to see as clearly as his girlfriend. "A human who chose Hard difficulty, I suppose¡ªa Rank II. Is it different?" "It has claws. Not long nails, but claws. I¡¯m too far to be sure, but its skeletal structure looks strange." The Rank I corrupted parted to let the Rank II pass, and Priam squinted. "They have a hierarchy." "This is bad for us," Victoire murmured. "I hope the difference is physical and not mental." Priam nodded. The stupid Rank I creatures hadn''t even thought to throw something to dislodge the phone. The only advantage Priam and Victoire possessed over them was their intelligence and tools. If the corrupted became smarter, the difficulty would become... Impossible. Too tired to worry about the future, Priam focused. Once the creature dug its claws into the stone wall, he released the handbrake, ignited a braid of firecracker fuses and jumped out of the truck with Victoire. Gravity pushed the vehicle downward, and it began to hurtle down the slope. At the same time, the Rank II corrupted began to climb the wall toward the phone. "Will it work?" Victoire asked, dragging Priam behind a low wall. It wasn''t the time to be spotted. Priam shrugged as he watched the truck gain speed. "We locked the steering wheel with the seat using several padlocks to keep it going straight. The truck is loaded, so it''s heavy. It should have built up enough kinetic energy by the slope''s end to cause serious damage. If that''s not enough, we have one last surprise..." Victoire didn''t reply. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw her clasping her hands in prayer. He hesitated before shaking his head. Priam had always had respect for religions, but he wasn''t a believer himself. Finding faith a few hours before his death seemed hypocritical. Though it''s now or never. As the truck reached the top of the wall, the Rank II plunged a claw into the phone and flung it to the ground. Satisfied, the monster leaped down. While about twenty Rank I creatures crowded around him, it turned toward the truck hurtling down the slope. The creature''s roar of anger made Priam grimace. When the truck came within a hundred meters, the Rank Is rushed toward it. The Rank II hesitated. Priam clenched his fists as the collision approached. The impact between flesh and bumper was brutal. Bits of bone and organs flew in all directions. The Rank II threw itself to the side, dodging the ram. "Damn." The next moment, the truck violently struck the stone building, turning several others corrupted into pulp. Priam counted eight survivors, including the Rank II. Seeing the remains of the motionless truck, they drew closer. "And boom," Priam smiled. Maybe he had timed his fuse well, or perhaps the crash had ruptured some of the plastic containers. Either way, the lit fuse eventually touched the gasoline and dish soap mixture. The flammable liquid ignited instantly, increasing pressure in the trailer and causing an explosion. The siphoning of hundreds of cars had not been in vain. The deflagration of thousands of liters of fuel was terrifying. A mushroom of fire rose into the air as Priam and Victoire winced at the noise. The corrupted were blown backward, doused in flammable products. Screams rose before quickly subsiding. Only when the sound of the notification echoed in his head did Priam unclench his fists. Hidden Quest completed: Rising Star. You have purged the soul of a corrupted Rank II. Reward: Talent [He Who Dreamed of his Death] [He Who Dreamed of his Death - Unique] - You wake up at the beginning of the Tutorial in a start. You dreamed of an unsuccessful first attempt and a bloody ending. From this dreamlike experience, you only retain memories. A beautiful death is a useful death. Notes:
  • Activates upon your death.
  • Knowing this Talent exists prevents you from receiving it.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 14 Constitution 13 Agility 13 Vitality 14 Perception 10 MENTAL: Vivacity 18 Dexterity 11 Memory 17 Willpower 20 Charisma 14 Chapter 203: Priam is a Sure Bet! "Ymir," greeted Priam as he entered the merchant''s pavilion. "I trust that all is well?" "Everything is well, Lord Priam," smiled the elf as he stepped forward, clad in a Roman toga that showcased impressive bulging muscles. It was clear the merchant knew how to handle himself. "I see you''ve brought someone along." "Indeed. Ymir, meet Marquess Esm¨¦e, one of my rivals and a distinguished guest. Esm¨¦e, this is Ymir Saharn, a wandering merchant who''s settled in Oasis." "Pleasure, Merchant Ymir," said Esm¨¦e, nodding respectfully. "I hope our trade dealings will prove fruitful." "Likewise, Marquess," replied Ymir, clasping his hands. "Looking forward to doing business with you." He then turned to Priam. "I reckon you''re here for the Auctions?" "Indeed." "If you would be so kind as to follow me." The merchant led them to the center of his tent, where an altar as black as obsidian rested. A holographic screen floated above, displaying many items. "You can place your items on this altar and set a price," explained Ymir. "The item put up for Auction is then stored and will be transported by the Secret Network if purchased. Sun points will be directly added to your account; no need to come collect them. Buying works the same way." "Excellent," replied Priam. "What''s the altar''s level?" inquired Esm¨¦e. Priam turned to Ymir, clueless about what she was referring to. "Rank I," Ymir turned to Priam to explain. "Currently, I''m a Tier 0 Merchant of Rank I for the Sun Shop, which limits the number of items of different Tiers you can auction simultaneously." "Nothing''s free in this world, eh?" grumbled Priam. Esm¨¦e suppressed a smile. "How many items can you auction at once?" "At Rank I, ten Tier 0 items or one Tier 1 item. Each subsequent rank multiplies this number by ten, while each Tier takes up ten times the space of the previous Tier," explained the merchant. As Priam furrowed his brows, his add-on translated the merchant''s words into a chart. [Merchant Rank T0 - Auction Details: Rank I - 10 T0 items / 1 T1 item Rank II - 100 T0 items / 10 T1 items / 1 T2 item Rank III - 1,000 T0 items / 100 T1 items / 10 T2 items / 1 T3 item ¡­] "For a small community like Oasis, Rank II will do for now unless you want to sell high Tier items. This limit mainly impacts kingdoms and powerful factions that sell billions of items daily," commented Ymir. "Or small factions selling mighty items," grimaced Priam. "Not necessarily. If you were Tier 2, your Sun Shop would have connected you with a Tier 2 merchant, who could have auctioned ten Tier 2 items from Rank I. The equivalent of a thousand Tier 0 items." Priam sighed. It made sense and wouldn''t have affected him if he wasn''t trying to sell an item out of his league. No Tier 0 was supposed to acquire a treasure as rare as the one he borrowed from Sumstreh. Guess the System wants to discourage that kind of generosity... Glancing at Esm¨¦e, Priam decided not to inquire further. The princess didn''t need to know he was in possession of a divine realm fulcrum¡¯s shard. Which must be a Tier 5 item. So, I''ll need at least Merchant V to sell it, and Merchant VI if I want to sell something else simultaneously. It was going to cost him a hefty one hundred eighty-five thousand Sun points. A sum he could afford thanks to his latest Achievement. "I''ll upgrade the altar''s rank," declared Priam. Sun Shop - Territory Merchant II (10 000 points) - Summons a T0 Merchant¡­ or increases Ymir Saharn''s authority to Rank II. Requires Shop or Forum. ACQUIRED Merchant III (25 000 points) - Summons a T1 Merchant¡­ or increases Ymir Saharn''s authority to Rank III. Requires Shop or Forum. ACQUIRED Merchant IV (50 000 points) - Summons a T1 Merchant¡­ or increases Ymir Saharn''s authority to Rank IV. Requires Shop or Forum. ACQUIRED Merchant V (100 000 points) - Summons a T2 Merchant¡­ or increases Ymir Saharn''s authority to Rank V. Requires Shop or Forum. ACQUIRED Merchant VI (250 000 points) - Summons a T2 Merchant¡­ or increases Ymir Saharn''s authority to Rank VI. Requires Shop or Forum. Sun points: 317,979 (-185,000) Ymir opened his mouth, glanced at Esm¨¦e, then closed it. The merchant nodded respectfully. "One last thing: you can send a message to the seller if you want to buy an item instantly. Be careful not to use this functionality for remote communication, as the System will ban you from the Auctions." "Understood," replied Priam. "If you need me, I''ll be close by," nodded the merchant before stepping away. Ymir wasn''t dumb; he must have realized Priam had rare items or a large quantity to sell. In either case, the elf would earn a comfortable commission. "I¡¯m going to do some window shopping," joked Priam as he connected to the altar''s terminal. He planned to wait for Esm¨¦e to leave before auctioning the fulcrum. "Likewise." A stream of data flooded Priam''s mind before his system took control. [Auctions:
  • Truth Serum (Rare/T0) - Territory: Klogash/Wanderings Islands - A serum concocted by Klogash clan alchemists from the venom of certain snakes. Capable of forcing a Tier 0 whose will hasn''t crossed the first threshold to speak the truth for twenty-seven minutes. The subject then has a high chance of dying. Actual bid: 1 269 Sun points. Auction ends in 214 hours.
  • Teleportation Scroll (Epic/T1) - Territory: Meenals/Death Trench - A scroll capable of teleporting a Tier 1 somewhere in the Death Trench from a nearby border. Note: with the Necro event, it''s a creative way to commit suicide¡­ Or to off your mother-in-law. Actual bid: 1 Sun point. Auction ends in 701 hours.
  • Set of twin portals (Mythic/T0) - Territory: Pnothl/Sky Ring - Title says it all. Range: 100,000 kilometers. Capable of linking Elysium to a spatial pocket. Enchanted against spatial disturbances. Enchanted against temporal disturbances. (See complete list of enchantments). Actual bid: 7 699 652 Sun points. Auction ends in 60 000 hours.
  • Legacy Core (Rare/T1) - Territory: Pnothl/Sky Ring - A core containing memories of an Ace who survived 8 Tribulations at Tier 0, 6 at Tier 1 and unlocked Mastery - Sword III. Note: One Ideal Mythic sword skill detected. If you are fated... Actual bid: 2 412 683 Sun points. Auction ends in 1 573 hours. ¡­]
After a few minutes, Priam cursed Sumstreh. The Fallen had valued their fulcrum''s shard at six million Sun Points. Either they had no idea of its true worth, or they had given Priam a tiny fragment of the fulcrum. Priam hoped it was the latter possibility. That would give him one more reason to destroy the rabbit god. Now, let''s see how much those puzzles cost. [Aether Manipulation], here I come. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Announcement to Humanity: Priam Azura unlocks a fifth Ideal Upgrade. Ignoring the notification, Maya deftly dodged, letting the opponent''s blade pass within a hair''s breadth of her skin. It was risky, but her combat instructor had insisted on prioritizing the economy of movement. "Why take three steps when the thickness of a hair is enough?" he had said. Maya had sensed wisdom in those words. Her heart raced as the blade came back, and she evaded it once more. There was something terrifying and exhilarating about dancing so close to death. Micro could have prevented the adrenaline from coursing through her veins, but according to the Mercenaries, one shouldn''t always suppress the body''s reactions. The Supremacies lived up to their name: Micro was there to dominate. Rage and determination were the gates to enter the Zone. Summoning an almost invisible thread with her Silk Concept, Maya let it wrap around her opponent''s wrist. She stepped back, allowing the warrior to advance into her range. Her adversary dodged all the nooses lying on the ground. Invisible to the naked eye, the amount of aether they contained made them visible to someone with over a hundred in meta perception. In a roar, Kenzo brought down his blade. Carbon Concept. [Chain Mastery I]. The second Concept altered the organization of atoms in Maya''s silk, and Mastery further increased their resistance. The enemy katana cut through three threads before losing its momentum. The cable wrapped around the swordsman''s wrist tightened, threatening to sever it. With a graceful step, Maya slipped into her opponent''s guard and passed a braided silk cord around his neck. "Game Over," she smiled. With a mere thought, she could tighten the knot, decapitating her opponent. "Let''s go clean up." Kenzo''s lips stretched into a smile. "Gladly. I''m exhausted," the swordsman admitted, breathless. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek at that moment. "My blade couldn''t even cut through four threads." Maya stretched before using her hands as fans. "It''ll be easier once you''ve crossed the first Will threshold. Until then, Mastery is a taxing Supremacy." Kenzo nodded as the silk threads in the training room vanished. Concepts could transform aether into matter but could also dissipate it. The conservation of mass and energy¡ªNothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed¡ªwas still true... At least locally. It lost its meaning on the universal scale due to the infinite quantity of aether. "Did you read the notification?" asked Kenzo. "They''ll summon us in a few minutes." Maya sighed. "Our Champion continues to attract attention. It almost threw me off during the fight." "We should go report. Our superiors will be interested." Maya shrugged as she headed for the exit. "I guess¡ªeven though it''s pointless. I''m sure one of our brethren has already sold them the info." "I bet on Mercury." "Cheater." Kenzo grinned. "Anyway, I''m getting used to Priam''s Achievements. Maybe I should try facing a Tier 2 as well?" "You''d die," replied Maya as they exited the training room. The room, like the entire building, was reserved for human mercenaries. As a new civilization, they were entitled to two buildings: one for training, the other for accommodation. If their performances were deemed unsatisfactory, their accommodations would be taken away from them. "Probably," laughed Kenzo. "Do you think Priam has a deal with a faction? All these Achievements are abnormal." "I don''t know," replied Maya as they walked down the wooded hallway. Before exiting, they passed a dojo and a gym. "But I doubt it. He seemed unwilling to sell his soul for a few pieces of information." The two mercenaries arrived at a lush garden. The founder of the Mercenaries had always maintained a barrier between work and private life, and their guild had retained that mindset. "Yet he continues to rise rather than falter," said Kenzo, stopping by a fountain to quench his thirst. "A lone guy can''t climb that fast." "The System is designed to snowball. An Achievement grants Potential, Tokens, and sometimes a Title or a personalized reward. Your attributes increase quickly, and your skills level up rapidly. By distancing yourself from the users¡¯ average, each of your actions becomes an exploit rewarded in turn. It''s a virtuous circle from which our Champion benefits." "Until the Tribulations." "Until the Tribulations," confirmed Maya. The System encouraged geniuses by providing resources, opportunities, and rewards. But the final exam was brutal. How many Aces had died by going too far too fast? Sector Hope was young, but billions of shooting stars had already flamed out, leaving nothing but warnings in their wake. "I hope he knows what he''s doing," grumbled Kenzo as they entered humanity''s second building. It housed the mercenaries'' living space and lodgings¡ªdormitories, apartments, and officers'' quarters. "Humanity needs him. He''s the only one who can prevent the factions from milking humanity like a cow." "Him and Prometheus. The Spear and the Shield." Heading towards their private quarters, the captain and her second crossed paths with a human team exiting the common room. A blond man, barely out of his teens, shouted when he saw them. "Captain, did you see?! Priam did it again!" "Yes, Luc, I saw. Judging by your joy, I suppose you won a bet?" asked Maya, amused. "I sure did! I bet on three Legendary Achievements in less than a month at our guild''s bookies," replied Luc before executing a little victory dance. Kenzo whistled. "That must be a ton of cash." "Millionaire before twenty," laughed Luc. "I could kiss the man. Betting on him is like playing the lottery, except I''m sure to win!" One of his teammates rolled her eyes, and Maya understood it wasn''t the first time Luc had said that. "And what are you going to do with that money?" asked Kenzo. A million contribution points was a colossal sum¡ªenough to ask the guild to power level him up to Tier 2. Nothing was guaranteed¡ªthe Tribulations made sure of that¡ªbut the required resources, knowledge, and experience were served on a silver platter. "I''ll bet it again on a Mythic Achievement, of course," smiled Luc. "If he wins, I''ll be a billionaire." Kenzo and Maya widened their eyes. "You''re going to bet it all?!" "The Var Elegis succeeded, didn''t he? Our Priam can do it too!" exclaimed Luc before checking his ocular implant. "I have to hurry, or my odds will drop. Leader, Vice-leader," he greeted before running off towards the Mercenaries'' Casino. Watching their subordinate run off, Kenzo took on a thoughtful expression. "Are you going to bet too?" asked Maya. "Well... It''s easy money, don''t you think?" Maya hesitated before sighing. "There hasn''t been a Mythic Achievement for a Tier 0 in a century. This Arnold NetSky is a monster." "But Priam is going to attempt it," replied Kenzo. "Tier 3... It''s madness, but there are still five months until the next Reunion." "... I''ll bet half of my pay," said Maya. "If I lose, you and Luc are going to have a rough time." "I''m not forcing you to... Is there a problem?" asked Kenzo as he saw Maya staring into space. Her expression was that of someone checking an ocular implant. The captain of the human mercenaries sighed. "Colonel Wang Lin wants to see us. Let''s quickly shower, we''ll meet in the Hall of Glory in three minutes," ordered Maya as she entered her quarters. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 505 Dexterity 587 Memory 431 Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 520 Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 42 Potential: 9 969 Tier 0 Sun points: 317 979 (-184 877) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 18 hours 37 minutes 52 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 204: Chaos Theory [Auctions:
  • Galaht Puzzle (Legendary/T0) - Territory: Klogash/Wanderings Islands - A puzzle crafted from the bones of a Prince from another universe. Its legendary difficulty and numerous solutions make it a prime tool to challenge your mastery of aether manipulation. Current bid: 719 411 Sun points. Auction ends in 2 782 hours.
  • Penumbra Brain-Teaser (Mythic/T0) - Territory: Penumbra Bastion/Penumbra Hell - An aether puzzle created by Penumbra for their students. Current bid: 3 562 418 Sun points. Auction ends in 62 153 hours.]
Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 3 VIVA +3 MEM +3 META(AUTH) + 3 Priam sighed as he perused the list generated by his add-on after analyzing the items offered at the Auctions. There were many puzzles designed to hone Aether Manipulation skills, but most were disappointingly ordinary. "Ymir?" "Lord Priam," the merchant responded, drawing near. "Is it normal to have so few aether puzzles?" The merchant nodded. "These kind of puzzles are meant to enhance the skills of young individuals. Selling them would be sacrificing the new generation. Only a desperate faction would offer such items... or the seller could be a powerful outsider who can disregard local authorities." Priam raised an eyebrow at the latter part of the statement. "Are you saying I can find out who is selling what on my territory?" "With Merchant V, you can see all Tier 0 items valued at less than two hundred fifty thousand Sun points that have been sold or purchased at the Auctions," confirmed the merchant. Priam found this information intriguing. It would certainly prove useful if Oasis welcomed passing travelers. "What about Tier 1 items?" "All those valued at less than one hundred thousand Sun points." "I see..." "If I may, I think more puzzles will come," Ymir said. "As the necro-event progresses, the settlements, tribes, kingdoms, and cities under the influence of the Necromoon will be in danger. They will eventually sell their most precious belongings for better equipment or a chance at survival. Just wait a little, and such treasures will become commonplace." Priam grimaced. He didn''t have the luxury of waiting for the Necromoon to devastate entire populations. His goal was to reach Tier 1 before the next Reunion, which made for a tight schedule. Heavenly Dragon, Tribulations, Colosseum, then High Tribulation. Seeing Priam''s expression, Ymir offered advice. "If you don''t like waiting, you could also make an announcement. These Auctions are governed by supply and demand. You''ll surely get responses if you offer a rare item or a hefty sum." Priam conjured a piece of ice in his hand. In the center, Sumstreh''s fulcrum shard absorbed the light. "...Put this up for auction in exchange for aether puzzles or methods to enhance aether mastery. No sale until I''ve evaluated the exchange. I want to consult the Guardian of Secrets to learn more about the items offered to me." "Your orders will be carried out," replied Ymir, taking the object carefully before placing it on the altar. It was absorbed, and Priam received confirmation from the Sun Shop. As long as no one destroyed the Forum and the altar, the fragment would be secure. Even Ymir couldn''t touch it. "Are you looking to improve [Aether Manipulation]?" Esm¨¦e asked. "Indeed." Priam saw no point in hiding it. "Can you assist me?" "Perhaps. My people have spent centuries manipulating aether without the aid of the System. I have some exercises that might interest you." "What do you want in return?" "A favor. If I ever find myself in trouble and you can save me without it costing you much, do it." Priam assessed Esm¨¦e. The princess had seen through his nature. Instead of cultivating a professional relationship, she was doing him a favor to become his friend. "I accept," he smiled. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 4 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 "Are you sure you don''t want me to accompany you? The forest is dangerous." "You''re a trouble magnet," Esm¨¦e smiled. "Without you, I''m sure to find my way easily. Besides, if my brother sees you coming, he''ll think I''m trying to kill him." "Isn¡¯t that the case?" Priam winked. Esm¨¦e stuck out her tongue without responding. Priam''s heart raced as he returned her smile. After a few seconds of silence, he coughed. "You still have a week of free auctions." "I''ll be back before the end of the week. Bye," said Esm¨¦e, executing a curtsy. With one final smile, she crossed the barrier. A dozen corrupted beings lunged at her. Priam almost intervened before sighing. The revenants were constantly tripping over each other, each attack injuring one of their own rather than their enemy. Some stumbled over roots, while others collided with low branches while leaping. As if she were Fortune''s daughter, Esm¨¦e walked straight ahead while her enemies fell at her feet, powerless to even touch her clothes. What a cheater... When Esm¨¦e disappeared, Priam returned to camp. The first thing he noticed was Blueberry. The bear gave him a thumbs-up. Intrigued, Priam approached. "Is there a problem?" "Not at all, I''m happy for you." "...For Esm¨¦e?" Priam guessed. "A bear without a mate is a weak bear. It pained me to see you all alone. I might have preferred Jasmine, but it''s your choice." "I... So many things are wrong with your statement that I don''t know where to start. Do you realize you''re as single as I am?" "Do you see a female bear around here? Neither do I. If I could find a partner, I would have already done so." "We''ll find one on Earth," Priam said. He owed it to his friend. "You will fatten her up with your cooking." "I hope so. By the way, has your female already left? The mating was quick," Blueberry mumbled, looking at the merchant''s tent. "I''d prefer we call her Esm¨¦e. She''s not my female, and we didn''t mate," Priam grimaced. "I know, I''m teasing you. But admit it, you like her." Priam rolled his eyes before smiling, amused. "Yeah, but for now, it''s just a possibility. We both have issues incompatible with a relationship. She''s magically controlled by her family, and I don''t know to what extent she''s trying to manipulate me into helping her." "Not everyone is Claire. Esm¨¦e doesn''t smell of lies." His rival''s power could certainly deceive Blueberry''s nose, but Priam''s draconic instinct agreed with the bear. "That''s what I think too," Priam replied before furrowing his brows. "Were you listening to us?" "I have nearly three hundred in Perception, and you were talking in the middle of the base. Except for Rose, Muyri, and Alain, I reckon the whole camp heard you.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Priam blushed slightly before sighing. ¡°I''ll keep that in mind for next time.¡± ¡°You''re already planning for next time?¡± ¡°You''re impossible. You know I''ve got a packed schedule and clearly no time to invest in a relationship. The last one went south, and I don''t want a repeat.¡± Blueberry started trembling, and Priam realized the bear was chuckling. ¡°Funny how you''re talking to me, but you''re the one you''re trying to convince. Either way, her favorite dessert was caramel. Now, scoot over, I gotta flip the skewers before it burns,¡± said the bear, focusing on his barbecue. Amused, Priam shook his head as he walked away. His conversation with Esm¨¦e had been a delightful moment of respite, but the world hadn''t stopped turning. [Revelation Resilience]¡¯s level-up proved that his enemies still had him in their sights. Time to get back to work. In his hand, Priam summoned a token about five centimeters in diameter. Its coppery color seemed to absorb the rays of the Necromoon. [Identification] [Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)] - A System reward that reveals the various prerequisites for an ideal upgrade for a common, rare, or epic skill. If multiple ideal upgrades exist, the user must choose one of the skills. Note: Different prerequisites can lead to the same skill. The Token reveals interesting equivalences for the user. Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 14 MEM +1 The System hadn''t fooled him. Now, the million-dollar question was: which skill should he reveal the prerequisites for? [Aether Manipulation], knowing full well that a phoenix didn''t give him a snowball''s chance in hell of unlocking the skill? [Moon Mist], to acquire a legendary skill that synergized with his Mist Concept? [Priam¡¯s System], his assistant, which was one of his greatest strengths¡ªand also a potential weakness? Or one of his epic resistances to anchor the fulcrum of Heavenly Dragon and attain a perfect temperance? Maya and Kenzo were quickly ushered into Colonel Wang Lin''s office. Large enough to host a ball, the room was strikingly adorned with lifelike statues. Of all sizes, there were dozens on either side of the red carpet leading to the center of the room. Rumor had it that these weren''t mere statues. Some claimed each one was a former enemy of the colonel, turned into artwork by a taxidermist. This could explain why meeting their gaze sometimes sent shivers down Maya''s spine. The colonel had never denied it. Catching sight of a face contorted in a scream from the corner of her eye, Maya decided the rumor was likely true. Their superior couldn''t confirm it because some bodies belonged to powerful factions. For a mighty mercenary to defeat a young scion was acceptable. Parading their corpse was an insult. So, the colonel was playing with fire, careful not to cross the line. Maya found it a fitting description of his character. Bold, calculating, and merciless with his enemies, his irreverent nature prevented him from taking himself too seriously with his own allies. That was why, despite his questionable taste in decor, most of his subordinates appreciated Colonel Wang Lin. As they finished traversing the statue forest, Maya and Kenzo caught sight of an enormous desk covered in ice sheets. While humanity used electronic mediums to store information, phoenixes had chosen ice crystals. Using their bloodline, they cooled water with precision, creating precise molecular arrangements. The vibration of the water molecules changed depending on the purity of the bloodline, preventing semi-phoenixes from decrypting the coded information. That was one reason why phoenixes forbade the dissemination of their bloodline outside their clans. When a mixed-blood was discovered, they were captured or killed. Rare exceptions were made, such as Colonel Wang Lin. The two humans greeted the half-phoenix, half-titan, who was currently in humanoid form. Without his metallic skin and fiery wings, he could pass for human. The Tier 5 didn''t use his original form out of politeness; it was hard to have a conversation with a fifteen-meter-tall being. "Maya, Kenzo, come closer," smiled the colonel. Despite his rank, his tone was friendly, almost amiable. It was the camaraderie of the Mercenaries that had persuaded the two humans to enlist. "Four Legendary Achievements in less than a month, all announced. It''s no longer pride; it''s arrogance." "I''m not sure Priam is familiar with the customs of Sector Hope," grimaced Maya. "I''m almost certain he''s using these Achievements to give hope to humanity." "I always forget he''s a newbie," sighed Wang Lin. "Unfortunately, his ignorance is making enemies for him." "I thought the ban on Achievements¡¯ announcement only applied to factions," said Maya. "To prevent bright young lords from being assassinated and the faction''s capabilities from being known." Wang Lin sighed, tossing a log into the fire burning in the gigantic fireplace behind him. The smoke rose magically toward him, and he inhaled it. Phoenixes were the biggest smokers in the sector. "The ban only applies to factions because an individual without a faction isn''t supposed to be able to acquire these Achievements. Even if he can, he''s quickly enlisted by a faction. That''s not possible here because Priam and his rivals are in Elysium... which annoys a lot of people." "This ban is stupid," grunted Kenzo. "It stifles competition among the youth. It would create fierce rivalry if they were allowed to announce their progress to the world." Wang Lin''s smile now resembled that of a fox. "That''s on purpose." Seeing Kenzo''s puzzled look, he explained. "Factions don''t want to give their young stupid ideas. Just before summoning you, I received information: Calypse Daccantz''s descendant died during a quintuple Tribulation at Tier 0." Maya''s eyes widened. "A quintuple... That''s madness." "It''s dangerous but not impossible. The young Daccantz was supposed to take over from his ancestor, a Tier 5 whose soul is crumbling. Resources, experiences, opportunities¡ªthe young Daccantz received everything. A foundation as optimal as his is more costly than raising half a dozen Tier 4s, yet the System didn''t deem him worthy," said Wang Lin, shrugging. "Calypse Daccantz is angry at Priam." After a few seconds of silence in memory of the dead, Kenzo asked, "I fail to see the connection with Priam?" "According to our intelligence, he and his rivals have accumulated a dozen Legendary Achievements and one Mythic Achievement in less than two weeks," revealed the Colonel. "They''re already being called the golden generation¡ªpeople are talking about nothing else. Imagine the frustration of some arrogant young masters when they''re forbidden from publishing their Achievements." Flames shot out of the colonel''s nose, and Maya understood he was laughing. For an orphaned mixed blood, the frustration of those born with a gold spoon in their mouth must be hilarious. "Young Daccantz bit off more than he could chew by trying to create a feat," Maya summed up. "But not all young lords can be that foolish." "Some are quite clever and know their faction is holding them back by forbidding them from attempting Mythic Achievements. They''re shaped to be powerful but not too much. The monsters at the top don''t want to be ousted from their thrones," spat Wang Lin. "But it only takes a few factions to agree to loosen the reins on their prodigies to set off a chain reaction. If the new generation includes Mythic Achiever, other factions will have no choice but to allow their own geniuses to attempt feats." "Many will die," commented Kenzo. "Indeed. A hundred will fail, but one will survive, and their success will overshadow the dead." Wang Lin''s smile turned fierce, and Maya understood what was about to happen. All the sector''s geniuses were about to engage in a race. The coming years would see the birth of an atmosphere of intense competition. "Not all factions will be able to create Mythic Achiever," Maya pointed out. "Indeed, and they will fall in a century or two," smiled Wang Lin. "Others will take their place as Aces rise, shaking up their own factions. Sector Hope has been quiet for too long. This new era will benefit the Mercenaries." Maya frowned. "All because Priam and his rivals are announcing their Achievements? It seems disproportionate." Some factions had existed for millions of years. It seemed ridiculous to think that the arrogance of a few Tier 0s could shake them. "Priam and his rivals are a sign of change desired by the Seven," replied the Colonel. "Sector Hope stagnates because the powerhouses want to maintain a status quo that suits them. It''s incompatible with the System. A Universal War is brewing, and They ask us to prepare." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 509 (+4) Dexterity 587 Memory 441 (+10) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 524 (+4) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 48 (+6) Potential: 9 976 (+7) Tier 0 Sun points: 318 423 (+444) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 17 hours 26 minutes 16 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 205: Ideal Prerequisites Maya bit her lip. If Wang Lin was right, then the factions had no choice. Forcing a ban would be like hindering the will of the Seven. A surefire way to die. "Calypse Daccantz... Is he going to do something?" "He already did something," the colonel replied. "Something blatantly foolish, as he''s vanished. Elysium''s residents are deemed the soldiers of the Seven. The System won''t let parasites attack its fighters¡ªweak as they may be. I''d wager he''s been conscripted." Conscripted... Sent to Elysium with no return ticket¡ªexcept during System events. "Forgive me if this question is out of line, Colonel, but... Shouldn''t a Tier 5 be above this kind of error?" Maya asked. It wasn''t advisable to question Tier 5s¡ªtrue gods¡ªbut their superior seemed chatty. Wang Lin burst into laughter, surprising the two humans. "I guess it''s odd for you. Our stats are so high that our vivacity and certain Talents prevent us from making such errors theoretically." Maya perked up. Tier 5s'' abilities were seldom discussed. "In practice, two things can lead us astray," Wang Lin explained. "First, the gap between our Charisma and Willpower. The higher the Charisma, the stronger our emotions. The higher our Willpower, the better we can control these emotions. Memory and Vivacity play a minor role in that." "Memory?" Maya asked. She''d taken a crash course on the System, but attributes were only covered briefly. Wang Lin added another log to the fireplace before inhaling the silvery smoke. "It''s an attribute not to be overlooked as soon as the soul supersedes the brain. You''ll learn more if you become a Major or spend your contribution points. Regardless, depending on their build, some Tier 5s tend to succumb easily to their emotions. Karmic manipulators like Daccantz are known for that." "Like the Sphinxes," Kenzo commented. They''d heard stories about that mythical clan. These usually rational beings were feared for their legendary and immutable tempers. "Like the Sphinxes," Wang Lin confirmed. "Daccantz would have simply attacked without waiting to confirm Arnold or Priam''s location... That seems unlikely. What''s possible is that one of his enemies concealed the rivals'' location. Half of his possessions were absorbed by a minor god named Viracocha. I believe you know him." "He was the god behind humanity''s Threat," Kenzo spat. "He must have blessed your Champion and then used that connection to disrupt Daccantz''s probes. He protected the System''s investments in Elysium while trapping one of his enemies. A cunning fellow." "The Seven must realize he''s been using them!" Kenzo exclaimed before realizing who he was speaking to. "Apologies, Colonel." Wang Lin smiled, more amused than angry. "It''s all right, Kenzo. We Mercenaries are passionate folks. To answer you, the Seven are more or less omniscient; of course, they understand what''s happening. However, Viracocha played by the rules. Using the laws of the universe to gain an advantage is a sign of intelligence and is encouraged." Maya grimaced. Viracocha becoming more powerful thanks to Priam was terrible news. Wang Lin''s aura shifted, and she refocused. "These tidings have made me chatty, but I didn''t summon you for that. Your results so far have been exemplary, and your reward is here: a personalized race upgrade." In addition to honing powerful martial skills, Maya had spearheaded recruitment campaigns on Gaia, the capital of the Hope Sector. Utilizing her charismatic personality and showcasing her skills, she''d convinced over a thousand humans to enlist with the Mercenaries. "Thank you very much, Colonel," Maya replied, tilting her head. She could feel the Tribulations breathing down her neck, and the new thresholds would allow her to establish a solid Tier 0 foundation. Maya wasn''t about to sell her future to speed up her progression. "Have you found a way for us to remain... human?" Consulting the information provided by the Mercenaries, Maya had discovered numerous rituals and elixirs capable of enhancing the human race. However, these evolutions diluted their humanity. Becoming a half-ogress or replacing her flesh with metal repulsed her. After discussing it with Kenzo, she''d turned down a first free race evolution. Wang Lin nodded. "The Mercenaries are interested in your racial Talent. Our scientists have collaborated with humans to attempt to purify it during evolution. The first positive result was confirmed this morning." The Mercenaries didn''t bother with bioethics when progress was at stake, but Maya had ensured the test subjects were willing and well-treated. The Mercenaries had improved their genetic code and provided them with rare resources. "It''s encouraging, but isn''t it a bit early to offer us a racial Tier up?" The colonel smiled, revealing teeth capable of chewing steel. "Normally yes, but this evolution isn''t unprecedented and has already been validated by the System. A shame because our scientists were counting on the discovery of a new race to receive an Achievement. Unfortunately, your Champion has already been there." With a snap of his fingers, the colonel conjured the hologram of a naked man and woman. Their proportions seemed perfectly suited for combat. "Maya, Kenzo, let me introduce you to the High Human standard." ¡°I remember the thrill of receiving Achievements left and right,¡± said the phoenix, a nostalgic tone in its voice. ¡°I wouldn''t mind some tips on earning more,¡± Priam grinned as he watched the bird descend from the sun of his inner world. ¡°You know I can''t give you that kind of knowledge. Even if I could, there is merit in discovering things for yourself. You''re doing just fine; keep pushing your limits and accomplishing feats, and the Achievements will come.¡± Priam reclined in the grass near the central pond of Concepts Archipelago. The rays of the miniature sun warmed him, and he smiled. Only a gentle breeze was missing to turn his inner world into a true paradise. The phoenix landed beside him. "You seem indecisive. Matters of the heart?" "Pardon?" "You''ve got dead cells from a female on your body. With your flame coat, the only way that could happen is if your skins came into contact." "We¡ª" Priam paused. Throughout his conversation with Esm¨¦e, he''d worn his mist and flame coat. The magical garment¡ªin his opinion¡ªwas quite stylish, but he was essentially naked underneath. And I offered her my arm. I hope she didn''t take me for a pervert... "Everything was going fine until you pointed out that I might need to buy clothes for certain occasions," Priam grimaced. "But I''m indecisive about something else. I received a Revelation Token, and I''m not sure how to use it," Priam admitted. "What rarity?" "Epic." "Not bad. What are you torn between?" Priam explained his current dilemma to the phoenix. He didn''t want to squander such an interesting reward. "Do you really think there''s no chance I can reach an ideal upgrade with [Aether Manipulation]?" Priam asked. "None. I know the prerequisites, and there''s at least one you won''t be able to achieve quickly. Elysium is a land of opportunity, but you''re too constrained by time." It was bad news for Priam. The Phoenix Prince had been aware of the prerequisites but hadn''t managed to unlock the ideal upgrade. "You''re talking about mastering Aether manipulation? I have the option to purchase puzzles at the Auctions. I thought of solving them and then reselling to buy more. By spending my Potential, my mastery will increase rapidly." "That''s a good idea, but I was referring to more... absolute prerequisites," the phoenix grimaced. Priam pondered the various prerequisites he''d encountered. Some required mastery of Concepts or Supremacies, while others demanded feats or experiences. Fire Champion Physique even had demands concerning his bloodlines. Taking a few deep breaths, Priam massaged his temples. Not knowing the answer was bothering him. He could accept the impossibility of acquiring the ideal upgrade¡ªhe''d discovered the System just over a month ago¡ªbut not the ignorance. "You''re curious as a cat." The phoenix seemed to read his thoughts. "Except I''ve got multiple lives." "That¡¯s a phoenix joke," the bird chuckled before perching next to Priam. "Back to your problem, using the Token on [Aether Manipulation] isn''t a bad idea. Knowledge of these prerequisites isn''t useless." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Priam furrowed his brows before smiling. "You think I can sell this knowledge?" "Or trade it with your rivals, the tribes, or your civilization. Moreover, just knowing these prerequisites will help you move in the right direction, reducing the time needed to acquire the high upgrade." With eyes closed, letting the sun caress his skin, Priam pondered the phoenix''s words. It was a good suggestion, but wasn''t there something better to do? "If this information is valuable, why not select [Ideal Aether Perception]? The prerequisites for a legendary ideal skill must be even rarer." The phoenix let out a hilarious caw. For a moment, it looked like a fiery crow. "When you used the Ace Merit to enhance [Aether Perception], the Seven descended to modify your soul, right? Do you really think you could reproduce their modification?" Priam''s eidetic memory reminded him of the omnipotent consciousnesses that had descended to elevate his soul. They had altered its shape, volume, and density while keeping his personality intact. Could he reproduce their work? The answer was obvious. "Not even with infinite time and resources. Modifying my soul seems dangerous." "Wise answer. Neither my bloodline nor my Immortal mother could help me achieve that goal. After my failure, I reached Tier 1 in time to upgrade [Ideal Aether Perception] thanks to a Merit. That''s what most Aces do, and you''ll certainly do the same." The phoenix locked eyes with Priam. "The prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Perception] are useless for most races. Knowledge means nothing without power." Even knowing the prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam could never perfectly modify his soul himself. "Too bad. I had one last reserve: the Token can show me all possible legendary skills. Knowing that the System gives [Moon Mist] to all who become [Moon Lords], perhaps that''s the key to dominating the second Reunion and taming the mutation hidden in my eyes. Depending on the System''s opportunities, maybe it''s a good idea to choose this skill?" "Possible," the phoenix acknowledged. "Probable even. But [Moon Mist] will only be useful during the next Reunion, and by then, you''ll have other chances to discover [Moon Mist]''s prerequisites." Priam squinted at the phoenix''s cryptic statement before bursting into laughter. "I guess the rewards from the Colosseum are getting interesting." The phoenix remained silent, and Priam took that as confirmation. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 5 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 "No point in lingering," Priam decided upon noticing his latest notification. Some people kept trying to glean information about him. Raising the Token, he activated it. Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic) used. Choose a skill to see its ideal upgrades. [Aether Manipulation]. [Aether Manipulation - Rare] has only one ideal evolution: [Ideal Aether Manipulation - Epic]. Prerequisites:
  • Domain II
  • Meta(Affinity)(evolved) > 1,000.
  • Meta(Focus)(evolved) > 1,000.
  • Meta(Endurance)(evolved) > 1,000.
  • Advanced mastery of Aether (click for details).
"Damn." Reading the prerequisites, Priam understood he wouldn''t obtain the ideal upgrade of [Aether Manipulation]. To become a Tier 1 before the next Reunion, Priam had devised a tight schedule, incompatible with the ideal upgrade. Domain II would trigger the timer for his High Tribulation. Surviving his Tribulations, he could choose, like Kazuki, to postpone his High Tribulation by three months. That created a multitude of problems. Moreover, increasing his three meta attributes would trigger at least two new Tribulations. Priam would then be forced to face a quintuple Tribulation without the Heavenly Dragon¡ªhe needed [Aether Manipulation - Epic] to begin tempering his body¡ªor the Colosseum''s best rewards. That''s suicide. Even if Priam managed to accomplish this feat, the Phoenix Prince had spent ten years training to acquire advanced mastery of Aether and had failed. Could Priam surpass it in three months? Taking a deep breath, Priam made peace with himself. "I won''t achieve this ideal upgrade." Saying these words, he accepted the truth. "The path to the Zenith is long. A solid foundation is crucial, but you can always tweak it later," the phoenix comforted him. "I''ve¡ª" Priam gently interrupted. "I''m not a kid. I know I can''t have it all in life. What matters is learning from mistakes. At Tier 1, I''ll succeed in getting the ideal upgrade for this skill," he swore, clenching his fists. The phoenix shook its head before smiling. "If you have the time." "I''ve got so much to do that I''ve got to make concessions. But I don''t plan on being tossed from one crappy situation to another all my life," Priam retorted. "When Bastard is buried, when Sphinx is playing with me, and when I''ve stabilized Oasis, I''ll follow my own path." Life was full of surprises and opportunities, but Priam didn''t need anyone to force him to explore it. Casting another glance at the prerequisites, he grimaced. "... The prerequisites concerning the meta attributes are insane." Will was his only attribute over a thousand. "I guess my draconic Talent can¡¯t evolve three attributes?" "Given the purity of your bloodline, no. I''m not even sure if I''d advise you to evolve any of those meta-attributes; they''re not necessary for the high upgrade." Now that Priam knew the prerequisites, the phoenix could speak freely about them. "But will they increase my learning speed?" "Not as much as certain mental attributes." This sounded like a new clue, and Priam pondered. Memory to gain a sort of muscle memory for aether manipulation? Willpower to focus on a task? Vivacity to understand faster? Charisma if the evolution allows to charm aether? "One more question for the Guardian of Secrets," Priam sighed before sitting cross-legged. "The high upgrade won''t unlock on its own. Esm¨¦e gave me some exercises to increase my ability to manipulate aether. Might as well start now." The phoenix perched on his shoulder, its warmth heating Priam''s cheek. Without [Fire Champion Physique], his skin would have melted in moments. "Before meditating, you should prepare your environment," it advised. "It''ll save you precious time. You have two advantages compared to me. First, Elysium: the aether is dense and pure... Well, when the Necromoon''s not around. Log-a-rhythm filters the aether, and so does Concepts Archipelago. In your inner world, every second of training is as useful as a minute on Gaia." After several days of siphoning, the density of aether in Concepts Archipelago was close to that in Elysium. "Gaia?" Priam didn''t recognize the name. "The capital of the Hope Sector and where I trained when I was young," the phoenix replied. "Your second advantage is Concepts Archipelago. Don''t forget, your Talent can absorb Concept fragments to modify the environment." "Do you have something in mind?" "It depends on the fragments sold by the Sun Shop. For example, a Logic fragment could infuse the Concept into a delimited area. Anything that enters will see its logic buffed. Concentration, Patience, Tranquility, etc., you can fill your gaps and strengthen your strong points in this world." "Is there a limit?" "That''s for you to find out." Priam''s eyes sparkled as he opened the Sun Shop. It was finally time to exploit the main asset of his inner world.Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 509 Dexterity 587 Memory 446 (+5) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 528 (+4) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 221 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 51 (+3) Potential: 9 979 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 318 892 (+469) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 17 hours 12 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 206: You’re Almost as Good as Your Girlfriend When She Was a Kid As his add-on scoured the Sun Shop for the best Concept to integrate into his inner world, Priam contemplated the different choices available. Sun Shop Fragment: Fire Fragment (5 000 points) - A standard-sized chunk of Fire Concept. Fire Array A (50 000 points) - An array made up of Fire Fragments, filtering the ambient aether to spawn more Fire Fragments. Fire Array B (50 000 points) - An array made up of Fire Fragments, filtering the ambient aether to establish an environment teeming with Fire Concept. Fire Array C (50 000 points) - An array made up of Fire Fragments, filtering the ambient aether to create an environment devoid of Fire Concept. Fire Baptism (250 000 points) - A soul-baptism amplifying affinity for the Fire Concept. Affinity increase ranging from 1% to 10%. One baptism per Concept. ... Mist Fragment (10 000 points) - A standard-sized chunk of Mist Concept. ... Tranquility Fragment (10 000 points) - A standard-sized chunk of Tranquility Concept. ... Concentration Fragment (10 000 points) - A standard-sized chunk of Concentration Concept. "No Tier 2 or higher Concept," Priam noted. "The System won''t give you a chance to turn apocryphal," explained the phoenix. "Well, I wouldn''t mind snagging a Time fragment." Slowing down time in Concepts Archipelago would have been a formidable ability. "Dream on. Have you made your choice?" "I¡¯m debating between support Concepts," Priam replied, eyeing his System''s feedback. "Logic, concentration, abstraction, etc." The phoenix arched a fiery brow, a peculiar sight for a bird. "Why did you select only Tier 1 Concepts?" The question caught Priam off guard. "Because they pack more punch?" "Concepts Archipelago is a Gold Talent. It''ll find it easier to wield a Tier 0 Concept than a Tier 1," the phoenix informed. "What you need isn¡¯t a high Concept but a fitting one." Priam pondered for a moment before exclaiming, "Puzzle!" The phoenix nodded. "That''s what I would go for personally. The exercises and brain-teasers designed to boost your aether manipulation are puzzles, be they mental or physical." Pleased with his choice, Priam purchased a Puzzle fragment. A solid figure materialized above his hand, its numerous edges separating a multitude of faces. As he looked at it, a headache began to creep in. Visually, the solid seemed to exist in more than three dimensions, stretching across aberrant axes. [Kinetic Control] assured him the fragment was static, yet its impossible geometry gave the illusion of movement, challenging Priam''s understanding. Lvl Up: [Geometry] lvl 12,13 VIVA +2 MEM +4 "You might wanna stash that away," advised the phoenix, seeing Priam''s pupils dilate. "Only a Sage with Unity can start to grasp what a Concept fragment truly is." Priam blinked, and the fragment''s geometry shifted. Turning his gaze away, he focused on his inner world to dispel his headache. "I thought Unity was the ultimate stage to understand a Concept?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "As a Fire Champion, do you think you understand every facet of fire? How each individual thinks of it, dreams of it, and feels it? Unity is being able to understand a Concept as well as you understand yourself. Do you understand how your body, mind, and soul work? Being one with a Concept is just the first step." Priam''s lips formed an annoyed grimace. Despite his recent discoveries, he had only a superficial knowledge of his body. And I''m barely getting to know myself after stripping off all my masks. The phoenix continued, "Unity is both the final stage and the first. It''s hard to quantify progress beyond that." Priam knew he should focus on his training, but the subject intrigued him. "So, would a fifth stage be absolute understanding?" "You''re talking about Infinity. It is theoretically possible but practically inconceivable. Remember your first Unity. Your emotions and those of the Concept blur. A primal anger roars within you: is it yours or the Fire''s? A Concept influences you as much as you influence it. Think of it like gravity: you pull the planet towards you, and it pulls you with the same force¡ªaction and reaction." The scientific analogy resonated with Priam. "Yet, just as my influence on the planet is negligible, I influence the Fire little because it''s more massive than me." "Exactly. But the analogy breaks down when enough people have reached Unity with a Concept. Fire is a popular Concept that you share with countless users. Collectively, you shape the Concept." "Some people more than others?" guessed Priam. "Of course. Advancing your Concept to the next Tier, becoming a Champion in that new Concept, deepening your understanding, or possessing a more potent soul are ways to gain shares. Approaching Infinity means having such strong influence that you theoretically have a tangible impact on the Concept and those who''ve reached Unity with it." "Is it possible to achieve?" The phoenix fell silent for a moment before sighing. "To tell you the truth, Infinity is hardly conceivable, even for the Tier 6 I was. I believe Pyro belonged entirely to my ancestor, but how can I be sure? All I know is that some Tier 8s are convinced it''s possible." Priam remained pensive for a moment. The phoenix''s explanation had monumental implications for his future. Bonding with a Concept meant being influenced by it and by the sum of individuals who had reached Unity. Conversely, a powerful individual could influence billions if they were linked to the same Concept. The primary emotion of Fire is anger... That explains my natural affinity, but it won''t help me control myself. At least it''s balanced by the Mist Concept. Choosing a Concept compatible with his goals was thus of paramount importance. A bolt of fire fell from the sun, making Priam jump. "Focus," said the phoenix, ignoring Priam''s glare. "Toss the fragment into your world''s fulcrum and activate it." Priam hurled the Puzzle fragment, and gravity caught it. The solid sank into the pool at the heart of Concepts Archipelago. Priam focused on his Talent. [Concepts Archipelago - Gold(Growth)] - A world now lies within you. Its initial parameters of gravity, space and time allow for life. Its aether structure is exceptional, capable of using any concept fragment to grow and evolve. You have the perfect seed. It''s up to you to transform it into Yggdrasil. Following Priam''s mental command, the spirit water effortlessly dissolved the fragment. A mass of aether dispersed into the water. With [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam observed what was happening. The aether bore a silvery hue, indicating a Puzzle affinity. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 3 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 Priam felt Concepts Archipelago activate and inquire about his intentions. Should he infuse his entire world or just a portion of it? Priam opted for a spot beneath the towering maple planted a few meters away. Meditating beneath a tree seemed like a solid idea. The air around the chosen area froze as a wave of aether descended. Priam then honed in on the aspect of the Concept that intrigued him. He didn''t want to enchant the blades of grass beneath the tree to create a maze for insects. Nor did he desire to craft a formation concentrating or expelling the Concept. What he sought was a zone capable of enhancing his puzzle-solving prowess. With an almost audible click, the Talent surged, manipulating the aether of the Puzzle fragment into a ritualistic form. This ritual was infinitely more intricate than any Priam had concocted in the past. The formation crafted by Concepts Archipelago seemed to span multiple dimensions, with the aether animating it imbued with Puzzle affinity. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 4 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 The ritual crystallized before anchoring itself into the very fabric of the internal world. A notification confirmed Priam''s success. Concepts Archipelago: New enchantment detected. Puzzle(T0 - Area Effect) - Within a four-cubic-meter volume, all the following qualities are boosted by 8% when the subject attempts to solve or create a puzzle, brainteaser, or similar exercise. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Qualities: Understanding, visualization, logic, reasoning, organization, concentration, memory, patience, perseverance, creativity, inspiration. "That''s mighty specific, but I reckon it''s just what the doctor ordered," grinned Priam. "Even if eight percent''s a tad on the low side, it¡¯s better than nothing." The phoenix grinned. "So why not enhance the ritual with another fragment?" Puzzle(T0 - Area Effect) - Within a four-cubic-meter volume, all the following qualities are boosted by 300% when the subject attempts to solve or create a puzzle, brainteaser, or similar exercise. Sun points: 129,056 (-190,000) "I ain''t ever gonna be rich..." Priam wasn''t sure whether to laugh or cry as he watched his stash of Sun points diminish once more. His human side enjoyed converting money into power, but his draconic heart clenched at the sight of his reserves dwindling. The phoenix grumbled, circling the maple tree and inspecting the enchantment zone. "You realize your meditation conditions are better than mine were?" With a thin smile on his lips, Priam was pretty impressed with the result. Seated cross-legged, back against the magical maple he''d transplanted with Kazuki, all he had to do was think of a problem for his mental abilities to overclock holistically. In a state of perpetual epiphany, Priam felt prepared to tackle any challenge thrown his way. The effect was akin to tapping into his Potential doubled with an amplification of his quick-wittedness. Yet, unlike the first threshold of the attribute, he had no need to expend energy to activate it. Moreover, in addition to his reflexes, the ritual enhanced his inspiration and creativity. It was difficult to quantify such qualities, but Priam felt as though his mind was freed from all unnecessary thoughts, ready to revolutionize the world. His attributes didn''t amplify these qualities, but the Concepts and the enchantment could... with limitations. Priam, for example, found it easier to solve a Rubik''s Cube than a maze or a riddle. These Tier 1 Concepts shared the same roots as Puzzle but were nonetheless distinct. So, the amplification was diminished, but Priam could change that by purchasing Riddle or Maze fragments. "Sphinx will love this," grinned Priam. "You''ll show her once you''ve saved her. For now, focus on Esm¨¦e''s exercises." Priam nodded before recalling the princess''s words. "All the exercises devised by the Empire''s nobility aim to increase our proficiency in raw aether manipulation. This was particularly important before the System because we didn''t have Skills. The only structured magic at our disposal was lengthy rituals." "Not handy in an ambush." "Exactly. The wealthiest nobles possessed enchantments¡ªrituals inscribed on equipment or tattoos, ready to be used¡ªbut it lacked versatility. If an enemy knew your tricks, they could easily counter you." "So, raw aether manipulation comes into play?" Esm¨¦e had had a playful smile. "Indeed. Instead of spending hours engraving rituals on conductive materials, raw aether manipulation allows for summoning runes on the fly or creating minimalist rituals instantly. Due to time constraints and suboptimal conditions, it''s inevitably less powerful than a full-fledged ritual but much more adaptable. Plus, it''s an excellent way to train to create powerful rituals." Reflecting on Esm¨¦e''s words once more, Priam wondered if the princess regularly used rituals instead of her skills. "Phoenix?" "Yes?" "What''s the difference between a ritual and a skill?" It wasn''t the first time Priam pondered this fundamental question. He thought he had a good idea of the answer but wanted confirmation from an expert. "A skill is a ritual simultaneously inscribed in your soul, spirit, and body by the System. Guardian of the Forest is a ritual you entrusted to Log-a-rhythm, but if its soul resonates with it, it''ll become a skill." Seated amidst an enchantment multiplying his brainpower when he tried to solve problems, Priam had a revelation. The phoenix''s words were like the last piece of a puzzle finally falling into place. A model capable of explaining aether, skills, and rituals was beginning to take shape. "I think I understand... My meta attributes allow me to create runes to manipulate aether naturally, without skills." That''s why evolving them was a prerequisite for the ideal upgrade. "[Aether Manipulation] is just a System skill that facilitates raw aether manipulation." "And everything else," the phoenix added. "Boosting your aether proficiency will enable you to better understand and utilize your other skills. Elevated to the Zenith, [Aether Manipulation] will allow you to perfectly manipulate aether, granting you total omnipotence." Heavenly Dragon now seemed almost secondary. Determined to increase his mastery of aether, Priam attempted the first exercise suggested by Esm¨¦e. "It''s a child''s exercise, but very useful. Here''s a rune that creates a source of white light." A white glowing orb had appeared in the palm of Esm¨¦e''s hand. Through his Domain and [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam had observed a simple spherical rune encompassing the light source. "Increasing the flow of aether within the inner part of the rune boosts the light intensity. So, you can shrink the rune''s size while maintaining the same light by increasing the aether flowing inside. Enlarging the rune or providing more aether to the outer part of the rune increases the orb''s size." Under Priam''s gaze, Esm¨¦e had then reduced the rune''s size without altering the volume or brightness of the orb. The rune had quickly shrunk to a few hundredths of a millimeter, barely perceptible. Esm¨¦e had confided that this was her limit before the arrival of the System. In a final demonstration, she had begun juggling with five different orbs, to Priam''s applause. With a smile on his lips, Priam refocused on the present and closed his eyes. He didn''t need to reach out to create a cloud with his aether; his Domain could manifest the fluid anywhere within his sphere of authority. Instead of using the aether flowing in his meridians and veins thanks to [Bloodless], Priam chose the energy bathing his soul space. With a thought, he seized it and connected it to his Domain. The primordial fluid surged forth before him with force. Without hurrying, Priam reduced the flow from a river to a trickle. [Aether Manipulation] kicked in, mastering the fluid, shaping it into an orb. Patiently, Priam altered its shape to approximate Esm¨¦e''s three-dimensional rune. Excess aether was absorbed by his body and his Domain. It was a peculiar exercise because while the fluid obeyed Priam, it had no inherent form and sought to occupy all available space. At the slightest oversight, the rune structure would expand, spread out, and disperse like a gas or a liquid. Taming aether into a perfect shape and locking it in place was no simple matter. Moreover, Priam''s meta attributes, which allowed him to perceive and dominate aether, were a recent gift. He had much to learn, and he needed to learn quickly. Nevertheless, Priam had confidence in himself and his abilities. Domain and [Ideal Aether Perception] granted him an all-knowing understanding of the shape of the aether he manipulated. His sharp memory and the Puzzle enchantment helped his add-on visualize the three-dimensional structure in his mind, sculpting it to mimic Esm¨¦e''s rune. His vivacity and natural talent helped him learn from his mistakes and avoid repeating them. Lastly, his dexterity seemed to play a crucial role, creating useful reflexes and automatism. With the help of his meta attributes and [Aether Manipulation], Priam swiftly gained confidence and skill. Less than a minute into the exercise, the form in front of him started to resemble the one he aimed to achieve. Suddenly, something clicked. As if reality awaited this moment, Priam''s rough draft of the rune transformed the aether into light. A glowing globe manifested a meter in front of him. The orb looked more like a moon than a perfect sphere, and the projected light wasn''t uniform, but Priam grinned. Without a skill, without potential, solely by the force of his will, he had just conjured a light orb. I¡¯m a fucking wizard! Far from resembling Esm¨¦e''s creation, the globe flickered. Gazing at the sorry excuse for a sphere, Priam calmed himself, then grimaced. He could do better than that. Shutting his eyes once more, Priam refocused, determined to create a flawless rune. The absence of wind and speech rendered Concepts Archipelago silent. Only Priam''s breathing disrupted the stillness. Hovering a few meters from the young Homo Elysian, the hologram of a phoenix observed its pupil. A perfect sphere with a one-meter radius cast a soft light on the surroundings. After several hours of training, the rune now measured the size of a human eye. Its light had long since stabilized, and Priam continued to vary the flow and size of the sigil while keeping the volume of the luminous sphere constant. Perhaps it was nothing for a phoenix, but the Prince¡¯s legacy knew the truth. Priam had never really honed his ability to manipulate aether before. In just a few hours, he had reached the level of a Tier 0 native of the universe, without tapping into his potential or overclocking his vivacity. In a few days, Priam would be considered a prodigy. In a month, he would mock the so-called Aces who populated Sector Hope. Even though it didn''t need to breathe, the Conceptual Intelligence animating the hologram felt a weight lift from its chest. Achieving a high upgrade of [Aether Manipulation] without evolving his meta attributes was almost impossible, even for an Ace with several years ahead of them. The phoenix knew that its student could not take a suboptimal path and had been concerned. There were no shortcuts: Priam had to become a genius of manipulation to upgrade his skill. And for once, Priam couldn''t die to overcome his difficulties. What a ridiculous sentence. Lux, the rune invoked by Priam, decreased in size once more, reaching half a centimeter. Instead of seeing his progress hindered, Priam''s mastery continued to increase limitlessly. Despite its knowledge, the phoenix was baffled. This kid is a monster. Could it be [Homo Elysian Obsession]? "I think I can reach one millimeter by the end of the day," Priam rejoiced. Priam could be proud of his progress, but the phoenix wouldn''t allow him to rest on his laurels. Arrogance was the poison of the powerful. "Not bad. Almost as good as your girlfriend when she was a kid without the System," the phoenix taunted. Priam closed his eyes and refocused, ashamed. The phoenix nodded, satisfied. If it had to be honest, the phoenix had to admit that the princess''s talent was incomprehensible, but it had long understood that every rival selected by the System was a monster. And if I have a say, Priam will become a monster among monsters. Oh, how I''d love to see Mother''s face if he manages to defeat my Colosseum ghost. An hour later, the size of the rune reached one millimeter, and the phoenix nodded. "I think we can kick it up a notch." "Meaning?" murmured Priam, his eyes closed. "You have tons of Potential points; it¡¯s time to use them. They¡¯re useless for acquiring Supremacies, but not for finding inspiration and accelerating your training." "Alright. Anything else?" "You need to evolve one of your attributes. It''s time you understand why even the System respects the dragons." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 714 MENTAL: Vivacity 511 (+2) Dexterity 587 Memory 452 (+6) Willpower 1 028 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 535 (+7) Meta-focus 350 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 235 (+14) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 51 Potential: 9 989 (+10) Tier 0 Sun points: 131 260 (-187 632) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 164 days 11 hours 40 minutes 28 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 207: A Draconic Attribute In a dimly lit cavern, a few bioluminescent mushrooms cast a greenish glow upon a haunted skeleton and a child. Despite their physical differences, the two beings were brothers. Lying in the center of the chamber on a rune-covered platform, a young woman appeared to be asleep. She was stunning, with smooth skin and all limbs intact. Recent treatment had healed both her body and soul. Beneath her lay a crystalline block containing her soulless clone. "Let''s begin," a voice echoed from beyond the grave. "If you move, you die. Osiris, get ready." "Seth, be nice!" the child exclaimed before turning to the young woman. "Sorry about him, he''s in a foul mood because of the Necro Envoy. What he meant was that transferring the soul from one body to another is a delicate operation. Syncing the brain, mind, and soul is a nightmare, especially with your [Homo Elysian Obsession]. Thankfully, my brother here is a genius, so don''t worry too much!" "I may be a genius, but she''s not. If she moves, it''s all over." Exhausted from the recent healing sessions, Jasmine gritted her teeth to prevent herself from decapitating the skeleton. She needed him and his brother to ensure everything went smoothly. Osiris was kind, generous, caring, understanding, and in love with her¡ªthe opposite of his brother Seth. The only thing the two siblings had in common was their insane talent. Where the younger was a body specialist, the elder was a soul expert. When they worked together, miracles happened. A hum signaled the ritual''s activation. Soon, the inscriptions etched into the stone platform by Kazuki lit up. The ambient aether rushed into the stone and then into a gemstone beneath Jasmine. The focal point, an alchemically treated diamond, was embedded in the chest of a body that could have been Jasmine''s twin. The goal of the operation was simple: transfer Jasmine''s soul into the body of her Tribulation doppelg?nger. The maneuver was dangerous but worth it because her new body possessed a Shadow Heart. This mutation was so perfectly tailored for Jasmine''s Shadow Concept that it was like giving wings to a tiger. "Now!" When Seth grasped her soul, Jasmine refrained from resisting. Her soul space trembled as it was ripped from her body, but she ignored the pain. Mentally, she felt the subsystem implanted by Priam follow. If Jasmine still had a body, she would have sighed in relief. Cut off from the main system, her own system followed strict rules. If it decided Jasmine was trying to defy Priam''s authority, it would bathe her soul in terrible energy. She had seen her doppelganger''s soul burst when Priam had used [There is no Heaven], and she didn''t want to die like that. The world stabilized again. Housed within the diamond, her soul struggled to translate the sensations it experienced. A feeling of vertigo assaulted her consciousness before a desire to vomit replaced it. The negative experiences then gave way to moments of intense joy. Satiety, liberation, and euphoria jostled her mind in turn. Unable to gauge time, Jasmine was reassured when an immense force propelled her soul into her new body. Talent won! As Jasmine''s soul settled into her new vessel, the assassin held her breath. Seth had explained that a soul transfer could be critical. The slightest incompatibility could have tragic consequences. With a click, her soul adapted to her new form, and a wave of relief washed over Jasmine. She felt no pain or discomfort, indicating a successful operation. It was expected, as the System had created this body, and Osiris had taken care to keep it in optimal condition¡ªgoing so far as to train its muscles and modify its genome again. As her senses and Talents synchronized with the vessel, her new heart pulsed for the first time. A torrent of vitality surged through her veins, distributing a flow of blood and shadow aether throughout her body. Her new body lived up to its promise, bringing Jasmine closer to the Shadow Concept. Without waiting, she connected to the cavern''s shadows and rode them. The next moment, a dark silhouette appeared a few meters from Osiris and Seth. "How are you feeling?" Kazuki''s deep voice inquired. The Hoplite warrior had been a formidable bodyguard and negotiator. Weaving shadows to cloak her nudity, Jasmine turned to him. "I''m feeling great! This new heart allows me to dive even deeper into Unity." "Good. You should try the Skull Temple," the warrior advised. "There''s a shadow bloodline waiting for you at the end." Jasmine nodded. Priam was a monster with few weaknesses, but she preferred a specialized build. Following the way of the Shadows was what she''d been trained for and one of the few things she didn''t reject from her upbringing. Jasmine loved the shadows, and the shadows loved her back. "Can I examine you?" Osiris asked, approaching. Despite his professional tone, the young boy looked at the ground, blushing. A scan would provide him with a three-dimensional view of Jasmine''s naked body. "Sure thing, doc," smiled Jasmine. She didn''t particularly like kids because of their childish behavior¡ªexcept for Sphinx¡ªbut Osiris was intelligent and mature. Even his crush on her was rather amusing. Over the past few days, they had spent a lot of time together. Osiris had healed and rejuvenated Jasmine''s body, pulling her soul from the clutches of death. Defeating old age had granted the assassin a Legendary Title, [Ageless]. During these sessions, Jasmine''s body had gradually regained its youth, which had unsettled the young biomancer. He had remained professional, but she had seen him looking at her when he thought she couldn''t see him. Ascending back into the brothers'' lair, Jasmine donned some clothes before sitting on a stone. Osiris scanned her body for any anomalies while Seth watched from afar. Despite the necromancer''s demeanor, Jasmine felt him on the lookout for a possible soul rejection. "Everything''s fine," Osiris finally declared. "The fact that the System created a perfect copy of your body made the soul transfer easy. Do you confirm?" he asked his brother. "The Seven seem to think it''s a success." Seeing Kazuki raise an eyebrow, Jasmine explained. "He must have gained a Title to reward him for a perfect soul transfer. I gained a Talent myself." "Oh? Which one?" Jasmine glanced at her notifications. [Perfect Vessel - Gold] - This isn''t your original body. Yet, your soul, mind, and this vessel are in perfect harmony. Be it luck, talent, or opportunity, your madness has allowed you to achieve a feat. Your soul and body are linked. Observing and analyzing this intimate connection can give you insights into Micro. "[Perfect Vessel]," Jasmine replied with a smile. "It''s going to help me unlock Micro II." "You should focus on Domain instead," Osiris advised. "With [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your recent experiences, you must be close." "I can almost taste it," Jasmine confirmed. "After feeling my soul rejuvenate, I now know how to sense it. I just need one final inspiration." "Then you two have nothing more to do here," Seth growled. The necromancer was already inspecting the assassin''s old body. Her rival had agreed to perform the soul transfer only if she left him her old body. The second part of the payment was the diamond that had served as the focal point for the ritual¡ªone of the rewards of the quadruple Tribulation. "Can''t you wait until I''m gone before indulging your perverse desires?" "Do you really think I still have an attraction to flesh?" the necromancer retorted. "No, I''m sure you have some weird fetish. Are you gonna cum on my toe bones?" Despite her taunt, abandoning her old shell didn''t really bother Jasmine. She had been trained to sell her body to survive, and that''s exactly what she had done. Literally. Seth''s eyes gleamed at the provocation. "I''m torn between the metatarsal and the calcaneus." Jasmine gritted her teeth. The necromancer knew that the assassin had never received a general education and didn''t hesitate to remind her regularly. "You''d need to be capable of having a boner. Quite a paradox for a skeleton." "That''s enough," Osiris sighed, stepping between them. "Our cooperation isn''t over yet. Seth, I''ll finish up with them." The older brother held Jasmine''s gaze for a few seconds before taking the corpse of Jasmine further away. Osiris sighed before turning to Jasmine and Kazuki. "You better go. Tell Priam that with the new diamond as the focal point, we''ll be able to summon an even more powerful Necro Envoy and control it for a few minutes. If he still wants our help." Kazuki nodded. "I think he does. Thank your brother for our exchanges." "I will." Seth had targeted Kazuki with light spiritual attacks. The goal had been to hurt the hoplite''s soul enough to make him aware of its presence. The last Supremacy, Domain, now beckoned to him. In return, Kazuki had given advice to the two brothers on unlocking Mastery. All rivals aimed to become Aces. Jasmine approached and hugged Osiris. "Thanks for your help." "Y-you''re welcome! Come back anytime," the young teenager replied, blushing. Lvl Up: [Geometry] lvl 14, 15, 16 VIVA +3 MEM +6 Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 40 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 [Focus] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Great Focus - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Grand Focus - Epic] - You remain focused on your tasks, even during the most dire battles. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 [Deadly Focus - Epic] - The breath of death has often brushed against your neck, yet you''ve never wavered from your goal. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 35, 36, 37 If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. PERC +3 WILL +6 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 5, 6 META (AFFI) +6 META (PERC) +12 Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 33,..., 40 META (AFFI) +8 META (FOCUS) +8 META (PERC) +8 [Aether Manipulation - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, one upgrade is available: [Aether Manipulation - Epic] - Aether, the primordial fluid, constitutes everything. It''s no wonder it reacts to the will of living beings. As your soul develops its meta attributes, you learn to command this fundamental power. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 In the background, the add-on counted the passing days as Priam trained. Neither his stomach growling with hunger nor his eyes misting with tears distracted him from his goal. His soul, the most intimate part of his being, commanded the world, and it obeyed. What could be more incredible than that? Nothing. As a child, Priam had invented games populated with monsters and spells. As a teenager, he had secretly hoped that the world held more than mundane reality. As an adult, he had sometimes retreated with his imagination into fantastical worlds but had dared to believe no more, defeated by certainties. Today, magic existed, and Priam realized his dream by exploring its mysteries. Ignoring the level-up notifications, Priam focused on manipulating aether. Above his head, three glowing orbs rotated slowly, forming a halo of light. At the center of each, a rune a few micrometers in size converted his aether into light. The runes were stable, perfectly drawn, and identical. Their rotation speed varied, accelerating according to Priam''s desires. In just a few days, he had made terrifying progress, and he knew it. The phoenix''s apparent lack of enthusiasm couldn''t disturb him. Practicing and studying magic was a passion, and Priam needed neither criticism nor encouragement to progress. From his interest in magic arose an ambition that drove him to excel. An ambition that made his failures particularly frustrating. A bead of sweat formed on his face but didn''t distract him. Normally, Priam wouldn''t have perspired, using Micro to control his sweat glands, but that was currently impossible. All his attention was focused on stabilizing the existing runes. [Aether Manipulation] might have infinite potential, but without the structure of a skill, raw magic required terrifying mental abilities. At every moment, Priam had to guide three equal aether streams from his soul space to the moving runes. He had to independently visualize each rune and hold them in place. With the slightest lapse in attention, the runes would lose their shape, disrupting the flow of aether and triggering a chain reaction that would ruin all his efforts. As if that wasn''t enough, Priam had decided to add a circular motion to the orbs. The training was as demanding as it was effective, and Priam had progressed at a frightening speed. His level-ups were proof of that. However, he now faced a wall. For half a day, he had been unsuccessfully trying to create a fourth rune. The lack of sleep and the meager food¡ªa few berries¡ªwere beginning to take their toll, but Priam refused to give up. Let¡¯s try again. Taking a deep breath, Priam mentally locked his thoughts, trying to automate the maintenance of the first three runes. Mobilizing his Domain, he guided a fourth trickle of aether before him. A bead of aether appeared, and Priam began to empty it to carve a rune. The change in action disturbed his thoughts, and one of the first three runes began to lose its shape. Shit! Splitting his attention between four runes was still too complicated. His add-on could have taken over, but that wouldn''t have helped Priam gain proficiency. Instead of cheating, he threw all his vivacity into the battle, directing his attention to the unstable rune to stabilize it. A fraction of a second later, he locked the state of the corrupted rune and turned his attention to his new bead, digging inside to carve a rune. Over the next few seconds, Priam''s thoughts jumped from one rune to another at a high frequency, stabilizing the old runes while shaping the new one. For a while, it worked, but as Priam thought he was getting closer to the goal, the new rune became too complex. Like a computer lacking RAM, his brain began to lag. A few moments later, a terrible headache erupted. The four orbs of light imploded as Priam groaned, massaging his head. "Well?" the phoenix asked. "I''ve reached my limit," sighed the Homo Elysian, opening his eyes. The bright sunlight blinded him and intensified his headache. Letting out a grunt, he closed his eyelids to shield himself from the sun. "Three runes are my limit. To stabilize them, I have to divide my attention, and my current mental attributes don''t allow me to create a fourth one." Priam''s Domain captured the phoenix settling on a branch above him. "Your brain can''t divide its attention perfectly without decreasing its performance or making mistakes." "I''m much better at focusing on a single goal," confirmed Priam. "It''s not a problem when I''m training, but in combat, I need to attack, dodge, and defend simultaneously. It would be different if I were fighting with a team, but that''s not the case. I need to be multitasking." That was why Priam practiced with multiple runes. Through training, he hoped to increase his brain''s natural abilities. "I completely agree with you. Many factions encourage their members to train in groups to strengthen their cohesion and create a sense of belonging." The phoenix snorted. "Most of them are decimated when they face their Tribulation. I ask you again: which attribute do you choose to evolve?" When the phoenix had first asked him the question, Priam had sought advice. The bird had admitted to being limited by its oath, which prevented it from providing interesting information or a description of possible evolutions. To bypass this problem, the hologram had asked Priam to analyze his weaknesses. The young Ace had therefore spent two days practicing Esm¨¦e''s exercises while analyzing his performance. "Let''s recap," said Priam as his headache receded. "Evolving an attribute with a bloodline brings about a beneficial and qualitative mutation. This is particularly true for mental attributes, which are considered active." The phoenix remained silent, indicating that Priam was on the right track. The following statements were more complicated because he had no concrete knowledge, just a few intuitions. "Dexterity concerns mastery of the body, so an evolution will help me master Micro. The same goes for charisma and Aura. Two useful mutations, but not urgent. Memory is my weakest attribute and will therefore benefit the least from evolution. That leaves willpower and vivacity." Willpower assisted his mental resilience and supported his Domain. Vivacity accelerated his thoughts, allowing him to think faster. Both attributes were interesting, but Priam could only evolve one. "Willpower is great for resisting mental manipulation, as is my system. Despite the Domain¡¯s boost, an evolution won''t revolutionize my training or my battles. What I lack, as the exercise I just failed showed, is the ability to split my attention." As Priam tried in vain to create a fourth rune, he realized he was facing a wall. Increasing his vivacity and memory would help him create a fourth rune, but what about a fifth? A sixth? "When I divide my attention between several problems, I make mistakes, and my performance drops," he acknowledged. "It limits my learning speed, but more importantly, my ability to handle a large amount of information in a fight. Fortunately, my system can compensate for this problem." The phoenix shook its head. "Your add-on is based on your mental attributes. Its current hardware¡ªyour soul¡ªprevents it from carrying out multiple calculations simultaneously. In truth, it executes only one instruction at a time and gives the illusion of multitasking by quickly switching from one process to another." Priam wasn''t stupid; it was obvious that the phoenix''s explanation contained a clue. "What you''re trying to tell me is that if I evolve vivacity, I could not only effectively divide my attention between multiple tasks, but my system could do it too?" The phoenix remained silent, and Priam realized he was right. This made evolving the attribute interesting but not necessarily revolutionary. "Couldn''t I achieve the same result by spending my potential to create a Talent like [Parallel Thoughts]?" "I would have been disappointed if you hadn''t asked the question," the firebird smiled. "[Parallel Thoughts] doesn''t alter the functioning of your soul. This Talent can''t synergize with your system. Plus, dealing with parallel thoughts will divide your attention. If you have two thoughts at once, each will receive about half of your total computing power. Yet, legend has it that dragons can have multiple streams of thoughts, each powered by the entirety of their vivacity." Priam widened his eyes. "Each of my parallel thoughts will have as much weight as if I were focusing all my attention on it?!" "Not immediately, but in the future, yes." "If every one of their attributes is evolved from birth, I can see why this race is so terrifying. Alright, I¡¯m convinced!" Opening the System interface, Priam selected [Tribulation Wyvern Heart]. His draconic heart pulsed, awakening his bloodline. Choose an attribute to evolve. ¡°Vivacity.¡± "Alain!" The old man put down his hammer and looked up at Hyshana. The lean warrior almost seemed to teleport to his side. The difference in attributes was significant, but she must have used Micro to be so fast. "Is there a problem?" "A group is approaching," Hyshana announced, her expression grim. "A new horde?" Alain asked, his throat tight. Despite the general upgrade of their defense, the fights weren''t any easier, quite the contrary. Every day, the revenants became stronger, smarter, and more numerous. Hyshana shook her head. "According to our sensors, they''re alive and don''t match any of our rivals. The locals have found us." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 719 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity 516 (+5) Dexterity 588 (+1) Memory 461 (+9) Willpower 1 036 (+8) Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 553 (+18) Meta-focus 358 (+8) Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 258 (+23) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 51 Potential: 10 027 (+38) Tier 0 Sun points: 135 769 (+4509) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 8 hours 40 minutes 28 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 208: Contact Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 6 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 The wyvern heart in his chest quickened, pumping hot blood through his veins. A steam cloud escaped his mouth, and Priam became aware that his body temperature was going off the charts. His body surged with a draconic instinct awakening, calling upon his heritage. The evolution of vivacity had nothing to do with the System and would not unfold gently. Priam knelt, bracing for the pain. Without warning, his bloodline froze, resonating with its origin across time and space. The world around Priam slowed as if a divine trial was approaching. Something primordial had just answered his bloodline¡¯s call. Reality blurred a few centimeters in front of the young man. As a pure and transparent liquid surged from the air, Priam recognized its draconic origin. Three streams burst forth from the aether fountain. The first penetrated his soul, the second watered his spirit, and the third irrigated his body. [Ideal Aether Perception] confirmed that the aether was as pure as his Potential. Like the System''s reward, the fluid bathing Priam possessed a sort of instinct. The Homo Elysian widened his eyes as energy began to alter his essence. Mixed with his blood, the draconic aether concentrated in his brain, destroying and then regenerating cells. The sensation felt like insects trying to devour the organ and was as unpleasant as it was painful. Trembling and groaning in agony, Priam activated Micro. The Supremacy couldn''t stop the abominable suffering, but it allowed him to observe the changes occurring in his body. Priam threw himself into analysis, hoping to divert his attention from the torment. The first thing he noticed was that the evolution was tailored to his endurance and constitution. His blood threatened to burn his arteries without ever reaching a lethal temperature. His brain was modified without erasing or altering his personality. His bloodline was undergoing a metamorphosis, but draconic law was as absolute as it was just. Simultaneously, his spirit changed. [Tenacious Spirit] felt this mutation without being able to describe or understand it. Priam''s spiritual knowledge was still poor. Between screams of pain, Priam noticed he had just vomited bile. On all fours, he had to gather all his willpower not to collapse. His body trembled, and sweat matted his hair. As the world swayed, Priam clenched his fists, refusing to faint. There was something terrifying about entrusting his fate to the draconic power that was reshaping his brain, spirit, and soul. If something went wrong, Priam wanted to be conscious to act. [He Who Eludes Death] was primed, and he didn''t rule out any option... [Ending your life during the evolution of your attribute may lead to error as the draconic power could interfere with your Patron¡¯s Concept.] "Fuck," Priam groaned, his voice hoarse from screaming too much. Seconds turned into minutes as his attribute evolved. In the ocean of pain engulfing Priam''s soul, a thought emerged. If dragons are so powerful, why inflict this pain on me? System evolutions are rarely traumatic. Despite his state¡ªnaked, his fingers digging into the earth, his vocal cords shredded¡ªthe train of thought was detached from the agony his body felt. Surprise flooded Priam as he realized he could think calmly despite the pain. Half of his mind was paralyzed by turmoil, and the other observed, reflected, and analyzed. Vivacity has evolved! Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. The agony was coming to an end. A few seconds later, his draconic heart slowed. Priam sighed as he felt the pain recede. Without a word, he crawled to the pond at the center of his world and plunged in. The cool water felt good, and he sighed in relief. A parallel thought activated [Three-Headed Hydra]. His entire body needed regeneration. Instead of restoring a part of his body for free, Priam activated his new Merit. [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: Exchange your lifespan to dramatically increase your regeneration speed. The effect was immediate. His cells'' activity exploded, creating a wave of revitalization that flooded his body. In a matter of moments, his scalded arteries, traumatized organs, and tired brain recovered. Paradoxically, an indescribable physical fatigue struck him. This simple round of healing had just cost him days of life. "So?" asked the phoenix. "I feel my soul aging because of its connection to my body," grimaced Priam. "It''s not pleasant." "I was referring to the evolution of vivacity." Instead of replying, Priam closed his eyes. His soul tapped into his aether reserves and began to shape a rune. A few seconds later, a luminous orb appeared before him. A second followed, then a third. A few minutes later, not four, but five runes orbited around him. Priam opened his eyes and smiled. "It''s both strange and natural. Instead of having two halves of my mind each managing their own aether, I get them to work together. There''s an expression that says ''unity makes strength''... But I have all the advantages of teamwork, without any of the drawbacks!" The phoenix nodded. "Each of your thought strands is independent but can synchronize, preventing errors and allowing optimal cooperation. How much of your total vivacity can each of your thoughts mobilize?" Priam let his add-on find an answer. The evolution of vivacity theoretically allowed him to double his raw thinking capacity, but in practice, he would have to train before reaching a perfect score. [Analysis complete. Each thought strand currently possesses 72% of your total vivacity (372 attribute points). Effective vivacity with two simultaneous strands: 144%.] "About seventy-two percent each," Priam informed. So, he could solve two problems at once, each with seventy-two percent of his maximum mental capacity. Seeing the phoenix''s surprised look, he asked, "Is that a lot?" "One of my best friends was the heir of a draconic clan, the Riuslings. When he evolved this attribute, each of his thoughts possessed about sixty percent of his total vivacity, and he was considered a genius." "He was?" "My original killed him after his corruption." "Oh..." The phoenix changed the subject. "[Homo Elysian Obsession] is an overpowered Talent. Your soul and brain must have resonated during the evolution." Priam grimaced. "Maybe, but it was painful." "Painful? You exchanged a few minutes of agony for an effective increase of forty-four percent of your vivacity. A boost that doesn''t count towards your Tribulation thresholds," reminded the phoenix. "But my Tribulations will take that into account," grimaced Priam. "Of course, but the power of a Tribulation remains fixed. Even if the trial changes, the energy it contains is limited. The fewer weaknesses you have, the more likely you are to survive." The phoenix flew off before perching on Priam''s shoulder. "Don''t forget the most important thing: Tribulations are there to sort the wheat from the chaff. The System is harsh but fair: if you have the skills to succeed, you will live. See this trial as an opportunity to become stronger and patch your weaknesses." Priam stared at the firebird. "Was that your mindset?" "That''s the mindset of all the greatest geniuses," said the phoenix with a straight face. "Those who fear exams are those who haven''t studied enough. When you know you''re the best, you can''t wait to get there and clean up." As Priam looked into the phoenix''s eyes, he detected the shadow of an old, consuming passion. The Prince had been an Ace proudly facing Tribulations. He had lit up the sky of Sector Hope with a powerful mindset. Maybe he''s right. When you''re ready, there''s no reason to be afraid. "I''m going back to training," declared Priam. The phoenix shook its head. "You should check Oasis before that. You''ve been gone for almost three days, and the Necromoon isn''t a funny event." "As if that existed..." "It does." "Wait, really?" The phoenix''s eyes wandered into the distance. "At Tier 5, I participated in an event sponsored by Sweet Mama¡ªa famous Tier 7. The goal was to swallow as much of Mama¡¯s cake as possible. You could store them in your internal world, digest them quickly, slip them under your skin, or compress them, as long as you ate them without cheating. These cakes were packed with rare resources, drugs, and energy. I finished third with a memorable hangover and four requests for child support," smiled the phoenix. "Those were the good times..." The event was ridiculous, but something else caught Priam''s attention. "Do you have children?!" "Probably. When my mother took control of the local clan, it became a matriarchy. Male phoenixes are breeders who are not allowed to raise their children. In my case, it''s better this way..." Who knows what his original would have done if he had access to his children? The phoenix''s eyes showed an evident sadness, and Priam thanked it before opening a portal to Oasis. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "We''re here," declared Laepa, decapitating the ten thousandth undead of the day. The huntress representing the Gaeserts had no trouble navigating the deadly forest. Gabrielle glanced up and grunted at the broad back of Viktol. The Snaherts Shaman''s apprentice must have merged with the core of an anaconda to get that muscular. The young girl circled around him to get a better view. In front of the group of six, the trees gave way to... more trees. This didn''t look like the base of a Champion. "Is he underground?" asked Viktol. "There''s a camouflage," said Katara, the apprentice of the Aelbes Shaman. Her guardian, Eleha, nodded. "We''ll stay here for a few minutes to give the Champion a chance to greet us. In the meantime, try to pierce the illusion with your eyes." The three young Shaman apprentices turned towards the illusion. Gabrielle squinted, trying to focus on the information provided by [Illusion Resistance]. Most illusions could be spotted by minor errors. The trees look the same before and after. There are undead footprints on the ground and the clouds are well drawn in the sky. The leaves of the trees move with the wind and... "There are no corrupted coming from that direction!" she exclaimed. It was impossible. The six of them, three Tier 0s and three Tier 3s, had run for almost six hours to get here. During all that time, undeads had attacked them every twenty meters. It was the first time she hadn''t seen any undead when looking in a direction. As she said this, her mind understood it was under a ritual''s influence. Gabrielle struggled, engaging her will to break the illusion. In vain. "Ah!" exclaimed Viktol. His smile indicated that he had pierced the mirage. Annoyed, Gabrielle rummaged in her bag and pulled out a white leaf. Placing it delicately over her eye like a lens, she blinked and looked towards the illusion. A huge dome appeared. Lvl Up: [Illusion Resistance] lvl 28 MEM +1 META(AFFI) +2 "There''s more than just an illusion," declared Katara. "I see a protection ritual and a purification ritual." Gabrielle nodded as she removed the plant lens and rinsed her eye. "There''s also a symbiosis and growth ritual," added Gabrielle. "The trees under protection are bigger than the trees outside and it''s even more obvious for the more distant trees." "For a base built in less than a month, it''s quite impressive," acknowledged Laepa. "They''re not Champions for nothing." "They''re just Tier 0s," said Eleha. Despite her smile, Gabrielle felt her disdain. "For now." An undead cried out to their right. It was Tier 1, easily capable of decapitating Gabrielle before she could react, yet she didn''t even glance at it. Vysharratjekto¡ªhis name was easier to pronounce than to write¡ªraised his hand and the animated corpse exploded. The Tier 3 Snahert was as talkative as an old boar. Gabrielle didn''t know much about him. He was tasked with protecting Viktol and was also anticipated to become a Tier 4, making him one of the elite of his tribe. "... Are we going to stay here long?" asked Viktol. "These Tier 0s are rude to make us wait." Vysharratjekto growled as he turned around. The man with draconic features was as slender as Viktol was imposing. Despite the difference in size in his favor, the teenager bowed before the flame burning in the eyes of the Tier 3. "Vyphers thought he was a genius and lost both his duel and bloodline. If you don''t want to shame the clan, bury your arrogance," spat the warrior. The tirade seemed to physically push Viktol, who lowered his eyes, crestfallen. The terrifying atmosphere of the necro corrupted undergrowth became even heavier until movement caught Gabrielle''s attention. An iron golem had just passed through a tree portal about ten meters before them. A mineral race?! "My name is Hyshana and I welcome you to Oasis. You must be a delegation sent by the local tribes?" asked the golem in a feminine voice. Eleha stepped forward, a surprised look on her face. "You speak our language?" "I learned it some time ago thanks to an information crystal." Gabrielle''s eyes sparkled. The Chief was right, this Champion had access to the Auctions! "This will make our discussions easier," smiled Eleha. "We hoped to discuss access to the Auctions and get to know our new neighbors." The golem remained silent for a moment before its helmet retracted. Gabrielle was surprised to see an organic head. The woman could have passed for a Gaesert or an Aelbe. Her delicate face had pale skin covered with tiny scales. Her bright red lips and sky-blue eyes seemed like the effects of a rare bloodline. Gabrielle''s eyes traced the tattoos on the stranger''s neck before rising. Hyshana''s almond-shaped eyes gave her a powerful yet fair gaze that appealed to the teenager. "Very well. Follow me; our cook is preparing a welcome meal." Gabrielle took one last bite with a sigh of contentment. Under the branches of a crimson Tal Quercus¡ªa majestic tree¡ªshe and her group enjoyed a crumble. It was obviously a trick to make them wait, but it worked. "It''s delicious," Laepa complimented as she helped herself to more. "But I don''t see any animals; how did you find milk for the butter?" Hyshana relayed the question to a huge bear standing at the end of the table. Despite its sharp fangs and claws, the animal didn''t scare Gabrielle. Its gaze was calm, more interested in food than in conversation. "Thanks to the Auctions," replied Hyshana, translating her companion''s words. Laepa nodded. "Of course. It allows you to focus your strengths on defense and to buy certain items impossible to produce." "Exactly. If I may, why do you want access to our Auctions? I''m sure a tribe as powerful as yours could easily obtain a channel." Laepa grimaced. "We belong to three different tribes. Gabrielle and I are from the Gaeserts tribe, Katara and Eleha are Aelbes, while Viktol and Vysharratjekto are Snaherts. As for the Auctions... We have our reasons." Hyshana nodded. "Well, I don''t think there will be any problems using the Auctions, but Priam has the final say." "Priam?" "Priam Azura, the Lord of Oasis," said Hyshana, indicating the camp around them. "One of the Champions of the System?" asked Vysharratjekto. Hyshana nodded and the Snahert continued. "Will we be able to meet him soon?" "He''s training. I have no way of contacting him at the moment." Vysharratjekto smiled before crossing his arms in silence. Gabrielle was surprised by the warrior''s passivity but mostly annoyed by the lack of response. She glanced worriedly at Laepa, who nodded. "Do you have an approximate idea of when Priam will return?" insisted the huntress. Hyshana shook her head. "I have no idea. He could come back in a few minutes or in a few days." "But we don''t have a few days, our warriors need elixirs now!" exclaimed Gabrielle. All eyes turned to her. Normally, she would have blushed, but not here. Some wounded were struggling against necro corruption and the apprentice apothecary wouldn''t leave without the necessary resources to make the elixirs. Eleha shot Gabrielle a dark look before turning to Laepa. "Your kid should keep quiet when the adults are talking." Laepa glared at Eleha. "Easy for you to say, it''s not your brothers and sisters who are suffering. Gabrielle is right, we can''t wait several days." She turned to Hyshana. "Thank you for the dessert, but we need to use the Auctions before the end of the day." Hyshana hesitated. "I understand your¡ª" "We''re going to use the Auctions." Eleha stood up and let her Aura burst forth. "I''m tired of acting like this is just a request. When a Tier 3 asks you for something, it''s ridiculous to think it''s anything other than an order." Gabrielle turned to Hyshana and saw the warrior flush with rage. Although the young girl was ashamed of Eleha''s words, her clan members'' lives were at stake. "Let''s calm down," coughed Vysharratjekto. "I want to distance myself from Eleha''s words. The Snaherts tribe won''t resort to violence to access the Auctions. Our Chief has a high opinion of the Champions and believes that trade is the best solution here. If we have to wait for your leader to return to discuss terms, then so be it." Gabrielle, Laepa, Katara, and Eleha stared at the Tier 3, astonished. The Snaherts were well known for cutting out the tongues of impolite children. They were then treated, but never forgot the punishment. That the Tier 3 was so sweet with their hosts was as ridiculous as it was incomprehensible. "What are you talking about?! These are trash Tier 0s; they should consider themselves lucky if we don¡¯t ask for protection fees," said Eleha without even looking at their host. As Hyshana grew even more incensed, a deep voice rang out. "That''s the last time you insult us." Gabrielle jumped, surprised. Behind her, a warrior stood less than five steps away. He was a head taller than Hyshana and had matte black hair. His pale skin shone in the moonlight, and Gabrielle could see a myriad of tiny scales. His irises were gray, nearly black, resembling the color of an angry sky. His calm gaze confronted the Tier 3s without flinching. The stranger was more than a warrior, he was a storm. "My name is Kazuki. I shall cleanse my wife''s honor with your blood," he said, looking at Eleha. The Tier 3 warrior blinked before bursting into laughter. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 557 Constitution 860 Agility 552 Vitality 840 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 588 Memory 465 (+4) Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 556 (+3) Meta-focus 358 Meta-endurance 354 Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 54 (+3) Potential: 10 029 (+2) Tier 0 Sun points: 135 922 (+153) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 6 hours 4 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 209: Spear Virtuoso "Such arrogance," Eleha retorted after finishing her laughter, a cruel smile hanging on her lips. "Very well, I think a duel is an excellent idea. Once your dreams are shattered, you''ll surely be ready to obey." Kazuki glanced at the other two Tier 3s. The woman grimaced, and the man crossed his arms with a sigh. Neither seemed inclined to intervene. These tribes are only united by circumstance. Summoning his spear into his hand, Kazuki gestured Eleha towards the Forum. "If we steer clear of Ymir''s pavilion, the Forum should be able to withstand our clashes." Priam would surely be displeased if Log-a-rhythm''s clearing ended up resembling a battlefield. "Presumptuous of you to assume there will be clashes, but sure," mocked Eleha, leaving the table. Kazuki briefly wondered if the Tier 3''s provocative attitude was natural or simply a means to stoke his anger. It didn''t matter. "Multiple H-bombs are primed to detonate," Kazuki''s ocular implant relayed his wife''s voice. "The ephemeral barriers and Concept suppression rituals around the Forum can be activated at any moment. Eleha is a code RED." A code RED meant any defense was futile, but a nuke would suffice to eliminate the threat. In short, Eleha was a glass cannon. The only issue was that if the Tier 3 had unlocked the Unity with an energy Concept, she could evade the blast¡ªhence the Concept suppression rituals. As Kazuki walked towards the Forum, he replied. "Wait for my signal. If it escalates, Jasmine will take their Tier 0s hostage. Are Priam''s loved ones safe?" "Except for Blueberry and Louis, all are in Log-a-rhythm." "Perfect. I''ll make her spit out apologies." "Better make her spit out her teeth," Hyshana responded. Kazuki concealed a smile. He was so proud to be Hyshana¡¯s husband. Arriving at the Forum, Kazuki saw Ymir stepping out of his pavilion. The merchant surveyed the two combatants before sighing. He made a hand gesture, and his bison bellowed before opening its mouth. The pavilion vanished, sucked into the animal''s maw. "I have an hour to put it back. After that, our current auctioned items will be canceled and we¡¯ll pay a heavy fine," Ymir warned. "You''ll put it back in less than a minute," Eleha smirked. Shrugging, Ymir mounted his bison before leaving the Forum. The Menhir of Secrets remained, but both Kazuki and Eleha knew the monument was indestructible at their level. Eleha conjured two daggers as Kazuki took a defensive stance. He didn''t wear his mecha: his instinct told him Knightmare would be useless against the Tier 3. "Ready?" Eleha asked, stifling a yawn. Kazuki nodded before widening his eyes. His Wind Concept indicated a powerful wind was heading towards him. Eleha''s dash displaced a colossal volume of air. How can she move so fast with such low gravity?! Faced with the attribute difference, Kazuki laid all his cards on the table. Micro II, Wind Concept, [Mastery I - Spear], [Odyssey - Legendary], [Odyssey - Celerity], [Odyssey - Hoplite Defense]. A windy halo enveloped his spear just before it clashed with Eleha''s daggers. Despite the overclock of his physical attributes and his Titan bloodline, blocking the attack pushed Kazuki back several meters. "Oh?" Instead of pressing the attack, Eleha observed for a few seconds before displaying a radiant smile. "Looks like I found a good punching bag." A blink from Kazuki made his opponent vanish again. His instinct allowed him to block a second attack he didn''t even see. The third attack breached his guard, leaving a shallow gash on his biceps. Gritting his teeth, Kazuki counterattacked with a roundhouse kick that missed its mark. Eleha reappeared in the center of the Forum. "Hope you can do better; I haven''t even used a skill..." Instead of responding, Kazuki closed his eyes. A part of his consciousness used Micro to boost his vitality, swiftly healing the micro-fractures littering his bones. His constitution wasn''t enough to withstand Eleha''s attacks or support the overclock of his muscles. Another part of his consciousness focused on his Wind Concept and his new Supremacy. If his perception wasn''t enough to detect Eleha, the fusion of Domain and his Wind Concept should succeed. "You''re not much of a talker," Eleha sighed. "Alright, let''s see how long you can hold out." The wind created by her movements warned Kazuki. The warrior raised his weapon, focusing on [Spear Virtuoso]. One of Ace''s Merits had allowed him to upgrade one of his personal Talents, [Spear Prodigy]. Its effect was simple: to aid Kazuki in honing his spear skills. Trusting his inhuman instinct, Kazuki blocked the first blow from above. The force of the attack pressed him against the ground as if he had absorbed the impact of a meteorite. An unknown Concept allowed Eleha to not be repelled by the formidable backlash of her own attack. Instead, she changed angles, striking from below. Kazuki deflected the attack to avoid being launched into the air. For the next few seconds, Kazuki endured the assaults of the Tier 3. Neither Wind Concept nor Domain could keep up with her speed, but the little information they provided allowed him to understand his opponent''s intentions. Using his instinct and martial genius, Kazuki anticipated Eleha''s attack trajectories. Blocking and parrying at the last moment, he withstood the violent onslaught, allowing his talent to analyze his opponent''s style. He was completely outmatched, but the intensity of the battle allowed him to glimpse the next evolution of his style. Mastery - Spear II was close. Very close. Eight seconds after the start of the fight, his right clavicle fractured. If Micro temporarily boosted his strength and agility, the Supremacy couldn''t do anything to bolster his constitution. Eleha might have been toying with him, but her attributes were so high that Kazuki¡¯s body was giving out. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The hoplite warrior summoned a gust of wind to try to gain some time. Eleha dodged by passing behind him. Using the shaft of his spear, Kazuki tried to trip her. With a laugh, Eleha immobilized the weapon with her left hand. With her other hand, she plunged a dagger into the hoplite''s shoulder. "Feels like fighting a child," she taunted as she backed away to dodge a counterattack. Growling in pain, Kazuki invoked his Titan bloodline. His right lung was punctured, and he couldn''t continue the fight like this. His body gained a metallic consistency, creaking as Micro II pushed it to its limits. Activating his spear Mastery, Kazuki cloaked his spear in a windy halo. [Odyssey - Glorious Thrust], [Odyssey - Celerity]. Boosted by his Legendary skill, the weapon accelerated, slicing through the air. Even with her attributes, Eleha didn''t have time to dodge. She decided to block with a dagger. Kazuki''s Mastery flickered before disappearing. Eleha winked at him before retaliating. A second phantom arm sprouted from her right shoulder, and two daggers simultaneously aimed for both his legs. Instead of defending, Kazuki threw a powerful punch. His strength multiplied by Micro, the blow could have gone through a reinforced door. Eleha''s double attack proved real when two twenty-centimeter blades pierced the hoplite''s thighs. His titanic constitution didn''t even slow down the blow, which penetrated through muscles and bones like butter. In a cry of rage and pain, Kazuki''s punch connected with Eleha''s face. She was propelled backward several meters before stabilizing. Her slightly swollen lower lip testified to the violence of the blow. Stretching out his fingers, Kazuki gritted his teeth. He had just fractured several phalanges on his opponent''s teeth. Her constitution is so high that I''m the one taking damage when attacking... The two fighters sized each other up before Eleha smiled. "Becoming an Ace in less than two months¡­ My tribe might consider adopting you if you surrender. With the necro event ongoing, it would be a shame to suffer critical injuries for nothing." "For nothing?" Kazuki repeated as silvery blood flowed down his thighs. In his active form, his Titan bloodline transformed his entire body. Eleha shrugged. "My tribe wants to use the Auctions. Might as well accept while you still can." "I know people like you. If we start bending over, you''ll always ask for more." The Tier 3 smiled. "And as we''ve just seen, you can''t do anything to stop me." "Really?" Kazuki asked, summoning an H-bomb into his hand. The bomb was linked to his bound mecha, allowing him to summon it at will. The explosive was the size of his head but could create an explosion of almost a hundred terajoules¡ªenough to glass the area in a radius of two kilometers. Eleha must have identified the bomb because her expression turned gray. "Give me that." Despite his legs covered in blood and his right lung pierced, Kazuki stood tall. "No," he responded proudly. Laepa watched the duel unfold, drumming her fingers on the table. She was both eager for it to end and apprehensive. Eager because the Auctions were a priority: some members of her clan lay comatose, awaiting a remedy for advanced necro corruption. After a certain stage, even [Necro Resistance] was futile against the overpowering Concept. She was also worried because the Champion hoplite¡ªKazuki¡ªwas too proud. Eleha ¡°Smiling Blades¡± was adored by the youth for her camaraderie and cultivated the image of a noble, smiling warrior. But that was a fa?ade. Laepa was of her generation and had seen that smiling mask crack many times over fifty years. Eleha was a sociopath craving adulation. If she couldn''t have it, she settled for fear. It was clear that Kazuki would feel neither, and this would enrage the Tier 3. Laepa hoped Eleha wouldn''t let her madness destroy any chance of dialogue between tribes and hoplites. Personally, Laepa hoped the warrior would survive. In a few years, the lance prodigy would be a formidable ally. She knew better fighters, some even having unlocked Spear Mastery III, but they were Tier 3s. Kazuki was a mere Tier 0, his soul not yet baptized, yet so close to Spear Mastery II. His raw talent for the lance was terrifying. For now, he was weak¡ªEleha toyed with him, using neither skill nor Concepts nor Supremacies¡ªbut that would change if he lived. That didn''t mean he was the best Tier 0 Laepa knew. The young Chief of the Aelbes was more powerful, but he hadn''t trained for two months. The Aelbe had chosen to ignore [Ace]''s improvement to spend two decades at Tier 0 and attempt mythical Achievements. It was dangerous, but all paths led to the Zenith. You just had to stay alive. Laepa wondered if she should intervene to end the fight. It would offend Kazuki and Eleha''s honor, but she could certainly use the Auctions¡ªthat was the most important. Of course, the consequences would be dire in the long run: Kazuki and the hoplites would have a poor opinion of Aelbes and Gaeserts. The snake Vysharratjekto had understood this before her, and his friendly fa?ade would undoubtedly grant him privileged access to the Auctions. It was bad news because the Snaherts were enemies of the Gaeserts. Was it an arbitrary decision or did the Snaherts plan to court the Champions? The thought made Laepa grimace. It would be terrible if the other Champions heard about this and allied with the Snaherts. Not immediately, as they were still very weak, but they had potential. A lot of potential. The Aelbes would certainly seek to eliminate the future threat, but that was not the Gaeserts'' way. Why is it up to me to play politics? I''m mainly good at cutting monsters, the huntress sighed mentally. "Your husband fights well," she declared in a pathetic attempt to bury the hatchet. Hyshana turned to her, a proud gleam in her eye. "He always has. Brave in the face of death, refusing to bend to tyranny." Laepa hid a grimace. This was not going well. "I could heal him after the fight," Gabrielle offered. "I''m sorry the discussion has degenerated like this. We Gaeserts try to be fair in our actions, but our brothers and sisters are in mortal danger here." Laepa smiled upon hearing Gabrielle and decided to entrust her with the diplomatic side of the mission. "... That''s something I can understand," Hyshana responded after a few seconds of pause. "But the Auctions don''t depend on us." "Then we''ll wait for Priam as long as possible," placated Gabrielle. Laepa glanced at Hyshana. The Tier 0 was just as proud as her husband. If he died, she would fight in turn¡ªeven facing certain death. The Hoplites seemed to possess advanced technology, and even though the tribes were now deprived of it, some texts described the miracles of a technological civilization. Explosives were surely ready to destroy the area, and while Laepa was fairly certain she could survive, Gabrielle would die. Moreover, atomic explosions were famous for attracting powerful monsters as they emitted some sort of interesting pollution. Which would be a disaster... Suddenly, Kazuki and Eleha parted ways. A few seconds later, the hoplite pulled out a sphere, and Laepa swore as she identified it. ¡°Fuck!¡± Eleha flashed, reappearing centimeters from him. Neither his Wind Concept nor his Domain reacted. Only instinct allowed Kazuki to pivot. A blade pierced his body, missing his heart by a hair. Realizing she had tried to kill him, Kazuki''s heart raced. The first beat resonated loudly in his ears, but didn''t drown out a distant cry. Hyshana. Thinking of his wife eclipsed the pain, and Kazuki decided to fight. Drawing inspiration from Louis, he spat blood into his opponent''s face. Mastery - Spear I. The projectile didn''t have the shape of a spear, but Kazuki''s intent was enough. He refused to give up. He refused to die. The attack struck Eleha''s eye. Regardless of her constitution, the globe should have melted, but it did nothing. Kazuki grimaced as he felt his will crushed by the Tier 3''s. The attribute difference was so immense that his Supremacy vanished. Not the silvery blood. Eleha screamed as heavy metals poisoned her eye. With a wave of her hand, she swept away the H-bomb and slid a dagger under his throat. "You''ll pay for what you just did!" "I wouldn¡¯t be so sure." In a whirl of mist, Priam appeared next to Kazuki. His hand closed around Eleha''s wrist, and he opened his mouth. A laser beam shot out. Chapter 210: Free Fiery Hugs POT -50 His Potential flowed freely to keep [Kinetic Control] activated. Rather than immobilizing a stronger opponent, Priam froze his own hand. His opponent''s arm pulled with terrifying force, but Priam''s grip refused to yield. Opening his mouth, Priam released the Breath he had quickly condensed. The attack lacked energy¡ªhe had less than a second to gather aether¡ªbut his newfound ability to manipulate and concentrate aether had enabled a swift charge. Pyro merged with the Breath to create a terrifying laser. The unknown woman blocked with her second dagger and Kazuki backed away. Turning his head, Priam directed the Breath toward the arm he was locking. It was physically impossible for his opponent to dodge, and she screamed in pain before delivering a kick to his chest. The speed of the attack left him no chance to dodge. A second train of thought activated, and [Kinetic Control] absorbed a small part of the kick¡¯s energy. Priam shot backward like a cannonball before briefly merging with his mist to cancel his inertia. Landing a few meters away, he used [Three-Headed Hydra] to heal his wounds in an instant. Despite his rapid regeneration, Priam gritted his teeth. The woman''s blow had driven into his chest like a battering ram. Two attacks of that nature would be enough to kill him. [Enemy Tier 3 detected. Analyzing attributes... Probable Build: Strength, Agility, Dexterity ~4000. Perception, Constitution, Vitality ~3000. Mental attributes ~2000. Danger level: mortal. Note: Physically oriented. Without a critical error from the target, the host¡¯s chances of victory are nil.] [Identification] [?] - Hidden record. Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 15 MEM +1 "Not very encouraging..." An explosion sounded, and Priam used his Domain to slow Kazuki. The hoplite landed at his side with a limp arm. "Who''s this?" Priam growled, summoning Promesse. Kazuki shook his head. "A haughty representative of the local tribes. I could handle her for a bit with Knightmare but I fear for Oasis..." Priam shook his head, letting the adrenaline rush over him. "Brother, your enemies are my enemies. Think we''ve got a chance together?" "To win? None, but Jasmine is hidden in the shadow of the Tier 0 she accompanies. There are two other Tier 3s, but as long as we don''t target them, they shouldn''t intervene." Priam glanced at the young woman watching the fight next to Hyshana and grimaced. He wasn''t proud to take a teenager hostage, but if it were the only way to save those he loved, then he wouldn''t hesitate. "What does she want?" he asked, refocusing on the fight. "Officially, access to the Auctions. Unofficially, she''s testing us." "Great," ironized Priam. "I might have a way to surprise her with a kamikaze attack. You have something in stock?" "If the fight lasts a little longer, I should be able to reach Spear Mastery II, which should be able to penetrate her defenses. By the way, I''ve become an Ace," announced the hoplite with modesty. Priam smiled. With such a rival, he had no chance to rest on his laurels. The dust cloud raised by the fight settled, and the unknown woman advanced. Her left hand was badly charred, but was still holding a dagger. "Kelak coompa bla''t¡¯h?" "... What did she say?" Priam grimaced. He hadn''t had time to use a skill crystal and didn''t understand the language of the tribes. "She''s asking why you''re interfering in a duel." "Tell her this is my land. If she wants to duel, she can do it elsewhere." Kazuki gave him a slight smile. Priam had taken care not to offend the hoplite''s honor. The woman shook her head upon hearing the translation before pointing to herself. "Eleha." After introducing herself, she flashed towards him. Promesse blocked, but the energy behind the blow sent Priam several meters backward. Without giving him time to react, a new attack followed. Activating Micro and [Kinetic Control], he parried again. Despite his defense, the impacts of the attacks were too powerful for his body, and Priam soon tasted a metallic tang in his mouth. Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 2 CONST +6 META (END) +3 [Diagnostic] indicated that microcracks were appearing in his bones. With one good arm, Kazuki entered the fray to prevent Eleha from continuing her assault. Priam took a fraction of a second to reconnect with his Potential. The artificial divine inspiration opened his eyes. [Three-Headed Hydra] exchanged his lifespan for terrifying vitality, and Priam felt his body restore itself. Opening his mouth, he began to accumulate aether in his draconic lung. A full-power Breath was their only chance to seriously injure their opponent. Seeing Kazuki step back, Priam plunged back into the melee. His friend was injured, and Eleha was an enemy. That was all it took to make the world perfectly clear. Eleha turned towards him. Her daggers sparkled as she tried to decapitate him. [Kinetic Control] briefly connected to his Domain to slow them down, but the Supremacy vanished. Her Domain supersedes mine. Priam didn''t let himself be rattled and adapted. Promesse met the blades, and boosted by his Potential and [Kinetic Control], [Parry] blocked the attack. Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 18 STR +1 Kazuki struck to draw aggro, and Priam stepped back to maintain an optimal distance for his spear. [Unrelenting Thrust]. Eleha blocked, parried, deflected their spears, and dodged. Behind her, Kazuki launched many pincer attacks to prevent her from moving. The two rivals danced together to occupy the enemy. Separately, they had no chance, but together, they had a slim one. At least, I hope so. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The Forum was the stage for a three-way dance. Though lethal, the exercise brought smiles to Priam and Kazuki''s faces. Eleha was the most powerful opponent they had ever faced, and the danger propelled their progress by leaps and bounds. Kazuki seemed in a trance, wielding his spear with his good hand and adjusting his posture and guard in real-time. Meanwhile, Priam was attempting to invoke his Domain. Sharpening his Supremacy over his opponent''s, he prevented her from easily controlling the course of the battle. Each time his Domain imploded, Priam grimaced as he felt his soul space tremble. However, each failure allowed him to better master this power. [Kazuki¡¯s aether reserves are low.] Priam grimaced as he read the analysis of his add-on. The high-intensity combat was taking its toll on his friend. We need to change the pace! As a part of Priam drew from Micro I and Mastery - Spear to catalyze his spear skills, a parallel thought summoned his mist. Ice spikes enveloped in Conquest Aura began to shoot toward Eleha while a layer of ice gradually covered the ground. The ice invoked by his Concept vanished before doing any damage, crushed by the enemy''s Domain. Despite the attacks'' inefficacy, Priam persisted: Eleha couldn''t split her mind like him. She had to focus on each attack to destroy it. Her offensives and counterattacks were becoming slower, and her decisions suboptimal. With a growl, Eleha''s eyes changed color. A mental pressure descended on Priam, but his will and pseudo-apocryphal soul allowed him to resist easily. Kazuki let out a scream and Eleha took advantage of the opening to slash his limp arm again. When Eleha attacked him again, Priam gracefully dodged before counterattacking with a spear slash. Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 8 AGI +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 8 STR +3 The deadly ballet continued for a few seconds until Kazuki¡¯s spear blade began to glow. He was channeling a colossal amount of aether. Priam''s instinct told him Eleha would try to dodge. Closing his eyes, he activated [Moon Mist]. Boosted by his Sage affinity Mist Concept and a lot of Potential, the skill materialized a true cloud. POT -150 [Kinetic Control] froze it, forming a solid air cocoon around the Tier 3 just as Kazuki struck with his good arm. Eleha roared. Her muscles tensed, and the cloud exploded under an Aura blast. Her first dagger intercepted Kazuki''s attack, and the second cut towards Priam. A radiant blade was ejected from the weapon and flew towards Priam. Neither his draconic scales nor his constitution prevented the amputation of his right arm. Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 7, 8 CONST +6 Priam let out a cry as he fell to his knees. In shock, he almost released the Breath he had been accumulating. It wasn''t so much the physical pain as the spiritual anguish that tortured him. Grasping his arm, he repositioned it, and [Three-headed Hydra] reattached it. His soul sighed in relief. Riding the mist, Priam reappeared next to Kazuki and looked up at the center of the Forum. There, Eleha massaged her injured eye and stretched her twice-charred left hand. Obviously, blocking Kazuki''s ultimate attack with just one hand hadn''t been easy. "She''s using Micro to speed up her healing," Kazuki said. Despite the liters of blood he had lost, the hoplite still stood tall, and the hand holding his spear didn''t tremble. "No rest for the wicked," Priam grunted before riding his Schr?dinger mist. His Breath was maturing, and it was time to end the fight. Eleha spun around just as Promesse sought to impale her. Her palm diverted the spear, and she delivered a kick. Priam''s torso merged with Fire as he shielded Promesse with Pyro. The flames failed to burn his opponent but ignited her sleeve. Eleha''s kick pierced through his fiery torso, and Priam screamed. The Tier 3 had employed a Supremacy or a Concept to hit him. Only half of his torso reformed. Fuck! Kazuki arrived at that moment, a halo as transparent as the wind enveloping his weapon. When his spear collided with Eleha''s dagger, the halo exploded. The three combatants were thrown backward. Kazuki spat blood upon landing, and Priam attempted to do the same before realizing he no longer had a stomach. Between the two males, Eleha trembled with rage, touching a gash on her cheek. Priam lifted his eyes just in time to see a flash of anger pass through her feline eyes. The clanswoman turned toward him and accelerated. Nothing prepared Priam for such an explosion of speed. Before he could react, Eleha transformed into a cat the size of a tiger and slammed him to the ground. Two long claws¡ªher former daggers¡ªemerged from her pads and pierced both his hearts and the Forum floor. Lvl Up: [Aura Resistance] lvl 3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5 CONST +12 Priam attempted to ride his mist, but a flex of her Domain locally annihilated the Concepts. His cloak of mist and flame disappeared, leaving him naked as a worm. The cat looked down at Priam''s second spear and froze, evidently surprised by her opponent''s lack of clothing. "If I still had a bladder, I would''ve pissed on you," Priam taunted futilely, grabbing the animal''s paw and activating [Kinetic Control] to seal their embrace. Eleha''s surprise turned to astonishment as Kazuki''s spear impaled her from behind. Under the shock, her Domain flickered, and Priam called upon the Fire Unity. He didn''t attempt to flee¡ªsomething prevented his hearts from reforming and he was dying¡ªbut invoked the Concept. The Fire burns all, and here is my pyre. His flesh transformed into flames, and Priam added a touch of Pyro. He locked eyes with Kazuki for a moment before releasing the Breath he had been accumulating since the beginning of the fight. A devastating pillar of fire surged toward the heavens. The blast was so powerful that it drowned out a feline''s roar. That was a fiery hug. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 563 (+6) Constitution 893 (+33) Agility 555 (+3) Vitality 840 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 589 (+1) Memory 467 (+2) Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 556 Meta-focus 358 Meta-endurance 361 (+7) Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 57 (+3) Potential: 9 850 (-179) Tier 0 Sun points: 135 922 (+0) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 6 hours 2 minutes 53 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 211: Against All Odds Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 21 Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: VIT +6 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +5% (73%). [Supremacy - Domain] - Sphere of authority radius: +0.5 meters (3.0 meters). Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 7, 8 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Aura Resistance] lvl 4 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 2, 3 VIT +6 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +6 [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 6 hours 2 minutes 52 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1200 [He Who Eludes Death] allowed Priam to wait up to half an hour before resurrecting. A time during which his soul was disconnected from reality. This period of invincibility was sometimes helpful to him. Today, he chose to resurrect a second after his death. A few flames flickered as Priam regained consciousness. Reunited with his Concept, he used the perception of fire to perceive the world. The combination of his Breath and Pyro had created a pyrotechnic tower that assaulted the sky. At the center of the blast, a sphere of authority pushed back the flames, creating a blind spot for his fire sense. Priam materialized one of his eyes to obtain a visual signal. With her body greatly burned, breathing laboriously and tortured by the infernal heat, Eleha did not look proud. Her feline form seemed to suffer from multiple fractures, and her right front paw had been torn off at the shoulder. She must have managed to turn at the last moment, absorbing the majority of the explosion with her former limb. Focusing, Priam perceived some bone fragments, fur tufts, and blood drops carried by the firestorm. He had seriously injured his opponent, but she was far from dead. Too bad. Growling, Eleha began to rise, using her Domain to protect herself from Pyro. She looked around before transforming back into humanoid form. Nude and bloody, she began to hobble away from the inferno. A few meters away, Priam spotted Kazuki. He had activated his temporary invincibility to escape the explosion but was not out of danger. Obviously, Eleha intended to finish the job. Over my dead body. In a fraction of a second, Priam became aware of everything around him. Kazuki, the Forum, the ambient aether that belonged to him, the immense pillar of fire at his disposal and Eleha, alone and wounded. He saw a possibility. Perhaps it was time to seek out a new Achievement. Flexing his Fire Concept, Priam drew the flames to him. The cloud of fire stopped its expansion before compressing rapidly. A colossal amount of thermal energy rushed toward him as he connected to his Potential. It was not the time to conserve resources. POT -50 Reforming his body at the edge of Eleha''s Domain, Priam summoned Promesse in his right hand and two wings of fire on his back. As the burning gases finished condensing around him, forming a miniature nova, he activated [Kinetic Control]. In an instant, all the thermal energy created by his suicide attack was absorbed as kinetic energy. The amount of energy passing through his meridians caused their destruction, and his second set¡ªthe blood network activated by [Bloodless]¡ªtook over. All combustion ceased, and the incandescent air disappeared to reveal Priam, naked and angry. If he had not been a Fire Champion, if the flames had not originated from him, and if he had not used Potential, it would have been unimaginable. However, these improbable conditions were met, and Priam achieved the impossible. Feeling the kinetic ocean churning within him, he understood it was worth it. Deploying [Aether Manipulation] and aided by his Potential, Priam took control of the aether he had condensed with his Breath. He did not intend to waste any resources. Using his formidable will, he gathered the primordial fluid into a sphere that he placed at the tip of Promesse. Noticing the disappearance of the infernal column, Eleha froze before starting to turn in his direction. Before she could establish a defense, Priam overloaded his wings and dashed forward. The phoenix skill almost teleported him, preventing the Tier 3''s Domain from stopping him before he was in close quarters. Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 12, 13, 14 META(Focus) +6 META(Endurance) +3 Guided by Spear Mastery and his Potential, Priam channeled the first skill the phoenix had taught him. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Mobilizing all his vivacity and the help of his System, Priam began to weave a drill around Promesse¡¯s tip with the aether from his Breath. In a fraction of a second, aided by his Potential, skill, and new aether proficiency, he finished preparing the skill. Conquest Aura and Spear Mastery resonated, adding a piercing quality to the drill. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 13, 14, 15 STR +3 AGI +3 DEXT +3 POT -50 Priam looked up at Eleha. Rage distorted the Tier 3''s face. A wave ran through her body, which suddenly accelerated to put itself on guard. With her last arm, Eleha slashed, cutting through the air. A white halo covered the dagger, promising death. If he were hit, Priam would die. He had to flee, he had to plead, he had to¡­ "FUCK YOU!" he yelled as [True Will] and [Aura Resistance] broke the mental constraint. Guided by Spear Mastery and his spear skills, Priam thrust. The shining drill surrounding Promesse like a sheath collided with Eleha''s dagger. The rare skill should have exploded upon contact with the opponent''s Mastery, but the colossal amount of aether it possessed allowed it to hold its ground. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 16 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up : [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 20, 21, 22 STR +9 In a moment of hesitation, the two attacks balanced each other out, neither able to gain the upper hand. Drawing from his kinetic reserves, Priam opened the valves. Eleha''s eyes widened as an impossible force invaded Promesse. Just as the spear was about to crush the Tier 3, an authority descended, freezing reality. Eleha''s Domain pressurized Priam, hindering the activation of [Kinetic Control] and weakening his attack. Another Tier 0 would have lost consciousness under the insurmountable oppression, but Priam had pissed on a divine statue without passing out. Refusing to bow, he activated his trump card. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. His mind split in two, and one part called the Tribulation affinity hiding in his draconic heart. The organ pulsed, sending an imperative order to his eyes. Priam did not understand the mythical transformation hidden within it and was unable to control it, but he could activate it at the cost of his sight. An invisible shadow eclipsed Priam''s pupils. As Hecate New Moon awakened, the world was stripped of its colors. Plunged into a monochrome nightmare, Eleha lost control of her aether, and her Supremacy faltered. Charged with a tremendous amount of energy, Promesse moved forward, unstoppable. Priam¡¯s entire blood network exploded, and only the simultaneous activation of [Three-Headed Hydra] allowed him to survive. Ideal upgrade available for [Erosion Resistance - Rare]... Title upgraded! ... The spear shattered the dagger, broke the sound barrier, and annihilated Eleha''s arm in a gory explosion. Guided by Priam''s rage, Promesse continued toward the Tier 3''s heart. Seeing death approach, Eleha snarled. Her eyes split, and she disappeared. Charged with phenomenal energy, Promesse left Priam''s hands and continued its trajectory, passing through Oasis and its border. Less than a second later, the weapon struck a cliff two kilometers away. Part of the mountain exploded. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 1 - Baron) - Sun point +100 Banishment of¡­ - Sun point +2 694 Priam turned around. Behind him, hate burning in her eyes and without her arms, Eleha gritted her teeth. I wonder if [Armless] exists¡­ As if she had heard his thought, Eleha screamed. Vysharratjekto watched the battle unfold with fervor. He had come close to bursting into laughter several times, but he valued his reputation too much for that. Even if it''ll never sink as low as Eleha''s, he smirked. The warrior''s arrogance had cost her dearly. After being spewed with titan blood in the eye, she had her hand burned by a surprise attack. The rest of the fight had been even more brutal, and Eleha struggled to finish it without her skills. Honestly, both Tier 0s were exceptional. While the first fighter was a prodigy with the spear, Vysharratjekto found the second more intriguing. Versatile and possessing a draconic bloodline, he had limitless potential. Even his description, Death¡¯s Obsession, was fascinating. The rest of the fight proved him right. Despite her injuries, Eleha had made it a point not to use her skills. As a result, when the hoplite reached the half-step of Spear Mastery II, he injured her. The wound wasn''t severe¡ªsome minutes of focused regeneration with Micro III would make it disappear¡ªbut it wasn''t superficial either. At that moment, Eleha must have realized she had underestimated the Tier 0s. It came a bit too late, and she didn''t have time to protect herself from Priam''s fiery embrace. Was it a simple mistake? Vysharratjekto''s draconic intuition told him that Priam had manipulated Eleha''s instincts¡ªas impossible as it seemed. Seeing the pseudo-suicide, Vysharratjekto jumped up in fear. The Champion possessed a different draconic bloodline than the Snaherts. If it could be cultivated, it would strengthen the entire clan. He had to live! The Tier 3 had vainly searched for a trace of his soul within the explosion. When he found it a second later, his joy turned to astonishment. It was impossible! Had he been dreaming? But no, the soul had vanished, destroyed by the explosion. And yet, there Priam was, in full form and even more powerful than before. Vysharratjekto''s breathing quickened. There was only one explanation: Priam Azura had sacrificed his soul and had resurrected with a Phoenix Nirvana. Was it luck? Or perhaps... "He¡ª" Viktol began upon seeing the Tier 3 standing. "Silence!" Vysharratjekto commanded, focusing on the fight. Instead of ending the fight, the Champion capitalized on his previous attack to create an even more terrifying new assault. Vysharratjekto would have dodged the thrust, but Eleha chose to tank it. The Tier 3 had been humiliated by two Tier 0s, and her misplaced honor prevented her from fleeing. She employed an acceleration skill and Dagger Mastery III. Wasting her mental energy like this against an opponent was stupid, but Vysharratjekto didn''t expect any better from Eleha. Against all expectations, Priam matched the power of the attack by stacking different skills and Supremacies. Well tried, but useless. Vysharratjekto was not surprised when Eleha triggered Domain II to neutralize all resistance. Powered by a Tier 3 soul, Supremacies and Concepts became absolutely terrifying. As Vysharratjekto prepared to save Priam, the world lost its colors. A wave of primal terror briefly engulfed the Tier 3. Was it a skill based on the Necromoon? No, it''s different... Pushing aside the sensation, he cursed upon seeing Eleha''s Supremacies collapse. The attack severed Eleha''s second arm, and the Tier 3 used her Concept to avoid a stupid death. Even a stupid cat counted her lives. Laepa leaped forward, and Vysharratjekto followed suit. It was time to make a good impression. As Priam prepared for another assault, two strangers appeared by Eleha''s side. Ignoring the pain caused by the Moon shining in his eyes, he eyed the newcomers. "A Tier 3 against two Tier 0s isn¡¯t enough? You need the numbers advantage too?" he growled, conjuring up a mantle of mist. [He Who Eludes Death] was on cooldown, and he had no safety net left, but Priam refused to be intimidated. He wasn''t too proud to back down, but the promise of violence in Eleha''s eyes confirmed it wouldn''t help him here. Before anyone could respond, the catwoman dashed toward Priam, screaming. Despite her lack of arms, burned torso, and the monochrome domain, her speed remained impressive. As he prepared for the impact, the huntress snatched Eleha out of the air and slammed her to the ground with disconcerting ease. In a fluid motion, she kneeled on Eleha''s throat. Struggling to breathe, the dominated woman stopped screaming. "Sorry, she''s an embarrassment," the lithe woman apologized in flawless French. At Priam''s surprised look, she gestured to the Menhir of Secrets. "I bought your language." "... I suppose you''re not here to continue the fight?" "Indeed. We''re from three different tribes, and our alliance is temporary. I have no fondness for Eleha, but this fight is a trap," informed the man with drawn features and scaly skin. "Her cat totem has multiple lives, and even if you manage to kill her, her great uncle is a Tier 4." "... I guess that''s it for today then," grumbled Priam. He eyed Eleha, swearing to get revenge. "Who are you?" "I am Vysharratjekto, from the Snaherts tribe." "Laepa, from the Gaeserts." "...Priam, Oasis''s Lord and Champion of humanity. What do you want from me?" The tone was rough, but Priam was annoyed. Leaving his retreat, he had seen his friend get beaten up by an unknown Tier 3. He had died helping him, and his mythical mutation was splitting his skull. The man coughed. "Perhaps you could deactivate your suppression skill? On the Dragon laws, I give you my word that I won''t take advantage of that to harm you or your loved ones." Deep inside him, Priam knew that Vysharratjekto shared his bloodline. Swearing on draconic laws certainly had dramatic consequences. Priam deactivated Hecate New Moon with a grimace. He couldn''t keep it for long, and its activation had a terrifying price. The backlash was immediate: dizziness and blindness. Simultaneously, the wound was transferred to his soul, which trembled. His perception of the aether blurred, and Priam focused on the perception offered by his Concepts and his Domain to orient himself. "Thank you. We wished to get to know our new neighbors and¡ª" "I''d like access to the Auctions," Laepa cut in. "Some of my brothers and sisters are in a coma, fighting necro corruption, and we''re looking for elixirs to help them." A growl drew Priam''s attention. His invincibility off, Kazuki was staggering. "I can sympathize, but we''ll talk about that when my friend feels better," Priam replied, rushing over. "How are you feeling?" he asked, offering his hand. "Happy because today, I sharpened my spear," the hoplite replied, accepting Priam''s help. Two streams of blood flowed from his pierced thighs. "I see that you made her pay for her arrogance." "I would''ve finished the job if they hadn''t intervened," Priam growled, supporting Kazuki. "I would''ve killed you, you little shit!" Eleha exclaimed in French. With her head squashed on the ground, it was hard to take her seriously. Laepa pressed harder, and blood flowed from the mad eyes of the Aelbes. "I''ll keep an eye on her. I brought along an apprentice Shaman; she can speed up his healing," she added. "Thanks," Priam replied before addressing Eleha. "If you want to try something stupid, remember that you represent your tribe. Even if you can survive an H-bomb, I''m not sure your whole family could pull off the same feat. Think about the safety of the weaker ones," he said, pointing to the Tier 0 Aelbes. Priam felt dirty saying these words, but the safety of his loved ones was his top priority. The five warriors looked toward Log-a-rhythm. There, the apprentice shaman Aelbes was yelling at the other two Tier 0s, unaware that one of her locks had just fallen to the ground. Eleha paled upon seeing a shadow dagger pressed against her pupil''s throat. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 582 (+19) Constitution 904 (+11) Agility 561 (+6) Vitality 860 (+20) Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 593 (+4) Memory 476 (+9) Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 (+8) Meta-focus 364 (+6) Meta-endurance 377 (+16) Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 (+9) Potential: 9 785 (-65) Tier 0 Sun points: 138 716 (+2 794) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 23 minutes 59 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 5 hours 57 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Posted on RoyalRoad and Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept) Chapter 212: Life is hard; I’m harder Priam grinned as he saw Gabrielle''s surprise. The teenager looked around with wide eyes, discreetly tapping the ground with her foot. ¡°A spatial pocket grafted onto the tree?¡± she asked in French. ¡°It''s a natural organ of Log-a-rhythm,¡± Priam explained. Thanks to his privileged connection with the tree, he now understood that the organ grew with the plant. That was why the walls of the spatial pocket were made of wood and sap flowed inside. ¡°Did it absorb a spatial fragment? Or is it a spontaneous mutation? Perhaps an ancient bloodline?!¡± Priam posed the question to the tree''s instinct and was surprised by the response. ¡°A spatial Tribulation raged here just before its birth. Log-a-rhythm was fortunate to inherit a spatial affinity.¡± A Tribulation that had targeted the royal elf at the origin of the tree. ¡°Elysium is full of opportunities,¡± Gabrielle simply replied. ¡°This space is rather large.¡± Priam remained silent. The infirmary they had just entered corresponded to about a quarter of the total volume possessed by Log-a-rhythm. Above, a room three times larger served as a hideout for non-combatants. Priam mentally thanked Hyshana for thinking to shelter them. Jasmine wasn''t the only one who could take people hostage... As Priam prepared to lower Kazuki into a bath of regenerative sap, Gabrielle intervened. ¡°His wounds are open; he risks bleeding out if we put him in a bath.¡± ¡°This sap is thicker than water,¡± Priam pointed out. ¡°He¡¯ll lose some blood but not much.¡± Gabrielle shrugged. ¡°If you''re sure there''s no danger¡­¡± Priam exchanged a glance with Hyshana, who shook her head. ¡°Yeah, it''s better not to take any risks,¡± he acknowledged. Mentally, Priam instructed Log-a-rhythm to replace the sap bath with a reclining chair. Hyshana and he gently lowered Kazuki onto it. The hoplite weakly grunted when his thighs touched the wood. Even as the blood loss should have rendered him unconscious, the warrior clung on thanks to Micro. A bowl of regenerative sap descended from the ceiling, and Priam handed it to Hyshana, who applied it to her husband''s wounds. Priam studied his friend before furrowing his brow. ¡°Something is blocking his vitality.¡± ¡°His wounds are slightly contaminated by a Concept, which disrupts natural regeneration,¡± Gabrielle explained. A dangerous gleam lit up Hyshana''s eyes. ¡°The bitc¡ª¡± She glanced at the teenager before coughing. ¡°Did Eleha try to cripple Kazuki?¡± Gabrielle shook her head. ¡°She doesn''t have the appropriate Concepts for that. Plague, corruption, necrosis, disease, sadness, misfortune... These kinds of Concepts can be terrible, but the Aelbes don''t possess these legacies. Here, we just see a side effect of high-level combat.¡± Gabrielle''s explanation contained interesting information, but Priam was concerned about his friend''s health. ¡°Concretely, what does this mean for Kazuki?¡± ¡°The higher Tier a Concept is, the more it tends to permanently alter the world¡ªto pollute it. There are traces of one of Eleha''s Concepts in the wound, which will make healing more complicated.¡± ¡°Will he be able to walk again?¡± Hyshana asked. Kazuki raised his head with difficulty, and Priam saw fear in his eyes. The Hoplite Champion feared nothing except helplessness. Gabrielle immediately reassured the worried warrior. ¡°You''ll heal! Ambient aether is already breaking down the pollution. In a few days, no trace of the Concept will be left. I''m only here to accelerate the healing with some ointments and decoctions.¡± As Hyshana and Kazuki shared a sigh of relief, Priam turned to Gabrielle. ¡°If you can help my friend, you¡¯ll have my permission to use the Auctions,¡± he promised. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Gabrielle exclaimed, bowing. Priam raised his hand. ¡°No need to bow. Do you need the Auctions to help Kazuki?¡± ¡°I have everything on me, but I need a workspace to mix the ingredients.¡± With a thought, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to grow a wooden table. As Gabrielle took out various powders from her satchel to work, Priam leaned towards Hyshana. ¡°I''m going to talk to the tribes about their request for access to the Auctions. Do you have an opinion?¡± Hyshana replied without taking her eyes off her husband. ¡°Don''t let your anger dictate your actions. You''re the Lord of Oasis, and its inhabitants rely on you.¡± ¡°... Are you asking me to forgive Eleha''s tribe? After what she did to Kazuki?¡± Hyshana shook her head. ¡°No, that would send a message of weakness. I''m just advising you to use this incident to our advantage and get the best possible conditions. So that my husband''s blood didn''t spill for nothing.¡± A portal opened in Alain''s cabin, and Priam stepped out. Before continuing the negotiations, he had a few notifications to check. Ideal upgrade available for [Erosion Resistance - Rare]. Prerequisites met:
  • Destruction and regeneration of all your meridians.
  • [Bloodless]''s Merit: second meridian network.
  • Destruction and regeneration of all your second meridian network.
  • [Homo Elysian Obsession].
  • Your meridians have temporarily supported a power exceeding 20 MW.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic] - Through destruction and regeneration, your two sets of meridians have strengthened and will now seek to adapt to other abuses. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320 Priam almost groaned reading the list of prerequisites. The ideal upgrades all had nearly impossible requirements. However, [He Who Eludes Death] allowed him to achieve hardly feasible feats. Who else could destroy his body, mind, and soul without consequence? With this Talent, most of the conditions required to unlock a resistance''s ideal upgrade were accessible. The real difficulty was discovering these prerequisites. Perhaps the tribes could help him with that? You have selected the skill [Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic]. POT -320 [Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic] - Like the cycle of water, aether has no source or end. Filtered by your soul, ambient aether is stored in your heart. From there, it flows into your body, fueling each of your cells and the runes within them. The pathways it uses are called meridians. People treat their meridians with care. Without them, most skills cannot be activated. Instead of coddling yours, you showed them some tough love. Your extraordinary physique and highly adaptable metabolism allowed for an ideal mutation. Your pathways widen, strengthen, and become more flexible to allow for an increase in maximum aether flow. The speed of aether circulation increases. META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 An icy river began to flow through his veins, and Priam had to hold back a gasp. The System was modifying his meridians, and while the skill description was banal, its effect was remarkable. His aether reserves hadn''t even increased by two percent, but the energy spread much faster through his body. With each beat of his human heart, a stream of aether split off, simultaneously feeding both sets of pathways. Feeling the fluid coursing through him, Priam understood why the first Merit of [Bloodless] allowed for a second set of meridians. Just like blood, aether originated from the heart. Whether it traveled through the cardiovascular system or the meridians made no difference. Priam wondered if it was possible to acquire this ability without wasting a Merit point. I have so much to learn¡­ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Flexing his aether proficiency, Priam summoned a light rune. Instead of drawing from his heart''s reserves, he used the aether that his soul had just filtered and that occupied his soul space. The energy flowed naturally and quickly from his soul to his Domain before creating a white orb. It was both quick and easy. Satisfied, Priam then spent a few minutes testing his new abilities. He formulated hypotheses, tested them, and analyzed the data collected with his system. The results were interesting. ¡°Meridians are not just physical,¡± he murmured. The aether filtered by his soul flowed into a spiritual meridian to his heart, where it accumulated up to the limit imposed by meta-endurance. This spiritual meridian had been reinforced by the ideal upgrade and had a twin that allowed for reverse travel. When Priam conjured his aether into his Domain, the energy drawn from his heart traversed this second spiritual pathway and was then injected into his sphere of authority. His new golden meridians tolerated a higher flow rate, so Priam could pump more aether than before. This strengthened [Aether Manipulation] but also [Kinetic Control]. In the future, Priam could freeze his enemies or launch Promesse at hypersonic speed without committing suicide in the process. ¡°... Who am I kidding, I''ll still be dying, but the explosions will be much bigger!¡± he laughed. His final conclusion was just as interesting. Glancing at his skill, or rather the attributes it conferred, Priam understood that meta-focus commanded his ability to use large amounts of aether quickly. ¡°If meta-endurance is a measure of my energy reserve, meta-focus corresponds to my power.¡± Happy to have uncovered a new facet of the System, Priam focused on the last notification. Title upgraded! [Weathered - Silver] becomes [Life is hard; I¡¯m harder - Gold]. Congratulations! [Life is hard; I¡¯m harder - Gold] - You have naturally developed ten epic resistances, including at least one ideal. Despite having skin scarred by blades and claws, blood poisoned by traitors, muscles torn by space storms, bones reforged by flames, and heart tempered by your Tribulations, you still move forward. Under the necro moon, your soul in the hands of a fallen god, your mind ravaged by a Concept, you endure. When death awaits you, you smile. When life tests you, you draw your spear. This Title increases the speed and ease of acquiring resistances. This Title allows replacing one of the five prerequisites for the ideal upgrade from a common resistance to rare or rare to epic. Both you and diamonds are hard; too bad they¡¯re bright and you¡¯re dull. CONST +30% "Fuck you too," Priam grinned. The System was a tsundere, but the Title was excellent, and Priam had more than earned it. Better yet, the constitution bonus was almost pushing him to the second threshold, and Priam couldn''t wait to reach it. However, the cherry on top was the effect of the Title. With it, Priam could become the ultimate tank. His enemies would shatter their blades on his bones. "Kanak'' es thm!" An outburst snapped Priam out of his reverie. He approached a window and looked down below. Under the foliage of Log-a-rhythm, the five representatives of the tribes were waiting. Eleha was almost screaming at the other two Tier 3s, her shrill voice reigniting the embers of anger in Priam''s heart. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. His loved ones were counting on him, and with Tier 4s in the balance, there was no room for error. "It was easier when all I had to do was kill spiders and rabhorns..." Elysium was a terrifying world, but there was something simple about facing monsters. Kill or be killed, the decision was obvious. But not all decisions could be so easy. Today, the tribes were demanding access to the Auctions, and negotiations would be tough to keep Oasis independent in the face of Tier 4s. "It''s just another battle," Priam encouraged himself. "If the others were physical, this one is political. As usual, the important thing is to win." "Excuse me for the wait," Priam smiled as he stepped out of Log-a-rhythm. He took a seat at the table and eyed the various participants. Eleha seemed ready to jump on him despite her missing arms. She had covered herself with a cloak that failed to hide her miserable condition. By her side, Katara was as white as a sheet, casting furtive glances at her shadow. Jasmine hadn''t made any other appearances, but everyone knew she was nearby. The two Snaherts were waiting patiently. Viktol and Vysharratjekto couldn''t be more different. While the Tier 0 was massive and timid, the Tier 3 was slender and intense. A draconic bloodline ran through his veins, and he looked at Priam as if he were a treasure. Laepa, the Gaesert responsible for Gabrielle, passed the time sharpening some sort of javelin. Far from being threatening, she seemed concerned. "Can we start now?" she asked, putting away her weapon. "I''m ready to hear your conditions," Priam replied. Eleha spoke, glaring daggers at him. "Our tribes want the right to use the Auctions. In exchange, we''re willing to raise the merchant rank. You''ll be able to buy¡ª" Priam interrupted her. "Sorry, I must not have been clear enough: I''m ready to hear the conditions of the Snaherts and Gaeserts. The Aelbes will have to send a more polite representative." "You refuse to negotiate with the Aelbes?!" "I refuse to negotiate with you," Priam growled. "I¡¯m choosing to believe that your tribe made a mistake in sending you as a representative and giving them a second chance. That''s, I believe, generous of me. As for you, you''re banned from Oasis." "How dare you..." Eleha turned purple before looking at the other two Tier 3s. "Are you going to say nothing?!" Vysharratjekto and Laepa glanced at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. Seeing that the Snahert wouldn''t bother to respond, Laepa explained. "Oasis has nuclear weapons; diplomatic means should be favored." "And we have Tier 4s!" "Which means we all have the power to destroy each other. If Priam is as clever as I think he is, he won''t forget that in the upcoming negotiations," Laepa said, giving Priam a meaningful look, to which he nodded. "Oasis has every interest in having powerful partners." Eleha gritted her teeth before standing up. "I believe everything has been said. Katara." The apprentice stood up and picked up a crystal from one of her pockets. When she broke it, she and Eleha disappeared. "Ten percent commission is too high considering the volume of goods we plan to sell. Five percent seems more reasonable," Vysharratjekto declared. "Seven," Priam countered, glancing at the Forum. Half an hour ago, Laepa had disappeared into Ymir''s pavilion, leaving the Snaherts to negotiate their partnership with Oasis. If Priam had authorized the Gaesert huntress to use the Auctions, it was to separate her from Vysharratjekto and prevent the two remaining tribes from teaming up to pressure him. "Five percent and our free assistance if a necro Envoy attacks you." The image of Mirscella possessed by a Tier 3 Necro Marquess imposed itself on Priam before he managed to shake it off. "You''re only protecting your investment," he pointed out. "And it''s only fair that we''re compensated for it." "... Five percent, your help in case of an attack by a necro Envoy, and a list of the ideal upgrade prerequisites for skills." Viktol gasped, and Vysharratjekto narrowed his eyes. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn''t commit to that. That kind of knowledge is the cornerstone of a faction." "Only for common or rare skills?" Priam tried. "Or could we exchange them for the prerequisites I discovered on my own?" Being more numerous, it was an interesting deal for the tribes. "You..." Something sparked in the Tier 3''s eyes. "Do you have [Poison Resistance]?" Priam hesitated for a moment before answering. "I have [Poison Body - Rare]." "A high upgrade, not bad. I can''t promise you a list of prerequisites, but I think the Chief will agree to subject you to the Gu trial. If you endure it, you''ll unlock an ideal upgrade. That''s the best I can do, and it''s already generous." The prospect of a new epic and ideal resistance interested Priam. "We have a deal if you leave our territory in peace. That is, Oasis and the rabhorn valley to the north." That was Sumstreh''s condition. If a Tier 4 approached too close, they had threatened to kill Sphinx, and Priam knew they would do it. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 582 Constitution 979 (+75) Agility 561 Vitality 860 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 593 Memory 476 Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 Meta-focus 370 (+6) Meta-endurance 381 (+4) Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 9 468 (-317) Tier 0 Sun points: 138 788 (+72) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 35 minutes 43 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 5 hours 8 minutes 56 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 213: Playing Both Sides Gryphe stormed into the Council tent in a foul mood. Her eyes locked onto Eleha, and she growled, "These recall crystals are not toys; each activation consumes two Tier 3 cores. Next time, you''ll walk back," she declared. "It was Katara who¡ª" "Who forced you? So, the rumor is true, you''re afraid of the Tier 0s?" Gryphe taunted, turning to Felix. One of the clan''s three Tier 4s, Eleha''s great-uncle frowned but didn''t respond. The warrior was protective of his family but despised weakness. It was evident he was disappointed in Eleha''s performance. "Your squabbles tire me." In the center of the tent, a true giant with striking yellow eyes sighed. His presence commanded respect, and silence fell. Gryphe hastened across the tent and sat cross-legged to the right of the Aelbes'' leader. Feeling the gaze of the clan''s three Tier 4s upon them, Eleha and Katara swallowed nervously. Gryphe gave her apprentice an encouraging smile. Felix cleared his throat after a few seconds and spoke up. "Eleha and Katara were on a diplomatic mission to Oasis, the territory of a Champion named Priam Azura. Their goal was to investigate the Champion and negotiate access to the Auctions," he summarized. "They both returned using a recall crystal less than ten minutes ago. Eleha, could you give us a report¡ª" "I can''t see your arms anymore," Gryphe remarked. "And you have significant burns. How did this happen?" Felix frowned but nodded in Eleha''s direction. "I faced two Champions to assess their abilities. I intentionally absorbed their most powerful attacks to better understand these aliens." "I''m impressed you could utter such a lie with such confidence," Gryphe chuckled. Eleha gritted her teeth but looked away. Both knew she would need the shaman''s help to heal quickly. "Let''s start from the beginning," Felix cut in. "Which Champions did this to you?" "Priam Azura and Kazuki," his great-niece replied. "What did this fight have to do with a diplomatic mission?" Gryphe asked. "I thought showing them the power difference between them and us would facilitate negotiations," Eleha replied. "I''m sure they''re very impressed," the shaman said sarcastically. "Gryphe," a deep voice growled. "Sorry, Leo," apologized the shaman. "What have you learned about them?" the clan leader asked, turning to Eleha. "Kazuki is a spearmaster. He has Micro II, Domain and will reach Spear Mastery II within a few days at most. His skills are highly advanced, but his Wind Concept is rather weak." Despite the warrior''s feats and talent, Gryphe wasn''t impressed. The warrior was powerful but predictable. "Priam Azura is an Ace, a Mist Sage, and a Fire Champion." Gryphe raised an eyebrow; a Champion¡ªa Sage who reached Unity¡ªwas destined for great things. "He evolved his Fire Concept into a more... tenacious flame. He has two bloodlines: a draconic one and a phoenix one. In addition to excellent mastery of aether, he has ridiculous resistances." Felix whistled, impressed. "All this in less than two months? He didn''t waste any time." "Are his resistances more developed than Rohan''s?" Leo asked. Seeing Eleha hesitate, Gryphe frowned. "I''ve been aiding Rohan since he was young. I''ve used the best rituals and elixirs available to strengthen and temper his body. With his bloodline, talent, discipline, and opportunities, Rohan is one of Elysium''s most powerful Tier 0s!" the shaman exclaimed. The exceptional rank he received during his ninth Tribulation confirmed this. Gryphe was sure that the young lord of the Aelbes was in the top twenty thousand of Elysium''s Tier 0s. "My son and I thank you for your help, Gryphe, but I want to hear what Eleha has to say," said the Aelbes'' leader. Predator, one of Eleha''s Concepts, provided her with information about the strengths and weaknesses of her enemies. "Priam... I only detected one Legendary skill, and he had to overlay Supremacies, Concepts, and sacrificial skills to rip off my arms. He''s weaker than Rohan in terms of attributes and offensive or movement skills. However, he''s harder to kill than a cockroach. He has about ten epic resistances, several of which are ideal." Eleha''s statement was met with silence. Epic ideal resistances ensured the user would gain legendary resistances, even if they didn''t possess associated Concepts. These legendary skills, in turn, enhanced the affinity of the related Concept. The Snaherts had built part of their power on the ideal upgrade of [Poison Resistance], which allowed them to awaken the Poison Concept in all their members. From this common ground, creating a heritage that strengthened each generation a little more was easy. An ideal upgrade could be one of the cornerstones of a clan. "How many epic ideal resistances does he have?" Felix asked his great-niece. "One of his resistances was obfuscating, but... At least three epic ideal resistances." "If we can persuade him to exchange the prerequisites¡ª" Gryphe began. "Even knowing those prerequisites, you know very well that most of our youth are incapable of reaching them," Felix retorted. Over the years, the clans had discovered several ideal upgrade prerequisites. Most required immense talent, opportunities, and resources that the Aelbes couldn''t easily provide to their young. "But Rohan might be able to with the help of the Sun Shop and the Auctions. It could save him during his next Tribulation." "...We''ll see about that later," Leo cut in after a few seconds. Before being a father, he was the clan leader. "Katara, how did the fight end?" The shaman apprentice jumped when the Tier 4s'' attention turned to her. "La¡ªLaepa and Vysharratjekto ended the fight. Kazuki was in critical condition, but the Gaeserts'' shaman apprentice volunteered to heal him. Priam Azura finished the fight without serious injury," she explained, glancing nervously at Eleha. She didn''t want to become the Tier 3''s enemy, but lying in front of the clan council was out of the question. If her leader had asked her the question, it was because he was tired of Eleha''s half-truths. "I see. And then?" "Priam Azura then banned Eleha from his territory, and we left," Katara replied, lowering her gaze. The three Tier 4s remained silent for a few seconds before Gryphe turned to Felix. "This is what happens with nepotism. Eleha was the last person to choose for a diplomatic mission." "I suppose your daughter was the best choice?" "Yes! Do you want¡ª" "Silence!" When Leo''s voice thundered, Gryphe jumped. She felt genuine anger in her chief''s stifling aura. His charisma prevented her from breathing and reminded her of the power disparity that could exist between two Tier 4s. Leo had been stronger than her and Felix at Tier 3, and his Tier up had propelled him to new horizons of power. After a few seconds, the aura receded, and Leo spoke again. His voice was as low as it was threatening, and Gryphe shivered as she listened. "You both tire me. Your sense of superiority towards the Gaeserts and the Snaherts blinds you. This Necro event can change everything, and if we''re not careful, time will swallow our clan. We need these Auctions, and we need to be united." Gryphe and Felix remained silent, accepting the reprimand. "Does anyone have any suggestions?" Leo finally asked. "I could go," Felix suggested. "Eleha has... been disappointing, I must admit. With a few apologies and appropriate compensation, Priam should agree to forget this deplorable affair. It would be the most favorable outcome." "And if he refuses?" Gryphe asked. "Then I''ll force him to accept." "They..." Eleha trembled as she felt the Tier 4s'' wrathful gaze. Even her great-uncle seemed disappointed in her performance. "They have nuclear weapons." The news shocked the three Tier 4s, and Gryphe felt a headache coming on. "... I suppose the diplomatic route must be favored," Felix grimaced after a few seconds. "A Tier 4 might be perceived as an intimidation attempt, and I need you here to fight the waves of corrupted. I''ll send Rohan to negotiate a trade agreement," Leo declared as he stood up. The chief of the Aelbes headed for the tent''s exit, ready to return to training. Passing by Eleha, he stopped briefly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I charge you with finding appropriate compensation. If it''s not enough to convince Oasis to forgive your lack of judgment, if I have to intervene to solve the problem, Felix will tear your heart out with his own hands." Gryphe swallowed. If Leo intervened, Oasis would disappear. The chief of the Aelbes wouldn''t take any risks with nuclear weapons. With those words, the Tier 4 left the tent. Felix gave his frightened great-niece a stern look. "Uncle Felix, I¡ª" "Don''t embarrass me anymore," Felix cut her off before disappearing. "We have a deal if you leave our territory in peace. That is, Oasis and the Rabhorn Valley to the north," said Priam. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Vysharratjekto shook his head. "I cannot promise you that. Our three tribes have not yet decided where to settle." Upon hearing the response, Priam furrowed his brow. "I thought you were nomadic?" "That was our way of life, but the Necro event makes it impossible. We''ll have to establish ourselves on this island and fortify our bases." "... And you need the Auctions for that," Priam understood. That was why Tier 3s bothered to negotiate with him. "Isn''t the Sun Shop enough?" "As a Tier 3, I need to defeat a Tier 0 Earl, a Tier 1 Viscount, or a Tier 2 Baron to earn a single Sun Point," the warrior grumbled. "Can you imagine the difficulty in purchasing acceptable defenses? Not to mention feeding and healing thousands of people. This event is a nightmare..." Priam almost sympathized. His build allowed him to slaughter hundreds of thousands of corrupted and accumulate numerous points, but Vysharratjekto struggled to gather a hundred points a day. "Our Tier 0s and Tier 1s gather as many points as possible, but even that isn''t enough," the Snahert continued. "The Auctions should allow us to trade and purchase what we lack." "Why not access the Auctions from your own territory?" Priam asked. "Laepa more or less dodged the question, but I would like to know." Vysharratjekto remained silent for a moment. "Why should I tell you?" "You don''t have to, I can ask Laepa..." Priam was ready to play all angles to maximize benefit, and Vysharratjekto couldn''t do anything about it. "I assure you, the Snaherts will be better allies than the Gaeserts," the Tier 3 said. "There are two reasons preventing us from accessing the Auctions directly. The first is technical: we need an Auction channel. You used the Secret Channel, but we don''t have that option." "Your leader could spend one Merit point in his Nobility Tree to buy a channel," Priam pointed out. "Our best warrior would have to sacrifice one of his rare Merit points. Even if he agreed, it would only take an enemy breaking our altar to cancel our Auction point and therefore our channel. Too risky." "An enemy? You mean the other tribes," Priam understood. "Our three tribes have coexisted for centuries, and some bad blood exists between us," Vysharratjekto admitted. "The Necro event forces us to team up, but it''s temporary. This brings us to the second reason: this Nobility channel bans those of the same type within a radius that varies depending on the rank of the altar. To put it simply, if one tribe accesses the Auctions, the others will be deprived." "I suppose the other two tribes will attack?" "They won''t watch one tribe gain power without doing anything," Vysharratjekto acknowledged. Priam remained silent for a few moments before sighing. "I understand better now. But if you need me so much, why not agree to let me have the Rabhorn Valley?" "Because the Snaherts don''t have that power, it''s the business of all the tribes. Oasis''s territory will be respected," Vysharratjekto reassured. "Because it''s a trading zone that we all need. The rest of Elysium doesn''t belong to us any more than it does to you. If you want that valley, you''ll have to earn it." "How?" Priam remained silent as Vysharratjekto and Viktol walked away toward the Forum. They had finally reached a satisfying agreement. Five percent commission for Oasis, assistance from the Snaherts in case of an attack by a Necro Envoy, and the ideal upgrade of [Poison Body] for Priam, Kazuki, and Jasmine. According to Vysharratjekto, the Gu trial was too dangerous to be attempted by Hyshana or any other hoplite. Priam was almost sure the reason was different: the Snaherts didn''t want to arm potential enemies. Three ideal upgrades were already a concession. Priam congratulated himself, satisfied with the negotiations. Maybe he could have gotten a better deal, but to have a predatory deal with powerful neighbors was a bad idea. Replacing Priam would be complicated for the tribes, but not impossible. Once the two Snaherts were inside Ymir''s pavilion, Priam''s shadow trembled, and Jasmine emerged from it. She sat on a chair next to him, frowning. Despite the grimace, the assassin remained particularly beautiful. It was the first time Priam had seen her since her race change, and he had to use Micro to calm his hearts. "Do you have an opinion?" Priam asked, averting his gaze. Thanks to their bond, he knew that Jasmine had stayed in the shadow of the apprentice shaman throughout the discussion. "I didn''t hear anything," Jasmine replied. "I delved deep into his shadow to avoid arousing the Tier 3''s suspicions. The image was too blurry for me to lip-read, and I had no sound." Priam nodded as his Domain hadn''t noticed the assassin in his shadow. My sphere of authority isn''t as absolute as I thought... "We''ve got a good deal for Oasis," Priam smiled as he saw the hundreds of Sun points he was already starting to earn thanks to his commission. "But I couldn''t get anything for Bastard Valley." "What?! But if they settle there..." "Sphinx will die. Fortunately, Vysharratjekto mentioned a way to acquire this land." "Which one?" "I thought the alliance of the three tribes was fragile, but it''s worse than that. The Aelbes have more Tier 4s but fear the alliance of the other two tribes. They''re three, which maintains a certain status quo, but they''re staring stonily at each other. Within a month, they''ll have mapped the island, and it will be time to determine who owns what." "And will we have a say?" Jasmine asked ironically. Priam grimaced in response. "Not directly. Normally, it''s the Tier 4s who decide that, but the Gaeserts and Snaherts opposed it¡ªthey prefer to bet on the low Tiers. Each tribe will choose a champion per Tier and have them fight. The first will win three points, the second two, and the third one. They''ll add up the points of each Tier, and the tribe with the most points will choose the location of its camp first, plus a sovereignty zone around it. The second tribe will then make its choice, and then it will be the last one''s turn." "Our rivals won''t be pleased," Jasmine commented, twirling a few strands of hair around her fingers. "It will only cover a small part of the island; the majority will remain in the hands of the Necromoon. But the Rabhorn Valley is in the island''s center and near Oasis¡ªso near the Auctions. According to Vysharratjek, it''s a defensible area with an underground full of interesting resources¡ªBastard didn''t settle there by chance. This valley will certainly be sought after by a tribe, and we can''t accept that." "Are we going to participate in this tournament?" Jasmine asked. "The tournaments will be internal to choose their Champion," Priam corrected. "Here, it will just be three duels per Tier, taking barely a few hours. Vysharratjekto agreed that Oasis would participate. If we also convince Laepa, we have our place. It suits them to have four participants rather than three." Organizing two semifinals and a final with three parts wasn''t practical. Jasmine thought for a few seconds before grumbling, "If we only compete within the Tier 0s, we won''t earn many points." "Nothing stops us from participating in the high Tier duels," Priam winked. "Except that we have no chance of winning?" "You''re too pessimistic. We have a month to prepare. I admit I don''t yet understand the qualitative difference between Tiers very well, but I think I can face Tier 2s after partially tempering my body. If Kazuki dominates the Tier 1 competition, you dominate the Tier 0s, and I manage in the Tier 2s, we can hope for second place. After all, we''ll only have two duels each." With her brows furrowed, Priam found Jasmine adorable. She thought for a few seconds before grimacing. "You may be underestimating these tribes. We''ve only had the System for a few weeks, and they were born with it." "I have confidence in us," Priam replied. "I have confidence in you." Jasmine blushed slightly, turning her gaze away. "And I''m sure you''ll surprise those Tier 2s. However, even if we win our six duels, we''re not assured of being first if one tribe dominates the others in the Tier 3 category and ranks second in the other ones." "None of us stand a chance against Tier 3s," Priam sighed. "Even with a month of intensive training, I won''t be able to face an alert Eleha¡ªand something tells me she''s not the most powerful Tier 3 of the tribes." "We might have a chance not to finish last among the Tier 3s if we choose a strong champion." Priam narrowed his eyes. "Who are you thinking of?" "Dishnu, Arnold, or the Judge. They''re the only rivals potentially capable of facing a Tier 3 head-on." Priam tensed at the mention of Arnold''s name, but another name caught his attention. "The Judge?" "I met him once before¡ª" The young woman interrupted herself and turned to the west. Priam froze as his link with Log-a-rhythm warned him that something had just knocked against the barrier of Oasis. Something powerful and familiar. Event: Necromoon Second wave: A horde masses near Log-a-rhythm, commanded by the body of a former friend. Defend your territory. Reward: 400 Sun points A passage opened in the trunk of Log-a-rhythm, and Louis emerged. His hands were shaking. "She¡¯s here¡­" Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 582 Constitution 979 Agility 561 Vitality 860 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 593 Memory 476 Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 Meta-focus 370 Meta-endurance 381 Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 9 468 Tier 0 Sun points: 155 036 (+16 248) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 47 minutes 44 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 4 hours 20 minutes 57 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 214: Tower Defense - Second Wave Event: Necromoon Second wave: A horde masses near Log-a-rhythm, commanded by the body of a former friend. Defend your territory. Reward: 400 Sun points ¡°Mirscella¡­¡± Priam shot up from his seat before turning to Louis. ¡°If you want to resurrect the real Mirscella, don''t die now!¡± Letting Jasmine convince the old man, he used [Kinetic Control] to dash towards the Forum. The wind whistled in his ears as his body pushed the air. He arrived at Ymir''s pavilion just as the tribal members emerged. The event had not spared them. ¡°It''s only the second wave, it should be relatively tame,¡± Vysharratjekto reassured Viktol. ¡°Easy points for you to grab.¡± ¡°I''m afraid not,¡± Priam countered. ¡°The opposing commander is a Necro Envoy who has possessed the soulless body of one of our friends.¡± Instantly, the attention of both Tier 3s was captured. ¡°Danger level?¡± Laepa inquired. ¡°Tier 3 Marquess,¡± Priam released. Seeing the tribal members'' eyes widen, he quickly added, ¡°She''s weakened for now, we drove her off a few days ago.¡± He didn''t want the Tier 3s to flee. While Laepa frowned, Vysharratjekto grinned. ¡°I''ll be there to defend Oasis, as per our agreement.¡± A forked tongue darted out of his slightly open mouth, tasting the air. His draconic bloodline sensed an opportunity. ¡°Vysharratjekto, it''s too dangerous,¡± Laepa admonished. ¡°Only the Aelbes stand a chance against a Tier 3 Marquess.¡± ¡°You heard Priam, she''s weakened,¡± the Snaherts retorted. ¡°Don''t worry, I can handle it alone.¡± ¡°You want both the Title and the Achievement,¡± Laepa realized. ¡°Greedy.¡± ¡°Ambitious,¡± Vysharratjekto corrected, shrugging. ¡°I''ve made up my mind. Viktol, you''ll attack from the fortifications.¡± ¡°At your command.¡± Priam nodded before turning to Laepa. ¡°Will you help?¡± Laepa massaged her temples for a moment, clearly torn between indecision. Priam knew her priority was to save her clan. If he was wrong, she and Gabrielle would die in vain, dooming the sick members who relied on them. If he was right, they could flee, breaking the trust between Gaeserts and Oasis, or stay and have a chance to unlock a new Achievement. Priam read the conflict on the warrior''s face before she gritted her teeth. Her decision was made. ¡°I want the same deal for my clan as Vysharratjekto¡¯s,¡± she declared. ¡°You don''t even know what I''ve negotiated,¡± the Snaherts remarked. ¡°I trust a snake like you not to have been swindled.¡± The barrier of Oasis trembled, and Priam nodded. Another Ideal Epic skill for me. ¡°Deal,¡± he quickly replied. There was no time to waste. ¡°Follow me.¡± The next moment, he dashed towards the rampart. With a leap, he arrived on the battlement. On his left and right, hoplites took their positions on the rampart, leaving behind the bio-traps laid out in the forest. Hyshana thinks the barrier won''t hold, Priam understood. A sound of shattering glass echoed in the clearing as a crack appeared in the barrier. ¡°According to Elaine, the majority of the wave consists of Tier 0s.¡± Priam turned to Hyshana, who was approaching. She was alone, Kazuki unable to fight or even stand up. ¡°Elaine is a hoplite sniper,¡± Priam explained to his new allies. ¡°She can see far and uses drones for reconnaissance.¡± The two Tier 3s nodded, attentive. Even for them, a necro event was dangerous. ¡°She saw a veritable ocean of monsters,¡± Hyshana informed. ¡°The Necro Envoy seeks to drown us in low-level battles, exhausting our resources and aether.¡± Neither hoplite ammunition nor the defenders'' energy were infinite. A second crack appeared in the barrier, and Laepa frowned. ¡°Should we decimate the Tier 0s or focus on killing the Necro Envoy?¡± ¡°The Necro Envoy can see through the eyes of all nearby corrupted,¡± Vysharratjekto interjected. ¡°If we help you repel the corrupted cannon fodder, she''ll likely flee before revealing herself.¡± Priam shook his head. ¡°Out of the question. If she flees now, she''ll only come back when she thinks she can defeat Tier 3s. I refuse to live with another sword of Damocles hanging over my head. We deal with the Tier 0s, and you with the Necro Envoy.¡± A third crack appeared, and Laepa grimaced. ¡°The rampart is too small; you''ll be overwhelmed.¡± ¡°No, I''m rich.¡± Seeing Laepa''s confusion, Priam smiled. ¡°We humans have developed a technique as unfair as it is powerful: the Pay to Win. Behold.¡± Summoning the Sun Shop, Priam scrolled through the list of fortifications that could aid him before stopping at an interesting choice. Rampart IV (50 000 points) - A protective wall capable of stopping the incessant assault of a Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. Current fortification dimensions: 104 meters long; 5 meters high; 3 meters wide. The building''s dimensions can be increased up to 125% of its current volume. Enchantments: Resilience (Tier 0 - IV), Solidity (Tier 0 - IV), Boundary (Tier 0 - IV), Relay - Barrier (Tier 0 - IV). More than the width, it was the height of the wall that posed a problem. With his vivacity, Priam instantly calculated the new height of the wall if he increased the volume by twenty-five percent. About six and a quarter meters. How many waves of corrupted would crash against a wall that high? I bet on a lot. Rampart IV (50,000 points) - ACQUIRED. Sun points: 105,036 The system modified the rampart in a flash of light. The ground shook under the defenders'' feet, but none fell. With enough points in agility and dexterity, maintaining balance during an earthquake was quite simple. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Not bad, but some of the necro Tier 1s might leap¡ª¡± Without waiting for Laepa''s sentence to finish, Priam validated the next upgrade. Rampart V (100 000 points) - A protective wall capable of stopping the incessant assault of a strong Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. Current fortification dimensions: 104 meters long; 6.25 meters high; 3 meters wide. The building''s dimensions can be increased up to 125% of its current volume. Enchantments: Resilience (Tier 0 - V), Solidity (Tier 0 - V), Boundary (Tier 0 - V), Relay - Barrier (Tier 0 - V). ACQUIRED. Sun points: 5,036 Rampart VI (250 000 points) - A protective wall capable of stopping the incessant assault of a weak Tier 0 Elysian Duke. Current fortification dimensions: 104 meters long; 7.81 meters high; 3 meters wide. The building''s dimensions can be increased up to 125% of its current volume. Enchantments: Resilience (Tier 0 - VI), Solidity (Tier 0 - VI), Boundary (Tier 0 - VI), Relay - Barrier (Tier 0 - VI). In a new flash of light, the rampart gained just under one and a half meters. Priam leaned over the battlements and looked at the bottom of the moat almost eight meters below. If one ignored the two-meter-deep ditch, the rampart towered over the ground by almost six meters¡ªthe height of a one-story house. ¡°Will it do?¡± ¡°...I suppose so,¡± Laepa smiled. ¡°Can''t you also upgrade the barrier and double the number of traps?¡± ¡°I''m a bit short on Sun points, but not for long,¡± Priam replied, pointing at the masses of monsters gathering against the protective dome. Secretly, he lamented his newfound poverty. The next rampart upgrade cost a quarter of a million points, and he was hesitant to spend that much on a rampart. Either way, an opponent capable of destroying the current rampart would be clever enough to circumvent it via the river. ¡°...I''m starting to regret being a Tier 3,¡± Vysharratjekto sighed, touching the upgraded rampart. Made of some kind of white wood, it seemed almost indestructible. ¡°Could you destroy it?¡± Priam asked. Vysharratjekto hesitated for a moment before frowning. ¡°If my Concept had several days to act, yes. But in a few hours? I''d be lucky to make a dent. It''s solid.¡± His statement reassured the defenders. With a crack of world-ending finality, a last crack appeared. It was the straw that broke the camel''s back. As if a frozen bubble burst, the protective dome scattered into a billion aether crystals. The Necromoon illuminated the domain of Log-a-rhythm, and Priam grimaced as corrupted light licked his skin. At the same moment, the simultaneous roar of thousands of corrupted resounded. The sound wave reverberated in Priam''s chest. Laepa and Vysharratjekto vanished, leaving only Viktol, who grimaced under the clamor. Priam turned to the teenager and indicated his right. ¡°Don''t stray too far,¡± he shouted to drown out the din. ¡°Otherwise, I won''t be able to save you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Viktol started a sentence before changing his mind. He moved a few meters away and began pulling vials from his pockets. Further away, Louis took position, followed by the hoplites, Hyshana, Jasmine, and Blueberry. Each wore a determined expression: their base was under attack, and they would defend it to the death. Priam nodded to them before focusing on the forest. The green trees bound to Log-a-rhythm trembled as vociferous corrupted advanced among them. Was it animal instinct or an intimidation attempt? Priam summoned his mist as he pondered the question. For a few minutes, the sound of bio-traps shredding flesh and bone rang out. The defenses purchased by the hoplites and Rose''s turrets wrought havoc, but the horde seemed endless. Priam ignored the notifications recording the thousands of Sun points earned from the tax he collected as Oasis Lord. The battle approached, tension mounted, and he wanted to fight. When the first ranks of corrupted skeletons and cursed undead emerged from the forest, Priam smiled. Neither the foul smell of rotting corpses, nor the nightmarish vision, nor the intense clamor shook his mettle. His mist trembled before drowning out the attackers'' screams. Gallad raised his saber upon sighting the first creatures entering the clearing. Or was it his mech, Graalseeker, that raised the saber? The difference was thin. Following General Kazuki''s example, the hoplites had spent thousands of Potential points to bind themselves to their mechs. The advantage of bound equipment was evident: whether equipped with armor or not, they leveled up just as easily. Better still, they could more easily develop skills based on their mecha. This Talent was more or less potent, and only General Kazuki possessed a mythic connection with his mech. It was a reward from the System for surviving a week in Elysium. These quests were the privileges of those who had accessed Elysium by completing the Tutorial¡ªthe general''s rivals. Gallad burned to improve his Talent so he could store Graalseeker in a spatial pocket, repair it using his aether, or simply enhance it with his Potential. The screams forced the Titan Hoplite to focus on the fight. His training took over, and he activated [In the Zone - Epic]. The world slowed down, and Gallad''s soul connected to his Concept. The world became tricolored as Devotion activated. The forest, the ground, and the sky were pristine white. Nature was pure in the warrior''s eyes. If Gallad had looked away from the attackers, he would have seen his allies colored in certain shades of blue. Hyshana, his commander, shone with a beautiful azure, while a deep blue characterized Clark, one of Ishaka''s men. Even the general''s allies, Priam Azura first among them, had lighter tones. Nevertheless, it was possible that Gallad''s disdain for his comrade tinted his feelings... Literally. However, these light or dark blues were nothing compared to the red and black that tinged the corrupted. Gallad knew his enemies, and his Concept gave him the power to destroy them. When the first undead approached within ten meters of him, Gallad reached for his Saber Mastery. His Concept and Supremacy merged, catalyzed by [Out of sight, Near my blade - Epic]. At the end of a slash that cleaved the air, a white blade left his saber and reached the enemy''s front line. A dozen corrupted collapsed, and Gallad smiled. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 ¡­ There was no way a single one of these creatures would overrun his portion of the rampart. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 582 Constitution 979 Agility 561 Vitality 860 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 593 Memory 476 Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 Meta-focus 370 Meta-endurance 381 Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 9 468 Tier 0 Sun points: 13 562 (-141 474) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 43 minutes 29 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 4 hours 16 minutes 42 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 215: Second Wave - Carnage [Temporary Boost: 1 509 Corrupted (T0 - common) defeated. 71 Corrupted (T0 - Baron) defeated. 4 Corrupted (T0 - Viscount) defeated. 260 Corrupted (T1 - common) defeated. 13 Corrupted (T1 - Baron) defeated. (PHY +500%; MENT+250%) Temporary maximum attributes reached. Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s Aether Reserve: 391/391] Wielding his Conquest Mist, Priam decimated the soldiers of the Necromoon. The fusion of his Concept and Aura was so terrifying that no corrupted creature had yet breached his section of the rampart. The bones and decaying bodies piled up, forming a gruesome barrier several meters high that impeded the advance of the undead. Yet, despite the carnage, the reserves of the Necromoon seemed limitless. In less than an hour, the corrupted would reach the top of the rampart by climbing over the corpses... Minutes into the battle, adrenaline surged and Priam took stock of the situation. Sun Points accumulated rapidly but his mental endurance was put to the test. This couldn''t continue. Charisma enabled Priam to strengthen and control his Conquest Aura. The qualitative transformation brought about by the attribute''s first threshold had allowed him to link his Aura and Concepts, infusing his mist with a destructive quality. His Conquest Mist didn''t directly destroy the corrupted but corroded the aethereal skeleton that allowed them to move. Moreover, it dissipated the Necro Concept that animated these creatures. Priam only needed to project a thick fog to harvest the unlife from the attackers. Given the number of corpses on the ground and his Sun Points, the technique was effective. However, a slight headache indicated its cost. Each time his Aura triumphed over corruption, his mental stamina was depleted. At this rate, I''ll be exhausted in less than twenty minutes. A glance toward the horizon told Priam that it wouldn''t suffice. The verdant and brown canopy stretched for kilometers before hills obscured the view. As far as his enhanced eyes could see, nightmarish shapes were converging on Oasis. The battle was far from over. "The Necro Envoy isn''t planning to give us a chance," he said into his microphone. The one who had stolen Mirscella''s body had planned to raze Oasis to the ground without giving them the slightest hope. "Don''t you want to send Jasmine to find her? It won''t end until the Tier 3s destroy her," Hyshana replied. Priam grimaced, looking to his right. Between Louis and Blueberry, Jasmine was wreaking havoc among the corrupted ranks. She used her Shadow Concept to drown the creatures in their own shadows and hurled solid shadow projectiles at the assailants. Occasionally, the young woman teleported behind a minor necro Noble to swiftly decapitate it. Against her, the Necromoon¡¯s puppets seemed powerless. Jasmine danced a ballet as beautiful as it was deadly. You go, girl! Priam smiled. The presence of his subordinate allowed Louis and Blueberry, two close combat specialists, to hold their portion of the rampart. Priam had seen the old man kill enemies by spitting, but there were more enemies present than drops of water in the martial artist''s body. "Impossible. Without Jasmine, a section of the rampart will collapse," he reluctantly replied. "That leaves only one possibility. The protective dome will reform in about twenty minutes. The Necro Envoy will reveal herself to destroy it, and our new friends will have a window of opportunity," Hyshana replied. A loud bang and a flash of light indicated that the hoplite was doing more than her part. "Let¡¯s do that." To avoid disturbing his ally, Priam cut the communication. He felt capable of holding out for twenty minutes. With the attribute boost granted by [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary], he even felt capable of dispatching each corrupted creature with his spear. Of course, it was a terrible idea, but the Legendary Title transformed Priam into a true Raid Boss. The gap between him and the necro soldiers was so vast that Priam didn''t receive any level-up notifications. I''m not learning anything new here... As the bright, noisy, and foul-smelling environment overwhelmed his senses, Priam recalled Jasmine''s techniques. His rival was honing her skills in battle, and he decided to follow suit. Using his draconic vivacity, Priam created two parallel streams of thought. One took control of his Conquest Mist, annihilating enemies while delving into the Mist Concept. With his perfect affinity and the tension created by the conflict, Unity was within reach. Briefly spending his Potential, Priam realized he could progress rapidly by using [Moon Mist] to control his Concept. Another part of his attention focused on other avenues of improvement. His recent duel with Eleha had proven that he was far from invincible. His offensive capabilities had been disappointing, as had his mobility. Priam briefly considered working on Micro and Spear Mastery before dismissing those options. Kazuki possessed Micro II and was half-step into Spear Mastery II, yet Eleha had still bested him. What I need is raw power. Formulating this thought, an obvious solution presented itself: he needed a Legendary skill. Now that his meridians were solid, Priam could focus on [Kinetic Control]. When he had immobilized Eleha, a Tier 3, the absorbed energy had ruptured his meridians. At the same time, the feat had updated his available upgrades. [Kinetic Control] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Three upgrades are available: [Kinetic Domination - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Domain, [Physics - Forces], [Physics - Energies], [Adaptive Golden Meridians]. You know about subtle kinetic applications but prefer power. Shock and velocity become your main weapons. You sow great destruction on the battlefield. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360. Priam had finally unlocked a high upgrade and felt close to the ideal upgrade. His body was ready to unleash the power of an ideal Legendary skill. Upon rereading the description, Priam understood that he still lacked two things: a complete understanding of [Kinetic Control] and better mastery of kinetic energy on a microscopic scale¡ªin other words, thermal energy. The best way to achieve this was to access Unity with Pyro... and become a Sage. Casting a glance at the sea of corrupted creatures, Priam grimaced. My flames will make the undead even more berserk... Priam could withstand a more brutal assault, but his comrades couldn''t. Could he practice with his Concept without creating flames? It seemed ridiculous at first glance, but his instinct whispered that a different kind of training would yield new answers. Summoning Promesse, Priam observed its nearly white metal tip before activating his kinetic skill. The particles comprising the alloy resisted before beginning to move, commanded by Domain, Pyro, and [Kinetic Control]. Soon, Promesse''s tip began to heat up. Microscopic kinetic activity meant thermal agitation and thus heat. Through conduction, the metal warmed the gas upon contact. The ambient temperature rose through convection, and soon the hot air shimmered, creating a visual distortion that inspired Priam. The silence that fell over the battlefield broke his concentration. Though not a flame, Promesse''s overheated and bright tip seemed to stoke the hatred of the corrupted creatures. Heat and light were eternally beyond the reach of Necromoon''s servants, and they detested them. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. A true wave of enraged monsters rushed into his mist, and Priam decided to test Promesse''s piercing ability. Raising his arm, he hurled his spear and accelerated it with his kinetic skill. Like a cannonball, the weapon broke the sound barrier and exploded a dozen enemies before impaling the claws of a necromantic fox. Before the creature could even dodge, Promesse vaporized its flesh, pierced its bones, and shattered its skull. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 1 - Baron) - Sun point +100 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 26, 27 DEXT +6 Concealed by the animal''s decomposed guts, Promesse ceased to incite the hatred of the corrupted. With a gesture of his hand, Priam retrieved his bound weapon. As the weapon emerged from the mist beside him, he pondered. What is Pyro? A superior, magical, inherited fire. Let''s start with the basics: what is fire? A flame was characterized by the release of heat and light during an exothermic reaction. Flexing Pyro, Priam heated Promesse again, provoking the corrupted creatures. If my enemies can''t tell the difference between this and a flame, why should I? Promesse''s tip heated the air and illuminated the world. When he connected this phenomenon to Pyro, Priam''s soul trembled. A new facet of the Concept revealed itself to him. Sensing the epiphany approaching, Priam decided to make the most of it. He opened his Potential and leaped from the rampart. For a moment, the screams of the corrupted ceased. Even in death, their instincts whispered to fear. Fire was dangerous. And Priam was fire incarnate. POT -739 [Pyro - Concept] - The fragment of a shattered Concept from an Eighth Throne Candidate. Let the failure of its creator be your stepping stone. You still master the Fire Concept. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Pyro and manipulate it. Harmony - Allows you to infuse your aether into your flames to increase their tenacity. Nothing can withstand your flames. NEW. Twenty minutes later, Priam smiled. He had left the rampart long ago, drawing the corrupted creatures to him and alleviating the pressure on the defenders. Boosted by [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Conquest], the young warrior marched along Oasis¡¯ border, repelling a large part of the necromantic wave single-handedly. Like a maestro, Priam guided the mist with his left hand and Promesse with his right. The spear of light twirled around him, slicing, piercing, perforating, cutting, and decapitating his enemies. In his wake, the Champion of Humanity left carnage. Suddenly, a deceased wildcat leaped toward him. His add-on had spotted the Tier 2 long ago. For a few minutes, the Necro Envoy had been sending more powerful creatures to test Priam. The undead cat dodged Promesse with a skill and entered Priam''s Domain, claws bared. This sealed its fate. The sphere of authority fought against the creature''s natural defense for a fraction of a second. Without Supremacies to protect it and facing Priam''s boosted will¡ªthe attribute exceeded three thousand five hundred¡ªthe Tier 2''s resistance was overwhelmed. The corrupted feline¡¯s body began to lose speed, as if sinking into quicksand. [Kinetic Control] absorbed the target¡¯s kinetic energy, immobilizing it before stealing its heat. The body temperature plummeted until all its fluids turned solid. Floating a few centimeters from Priam, the corrupted cat was powerless. With a thought, Priam returned the borrowed kinetic energy. His skill wrung the dead body of every liquid it contained, shattering each bone, twisting every tendon, tearing through even its necrotic skin. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - common) - Sun point +100 Despite the graphic horror of the action, Priam was delighted with his progress. Pyro had reached Harmony, and Mist was close to Unity. By the time the tournament arrived, he would be a Pyro Sage. From there, the ideal Legendary upgrade was almost within reach. I can''t wait to ignite myself! A piece of good news never comes alone, and Priam froze as he felt a colossal amount of aether manifesting. The protective dome was reforming. "It''s now," Hyshana warned. Within seconds, the barrier materialized, separating the army of the dead from the living. Priam watched as the enraged corrupted creatures pounded against the barrier with all their might, to no avail. Only the Necro Envoy, possessing Mirscella''s body, could destroy the protection. At least, that''s what Priam thought. Sensing the ground trembling beneath his feet, he leaped into the air to perch on the top of a tree. A hundred meters away, a titan approached. With a glance, Priam recognized the creature he had faced with Dishnu. Two glowing eyes of cruelty locked onto Priam, and he understood he wasn''t the only one to remember his adversary. [Identification] [Necro Giant - Tier 3 - Corrupted - Viscount] - A corrupted giant native to Necro-verse. Even as a simple legionnaire of the Necro army, this soldier is dangerous. Corruption: Stage 3 - Necro Court Viscount (weakened). Beware of contamination. The barrier stopped a powerful roar, and Priam smiled. He was backed into a corner. His loved ones fought behind him, and his new allies awaited the Necro Envoy''s arrival to act. Oasis''s survival depended on his ability to hold the weakened Tier 3. Using his mastery of kinetic energy, Priam levitated toward his adversary. Passing through the dome, he felt the weight of a million corrupted creatures'' attention on him. Instead of weakening, his smile widened. Transforming his mist cloak into a mantle of flames, Priam boldly embraced the hostility of the Necromoon''s servants. His right hand gripped Promesse, and all of Priam''s attention focused on the cursed giant skeleton. His resentment finally had a target. "So, did you get [Dickless]?" taunted Priam, looking at his opponent''s fleshless pelvis. The necro giant responded with a dreadful roar. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 582 Constitution 979 Agility 561 Vitality 860 Perception 719 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 599 (+6) Memory 476 Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 Meta-focus 370 Meta-endurance 381 Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 8 735 (-733) Tier 0 Sun points: 37 180 (+16 248) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 14 minutes 36 seconds. [Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 3 hours 47 minutes 49 seconds. Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 216: Priam vs Necro Giant, Part 1 The necro giant''s roar ceased as Promesse collided between its eyes. Priam briefly wondered how the creature could howl without vocal cords or lungs, but [Focus] pushed aside such pointless musings. No damage, he noted mentally as his opponent was rocking. As a Tier 3 giant skeleton, its bones were exceptionally sturdy. But how much? he pondered as Promesse returned to his hand. Reaching the Fire Concept spark in his soul, Priam summoned a blazing nova into his Domain. The temperature soared, and he began absorbing the thermal energy from the overheated air molecules. In about ten seconds, his kinetic reserves were full. To store more energy, Priam would need to increase his meta-endurance or upgrade [Kinetic Control]. Arming Promesse, Priam aimed again at the giant skull and channeled the accumulated energy. His body tensed like a bow ready to snap, before he launched the projectile with the force of a ballista. [Kinetic Control] supplied kinetic energy to Promesse until it left his Domain. His reinforced arteries trembled under the unleashed power, but none burst. Feeling the supersonic bang, Priam believed he heard his spear roar in defiance. [Promesse''s velocity upon exiting your Domain: approximately 3500 m/s; ten times the speed of sound. Kinetic Energy: approximately 30 MJ. Note: A strike comparable to that of a small military railgun.] Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 2 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 28, 29 DEXT +6 [Tribulation]: Six attributes above 600 were detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. Time: 162 days 3 hours 47 minutes 30 seconds. Dexterity had crossed a critical threshold, triggering a new Tribulation. It was bound to happen someday... Rather than lamenting over the future trials, Priam focused on the outcome of his throw. The Tier 3 necro was thrown to the ground as if struck by a railgun. The shockwave uprooted some trees and swept away the nearest corrupted beings. Less than two seconds later, the explosion''s blast reached Priam, tousling his hair. His raw throw was powerful enough to obliterate any Tier 2. However, his opponent was a Tier 3. Priam wasn''t surprised to see the giant flinch. Promesse returned to his hand as the enemy began to rise. The warrior''s eyes sparkled as he saw his wounded adversary. A crack on its forehead threatened to split its skull in two. The wound was terrible, and a second attack would have shattered the giant''s head. The fight''s opening was to Priam''s advantage, hence his grunt when he saw a cascade of light falling from the sky. As if blessing a chosen one, the Necromoon¡¯s beams were mending the skeleton''s bone. Priam had progressed since their last duel, but the giant had the advantage of terrain. Not for long. [Moon Mist]. An opaque cloud formed around Priam before creeping towards the skeleton. As a Mist Sage with Harmony and a maxed-out epic skill, the creation cost was laughable. The thick fog eventually covered the entire area, engulfing the necro giant and absorbing the crimson light. The Necromoon wasn''t so easily masked, but the giant''s regeneration speed was halved. Taking advantage of his opponent''s confusion, Priam rode the mist, reappearing outside the corrupted''s Domain. He dashed toward the colossus, skillfully circumvented the massive knee, and aimed for the space between the tibia and femur. Promesse''s tip plunged into the gap. Placing his hands at the end of the shaft, Priam leveraged the weapon to dislocate the joint. Defeating the corrupted was secondary; his main objective was to prevent it from reaching the reformed barrier. With half a leg missing, the colossus would move slower. Muscles tensed under the effort, Priam activated [Kinetic Control], drawing thermal energy from his Domain to transmit it to Promesse in a kinetic form. The ambient temperature dropped, causing ice crystals to appear. The tibia and femur began to grind. As the two bones threatened to separate, the connecting joint manifested physically. A crimson ectoplasm covered the giant''s skeleton in a fraction of a second. Before Priam could comprehend what was happening, a titanic force struck him, and the world spun. The corrupted titan had just slapped him. Sky, ground, sky, tree, sky, earth. His add-on activated [Kinetic Control] to cushion the impact. The forest shook as a cloud of dust concealed his fall. Suppressing a groan, Priam rose as quickly as his injuries allowed. His Domain seized a necro squirrel approaching stealthily, and his spear decapitated it. No other attack followed. The giant¡ªand certainly the Necro Envoy through its eyes¡ªwas trying to orient itself in the thick fog. Part of Priam''s attention was focused on diagnosing his injuries while the other observed his opponent. A kind of fluid ectoplasm covered the skeleton, a manifestation of the Necro Concept that gave it life. The spiritual substance functioned like a multitude of muscles and sinews, articulating the bones and allowing the corrupted to move. Unlike Tier 0s and 1s, the ectoplasm seemed impervious to the Conquest Mist. Worse, the outer part of the ectoplasm seemed solid. A kind of semi-transparent spectral armor now clad the giant. Looks like Susanoo in Naruto... "Rahhh..." After a growl, the titan turned towards Oasis and resumed walking. Its orders were more important than their duel. Priam gritted his teeth before touching his right shoulder. The colossus''s attack had been violent¡ªwithout his boosted constitution, it would have killed him instantly. According to Micro and [Diagnostic], his shoulder was dislocated, and several ribs were cracked. Listening to [Humanoid Anatomy], Priam relocated his shoulder and used [Kinetic Control] to petrify his damaged ribs. Lvl Up: [Diagnostic] lvl 11 PERC +1 Without further delay, Priam dashed toward the corrupted giant. It was now less than three hundred meters from Oasis. Coming from behind, Priam attacked the knee again. Even with Spear Mastery and Conquest Aura, Promesse struggled to pierce the armor and was then stopped by the viscous liquid inside. From the corner of his eye, Priam spotted a new attack. He turned, parried, and allowed himself to be pushed aside. The giant did not pursue the offensive, and Priam took the opportunity to analyze the battle. His usual attacks would not be enough to breach the tank''s double defense. "Time to bring out the big guns." Taking a deep breath, Priam began to fill his draconic lung. The ambient aether rushed towards him, and the Tier 3 turned as it sensed the phenomenon. Levitating over fifty meters high, Priam challenged it with his gaze. Growling, the titan knelt on one knee and raised an arm in front of him. It was preparing to tank the Draconic Breath. Thirty seconds later, Priam felt his third lung had filled. A mixture of condensed aether and flames formed a veritable inferno inside him. In a final effort, Priam activated Pyro''s new ability. [Pyro - Concept] Harmony - Allows you to infuse your aether into your flames to increase their tenacity. Nothing can withstand your flames. The spark transformed into a blazing flame, delivering a stream of liquid fire into Priam''s arteries. The conceptual energy was guided to his mouth, and Priam unleashed the Breath. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A bolt of flame descended from the sky like the herald of Armageddon. The Pyro Breath struck the giant head-on, turning the air into plasma and the ground into lava. The conflagration pushed back the cloud of mist and painted red and orange hues in the sky. The inferno raged for ten seconds, horrifying everyone witnessing the carnage. When the ground stopped trembling and Priam caught his breath, he checked the consequences of his ultimate. The spectral armor had disappeared, and less than ten percent of the ectoplasm remained. The skeleton, however, was unscathed. Tough motherfucker¡­ As the titan plunged its bony hand into the lava, using the ground to rise, Priam noticed flames still gnawing at its defenses. If fire needed fuel and some combustibles to exist, Pyro transcended these constraints. The flames catalyzed by Priam''s aether were devouring the ectoplasm. The giant tried for a bit to extinguish the fire by striking it¡ªin vain. Despite the success, no smile lit the warrior''s face. [Aether Reserve: 42/391 Pyro - Harmony consumes 10 units of aether per second.] One glance was enough for Priam to understand that his fire wouldn''t finish off his opponent in four seconds. Pyro wasn''t the right way to continue this fight, but the warrior had other cards to play. Exhausted by his ultimate attack, Priam canceled Pyro and raised Promesse. Guiding the remaining aether within him, he began to create an energetic drill around the spear''s tip. The mastery of aether he had acquired through Esm¨¦e''s exercises helped him to overload [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Priam smiled as he felt his original heart produce pure energy, which, shaped by his skill and Domain, covered his spear like a rotating sheath. As the giant resumed its march through the cloud, Priam rode the mist and attacked from a blind spot. The aether drill was barely slowed by the ectoplasm before striking one of the giant''s cervical vertebrae. For the first time in its existence, the skill was blocked. The sheath crashed against the bone, but instead of shattering, it persisted. Like a drill, [Tribulation Piercing Spear] was trying to perforate the bone. Promesse began to vibrate, and Priam growled as he tightened his grip. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 17 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 The Tier 3 roared as a dozen spectral tentacles sprouted from the ectoplasm before moving towards Priam. Overclocking his [Phoenix Wings], Priam dodged the attack. The duel against Eleha had taught him that merging with his flames or mist wouldn''t protect him from all attacks. Breaking the sound barrier, he groaned under the rapid acceleration and then deceleration. The two opponents exchanged a glance before the giant resumed his march. As the giant advanced through the mist, Priam observed its neck. His sight was blurry from the aftermath of the Hecate New Moon''s activation, but squinting his eyes, Priam spotted a thin crack in the titan''s vertebra. A slight smile lit his face. The piercing attack had overcome the Tier 3''s constitution. A dozen cries diverted Priam''s attention. Looking up, he saw birds diving towards him. With a wave of his hand, Priam summoned a dozen fireballs that greeted the creatures. Several explosions shook the mist. Dodging a rain of decomposed bones and flesh, Priam frowned. His attack had annihilated the assailants, but a second wave of enemies was already approaching. Worse, the giant had taken advantage of the exchange to progress towards Oasis. The Necro Envoy wasn''t stupid and didn''t intend to grant Priam a duel. Fuck. Charging his system to detect the birds and snipe them using the Fire Concept, Priam dashed to catch up with his adversary. "Our seismographs indicate that the colossus is less than two hundred meters away. Do you need a cover?" Hyshana worried as the giant approached Oasis. "Your attacks won''t pierce that monster''s defense. Look for the Necro Envoy instead." "Got it." Priam observed the fissure already beginning to regenerate before making a decision. The aether drill had been a great idea, but Priam wanted to destroy solid bone, not dig a hole in it. He didn''t need a drill; he required a jackhammer. Raising Promesse, Priam launched another attack. Conquest Aura and Spear Supremacy merged within the weapon as Priam aimed for the crack. Upon impact, he activated [Kinetic Control]. His spear surged forward, struck the crack, and bounced back. All fighters experienced a recoil when striking a wall, a punching bag, or an opponent. Sometimes, it was so violent that it was possible to break a bone by hitting an object hard. Priam''s idea was to absorb this recoil. By doing so, he would waste no kinetic energy and could launch another strike without delay. Activating [Kinetic Control] again, Priam propelled Promesse forward. As the weapon struck the vertebra, he absorbed its kinetic energy. Rather than recoiling from the attack''s backlash, the spear simply stopped. With a smile on his lips, Priam reused the recycled energy to propel Promesse forward, then absorbed the returning impact. Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 23 STR +3 Faster! Stealing heat from his Domain, Priam struck, absorbed the recoil, then struck again and again. His second set of meridians¡ªhis own arteries and veins¡ªbegan to heat up as Priam pumped and unleashed a colossal amount of energy every instant. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 The rhythm accelerated, and Promesse''s back-and-forth became an increasingly rapid cycle. Soon, the spear''s tip struck the corrupted bone dozens of times per second, mimicking a jackhammer. Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 24 STR +3 You have gained the skill: [High-frequency Barrage - Rare]. [High-frequency Barrage] - When a single attack isn''t enough, you strike ten times. When ten assaults are insufficient, you launch a hundred more. Your enemies crumble under the intensity of your blows. This skill is based on a multitude of rapid and recoilless strikes. To fail a thousand times and try again without changing a thing. Some call it perseverance; others call it stupidity. You must have an excellent affinity with this Concept. AGI +3 Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 2, 3, 4 AGI +9 Under the extreme percussion, the crack widened until it covered the vertebra. The giant roared and turned around. Too late. The bone exploded, showering Priam with hundreds of shards, some of which pierced his skin. Grimacing, he hastily expelled the cursed shards from his body and stepped back. A slight dizziness signaled that [Necro Resistance] was working to fight the corruption. Assuming a defensive stance, Priam looked at the frozen skeleton. The ectoplasm supporting it writhed, as if trying to replace the missing vertebra. Even if it succeeded, it would still be a weak point. Priam wondered how many bones he''d have to crush to the dust to vanquish his adversary. Whatever the number, Priam could finally aspire to defeat a Tier 3. One bone at a time if necessary. "This changes nothing," said Mirscella''s voice. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 593 (+11) Constitution 979 Agility 581 (+20) Vitality 860 Perception 720 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 606 (+7) Memory 476 Willpower 1 036 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 564 Meta-focus 376 (+6) Meta-endurance 397 (+16) Meta-perception 258 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 8 760 (+25) Tier 0 Sun points: 37 505 (+325) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 13 minutes 26 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 3 hours 46 minutes 39 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 217: Priam vs. Necro Giant, feat. [Redacted] Part 2 Seated cross-legged, mere centimeters from an enchanted diamond, a man with obsidian hair sighed deeply. "I despise those golden boys..." "Stop grimacing," said a young boy beside him. "You only just gave me those muscles," his brother countered. "I should slap a smile on your face," the child muttered. "I''d abandon this body right away." Osiris grunted before returning his attention to the broadcast. Priam was locked in combat against a towering Tier 3. The battle was breathtaking, and though he didn''t grasp every detail, the young Duatian relished in the explosions and shockwaves. He had cheered while witnessing Priam''s Breath and then jeered at the opponent who had failed to succumb to such a remarkable attack. Now, something was troubling the young boy. If Priam struggled against this Tier 3, how would he overcome the Necro Envoy controlling it? A furtive glance in his brother''s direction didn''t go unnoticed. "Don''t worry, she can¡¯t control me." "...She commands the Tier 3." "And I have access to the System." Osiris nodded. His brother had unlocked the Legendary rank of [Necro Resistance] and used rewards from Tribulations, quests, and Merits to shield himself from the Necromoon''s influence. It wasn''t perfect, but he was convinced that not even a Necro Herald, a true Tier 5, could manipulate him. "He''s more powerful than I thought," grumbled Seth, focused on the combat projected in the diamond. "He''s Jasmine''s boss," Osiris replied as if that explained everything. "She''s too old for you. Anyway, I was talking about the giant." "You said ''he''." "I can hear his soul screaming," Seth shivered. "Well, he''s a Tier 3. Creating an instinct of that level is possible but complicated. The Necromoon prefers enslaving souls." The bitter tone in his voice indicated Seth included himself in that group. The subject displeased Osiris, who diverted the conversation. "You were saying it''s¡­ Hum, he¡¯s more powerful than you thought? I find him powerful enough as is." "He''s supposed to be weakened by Elysian laws. So early in the event, no corrupted should approach Tier 3. He''s not on the level of a Tier 3 Viscount as stated in his description, but he''s not a Tier 2 either." "It makes no difference to Priam; if he kills him, he''ll get the Achievement," commented Osiris. "That''s the tricky part." "A Tier 3¡¯s corruption is not trivial." Priam froze upon hearing Mirscella''s mental voice. No, it''s the Necro Envoy! "Do you feel so alone that you want to talk to me?" he spat. "I sense... hatred within you? I haven''t killed any of yours yet." Priam clenched his teeth. "Except Eiji." "...The hoplite? I admit I forgot about him. The laws of your world limit my power; I have to make choices." Priam had several insults ready, but he chose to remain silent. Allowing oneself to be disturbed during a fight was foolish. He couldn''t resurrect Eiji, but he could avenge him. Lvl Up: [Necro Resistance] lvl 9 VIT +3 WILL +3 META(Endurance) +3 A brief diagnosis confirmed that the Tier 3''s corruption wouldn''t pollute his body before the cooldown of [He Who Eludes Death] ended. Reassured, Priam focused on his Domain. "The Necromoon spares the ego of those who willingly pledge allegiance to it. Think about it." To communicate with him, the Necro Envoy had to establish a connection. His fine perception of the aether detected a link. A sort of thread connected to his body. If he could trace it back... Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 7 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 It took him less than two seconds to find its origin. "You''re using the necro giant as a proxy," Priam understood as his system recorded the shape of the telepathic bridge between himself and the giant. A useful trick. "Of course. But you haven''t answered my proposal. Will you join me?" "In exchange for the prerequisites of an ideal upgrade, I''ll consider it," replied Priam. "The servants of the Necromoon don''t have access to your heathen System." The honesty he felt unsettled Priam. Either the Necro Envoy was an incredible actress, or she thought there was a chance he would accept joining her. If the latter was true, then her soul was so alien that she didn''t even comprehend the stupidity of her request. Using his newfound proficiency with the aether, Priam severed the connection. Maintaining a mental link with a Necro Envoy couldn''t be a good idea. It wasn''t impossible that the connection could allow reading his thoughts or influencing his subconscious. The necro giant hadn''t remained inactive during the brief conversation. The crimson ectoplasm covering its skeleton had condensed to replace the destroyed vertebra. Despite all of Priam''s efforts, he was back to square one. As frustration brewed in his heart, he received a notification. Announcement to Humanity: Prometheus slayed an Arkana Elite (Tier 2) while in Tier 0. A Legendary feat! "... I suppose I''m not the only one making progress." Priam was humanity''s trailblazer, but how many geniuses and brave souls were fighting to rise alongside him? Many. The System itself acknowledged it: humans knew how to adapt. His competitive spirit ignited, and Priam refocused on the giant. If I hurry, I should be able to reply to Prometheus before he cracks open the champagne. As Priam prepared to return to the fray, the giant turned towards him. Trapped in its jaws, a crimson nova was brewing. Priam''s instinct screamed. Activating his wings, he narrowly dodged the bloody beam. The attack grazed him before igniting the atmosphere with the power of a gigajoule laser. Three kilometers away, the flank of a hill collapsed, ravaged by the ray. The necro giant closed its mouth, growling its dissatisfaction before continuing toward Oasis. Its target was now just a hundred meters away. "Priam..." "I know." The laser could have easily pierced Oasis''s defenses. The Necro Envoy was sending a message: she didn''t just want to kill them; she wanted to convert them. The realization awakened Priam. He had to stop the necro giant, and he had to do it now. Emerging from the mist, Priam attacked the second vertebra. Using [High-frequency Barrage], he struck dozens of times per second, pushing back the ectoplasm and fracturing the bone. A punch forced him to dodge, but Priam didn''t give up. He attacked from another angle, exploiting the weakness until the bone yielded. Rotating Promesse, Priam prevented new shards from penetrating his skin. Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 25, 26 STR +6 Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 5, 6 AGI +6 Furious, the Tier 3 tried to grab him, but failed. Its strength lay in its constitution, not its agility. Priam''s wings and kinetic mastery ensured exceptional mobility. A dozen bloody tentacles born from the ectoplasm sought to reach him, but Priam dodged them all. Occasionally, Pyro burned an appendage, punishing the skeleton''s audacity. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Taking advantage of his speed and agility, Priam played with his opponent, creating weaknesses in every bone. A third vertebra exploded, followed by two ribs. Dodging between the giant''s legs, Priam attacked everywhere, accumulating damage before delivering a final blow. After two minutes of driving the corrupted crazy, he succeeded in shattering its humerus. The skeletal right arm detached and fell to the ground with a loud crash. No ectoplasm came to replace it. Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 27, 28 STR +6 Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 7, 8 AGI +6 The smile on Priam''s lips died as the titan roared before running towards Oasis alongside the countless mobs. The Necro Envoy had had enough. Priam rushed, attacking the creature''s legs without restraint. Promesse''s tip gleamed, striking again and again on the nearly indestructible bones. Cracks appeared, but it would take several minutes to exploit them. Priam had only a few seconds. Fifty meters from Oasis, Promesse pierced the viscous liquid and struck the bone twice before an ectoplasmic spine attempted to pierce Priam. With only one life at his disposal, he had to retreat as the giant advanced a step. Oasis was only forty meters away. An explosion sounded at the giant''s skull, and shadow vines wrapped around its femur. The skeleton struggled, tearing the shadows and ignoring the hoplites'' attacks. It was now so close that its gleaming eyes lit up the defenders. "Priam, we have to send one of the Tier 3s," said Hyshana. "If we do that, the Necro Envoy will flee!" Damn it! Gritting his teeth, Priam rode the mist, reappearing just in front of the titan. Risking it all, he plunged a flame-gloved hand into the ectoplasm. Pyro burned the substance, allowing his palm to touch the bone. [Kinetic Control]. A terrifying amount of energy rushed into his meridians. Breathless, Priam trembled in pain, a torrent of fire coursing through his veins. Clenching his teeth, he endured. Less than twenty meters from Oasis, a twenty-meter-tall colossus stopped, frozen by the tiny human at its feet. The David versus Goliath reenactment shocked the forest, giving rise to a brief moment of silence. ¡°Fire!¡± shouted Priam. In response, each defender struck, burning their aether to bring down the titan. The flurry of attacks seemed to awaken the ectoplasm. It pulsed, sending a dozen spikes to impale Priam. Turning his cloak into a fiery nova, he intercepted the attack. The corrupted thorns slowed as they penetrated the protection. Deep in the incandescent storm, Pyro waited. The Concept carried on the work of the flames, devouring the intruders. The burning appendages didn''t stop their progress: the Tier 3 produced them faster than they were consumed. The sight of the approaching tentacles disgusted Priam. From his desire to repel them emerged an idea. His draconic vivacity split his attention. One part continued to freeze his opponent, while the other recycled the kinetic energy absorbed. [Echolocation], [Kinetic Control]. A sonic shockwave was ejected from his body outward. The disturbance spread through the air, pushing the tentacles back and creating a crater under Priam. Nearby trees shattered, and the Oasis barrier trembled. Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 6, 7, 8 PERC +6 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 4 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 A second wave of spikes approached, and Priam emitted a new mechanical wave. The necro giant lacked imagination and repeated its assault. In the following seconds, the two adversaries clashed in a stalemate. Finally, the attacks ceased. Priam gritted his teeth, continuing to absorb the titanic energy of the Tier 3. As long as he held on, his loved ones would be safe. Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 9 PERC +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 5 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 The titan was struggling, deploying its formidable strength to overcome the suppression. Focused on [Kinetic Control], Priam barely noticed the moment when his second set of meridians began to erode. Even an epic ideal resistance couldn''t fight forever against a Tier 3. "I give your circulatory system less than a minute to explode." The Necro Envoy''s voice returned, and Priam paid her no attention. Half of his consciousness imprisoned the Tier 3, and the other fought against the increasing pain. His body was falling apart, and the damage was reflected in his soul. Micro alleviated physical suffering but could do nothing against spiritual agony. "You have only one word to say, and Laepa will come to help you," said Hyshana. Priam remained silent. He didn''t need help. [Three-Headed Hydra]¡¯s Merit could save him at any moment, but his instinct whispered that he should endure. Seconds ticked by, and he began to taste a metallic tang in his mouth. His veins burst one after another, and his entire body weakened. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 6 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up: [Necro Resistance] lvl 10 VIT +3 WILL +3 META(Endurance) +3 "A word, just one, and you''ll be free." Wracked with spasms, Priam briefly wondered if the message came from Hyshana or the Necro Envoy. As his body fell apart and his soul crumbled, Priam felt the call of his second racial Talent. Half-conscious, he realized that the Talent was active. It had prevented Eleha from taking him seriously, and now it was influencing the Necro Envoy. [Homo Elysian Predation] manipulated the instincts of his enemies to lead them to their demise. The fusion of Jasmine and Esm¨¦e''s Talents could overturn the chessboard, offering a chance of victory to its bearer. Ignoring the calls of the Necro Envoy, Priam listened to the whispers of his Talent. Something was brewing. All he had to do was appear weak. If the Necro Envoy underestimated him, the roles of hunter and prey would be reversed. Time passed, and Priam continued to paralyze the giant. A black veil appeared before his eyes, robbing him of his vision. The screams of the corrupted who perished as they approached vanished. The smell of ash and decay faded. He hadn''t been this close to death since his Tutorial. This thought made him smile. If [He Who Eludes Death] were made public, many would think that was why Priam wasn''t afraid of death. It was false. His Patron had chosen him above all because Priam didn''t flinch in the face of the reaper. He dared to dance with her, to endure her attention, without ever accepting her kiss. Priam never gave up. "So this is how Priam Azura will die." "You can''t kill me," murmured Priam, unable to hear his own voice. "Neither you nor anyone else. There''s a reason They named me Death''s Obsession." Priam still didn''t know if the title bestowed by his Patron was serious, but the word of such a powerful being carried weight. "If you''re not dying, what are you doing?" "I''m waiting." "For whom?" "... I think the First is talking about me," said a third voice. When his add-on confirmed to him that the pain hadn''t driven him insane, Priam breathed a sigh of relief and traded his lifespan for a hydra''s regeneration. In mere moments, his body and soul were restored. Only his vision remained slightly blurred¡ªthe curse of Hecate New Moon not so easily dispelled. Raising his eyes, he spotted the one-armed necro giant standing before the vanguard of the necro army. Half his skull was gone, the defenders'' work. On its shoulder, Mirscella''s possessed body glared at him with eyes ablaze with hatred. The Necro Envoy had revealed herself, believing in her victory. She finally understood that Priam had held onto his cards all this time. The Homo Elysian flashed her a mocking smile. Priam turned to the newcomer. Just outside his Domain, a humanoid with synthetic skin observed him. Standing two meters tall, his high stature was less remarkable than his gaze. Inhuman, intelligent, and intensely focused, the eyes of the Var Elegis judged the world at every moment. Priam looked at the homunculus who had killed him a few hours after his arrival in Elysium and smiled. "You took your time." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 611 (+18) Constitution 979 Agility 599 (+18) Vitality 870 (+10) Perception 730 (+10) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 610 (+4) Memory 476 Willpower 1 044 (+8) Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 568 (+4) Meta-focus 385 (+9) Meta-endurance 428 (+31) Meta-perception 265 (+7) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 66 Potential: 8 782 (+22) Tier 0 Sun points: 37 505 (+0) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 10 minutes 39 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 3 hours 43 minutes 52 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 218: Im More Than a Legend: Im a Myth "You took your time," said the First, his body regenerating within moments. Arnold, Champion of the Var Elegis, sole Homunculus of the seventh generation, administrator of the Empire''s AGI, and Elysian Duke, almost glitched. According to the films he''d purchased from the Guardian of Secrets, the First''s statement could be interpreted as a greeting and it was impolite not to respond. However, the response options provided by his processors were suboptimal. Arnold decided to run a thousand simulations to find the perfect reply. [Duration of the simulations: 1 838 526 000 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom. Approximately one-fifth of a human second.] Human customs allowed for a few hundredths of a second of thought between a remark and a response; that was more than enough time to devise an optimal comeback. The Var Elegis'' processors kicked into high gear. It was an opportunity to mend a relationship that had begun with an attack on his part. During their first encounter, Arnold had obeyed his initial protocols and attempted to neutralize a threat. The failure had alarmed the Var Elegis, forcing him to adapt. For the first time, Arnold had ignored the Empire''s commands and developed an ego. His binary worldview had shattered, forcing him to drastically change his ways. These changes had led to successes, such as the restructuring of the Empire or his cooperation with the Princess. All of it stemmed from the First, and Arnold was determined to understand his rival¡ªand their relationship. Each new interaction portrayed a complex character. During their second encounter, the First had ignored him before leaping into a spatial rift. What seemed like suicide had not eliminated his rival. After analyzing the rift, the conclusions were clear: the physique of a mythical race was necessary to survive the crossing. During their third encounter, accompanied by the Warrior, the First had demanded the body of the Assassin. His anger had almost caused a localized spatial collapse. Numerous hypotheses could explain this, each more terrifying than the last. Today, the converted Assassin defended the First''s base, alongside the Warrior''s subordinates and two local Tier 3s in hiding. Facing them, the Necro Envoy was only just beginning to realize she was the prey. Once again, the First''s plans were terrifying. Even more terrifying were his powers. Arnold had watched the battle from the start, trying to better understand the First. Why was he dragging out the fight? The Tribulation in his chest or the curse in his eyes could have decimated his opponent a hundred times over. Arnold had understood why just moments ago when he received a new Talent. [Artificial Instinct - Gold] - Your biology, mind, and soul predispose you to extreme pragmatism; the antithesis of instinct. Yet, the influence of [Redacted] has granted you this gift. Some lines of code optimize the system while others destroy it. Despite the censorship, Arnold''s new instinct left him with no doubt about its creator. The First had dragged out the fight in part to bestow upon him a Gold Talent. What did he expect in return? All of this was part of a plan that none of the Var Elegis¡¯ AGIs could comprehend. This fourth encounter promised to be as enigmatic for Arnold as the first three. He refocused on the First. Whether his rival was an orphaned Dragon or an agent of the System, it made no difference to the Mission. The Var Elegis would prevail. But before their fated death duel fractured the universe of Concepts, temporary collaborations could benefit both sides. He had to get closer to the First, if only to study him. Arnold was aware that his nascent personality was still fragile. Imitating that of his greatest rival would bring him closer to the Zenith. "I didn''t know I was expected," replied the Var Elegis twenty-three hundredths of a second after the First''s remark. His simulations had concluded that an honest response in the French language was relevant. "Yet here you are," pointed out the First. "The existence of a primary objective¡ªdiscussing a mutual defense pact¡ªand a secondary objective¡ªa weakened Tier 3 Marquess¡ªin the same geographical area is the reason for my presence." "You have a powerful body; too bad I have a preference for a carbon base," commented the Necro Envoy. "In what way am I an objective?" The Var Elegis ignored the question. Responding to a future corpse was a waste of energy. "It seems obvious to me. If he kills you, he''ll become a King," the First said. "Just him?" chuckled the Necro Envoy. A smile spread across the First''s lips. "No, not just him." Laepa frowned as she saw the homunculus appear. His method of movement was so alien that she hadn''t sensed him coming. His mineral scent and the absence of a heartbeat added to his oddities. "The metal golem is dangerous," Vysharratjekto murmured. Laepa remained on guard. The draconic instinct of the Snaherts'' elites was difficult to deceive. If her temporary ally took the trouble to warn her, it meant he doubted he could defeat the Tier 0 alone. "More so than Priam?" "I can''t get a detailed read on Priam; he resists identification skills, his soul is strange, and one of his Talents counters my draconic instinct," the Snaherts grimaced. "But this Arnold is as monstrous as Rohan." Tightening her grip on her javelin, Laepa forced her heart to calm down. This new Champion might be terrifying, but it didn''t change her plan. She had to do enough damage to deserve an upgrade to her Nobility rank. Facing a Tier 3 Necro Marquess, even weakened, was a chance that wouldn''t come again soon. "No, not just him," announced Priam. Laepa understood that it was her moment. [Prey Designation - Legendary], [Target Lock - Legendary], [No Way Out - Mythic]. The mythic skill temporarily bound the Necro Envoy''s soul with her Tracking Concept to prevent her from escaping. The monster hidden in the body of an old woman roared. Spotted, Laepa pushed off the rampart and leaped forward. Her Tracking Concept multiplied her attributes as she moved toward her prey. A fraction of a second later, she reached the giant necro, swiftly climbed onto its shoulder, and faced the enemy. The Necro Envoy had transformed. The elderly woman''s aged face was gone, replaced by a terrifying undead. Her white hair had merged into a spectral veil. The shadow of it failed to hide two red eyes glowing with hatred. In her hand, a long scepter was adorned with a third bloodshot eye. A feeling of disgust overwhelmed Laepa as she lowered her gaze. Mirscella''s own skin had been sewn into a dress that covered the creature''s body. The only piece of armor, a breastplate, seemed to be a fusion of the old woman''s compacted and fossilized organs. The nightmarish appearance disturbed Laepa so much that she was caught off guard by her foe¡¯s attack. "Fatum." The huntress''s heart froze as a crushing mass descended upon her. The battle would have ended there without Micro III. The Supremacy forced the huntress''s heart to beat again as the beginnings of her Aura struggled against the spiritual pressure. Raising her head with difficulty, Laepa threw her javelin. The Necro Envoy dodged, halting the channeling of her suppression spell. Taking advantage of the opening, Laepa dashed, overclocking all her muscles. Some of her muscles were torn, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Defeating an enemy as powerful as a Tier 3 Marquess¡ªeven weakened¡ªwithout injury was unrealistic. Reaching her opponent in a fraction of a second, Laepa seized her leg. A freezing cold crept into her hand upon contact, but the huntress ignored it, using her grip to hurl the Necro Envoy into the air. A fraction of a second later, the full draconic Breath of Vysharratjekto exploded, engulfing the Necro Envoy. With the exception of the giant necro, all the corrupted beings present in the fog summoned by Priam collapsed. Despite his high mental attributes, neither his cognitive abilities nor his add-on were sufficient to monitor every monster within a radius of several hundred meters. It was another story when a hundred thousand enemies fell simultaneously, and Priam instantly understood what was going on. The necromantic energy powering each body was absorbed by the Necro Envoy and woven into a protective sphere a fraction of a second before the Breath reached her. Vysharratjekto''s attack split the sky in two, drowning the enemy in a deluge of raw power that made Priam''s hair stand on end. "May I purchase the right to kill your Necro Envoy?" Priam refocused on Arnold. The homunculus looked at him, and his inhuman physiology gave no clue to his thoughts. The only thing his physique inspired was fear. Quite logical, he looks like a cross between a Na''vi, a Terminator and General Grievous. Yet, Priam''s instinct told him he was in a position of strength. Perhaps his rival thought the two Tier 3s were under Oasis¡¯ command? That they had organized all this? Priam was briefly tempted to take advantage of this but then thought better. Arnold would never be a friend, but there was no need to make an enemy of him. "I claim the giant necro. The Necro Envoy is free for all¡­ as long as your fight doesn''t damage Oasis." Arnold reached for the barrier of Oasis. A wave of blue aether escaped from his fingers to strike the dome, which began to vibrate. "A temporary overclock," he explained. "Thank you." The Var Elegis remained silent and Priam wondered if he expected payment. I didn''t ask for anything! "Well, don¡¯t let me keep you..." Dismissed, the homunculus turned toward the dissipating draconic Breath. Two light blades resembling lightsabers appeared in his hands, and his skin flipped, exposing seamlessly linked metal plates. Unlike hoplite mechas, the Var Elegis'' armor was terrifying. It wasn''t just equipment: it was the battle-form of an artificial predator. As a Fire Champion, Priam sensed the presence of a dreadful heat trapped within his rival¡¯s body. Arnold leaped in a fast and optimized movement. A force field pushed back the ambient air, canceling the supersonic bang and any friction. Under the terrifying acceleration, Priam lost sight of his rival. He found the Var Elegis near the fissured necromantic sphere. The protection created by the sacrifice of a hundred thousand corrupted beings had survived the draconic Breath but was now emitting crimson smoke. Arnold struck without waiting for his opponent to recover. His two lightsabers sliced through the air before effortlessly penetrating the protective sphere. The Necro Envoy''s scream revealed that she was hit. The necromantic orb exploded, sending a toxic cloud in all directions. From the ground, Priam saw a ray of crimson light escape amidst the confusion. A chain materialized between Laepa''s chest and the horizon, and Priam understood that the Tier 3 would allow no escape. In a blur of motion, Laepa and Arnold chased after the enemy. A second later, a giant winged serpent followed. A few meters from Priam, an object fell from the sky. During her brief exchange with Arnold, the Necro Envoy had lost her arm. "All in all, he''s a pretty nice guy when he''s not ripping my heart out. I mean, a pretty nice killing machine?" Priam sighed. "Okay, I really need to make some normal friends." A pain in his veins drew his attention. With the Necro Envoy''s departure, the corrupted giant regained its destructive instinct. [Kinetic Control] began to absorb his kinetic energy again, eroding Priam''s second set of meridians. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "To each their own fight," smiled Priam. Promesse appeared in his hand, and he attacked. "Laepa''s gonna kill the Necro Envoy," declared Gabrielle. "Because Priam prefers taking on the giant," Rose added. "He ain''t got what it takes to face the Necro Envoy," the young apothecary replied, shrugging. Rose raised an eyebrow as she disconnected a turret from the rampart. "If that were true, why''d she call a necro Wave? She could''ve attacked solo." "Maybe she didn''t want to take almost any risk? After all, he could''ve injured her," Gabrielle suggested. "And now she''s skedaddling for her life. That''s a real achievement," Rose scoffed, fueling the turret with her aether. It powered up, and Rose nodded, satisfied. "I''ve known Priam for a while; he always comes out on top," she said, heading towards another turret. "He came out on top against Eleha?" Gabrielle asked. "He shattered her arms without getting a scratch back. Sounds like a win." "If Laepa hadn''t intervened, she would''ve killed him." A smirk played on Rose''s lips. Seeing it, Gabrielle frowned. "Am I wrong?" "Yeah, but I ain''t gonna explain why," Rose replied, disconnecting another turret. "I''ll bet you anything there''ll be a second showdown against Eleha, and he''ll crush her." "You''re a fangirl?" Gabrielle asked, rolling the word on her tongue. Despite the Guardian of Secrets language pack, she could barely grasp its meaning. "The president of his fan club!" Rose laughed. "Who''s in it?" "Me and Myuri. You can be the vice president if you join us quick enough." Gabrielle glanced at the mute woman accompanying them on the rampart. She didn''t seem thrilled about the fight. "And why are you a fan?" "When I was little, my dad supported different sports teams each season. He hated losing, so he always rooted for the team with the best shot at winning." "... And you think Priam will always win," Gabrielle concluded. Rose pointed at the battle between the Champion and the giant necro. The latter was now crawling, Priam having reduced its legs to dust. Watching him, Gabrielle had to remind herself he was a Tier 0. Each of his attacks made the ground shake, and he deftly dodged every move from the Tier 3. Guess he''s pretty badass... "That, plus the fact that he resurrected me. Myuri, can you hold this, please?" Rose asked. The scarred-faced young Empyrean approached to take a second turret. "What are you gonna do with these turrets?" Gabrielle asked. Rose gave her an incredulous look. "Didn''t you notice the defenseless corrupted outside this barrier? That''s easy Sun points in my book." The young Tribeswoman''s face froze in horror. "You wanna go out there all alone?!" "Myuri doesn''t talk much, but she''s a person too." "You know darn well what I mean. If the adults¡ª" "Gabrielle, I''m an orphan," Rose cut in. "Priam, Jasmine, and all the others feed me, protect me, and my debt to them grows every day. Can you imagine watching them progress at lightning speed while feeling useless? I hate it. I want to help them as much as I want to become their equal. For that, there''s only one solution: I gotta surpass myself." Brushing past Gabrielle, Rose ventured toward the forest. Myuri followed behind. Gabrielle looked around, feeling lost. Hoplites were venturing into the forest, bringing back dozens of corpses that they dumped at the foot of Log-a-rhythm. Kazuki, the hoplite she had healed, could barely stand but was facing the forest. Blades of wind regularly shot from his fingers, sniping the motionless corrupted. A bear and an old man roared as they tore through any enemies they could find. Only Viktol, the other apprentice, remained paralyzed under the great tree, refusing to approach the corrupted. Their eyes met, and Gabrielle shivered. "Rose, Myuri, wait for me!" Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 10, 11 PERC +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 29, 30 STR +6 Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 9, 10 AGI +6 Like a tyrannical teenager, Priam demolished his toy, bone by bone, a grin plastered on his face. Now that Oasis was safe and the giant necro''s rage was directed at him, he relished the duel. It might seem ludicrous, but Priam chuckled as he dodged the titan''s frenzied attacks. Blocking waves of thorny tentacles and retaliating at the risk of his life made his hearts beat as loud as if Esm¨¦e were to smile at him. Micro allowed him to harness the full power of his physical attributes, and Priam made his body sing. Overclocking the muscles in his legs, he sidestepped a monumental skeletal palm hurtling toward him. Two meters from the monster''s skull, Priam offered Promesse his own kinetic energy. Listening to Micro and Spear Mastery, his muscles tensed optimally. Domain spotted a weakness in the opponent''s bone, and his dexterity slightly altered the trajectory of his thrust. The tip of his spear pierced the ectoplasm before striking the massive skull at the site of a microscopic crack. Priam absorbed the recoil energy to generate a shockwave that pushed back a wave of spectral thorns. His muscles contracted and then tensed again, doubling the attack. An infernal combo followed. Each movement was analyzed by his add-on, and real-time feedback allowed Priam to improve his next strike. Faced with a weakened Tier 3, the Tier 0 honed his skills and perfected his style. With a colossal crack, the corrupted skull split open. The ectoplasm covering the skeleton had gathered inside, and Priam predicted a suicide attack. The giant necro intended to take him down with it. Naughty boy. Priam put away Promesse and intensified the flames of his outfit in a move more spectacular than useful. If Esm¨¦e were watching, he wanted to appear at his best. The skull pulsed as Priam tapped into his brimming reservoir of kinetic energy. For the first time, he used both sets of his ideal meridians simultaneously to invoke [Kinetic Control] within his draconic lung. In a fraction of a second, a disturbance arose within him, using the principle of [Echolocation] to form, but more violent than a sonic wave. Draconic magic condensed it, increasing the pressure and refining the wave. When the skull exploded, releasing a phenomenal amount of necromantic energy, Priam was ready. Taking an offensive stance, he opened his mouth and released a kinetic Breath. Even an emulated draconic roar could shake the world. The energy cone galloped toward the necromantic explosion. The two forces struggled for a fraction of a second before Priam''s shockwave prevailed. The Tier 3 skeleton exploded, along with all the trees and corrupted beings in a half-circle of a hundred meters. Gazing at a flurry of wood chips, Priam smiled as he watched his notification count skyrocket. Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 12, ¡­, 19 PERC +16 DEXT +8 Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 3 - Viscount) - Sun points +100 000 Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 1- Baron) - Sun points +100 Banishment¡­ Kill participation: 99%. Received assistance is considered negligible. Achievement - Mythic: As a Tier 0, you have eliminated a Necro Tier 3. What most people consider impossible, you have achieved. The Zenith is still a long way off, but the echo of your footsteps can already be heard on this mythical Path. Message for Humanity & the Wandering Islands : Priam Azura slayed a Necromoon Viscount (Tier 3) while in Tier 0. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +10 000. 1 000 000 Sun points. Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%). Gift (Mythic). "I hope Prometheus won''t be too disappointed," Priam lied. His voice was hoarse, and he had to spit a little blood on the ground. The kinetic Breath hadn''t spared his body. With the ongoing Necro event, he doubted anyone would bother to come get him, which was why he had authorized a local broadcast. Of course, many powerhouses would try to scry him, but he didn''t mind. In fact, he welcomed it. You have defeated [Necro Giant - Tier 3 - Corrupted - Viscount]. Nobility equivalent to Tier 0 - Duke. [Elysium Marquess - Legendary] becomes [Elysium Duke - Mythic]! [Elysium Duke - Mythic] - Elysium is a dreadful world where the weak perish. The decomposition of their corpses creates fertile soil where your roots anchor to boost your growth. For you, the sky is the limit, but beware: the tallest trees no longer benefit from the canopy''s protection. Your vision extends to the horizon, and you understand that you are not the only giant. Where the Marquess must defend his power, the Duke begins to conquer. The System grants you this power. Letter of Nobility (Elysium): Baron - Designate a territory shielded from the creation of wild rifts and Concept storms. Viscount - Instantly return to your territory - cooldown: (Ten to the power of Soul Tier) years. Earl - Unlocked Sub-System: Army. Marquess - Defend your territory against an invasion to earn a reward (1 Necro Wave defeated.) Duke - Elysian laws allow you to exploit (1) wild rift. A successful exploitation strengthens your Nobility Title. You''re at the pinnacle of the lesser nobility. The next step is royalty. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 9 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 "The fuckers waste no time." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 (+9) Constitution 979 Agility 608 (+9) Vitality 870 Perception 754 (+24) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 620 (+10) Memory 480 (+4) Willpower 1 044 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 571 (+3) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 428 Meta-perception 265 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 69 (+3) Potential: 18 813 (+10 031) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 180 114 (+1 142 609) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 47 minutes 9 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 3 hours 20 minutes 22 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 219: The Princesss doubts Priam swept aside the notifications before focusing on his vitality and [Diagnostic]. His trachea was in a pathetic state. A draconic Merit had modified his throat to allow the channeling of a pure aetheric Breath, not a kinetic one. Spitting some blood onto the ground, Priam realized he was not shielded against the variations of his Breath. Yet, this did not mean he couldn''t alter it. Through [Fire Champion Physique] and Fire Unity, he had managed to infuse his flames into the draconic attack. Nonetheless, his physical resistances weren''t sufficient to block the terrifying shockwave he had unleashed. "Variations bring versatility to my Breath and allow me to target my opponent''s weaknesses, but they can be hazardous to my body," Priam summarized in a hoarse voice. He was briefly tempted to use the Merit of [Three-Headed Hydra] to heal himself before dismissing the idea. His instinct warned him that trading his lifespan for enhanced regeneration wasn''t without danger. The senescence of his body reverberated onto his soul, and that could be problematic if [He Who Eludes Death] didn¡¯t heal its aging. Not everyone could change bodies as Jasmine had done. As his Domain blocked some bone fragments still falling from the sky, Priam analyzed his battle. His opponent had been a weak Tier 3, too occupied with advancing towards Oasis to truly attack him. Despite that, its ectoplasm had blocked most of his attacks. His victory wasn''t a fluke, but it confirmed to Priam that he was still not ready to face Tier 3s. The conclusion was disappointing, but Priam wasn''t saddened. Just six weeks ago, he had been fearful of rabhorns, and today, he had defeated a giant necro. His gaze fell on the fractured skeleton, and Priam smiled. He had won. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 10 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 The notification brought Priam back to reality. [Revelation Resilience] was a handy skill as it blocked divination attempts, scrying, and even [Identification]. It would undoubtedly be an essential resistance in the future. It resembled [Mask], the skill he had fused with his add-on, except the latter could falsify his description. Suddenly, an idea struck Priam. Could [Revelation Resilience] send back tampered information instead of simply blocking surveillance attempts? Or could the resistance tell him who was trying to spy on him? Looking around, Priam saw the hoplites and his fellow farmers dealing with the inactive undead. Myuri was collecting Sun points with a turret she held in her arms while Blueberry was furiously smashing some corrupted. "They need these points more than I do, and I''m not fit to go against the Necro Envoy." Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 11 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 With the announcement of his Mythic Achievement, a ridiculous number of people must be attempting to divine him. It was the perfect time to test the limits of his skill. Priam spotted a fallen trunk and leaned against it before closing his eyes. Divination probes were inevitably made of aether. The best method to understand the interactions between them and his resistance was to observe the primordial fluid. Taking a deep breath, Priam cleared his mind of all unnecessary thoughts with [Focus] and [Frozen Meditation]. The world quieted down, and he focused on his Domain. His sphere of authority perceived the world with an impressive intensity. Priam felt his breath mingling with the wind to create minute turbulence in the air. Temperature gradients were visible, as were the mineral grains constituting the earth beneath him. Priam had enlarged his soul space through his recent deaths, allowing his Domain to reach a radius of three meters. This represented a volume slightly greater than a hundred cubic meters. Calculating this, Priam realized how much he had changed in two months. His vivacity and his add-on allowed him to monitor a vast space. Of course, he didn''t always pay perfect attention to his Domain¡ªand often ignored the half beneath his feet¡ªbut he could do so when he concentrated. A human mind shouldn''t have been capable of this, but this thought didn''t disturb Priam. He had struggled to become the Homo Elysian he was today. Satisfied with his choices, Priam focused on [Ideal Aether Perception]. A new world overlaid reality. Describing ambient aether was complicated. It was simultaneously an energy storm, a sea of knowledge, a galaxy where each star represented a world, an infinite web, and so much more. Aether could take any form and encompass all Concepts. The path to the Zenith was still long. Perhaps because his first Concept was Mist, the aether eventually took the form of mist. It covered the world, penetrated matter, and interacted with reality. Priam''s modified soul perceived the matrix that governed Creation. The aether cloud was both beautiful and abstruse. An infinity of interactions occurred every moment within his Domain, and Priam was incapable of recognizing those that concerned him. He admired this vision for a few moments before considering how to control [Revelation Resilience]. Priam had no idea how to proceed. When he used an active skill, he connected to a hidden bright star in his soul''s depths. The process was instinctual and required no effort on his part. Since his resistances were passive, he had never needed to access them. "Well, there has to be a first time for everything." Entering his soul space, Priam observed his soul. The glowing orb floating before him concealed the essence of his skills. Randomly choosing one, Priam selected [Moon Mist]. A switch flipped inside his soul. Driven by his curiosity, Priam tried to understand what had just happened, and [Ideal Aether Perception] revealed the truth. Before the skill, his soul became transparent and offered its secrets. It consisted of four onion-like layers and a core. The rune symbolizing [Moon Mist] was on the third layer. Drawing the aether flowing from the core, the sigil gave it a misty affinity before propelling it into the spiritual meridians, which then led this energy into the pathways that ran through his body. Sumstreh¡¯s mark briefly stopped this energy. The divine seal had partially fused with the first layer, monitoring the soul''s inputs and outputs. Looking away, Priam analyzed his soul. Four layers for four skill¡¯s rarities. The first was as massive as it was thin. Far from the core, it gave little energy to the common skills inscribed there in two dimensions. The fourth, closest to the core, contained only one immense rune, [True Will]. The three-dimensional sigil covered a large part of the available volume, plunging down to the heart of the layer. [[True Will] covers 18% of the volume of the fourth layer. No fifth layer. Tier 0¡¯s limits confirmed :
  • 5 Legendary skills.
  • No Mythical skill.]
Announcement to the Wandering Islands: Priam Azura has slain a Necromoon Viscount (Tier 3) while in Tier 0. A Mythic feat! Esm¨¦e flashed a thin smile as the stream came to a close. Priam had triumphed solo against a Tier 3, becoming a Duke in the process. According to her intel, he was catching up to Arnold, Dishnu, and Tyr. Another person might have been disappointed by the First''s delay, but not Esm¨¦e. During her conversation with Priam, the princess had learned that upon his arrival in Elysium, he had been as weak as the lowest of the Empire''s serfs. Despite this terrible disadvantage, he had taken every risk, pushing the boundaries of the impossible until finally defeating a Tier 3. He was a self-made man, and Esm¨¦e found that attractive. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Part of her was jealous of his progress, freedom, and audacity. Another part was surprisingly proud. Esm¨¦e didn''t quite understand why, but her heart raced as she watched Priam''s triumph. The telephoto shot captured by a drone from a great distance was worthy of a painting. With a smile on his lips and clad in a cloak of flame, the First stood tall before a ruined forest. Fiery reflections danced in his hair tousled by shockwaves, and his enigmatic, misty eyes roamed over something invisible¡ªlikely his notifications. Esm¨¦e found him magnificent. "A new Duke," commented Aydan in a neutral tone. "He doesn''t seem to have spotted our surveillance drone." "The five-second delay between video capture and projection seems effective," confirmed the tech-specialized guard. "The drone is also over three kilometers from the target." "Let¡¯s not forget the Necromoon''s light messing with his instincts. Cut the transmission." The hologram ceased, plunging the room into semi-darkness. Only the sound of fingers tapping on wood disturbed the silence. In the underground bunker, everyone awaited Aydan''s reaction. Seated on a simple wooden chair, surrounded by several guards and a few local servants, the prince stared into space, lost in thought. Finally, he caught Esm¨¦e off guard by simply sighing. "Priam is a monster, but I guess that''s nothing new. Do we have a view of the fight against the Necro Envoy?" "No, my Prince. The battle has moved too far away, and without relay antennas or satellites, I have no means to manually pilot our drones. Given the quality of the images and the interest some corrupted birds showed in them, I preferred to recall them," replied the imperial guard, pointing to the holographic screen. A new video feed appeared in the center of the room. Four individuals moved at an extremely high speed, their clashes ravaging the forest. The fight was hard to follow, each exchange as brutal as it was swift. Aydan raised a hand, and the video slowed, displaying blurry and barely usable images. The cameras'' sensors could not keep up with high-intensity combat. "I''ll look into this later," the prince decided, gesturing to a servant. She approached, presenting a wooden tray with several steaming cups. She distributed the hot drinks, starting with the prince and his guards. When the last drink appeared in front of her, Esm¨¦e raised an eyebrow. "Our lucky charm needs to stay hydrated." "Thanks, dear brother," replied Esm¨¦e, remaining on her guard. The past few weeks hadn''t been easy for Aydan. The initial setbacks had enraged him, but since Myuri''s departure, his behavior had begun to change. Understanding that his survival was not assured, the strategist had calmed his violent impulses. However, Esm¨¦e didn''t believe in a transformation and stayed on her guard. His new mask could crack at any time. "We need to accelerate the plan," declared Aydan after a few seconds of contemplation. "Richard, how many men do we have?" One of the imperial guards kneeled. "Of the thirty-three soldiers we bought from the Sun Shop, seventeen are still alive. Each is now decently powerful, the necro event having separated the wheat from the chaff. We have acquired a profit of eighty-three thousand Sun points since the start of the event." Aydan nodded. "It seems my plan to buy cheap warriors is a success." "Indeed, my Prince." "Reinvest every Sun point earned in rank one soldiers. I want to increase the size of our army as quickly as possible." "It shall be done as you command." Esm¨¦e nodded, masking a grimace. Where Oasis had decided to create traps to farm Sun Points, her brother had the idea to recruit an army. Rank one soldiers, the weakest offered by the Sun Shop, cost five thousand Sun points each. They were often local teenagers whose camp had been destroyed by a corrupted horde and had sold themselves to the System to survive. They didn''t speak their language, but that didn''t stop Aydan from sending them to fight the corrupted. Utilizing the advantage of terrain and under the guidance of the imperial soldiers, most quickly developed offensive skills and paid back their purchase price. The others died. Aydan was trading the blood of locals for Sun points. "Kleya, how are things progressing on your end?" A woman in her forties stepped forward. One of her ancestors must have sinned with a mole, as she had claws instead of fingers and was blind. The fur that covered her body didn''t spare her face, which might explain why Aydan hadn''t yet slept with her. He hadn''t held back with the other female servants. "We are in the process of expanding and reinforcing a fifth chamber. This one will be large enough to accommodate some crops." Aydan had quickly realized that staying on the surface was as useless as it was dangerous. An underground base would increase their chances of survival, but the bedrock was an obstacle. That was where Kleya and her ilk came in. Their bloodline allowed their claws to dig through the indestructible stone. The prince relied on this to create underground farms and make his base self-sufficient. "Perfect. What about our Holy Guardian?" The question was directed at Esm¨¦e. "The mutation is a success. When the Sun Wyrm reaches adulthood, it will easily destroy any Necro Envoys. However, it needs the light of the suns to hatch..." "That''s annoying, but I understand. Bravo for your work, dear sister. Too bad you weren''t as effective with Priam." "A political marriage didn''t interest him," replied Esm¨¦e. "He is a man who cherishes his freedom." "According to Father, humans are like us. If you had let him ride you, he might have let us access the Auctions for free. Too bad, but don¡¯t worry, I''ll find someone else to sell you to." Esm¨¦e tightened her grip on her cup but endured the insult in silence. The prince rose and caressed his sister''s cheek. "Forgive me, I''m a little nervous because of this necro event... I''ll never sell the one who can save us all. Wave eighty of the Colosseum is the key, and I trust you to beat it." "Three weeks is a bit¡ª" "Seven. I''ll use my Hearthstone to open a portal to our moon in seven weeks. Prepare yourself well." Esm¨¦e briefly wondered why seven weeks. The Hearthstone could be activated once a month, and the current cooldown ended in three weeks. What are you planning? "I''ll need to train to make it happen," the princess replied, looking her brother straight in the eyes. The prince scrutinized her gaze for almost a minute without saying anything. Esm¨¦e didn''t look away. She hadn''t lied¡ªshe couldn''t with her geas¡ªand her brother knew it. It was simply a way to intimidate her. "Of course!" Aydan finally exclaimed. "Except during the necro waves, you have carte blanche for the next seven weeks. I advise you to succeed, or you''ll owe everyone an apology." Aydan''s face contorted into a vile grin. "If you fail, every guard, every soldier, even the animals, will take turns with you until you''re extremely sorry. You get it?" ¡°...¡± ¡°You get it?!¡± the prince shouted, grabbing Esm¨¦e''s hair to shake her head violently. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± With those words, Aydan kissed his sister''s cheek and left the room with his guards. Kleya and the servant hesitated for a moment before following suit. Once alone, Esm¨¦e wiped away a few tears of rage. It took her several minutes to calm down and summon her grimoire. Aydan''s role was to be a buffer between her and her royal father. By becoming too dangerous, he had lost his usefulness. The family geas prevented her from harming her brother, but the princess had the right to write a story about him, as long as it was beneficial or neutral. Activating her powers, Esm¨¦e traced letters on the enchanted paper. "Scrolling through the Sun Shop, Aydan L¨®thandorim spotted a profession useful to him. He decided to acquire the expert on the spot, and she accepted the summons. The newcomer was a woman of great beauty but a carrier of a mutant and deadly syphilis... The story takes place in the near future." After putting away her quill, Esm¨¦e tore out the page and swallowed it. Feeling the paper go down her esophagus, she winced. Her stomach was in knots, and the princess knew it had nothing to do with the paper she had just ingested. Sorry, I don¡¯t have a choice¡­ Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 870 Perception 754 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 620 Memory 489 (+9) Willpower 1 044 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 579 (+8) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 428 Meta-perception 265 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 75 (+6) Potential: 18 819 (+6) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 180 114 (+0) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 30 minutes 31 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 3 hours 3 minutes 44 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 220: To steal Prometheus’ thunder? Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 38 PERC +1 WILL +2 Contemplating the mechanisms of his soul, Priam acknowledged the impossibility of getting a mythical skill at Tier 0. The fact that nothing, not even the instructions of the Heavenly Dragon, mentioned such a possibility had already indicated to him that it was unlikely, but a part of him had still clung to it. Yet, the shape of his soul offered him no hope: it lacked the fifth layer necessary to host a Mythical skill. However, not all the news was bad. Priam was optimistic about the possibility of a sixth Legendary skill. Even with four more skills like [True Will], approximately ten percent of the legendary layer would remain free. By slightly expanding its size, it would be possible to host another Legendary rune. It was an arduous and distant goal, but Priam knew it was essential: an additional ideal Legendary skill would set him apart even among the Aces. Tier 0 did not seem to truly have hard limits¡ªthe runes of common skills were minuscule, and its first layer was not even one percent filled¡ªbut an accumulation of mediocre skills would not allow him to defeat a Tier 3. It was Legendary skills maxed out, supported by Concepts and Supremacies, that would enable him to push above his league. This kind of build would give him the ability to retrieve Sphinx and exact vengeance upon Sumstreh. For a moment, Priam imagined his hands closing around Bastard''s neck. He tightened his grip, and the false god agonized, finally aware of their mistake¡­ [Focus] killed the useless thought, and Priam refocused. He was there to take control of [Revelation Resilience]. His gaze fell upon the rune existing on the third layer of his soul. Instinctively, he understood that the sigil was perfect. The ideal resistance shone, transforming the aether delivered by the soul core before it was projected into Priam''s body. Mentally, Priam focused on the rune and¡­ nothing happened. It would have been too simple. The rune was a creation of the System and [Homo Elysian Obsession]. If the soul was a motherboard, each rune was a peripheral. Some were interactive, but resistances were passive. Undeterred, Priam focused on the aether modified by the rune. The difference with his own aether was minimal, but he could sense it thanks to [Ideal Aether Perception]. Suddenly, he realized that it was the first time he had focused on the characteristics of his aether. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 8 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 His ideal skill added dimensions to meta-perception. More than the presence of aether, Priam could discern its color, hear its sound, and smell its odor. The Seven Concepts had transformed his soul, allowing him to translate aether¡¯s information into organic senses. Energy now made sense. Priam¡¯s aether possessed a sort of familiar scent. Perhaps because it was his own energetic scent, Priam had never noticed it before. If he were to describe it, he would say that the fluid emitted a fragrance of passionate struggle and a desire for freedom. His ego transformed his aether, and its imprint was profound. An enemy like Dishnu could not fail to understand who he was facing. For a moment, Priam attempted to modify his aetheric scent using [Aether Manipulation] before realizing the futility of the action. It was certainly possible, but not with a rare skill. Instead of wasting time, he compared his raw aether with the energy modified by [Revelation Resilience]. In addition to Priam''s identity, the latter possessed a defiance towards observers. It was hard to describe, but it was the intuition that his ideal perception skill provided him. The aether modified by the epic resistance left his soul, traveled through a spiritual meridian to his human heart, and began its journey through his ideal pathways. During its circulation, the fluid infused his body to impart anti-divination qualities. Priam followed its flow attentively. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 12 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 9 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 [Alert: Over 86% of the aether modified by [Revelation Resilience] is injected into the skin before disappearing. Probable causes:
  • Leaks to the external environment.
  • Mutual destruction with hostile divination probes.]
Intrigued by his System''s finding, Priam focused on the cells of his epidermis. If the majority of his resistance was concentrated on his skin, it was no coincidence. It was possible for the aether to dissipate into the air, but Domain detected nothing of the sort. The second hypothesis of his add-on was certainly closer to reality; the skin was a boundary between the body and the outside world and, as such, a probable stage for the information warfare that concerned him. An observation validated the hypothesis: the modified aether dissipated upon contact with a particular type of foreign aether. By focusing on the microscopic currents created by the encounter between his energy and the hostile energy, Priam discovered that sorts of aether packets would stick to him. Some melted like snow in the sun, while others disappeared, taking a sample of his aether with them. The latter probes were often small, sometimes barely detectable, and Priam theorized that they came from skills rarer than Legendary. His resistance was both epic and ideal, but it was far from invincible. For now¡­ By focusing on the rougher probes, Priam quickly captured some similarities. These packets all shared a scent of inquiry. They asked for information about him, and his own aether, modified by his resistance, refused. The interaction caused mutual pollution. The remaining fluid spread into the air like smoke, impervious to Priam''s orders. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 10 META (AFFI) +3 META (PERC) +6 "It''s fascinating¡­" By hypothesizing, testing, observing the results, and interpreting the findings, Priam was uncovering a whole new aspect of the aether. Delving into the mysteries of magic armed with scientific rigor, he was ecstatic. Understanding the world thrilled him more than just casting fireballs. There were undoubtedly nuances that eluded him, but Priam thought he understood the essentials. Now, can I glean information from these probes? Focused on his Domain and [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam selected a large and crude packet. Using [Aether Manipulation], he attempted to influence it, but his mental command slipped over the foreign aether. The probe touched his body before dissipating, blocked by his resistance. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 13 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 Frowning, Priam chose another packet and focused on it. Using Domain on such a tiny target was hard, but he managed to clumsily immobilize it. He attempted to take control using his aether proficiency, but the probe ignored him. Like an agile fish, it escaped his sphere of authority, and suicided on his defenses, increasing the invisible experience bar of [Revelation Resilience]. Priam sighed before massaging his temples. He was satisfied with his resistance but refused to be a dumb tank. More than spotting those attempting to scry him, it was an opportunity to increase his aether proficiency. And to reach five hundred points in Memory. Glancing at his titanic reserves of Potential, Priam opened the floodgates, letting the divine fluid provoke artificial epiphanies. It was time to use all his advantages. "Long live Prometheus! Long live the king!" It had been nearly a quarter of an hour since the battle had ended, yet the troops continued to let out cheers as they worked. Those who had finished the fight without suffering serious injuries seemed determined to prove their worth. The sight of a united and passionate humanity stirred Guandi''s heart. Sitting atop a hill overlooking the battlefield, the king''s general sharpened his greatsword as he watched the human army bustling below. Before him, men and women searched the bodies littering the plain before transporting them to two pyres¡ªone for the Arkaneans, the other for the humans. The theoretical existence of necromancers meant that nobody wished to be buried. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Further on, military engineers were establishing defenses, digging trenches, filling craters, erecting ramparts, and setting up ballistae and trebuchets. These weapons of another era were currently the pinnacle of human artillery. It wasn''t for lack of advanced technological knowledge; his king had recruited numerous researchers and scientists who, aided by skills, high mental attributes, and a bit of Potential, were now capable of recreating weapons from the Cold War era. What the army lacked was the infrastructure to mass-produce firearms and ammunition. Proxima was a planet rich in resources, and mines were already being exploited by different rival civilizations¡ªit was even the cause of this battle. However, factories, machinery, and secure transportation methods were still lacking. Thanks to the System, the engineers hoped to industrialize weapon production within a few months. Guandi''s gaze left the engineers to settle on the makeshift hospitals to his right. The battle against Arkana had been devastating. Despite their numerical superiority¡ª100,000 humans against 12,000 Arkanean mercenaries¡ªalmost fifteen percent of his troops had lost their lives. The general had expected worse. "We just finished counting: four thousand wounded," sighed a young redheaded woman climbing the hill to join him. "On average, one Arkanean managed to kill or injure two humans... At ten versus one." Officially, Gloria was in charge of the army''s logistics¡ªfood, clothing, tents, transport... Unofficially, she was the king''s master spy. "Not bad," commented Guandi. "Not bad?" Gloria raised an eyebrow. "If we hadn''t attacked by surprise, if I hadn''t poisoned their rations, and if our King hadn''t managed to kill their elite, we would have surely lost. This battle was a disaster." "For centuries, the Arkanean elites have mastered the Concepts and their elites have access to the System. That humanity can stand up so quickly to such an advanced civilization is a miracle permitted by our King." "I know but¡ª" "Look ahead," Guandi cut in. "Our soldiers fought with spears and swords when the Arkaneans possessed guns. Without the charisma of our king, the front lines would have deserted. But we rewarded their hope, and tonight, our soldiers chant the name of Prometheus." "They''re happy thanks to their level-ups and new weapons," Gloria pointed out. "You can hide behind optimism, but the reality is this: it was a group of mercenaries against our best army led by our king. It''s not like we killed a group of sentinels." "The System forbids sentinels from leaving Arkanean territory, and our king has no intention of invading them." "For now," Gloria said, turning toward the setting sun. Behind the horizon stood the center of Arkana''s power, waiting. The pseudo-democracy would remain a threat to humanity until it was uprooted. "The enemy possesses Tier 2s accumulated over centuries, and even with our racial Talent, it will take the sacrifice of at least a hundred thousand humans to create a weak Tier 2." "Which makes this victory even more beautiful," smiled Guandi. "Our king eliminated one of their precious Tier 2s, becoming a Marquess in the process." "What does that change?" "Everything." In unison, both paladins turned before bowing to their king. The tent Guandi guarded had just opened, revealing Prometheus and Eloise. The minister of propaganda was never far from the king. "Your arm?" Guandi asked, looking with concern at the impressive enchanted bandage covering the king''s right shoulder. The Arkanean elite had tried to take his killer to the grave. "Markus was able to reattach it," Prometheus replied, shrugging. Nothing else interested him but humanity, not even his own body. "You were saying that becoming a Marquess changes things, my king?" Gloria asked. "Becoming an Earl gave legitimacy to our army in the eyes of the System with the army sub-system, with the benefits you know. Marquess goes further and allows for increased power when we successfully defend our territory." Guandi became very attentive. War was his domain. Prometheus looked before him, reading a text that only he could see. "When an enemy faction attacks our territory, the System creates a defensive event called a Wave. If we resist successfully, each defender receives rewards¡ªmost often Potential." "It sounds like a permanent defense quest," commented Gloria. "We''ll need to test the limits of what is considered a defender, but it''s excellent news!" exclaimed Guandi. "Given humanity''s current situation on Proxima, it''s exactly what we needed. Most of our troops lack the Potential to upgrade their skills." Thanks to their Achievements, it wasn''t a problem for Prometheus'' elites. However, Potential was a rare resource for a basic soldier. Eloise nodded. "When the Arkaneans want revenge, we''ll be ready." Gloria looked pensive. "Why wait for them to decide to retaliate? I have enough double agents among them to force them to attack us when we want." "Our troops need rest and to consolidate our positions," Guandi grimaced. "It would be better to use your influence to repel the next attack." Gloria turned to Prometheus, who nodded. The king rarely went against the advice of his paladins; he trusted in their expertise. "Very well, I will try to buy us a few days." "Our troops also need to be reassured about their future, and we have a perfect opportunity," smiled Eloise. "Our king defeated a Tier 2 in single combat today. It''s his second Legendary Achievement and the first one he''s announced. We must mark the occasion with a celebration." To avoid assassination attempts, Prometheus had kept his first Legendary Achievement silent. Only his closest ministers knew that he was an Ace. "We''re at war, I''m not sure we have time to waste on a party," grumbled Guandi. "Our soldiers need to be unified." "Are you implying that not all of them are loyal?" growled Guandi. "Most of them were living in a democracy less than two months ago, you can''t blame them," said Gloria. "You too?! Our king¡ª" Prometheus raised his hand, and the three paladins fell silent. "Enough," Prometheus said. "Guandi, we both know that except for my knights and paladins, the rest of humanity is not loyal to me. Even here, on Proxima, some dream of being political leaders. This Achievement is a way to affirm my legitimacy: humanity needs a powerful leader. Tonight will be a night of celebration," declared Prometheus. "Yes, my king," the three paladins replied. Satisfied, Prometheus stepped forward, using [Voice of the General], one of Guandi''s skills. "Sons and daughters of the Earth, hear me!" The king''s voice spread across the plain, and his soldiers stood up to listen. "History will remember that today, humanity won its first battle against Arkana. A victory made possible by your bravery, your determination, and your unity. I am immensely proud to be your leader." Upon hearing these words, the humans present puffed out their chests. The king''s formidable charisma drew their attention, kindled their loyalty, and dispelled their fears. "I do not forget those who sacrificed themselves to allow this victory. The best tribute we can pay them is to use the experience, weapons, and knowledge gained today to protect humanity. You are the Shield defending our civilization!" Cheers began to erupt, and Prometheus waited a few moments before continuing. "Today, you saw it with your own eyes, humanity''s army achieved the impossible: we defeated an Arkanean Tier 2!" Prometheus thundered, fervor gleaming in his eyes. "Our triumph today is not a miracle; it is an event that will be repeated as long as we are united! Lend me your strength, and together, let us free humanity!" The atmosphere began to tremble under the army''s roars. "Long live Prometheus! Long live the king!" The shouts of thousands of men and women made the world tremble. Rage, sadness, passion, and thirst for glory; various emotions fueled their roars, but all shouted in unison. Announcement to Humanity: Priam Azura has slain a Necromoon Viscount (Tier 3) while in Tier 0. A Mythic feat! In a fraction of a second, silence reclaimed its throne. A shocked muteness descended upon the plain. "What a monster¡­ I''m sure he did it on purpose," sighed Gloria after a few seconds. "He¡ª" Guandi stopped himself. Knowing humanity''s Spear, it was possible. "Fuck," Eloise summed up, and everyone nodded. Guandi turned to his king. Was he disappointed with his accomplishment? He''d beaten a Tier 2, a Legendary Completion, but Priam''s feat was... Mythical. Prometheus stood tall, rereading the announcement. As the general hesitated to speak, his king smiled, sweeping through his interface. "The Shield defends, and the Spear attacks," he announced to his soldiers. His voice was soft, but the wind carried his words. "Tonight, let''s celebrate and revel in humanity''s double triumph. Tomorrow, the Arkaneans will come, and we will welcome them as they deserve. Let''s show Priam he''s not alone in the race!" After a moment of silence, the army roared again, and Guandi joined them. Priam might steal their thunder, but he couldn''t stand against the fire gifted by Prometheus. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 870 Perception 755 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 620 Memory 498 (+9) Willpower 1 047 (+3) Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 598 (+19) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 428 Meta-perception 285 (+20) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 84 (+6) Potential: 18 841 (+17) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 180 114 (+0) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 23 minutes 15 seconds. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 162 days 2 hours 56 minutes 28 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 221: Will is a Blade, Charisma is a Key Perched in the branches of a tree, its leaves beginning to fall, Jasmine was keeping a watchful eye on her prey. Despite the putrid stench of the beast below, she remained still, shrouded in shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Her hunt had begun a quarter hour prior. As the corrupted ones fell inert, most of Oasis'' residents ventured from the safety of their stronghold to farm Sun Points. After dispatching several dozen lifeless beasts, Jasmine opted to leave the easy points for others. She wasn''t one to take down hordes of weak monsters. Her forte was to end single elites. Thus, she trailed the Necro Envoy to a nearby valley. The battle against Arnold and the two locals had been harrowing, and the creature inhabiting Mirscella''s body appeared to be in dire straits. However, a necromancer never fought alone. Every minute, a score of necro elites joined the fray, only to meet their demise moments later. Their sacrifice merely served to deplete the assailants'' aether and would not save the Necro Envoy. Still, the creature showed no signs of despair. Jasmine could recognize prey, and the adversary had not yet assumed that mindset. It was evident that the Boss believed it could survive by leveraging the infinite horde at its disposal¡ªparticularly the mini-Bosses. Jasmine was convinced that more potent corrupted beings awaited the opportune moment to enter the fray. Surveying her surroundings, she pinpointed prime ambush locations. Slowly but surely, the Necro Envoy was approaching one of them. Utilizing a Shadow corridor, it took only minutes for Jasmine to traverse the valley and reach the ambush site. Then came the task of locating the enemy. The crimson light of the Necromoon obscured the aether¡ªthus confusing magical tracking abilities¡ªbut the assassin possessed mundane skills honed through years of training. It took her no more than thirty seconds to pick up the mini-Boss''s trail. Humanoid in form, the necromantic creature was the size of an adolescent but stood out with its attire. Its straw hat and fabric cloak suggested it possessed more than mere instinct. None of the undead she knew cared for their attire, yet the creature''s headwear had undergone recent repairs. Judging by the odor emanating from its wearer, they occurred post-mortem. It was challenging to assess its exact level without identifying it using [Recognition], but certain enemies could detect those kinds of skills. Jasmine''s assassin instincts, honed through experience, whispered that the monster was a Tier 2 high noble, likely a Viscount. Precisely the kind of opponent she sought. Her hand closed slowly around her dagger. The weapon cost her nearly fifty thousand Sun Points and was of low epic rarity. Before attaining Marquess status, it was the best blade the assassin could buy. If all went well, that would change in a matter of seconds. The creature trembled, and seeing her enemy growing impatient, Jasmine focused on her heart. A silent pulsation resonated within her chest, and the shadows grew even more welcoming. For a moment, the Shadow Champion glimpsed a potential evolution. A superior Concept, purer than shadows. If Priam was terrifying in his versatility and Kazuki followed the Spear''s path, Jasmine''s path lay with the Shadows¡­ and what lay beyond. The next second, [One Mind, One Blade] silenced the epiphany. The assassin''s path was bloody, and distractions were dangerous. Jasmine''s attention narrowed on the monster below, her body tensing. Her breath became imperceptible, her pupils contracted, and her heart rate slowed. She was in the zone. After an uncertain amount of time, the battle drew near, the shockwaves rocking the nearby trees. The corrupted readied itself, unaware of the impending threat above it. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind... The party was about to begin, and Jasmine cloaked her blade in a fearsome Aura. Following his quadruple Tribulation, Priam had received [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] and chosen Conquest. Jasmine had opted for Death. Her attacks became harder to dodge and wounded the souls of her enemies. The assassin''s instinct roared a fraction of a second before her opponent leaped toward Laepa. Overclocking her two legs, Jasmine burst forward, her shadow trailing behind her. [Homo Elysian Predation] erupted, drowning her opponent''s instinct. Simultaneously, the assassin''s Domain overlapped with that of her adversary''s¡­ without arousing suspicion. Her Shadow Concept infused her sphere of authority, making her Supremacy nearly undetectable in addition to concealing her presence. Extending a hand clad in dark energy, the undead prepared to strike at the Gaeserts'' back. Jasmine was quicker. [Apex Huntress''s Eye]. Her blade, augmented by her Aura and Dagger Mastery, shot toward a chink in the corrupted''s guard. The Tier 2 necro only became aware of the ambush when the weapon slid between its hat and cloak. Sensing death approaching, it twisted in mid-air, attempting to evade, but the dagger had already penetrated its neck. Roaring in rage, it tried a feeble counterattack, but Jasmine had already shifted places with her shadow. An assassin was entitled to a single strike. Reappearing in the branches of a tree a hundred meters away, Jasmine listened intently. An explosion rocked the forest, and the young woman smiled as she read her notification. Her epic dagger had just detonated inside the corrupted. With a master like Priam, she knew there was no such thing as overkill. "A fifty-thousand-Sun-Points explosive dagger against ten thousand Sun Points, a Marquess Title, and a Legendary Achievement. Worth it," Jasmine smiled as she purchased a new dagger five times more expensive. She weighed it in her hand, striking the air to get familiar with it before vanishing once more. The hunt was only just beginning. The Necromoon''s light briefly blinded Priam. "Where am I?" he grunted, struggling to rise. Dizziness caused him to stagger, and he fell back, clutching his head. It nursed one of the most abominable headaches he had ever experienced, which, coming from Priam, meant something. Activating Micro, he dulled the pain and sighed in relief as he saw his vitality already stabilizing his brain. Did I take a blow to the head? he wondered, scanning his surroundings for an enemy. Nothing had changed except for an unnatural pile of corrupted a few meters away. "Who''s there?" he asked, squinting. "Your sexy guardian angel," replied a young woman emerging from the shadows. "Jasmine. Was I attacked?" "By basic undead. Promesse was protecting you, but I decided to stay nearby just in case a real enemy showed up." Priam noticed that some corpses bore the telltale signs of violent destruction, unmistakably caused by his spear. His add-on had protected him before Jasmine arrived. "Thank you." His spear propelled by his system could protect him from a few Tier 0s, but worse things lurked in the woods. "That¡¯s my job. What happened?" asked Jasmine. "The aftermath of the battle against the giant necro?" "I¡ªNo. I won fairly easily." Priam summarized his fight. "... Then I wanted to see if I could detect who was trying to gather information about me." "Seems like a calm activity, yet it feels like you''ve just wrestled with a titan." "Give me a second to check something," said Priam, opening his notifications. POT -156 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 14 MEM +3 META (AFFI) +3 META (AUTH) +3 Memory exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Synergy with [Eidetic Memory] detected¡­ Would you like to evolve the Talent? ¡­ [Eidetic Memory - Bronze] becomes [Ultimate Sensory Memory - Silver]! [Ultimate Sensory Memory - Silver] - Your eidetic memory is no longer limited to sight and hearing: you remember all sensory stimuli with absolute precision. This Talent is a tool that supports and complements your Memory attribute. Thus, its storage capacity is limited by your attribute and your cerebral organ. Note: Only your mundane senses are affected by this Talent (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, balance, proprioception, thermoception, nociception, chronoception,...). Title upgrade! [It''s over 1,000! - Silver] becomes [All-rounder - Gold]! [All-rounder - Gold] - You have reached the first threshold in every physical and mental attribute at Tier 0. More than an achievement, it''s a sign of someone who accepts no weakness. A solid foundation often implies slow progress, but not for you. Your life is a (system-assisted) speedrun... Bonus: +30% to the attribute of your choice. You have selected Memory. MEM +30% Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 2,..., 9 VIT +24 Lvl Up: [Necro Resistance] lvl 11 VIT +3 WILL +3 META(END) +3 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 15, 16, 17, 18 MEM +12 META (AFFI) +12 META (AUTH) +12 Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 20, 21 PERC +4 DEXT +2 Event: Necromoon Second wave: Victory! You defended your home against a horde of corrupted and a necro Envoy! Reward: 400 Sun points Feat: The necro giant was vanquished. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Bonus Reward: 200 Sun points 24 hours of respite POT -1 529 [Tribulation]: Three attributes above 900 were detected in Tier 0. A fifth Tribulation is coming. Time: 162 days 0 hour 13 minutes 4 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 "Bordel de merde¡­" The last thing Priam remembered was accepting the evolution of [Eidetic Memory]. His add-on filled in his memory gaps. [Alert, host lost consciousness. [He Who Eludes Death] not primed. Diagnosis: Severe overheating of the cerebral organ. Level of danger: deadly. Probable cause: Insufficient memory to store the data transferred by [Ultimate Sensory Memory]. Probability of host death without system intervention: 99.9% Action: Use the bonus of [All-rounder] to increase the host''s Memory attribute.] The data flow transmitted by his new Talent had been too much for his brain, resulting in overheating the cerebral organ. His system had to choose the Memory upgrade to keep him alive. Priam was torn between the shame of nearly dying in a stupid way and the sadness of not having [He Who Eludes Death] primed to experience a new death. The report from his add-on wasn''t finished, and Priam continued reading. [Diagnosis: Cerebral overheating. Level of danger: deadly. Probable cause: Creation of too many synapses per second in the cerebral organ. Requires an increase in Vitality to create new brain connections. Action: Use [Echolocation] to detect nearby corrupted and eliminate them to activate the Conquest attribute boost. Diagnosis: Decrease in brain activity to a reasonable level. Multiple cerebral hemorrhages. Level of danger: medium. Action: Free use of Potential to stimulate [Thick Blood].] Reading his system''s report, Priam sighed before massaging his temples. Seeing Jasmine''s confused expression, he explained the situation to her. "Your brain almost melted because you evolved [Eidetic Memory] without thinking about the consequences?" the young woman asked in a tone betraying her real thought: are you stupid? "I didn''t think the System could be dangerous." "The System only provides customer service when it comes to rewards. Spontaneous evolutions and voluntary modifications aren''t always beneficial, otherwise it wouldn''t have allowed me to use my own Potential to help you implant a surveillance sub-system in my soul space." "That makes sense. I was stupid," Priam admitted. "We all make mistakes; the important thing is not to repeat them," Jasmine shrugged. "More importantly, are you confident about your quintuple Tribulation?" "To be honest, I was considering training for a month and triggering a quadruple Tribulation just before the tribe tournament. Right now, I''m confident about enduring a triple." "... You''re in deep shit." "That''s the understatement of the century," Priam groaned. "And another hundred and fifty points in Willpower would trigger a sixth Tribulation... The equivalent of a game over." Even with Heavenly Dragon, the rewards from the Colosseum, and six Legendary skills, Priam was certain he would die facing a sextuple Tribulation. This thought ignited a cold anger within him. He didn''t fear death, but he refused to die like an idiot. Jasmine stared at him for a moment before approaching him. "You''ll survive." "I didn''t know you were a seer." "I¡¯m serious. You''re too proud to accept defeat and too free to accept the embrace of death. You''ll find a solution, no matter the cost," she said, locking her gaze with his. No matter the cost. The phrase resonated in Priam''s mind. He didn''t need to close his eyes to see locusts tearing apart human corpses. His second Tribulation hadn''t killed him, but it had reaped hundreds of human lives. "They died so I could survive." "Are you ashamed?" Jasmine asked, understanding his train of thought. "No," Priam replied. "I believe that was the purpose of those early Tribulations. To show me that I prioritize my freedom over the common good." "According to the Guardian of Secrets, the early Tribulations test the power of our desires. Your freedom, my survival, Louis¡¯ control of his body... Our desires propel us along the Zenith Way, and that''s why the System tests us." Those who lacked strong desires couldn''t find the drive to reach the Zenith¡ªand were therefore useless to the Seven Concepts. Priam nodded. "What about the ones that follow?" "The Guardian wouldn''t answer," the young woman shrugged. "So, what are you going to do?" "I''d like to finish what I started, but the tribe representatives..." "They''ve already left," Jasmine informed. "The fight didn''t end well. The huntress used a technique to decapitate the Necro Envoy, but it wasn''t enough. Arnold fired some kind of plasma beam to vaporize the rest of the creature, but the dragon-man Breathed to deflect the attack¡ªhe didn''t have a direct line of fire on the Necro Envoy. When the explosion dissipated, it had vanished, and Laepa was gravely injured." Priam was momentarily stunned by Vysharratjekto''s monumental stupidity. "You... It managed to escape because of a botched kill-steal attempt?!" Jasmine grimaced. "I tried to catch it, but to no avail. Laepa wasn''t in a condition to track it, and Arnold ended up attacking the big snake. I thought he was going to kill it, but after a few exchanges, the Tier 3 agreed to pay compensation." "Vysharratjekto is even more stupid than me," Priam groaned. "With allies like these, we don''t need enemies..." "Look on the bright side: when the Necro Envoy returns, we can kill it ourselves," Jasmine smiled. Priam summoned a faint smile. "I guess. Did they say anything before leaving?" "They each left a crystal with an explanation." "I see. Arnold?" "Discussing technology with the hoplite in Oasis. He doesn''t seem in a hurry." Priam hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Then I''ll finish what I started." "Okay! I''m going to work out," Jasmine replied as she moved away. "Otherwise, my butt will get saggy..." "Your butt is fine," Priam said, naturally glancing at the designated spot. "And how do you know that?" Jasmine asked, turning around and arching slightly. Priam blushed, grunted, and looked away. "Go train!" "Yes, boss!" the temptress chuckled. Upon introspection, Priam realized he was serene. The recent events were working against him¡ªhe had a quintuple Tribulation on his hands and a Necro Envoy plotting his demise¡ªbut he no longer expected any bad news. With his hearts racing, Priam realized impatience mingled with his serenity. He had always been motivated by challenges. Nothing but a deadline or a competition could make him work at a hundred percent of his capacity. The Tribulations were the ultimate exam, and their shadow urged Priam to improve himself. Smiling, Priam delved into his Domain, observing the scrying probes continuing to bombard him. Determined to understand them, he freely tapped into his Potential to do so. Failures followed, but Priam didn''t let himself get discouraged. Splitting his attention with his draconic vivacity, he commanded his add-on to bombard the nearby corrupteds. The Conquest attribute bonuses began to accumulate, and Priam kept trying. He failed a thousand times and tried again, slightly altering his approach. Initially, he used a form of abstract telekinesis, but the packets of aether slipped through tiny gaps like small shrimps in a wide-meshed fishing net. Priam then opted for cages created by his Domain. These barriers effectively trapped the aether packets. It was progress, but the probes tended to get corrupted when he tried to manipulate them; his aether poisoned them, and then the probe dispersed, polluted beyond hope. POT -313 After hours of experimentation, an epiphany induced by his Potential revealed the beginning of a solution: ordering the aether. If his skill could bend the ambient aether to his will, it should be able to do the same for controlled aether. Guided by his Potential, Priam projected his formidable will into [Aether Manipulation]. The high attribute dominated the probe, forbidding the foreign energy from merging with his own. Simultaneously, Priam pushed back the ambient aether, isolating the captured packet. The probe trembled as a foreign will struggled against Priam''s domination. Showing no mercy, Priam''s will sliced, destroying his opponent''s control. The ghost of a scream echoed before fading. His foe was far, and his will was pressurized by Priam''s Domain. It stood no chance. "That''ll teach you." A few seconds passed, and the probe stilled, imprisoned and functional. Satisfied, Priam allowed himself a smile before starting to study it. According to [Ideal Aether Perception], it was the creation of a low Tier user, and no Concept was involved. Only the affinity of its creator still possessed the scrying device. Using his will like a scalpel, Priam peeled it until a too-brusque maneuver destroyed it. His hearts perfectly calm, Priam turned his attention to a new packet. He had an embarrassment of choice, with millions assaulting him constantly. He dissected a hundred probes, increasing his precision and aether proficiency before reaching the skills'' cores. As expected, multiple runes were hidden there. Priam copied them and attempted to influence them. The runes trembled before yielding, shattering into useless shards. POT -559 Priam tried the experiment again and again, refining his precision and increasing his mastery. Progress that should have taken weeks for a genius was achieved in a few hours as he consumed his Potential without restraint. Yet, the identity of the probe creators and the other secrets they held remained beyond his reach. POT -1 792 Without becoming discouraged, Priam learned to wield his willpower to dominate and dissect the probes. Alas, the attribute was a weapon: perfect for accessing a vault but unsuitable for retrieving the contents intact. It wasn''t impossible, but Priam felt he was far from having the finesse required for it. "But I don''t have to use my will," he murmured after one of his streams of thoughts paused to take a step back and assess the situation. All attributes had their strengths, and if a blade weren''t adapted, he would use a key. Since crossing its first threshold, charisma had the ability to infuse his Supremacies. Dissecting yet another probe, Priam withdrew a portion of his will and imbued his Domain with his charisma. The attribute approached the runes before contacting them. The sigils trembled, confused, and Priam pushed. The runes exploded into a shower of aether. Instead of degrading, the fluid rushed toward charisma''s outstretched hand. Ecstatic, Priam used his Potential to translate the hidden data within the aether and then sent it toward Memory. POT -403 A flood of information flooded his mind, and Priam roared. He had pierced the secrets of divinatory magic, and his enemies would never be anonymous again! You have gained a new skill! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 916 (+46) Perception 760 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 622 (+2) Memory 625 (+127) Willpower 1 051 (+4) Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 616 (+18) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 432 (+4) Meta-perception 285 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 96 (+15) Potential: 14 127 (-4 714) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 182 954 (+2 840) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 14 hours 12 minutes 22 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 222: Seths Treachery The dead leaves crackled under Seth''s feet. Passing through the bare branches of nearby trees, the crimson light of the Necromoon tinted the world with a bloody hue. Despite his soul being half-corrupted, this sight only elicited disgust from the necromancer. The putrid smell emanating from the advanced decomposition of nearby corrupted beings further insulted his senses. He skirted around the reanimated corpse of a giant wolf, continuing his path, indifferent to the motionless necro elites awaiting their orders. The Necromoon''s army was highly hierarchical, and even Tier 2s couldn''t ignore the commands of a Tier 3. A Tier 3 he had long prepared to meet. His superior''s lair was as terrifying as it was labyrinthine, but the gradual saturation of the ambient aether by the Necro Concept confirmed to Seth that he was on the right track. Finally, he caught sight of a towering Tal Quercus amidst a forest of dead trunks. In an attempt to protect the surrounding forest, the colossus had absorbed much of the Necromoon''s curse. A futile and vain decision: its descendants had quickly joined it in death, and the valley had become the base of the corrupted. Seth slipped into the hollow trunk through a crack and entered a room with gray wooden walls. In the center, a concentrated crimson beam struck an amber tank. The Necro Envoy floated in a bloody liquid, purging her wounds of harmful influences. As long as they were present, the Concepts and Auras of the Tier 3s actively fought against her vitality. Seeing her head still separated from her body, Seth concealed a smile. "You claim to have information about your so-called rivals?" The voice of the Necro Envoy resonated directly in Seth''s head, demonstrating exceptional mastery of the aether and keen knowledge of the soul. "I was able to speak with the First and analyze his behavior," Seth responded aloud. He was perfectly capable of responding mentally but saw no point in arousing his superior''s interest. "And I have the memories of the former owner of this body. I hope for your sake that you are not wasting my time..." Threats were a tool that had to be wielded carefully. Due to their power, a Tier 3 Marquess was naturally threatening. Seth perceived his superior''s words as an admission of weakness. "I have seen the elites you are gathering here in hopes of wiping Oasis. It''s a bad idea." "You are quite impertinent for a Tier 0. Very well, entertain me: why should I give up on these attacks?" "You will give Sun Points and experience to the First. If the giant Necro hasn''t killed him, nothing will." "His loved ones will die." "Which will only strengthen his hatred against you. You would become his main target." The Necro Envoy raised an eyebrow. "Am I not already?" "You have seen the mark staining his soul as I have. It is recent and carries a... divine scent." The servants of the Necromoon all possessed a special Talent: the ability to see souls. Useful for hunting the living, it truly shone in the hands of a necromancer like Seth. The mark covering Priam''s soul was clearly visible to him. "... Does this have anything to do with the Herald''s task? Finding the beast preparing for Apotheosis?" "I believe so. If we let him live, the First will lead us sooner or later to this monster." "I see." The Necro Envoy remained silent for a few seconds before nodding. "I have just given new orders to my hordes; they will attack the tribes." Seth noted that the Necro Envoy was decisive. "And the Var Elegis?" "The Herald will deal with him." Seth widened his eyes slightly. If a Tier 3 Marquess refused to take revenge once her convalescence was complete, it meant she thought her chances of winning were uncertain. "Is the potential of the Var Elegis greater than that of the First?" "He has multiple bodies, technology superior to that of the hoplite who beat you, and leads a galactic empire. If you want to face an AGI enhanced by the System, running on quantum processors, and sponsored by a Tier 9, be my guest." Seth remained silent. He only had to close his eyes to recall the hands of the Terminator separating his head from his body. Without his sublime mastery of the soul, he would be dead, leaving Osiris behind in this terrible world. "Dying once was enough for me. But couldn¡¯t you win if your body was restored and... enhanced?" The Necro Envoy remained silent for a few moments before taking the bait. "My body is ravaged by draconic poison and nanobots. What can you do to change that?" Seth simply took a seed from his pocket. Devoid of the System, the Necro Envoy analyzed it with her aether before deploying her Domain. The seed left Seth''s hand and entered the tank to gather genetic information. A few seconds later, it germinated, absorbing the sap to grow. Taking on the shape of a fetus, it matured to the size of a full-grown woman. Before the eyes of Seth, a younger and more powerful clone of Mirscella appeared. Inspired by Priam''s race change and Jasmine''s clone, Osiris had done a fantastic job. Modifying and improving the rituals, he had succeeded in cloning bodies, creating shells perfectly adapted to the soul of the original. In a few years, his brother had succeeded in accomplishing the dream of the Duatian civilization. It was an Achievement that the System had deemed Mythical. The head of the Necro Envoy began to sink as her new body opened its eyes. "Such vitality is amazing," smiled the corrupted after transferring her soul from one body to another. "My brother is a miracle worker," confirmed Seth. "Too bad he''s not a servant of the Necromoon, but I guess that would diminish his affinity with life. I would like to meet him." "I fear that may be impossible." A heavy aura fell upon Seth''s shoulders, causing him to grimace. The Tier 3''s soul was mighty. "Your gift does not make you my equal. You will learn that my demands are orders," growled the Necro Envoy as her new body absorbed the vitalizing sap, and thus energy. Despite the weight on his shoulders, Seth''s second personality burst into laughter. The Necro Envoy was surprised by the reaction. "Has resisting the influence of the Necromoon driven you mad?" After a few seconds of silence, Seth smiled. "Tell her." "Not yet," Seth replied to himself. "Tell me what?" asked the Necro Envoy. "That you were foolish to transfer your soul into this body," Seth laughed despite himself. The eyes of the Necro Envoy narrowed dangerously before widening. "I can''t change bodies anymore!" Seth clenched his jaw for a few moments before madness took over. "I''m afraid [Homo Elysian Obsession] binds body and soul," cackled the necromancer. His obvious split personality eventually disturbed the Necro Envoy. "My analysis found nothing strange about this vessel!" she cried out. For a servant of the Necromoon, a modification of her soul was more terrifying than any physical injury. "There''s nothing wrong with this body, it even has a significant boost of vitality," said Seth, stalling for time. "My instinct told me it was safe!" "A Talent capable of manipulating instinct... The First has truly created something terrifying," Seth acknowledged as the Necro Envoy''s body continued to absorb the vitalizing sap of the Tal Quercus. Already, the surplus vitality was surpassing her weak Constitution, causing tumors to appear rapidly. "And my brother turned it into a weapon." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In a scream, the Necro Envoy broke the tank and leaped towards Seth. Summoning a spectral armor, the latter blocked, parried, and dodged physical and spiritual attacks. Faced with a superior opponent, he lost his first arm in less than a minute but did not despair. Cancer would soon take his opponent''s body, and thus her soul. Osiris had prepared a trap from which not even a Tier 3 Marquess could escape. "Your brother is a monster!" the Necro Envoy screamed as her eyes became blind. Even without the potent sap, the vessel''s modified vitality was slowly consuming it. Osiris had even found a way to hinder Micro and its control over regeneration. "He''s an angel," Seth smiled before anger distorted his face. "And I am the demon who will dirty my hands in his place!" His two personalities allied, and the necromancer continued to stall the Tier 3, proving that he deserved to be the First¡¯s rival. You have gained the skill: [Divination Interception - Rare]. [Divination Interception] - Billions of curious souls have sought every means to gather information about you. Every move leaves traces, and for those who know how to look, the aether reveals much about its owner. Through resilience and relentless pursuit, you have learned to detect direct divination skills and decrypt the hidden information within. Those who spy on you are no longer anonymous. ¡°You saw mine; now show me yours.¡± META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Priam grinned as he reviewed the data from the probe he had dissected. Kalya Klogash, a twenty-seven-year-old apprentice mage, half Klogash, half elf, possessed [Ripples on the Spirit Sea], a rare and ideal skill capable of perceiving information about beings or actions that caused ripples on the Spirit Sea¡ªa Tier 2 Concept. More than ripples, Priam''s Mythical Achievement had caused waves on the Spirit Sea, making detection easier. That was why all the diviners of the Wandering Islands were currently using him as a training partner. The other data was incomplete except for coordinates that Priam could exploit with the help of the Guardian of Secrets. Directing his attention to new probes, he used his new skill to analyze them. [Divination Interception] helped him immobilize the aether packets, guided his will blade to dissect them, and then translated the data that his charisma charmed. For a few minutes, Priam studied different probes of rare rank. Most of their creators were young Tier 0s possessing a compatible Concept. [Divination Interception] failed to immobilize the epic-rank probes he encountered, but his rapid progress indicated that it was only a matter of time. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 19 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 2, 3, 4 META (Affinity) +6 META (Perception) +3 Priam opened his eyes, satisfied with his new skill. The information he had obtained from the divinatory probe was limited for now, but it would change with levels and upgrades. More than obtaining data on those who tried to spy on him, he rejoiced in his personal progress. In addition to significantly advancing his mastery of the aether¡ªthe high upgrade was close¡ªhe had succeeded in creating a skill in a field he did not master. Creating [Kinetic Control] at the beginning of his progression had been simple for two reasons. First, he had extensive knowledge in the field. Second, due to his education, Priam was a scientist with logical intelligence, which explained his high affinity for the Kinetic Concept. In contrast, the divinatory arts eluded him. Without affinity or knowledge, creating [Divination Interception] with Potential would have certainly cost him a fortune. [Average cost of creating a divination skill:
  • 1 600 POT for a common rarity.
  • 27 000 POT for a rare rarity.
  • 421 000 POT for an epic rarity.
Data collected during tests conducted by the Assistant a few hours after its activation.] ¡°Woah¡­¡± The savings brought by [Aether Manipulation] were enormous, making Priam realize once again that he couldn''t ignore this skill. Mentally, he glanced at the list created by his add-on. It had run some tests and established a list of the cheapest skills Priam could aim for. Unsurprisingly, they were related to Concepts with which he had an excellent affinity or great knowledge. [Fireball] cost only one Potential point and would undoubtedly optimize the creation of a fireball using his Fire Concept. At the rare rank, he was confident that the attacks would become much more powerful and form faster than what he was currently capable of. The epic rarity would add a bonus almost impossible to imitate with his Concept. However, Priam did not intend to buy it. First, he could easily create the skill, but more importantly, he didn''t want it. With the Tribulations approaching, it was time to change his training approach. ¡°It''s time to create a detailed progression plan, min-max my attributes to avoid triggering a sixth Tribulation, and optimize my training to survive those that are coming,¡± he declared as he stood up. ¡°Time for me to decide what to do in the short, medium, and long term. Moving forward without a plan is not a good thing. Rather than reacting, I must act!¡± The shadow of the Tribulations loomed, urging Priam to organize himself to survive and progress even further. He had a multitude of things to do, but if he proceeded step by step, he would arrive at the Second Reunion stronger than ever. ¡°But before that, there''s one last thing to settle.¡± ¡°Priam,¡± greeted Kazuki. ¡°Duke First.¡± ¡°Kazuki, Duke Arnold,¡± replied Priam. Seeing the homunculus who had ripped his heart out was a peculiar and rather unpleasant experience. The inorganic aspect of the Var Elegis gave him an insensitive appearance that bothered Priam. The two rivals stood on the rampart, observing the forest stretching to the horizon. Jasmine was invisible, but Priam felt her nearby, ready to ally with Kazuki to contain the Var Elegis in case of trouble. ¡°Glad to see you''re doing better,¡± Priam smiled as he jumped. With a leap, he reached the rampart''s top and fist-bumped his friend. ¡°Someone has to make my vitality useful,¡± the hoplite smiled back, returning the fist bump. Arnold observed the interaction in silence. ¡°It''s rather quiet,¡± Priam remarked, turning to the forest. ¡°The System promised a day of rest, but even after that, the corrupted don''t seem very interested in Oasis.¡± ¡°The calm before the storm?¡± Kazuki shrugged. ¡°Not necessarily. The conclusion of the last battle allowed us to massacre tens of thousands, which reduced their numbers in the valley. Since then, we''ve had to start fires to enrage them and lure them into our traps.¡± Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 20 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Priam opened his mouth but thought better of it. Discussing Oasis'' defenses and future improvements next to his homunculus rival wasn''t an excellent idea. First things first. Priam turned to Arnold. ¡°With all these events, I''ve neglected my duties as a host. Welcome to Oasis, Duke Arnold.¡± ¡°Thank you, Duke Priam,¡± replied Arnold in a surprisingly human voice. The contrast between his appearance, facial expressions, and voice unsettled Priam. ¡°May I know what brings you here?¡± ¡°I wish to discuss a... temporary cooperation regarding a personal project.¡± Priam raised an eyebrow before nodding. ¡°I also have something to propose to you. If you don''t mind, I''d prefer not to waste time and get straight to the point; I need to train for my next quintuple Tribulation.¡± His Domain caught Kazuki''s twitch, and Priam smiled inwardly. If he was going to risk his life, he might as well flaunt his audacity before his rivals. Arnold remained still for a moment before responding respectfully. ¡°As expected from the First.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 916 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 622 Memory 635 (+10) Willpower 1 051 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 631 (+15) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 432 Meta-perception 290 (+5) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 102 (+6) Potential: 14 141 (+14) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 183 573 (+619) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 14 hours 12 minutes 22 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 223: The Elite Four Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 21 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 5 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 On a wooden platform atop Log-a-rhythm, four rivals, each a Champion of a civilization, gathered around a round table. Jasmine, lounging in a chair, toyed with a dagger, never taking her eyes off Arnold. The assassin seemed to be searching for a weakness in the Var Elegis'' form. Kazuki was sitting upright, hands resting on the table, his eyes closed. His muscles twitched as he experimented with Micro II, pushing his limits. Arnold, in his homunculus form, was observing his three rivals in turn, precisely five seconds each. The periodic staring match with Jasmine seemed to enrage the young woman. Priam was casually seated, his right hand resting on the table, his left arm on the back of his chair. Observing his rivals, he pondered their relationship and common traits. What a perfect opportunity to test Arnold. "We''re all potential paragons of various concepts. Or should I say, Concepts," Priam declared. Jasmine furrowed her brow, Kazuki opened his eyes, and Arnold interrupted his routine. "What?" asked the young assassin, bewildered by Priam''s sudden proclamation. "Seeing us gathered here today made me wonder: what do the Seven want from us?" The rivals glanced at each other before Jasmine shrugged. "I''m not sure we can comprehend the goals of entities as strange and powerful as the Concepts." "Great Concepts work in mysterious ways?" Priam grinned. "Yet it''s important to understand our place on the chessboard if we want to progress." "What''s a chessboard?" "A strategic game board," Arnold replied. Jasmine wore a look of incomprehension before shooting a glare at the Var Elegis. "I was talking to Priam." "Isn¡¯t the main purpose of a question to learn its answer?" Arnold inquired. "The main purpose of my previous statement was to make you understand that I don''t want to talk to you. I don''t like you. Is that clearer now?" spat the young woman as she planted her dagger into the summoned table. Log-a-rhythm trembled, and the young woman grimaced. "Sorry." Kazuki coughed. "Let''s refocus. Priam, do you know what the Seven expect from us?" The young Homo Elysian nodded. "Maybe. Let¡¯s start with what I know to be true: I aim for the Zenith because I want to be free. The Concept of freedom resonates with me just as the Concept of protection resonates with you. Two Concepts that slightly diverge from the Seven we know." Dimension, Energy, Matter, Chaos, Order, Soul, Karma. The Seven Concepts seemed to encompass everything, yet they lacked a piece. The mysterious eighth Concept. "Protection seems under the domain of Order," remarked Jasmine. "In part," agreed Kazuki. "But the protection I envision requires an intention, an understanding, a selflessness that Order does not possess. If it did, this Universe would be different." "Freedom should depend on Chaos or Soul," added Priam. "However, I''m also convinced that my definition of Freedom and that of the Concepts are different. If they refuse to deeply alter our souls and get too involved, it''s because they seek a deviation, a personal touch that eludes them." "What''s that?" "No idea. The only way to learn more is to become more powerful." Jasmine nodded. "That I agree with." "Are you suggesting that we have affinities with Concepts that interest the Seven?" summarized Kazuki. "They''re seeking to create an eighth Concept since forever; they must have an idea of its foundation. Yours, mine, and our other rivals¡¯ raison d¡¯¨ºtre represent a possibility of reaching the eighth Concept," declared Priam. "That''s my theory." "A rather arrogant way of thinking," commented Jasmine. "I''m not modest," smirked Priam. "But think about it: what''s our common trait?" "Our talent?" suggested Jasmine after a few seconds. "We''re all geniuses at the top of our civilization... at least in terms of potential." "Who''s arrogant now?" teased Priam. "No, I know at least one exception." He could be considered a prodigy, but he knew he was far from the smartest or most athletic human. It was another quality that had allowed him to triumph over the Impossible Tutorial. "We are extremely driven," declared Kazuki. "Each of us has an ideal, a desire that compels us to excel." Priam nodded. "Let''s go further: ten Champions, each with a mentality, ideas, convictions, and the talent needed to attempt the Zenith Way, are selected by an Impossible Tutorial. Then, the System exacerbates our rivalry... What''s going to happen?" His rivals fell silent, pondering the question. "The System wants us to stimulate each other. A sort of positive peer effect," said Kazuki after a few seconds. "There''s more to it than that," said Arnold. "If we accept the First''s hypotheses, then the Seven want us to influence each other." "That''s what I think too," smiled Priam. "Either they want us to rub off on each other to broaden our mindset and thus our future Concept, or they hope we can purify our vision." When two ideas clash, there are only two outcomes: either they inspire each other to grow, or they are deemed opposing and become more radical. "What do you think, Arnold?" If the Var Elegis supported the second explanation, then their existences were incompatible. The homunculus reached out and placed a golden seed in the center of the table. "I regret my behavior during our first encounter. Here, a token of apology." Priam noted the use of the verb ''regret.'' According to the Guardian of Secrets, Var Elegis regretted nothing, which indicated that Arnold had changed. The seed disappeared into the wood of the table. Log-a-rhythm has consumed the inheritance seed of a Chamaecyparis Vita. Congratulations! POT +2,500 Features acquired: Necro Resistance III, Rot Resistance II. Log-a-rhythm trembled, absorbing the new abilities into its sap, circulating the life-giving liquid from its lowest roots to its highest leaves. The resistances infused every cell of the tree before reaching the other plants in its domain. Priam smiled, feeling the entirety of Oasis''s trees beginning to recover from the corruption of the Necromoon. "Apologies accepted," he said before noticing Jasmine''s astonishment. The young woman looked from Priam to Arnold, evidently confused by this turn of events. "Var Elegis are very hegemonic," explained Kazuki. "Arnold attempted to kill Priam for this reason, and he later killed Seth. The purpose of this conversation was to confirm that his goals had changed. The gift of this seed proves that it''s the case." The Var Elegis nodded. "During my first encounter with the First, I followed my protocols and... I failed. Each of our subsequent encounters has shown that the fundamental truths of Var Elegis are inadequate. I don''t intend to purify a mistaken core belief; I want to make it grow by being inspired by the First." Priam blinked before holding back laughter. Arnold wanted to emulate him?! Poor fool... I hope he enjoys dying. The Var Elegis then looked at Kazuki. "However, allow me to dispel a misunderstanding: my long-term goals have not changed, only my methods. I will use the System and the First''s teachings to dominate this Universe." The three Champions of Oasis widened their eyes before a wry smile spread across Priam''s lips. My Terminator friend is a dictator in the making, but at least he''s honest. "I''ll kill you first," growled Jasmine. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "... Is that humor or lack of awareness?" asked the confused Var Elegis. "Let me plant my dagger between his eyes," Jasmine asked Priam through their connection. "Later, we still need him." Priam decided to change the subject before a fight broke out. "Well, now that we know our short-term goals lean towards cooperation, let''s get down to business. It seems you have a favor to ask of me?" The Var Elegis nodded. "I''ve discovered a Tier 4 Earl possessing a fragment of a divine realm. I would like to form a temporary alliance to kill him." Priam felt his lips stretch into a smile. "I suppose you''re referring to the fallen god located here?" he asked as the table''s surface transformed into a topographic map of the rabhorns¡¯ valley. Arnold nodded. "As expected from the First. Am I to understand that you don''t need my help?" "On the contrary. They¡¯re a formidable opponent whose Domain strengthens the divine realm fragment they occupy. Our last encounter confirmed that I can''t kill him alone. Is there a problem?" Priam asked as he saw his rival blink. It was rare to see the homunculus react. "I was just reassessing your level," Arnold replied, tilting his head slightly. "I am still far from being able to survive against a pseudo-god." Seeing Jasmine raise an eyebrow in his direction, Priam coughed without trying to dispel the misunderstanding. Being in a position of strength in a negotiation was always a good idea. "Well, I am in favor of an alliance to destroy this monster. I have already enlisted Seth in this war and should be able to recruit Esm¨¦e. I don''t know about our other rivals, but it should be possible to interest the tribes." He decided to keep ¨¨ve''s capture quiet. Arnold nodded. "The Judge will be interested, but the Guardian will only intervene if the battle threatens the forest. I have no information on the other two. When do we take action?" Priam gritted his teeth. "Not for another month¡­. There''s a problem. The Fallen has one of my friends hostage. Our attack must be swift, and our victory total. Otherwise, she''ll die. I won''t allow it!" Clutching his fists, Priam fell silent and let Kazuki explain their plan. "To prevent that, we have a plan: summon a powerful Necro Envoy with Seth''s help. The forces of the Necromoon are supposed to be enemies of all System users, and an attack will be considered normal. Any other approach risks Sphinx." "... This valley is an excellent location," warned Arnold. "If locals colonize his valley, the Fallen might react in regrettable ways." "That¡¯s why we must declare it as our territory," Priam said. "In a month, a tournament will decide which tribe chooses which territory, and we are invited. Each participant will designate a duelist per Tier, making sixteen duelists in total¡ªfour for Oasis. The valley will be ours if we win first or second place in each Tier. All it takes is for each of us to win a category." Jasmine grimaced. "I''m an assassin, not a duelist. If my opponents know I''m there, I''ve failed at my job." "You will wipe the floor with their Tier 0s," Priam smirked. The young woman glanced at him briefly before looking away. "... You''re the boss." Priam felt a wave of joy emanate from his subordinate. Kazuki raised his hand. "I suppose I''ll handle the Tier 1s?" "Yes, please." "I¡¯ll do it. With my next High Tribulation, the abilities of the local Tier 1s interest me." Priam smiled before turning to Arnold. "In exchange for a place in my plan to kill the Fallen and access to the Auctions, I would like you to face the Tier 3s." A month was a long period that Priam planned to use exclusively for training. He was convinced that his growth would be impressive, but he had already picked the lowest-hanging fruits. The most powerful Tier 3s of the tribes certainly had a few centuries on Eleha. He harbored no illusions about his chances of victory against such monsters. Defeating Tier 2 elites would already be an achievement. "Very well," Arnold accepted without argument. As if the System had been waiting for these words, a notification appeared in front of Priam''s eyes. New Quest: Fallen Once a God, now a Fallen. Will they who fell by arrogance repeat their mistake? Kill Sumstreh, the Fragmented Rabbit. This is a shared quest. Reward: Bloodline Purification (+1%) Talent Token - Seraph Rarity Reward (for the executor): Title - Seraph Rarity Difficulty: Seraphic "You got it too?" Jasmine asked. Priam nodded. "The System wants us to cooperate." They had no chance individually, so the Seven encouraged them to collaborate. However, a glance at the last reward revealed that they wanted to create rivalry, not alliances. Only one person could execute Bastard. Priam understood that their alliance would end when the Fallen began to show signs of weakness. "The rewards are impressive," Kazuki murmured. The hoplite had already upgraded [Spear Virtuoso] to Legendary rank, but a Seraphic rank Talent would grant him incredible proficiency with the spear. Priam was almost jealous. "Two ranks above Mythical... Too bad about the Token, I would have preferred a Gift," Arnold declared. Priam turned to him. "Have you already used your Mythical Gift? What''s inside?" Killing a Tier 3 Viscount had allowed him to unlock a Mythical Achievement, and one of his rewards was a Mythical Gift. "It''s a Mythical-quality item of your choice. Token, weapon, resource,... Even a living being. Ask, and the Seven will grant your wish." A gleam appeared in Priam''s eyes, and he smiled. "Interesting." "A die of temperance is available?" Kazuki asked. "Of course." The hoplite exchanged a glance with Jasmine, who nodded. Priam wouldn''t be the only one attempting to temper his body. The conversation died down before Arnold stood up. "I think it''s time for me to leave. I''ll be back in a month for the tournament." Jasmine ignored the Var Elegis as Priam and Kazuki nodded. The next moment, Arnold disappeared, and the air rushed to fill the void left by the Var Elegis. "Our barrier doesn''t block his teleportation," Priam noted. "The dome blocks spatial transfers, but his skill is too powerful. We should purchase specialized defenses against our rivals'' talents¡ª" "You''ll discuss that later," Jasmine grimaced. "I can practically smell Blueberry''s grilled fish, and I''m starving." "Aren''t you afraid of getting fat?" Priam teased. "This new body is great, everything goes into the boobs. Want to see?" she asked, puffing out her chest. Priam shot an embarrassed glance at Kazuki, who just smiled. "I think Priam prefers princesses." Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "What princesses?" "Let''s finish this meeting quickly and go eat," Priam grunted, hoping to divert Jasmine''s attention by invoking her passion for food. "What are you going to do this month?" "I''ll train," Jasmine replied. "If I lose against one of their Tier 0s, I''ll be ashamed for life." Kazuki nodded before turning to Priam. "My defeat against Eleha opened my eyes. It''s when I felt death coming that I unlocked Spear Mastery II. I want to regain that feeling by facing necro elites. My spear thirsts for blood, and it''s time to make my people proud by achieving some Achievements." Priam looked at Kazuki with concern but didn''t try to discourage him. Before being his friend, he was his rival. ¡°Good luck, bro.¡± "Tell that to my enemies," said Kazuki fiercely. "What about you?" "I''ll temper my body," Priam declared. He also planned to upgrade [Kinetic Control] and optimize his build. "What does that mean?" asked Jasmine. "Well, I¡¯ll abuse my resurrections to unlock as many ideal resistances as possible¡ªwithout triggering a sixth Tribulation. Then, I''ll go hunting to obtain trophies." The best ones came from monsters he killed himself, which had a draconic affinity. Priam knew of a world where such beasts existed. "But first, I have two things to take care of: using my Sun points and having a conversation with ¨¨ve." "Nah, first, we¡¯re going to eat!" Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 916 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 622 Memory 641 (+6) Willpower 1 051 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 638 (+7) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 432 Meta-perception 291 (+1) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 105 (+3) Potential: 14 146 (+5) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 184 370 (+797) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 13 hours 49 minutes 55 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 224: Necro Bambis are delicious "Damn, that shit is good!" "Jasmine¡­" Alain sighed. "Shorry," she apologized, taking another bite. "Wha-diz?" "Fawn," Blueberry replied, gently turning a spit over the fire. A massive haunch was skewered on it, slowly roasting above the flames and wafting a delicious aroma that permeated the entire camp. "Am I eating Bambi?!" Rose exclaimed, pushing her plate away in horror. "Blueberry also prepared ratatouille," Louis offered, eyeing her plate. "I''m sure Ymir will be happy to share with you." "With pleasure," the vegetarian merchant smiled. "It''s simply delightful." Rose hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I''ll finish my plate," she said, cutting one of the caramelized apples accompanying the meat. "But it breaks my heart. Fawns are so cute..." Myuri nodded, signaling her agreement. "That one wasn''t cute at all, it even tried to bite me." Priam abruptly stopped eating. "Blueberry..." "Hmm?" "Please, don''t tell me I''m eating a corrupted carcass." The bear shrugged. "Okay, I won¡¯t tell you." Priam widened his eyes before realizing the others didn¡¯t care. Everyone was feasting, some even going back for seconds. "Am I the only one disgusted?! We''re eating an undead here!" "It''s perfectly dead," Jasmine remarked, prodding the meat with her knife. "That''s how I like beasts. Medium rare." "The hordes from the Necromoon have killed most animals that aren''t Tier 3s," Alain explained to his son. "Fish are spared for now, but we were all getting tired of trout." "Why don''t we buy meat at the Auctions?" "We''re not all as rich as you," Louis teased. "But¡ª" Blueberry cut him off. "No criticism until you participate in meal preparation. If you want to eat something untouched by the Necromoon, I won''t stop you from hunting a Tier 3 beast..." Priam grimaced. A Tier 3 beast powerful enough to withstand Elysium and the Necromoon was too much for him. For now. "But... Isn''t that bad for our health?" "There are pills that can repel the Necromoon''s corruption," Blueberry said, showing one. "I dissolve them in water and soak the bodies for about a day. That''s enough to dissipate the curse in the meat. Then I use a second marinade made of Log-a-rhythm sap. It''s full of vitality and gives the venison a normal appearance." "And a great taste!" Rose exclaimed, grabbing another piece. She had already mourned Bambi. "If you don''t want your share¡­" Jasmine offered, reaching out. Priam blocked the attack and devoured his piece. He chewed twice before swallowing. "Let me savor my Necro Bambi in peace!" "It''s full of toxins," pointed Louis. "Even better." Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 22, 23 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 6 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Priam and Kazuki stood on the rampart, watching Oasis and the bloody hell that lay beyond. Their enhanced visions revealed the thousands of animated corpses marching in their direction, a terrifying gleam in their empty sockets. "We''re an island of peace in a sea of death and blood," Priam sighed. "Every passing day strengthens us and allows us to grow," Kazuki said, opening the barrier to let a corrupted pass. "This event is as much a nightmare as an opportunity." Priam nodded as he watched one of the half-buried bio traps close on the undead. The body, crushed by leafy jaws, was drawn underground to be digested, thereby strengthening the plants in the long term. A bio trap could be upgraded for free by consuming the Sun points equivalent to its next upgrade. For now, none had evolved yet, but the necro event was still young. Despite the traps'' efficiency, many corrupted died under the aether bullets from the turrets or under the blows of the hoplites. Those were then lifted by mechas piloted by AGIs and thrown at the foot of Log-a-rhythm. There, its roots attracted the corpses underground where the main rune of Natural Growth Ritual I rapidly degraded them. Minerals and other interesting molecules were then distributed to the trees in a five hundred square meters area to boost their growth. Oasis knew how to recycle its enemies. "Log-a-rhythm gained almost five meters and... The forest is greener?" Priam noticed. "The effect of sacrificing almost a hundred thousand corrupted," Kazuki replied. "The challenging aspect did not lie in their extermination but rather in their transportation to your tree..." "Natural Growth is a good ritual," Priam noted. "We should upgrade it." The hoplite raised his hand, and Priam raised an eyebrow as he received a donation of almost a hundred thousand Sun Points. "The bio traps are set to automatically send you twenty percent of the earned points, but when we kill corrupted directly, you get nothing. I just transferred twenty percent of everything we have earned since last time." "Thank you." From the beginning of the necro event, it had been decided that all Oasis residents would give a part of their earnings to help build infrastructures. This twenty percent tax was difficult to monitor since Sun points were personal, but it hadn''t caused any problems so far. Oasis being a small sanctuary, all its inhabitants knew each other, and Priam trusted Hyshana and Kazuki to take care of the hoplites. Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 7 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 11 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 Priam concealed a smile as one of his trains of thought had just decrypted a new divination probe. If his draconic vivacity allowed him to train while speaking, Priam intended to take advantage of this ability. He could have entrusted the task to his add-on, but focusing on the skill himself increased its level-up speed. Meanwhile, his system wasn''t idle and was concocting a hellish training program. Priam couldn''t wait to start and feel himself progress. A parallel thought bought the upgrades for Natural Growth Ritual. Natural Growth Ritual II (10 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 1 000 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. ACQUIRED Natural Growth Ritual III (25 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 2 500 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. ACQUIRED Natural Growth Ritual IV (50 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 5 000 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual''s efficiency. ACQUIRED Sun points: 1 197 083 (-85 000) The System descended to change the world. The clearing trembled as Log-a-rhythm''s roots moved. Taking on particular shapes, they mimicked runes. Some sigils were able to manipulate reality when fueled by aether¡ªor rather, the fluid reacted to certain forms¡ªand Log-a-rhythm''s energy-laden roots were prime material to create runes. From the tallest tree to the smallest blade of grass, all the roots in Oasis changed position, creating secondary runes and reinforcing the Natural Growth Ritual. A few seconds later, the clearing stopped trembling, and the System withdrew. The upgrade was finished, and its effects were already being felt. Priam smiled as he felt Log-a-rhythm absorb nutrients, water, and light more rapidly. "The current ritual boosts Log-a-rhythm''s growth by almost fifty percent!" Priam exclaimed, studying his tree''s feedback. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "A thousandth of the points spent on the ritual," Kazuki remarked. "In the long term, it''s a good thing for the forest to become more resilient." "It will only slow down the corruption from the Necromoon," said Hyshana as she ascended the rampart stairs. "The trees farthest away didn''t benefit from the purification ritual, and the difference was starting to show¡ªeven if they were under Log-a-rhythm''s protection." Priam grimaced as he looked at the forest. Three zones stood out in the landscape. The trees closest to the clearing received crimson light filtered by the ritual and were full of vigor. A few meters away, the power of the ritual centered on Log-a-rhythm diminished and had little effect on the vegetation. Trees in poor condition, sometimes even stunted, shed yellow leaves. It was nothing compared to the almost dead trunks that populated the valley beyond Oasis'' borders. The Necromoon was devastating the Wandering Islands. "I suppose it''s time to buy the upgrades for the purification ritual." "We don''t have enough points," said Kazuki. "I''ll take care of it." "Each of us is supposed to give twenty percent of our earnings," Hyshana said. "If you give more, it won''t be fair to you." "I''m doing this for the community, but it also helps me¡ªLog-a-rhythm is my tree and my home. You don''t owe me anything." "A while ago, I heard your father say that short reckonings make long friends," Kazuki insisted. "I''ll repay you." "It''s a good saying, but I don''t forget that your hoplites defend Oasis constantly, and you''re the one who taught me which end of the spear is dangerous," Priam smiled. "If I ever feel like you owe me something, I''ll let you know, but currently, it''s the other way around." Kazuki thought for a moment before returning Priam''s smile. "Fair enough, it seems right." For the hoplite, the conversation was over. Priam had long understood that this race didn''t waste time in idle talk¡ªa habit he wholeheartedly approved of. Without wasting time, he validated the purchase again. Necro Purification Ritual II (10 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 1 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual III (25 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 2 500 square meters. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual IV (50 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 5 000 square meters. ACQUIRED As the System geared up for another descent, Priam hesitated. Oasis'' boundaries were delineated by a forty-meter-radius dome. While this space was currently sufficient¡ªfive thousand square meters could comfortably accommodate about twenty people¡ªPriam''s vision extended beyond mere defense of a few trees. His aim was to fortify their defenses and establish a haven of tranquility for himself and his loved ones. To achieve this, Log-a-rhythm needed to ascend as the guardian of a thriving forest. Without further ado, Priam resolved to invest in the future. Protective Barrier V (100 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 10 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a weak Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual V (100 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 10 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Guardian of the Forest IV (50 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 5 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Guardian of the Forest V (100 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 10 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Sun points: 762 083 (-435 000) A primordial lightning bolt cleaved through the cloudless sky, striking the purification rune emblazoned upon the protective dome. The sigils proliferated, swiftly blanketing the entire available surface. Simultaneously, the hemisphere expanded, its radius extending from forty to sixty meters. Oasis''s expanse doubled, now covering a hectare¡ªapproximately ten thousand square meters¡ªequivalent to about one and a half football fields. The growing barrier repelled any corrupted entities it encountered, crushing some against the trunk of nearby trees. Resistance was futile; the shield could now withstand assaults from a weak Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. Among the three rivals, only Priam, with his draconic Breath, stood a chance of destabilizing the protection. Any lesser attack could be disregarded. The monumental dome quivered once more as the defense and purification runes stabilized. Thousands of broken lines and sinuous arabesques crisscrossed the barrier, absorbing ambient aether. The former utilized this energy to filter the Necromoon''s light and block the Necro Concept, while the latter reinforced the protection, repelling assailants. Oasis had transformed into a pristine haven amidst a cursed world. Upon seeing this, Priam felt his hearts quicken. There was something cathartic about watching his territory expand and strengthen. He was proud of what he and his loved ones had built. In a matter of seconds, the pernicious influence of the Necromoon was pushed back, and Priam drew a deep breath. The few insects still alive began to resume their work as the plants celebrated. Corruption was insidious in that it could be forgotten over time. Yet, Priam remained convinced of its tangible physical, mental, and spiritual effects. The sight of the sickly forest beyond Oasis, with its ailing trees, served as a stark reminder. A second bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, energizing Log-a-rhythm. The rampart trembled as the roots of every tree in Oasis interconnected, forming a singular symbiotic network. A shiver ran through the plants as they resonated, sharing their experiences, pains, energies, and Potentials. At the heart of this web, Log-a-rhythm released a surge of life aether in the form of sap, amplifying the vitality of nearby trees and nurturing those newly assimilated within Oasis. Priam smiled as he felt a burgeoning awareness emanating from his tree, conveying a sense of joy before imparting a revelation to its master. Eyes widening, Priam burst into laughter. With these latest enhancements, Log-a-rhythm glimpsed the potential for a qualitative shift. A Tribulation would descend if it continued to grow, expand its realm, and unlock features. It was both dreadful and wondrous. Dreadful because the last Tribulation had ravaged the tree, and a new one would attract the attention of all nearby monsters. Wondrous because it signified that Log-a-rhythm was on the right path to ascend the Zenith Way. As the leaves and needles of newly integrated trees began to take on a verdant hue, Kazuki turned to Priam. "Do you have any points remaining?" "Just over half a million Sun points," Priam grinned. "I''m pretty thrifty, but when I spend, I don''t hold back." "It''s an investment for the future. I should take a page from your book and buy more bio-traps." "First, let''s relocate the existing ones to the new frontier," Hyshana interjected. "Can we do that?" Priam asked, surprised. "It''s easy with Sun points, but here, we''ll roll up our sleeves. Most hoplites have a strength exceeding three hundred; it''s time they put it to use. By the way, with the new available surface, I propose creating an orchard between the rampart and the defenses." "That''ll provide fruits and vegetables for Blueberry," Priam nodded. "Even if a breach occurs¡ªwhich I doubt with the new defense¡ªcorrupted won''t specifically target the trees¡­ I¡¯m in favor." "If we have fruits or seeds, wouldn''t it be better to give them to Log-a-rhythm? It can grow any fruit," Kazuki suggested. "Nothing stops us from asking it to grow fruits, but it has a limited number of branches. An orchard would increase our available fruit yield and allow us to sell any surplus at Auctions or to the local tribes." "Smart." "We could even test different trees to see if some produce more Potential," Priam mused. "Currently, Guardian of the Forest V allows all Oasis trees to contribute their Potential to Log-a-rhythm; it''d be foolish not to capitalize on that." Hyshana furrowed her brow. "If Log-a-rhythm can receive their Potential... Why not expand our boundaries?" "Due to lack of Sun points?" Priam found the question surprising but knew Hyshana wouldn''t speak without reason. The warrior shook her head. "Each new upgrade of a ritual multiplies its influence zone. Protective Barrier IV covered half a hectare, while Protective Barrier V covers a full hectare. So, ten Sun points equate to a square meter," Hyshana calculated before furrowing her brow. "But is that really the case? Following the same logic, Protective Barrier I should have protected a maximum of one hundred square meters." The first barrier had been erected before the Necro event began, thanks to a synergy between Log-a-rhythm and Priam''s Title, [Land Owner]. It had held back the necrowolf for a few moments, but not Dishnu. Suddenly, Priam furrowed his brow. "Protective Barrier I covered more than a hundred square meters." The barrier had shielded all of Oasis when the base was almost one thousand square meters. Hyshana nodded. "Indeed. I''m almost certain that barriers and rituals can be extended by reducing their power." Priam closed his eyes and connected with Log-a-rhythm. The tree confirmed Hyshana''s hypothesis: it was possible to increase the dome''s size by reducing rune density on its surface. "You''re right," Priam acknowledged. "Expanding Oasis''s size to overload Log-a-rhythm with Potential¡­ Not buying Protective Barrier VI would save a quarter of a million Sun points. Not bad." "The future barrier won''t stop a Marquess anymore, but do we really need such a powerful barrier?" "... Not necessarily," Priam admitted. "But if I expand Log-a-rhythm''s domain, I must also enhance the purification ritual. Without it, the farthest trees will continue to be corrupted by the Necromoon and distribute the curse within our network¡ªdividing our Potential output." "Guardian of the Forest VI and Necro Purification Ritual VI... It''s a half-million Sun Points expenditure for both upgrades," Kazuki grimaced. "Too expensive for now, but a good idea for the near future," Priam agreed. "Unless you spend Log-a-rhythm''s Potential." "I believe there are better investments," Priam smiled, opening his tree''s status. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 916 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 622 Memory 652 (+11) Willpower 1 051 Charisma 631 META: Meta-affinity 654 (+16) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 432 Meta-perception 300 (+9) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 111 (+6) Potential: 14 159 (+13) Tier 0 Sun points: 762 155 (-422 215) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 11 hours 16 minutes 15 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 225: The Million Dollar Question Despite [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam had no clue how his soul connected to the System. However, his connection with Log-a-rhythm was visible through his meta-perception. It wasn''t a direct link between him and the tree¡ªlike the mental bridge the Necro Envoy had created to telepathically communicate with him, for instance¡ªbut more of a resonance between his aether and the tree¡¯s. Like a radio antenna, Log-a-rhythm emitted aether waves synchronized with Priam''s energy. His soul caught them, and then the System linked their statuses, allowing him to oversee the tree''s growth. Log-a-rhythm: Features: Abundance - Life II Abundance - Aether I Protection III Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage I Land Owner II Camouflage II Guardian of the Forest V Mighty roots I Necro Purification V Natural Growth IV Necro Resistance III Rot Resistance II Measurements: Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 55 m2 (+8, due to Log-a-rhythm''s growth) Status: Current POT: 5 055 Passive gain: 100 (+250) (+40) POT/day. (+250 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest V) (+40 POT/day: bonus - Natural Growth IV) (+2 712 POT from miscellaneous plant samples & legacy seed) Available Themes Primo (1 000 000) Tal Quercus (10 000) Nature (1 000) Cocoa (500) Sequoia (1 000) Tea (500) Abundance - Life III (2 500) Abundance - Aether II (1 000) Protection IV (5 000) Tribulation Resistance III (2 500) Secret Passage II (500) (-500) Camouflage III (2 000) (-500) Attraction I (500) Underground I (300) (-200) Comfort I (500) Volume I (500) Water Control I (500) Land Owner III (2 000) (-500) Protective Barrier VI (25 000) Guardian of the Forest VI (24 500) (-300)(-200) Mighty Roots II (1 000) Root network - Plant Intelligence I (FREE) Root network - Plant Control I (FREE) Necro Purification VI (25 000) Natural Growth V (10 000) Necro Resistance IV (5 000) Rot Resistance III (2 500) Age: 48 days since creation Priam smiled upon seeing his tree''s status. His own progression was ridiculously fast, but as a human sponsored by a Patron and willing to risk his life, that was expected. On the other hand, Log-a-rhythm was a plant, and the plant world took its time to flourish compared to the animal kingdom. Yet, in less than two months, the tree had managed to become Oasis''s true cornerstone. Its sturdy trunk had shielded Priam upon his arrival in Elysium, and the security of its spatial pocket had allowed him to sleep peacefully. "I''m going to check on Log-a-rhythm," Priam announced. "Don¡¯t forget to train." "Speak for yourself. We''ll see who kicks whose butt in a month." "Deal," Kazuki said with a fierce smile. Nodding toward the hoplite couple, Priam rode his mist to perch on a branch of his tree. While Oasis''s defenses concerned all its inhabitants, Log-a-rhythm''s growth was a personal affair. His mental, genetic, and aetheric bond with the tree was so intimate that he hesitated to share its secrets with others. Rereading the status, Priam first selected the two offered features. Plant Intelligence and Plant Control relied on Oasis''s root network. Thanks to Guardian of the Forest V and Mighty Roots, the cost of both enhancements decreased by seven hundred Potential points, making them free. Root network - Plant Intelligence I ACQUIRED Root network - Plant Control I ACQUIRED The Seven descended to upgrade Log-a-rhythm. Closing his eyes, Priam placed a hand on the bark to feel the difference. Something had changed in the communication between Log-a-rhythm and its subjects. Plant Intelligence made it easier to understand the feedback from different trees. A side effect of the enhancement was that a camouflaged enemy would now have a harder time evading vegetation surveillance. Satisfied, Priam asked his tree to test Plant Control. Log-a-rhythm''s trunk vibrated slightly while a tiny earthquake shook Oasis; every root in the territory had vibrated in unison. The feature allowed control over a tree''s growth¡ªbe it its trunk, leaves, fruits, or even roots. Due to the lengthy development of plants, they could take hours, even days, to obey. It was a power more utilitarian than offensive. "I suppose once I''m a top-notch Aetherist, I could create natural runes with this enhancement¡­" Priam mused. He couldn''t help but imagine transforming Oasis, the valley, and even the entire island when Log-a-rhythm would be old and powerful enough. In his dream, each leaf of his tree carried a world, and not even the Necromoon could corrupt it. His second train of thought eventually brought him back to reality: the work wasn''t finished. After scolding himself, Priam refocused, a wry smile on his lips. Analyzing his tree''s status for the best enhancement, he realized Log-a-rhythm would become a monster if given some time. Enhancements were expensive, but each day earned him two hundred and sixty Potential points. Even the priciest enhancement, Primo, could be bought by saving for a year. It was too long for Priam, but extremely fast on a tree''s timescale. Faced with an abundance of options, Priam was struck by decision paralysis before deciding to proceed by elimination. All features in the Sun Shop were ruled out; as a Tier 0, he had no trouble farming Sun Points. Observing the remaining features, he briefly hesitated to take Tribulation Resistance III to bolster the Tribulation Chamber before reconsidering. He was starting to devise a plan to overcome his Tribulations and knew he wouldn''t trigger them in his inner world. After some thought, Priam settled on two upgrades. What he currently needed was training, and Log-a-rhythm could help with that. Abundance - Life III ACQUIRED Abundance - Aether II ACQUIRED The first feature reinforced the sap''s healing power. Useful for nourishing Oasis''s population, the liquid could also boost defenders'' vitality. Thanks to his resurrection, Priam needed it less than others, but it would allow him to push his body further. His second choice was as basic as it was obvious. Elysium was the Spearhead World, thanks to its extreme aether density. Its inhabitants were more talented, resources were more precious, and monsters were more dangerous. Increasing the aether rate in Oasis, particularly in Log-a-rhythm''s spatial pocket, was a good idea every day of the week. There were still one thousand five hundred Potential points left, which Priam invested in two more enhancements. Volume I ACQUIRED Volume II ACQUIRED Measurements: Ceiling Height: 3 meters. Interior Area: 66 m2 (55 m2 +20%) Current POT: 55 The Concepts upgraded Log-a-rhythm''s spatial organ, and Priam opened a portal beneath him to check it. He landed in a room about eleven square meters in size, with walls streaked with luminescent vessels. The crimson-gold sap coursing through it bathed the space in a soft light, illuminating the wooden walls. The glowing dimness reminded him of a forge''s ambiance. Taking a deep breath, Priam filled his lungs with dense, vitality-charged aether. Thanks to Micro, he felt his body revel in the invigorating atmosphere. "This will be perfect," he smiled, turning his senses to the rest of the spatial pocket. Log-a-rhythm''s interior was empty. According to his father, resting in a space isolated from the outside world could be stifling. As the owner, Priam''s senses were linked to Log-a-rhythm''s, making the tree an extension of himself. Here, he felt good and safe. Oasis''s inhabitants now mainly rested in their own cabins or in barracks for the hoplites. The main room was used only for storing some resources¡ªPriam detected some quality rocks and bones¡ªand a second room served as an emergency infirmary. "Time to rearrange all this," he murmured, asking Log-a-rhythm to shrink the main room to turn it into a warehouse of about twenty square meters. After that, Priam almost made the infirmary disappear, before changing his mind; the defenders might need it at any moment. Using the remaining free space, he expanded the new room. When the wood stopped moving, Priam admired the dimensions of his future training room. Thirty square meters just for me. It would be almost luxurious in a big city. The first thing Priam did was to restrict access to everyone except Jasmine and Kazuki. He had nothing to hide, but the consequences could be dire if his father or Rose visited at the wrong moment. He planned to buy and install traps and machines to train and torture his body, and collateral damage wasn''t impossible. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Priam had briefly considered training in Concept Archipelago, but the Talent blocked the simplest divinatory probes to dismantle, and if injured, Log-a-rhythm could easily help him. The only issue was he wanted to avail himself of the Prince Phoenix''s advice, but an open portal constituted an acceptable solution. As he prepared to open a passage, Priam hesitated, then sighed. Before beginning the training concocted by his add-on, he had one last thing to do. Force me to stay inside for at least three minutes, he instructed his add-on. Trigger MindBreak3 protocol as soon as you detect any memory modification and cancel the previous order. [Alarm set.] With ¨¨ve, it was better to be safe, and Priam used both trains of thought to prepare for a difficult conversation. His rival deserved death for what she had done to them, but Priam didn''t forget that his true enemy was Sumstreh. If his rival had any usefulness, he would use her. Flexing his Talent, Priam created a circular portal to the Tribulation Chamber. On guard, he crossed, then closed the passage behind him. The hundred-square-meter cube was empty. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 24 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 "I guess she must have found a way to escape..." As he prepared to open a return portal, his add-on short-circuited the Talent. Priam furrowed his brows, realizing he couldn''t open a portal anymore. What the hell? [The user issued an order twelve seconds ago: "Force me to stay inside for at least three minutes."] Priam furrowed his brows as he scrolled through his system log. He had no memory of making such a request, and his memory was flawless. He could simply close his eyes and recall the faint sound of sap pulsating in the vegetal walls, the comforting dimness, the woody, resinous scent of the room, and... Furrowing his brows, Priam realized that the scent he remembered wasn''t from Log-a-rhythm. The difference was subtle, but his absolute sensory memory made no mistakes. Someone had tampered with his memory. Just as the thought formed, a gentle force made it disappear. Priam furrowed his brows as his parallel thought took over, transferring the fact to his add-on. The next moment, he looked around, confused. [Memory and thought falsification detected. MindBreak 3 protocol engaged.] Priam''s fiery mantle expanded then exploded into a nova of flames. Pyro and [Kinetic Control] combined to sharply raise the temperature. In a second, the heat became high enough to melt gold. The explosion shook the reinforced Chamber. Despite the protections in place, Priam was a Duke, capable of facing some Tier 3s. The outburst of power caught him off guard. Why was his system attacking? A second later, his thoughts cleared, and a cry rang out. Lvl Up : [True Will] lvl 8 WILL +18 CHAR +9 Priam stifled his nascent anger, recalling his flames and turning to ¨¨ve. The young woman stood behind him, naked. The situation held nothing erotic as her melted, charred skin barely covered her muscles and bones. If Blueberry had been present, he would surely have made a comment about overcooked meat. The smell of burnt flesh made him want to vomit, but Priam felt no remorse. Anyone attempting to breach his mind deserved no mercy. "I''m sure you have the means to breach my defenses, but I advise against trying," he said over his rival''s moans. "I''ll sense it, and the moment you try to influence my thoughts or memory, I''ll kill you." These were not idle threats: Priam''s formidable willpower was currently a double-edged weapon. [True Will] was a Legendary skill that provided an impressive number of attributes. With five more level-ups, he would surpass the next Tribulation threshold; a sure way to die. ¨¨ve mumbled something, and Priam furrowed his brows. Most of his adversaries would have had no trouble surviving an explosion, but she was a Tier 0 who didn''t seem to have invested much in constitution. Without [Grand Fire Resistance - Rare], the skill he had been forced to buy for her, she might have died. Big mind, weak body, right? Glass cannons are proud until they get hit in the head by a fireball. Sighing, Priam waited for the three minutes to end, then seized the young woman''s body with his Domain and opened a passage to Log-a-rhythm. Crossing through a second portal, he arrived in the infirmary and submerged the body in a bath of regenerative sap. "We need to talk," he said as the liquid began to regenerate his rival. "Gan''dh..." Priam furrowed his brows. ¨¨ve''s vocal cords didn''t seem to be functioning, and her eardrums were likely damaged. Waiting for her to heal was out of the question. Closing his eyes, Priam summoned his add-on. During the battle against the Necro Envoy, the Tier 3 had created a telepathic link between them to communicate. His superhuman perception of aether had observed every aspect of the link, and his system had saved a model. He just had to copy it to communicate with his rival. Using [Aether Manipulation], Priam began to recreate the construct. Capturing the energy filtered by his soul, he materialized it along an aether thread. The fluid could take various forms, but Priam''s training had taught him to handle aether''s liquid and gaseous states. One end of the thread connected to his soul space, Priam linked the other end to his Domain. The thread appeared in his sphere of authority, a few centimeters from his rival''s head. A fraction of a second later, the construct dissipated, causing its creator to grimace. There''s instability when aether is transported by the Supremacy... His Domain might be larger than those of his rivals due to the size of his soul space, but its quality wasn''t superior. Priam could perceive the world through it and use his skills within his sphere of authority, but he couldn''t stabilize an aether construct. For now. Since he couldn''t improve his Domain, Priam formed another aether thread from his soul space and passed it through a spiritual meridian. The thread appeared within his human heart, and Priam guided it out of his chest through a direct pathway. Projecting the thread, he approached ¨¨ve until encountering resistance. Her melted skin isolated her. The Necro Envoy had used her formidable aether mastery to bypass his defenses, but Priam couldn''t do the same. Furrowing his brows, he first attempted to increase the thread''s diameter to force it through. In vain. His actual proficiency didn''t allow him to exceed a certain section, after which the construct became unstable. Pondering for a moment, Priam had the idea to braid two threads together to form a kind of chain. One end connected to his soul space, he forced the other end to penetrate ¨¨ve''s body. Foreign aether began to travel up the chain, with one cable acting as a vein and the other as an artery, sending and receiving energies between the two rivals. Priam blinked as he realized that ¨¨ve''s aether was poisoning his body. The pain was diffuse but present. Uncontrolled energy transfer was dangerous, and Priam quickly recalled the various runes inscribed on the surface of the Necro Envoy''s mental bridge. Each sigil had a meaning and function that eluded Priam, but he didn''t need to understand them to copy them. The only problem was that her bridge was about one-tenth of a millimeter in diameter. Mine is almost a hundred times thicker; I''ll need to enlarge the runes while maintaining their proportions... What would have taken hours for a scientist equipped with a computer was accomplished in less than a second. Assisted by his system, Priam calculated the new dimensions of the sigils he needed and began engraving them on his mental bridge''s surface. His runes were about one millimeter in diameter. Without Esm¨¦e''s exercises, he would never have succeeded. Thank you, Princess... After a few failures, his draconic vivacity allowed him to inscribe the different characters one after the other. However, the hardest part was not to engrave them, but to prevent them from fading away. The construct was as unstable as it was ephemeral. Priam''s attention couldn''t be everywhere at once, and as soon as it withdrew, the runes began to dissipate. He had to jump from one to another to fix them. If this continues, the mental bridge will break! Gritting his teeth, Priam mobilized all his mental faculties, [Focus], and even his Potential to hunt down and correct every mistake. ¨¨ve''s aether was poisoning him, corroding his meridians, but Priam refused to fail. As he continued repairing the runes, he focused on [Aether Manipulation], learning from his errors, increasing his speed, and mastering the fluid. All it took was for the link to function for a fraction of a second for... POT -22 "What¡­ ? Who?" For a moment, all the runes aligned and resonated, transforming the aether of both rivals, translating their thoughts. You have gained the skill: [Mind Bridge - Rare]. [Mind Bridge] - Your aether resonates with another''s. The safeguards you''ve put in place are remarkably optimized. Generations of geniuses refined it before their heirs fell to the Necromoon. Such an intimate link can convey more than just words. Don''t listen to the doctors; hearing voices in your head is a good thing: it means you still have a head. META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Acknowledging his success, the System fixed the skill on the second layer of Priam''s soul. It diverted his aether, incorporating the runes as soon as the mind bridge was created to stabilize them. His attention could finally relax, and Priam stifled a sigh of relief as he felt his headache recede. Lvl Up: [Mind Bridge] lvl 2 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Pain gave way to elation as he realized he had succeeded. Exploring the arcana of magic and manipulating the world through his aether was fascinating. Feeling proud, he focused on the knowledge that came to him through the skill. As Priam was given a translation of the runes and a brief explanation of their synergy, his breathing quickened. The skill¡¯s origin was alien. Created and optimized by entities from another universe, the ritual was eye-opening. "Priam?" "¨¨ve," Priam replied, refocusing. Lvl Up: [Mind Bridge] lvl 3 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 "A mental link?" Despite her injuries, his rival didn''t lose her focus. "These runes synergize marvelously... I find it hard to believe that Sumstreh could have dominated your soul with your aether proficiency." It was the moment of truth. Priam had thought long and hard about the conversation he needed to have with ¨¨ve and what he could glean from her. His rival had half-stated that she was only partially controlled by Sumstreh. Either it was a trick from Bastard or the Fallen''s weak point. Only one way to find out. "Sumstreh didn''t dominate my soul," Priam said, observing the ambient aether. At the slightest attempt at communication, he would kill ¨¨ve. "... This is the first time my instinct has failed me. Do you have any proof?" Opening his interface, Priam selected the last quest he had received. Quest: Fallen Once a God, now a Fallen. Will they who fell by arrogance repeat their mistake? Kill Sumstreh, the Fragmented Rabbit. This is a shared quest. Do you want to share this quest with "¨¨ve"? Looking at ¨¨ve, Priam hesitated for a second before sending her an invitation. His rival''s body froze for a moment. "Oh." "Yeah. Now, the million-dollar question: why should I keep you alive?" Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 979 Agility 608 Vitality 916 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 516 Dexterity 622 Memory 657 (+5) Willpower 1 077 (+26) Charisma 646 (+15) META: Meta-affinity 665 (+11) Meta-focus 385 Meta-endurance 432 Meta-perception 304 (+4) Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 114 (+3) Potential: 14 150 (-9) Tier 0 Sun points: 762 364 (+209) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 10 hours 56 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 226: Press F for the Geneva Conventions "Now, the million-dollar question: why should I keep you alive?" "Why would you kill me?" ¨¨ve asked. Her mental voice betrayed genuine confusion. "Your real enemy is Sumstreh." "I plan to offer a group rate to everyone involved in Sphinx''s imprisonment." A joyless laugh echoed across the mental bridge. "You think I had a choice? He asked me to bring him another rival. According to the Guardian of Secrets, you were the only one with a chance to resist him. I''m sorry I threw you under the bus, but you were the perfect candidate." ¨¨ve hadn''t intended to strengthen Sumstreh by providing him with another compliant rival. "What about Sphinx?" "... I would have preferred another option, but it was my last chance. If I hadn''t obeyed, I would be dead. Sphinx was regrettable collateral damage." For a brief moment, Priam contemplated smashing ¨¨ve''s head against the wooden bathtub. He had to activate [Emotional Discipline] to regain control. "Sphinx has been a prisoner of the Fallen for thirteen days. She has spent half her life in prison!" Under his anger, his cloak of flame began to flicker, and the room''s temperature rose. "Trading the freedom of two people for a chance to stay alive was the choice I had. You might have refused to submit, but I''m no saint." "Neither am I," Priam replied, remembering his early Tribulations. "Unfortunately for you, vengeance speaks to me more than justice. You harmed my friend, and you will die for it." "Maybe, but not today." Priam raised an eyebrow. "You think I wouldn''t dare to kill you?" A sneer resounded. "Killing this clone and thereby dissipating her divine mark would put Sphinx in danger." Priam''s hearts skipped a beat. What?! "Explain," he said, preparing to use [There is No Heaven]. If ¨¨ve was some kind of lich who could possess other bodies, he wouldn''t let his rival''s soul escape. "Sumstreh captured my original three days after her arrival in Elysium. She barely had time to use her survival reward to resist their soul manipulation. I''d rather not go into details, but what''s in front of you is a disposable shell." Having survived three days, Priam had received Log-a-rhythm and Kazuki''s temperance die. Apparently, the System had also saved ¨¨ve. "Yet I sense your Domain. You have a soul." "A soul that serves me without being mine," corrected ¨¨ve¡¯s clone. "If you had wanted, you could have done the same with your subordinate." Priam stifled a curse. He could indeed have turned Jasmine into the avatar of his system and then possessed her body without her death directly impacting him. If ¨¨ve had done something similar, the body in front of him was only as valuable as she deemed it. Damn! "Swear on your Potential that you have been telling the truth since the beginning of this conversation and will continue to do so until the end." Priam hoped ¨¨ve was lying. Otherwise, the situation would become complex. "What a waste of Potential... I swear on my Potential that I haven''t lied to you since the beginning of this conversation and will remain silent rather than do so for the next hour." When the System descended and then withdrew without punishing his rival, Priam grimaced. ¨¨ve was capable of using the Potential of the soul she manipulated. But how?! Did the true owner agree with her actions? Lvl Up: [Mind Bridge] lvl 4 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 There were more urgent matters at hand. "As long as you remain in Log-a-rhythm, do you have the possibility to communicate in any way with Sumstreh, your original, or anyone else? In the past, present, or future." "You''re the paranoid type, aren''t you? Well, with the Necromoon up in the sky, I''m limited. I have no way to communicate with Sumstreh¡ªexcept by dying. They will sense the dissipation of the divine mark. My original will also be informed. I can''t communicate with anyone else." "Will the original be informed of more than your death?" "..." Frowning at the lack of response, Priam realized the clone might be able to pass on a final message to the original before dying. He also noted that, for some reason, his rival had not created a direct link between the original and the copy. Lack of Potential or lack of trust? "Let''s recap: this isn''t your true body, nor your true soul. What is it then?" "This knowledge won''t help you to kill Sumstreh." "But it will help me kill ¨¨ve." His vendetta against his rival wouldn''t end after he killed just a clone. A good enemy was a dead enemy. "Your intimidation game is pathetic," ¨¨ve¡¯s clone sighed. "I''m already willing to cooperate with you to kill Sumstreh and save your precious little Sphinx." Internally, Priam seethed. The bitch who manipulated his friend thought she had control of the conversation, and it infuriated him deeply. The dragon within him roared, and Priam forgot about the Geneva Conventions. With one hand, he seized the clone''s right index finger and pulled. With a squelching noise, the ligament gave way and the bone followed. Sap had already regenerated his rival''s vocal cords, and she used them to scream at the top of her lungs. Calmly, Priam observed his macabre find before tossing it into the bath. "Your nails are sharp and curved¡­ You took this body from an Aelbes, didn''t you?" "Fuck you!" ¨¨ve¡¯s clone screamed hoarsely. Still blind, she was desperately trying to put her finger back in place. "I see you''ve found your voice and lost your arrogance." "If you think I''ll give in to torture, you''re wrong!" "I''m not going to torture you," Priam replied. The only person he liked to torture was himself. "I''ll even consider your alliance proposal. You know why?" "Go to hell¡ª" His kinetic proficiency blocked the sound wave, and Priam seized another finger with his Domain. The threat subdued the clone. "I repeat my question: do you know why I''ll consider an alliance between us?" "... No." "Because I''m pragmatic," he acknowledged. "Sphinx''s life is precious, and that''s all that matters to me. If I have to put up with you a few more days to increase her chances of survival, so be it." Unleashing his Aura, Priam put pressure on his prisoner. "However, if anything goes awry, I''ll detonate an H-bomb in Bastard''s lair, resurrect my friend with a Colosseum¡¯s reward, and unleash the tribes on your other clones. Got it?" According to the Phoenix Prince, the Wheels of Reincarnation were quite traumatic, which was the only reason it wasn''t his main plan. Rose had been fortunate to die in another universe. "...Got it," his rival replied, her throat tight. "Now, let''s get down to business. Why do you need my help?" None of his rivals were weak, and Priam was sure ¨¨ve was no exception. Just looking at the puppet before him made that abundantly clear. Pressing her injured hand against her burned chest, ¨¨ve¡¯s clone cleared her throat. "Our dear god has fallen, but they¡¯re far from being idiotic. Both my original and Sphinx are prisoners in their Domain. They could kill them in a fraction of a second. Our only chance to save them is to work together, you from the outside, me from the inside. If the original goes all-out, she could distract the Fallen for a few seconds." Mentally, Priam raised the danger level of his rival. That she could neutralize a Tier 4 in their own Domain was terrifying. "And you? I mean, this clone." "I can smooth relations between you and the tribes and spy on the Fallen." Thanks to their trade agreements, Priam didn''t think he''d have trouble with the Gaeserts and Snaherts, but the Aelbes were a thorn in his side. After a minute of reflection, he raised the most important question. "How can I be sure your original won''t try to double-cross me by kidnapping Sphinx after Bastard falls?" "You have a better chance of defeating me than a Tier 4," ¨¨ve pointed out. "You''re trying to flatter my ego," Priam smiled coldly. "But you''re not wrong. Fine, let''s ally to free Sphinx¡ªand slay Bastard. But I''ll need some guarantees..." "I can swear on my Potential¡ª" "Not enough," Priam interrupted. "I need a stronger guarantee. I''ll implant a sub-system in you." ¨¨ve¡¯s clone recoiled before hissing, "I won''t accept something so intrusive!" Priam was surprised by the reaction. He expected a refusal but not to see her hiss like a cat¡ªan inherited reaction from the possessed female Aelbes. "It''ll just be a surveillance system capable of killing you at any moment," Priam ironically reassured her. "It will observe your actions without reading your thoughts or memories." "... An intelligent kill switch." "Indeed." "... I suppose it''s better to die after the Fallen falls than now," the clone said after hesitating for a few seconds. From her tone, Priam understood that if he didn''t kill her, ¨¨ve would. Yet the clone accepted her death to help the original. Faced with loyalty as terrifying as it was artificial, Priam shuddered. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 VIVA +15 MEM +15 META (Authority) + 15 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 12, 13 META (Affinity) +6 META (Perception) +12 Lvl Up: [There is no Heaven] lvl 5 WILL +9 Spending the clone''s Potential to implant a sub-system had been excellent for increasing the skill level. Priam had even taken the opportunity to observe her soul. What he saw confirmed the clone''s story. As a Fire Champion, he had an extreme affinity with the Fire Concept. A glance at the clone''s soul''s first layer had been enough to find a fire resistance rune. Whether it was [Fire Resistance], [Heat Resistance], or [Thermal Resistance], Priam wasn''t sure of the name of the skill, but he was sure of one thing: it was of common rarity. However, he had purchased [Grand Fire Resistance - Rare] for ¨¨ve using his own Sun points. This confirmed that the clone''s soul was different from their last encounter. "I can barely sense the presence of the kill switch," the clone declared, closing her eyes. "I hope for your sake that Bastard won''t detect anything." "Why would they search the soul of a clone when they can search the soul of the original?" Priam didn''t bother answering the rhetorical question. It was in ¨¨ve''s interest that the Fallen detect nothing. Fueled by [There is no Heaven], the sub-system was trigger-happy. At the slightest problem, the clone''s soul space would be annihilated. "Now onto the final step: the spiritual link." "You''re really going to cut off a piece of your soul to watch me?" It was clear that his rival¡¯s clone was intrigued by the possibility. "Are you worried about me?" "Until the original is free, your safety matters to me." Priam chose not to respond. One of the methods to maintain a remote connection with his sub-systems was to create a spiritual link. More reliable than a quantum link, it would allow Priam to see through the clone''s eyes from anywhere, ensuring personally that she wouldn''t betray him¡ªor that she would die trying. This security was partly why he had agreed to leave the clone alive. Even without reading her memories or thoughts, prolonged observation of the clone''s actions and skills would give him an idea of the original''s capabilities and weaknesses. Once Sumstreh was dead, it would be time to avenge Sphinx. Placing a hand on the clone''s head, Priam reiterated the instructions. "You don''t move, you don''t use your aether or any skills, and you leave as soon as your sub-system tells you. Is that clear?" Priam didn''t know exactly what would happen once his soul was damaged. In the worst-case scenario, he would fall into a catatonic state, and his add-on would detonate his soul to activate [He Who Eludes Death]. At that point, he didn''t want anyone around. "Crystal clear," ¨¨ve said, settling cross-legged in the sap-filled bathtub. Closing his eyes, Priam connected to his Potential. Taking a deep breath, he activated [There is no Heaven], forming an energy blade in his soul space. His aether proficiency allowed him to carefully manipulate the tool and bring it closer to his soul. Despite a gut-wrenching premonition, he thrusted. The knife pierced the outer layer that supported the common skills. The sphere began to leak aether, enlarging the fissure and destabilizing the membrane. The spiritual wound worsened rapidly, plunging Priam into incomprehensible pain. It felt like every nerve in his body had been stabbed. His eyes became blind, his ears deaf, and his hearts stopped beating. Only Micro prevented him from screaming and losing consciousness. The spiritual suffering was insane, and the blade froze. He couldn''t go any further. Damaging his soul far surpassed the horror of all his deaths combined. For the first time, Priam''s impressive will faltered. Operating on the quintessence of his being was beyond his strength. It felt like amputating a precious part of his ego, and nothing justified that. The body could die, but not the soul. Continuing would betray everything he had ever believed in. He would lose his identity. As tears of blood streamed down his cheeks¡ª[Homo Elysian Obsession] mirrored his soul¡¯s damage on his body¡ªPriam thought of Sphinx. She had bravely entered a Fallen''s territory thinking she was saving him. Could he really waste a chance to save his friend? His absolute memory conjured an image of the child as she stood between him and Sumstreh. A terrible feeling of cowardice washed over Priam, and he screamed. Gathering his courage, he made the hardest decision of his life. Finish the job, then kill me, he asked his add-on. If he couldn''t hold the knife''s handle, he could at least give it to someone else. Lvl Up : [True Will] lvl 9 WILL +18 CHAR +9 The blade advanced again. The torture quickly reached a point of no return, and Priam lost his senses. Regretting his choice, he instinctively chose a way to end the pain. His add-on had to neutralize him as he prepared to detonate his body, Log-a-rhythm, and part of Oasis to end his torment. The pain was driving him insane. The last thing he felt was his body slipping away from him as Micro deactivated. The Supremacy needed a soul to exist. A few moments later, his soul fractured. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 22 Your soul is whole once more. Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: WILL +5 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +10% (83%). Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 25, 26 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 4, 5, 6 VIT +9 CONST +9 META (Endurance) +9 Lvl Up: [There is no Heaven] lvl 6 WILL +9 Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 7, 8 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +12 Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 VIVA +15 MEM +15 META(Authority) + 15 POT -500 Title won! [Soul Scarred - Gold] - The soul is the quintessence of life and death, the vessel of your ego as it sails towards the Zenith. Yours has suffered damage yet has not yet joined a Wheel of Reincarnation. In addition to the obvious consequences, a scarred soul has a chance of becoming apocryphal. If you reject death, only an Aether Baptism can heal you fully. One way or another, the High Tribulation will deliver you from your sufferings. META (Endurance) +10% META (Chance) +20% [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 5 hours 12 minutes 3 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Priam opened his eyes under the dim light. With a grunt, he struggled to sit up. He felt no physical or spiritual aftermath, but his mental state was... disturbed. Despite [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [He Who Eludes Death], his last death had shaken him¡ªmore than all the others combined. The pain had been spiritual, so his absolute memory hadn''t recorded it in every detail. However, Priam wouldn''t soon forget the primal terror he had felt. He had committed a sacrilege that the mere mention of made him sick. All he had to do was close his eyes to remember the knife piercing and cutting his soul, his ego, his personality, his memories and his experiences. Knowing he would resurrect hadn''t helped him rationalize the horror for a moment. Pushing aside the shame, Priam looked around, sighing in relief as he felt the reassuring presence of Log-a-rhythm. "I ain''t ready to do that again," he murmured, condensing his mist around him. After a few seconds under cold water, he opened his eyes again and dried himself with a flame capable of melting tin. He instantly felt Pyro''s new proximity. His affinity had jumped by ten percent¡ªtwice as much as usual. Why? Curiosity pushed aside the abjection, and Priam opened the System log. His add-on had cut off a piece of his soul, then merged it with the sub-system hidden in ¨¨ve''s clone''s soul space. As his soul fell apart, he had immolated it directly in Pyro''s flames. Unlike his previous suicides, the pressure hadn''t caused his soul space to explode¡ªwhich explained the absence of dilation of his Domain¡ªbut the Concept had burned the inside of his soul directly. In Priam''s opinion, it wasn''t worth it. What lifted his spirits was the connection linking him to the sub-system implanted in the clone''s soul. Unlike his link with Jasmine, he didn''t feel the young woman''s emotions and couldn¡¯t read her thoughts. However, he could observe her actions in real-time. Better yet, the presence of a part of his soul allowed the sub-system to perceive the aether. Taking advantage of his vivacity''s evolution, one add-on process monitored the outside world, and a second analyzed the clone''s soul. It had already begun copying the runes of common skills found on the first layer. Priam smiled, seeing that his gamble was already starting to pay off. Blinking, he reconnected to his own body and stepped through a portal to his new training room. It was time to focus on himself. "Assistant, let¡¯s get Heavenly Dragon!" [Training regimen. I) Physical capabilities:
  • Purchase traps to accelerate the development of physical resistances. Priority to the Gravity Trap.
  • Unlock the remaining two Tortures and use your various rewards.
  • ¡­
Seeing the harrowing suggestions put forth by his system, Priam smiled. It was time to soar! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 620 Constitution 991 (+12) Agility 608 Vitality 932 (+16) Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 (+36) Dexterity 622 Memory 722 (+65) Willpower 1 134 (+57) Charisma 661 (+15) META: Meta-affinity 683 (+18) Meta-focus 391 (+6) Meta-endurance 494 (+62) Meta-perception 319 (+15) Meta-chance 274 (+44) Meta-authority 150 (+36) Potential: 13 727 (-423) Tier 0 Sun points: 763 954 (+1 590) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 37 minutes 44 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 160 days 5 hours 10 minutes 57 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 227: Saiyan Training A fire crackled. As wisps of smoke curled through the air, the bright flames battled against the gentle darkness, casting flickering shadows across the room. Unfazed by this dance, a man performed push-ups with closed eyes. Almost touching the floor, he breathed deeply as he pushed back up. His bulging muscles and prominent veins proved that the effort was not simulated. Despite his immense attributes, the hypergravity made the exercise challenging. Repetition didn''t bother the man. [Focus] banished all unnecessary thoughts while Micro coerced his brain to release endorphins. Despite the daunting difficulty, he sported a grin. He was free to ascend towards the Zenith. Like a passionate athlete, Priam compelled his body to move, pushing his body through a series of exercises, targeting every muscle group. The regimen planned by his System took into account attributes nearing the sixth threshold of Tribulation. His strength and agility were far from maximized. His absolute sensory memory reminded him of the exact movements learned from Kazuki, and his dexterity, along with Micro, assisted in their execution. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, burpees, pull-ups, dips, handstands, hyperextensions, planks¡ªPriam rotated through exercises, constantly challenging different muscles. When the strain became too much, he lowered the gravity to give his muscles time to rest and develop. His remarkable vitality, boosted by the sap of Log-a-rhythm and Blueberry''s protein-rich meals, helped him rapidly develop new muscle fibers. Only four hours into his training, the extreme intensity coupled with Priam''s high attributes yielded results: Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 27 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 16, 17, 18 AGI +3 Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 16 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 20 STR +1 [Fitness] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Calisthenics - Rare] - You have endured numerous high-intensity fitness workouts without equipment. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [FitCross - Rare] - You have endured numerous high-intensity fitness workouts with equipment. Unregistered trademark. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Inhuman Workout - Rare] - You have endured numerous high-intensity fitness workouts under gravity exceeding 50G. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 As Priam read the notifications, a smile crept onto his lips. An ordinary human would struggle to unlock high upgrades, but his attributes, Titles, and abilities enabled him to collect them effortlessly. You have selected the skill [Inhuman Workout - Rare]. POT-20 [Inhuman Workout] - Trained by a legendary hoplite instructor, you master exercises impossible for a human. You seek the pressure of high gravity to sculpt a perfect Saiyan physique. This skill allows you to feel when your physical exercises are executed properly. It optimizes synapse creation during high-gravity exercises, enhancing muscle memory development. A great power comes with great sacrifices. Soon you will be as bald as Saitama. STR +3 With a smile, Priam increased the gravity and resumed his push-up routine. Sensing slight discomfort, he subtly adjusted his hand position and opened his lungs further. The sensation vanished, indicating flawless execution. His muscles worked more efficiently, reducing the risk of injury. Of course, there could be no guarantees when the gravity was so intense. A deeper crack than that of the logs echoed through the room, and Priam furrowed his brow. His left clavicle had just given way. Managing to finish his push-up, Priam sat cross-legged. His bones, ligaments, and tendons endured strain while his muscles tore slowly. Testing his injury, he felt pain. The hypergravity bore heavily on his left shoulder, exacerbating the injury and causing internal bleeding. [Thick Blood] began to stem the blood loss, but Priam couldn''t risk aggravating the injury by allowing the broken bone to sever other arteries. This would lead to further hemorrhaging, slowing his training. He invoked [Three-Headed Hydra]''s daily heal. The multiple fractures and cracks that crippled his body began to heal as the legendary hydra''s vitality temporarily flooded him. With a sigh of relief, Priam refocused on Micro. The Supremacy allowed him to monitor his vital signs and understand his body better. He sensed [Sun Steel Body] was on the verge of leveling up. He hadn''t yet decided on all the eight resistances he would choose as anchors for Heavenly Dragon, but this one was a sure thing. It wasn''t a coincidence his add-on suggested training under high gravity. Of course, it was one of Sphinx''s powers, and his friend would appreciate the poetic aspect of the situation. However, besides this homage and his nostalgia for DragonBall, his Assistant deemed gravity ideal for simultaneously strengthening his body''s resistance to compression. Only Deep Pressure Trap was as comprehensive, but Priam needed to breathe too frequently to consider it. Thus, he had purchased Gravity Trap IV for ninety thousand Sun Points and had no regrets. Priam resumed push-ups, excited for the next level-up. As gravity punished his body, [Sun Steel Body] finally leveled up: Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 17 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 3 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Constitution exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! "[Sun Steel Body] just leveled up, and my constitution has surpassed the second milestone!" "Perfect. It''ll help you sense the world''s influence on your body," replied the Prince from the campfire in the room''s center. On the gravity trap¡¯s white list, the fire served as an anchor for the phoenix to observe Priam. This was possible due to a portal opening to the Concept Archipelago on the ceiling. Looking up, Priam could see the mini sun of his internal world. "That''s rather disappointing." "I''d call you an idiot, but I had more or less the same thought back in the day. My teacher quickly changed my mind: close your eyes and focus on Micro." Priam complied, feeling the Supremacy overlaying his body. With a thought, he could move or overclock his muscles. He sensed the blood flow in his veins, the air entering his lungs¡ªaccompanied by a faint smoke from the campfire¡ªand the gravity''s effect on his cells. [Sun Steel Body] and [Gravity Resistance] were fighting against the fundamental interaction, fortifying the connection between his cells and adapting their architecture. "I can feel the gravity," he murmured. Previously, he was aware that it was attacking him because he had purchased the Gravity Trap and had felt the increase in his own weight. What had been a deduction was now a certainty. "I can even feel my resistances fighting the phenomenon! The milestone will help me identify what''s attacking me." "It''ll be tough to poison you without you noticing now," confirmed the phoenix. "But remember, it only works if you have a resistance covering the damage you''re receiving." If lightning struck Priam, he''d just feel pain, and his new ability would remain silent because he lacked [Electric Resistance]. Another reason to unlock more resistances. Priam''s smile faltered as he saw his constitution continuing to climb towards twelve hundred. He''d soon have to seal the attribute with his Potential. "However, I''ve already gained two levels in [Gravity Resistance]. Maybe I should change my training method..." The resistance wasn''t useless, but Priam didn''t plan to incorporate it into Heavenly Dragon, and the constitution boost dangerously neared a sixth Tribulation. "Hypergravity acts uniformly on your body. It''s an excellent way to avoid future blockages." Priam briefly opened his eyes to cast a bewildered look at the phoenix, who sighed. "You know the System doesn''t reward skill spamming. An active skill evolves in a certain direction based on the tricks and knowledge you acquire; you used [Kinetic Control] to master thermal energy, but another user could have focused on frames of reference." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Priam pondered the possibilities of an ideal Legendary skill like [Reference Frames Control]. An object was always in motion relative to another. With Earth swiftly rotating, any stationary object could become a kinetic weapon if immobilized while the planet continued its dance. "Interesting... So, what you''re saying is I should always push the limits of my skills to prevent them from stagnating? Even those I don''t aim to get an ideal upgrade for?" Priam had never suffered blockages in leveling up a skill. Facing enemies much stronger than him forced him to be creative. "Indeed, and it''s the same for resistances: they modify your body, and until it''s fully reshaped, don''t expect to get a good upgrade." It was easy to advance [Sun Steel Body], the evolution of [Blunt resistance], by taking hits, but it wouldn''t uniformly reshape his organs. Gravity could. Priam nodded and focused on the fundamental force, feeling its effects and enduring its torture. At rank four, the ritual added at most sixteen times artificial gravity to the already elevated ambient gravity. With his own weight multiplied by seventeen, Priam''s body was on the verge of breaking. It was excellent for his progression. Priam resumed his exercises, ensuring not to injure himself again. Silence enveloped the room. Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 4, 5 CONST +12 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 18, 19 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5 STR +12 Meta Endurance exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! Ignoring the notification, Priam continued his set of pull-ups. A tree capable of conjuring any simple wooden object was a godsend for any athlete. Two hours had passed, and nothing had changed in the room except for the new logs fueling the fire and the presence of an almost empty meal tray. Generating new muscle fibers demanded substantial nutritional intake; the two birds prepared by Blueberry had been devoured. After finishing his exercise, Priam took a moment to assess his body. A smile lit up his face. The first milestone of meta endurance increased the resilience of his meridians. It was good news on its own, but it was made even better by its synergy with the first merit of [Bloodless]: his veins and arteries were even more resilient. A satisfied smile on his face, Priam refocused on his training. Minutes turned into hours, and his body transformed under the torture. [Homo Elysian Obsession] coupled with [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] fortified him. Gradually, the punishment became more bearable; his bones grew sturdier, his tendons and ligaments more elastic, and his muscles denser. While part of his attention was on the exercise, a parallel thought explored his own capabilities. The combination of Micro, his absolute sensory memory, and the second milestone of constitution allowed him to feel his body''s progress. Knowing precisely the difficulty felt during each exercise with his resistances¡¯ feedback, Priam could compare the past and present to gauge his progression. Even without seeing his attributes increase through the System''s notifications, he felt his body toughen. This sense of progression enabled him to tolerate the torment he inflicted upon himself. Beyond that, he was also aware that tough times called for tough men. It was a physical law: carbon could be both a pencil lead and a diamond, but only the extreme conditions deep within the Earth allowed the gemstone to form. Priam wanted to shine and was ready to endure the pain for it. Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 20 CONST +3 "If this keeps up, I''ll surpass the next Tribulation threshold before I''ve made [Sun Steel Body] Legendary," grumbled Priam. "Because of the level-ups of [Gravity Resistance]?" Priam merely nodded. Speaking was difficult, and he preferred not to waste his breath. "It could be a good thing. System descriptions almost always contain clues. Sun steel is a metal forged at the core of certain extremely massive stars, where gravity is extreme. My clan cultivates one of these stars to harvest this metal." Priam''s eyes widened at this revelation. "Moreover, these two resistances strengthen you against the same internal force¡ªcompression. I wouldn''t be surprised if their fusion is one of the prerequisites for the ideal upgrade of [Sun Steel Body]." The argument was solid and resonated with Priam. The young warrior closed his eyes and smiled as he imagined a new ideal Legendary skill supporting his temperance. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 28 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 6, 7 CONST +12 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 21, 22 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 6, 7, 8, 9 STR +12 Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 19 AGI +1 Five hours later, Priam was on his fourth meal of the day. He had briefly deactivated the Gravity Trap after his first dish turned into mush. With his attributes, he still managed to enjoy the crunchy paste of the pulverized meat and splintered bone bits. "Exercises have become a habit; I don''t really need to fully focus on them anymore," he said between bites. He had no intention of stopping because an intimate knowledge of his body was necessary to temper it. "I¡¯ll use my second parallel thought to work on my aether proficiency." "What exercise will you practice?" replied the phoenix through the portal leading to his internal world. Priam tapped the ground, causing it to ripple before giving birth to a small wooden bead. Thanks Log. About the size of a finger phalanx, the orb was perfectly smooth. "According to Esm¨¦e, a fairly common training is to levitate this kind of bead. It seems pretty simple, but by increasing their number and under hypergravity, I think it''ll make a good exercise." Priam felt he was close to the high upgrade for [Aether Manipulation]. Once obtained, he would finally begin his tempering. "How do you plan to make them levitate?" "By injecting my aether inside. Do you have a better idea?" The phoenix remained silent for a few moments before adopting a neutral tone. "You could also surround the bead with a layer of aether." "That would be much harder; my aether naturally takes the form of mist. I can condense it to make it liquid, but..." Priam paused. The phoenix hadn''t suggested that for nothing. Lifting these beads was an exercise aimed at improving his aether proficiency. Going against his natural inclinations was necessary to progress. Counterintuitively, an optimized way of lifting the orb wouldn''t optimize his training. "I''ll try to create an aether shell to lift it," declared Priam. The phoenix remained silent, likely bound by its oaths. The exercise seemed simple, but perhaps it was a secret of the great clans. Pushing aside the half-finished meal tray, Priam coated the small sphere with a layer of aether and attempted to lift it. The primordial fluid slid over the sphere and soared away, leaving a motionless bead in his hand. "The goal of the exercise is to make the bead levitate, not to caress it," mocked the firebird. Despite his failure, Priam smiled. Moving matter was harder than expected, but his instinct whispered to him that solidifying his aether would qualify him for the high upgrade. "Very funny. How long did it take you to solidify your aether?" "Two days," confessed the phoenix. Priam''s smile widened. "Watch me demonstrate the power of my obsession." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 662 (+42) Constitution 1 057 (+66) Agility 614 (+6) Vitality 932 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 733 (+11) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 690 (+7) Meta-focus 391 Meta-endurance 515 (+21) Meta-perception 319 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 156 (+6) Potential: 13 765 (+38) Tier 0 Sun points: 675 738 (-88 216) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 159 days 17 hours 50 minutes 40 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 228: No Pain, No Gain Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 29, 30 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 8 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 23, 24 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 10, 11, 12, 13 STR +12 "Finish your push-ups!" The command¡ªor was it an order?¡ªthrew Priam off balance, causing him to collapse. The hypergravity slammed him brutally to the ground, and in shock, he released his aether. A powerful impact struck his back, and he groaned in pain. Under the immense acceleration of artificial gravity, the wooden marble he had just managed to lift off the ground fell back. With a shoulder jerk, he pushed away the wooden ball, which the hypergravity made as heavy as osmium, and rose while massaging his sore shoulder blade. "Are you trying to sabotage me?" he asked, annoyed. "You''re doing a good job of that yourself," the phoenix teased. "How do you expect to beat my record if you don''t use your only advantage? Use your draconic vivacity." "That''s what I was doing! Part of my focus was on push-ups, and a parallel thought finally managed to lift that marble," Priam grumbled. "Until you distracted me." "You had stopped your push-ups." "I''m not allowed a break?" "Mid-set?" countered the phoenix. Priam sighed as he weighed the wooden marble. "My aether proficiency takes precedence over my physical training." It was the final step before beginning to temper his body, and that temperance was the only way to become powerful enough to survive his upcoming Tribulations. "I managed to make this marble float by briefly gathering all my focus, and that''s what matters, right?" "You managed to propel it into the air and slow its fall," corrected the phoenix. "That''s not the same thing. I yelled at you because you weren''t using your draconic vivacity. Otherwise, you could have responded to me without dropping the marble." "For a human, it''s bizarre to have two thoughts simultaneously," Priam grimaced. "It''s going to take me some time to get used to it." "Priam, you''re no longer just a human." "I know, I¡ª" The campfire''s flames doubled in volume as the phoenix''s anger flared. "No, listen to me. You have died dozens of times, and you conjure fire and mist with a mere thought. If you were to make love to a human female without care, you would kill her, and even if you were careful, a kick from the child during gestation would do the job. Maybe you regret it, but you''re no longer just a simple human. You can accept it and move forward, or you can lie there and wait for death." Priam opened his mouth, then closed it. Several seconds passed before he responded. "My body has changed, my powers too, but not my dreams or my ego," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don''t want to leave all my humanity behind, but I guess I can give up some unnecessary habits." If he had truly used his evolved attribute well, only one of his parallel thoughts would have been disrupted by the phoenix. It was frustrating to fail, but it was the kind of lesson that stuck. "In the future, I''ll keep two thoughts at all times," he promised. "That''s your only advantage over my original at the same age: you have to use it and abuse it." Priam nodded. He had a day and a half left to beat the phoenix''s record. Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 25 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 14, 15 STR +6 Cut off from the world, a young man with misty eyes and dressed in flaming pants lay on a bench. He lifted a dense wooden bar with two marbles at its ends. The total mass of the bar was just over four hundred kilograms. Under the effect of gravity, it was equivalent to almost seven tons¡ªa big African elephant. I can''t wait to arm wrestle Kazuki... The first repetitions had been difficult, but thanks to his high vitality, Priam''s muscle fibers were rebuilding rapidly. His strength continued to increase, and [Inhuman Workout] leveled up in return. Micro and the skill allowed him to fully exploit his high physical attributes and inhuman physique. When he felt the movement becoming too easy, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to add wood. Bench press training was monotonous, but the feeling of constant progress encouraged him to keep beating his own record. As he breathed heavily, pushing with all his might, another part of his attention focused on a wooden marble floating a few centimeters above his head. A human would have searched for a long time without understanding how, because no thread, platform, or magnet acted on the ball. There was no trick: Priam''s aether surrounded the sphere, preventing it from falling. He had not yet succeeded in solidifying it, only in increasing its viscosity. The marble fell slowly, but an upward current in the fluid made it appear to float. "A cheap trick," the phoenix muttered before sighing when he saw Priam wasn''t listening. His face red with effort, the tired warrior was surprised when he received a glowing ember in his mouth. Swallowing it halfway, he coughed, spat, and nearly got decapitated by the heavy wooden bar that slipped from his hands. Flexing his kinetic control, he effortlessly set it back on the bench press. "Are you insane?!" he asked the phoenix after spitting out the charcoal. "I''m dead," corrected the bird. "And you will be too if you don''t get more results." Priam grabbed a cup of sap, sat on the bench, and drank it in one gulp. "What did I do wrong this time?" Priam had managed to levitate the marble for almost ten minutes and was rather proud of himself. He still had progress to make, but he felt he was improving. The phoenix shook its head. "The result doesn''t matter here. There may be a thousand ways to lift this marble using aether. A novice can fill it with energy to enchant it, and an expert can modify gravity, space, or its magnetic properties," he listed. "All these possibilities are interesting and will teach you things, but it''s not what you need today." "I need to solidify my aether," Priam said. The phoenix remained silent, bound by his oaths, and the young man sighed. "I understand what I need to do, but in practice, I¡¯m stuck. I''m trying to exert pressure on it to change its state, but it just makes the fluid more viscous." According to the physics Priam had studied before the Tutorial, the classical states of matter changed depending on temperature and pressure. By increasing the latter parameter, he had hoped to solidify the aether; in vain. And I can''t lower the temperature of a fluid that has no kinetic energy... "Maybe this fluid has nothing in common with water... After all, it''s energy, not a real liquid." Priam had already noticed while building rituals that aether had common properties with electricity but that wasn''t helping. Turning energy into a solid made no sense. At least not classical energy... Suddenly, he spotted a second piece of charcoal flying toward him and ducked to avoid it. "You''re not using your draconic vivacity," accused the bird. "I''m thinking, not training." The phoenix remained silent, and Priam grimaced. "I''m an idiot." He boasted of not making the same mistake twice, yet he continued to underestimate the possibilities offered by parallel thoughts. Why think alone when he could compartmentalize his thoughts and debate with himself? A good discussion led to more solutions than two monologues. With the support of his system, he would certainly find ideas to solidify his aether. Smiling, the young man crossed the room to grab a new meal tray. He needed to step back from the problem. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 31 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 9 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 POT -100 [Test 47 : Domain + Potential + double marble] Sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, Priam projected his aether into his Domain and condensed it around two marbles. He tapped lightly into his Potential and let the Concepts guide his hand, teaching him how to optimally manipulate his aether. POT -5 His draconic vivacity generated two parallel thoughts, each focusing on one sphere. By comparing his performances, he could consider improvement strategies. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The two marbles rose as quickly as each other, the two compartmentalized thoughts being identical. Until an external event disturbed them. A piece of charcoal struck one of the marbles, which fell to the ground. Priam opened one eye, looked at the phoenix, and smiled. The thought that was taking care of the intact ball hadn''t lost any of its attention. A second piece of charcoal flew toward the second marble. Priam deflected it with a flick of his finger, and the orb continued to float peacefully. "My two streams of thought are distinct, but they communicate regularly," Priam smiled. "A dragon would do better," said the phoenix. Priam waited for advice, comments, or remarks, but none came. At last, he had met some of the phoenix''s expectations. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 32, 33 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 10 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up : [Gravity Resistance] lvl 26 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 16, 17, 18 STR +9 POT -145 The flames crackled at the center of the room, casting dancing shadows against the walls. Lazy tendrils of smoke rose into the air, disappearing into the portal above. Less than a meter from the campfire, Priam worked tirelessly. Except for brief breaks to drink, sleep, or relieve himself, he hadn''t stopped for a moment. Even the phoenix had fallen silent in the face of the young man''s work ethic. The drive to compete and survive, which had initially pushed Priam to excel, had been almost replaced by a stubborn pride; he refused to give up until he understood. Pushing against his thighs, Priam activated the leg press, his face flushed with exertion. Halfway through his set, the System rewarded him. Lvl Up: [Inhuman Workout] lvl 19 STR +3 His magical development was yielding results as well. After a day of compressing his aether, he had stumbled upon a problem. Unlike his physical abilities with Micro, there was no Supremacy to help him unlock the full potential of his meta attributes. While Domain amplified some of his capabilities, it didn''t aid him in mastering them. [Test 213: Aura + Domain] As his legs pushed against a wooden block mounted on rails once more, Priam used his sphere of authority to condense his aether around the wooden marble on his chest. [Aether Manipulation] and Domain worked in tandem, pressing together until the energy layer became dense enough to lift the marble. Priam remained focused. The fluid was incredibly dense, but still not solid. Following the two-hundred-thirteenth protocol he had developed through selves-reflection, he invoked his Conquest Aura with the help of his second parallel thought¡ªpreviously ensuring the leg press was secured to avoid injury. Gathering his Aura around the marble, he attempted to merge it with his aether. The two energies briefly mingled before separating like oil and water. The heterogeneous layer ruptured, dropping the ball. Priam caught it mid-air and rose, a pensive look on his face. "There''s an issue with my Aura. It refuses to merge with my aether, as if it doesn''t truly belong to me..." The phoenix nodded. "It was a good idea and could have worked if you had developed it yourself." "Is there a difference between an Aura I develop and one bestowed by the System?" Priam asked as the leg press melded back into the floor. "Aura is tied to Micro. At higher levels, this Supremacy enables you to do more than just control your body perfectly. It uses your charisma and Story to charm, influence and persuade reality. How do you expect to impress the world when your Supremacy is under-leveled and Conquest reflects only a part of your past actions?" "In any case, it''s another failure," Priam shrugged. "But you''re making progress. Don''t be discouraged; it''s a daunting exercise you''re attempting to master." Priam stared at the phoenix before bursting into laughter. Was the hologram that had been so tough at the beginning of his training now trying to reassure him? "Sorry, I didn''t mean to be offensive, but... I never give up. Not before the Tutorial, not now," Priam said with a smile. "There''s a solution out there, and every failure brings me closer to it." The legendary bird looked back at him with a certain nostalgia. No one became a Prince without effort, and it was evidently proud of its past achievements. Yet, the phoenix was eager to see the young man succeed; he was its only hope. "A good mindset¡­ Well, what have you gained so far?" "I must have gained a centimeter in arm circumference!" smiled Priam, feeling his biceps. "More seriously, my meta attributes haven''t increased, but I''m using them better. The same goes for Domain; in fact, I''m progressing toward Domain II faster than I thought." "Your racial Talent, [Ideal Aether Perception], and your various deaths have acquainted you with your soul space like few Tier 0s are. You''re still far from it, but you have a real chance of improving your Supremacy to Tier 1," commented the phoenix. Priam nodded as he reached his hand toward the flames, more to feel their warmth than to actually warm himself. "I''ve learned that my other Supremacies and Concepts won''t help me solidify my aether." All his experiments with Spear Mastery had ended in resounding failures, and burning the aether with Pyro didn''t work either. "I also know that I can''t condense my aether any further; I would need higher meta attributes or an upgrade of [Aether Manipulation]. It''s a catch-22 situation. Yet, it must be possible, otherwise you would have stopped me." "Perhaps I was just trying to make you work on your aether mastery. You''ve made tremendous progress this past day, and you have a better understanding of the nature of primordial energy." Though Priam had failed to solidify his aether, his progress was undeniable. Just as a sailor spending time at sea grows accustomed to it, Priam now had a nearly intimate knowledge of the fluid. It wasn''t a Talent or a skill, but rather an instinct born of experience. "In any case, I won''t stop until I''ve exhausted all my ideas¡ªand I have great hope for the next one," he said as he approached the flames. The two-day deadline was approaching, and Priam was determined to win his bet. With a thought, he reduced the size of the portal to Concepts Archipelago to a point and stoked the campfire. As Champion of the Fire Concept, he could modify the properties of a fire and force it to produce more smoke¡ªthis physical phenomenon was called incomplete combustion. Seeing the phoenix remain silent, Priam smiled. The bird had requested the creation of a fire in the center of the room to nestle in. According to the hologram, it allowed it to observe Priam more closely. The justification seemed odd. Perhaps there was another reason? Over the past few hours, Priam had conversed with himself, replaying all his conversations with his coach in his mind. With the help of his add-on, he had dissected each phrase for clues. The oaths prevented the Prince from divulging certain secrets, but there were loopholes... During a final conversation about [Bloodless], the phoenix had hinted that the Title was part of the Five Tortures, along with [Heartless] and [Brainless]. Logically, there were two other Titles ending in -less that every phoenix child unlocked by using their power of resurrection. [Spiritless] wasn''t one of them¡ªthe basic rebirth of phoenixes only healed their body¡ªbut the bird had given him a clue. "Don''t waste your breath," he had said as Priam asked questions locked by its oaths. The young man had immediately realized that a Title rewarded those who survived without breathing. He had planned to suffocate himself before returning to Valaryth to hunt draconic trophies necessary for tempering his body. Diving without fear of drowning was essential for that. But perhaps he should change the order of his plans? Smoke began to fill the room, and Priam began to cough. "I''m going to suffocate myself. It''ll be good for [Asphyxia Resistance] and [Poison Body]. I guess I need to maximize this skill before the Snaherts help me get an ideal upgrade..." "I didn''t ask you anything," remarked the phoenix. "I know," said Priam between coughing fits. "But with my vitality, it''ll take me several minutes to die, and I find it a bit of a shame to be the only one suffering." "So you''re aware that you''re a pain to listen to," the phoenix pointed out. "Another thing we have in common," Priam retorted. The bird harrumphed. "... And once you''ve unlocked [Breathless]?" he asked as the young man gasped for breath. So that''s what the fourth Torture is called. "I suppose it''ll modify my lungs. I hope it affects the draconic ones too." Priam''s Breath was created using a third spiritual lung. The organ condensed energy before releasing it in a destructive form. Priam had managed to charge it with flames and even kinetic energy, but today, he wanted to compress his aether to the maximum without causing Log-a-rhythm to explode. "You want to use this lung to do what you can''t do with just your mind, attributes, and Domain, " the phoenix said. "That''s not what I had in mind." Dizzy, Priam fell to the ground and then took another deep breath. His vitality could have allowed him to resist longer, but he was using Micro to force his lungs to absorb as much smoke as possible. The wood¡¯s incomplete combustion created carbon monoxide, a toxic gas that would replace the oxygen in his blood. Even if he filled his lungs with air, he would still suffocate. Priam was actively asphyxiating himself, hoping to achieve a better title than [Breathless]. "It would have been a shame to make a breakthrough without dying. It''s almost a tradition for me," he smiled, breathing heavily. His vision was beginning to blur. "You yourself said I should use the advantages I have over you. My draconic bloodline is my trump card." As his lungs burned, Priam''s brain lost consciousness. [Tenacious Spirit] allowed him to remain conscious for a few more seconds. "Your strength isn''t your bloodlines; it''s your dream of freedom," the hologram whispered. "I feared death too much to be free. That¡¯s why I succumbed to the Depths..." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 (+45) Constitution 1 096 (+39) Agility 614 Vitality 932 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 760 (+27) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 709 (+19) Meta-focus 391 Meta-endurance 528 (+13) Meta-perception 319 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 171 (+15) Potential: 13 567 (-198) Tier 0 Sun points: 680 318 (+4 580) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 158 days 4 hours 7 minutes 18 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 229: To breathe is to advance Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 23 Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: VIT +5 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +5% (88%). [Assistant''s Note Incinerating the outer layer of the soul and the host''s body using Pyro appears to enhance the affinity for the Concept without enlarging the Soul Space. Upside: Acknowledgment of the Patron''s warning regarding the High Tribulations. Downside: No Domain development.] Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 21, 22, 23, 24 CONST +4 VIT +4 META (Endurance) +4 Lvl Up : [Asphyxia resistance] lvl 15,..., 23 VIT +18 META (Endurance) +9 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 34, 35 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 7 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Vitality exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! Title won! [Breathless - Silver] - Not content with just holding your breath, you have swapped out the oxygen in your blood for carbon monoxide. Is suffocation a death too slow for you? Your lungs are now capable of inhaling your aether. Many diviners have been left breathless scrying you. Either you''re that stunning, or your mist is invisible to them. You know the truth. VIT +10% META (Endurance) +10% [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 158 days 4 hours 3 minutes 37 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Priam took a deep breath, then let out a sigh of contentment. Log-a-rhythm was airing out the room, and the refreshing forest air was a delight to his lungs. Even a Fire Champion wasn''t obligated to appreciate the smell of smoke, especially when he was dying from it. Once his lungs were filled with fresh air, Priam reread the last line of his Title. "My misty pants are invisible to diviners?" Depending on Priam''s whims, his mist could be opaque or invisible to his enemies. Not being an exhibitionist, he had set the fog of his pants to impenetrable. "It depends on the skill they are using and their Soul Tier. Visualizing certain concepts can be dangerous, and most diviners filter the information they receive. If you achieve Unity, they will have a harder time ignoring it." With flushed cheeks, Priam realized that from the growth of [Revelation Resilience], millions of strangers must have seen him naked. "If that motivates you to put on fabric trousers, know that I share the vision of Concepts Archipelago''s sun, and its rays penetrate your mist," the phoenix added, covering his eyes in mockery. Priam furrowed his brow before shaking his head. "I enjoy the freedom of going commando. That doesn''t mean I''m an exhibitionist¡ª" "Just a nudist." "¡ªand if voyeurs don''t respect my privacy, that''s their problem, not mine. Besides, you''re in no position to talk; you''re naked too." "I am not naked; I am wearing flames!" exclaimed the bird, raising its wings to display its fiery feathers. "This shade of orange and these natural fire animations were a hit at the court during my last visit," it said, strutting like a peacock and displaying iridescent feathers that fan out into a magnificent fiery train. Priam admired the mythical creature for a moment before furrowing his brow. "Wait a minute, those flames aren''t natural?" "They mimic fire very well, don''t they?" boasted the phoenix. "Yeah, but without them, you would look like a..." Priam let his sentence hang as he saw the phoenix''s murderous glare. The young warrior shook his head to dispel the image of a majestic chicken his imagination had conjured. "Let¡¯s get back to business. I suppose you''ve directly obtained [Breathless - Silver]?" the phoenix asked to break the awkward silence. Priam cleared his throat before nodding. [Bloodless] had been a Bronze Title, and the young man had theorized that by going further than just suffocation¡ªby replacing the oxygen in his blood with carbon monoxide¡ªhe would achieve a higher rarity. A successful bet. "I got the Silver rarity and the attribute boost that comes with it. My vitality is catching up to my constitution quickly," he grimaced. "I just hope this second milestone will be interesting." The phoenix shrugged. "Many people love it because it corrects some genetic errors and further slows down your aging. There is no short-term benefit unless you plan on taking a radiation bath." "Don''t raise flags," warned Priam. "I''m mostly afraid of triggering a sixth Tribulation by getting a powerful Title." That was why he wasn''t rushing to unlock the last Torture. "Maybe I should upgrade my race again..." "A Tier 3 race is the apex of what is achievable without modifying your aetheric code. Do you think you have the necessary knowledge to accomplish this feat?" From his tone, the phoenix didn''t seem convinced. "Not me," replied Priam. "But the brother of one of my rivals might help." The hologram blinked before sighing. "Your many talents sometimes make me forget your shortcomings..." Priam gave him a puzzled look. "If you are not considered the primary contributor to the racial upgrade, you will not get the Primogenitor Title." "Damn!" "Better that than dying, but I advise you to think it over," the phoenix concluded. "Yeah, no," grunted Priam. "I''m not letting a mythical Title slip through my fingers." He was ready to make sacrifices to ward off his Tribulations but not to sabotage his future. Plus, if Osiris became the Primogenitor of his race, he would gain power over him. The child didn''t seem evil, but that was out of the question. Disheartened, Priam opened his Merits. Trees of Merit [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. ¡­ [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 3: The poison in your blood now causes accelerated aging. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 0: Your resistances are even more effective. [Mist Sage - Silver] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. [Bloodless - Bronze] - Tier 1: Aether flows through your veins, elevating your body. LOCKED - Requires epic-grade temperance. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Soul Scarred - Gold] - Tier 0: Just like your body, your soul is now capable of regenerating to some extent. Priam noticed immediately that the list of Talents that could be improved with the Ace Merit had changed. If previously he had the option to evolve Eidetic Memory, Ultimate Sensory Memory was not a possible choice. Certainly because I''m far from possessing the necessary attributes to survive this evolution. It was interesting for two reasons. Firstly, it confirmed Priam''s belief that the consequences of Merits couldn''t be harmful. The System ensured the user''s health when rewarding them. Secondly, it meant that Priam might be missing out on some upgrades because he didn''t meet the prerequisites. A shame, but it was to be expected. "So, happy with the Merit?" asked the phoenix with surprising impatience. Priam scrolled through his Merits to read the last one. [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 0: First Breath, To meet the world: Your lungs are now capable of exhaling your aether. 10 Unused Merit Points. "The Title along with its Merit will allow me to breathe my aether. The System is stingy with information... Can you tell me more?" The phoenix nodded. "It is as basic as it is interesting: you can breathe your aether. In other words, if you find yourself unable to breathe oxygen, you can compensate by consuming your aether." "So I can explore the depths of the sea or space without fear of suffocation," smiled Priam. The phoenix raised a fiery eyebrow. "At Tier 0, your soul filters ambient aether very poorly, which implies mediocre regeneration. You will drain your aether reserve fast." Priam activated the effect of the Title and felt his lungs itch. The unpleasant sensation disappeared the next moment, and a film of aether blocked the air from entering his trachea. Focused on his body, he felt his aether circulating through his meridians, reaching both physical organs and the draconic organ to be transformed. The fluid changed affinity before being dispersed again in his arteries and meridians. His cells greedily absorbed this energy, and Priam felt his body ready to leap and run. [Unknown energy detected. Analysis¡­ Energy output higher than that provided by adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Optimization of chemical reactions in metabolism, locomotion, cell division, and active transport of chemical species across biological membranes. Approximately 20% increase in physical attribute efficiency.] "I feel like I''m in Olympic shape!" exclaimed Priam. "It''s no coincidence that most mythical races breathe ambient aether," the phoenix replied smugly. The information was interesting, but Priam was preoccupied with his aether reserves. [Aether Reserve (META (Endurance) *1): 581/590 Forecast: Aether respiration consumes about 1 unit of aether/sec.] "I have about ten minutes of autonomy," Priam grimaced. That was less than he thought. "Ten?!" The phoenix seemed surprised before nodding. "Normally, a biological lung consumes ten units per second. Your draconic lung must synergize with the Title: you should buy the Merit." Priam nodded. Even if the Merit didn''t allow him to solidify his aether, the synergy with his draconic lung would improve his Breath. It was his ultimate attack, and it justified spending a precious Merit point. [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 0: First Breath, To meet the world: Your lungs are now capable of exhaling your aether. ACQUIRED [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 1: Second Breath, Second Wind: restores your body to its most exceptional form possible. 9 Unused Merit Points. "Second Breath¡­ A Merit Tree focusing on regeneration and resurrection?" "Some say that the last Merit of [Breathless] allows perfect soul regeneration." "It seems a bit disappointing," remarked Priam. "[He Who Eludes Death] or the synergy between Second Breath and [Homo Elysian Obsession] can emulate this power." "Your racial Talent is powerful but Legendary; a mythical skill could create soul scars that wouldn¡¯t heal with Second Breath. As for [He Who Eludes Death]... I am not sure your Talent restores your soul to its most exceptional form," the phoenix said after a brief hesitation. "..." The phoenix nodded. "It took me a while to notice because you''re at the beginning of your lifespan, but it''s more obvious now that your body and soul are linked. Your resurrections erase your beauty marks because your soul is virgin, but it doesn''t touch the length of your hair." "I''m aging," confirmed Priam. "I realized it after trading my lifespan several times for hydra regeneration. I feel deep down that my soul is growing older." "I suppose that''s not an oversight by your Patron?" the phoenix asked. Priam just smiled. He had been entrusted with a mission, and his Patron had no desire to see him live an idle eternity. "... Sorry for encouraging you to take a Merit that burns your lifespan." Seeing the phoenix''s flames dimming, Priam felt a pang in his heart. The hologram''s sole purpose was to train him, and if its advices were bad, it felt worthless. Priam brushed the excuse away with his hand. "You couldn''t have known, and it doesn''t matter. Letting my soul age is just a mechanism to prevent me from hiding in an isolated place while ignoring my promise. If my racial upgrades and vitality milestones could increase my lifespan, it''s not forbidden." The phoenix thought for a few seconds. "Then you must acquire [Ageless] and [Senescence Resistance]. That should allow you to abuse the [Three-Headed Hydra] Merit without getting wrinkles every time you activate it." Priam nodded. "Those are medium-term goals. Right now, I need to solidify my aether, upgrade [Aether Manipulation], and start my temperance." Sitting cross-legged, Priam began to breathe slowly, focusing on his draconic lung. The organ was at the back of his throat and was not physical but spiritual. Invoking [Breathless] and its Merit, Priam began to breathe. Taking a deep breath, he filled his lung with his own aether before exhaling slowly. The energy left his body through his nose and mouth and began to form a domain around him. Drawing the fluid towards him, Priam breathed in again and refilled the spiritual organ. A few breaths later, the amount of aether in the draconic lung was such that the primordial mist naturally liquefied. His soul must have considered that energy as no longer circulating in his body because his aether regeneration kicked in. After three minutes, Priam''s lung contained more energy than his maximum reserves, and the space around him began to fill with his own aether. Priam let his physical lungs breathe oxygen and focused on his aetheric breathing. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 36, 37 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 A sea of energy raged inside the training room. After hours of aether breathing, the atmosphere was saturated with Priam''s aether. A part of his vivacity used this unique environment to train his aether proficiency. His progress was far from negligible, but Priam knew that the best was yet to come. The second parallel thought focused on his draconic lung. Inside, a phenomenal amount of energy stirred. The notable difference from previous offensive Breaths was that the energy was pure¡ªuntainted by Concepts¡ªand belonged entirely to Priam. With closed eyes, the young man breathed calmly and deeply. Every drop of aether produced by his body was guided to his draconic lung. Some escaped into the room with each breath, but the majority remained trapped inside. Over time, the pressure increased, creating a compression greater than anything he was naturally capable of. According to his add-on, the density of aether in his lung was fifty times higher than the most compact aether sphere he could create using his current aether proficiency. The spiritual organ was under intense stress. Without the qualitative evolutions of meta endurance and [Adaptive Golden Meridians], the lung would have exploded long ago. Despite this, the danger remained. Any mistake could trigger an explosion, blowing away Priam''s life and a portion of Log-a-rhythm. Taking a new breath, Priam inflated his lungs and smiled. He was nearing a limit. For the past few minutes, the liquid aether seemed to be solidifying. The decisive moment came seven breaths later. The aether stored in his lung reached critical mass and froze, refusing to flow up his throat. Priam took one last breath that triggered a chain reaction. Like a cloud of gas gathering under its own gravity to create a star, the fluid collapsed upon itself before compressing into a shimmering orb. Feeling the tremendous power in the sphere, Priam burst into laughter. "Solid aether in less than two days!" New high upgrade available for [Aether Manipulation - Rare]. [High Aether Manipulation - Epic] - In your hands, aether changes shape and state. Rune weaver, core forger, and probe hunter, you break your chains, refusing mediocrity. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 (+9) Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 (+108) Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 781 (+21) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 724 (+15) Meta-focus 391 Meta-endurance 590 (+62) Meta-perception 319 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 183 (+12) Potential: 13 608 (+41) Tier 0 Sun points: 680 926 (+608) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 157 days 22 hours 17 minutes 51 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 230: Sacrifice to Advance New high upgrade available for [Aether Manipulation - Rare]. [High Aether Manipulation - Epic] - In your hands, aether changes shape and state. Rune weaver, core forger, and probe hunter, you break your chains, refusing mediocrity. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 Priam hesitated, his smile vanishing. Despite the phoenix''s warnings, he was reluctant to accept anything less than an ideal upgrade for such a fundamental skill. "Show me," the phoenix demanded, seeing the young man frozen. "Huh? Oh." Priam opened his mouth, and a white orb the size of an eye emerged. He caught it in his hand and cleared his throat, feeling as if he¡¯d just coughed up a chicken egg. "Looks like a core," he noted, rereading the upgrade description. Core forger... During the first Reunion, most of the monsters he¡¯d killed had this kind of aether orb inside their bodies. Since returning to Elysium, Priam had seen them less frequently. "I would be kind enough to call it a core prototype," corrected the phoenix. "A core is made of solidified aether, but it¡¯s much more than that. Firstly, all the ¡®particles¡¯ of aether that make up a core are organized in specific patterns. Here, you used brute force to make an abomination." Priam smiled, recalling his classes on crystallographic structures. The bird grasped the crystal. "And most importantly, a core contains runes." "Like the skill runes on my soul or Esm¨¦e¡¯s rune that produces light?" The bird smiled. "Exactly. The System creates these runes in our souls, but it¡¯s an advanced technique; it¡¯s only natural for a few species, such as the dragons or the unique race native to this universe. The rest had to figure out another way..." Seeing his mentor leave the explanation hanging, Priam tried to fill in the gaps with his knowledge. "... The monsters and races populating this universe aren¡¯t native. Before this, they didn¡¯t have the System and had to store their skills differently. I assume they used cores?" The phoenix nodded. "Let me use the phoenixes as an example. Our ancestors created solid aether cores and engraved essential skill and Talent runes on them. As a hatchling grew, their core would give them a huge advantage over other races: in addition to having runes refined over generations, they could cast their skills instantly. That¡¯s one reason we ended up dominating our universe." "Impressive." Betting on future generations, the phoenixes had become powerful enough to dominate an entire universe. It confirmed that he should steer clear of this warlike race. "If I understand correctly, the System¡¯s advantage is that the user¡¯s runes remain available even if they lose their core or body. The core¡¯s advantage is the ability to transfer skills to others?" "The System encodes the soul with terrifying precision, allowing it to fix an impressive number of skills. This makes the technique superior," the phoenix acknowledged. "Cores rarely contain more than a few powerful skills or Talents. For example, the core my mother passed on to me contained only one ritual." Priam nodded. The system was superior for finely encoding tiny runes. It was the difference between nanometer-sized transistors made by machines and the first-ever transistor, which measured a centimeter. "It must¡¯ve been a powerful ritual." The flames that made up the phoenix¡¯s feathers flared toward the ceiling as the bird laughed. "If you reach the ninety-fifth wave of the Colosseum, you¡¯ll see it..." Priam¡¯s hearts raced. "I can¡¯t wait." For a few moments, the past and present geniuses stared at each other before the phoenix offered a warning. "Be careful, the two techniques aren¡¯t exclusive. Nowadays, cores are used to amplify a skill already inscribed in the soul. An epic skill is powerful, but when it resonates with its enlarged rune written in an attuned core... The result can surpass even a Legendary skill." Which explained why some continued to use cores. It made sense, but Priam¡¯s pride pushed him to ask one more question. "How do monsters create a core? I struggled and think I have quite a few advantages..." The phoenix lifted one of its wings, counting on its feathers. "Several methods are used: awakening of a bloodline, consuming rare resources, using a System reward, or simply using [Aether Manipulation - Epic]." "During the first Reunion, I encountered boars with this kind of core, and they didn¡¯t have access to that sort of thing." "The System gave humanity a fully equipped Moon and a Tutorial. Why wouldn¡¯t monsters be partially tempered to balance the scales?" Hearing the phoenix''s words, Priam''s eyes widened. "Tempered?!" "Oh, you didn¡¯t get it? Tempering a body means transforming it so it can host a fulcrum. Most of these are cores." Priam stood still for a moment before letting out an amused sigh. "I hadn¡¯t made the connection," he admitted. The next moment, a smile lit up his face. If the phoenix was right, Heavenly Dragon was about to create a mythical fulcrum of draconic nature while also strengthening his body. Let¡¯s beat those Tribulations! The Necromoon was shining high in the sky as Priam emerged from Log-a-rhythm. The tree¡¯s foliage and the giant runes covering Oasis filtered its light, and Priam smiled, finally seeing natural light. After two days of ultra-intensive training, he needed fresh air to make good decisions. As he stretched, Priam spotted movement above him. Jasmine danced among the branches, darting in all directions, redirecting her body at the last second with an agility Priam envied. Besides being a stealthy assassin, she was quick enough to escape some Tier 3s. She¡¯s nearing Micro II. Suddenly, Priam lost sight of her. The next second, he nearly jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. A smile spread across his face as he turned to find Jasmine behind him, her cat-like eyes gleaming with amusement. Neither Domain nor [Ideal Aether Perception] had detected her. ¡°Not bad,¡± Priam complimented. ¡°Without our link, I wouldn¡¯t have sensed your presence. How¡¯d you do it?¡± He could¡¯ve asked the sub-system implanted in her soul space, but that would¡¯ve been disrespectful. Jasmine had gradually earned his trust. ¡°I passed through your shadow. My Concept bypasses your Domain and camouflages my aether. [Homo Elysian Predation] dulls your instinct, and here I am!¡± Priam nodded. He appreciated Obsession more, despite its flaws, but the second racial Talent of Homo Elysians was terrifying in combat. ¡°Finished your training?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Never,¡± Priam laughed. There were always new things to learn and perfect. ¡°I needed to ponder some things. I¡¯ve unlocked a possible upgrade for [High Aether Manipulation] but... I¡¯m hesitant.¡± ¡°Want to talk it over while we grab a bite?¡± Priam¡¯s eyes drifted to her hips. How could she be so slim while eating so much? Noticing the sheen of sweat covering her body, he understood. I¡¯m not the only one training hard. ¡°Sure. Want to rinse off first?¡± ¡°With your mist? How kind of you to offer,¡± Jasmine smiled. Priam rolled his eyes, amused. With a thought, he summoned a cloud around Jasmine and condensed its heart to create a swirl of clear water around her body. As his mist penetrated her clothes to outline her figure, he felt his cheeks flush. Like him, Jasmine dressed with her own Concept! Imitation was flattering, but Priam shared the sensory feedback of his mist. He had gotten used to muting the sensory input from his Domain when near the women of Oasis, but his mist revealed everything about Jasmine. Trying not to think too much about his subordinate¡¯s naked body, Priam dried her by retracting his mist along with the sweat it had absorbed. Fire Concept briefly warmed Jasmine, and then he dispersed the cloud that had somewhat protected her modesty. ¡°That¡¯s really handy!¡± Jasmine exclaimed, now changed. She looked stunning, dressed in a shadow corset and a skirt that reached mid-thigh. ¡°Talking about my misty shower or your shadow clothes?¡± Priam raised an eyebrow. The young woman knew exactly what she was doing. ¡°Both. I¡¯ll admit, I was skeptical about the benefits of nudism at first, but yesterday a Tier 2 necro exploded in my face, sending bone shards everywhere.¡± Jasmine smiled at Priam¡¯s worried expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the outfit Hyshana gave me stopped some of it, and with a Sun pill and some regenerative sap, I¡¯m back on my feet. Anyway, after some tests, I realized my Shadow Heart can give my Concept a certain physicality. My new shadow clothes are tougher, better looking, and provide extra security if my Domain doesn¡¯t detect an enemy.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Jasmine punctuated her sentence with a twirl that lifted her skirt and Priam looked away a second too late. ¡°I''m flattered that you''re flirting with me, but you know I¡¯ve got another woman in mind,¡± he said, reaching the barbecue. ¡°Hey, Blue!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± replied the bear with a toothy smile. ¡°Blueberry told me you turned down her marriage proposal. So, I guess I still have a chance,¡± Jasmine smiled, grabbing a skewer. ¡°Unless you forbid it?¡± ¡°I refuse to enter into a marriage of convenience,¡± Priam grimaced, taking a skewer offered by the bear. ¡°You''re not my slave, and I''m not in a relationship with anyone, so you do whatever you want as long as you respect me. But you know I¡¯m not comfortable dating my own subordinate.¡± ¡°Most people don¡¯t mind,¡± laughed Louis, approaching. ¡°Is it snack time already?¡± ¡°We¡¯re celebrating Priam¡¯s return,¡± Jasmine exclaimed, helping herself again. ¡°Well, it''s my excuse to eat at least. Is this Bambi meat?¡± ¡°Fawn. Venison is the tenderest meat available,¡± said Blueberry, turning the skewers still cooking above the fire. ¡°I understand Jasmine: you''re the only young man of her kind around here. If there were a pretty she-bear nearby, we''d make more noise than a horde of undead.¡± Priam ignored his furry friend''s last remark before replying, "I don''t want to be a default choice." Jasmine shook her head. "Blueberry projects his issues onto others. I''ve known thousands of people in my life, and you''re the only one I feel like flirting with. I want you." The intensity in the young woman''s eyes unsettled Priam. She was serious. "At worst, you could take two females," said Blueberry. Once the surprise wore off, Priam burst into laughter. ¡°Nope, not my style. I grew up tossed around by my parents'' rough divorce. As a teenager, romantic stories shaped my view of love... It may be unrealistic, and it doesn¡¯t depend solely on me, but I want my marriage to be happy and exclusive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just up to you.¡± Louis''s knees cracked as he sat down. ¡°Even if you find the perfect partner, life often intervenes...¡± Seeing the others¡¯ looks, he shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Mirscella, but my first wife. We met young, and our love was intense. Initially passionate, it transformed over the years into a solid, mature relationship.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°She died of complications giving birth to our first child. At that time, I was at war, and I never got to say goodbye to her...¡± ¡°My condolences,¡± offered Priam, echoed by Jasmine and Blueberry. ¡°It¡¯s in the past,¡± Louis smiled before biting into a piece of skewer. ¡°Delicious. Finished your training?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Priam repeated. ¡°I¡¯m hesitating between accepting a high upgrade or aiming for the ideal one. It bugs me not to have a perfect foundation. When I see the difference between what I can do now and what I could do at the beginning... It could really make a difference.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you deconstruct the skill later?¡± Louis asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to do that for some skills. Then you could get a better upgrade. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re lacking Potential.¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°[High Aether Manipulation] isn¡¯t just any skill. The Concepts will deeply modify my soul during the upgrade; canceling it will be expensive. If I reach Tier 1 before changing it¡ªand given what¡¯s coming, that¡¯s likely¡ªthe change in Soul Tier will further transform my soul. Downgrading this skill would cost around twenty thousand Potential points according to the phoenix.¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Louis grimaced as he served himself another piece. ¡°That¡¯s pretty prohibitive.¡± Priam nodded. He knew he could gather that many Potential points, but it meant missing out on other ideal upgrades. ¡°Osiris and Seth both have [High Aether Manipulation],¡± Jasmine mentioned after a few seconds. ¡°And they¡¯re really skilled. The prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Manipulation] must be serious.¡± ¡°Domain II, three evolved meta attributes above a thousand, and advanced aether mastery.¡± The revelation created a new silence. ¡°You don¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Louis finally declared. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of some ways to¡ª¡± ¡°Elysium and its forests sometimes remind me of war,¡± the old man interrupted. ¡°Winning a tough battle without losing men is impossible, and if a general tries, he¡¯ll only make things worse. Every venture involves sacrifices; it¡¯s up to you to choose which ones...¡± Louis¡¯s words brought a memory to the surface of Priam¡¯s mind. When he¡¯d learned chess, he¡¯d quickly beaten his entire family. Years later, teaching the game to his little sister, she¡¯d asked why he was better than her. ¡°You try not to lose any pieces while I¡¯m not afraid to make sacrifices if it brings me closer to victory,¡± young Priam had said. The ability to sacrifice what it took to win... Even his own life. That was the reason why Priam had conquered the Impossible Tutorial. The young warrior raised a cup of sap toward Louis. ¡°I¡¯ve progressed so much lately that I thought the basic rules didn¡¯t apply to me anymore. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice things to advance... Thanks for reminding me of some truths before the Tribulations do.¡± ¡°My pleasure,¡± the old man smiled, grabbing another cup to toast. You have selected the skill [High Aether Manipulation - Epic]. POT -160 [High Aether Manipulation - Epic] - Precious crystal, ever-changing liquid, elusive gas, aether has many faces. Shaped by Concepts and obeying the Supremacies, reality rests on this fundamental energy. This skill allows you to dive into the heart of the matrix and modify its code. Are you ready to reforge Creation? To build a staircase to the Zenith? To impose your dream on the world? META (Affinity) +3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +3 Perched on the highest branch of Log-a-rhythm, Priam smiled as seven infinite consciousnesses descended upon him. Dimension, Karma, Energy, Matter, Chaos, Order, and Soul graced him with their presence, and the horizon rose to engulf the world. Only the Necromoon remained, hanging stubbornly in the firmament. Priam¡¯s ego trembled as the seven Concepts revealed to his soul abilities it hadn¡¯t yet realized it possessed. Each in turn guided the spark that represented Priam, unveiling new secrets without altering it directly. To stand a chance of becoming the eighth Concept, every user of the System had to stay clear of the Seven. When the horizon released the sky, Priam shivered before checking the cooldown of his Tribulations. Not even a second had passed between the arrival and departure of the Grand Concepts. His own system hadn¡¯t detected anything, and Priam shook his head. The power of the entities at the top of this universe was beyond comprehension. ¡°Well?¡± Jasmine asked while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Rather than explaining, Priam decided to demonstrate his new abilities. He extended his hand, and a rune of light appeared. Formed by his aether, it was the size of a marble and transformed the ambient energy into light. Flexing his new power, Priam concentrated his aether and organized it. The fluid solidified as each particle bonded with its neighbors. A few moments later, the rune had become crystalline. Priam surrounded it with a protective sphere and attached two wings so thin they were translucent. Inscribing two kinetic runes he had found on Rose¡¯s turrets, the young aetherist studied his creation before handing it to Jasmine. The young woman received the gift as if it were a treasure. In her cupped hands, a winged sphere reminiscent of a Golden Snitch projected light, joyfully flitting through the air. Its glow cast soft shadows on the young woman''s face. ¡°A pretty shining butterfly¡­¡± ¡°For you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Priam smiled, hearing the tremor in her voice. ¡°Yeah. It might light up your cabin at night.¡± Thanks to Log-a-rhythm, Priam had noticed Jasmine often slept near the campfire. At first, he thought she was sensitive to the cold, but then he realized the assassin just liked falling asleep with a bit of light. I don''t think I''m the right person to comfort you at night, but I hope this gift will help... ¡°Thank you,¡± Jasmine murmured, standing cautiously. ¡°I''ll set it up¡­¡± Priam stayed behind, gazing at the sky, proud of himself. With his new skill, he felt capable of wonders with aether. The description had talked about reforging Creation and it had barely exaggerated. But before changing the world, he could change himself. It was time to temper his body. Priam¡¯s draconic heart quickened. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 781 Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 728 (+4) Meta-focus 394 (+3) Meta-endurance 594 (+4) Meta-perception 319 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 183 Potential: 13 451 (-157) Tier 0 Sun points: 681 475 (+549) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 157 days 16 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 231: Priam’s Long Shadow As Luc approached the silver double doors of the Mercenaries'' Casino, he straightened up. With his sun-kissed tan, blond hair, and eyes as blue as a summer sky, he looked every bit the surfer. It was purely coincidental; Luc couldn''t even swim. Raising his wrist, he rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a gold bracelet engraved with the name of the Champion of Humanity. ¡°Priam would hate your lucky charm,¡± sighed Maya beside him. ¡°Why don''t you kiss it while you¡¯re at it?¡± ¡°Does it bring good luck?¡± Luc quipped. Maya rolled her eyes and pushed the heavy doors open. Luc hesitated for a moment, then kissed the bracelet discreetly before following his captain. The building had no antechamber: guests arrived directly into a hall the size of a city. Luc had never been to Las Vegas but felt like an ant facing the Caesars Palace. Just looking at the edifice made it clear it was built with techniques unknown to humanity. Birds flew beneath the five-hundred-meter ceiling, and the far end of the hall faded into a golden mist. In this titanic space, different biomes¡ªaquatic, volcanic, desert, and even swamp¡ªallowed mercenaries to party in the best conditions. After all, the primary purpose of the place was to let warriors relax between perilous missions. The casino wasn''t the largest on Gaia, but it was undoubtedly the most chaotic. Walking up the red carpet, Luc and Maya made their way toward the center of the room. Glances turned their way, and the young man puffed out his chest. ¡°You¡¯re the one who bet on a Mythic Achievement.¡± Luc stopped to avoid colliding with the stranger who had appeared before them. A giant with an alligator head stared him down, ignoring Maya. His heavy, slightly open golden fur cape revealed a medallion depicting a shield topped with four swords. A Tier 4. ¡°I bet and won,¡± Luc clarified. The Mercenaries were pretty lax, and nothing obligated him to respond despite the Tier difference. But there was no rule against being friendly. ¡°You must have won a lot¡­¡± Coming from a three-meter-tall, one-ton alien, the phrase could sound menacing. Luc just smiled. ¡°Over ten million.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I earn in ten years.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll lose it all today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re betting again?¡± The alligator¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Almost all of it. If you want to play against me, now¡¯s your chance.¡± The alligator tilted his head to the side before grinning, revealing an impressive array of teeth. ¡°I thought you were a jammy beggar, but you got balls. I¡¯m in.¡± With a Tier 4 on their heels, Luc and Maya continued up the central aisle to the reception. Having heard the young man¡¯s response, other mercenaries left various gambling tables to follow them. Five minutes later, he flashed a radiant smile at the hostess, a horde of warriors behind him. ¡°Luc Fortune, under Captain Maya¡¯s command. I¡¯m here to withdraw some of our contribution points and bet the rest,¡± he told an elf. Dressed in a black and gold outfit as revealing as it was futuristic, she had bluish hair that seemed to have a life of its own. A red cape that accentuated her eyes completed the ensemble. She was both gorgeous, strange, and deadly. ¡°This is the fifth time you¡¯ve introduced yourself; is that a human custom?¡± ¡°I just want to make sure you remember my name, Lasha,¡± Luc grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do before asking you out.¡± Lasha stifled an amused smile. ¡°Are you sure you want to date a woman who could break you in two during a passionate night?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be willing to risk it,¡± growled the alligator. ¡°Start by washing your mouth; your breath could kill an undead,¡± retorted the elf, prompting laughter from the nearby mercenaries. More than just a receptionist, Lasha was the Casino''s manager and a Tier 5. To avoid theft issues, she used clones to fill all the Casino''s positions. Some whispered it was training for her, but Luc had no idea what Concept she was pursuing. ¡°I brushed my teeth this morning,¡± Luc smiled. ¡°I¡¯d kiss you to check, but I¡¯m on duty,¡± the elf replied with a teasing wink. ¡°Business first: how much are you withdrawing?¡± ¡°One million eight hundred twelve thousand contribution points,¡± Luc stated. Several whistles rose behind him. ¡°You could reach Tier 2 with that many points,¡± the bookmaker remarked. Luc shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with Tier 1. If Priam taught me anything, it¡¯s that a solid foundation is important.¡± ¡°Well said!¡± the alligator agreed. ¡°Take advantage of being Tier 0 and use your points to accumulate as many Titles as possible; it¡¯ll help with your Tribulations.¡± Contribution points could be exchanged with other mercenaries for their services. Luc had already found healers among the Mercenaries who would help him unlock several dangerous Titles. ¡°He¡¯d be better off buying resources or Tokens to boost his affinities,¡± suggested a Tier 4 hanging from the ceiling. The spider-man gave Luc a thumbs-up. ¡°With that many points, he could try to unlock [Ace]!¡± exclaimed another Mercenary. ¡°We¡¯re not really supposed to talk about that in public, are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in public, idiot.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± someone shouted. ¡°The best move is to create a Tier 3 race to space out the Tribulation thresholds.¡± As the present Mercenaries began to argue, Lasha snapped her fingers. The atmosphere vanished, and the noise stopped. ¡°Guys, I know you want to help, but you¡¯re being annoying. Luc has ten million points left to bet, and I want to know what he has in mind. I suppose you¡¯re not betting on a Legendary Achievement, are you?¡± she asked, turning to the young man. With ten million points, betting on a Legendary Achievement would barely double his starting amount. Everyone was beginning to understand that the Champion of Humanity was a monster, and the odds were dropping daily. Few were willing to bet against someone capable of jumping three Soul Tiers. Of course, some took the risk, hoping the Tribulations would kill him quickly. ¡°We have a saying on Earth: go big or go home,¡± Luc winked. ¡°I¡¯m going for another Mythic: a quintuple Tribulation.¡± ¡°A quintuple after a quadruple? Impossible,¡± the alligator said. ¡°With the current odds, that would push you to fifty million if you win,¡± Lasha informed him. Whispers spread behind Luc. Some seemed tempted to bet with him, while others hesitated to bet against. The young man shook his head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a parlay.¡± The murmurs behind Luc fell silent. A parlay meant several linked bets. If even one was wrong, Luc would lose everything. But if all were correct, the odds would multiply. Lasha narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll defeat the ninety-fifth wave of the Colosseum before our second Reunion.¡± His captain, Maya, had ties with a merchant named Mercury. According to him, Priam would attempt the ninety-fifth wave. The alligator whistled. ¡°At Tier 0¡­ Isn¡¯t that the image of Prince Keltan¡¯h which has been guarding that wave for nearly five hundred years?¡± ¡°His name is banned,¡± Lasha reminded him, and the alligator coughed. The elf consulted her tablet before nodding. ¡°He''s been gatekeeping the Colosseum for half a millennium. The odds are ten to one.¡± ¡°Ten million times five times ten, that¡¯s a potential gain of five hundred million,¡± calculated a mercenary. ¡°He¡¯d be richer than some Tier 5s¡­¡± ¡°If you win, I¡¯d be willing to be your girlfriend,¡± an ogress behind Luc offered. ¡°Me too,¡± added the alligator. ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± Lasha smiled, silencing the gold diggers. ¡°Who else wants to bet?¡± ¡°Me,¡± said Maya. ¡°I¡¯m following Luc with an all-in.¡± She didn¡¯t have as much as her subordinate, but multiplying her contribution points by fifty interested the captain. ¡°Captain, if you lose everything, I don¡¯t want to be held responsible,¡± warned Luc. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll strangle Priam.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll already be dead,¡± Lasha noted. ¡°...Then I¡¯ll strangle Luc.¡± Luc gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Priam is a sure bet!¡± ¡°You¡¯re completely nuts¡­ Lasha, I¡¯m betting against them,¡± said the alligator. ¡°No hard feelings,¡± he added, facing Luc, who masked a satisfied smile. For there to be winners, there had to be losers. Behind the young man, various Mercenaries also started placing their bets, most against the two humans. They knew Prince Keltan¡¯h by reputation and doubted Priam¡¯s chances. If no Tier 0 in Sector Hope had beaten him in half a millennium, it was for a good reason. As the odds fluctuated in real-time¡ªthe Tier 4s and 3s betting injected considerable sums¡ªLuc took a deep breath. He had long hesitated to take the plunge, but he refused to remain weak. ¡°I want to make one last bet,¡± Luc declared. If Priam had taught him a second thing, it was to always push his limits. Maya shot him a surprised look. He hadn¡¯t discussed this with his captain. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± said the elf. When Luc announced his bet, a deadly silence fell over the casino. A few hours later, a new rumor spread among the Mercenaries. Everyone whispered that humans were insane. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 38, 39 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 2, 3 META (Affinity) +6 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 14 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 In the training room of Log-a-rhythm, Jasmine''s shadows drowned both the light and Priam''s Concepts. Neither his flames, his mist, nor even the clash of weapons could pierce the darkness. As a blade sliced into his abdomen, Priam roared and struck back blindly. Propelled by his powerful muscles, Promesse slashed through the air with enough force to shatter a concrete wall. The lack of resistance told him he had missed his target. Priam assessed the wound he had sustained before refocusing on the duel. The gash was just the latest in a long line of injuries. His constitution and vitality were the MVPs of the fight. Jasmine could hurt him, but her attacks struggled to truly cripple him. His instincts screamed at him to duck, and Priam obeyed, but his right eye exploded as it met the assassin''s dagger. Jasmine¡¯s [Homo Elysian Predation] had deceived his draconic instincts. Clenching his teeth, Priam searched the darkness for the wrist holding the weapon and grabbed it. An instant later, his hand closed on nothing but shadows. Using the power of the hydra, Priam restored his eye before resuming a defensive stance. If he could use his aether, he would employ [Echolocalization] to locate the assailant or [Kinetic Control] to defend himself. That was currently impossible: his second parallel thought was busy employing [High Aether Manipulation] to reorganize his meridians. A sense of foreboding washed over Priam just as a dart lodged itself in his shoulder. He yanked it out, using his hot blood to burn the toxins. His resistance to poison was formidable, and Priam resumed his defensive stance. Fighting the assassin was as valuable as it was exasperating. Jasmine always had the upper hand, and none of his counterattacks had yet managed to wound her. Eyes wide open, Priam continued to scan the spectrum of light available to him, but no light, visible or invisible, could penetrate the darkness. His Domain was equally useless, and his instinct was misguided. Frustrated, Priam concentrated on Pyro. As the Shadow Champion, Jasmine could drown his Concepts, but it cost her willpower and aether. The young warrior had reserves far greater than those of the assassin. ¡°You¡¯ll run out of resources eventually,¡± he taunted. The silence that followed was his only answer. Suddenly, Priam felt something touch the back of his right ankle. Spinning around, he slashed with his spear, swiping about a meter off the ground. A cry echoed, and Priam lunged forward. Only his left leg responded, and he fell. She cut my Achilles tendon! Breaking his fall with a roll, Priam was almost surprised when his eyes detected light. The shadows had gathered into a massive claymore, hovering above his chest. Before Priam could react, it descended, piercing his human heart. Micro allowed him to ignore the pain and shock, and Priam took advantage of the absence of shadows to project his mist. Riding his Concept, he reappeared in front of Jasmine. The young woman smiled, and Priam cursed as her face distorted. His body vanished into the mist. An explosion shook Log-a-rhythm, sending dozens of metal shards into its wooden frame. Ten seconds later, Priam emerged from his mist and looked around. He was alone in the training room. Scanning his add-on, he sighed, realizing the assassin was in the Shadow Domain, out of reach. ¡°There¡¯s no point in continuing,¡± he declared as Log-a-rhythm absorbed the shrapnel. Jasmine appeared in front of him, a grimace on her lips. ¡°My attacks were ineffective,¡± she said, examining the dozens of superficial wounds covering Priam¡¯s body. Only the shadow claymore had a real effect¡ªhis Achilles'' heel had already been regenerated by the hydra Merit. ¡°At least you could hit me,¡± he replied. ¡°Your shadow domain is terrifying; I had no way to detect you.¡± ¡°In a real situation, you could have easily fled. My shadow chains are too weak to stop you.¡± Neither rival was satisfied with the outcome of the duel. Priam shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a solution. The shadow that exploded¡­ It really looked like you. I thought shadows were varying shades of black?¡± ¡°[A Shadow of my former Self]. Since I reached Unity, I¡¯ve realized the Shadow Concept is more than just the counterpart of light. Chasing shadows, fear your own shadow¡­ All those expressions hold some truth. Why limit myself to playing with darkness?¡± Priam nodded thoughtfully. Jasmine had an acute understanding of her Shadow Concept. She was even holding back its evolution to avoid triggering a High Tribulation. I stopped progressing after reaching Unity with my Fire Concept, and it seems I''m missing a lot. Thinking of his Concepts as more than mere elements¡­ Priam sighed. He had so much to work on and so little time. ¡°Anyway, you got me,¡± he acknowledged, pointing to the hole in his chest. Flexing his heart Merit, he regenerated the organ in a fraction of a second before letting his vitality take over. The wound was still severe¡ªhe had a hole in his left lung and was missing several ribs¡ªbut his physical attributes and resistances would keep him alive. ¡°Thinking of your Breath, I realized I also needed an ultimate move,¡± Jasmine said, observing his injury. ¡°[Shadow of Death] gathers my shadows to deliver a fatal blow. I could¡¯ve aimed for your head, but the more severe the injury I try to inflict, the harder it is to deceive your instincts.¡± ¡°After tricking me twice, I was starting to lose faith in them. You might have got me,¡± Priam said, opening a portal to the top of Log-a-rhythm. Jasmine followed him. ¡°Then you would¡¯ve resurrected, as fresh as a daisy, and I would¡¯ve had to flee. My ultimate consumes all my aether and willpower; I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight anymore.¡± Priam shrugged, handing Jasmine a mug of sap before sitting on a branch. ¡°Still, given my recent progress, I¡¯m surprised you gave me such a hard time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re building a solid foundation while I¡¯m sharpening my blade,¡± Jasmine replied, sitting beside him. Priam''s latest advancements didn''t make him deadlier, but they paved the way to the Zenith. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your tempering coming along?¡± Priam checked his system before smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve reorganized about ten percent of my meridians. It takes time because I have two networks now, but it should be done in about ten days.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Jasmine asked, swinging her feet in the air. Priam grimaced. ¡°Then it gets complicated. I need to create seven aether gates that will anchor my meridians to build my fulcrum. Soon, I¡¯ll need seven epic or legendary resistances¡ªone for each gate. According to my add-on, a perfect gate requires an ideal resistance, a draconic trophy, and a violent tempering.¡± If Priam could gather these ingredients, his resistances would receive a terrifying boost. ¡°I thought you were missing some ideal resistances?¡± Gazing at the horizon, Priam replied, ¡°I am. I have four ideal epic resistances and one alien. I¡¯m short at least two, but I¡¯m stuck with my attributes¡ªmy vitality, constitution, and willpower are approaching twelve hundred. I¡¯ll have to start my tempering, survive my Tribulations, and then build my last gates.¡± Jasmine froze. ¡°You think you can endure a quintuple Tribulation with Heavenly Dragon being half-completed?¡± Priam remained silent. According to the phoenix, Heavenly Dragon would elevate his draconic bloodline to an absurd level. Perfect tempering would allow him to approach the practical limits of Tier 0, step into Tier 1 without regret, and survive his Tribulations. But there¡¯s a problem with my attributes¡­ Jasmine¡¯s hand cupped Priam¡¯s cheek, forcing him to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re going to survive. I¡ªSphinx needs you. Your father too. All of us.¡± Surprised, Priam blinked and then smiled. The young woman was awkwardly trying to reassure him, and he found it touching. ¡°I¡¯m going to survive,¡± he said. As he spoke the words, he realized he believed them. His draconic instinct was confident, as if it knew Priam hadn¡¯t yet figured everything out. ¡°That''s what I''m good at.¡± Jasmine returned his smile. ¡°So, what now? Do you want to finish reorganizing your meridians?¡± Priam shook his head. ¡°A stream of thought is already handling that. It¡¯s time for a more active phase of my training. We¡¯re going to hunt draconic trophies.¡± Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 4 META (Affinity) +3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 15 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 As Priam and Jasmine ventured into a world of ash, Priam linked up with ¨¨ve''s clone subsystem. ¡°How''s it going on your end?¡± The clone was supposed to infiltrate the tribes and manipulate them. The ultimate goal was for the rivals, the tribes, and the forces of the Necromoon to converge on Sumstreh simultaneously. ¡°I¡¯ve started planting suggestions and latent false memories in the minds of most of the Tier 0s, 1s, and 2s connected to the Aelbes council. I¡¯m currently working on the Tier 3s.¡± Though Priam was already aware of this through his add-on, he couldn''t help but shudder. ¨¨ve wasn¡¯t the most formidable rival in direct combat, but her abilities were chilling. ¡°Don''t harm them.¡± The Aelbes representative, Eleha, hadn¡¯t left a good impression, but he refused to violate the consciousness of strangers. ¡°Why would I take that risk?¡± Priam sighed. It wasn¡¯t the best reason, but the important thing was that the clone left the innocent in peace. ¡°Did you need something?¡± the clone inquired. ¡°... Try to find information on tempering or the prerequisites for ideal skills.¡± During the first Reunion, Priam had raided various factions. It hadn¡¯t bothered him since those humans had renounced their humanity. Stealing knowledge from potential allies was different. But if it''s that or die... ¡°Understood.¡± With any luck, ¨¨ve would also find something for Jasmine and Kazuki. If not, the Auctions would have an answer. Priam muted the connection and slowed as he reached a cenote. The last time he had been here, the Brood Mother''s cave had been empty, but the rain had likely filled it. At the center of the sinkhole, he saw the wild rift leading to Valaryth¡ªthe water world he had briefly explored upon his return to Elysium. Just beside the passage, a princess sat reading. She looked up, and when their eyes met, both young people smiled. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 792 (+11) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 754 (+26) Meta-focus 403 (+9) Meta-endurance 608 (+14) Meta-perception 333 (+14) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 189 (+6) Potential: 13 472 (+21) Tier 0 Sun points: 682 017 (+542) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 157 days 11 hours 46 minutes 29 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 232: First come, first served. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here,¡± Priam said, floating down. ¡°Pleasantly?¡± Esm¨¦e replied, rising gracefully. She performed a flawless curtsy, which Priam mimicked with dexterity. ¡°Of course,¡± the young man winked. Seeing the princess''s smile, he guessed his curtsy had probably broken half a dozen Empyrean etiquette rules, but it didn''t matter. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Esm¨¦e asked, looking past Priam. ¡°Esm¨¦e, this is Jasmine Kaldwin¡­ A trusted friend.¡± The young assassin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Jasmine, meet Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim, one of our rivals.¡± ¡°Jasmine,¡± Esm¨¦e acknowledged. ¡°I am honored to meet the Assassin.¡± ¡°Mmh, yeah,¡± Jasmine responded distractedly, her eyes fixed on Priam. The young man cleared his throat. ¡°So, what are you doing here?¡± he asked. ¡°I was looking for you. The odds of finding you here were the highest,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. ¡°Regarding our agreement?¡± In exchange for passage to the Moon of Humanity, the princess had promised to mutate his Moon Wyrm so it could reach the potential of a Sun Wyrm. Since the creature was potentially one of the trophies Priam sought for his temperance, he had agreed. ¡°Due to a¡­¡± Esm¨¦e hesitated, biting her lower lip. She continued, ¡°change of plans, I have the opportunity and desire to distance myself from my brother. Accessing the Colosseum this week would be a waste, and I wondered if you could use your Hearthstone in two or three weeks¡­ If that works for you, of course.¡± Priam took a moment to consider the proposal. He¡¯d read too many stories where someone died for a pretty face to make the same mistake. If he opened a passage to the Colosseum in three weeks, he, Jasmine, and Kazuki could cross over with Esm¨¦e and collect some rewards from the Colosseum just before the tribes tournament. Better yet, he could trigger his Tribulations away from Elysium and Sumstreh. ¡°Three weeks sounds good,¡± he smiled. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I can wait much longer for the Moon Wyrm¡¯s mutation. The egg is already starting to stir,¡± Priam said. Esm¨¦e nodded, tucking away her grimoire. ¡°I¡¯ll handle that while preparing for my Tribulations; it will hatch within two days.¡± ¡°Perfect. We can go as soon as I¡¯ve secured that,¡± he said, pointing to the rift a few meters underwater. ¡°Secured?¡± ¡°I plan to make a few trips inside. Since I don¡¯t want an enemy destroying this rift while I¡¯m on the other side, I¡¯d better secure it.¡± Valaryth had draconic creatures useful for Priam¡¯s temperance, but the rift was nearly five kilometers from Oasis. Without surveillance, nothing would stop an enemy from closing or trapping it. As Elysium always recalled its inhabitants, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be final, but Priam would have no way of returning to the water world. ¡°Smart,¡± Esm¨¦e acknowledged. ¡°But it''s easier said than done. When I arrived, I glanced at the rift, and moving it promises to be challenging.¡± ¡°If the gentle method doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll use my Duke privileges,¡± Priam smiled, invoking the description of one of his Titles. [Elysium Duke - Mythic] - Where the Marquess must defend his power, the Duke begins to conquer. The System grants you this power. Letter of Nobility (Elysium): Baron - Designate a territory shielded from the creation of wild rifts and Concept storms. Viscount - Instantly return to your territory - cooldown: (Ten to the power of Soul Tier) years. Earl - Unlocked Sub-System: Army. Marquess - Defend your territory against an invasion to earn a reward (2 Necro Wave defeated.) Duke - Elysian laws allow you to exploit (1) wild rift. A successful exploitation strengthens your Nobility Title. It was time to see what the System meant by exploiting a wild rift¡ªand it might be his ticket to becoming a Prince. After all, even if he had no intention of helping Sumstreh, he was interested in becoming a royal. ¡°Exploiting doesn¡¯t mean moving,¡± Esm¨¦e commented. ¡°Unless you know something I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an optimist,¡± Priam replied. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check if any enemies are nearby,¡± said Jasmine. ¡°There¡¯s nothing but ashes here. Without flora or fauna, the area doesn¡¯t interest the undead,¡± Esm¨¦e noted. ¡°Nothing but us,¡± Jasmine retorted before merging into the shadows. "She doesn''t like me," remarked Esm¨¦e. Priam grimaced. "She is¡­ wary." "I would have said jealous," replied Esm¨¦e before furrowing her brow and opening her grimoire. ¡°Something followed you. I''ll show the Assassin that she''s mistaken about me.¡± Before Priam could say anything, the princess had vanished without a trace. ¡°I almost feel sorry for the undead who will find themselves caught between them,¡± Priam mused before diving. The cool water embraced his body as he descended towards the rift. Moments later, he activated Pyro to create a boiling mist around his body. The steam barely concealed his nudity underwater, and he didn¡¯t want Esm¨¦e to think he was a pervert. The rift was slightly larger than the last time he saw it. It was no longer unidimensional but slightly oval, allowing a flat hand to pass through. Visually, the black hole in the air was strange, but it was nothing compared to the perception offered by his meta senses. His understanding of the world was shaken as he saw two opposing currents intersecting at the passage. Primordial fluid entered and exited simultaneously. The two flows crossed without interfering, as if their different affinities prevented them from reacting together. The physics governing the behavior of aether was often similar to what Priam knew¡­ and sometimes completely alien. Here, it was the latter, and the young man felt his hearts race as [Ideal Aether Perception] analyzed the phenomenon. The aether flowing out of the rift was imbued with a foreign Concept. Through synesthesia, the ideal skill assigned a scent to the affinities. For example, the Fire Concept smelled like the embers he used to blow on as a child. This was useful because it allowed Priam to instinctively identify an unknown Concept. The Concept flowing from Valaryth smelled like a growing tree defying the storm. Something akin to adaptation or resilience. Priam sensed he had an affinity with this Concept, but his add-on confirmed that none of the Concepts offered during his Soul Harmonization had the same scent. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 16 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 ¡°It¡¯s not one of the Concepts under the Tribulation¡¯s dominion¡­¡± Priam murmured. He briefly connected to his Potential and realized it didn¡¯t allow him to understand the Concept better, as it had with Mist or Fire. ¡°A Concept beyond the reach of the Seven?¡± This seemed strange to Priam. That another Universe could resist the Seven was one thing, but here, it was just a fragment of a world. Strange... His attention then turned to the ambient aether pouring into the rift. Invisible to the naked eye, the current perceived by his skill was terrifying. Its strength was such that the rift was growing in real time. Within a month, it would be large enough to let a cat through, and within a year, a standing man. His add-on calculated that given its expansion rate, it had been created the day he arrived in Elysium. It was placed here for us. Knowing the System was nearly omniscient was one thing; realizing it had scattered resources to aid the rivals was another. The real question was: what else had it done? Fortunately for Priam¡¯s paranoia, his Patron had been clear: the Seven Concepts wouldn¡¯t treat him any differently from all other users. However, when giants walk, ants are sometimes crushed. The world went dark, then bright again. Priam looked up, sensing two bodies enter his Domain. Creating a bubble with his kinetic energy control, he welcomed the two young women beside him. At the same time, he clothed himself in mist and flames. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°A Tier 2 had followed us. I took care of it,¡± Jasmine declared, inspecting her nails. ¡°I told you I could make it leave without revealing to the whole valley that we¡¯re here,¡± Esm¨¦e replied, frowning. ¡°The corrupted are coming. A horde.¡± Jasmine shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t turn down Sun points.¡± Priam¡¯s gaze shifted between his rivals before he understood. Both possessed the same competitive spirit he shared with Kazuki, but their methods were radically different. Jasmine was an assassin, and Esm¨¦e was a strategist. After weighing the pros and cons, Priam decided not to interfere in the rivalry between the young women as long as the results were positive. ¡°Can you move this rift?¡± Esm¨¦e asked. Priam shook his head. ¡°Every second, a hundred times more aether than I possess flows through here. It might be possible to move it with some finesse, but without a suitable Concept or skill¡­ Impossible. It¡¯s time to exploit the System.¡± Micro Rift detected. Tier 1 - Rank: Earl Destination: Valaryth - fragment 84 Use 500 POT to open a secure passage? Use [Elysian Duke - Mythic] to exploit the rift? Opportunity detected. Would you like to own this rift? The last time Priam interacted with Valaryth''s fragment, the System offered him an opportunity he earned by triumphing over his quadruple Tribulation. Now, it provided the same chance again, hinting at its relevance to exploring other worlds. Priam grinned as he accepted. There was undoubtedly a fundamental difference between exploiting a resource and owning it. Micro Rift (Valaryth - fragment 84) owned. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Congratulations! This rift is your property for (10) years and is now part of your Land. The territory within a kilometer radius around this rift (on both sides) is now part of your Land. Land Owner Bonus reminder:
  • Baron: POT cost -10%
  • Viscount: Aether regeneration x2
  • Earl: Knowledge about your land
  • Marquess: Locked
  • Duke: Locked
Stabilizing this rift is necessary for safe traversal. Note (owner): You can relocate this rift within your Land once for free. Note (owner): Destruction of the rift incurs no penalty. Note (owner): Any Elysium Earl has the right to conquer this rift. As the owner, you have one week to respond to a challenge and set the terms of combat. Note: Elysium laws do not prevent you or your Army from residing in a world you are invading. ¡°Judging by your smile, I assume the news is good?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Definitely. As the owner, I can move this rift, and destroying it won¡¯t result in any punishment.¡± ¡°So, it can be destroyed,¡± noted Jasmine. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to stabilize it myself to cross without dying, but I have the necessary funds,¡± Priam said as his add-on displayed the various stabilization options offered by the Sun Shop. ¡°As long as I own it, my army and I can stay indefinitely on the other side and receive bonuses when near the rift. Useful for defending against natives or an Earl trying to steal it.¡± ¡°Your army?¡± Jasmine asked, surprised. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Every Earl unlocks a special sub-system,¡± Esm¨¦e explained, seeing Priam¡¯s awkward grimace. ¡°Priam can assign roles, distribute Nobility Titles, and grant his soldiers certain bonuses.¡± Priam blushed under Jasmine¡¯s accusatory stare. ¡°As residents, you partially benefit from this, and¡­ I should have addressed it earlier. Sorry.¡± One of Priam¡¯s flaws was his tendency to focus too much on his personal progression and neglect that of others. In addition to being selfish, it sometimes disadvantaged his allies. ¡°Take care of it as soon as we get back,¡± sighed Jasmine. ¡°I promise.¡± A bit ashamed, Priam reviewed the rest of his notifications. First Quest update: Invasion I Valaryth¡¯s 84th fragment roams outside the Concepts Universe. This quest is shared with your Army. Defend the rift. Any significant attack on it is considered a Wave. Reward: Micro Rift (Valaryth - fragment 84) remains your property Difficulty: Variable Pacify your Land. No hostile individual should live on your territory. Reward: Any territory pacified for six months is incorporated into your Land. Difficulty: Variable Valaryth - fragment 84 Map. (Quest chain) Reward: Your property title is extended by one year for each significant location discovered. Difficulty: Silver Valaryth - fragment 84 Bestiary. (Quest chain) Reward: Your property title is extended by one year for each Tier 4 or higher unknown race encountered. Difficulty: Gold Absorb (10) natives among your subjects. (Quest chain) Reward: Information about Valaryth¡¯s history. Difficulty: Variable Release the soul of (?) natives possessing an alien Concept. (Quest chain) Reward: Alien Concept fragment. Difficulty: Variable Release the soul of (?) natives possessing an alien racial Talent. (Quest chain) Reward: Racial Talent (Complete). Difficulty: Variable Endure an alien Tribulation. Reward: Variable. Difficulty: Mythic Retrieve the World Key. Reward: Possibility to exploit a second rift. Upgrade of your Nobility Title. Ownership of Valaryth - fragment 84. Difficulty: Mythic Priam shared the details of his quests with Esm¨¦e and Jasmine to get their opinions. ¡°Exploiting a rift is lucrative, and the rewards are interesting but not as much as the quests,¡± summarized Esm¨¦e, furrowing her brow adorably. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°From my perspective, exploiting has a negative connotation,¡± explained the princess. ¡°Yet, only two quests encourage killing people or monsters. This shows that the Seven are more interested in novelty and discovery than in material resources.¡± ¡°Or the resources of a Tier 1 fragment are too mundane to interest entities at the helm of a universe,¡± Jasmine scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility,¡± Esm¨¦e conceded calmly. ¡°In any case, these quests are mainly to help the rift¡¯s owner without overly influencing him. If they want to exploit a world and its resources ruthlessly, they can, but the System will rarely reward it. If they prefer forming alliances, it¡¯s their right.¡± ¡°What matters to the Seven is the result,¡± Priam summed up. ¡°I have about ten years to dominate this world fragment. If I fail within the given time, I¡¯ll lose ownership of the rift.¡± ¡°What will you lose in practice?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°I suppose if the rift is destroyed while I exploit it, I¡¯ll be punished,¡± theorized Priam, rereading the System¡¯s messages. ¡°I¡¯ll also lose the buffer week between a challenge and an attack.¡± ¡°With the Land Owner bonuses¡ªand the current Sun Shop¡ªyou have a defensive advantage over the natives,¡± reassured Esm¨¦e with a smile. ¡°Ten years to retrieve a key seems feasible.¡± Priam returned her smile. ¡°The quest¡¯s difficulty is Mythic, but in ten years, I¡¯m confident.¡± It might have been arrogance, but given his progress in a few months, he suspected a decade would make him a powerhouse. If he survived. ¡°The problem is, the quest''s difficulty changed: the first time, it was Legendary.¡± ¡°The World Key might have changed hands since then, or the current holder knows the rift is now being exploited and is on guard,¡± Jasmine added. ¡°It¡¯s always harder to steal from someone alert.¡± ¡°Another possibility is that the world itself holds it and is growing stronger by absorbing Elysium¡¯s aether,¡± Esm¨¦e suggested. Distant howls punctuated her words, and Priam winced. ¡°Interesting theories but unverifiable for now. There¡¯s only one pressing question: should I move the rift to my internal world or Oasis? Any opinions?¡± ¡°With Oasis, the hoplites and our current defenses can help protect this side of the rift,¡± Jasmine remarked while sharpening her epic dagger. ¡°But I suppose we¡¯ll have to share with them.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask Kazuki and his soldiers to fight for nothing,¡± Priam confirmed. ¡°If you still plan to let the tribes come to Oasis for trade, they¡¯ll obviously notice the rift,¡± Esm¨¦e added, gesturing to the massive aether siphon around it. ¡°Forging an alliance with the Elysium tribes could be a good idea if you fear you can''t hold Valaryth¡¯s side alone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have problems with that; the natives are pretty friendly. Some might even be interested in a stabilized rift.¡± Priam recalled the desperate look on Titus, the Rehms¡¯ chief, when he realized Priam''s rift couldn¡¯t accommodate his people. ¡°I hope they¡¯re not too interested,¡± Jasmine grimaced. Priam nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll need to test the waters before telling them. I plan to exploit this rift as peacefully as possible, but a counter-invasion could be catastrophic. I want to trust the Rehms, but I¡¯ll prepare for the worst,¡± he said, remembering the warm welcome of the aquatic tribe that had saved him. Not all aliens might be so benevolent. ¡°The rift¡¯s level is Tier 1 Earl,¡± Esm¨¦e pointed out. ¡°No overly powerful enemy should be hiding in this world.¡± ¡°You''re mistaken,¡± Priam countered. ¡°I¡¯ve only met a few Rehms, but their local chief was at least as powerful as I am currently.¡± Titus had fended off a Charybdis¡¯ descendant, a creature that could negate Hecate¡¯s New Moon suppression in just two seconds. It was barely longer than the time Eleha took during their last duel¡ªand the Tier 3 had been motivated by her imminent death. ¡°The System wouldn¡¯t have placed a rift here without it being challenging,¡± added Jasmine. The statement wasn¡¯t based on any concrete evidence, but Priam agreed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer the question: Oasis or Concepts Archipelago?¡± As if in response, a howl made the cenote tremble. An instant later, a corrupted creature peered over the sinkhole, saw the three rivals, and roared. In the next moment, a hundred more appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± said Esm¨¦e and Jasmine simultaneously. "You''re going to make them stumble into the water?" taunted the assassin. "It''ll still be faster than slitting their throats one by one," replied the princess, finally letting slip a hint of annoyance. A wave of fire annihilated the visible corrupted, ending the argument, and Priam grinned at the two young women. "First come, first served." Esm¨¦e smiled at him, Jasmine stuck out her tongue, and the three young rivals sprang into action. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 552 Dexterity 622 Memory 792 Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 758 (+4) Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 (+6) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 189 Potential: 13 475 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 682 064 (+47) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 157 days 11 hours 32 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 233: Third Wave Event: Necromoon Third wave: A horde masses near Valaryth¡¯s rift. Defend your territory. Reward: 300 Sun points When three rivals chosen by the System fought together, it was almost impossible to resist them without overwhelming force. The horde of the corrupted lacked such power. A fireball struck a cluster of undead, turning them into torches before they crumbled to ash beneath their feet. Farther away, a massive Tier 2 creature that must have been a bear in its previous life was decapitated by a shadow blade. In the sky, projectiles of all kinds¡ªfeathers, pointed bones, rocks, quills and crimson orbs¡ªcollided, their trajectories altered, striking the ranks of the corrupted rather than the rivals. Misfortune hit the undead twice over, as they seemed to gather where the most destructive attacks rained down. Without even communicating, the three Champions cooperated seamlessly. Partly due to their high vivacity and natural talent, and partly thanks to Esm¨¦e, they worked in concert to devastate the horde. Each knew their role, and none got in the way of the others. Draped in blinding flames, Priam levitated high in the sky, drawing the attention of the corrupted. He was the most capable of defending himself, and the few enemies that reached him perished in Pyro¡¯s supernatural flames. None could approach within ten meters. Behind him, right at the edge of the cenote, Esm¨¦e orchestrated the battlefield, writing furiously in her grimoire. She had abandoned her quill, using her Domain to apply magical ink directly to pages that turned on their own. Thanks to her, the horde¡¯s movements were clumsy, most of the necro soldiers stumbling as their leaders¡¯ attention was constantly diverted. The princess micromanaged the battlefield single-handedly. True to her role, the assassin was invisible. Only the regular executions of powerful monsters confirmed her presence. Jasmine leaped from shadow to shadow, sweeping the battlefield for new targets. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam even spotted a few long-distance attacks; the young woman conjured shadow daggers before hurling them at unsuspecting foes. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 40 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Seeing the peculiar shape of the projectiles, Priam raised an eyebrow. Why was Jasmine sending daggers instead of just darts or blades? After all, she didn''t need the handles to throw them, just her Shadow Concept to propel them. Is it because of her Dagger Mastery? He could have used their connection to ask her, but Priam knew the best lessons were the ones you figured out yourself. Asking for help would slow his own progress when he reached Jasmine¡¯s level. As a quill from a necro hedgehog intercepted a necro bird attacking him, Priam willed his flames to take the shape of a spear. The Pyro Concept condensed before shooting towards a necro Tier 1 over three hundred meters away. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 30 DEXT +3 Like a missile, the attack left a trail of flames in its wake before hitting its target a second later. The incandescent weapon pierced the creature¡¯s head precisely¡ªan impossible feat for a fireball. The spear¡¯s shape was better suited for long-distance strikes, but more importantly, Spear Mastery and [Spear Throw] corrected his initial aim. Creating two more spears, Priam launched them as far as he could. His fireballs started to destabilize after three hundred meters, but the spears maintained their shape up to seven hundred meters before exploding in a bright burst. My willpower is consumed more slowly, he noted. When he launched a fireball, Priam infused it with his willpower. This resource condensed the Pyro Concept, ensuring the projectile¡¯s coherence. It forced the flames to maintain their shape until impact. Without it, a fireball would become unstable upon leaving the Domain¡ªthe connection between Priam and the attack severed¡ªand explode instantly. It was different for an ice spear, but flames, being a plasma, lacked inherent shape and relied on Priam¡¯s willpower to keep one. To create fireballs capable of traveling such distances, Priam would have to infuse them with a massive amount of willpower¡ªa waste. Fire spears required fewer resources, and this discovery was potentially revolutionary. Mentally, he asked his add-on for a report. [Projectile Speed Comparison: Fireball: 158 m/s, accuracy: 10 cm at 100 m, willpower loss in flight: 18%/100 m Pyro Spear: 320 m/s, accuracy: 4 cm at 100 m, willpower loss in flight: 7%/100 m Beyond 50% willpower loss, the projectile''s structure begins to collapse, leading to energy instability and premature explosion. Conclusions:
  • The bonus from [Spear Throw] is carried with any type of spear.
  • Spear Mastery increases the efficiency of willpower expenditure/structure resilience.
  • A spear shape is superior in terms of aerodynamics.
Recommendation: change the spear shape to optimize aerodynamics and reduce willpower loss.] Wasting no time, Priam altered the shape of his projectiles and, following his scientific spirit, began a series of tests. Hundreds of munitions were fired, analyzed, and compared to increase his knowledge of ballistics. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 31 DEXT +3 Progress was swift: Spear Mastery helped by enhancing his natural talent for wielding the weapon and instinctively guiding him to the best shapes. Priam first revised the spearheads to be more streamlined, losing less energy due to air friction. Some physical calculations complemented the tests, and he decided to adopt multiple shapes depending on the situation. At subsonic speed, the spearheads now resembled teardrops. This elliptical shape was effective for minimizing drag, allowing air to flow smoothly around the projectile. He had added a thin shaft at the back to maintain a spear form¡ªnecessary for activating [Spear Throw] and Spear Mastery. Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 2 VIVA +3 "Oh, it¡¯s been a while..." This skill was one of the first he acquired at the beginning of each Tutorial. He just needed to recall his classes and do some calculations to obtain these skills, boost his vivacity, and gain an edge over others. Priam sighed and activated [Focus] to push the memory aside. Creating a dozen flaming spears, he aimed at enemies within five hundred meters. Lighting up the sky, the teardrop-shaped projectiles streaked forward before exploding on contact, causing mini-earthquakes. The new form reduced willpower loss from seven to five percent per hundred meters. The optimization was recognized by the System. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 32 DEXT +3 Priam frowned as he studied the scattered remains of the corpses. The teardrop shape was optimized for throwing a spear far, but the rounded nose of the ellipse didn¡¯t allow for good penetration. A spear exploding on contact was effective for bombarding weak enemies, not for taking out a boss. Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 3 VIVA +3 Priam sent another volley of spears and noticed another problem. The teardrop spear had little substance at the rear, causing the back to wobble when fired. This added inaccuracy became critical at a certain distance. After a third and fourth volley, Priam concluded that the teardrop shape was good at short range and low speed. Useful for creating an air-to-ground barrage, terrible for sniping a distant enemy. He needed other shapes. Instead of starting from scratch, Priam drew inspiration from pre-Tutorial ballistics research. The military had created different shapes for different functions, and there was no need to reinvent the wheel. He began by modeling hand-sized spears and shaped their tips like sniper bullets. To maintain a straight trajectory, he applied a spin¡ªfollowing the same principle used to stabilize a spinning top. Their small size allowed Priam to create a hundred bullet-spears, and he began to fire. Within moments, he employed a stream of thought to make the ammunition and another to aim and shoot. A few seconds later, Priam''s laughter echoed across the battlefield. With his vivacity and Spear Mastery talent, he could churn out a hundred spears per second. He felt like a veritable machine gun, raining down thousands upon thousands on slow, weak undead. Sun points accumulated as Priam adjusted some parameters. Temporarily abandoning Pyro, he focused on his Fire Concept to create ultra-economical ammunition. It seemed he could single-handedly defeat the horde. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. However, no option was miraculous. A Tier 2 tougher than the others took two thousand bullets before falling, which sobered Priam. This economical use of willpower proved effective for direct impact damage but inconvenient in other scenarios. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 33 DEXT +3 Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 4 VIVA +3 A distant mass of undead caught his attention, and Priam decided to eliminate them with an explosive AoE spear. First, he copied the shape of a shell from memory. Tests were disappointing until he thought of removing the projectile¡¯s rotation. The gyroscopic effect increased pressure on the spear¡¯s structure, causing mid-flight explosions. Scientists had likely been aware of it for over a century, but despite his physics knowledge, Priam didn¡¯t know everything. However, with his high vivacity, Spear Mastery, and add-on, he could rediscover these truths quickly. Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 5 VIVA +3 The shell-spear streaked through the sky before crashing down like a meteor where the corrupted gathered. The explosion shook the battlefield, igniting a terrible blaze. Priam nodded at the result. The attack required a large amount of flames¡ªand thus willpower, a finite resource¡ªbut it was perfect for wiping out large groups of weak enemies. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 34 DEXT +3 Priam used his new attack until he spotted a boss near the forest. The Tier 2 Viscount observed the battle, occasionally hurling crimson orbs where Jasmine moved. The assassin wasn¡¯t in real danger, but a bit of bad luck could lead to disaster. Not on my watch. The creature was massive and several kilometers away. To bring it down, he needed a special projectile. Could he succeed without using [Kinetic Control]? There was only one way to find out. Priam closed his eyes and recalled his classes, his internet research, movies he¡¯d seen, and books he¡¯d read before settling on a kinetic energy penetrator-shaped spear. This tank ammunition was specialized for long-distance attacks and could penetrate vehicle armor. Priam willed his flames into a long profile to reduce drag, then shaped a conical, sharp tip. Small feathers at the back of the shaft ensured a straight trajectory, and Priam instilled his willpower to solidify the flames. He looked at his target again and added his Spear Mastery into the spearhead. Activating [Homo Elysian Predation], Priam fired. The small spear broke the sound barrier, covering two kilometers in four seconds before hitting the boss dead center. With its dormant instinct, the necro Tier 2 didn¡¯t even try to defend itself and perished as the projectile exploded inside its body. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 35 DEXT +3 Priam¡¯s fourth spear shape was such a success he was momentarily shocked by the result. He had just one-shot a Tier 2! Of course, the creature was just a Viscount and had not resisted. On his side, the Champion had used Pyro, Spear Mastery, [Spear Throw], and a perfectly suited projectile. Nonetheless, the result was astonishing. In a few months, could he assassinate Tier 3s without a problem? This posed a more serious problem: if his progression was this fast, then stagnating was a deadly trap. Only a few weeks had passed since the Reunion, yet Priam knew he could massacre the version of himself that had just passed a quadruple Tribulation. I could even face a hundred of them¡­ It wasn¡¯t just due to the increase in his attributes, but primarily because of his new abilities. As a Pyro user, as a Mist Sage, and as a Spear Master, he had multiplied his firepower. Combined with my resistances, my former self wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡­ The battle raged on beneath him, and Priam refocused. He still had Sun points to earn. Given the seemingly endless tide of the corrupted, he decided to conserve his mental endurance. This third wave wasn¡¯t about defeating a boss but enduring an endless onslaught. The tests resumed, and Priam began modifying the spears¡¯ dimensions and composition. It was time to create hybrids with his ice. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 41 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 The forest of silk cocoons that had burned to ashes two weeks ago was now a wasteland. Tens of thousands of undead roamed it, stumbling over the craters that riddled the area. An explosion erupted nearby, kicking up a cloud of gray dust, and Esm¨¦e had to cover her face. The air was unbreathable. Ignoring a severe headache, the princess manipulated the battlefield. When enemies were as numerous as blades of grass in a meadow, her powers shone. It was both exhilarating and grueling. Every action of the necro soldiers and her rivals had to be detected, analyzed, and considered. These actions triggered a cascade of consequences that Esm¨¦e had to anticipate and manipulate. That was where chaos manifested. Firing an attack caused the shooter to recoil. One backward step could topple him and trigger a domino effect. The launched projectile could collide with other airborne projectiles, altering their trajectories or momentarily obscuring an enemy''s view. An unexpected gust of wind could deflect it, and in some cases, a poor weapon could even injure the shooter. These and countless other variables were what Esm¨¦e had to account for. When she sowed chaos, she wrote the future as she pleased. But this Concept was, by definition, elusive, and a single detail could change everything. A quill she had placed on the trajectory of an attack meant for her collided with one of Priam¡¯s spears. The second projectile hurtled toward Esm¨¦e, and she had to trip an undead in front of her to tank it. There are so many weak participants that I can fix most of my mistakes... Every moment, Esm¨¦e altered probabilities, forced friendly fire among the corrupted ranks, diverted a boss''s attention from Jasmine, or hindered an enemy''s escape from one of Priam''s spears. Only the System knew the full extent of her influence on the battle, and she was justly rewarded for it. While focused on the battle, she couldn''t help but admire her rivals. The First¡ªPriam, she corrected herself mentally¡ªrained cataclysm after cataclysm down upon the horde. His fireballs had transformed into spears of all shapes and sizes. The attacks ignited blazes everywhere, ravaging corrupted who stood too close together. Even the most distant necro soldiers weren¡¯t spared. In the smoke-covered sky, the trails of bright flames proved that his wrath fell upon the entire horde. He was as effective as Esm¨¦e, though more direct. He shared this trait with the Assassin. Esm¨¦e¡¯s attention shifted to Jasmine. The young woman was a shadow. Even with her powers, the princess struggled to spot her¡ªand she was sure the Assassin wasn¡¯t even trying to hide her position from her allies. If I had that kind of power, my childhood would have been very different... Esm¨¦e crushed the useless thought and refocused on her rival. The word was well-chosen: the princess felt more competitive with the Assassin than with Priam. The young man was impressive in many ways, but he was different from them. A few minutes earlier, Esm¨¦e had met Jasmine for the first time and had felt like she was seeing a reflection of herself. The Assassin''s eyes were judgmental and focused on the nearest escape. Jasmine had suffered in her childhood¡ªjust like her. Esm¨¦e had decided to take control of her life and break free from her chains. In a way, Jasmine had already succeeded. Yet, it only took one glance for the Princess to know that the Assassin also dreamed of the day she would topple her tormentors. Of all the rivals, the two young women were the most alike. These similarities sparked their competitive spirit. Esm¨¦e had always known she was superior to her half-sisters, but her pride prevented her from being hypocritical: she wasn¡¯t sure she was stronger than Jasmine. This feeling drove her to surpass herself, to prove she was the best! Suddenly, Jasmine changed direction and charged a Tier 2 Earl. Esm¨¦e''s eyes widened. The creature was a giant centipede as long as ten tree trunks lined up. Even though it was still weakened¡ªthe Necromoon had only recently dominated the skies¡ªthe creature was powerful enough to make a Tier 3 take it seriously. Glancing at Priam, the princess saw him create an ice spear with an incandescent core and hurl it toward the horizon. He had no intention of intervening. The necro Earl detected Jasmine and opened its mouth. A cloud as black as despair emerged, turning hundreds of corrupted into black ash. When Esm¨¦e spotted Jasmine again, she was behind the centipede. Its shadow began to rise, enveloping the young woman like armor. The abomination seemed surprised to face its double and had no time to dodge a submission hold. The ground trembled as the two giants began grappling, coiled around each other. Esm¨¦e contemplated to intervene before reconsidering. In Jasmine''s place, she would have refused any help. Turning her gaze back to the battlefield, Esm¨¦e gritted her teeth. Her rival might be capable of facing a boss, but the princess could devastate an ocean of undead. We''ll see who has the most Sun points at the end! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 566 (+14) Dexterity 640 (+18) Memory 803 (+11) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 765 (+7) Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 195 (+6) Potential: 13 495 (+20) Tier 0 Sun points: 894 811 (+212 747) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 157 days 8 hours 17 minutes 47 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 234: Onsen of the Dead Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 42 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 36, 37 DEXT +6 Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 6 VIVA +3 The length of a massless projectile didn¡¯t affect its accuracy or aerodynamics; that was one of Priam¡¯s conclusions. Another was that creating spears solely from the Pyro Concept was foolish. Gas lacked a fixed form, making the spear''s structure dependent on his willpower. It was a waste of resources when a solid could naturally retain its rigidity. This idea had prompted Priam to create hybrid ice-fire spears. The result was both deadly and magnificent. His previous research had culminated in the creation of four forms¡ªteardrop, shell, bullet, and kinetic energy penetrator¡ªthat he infused with his Fire Concept. During the initial tests, the flames melted the ice, causing mid-flight explosions. Despite these failures, Priam persisted, inspired by a comment from the phoenix. According to it, the Symphony bonus of one Concept could be utilized by another. The Symphony of the Mist Concept was particularly intriguing: Symphony - Your Mist is both present and absent. It¡¯s up to you to decide who can feel it. As the Fire Champion, Priam tried to tame his flames, not to make them docile but to make them absent. He struggled for several minutes before realizing that mist and fire reacted differently. Mist was always more or less present as long as there was gas. On humid mornings, the horizon sometimes disappeared into a white blur, without anyone declaring that a haze lingered. Evasive, the mist was as poetic as it was physical. Flames, however, were different. When a flame was born, it fought fiercely to burn the world before it extinguished. Yet, Priam knew a fire could be rekindled; all it took was a breath. This truth was a breakthrough. The solution to using the Symphony with his Fire Concept was not to make the flames elusive but to put them to sleep. Priam created a mist spear, condensed it into liquid, and then solidified it into ice. He then used the spark in his soul space to infuse dormant fire into the projectile. The flames poured into the weapon, giving it a luminescent quality. ¡°Awaken upon impact,¡± Priam whispered to his Concept. Firing the projectile at an unlucky enemy, Priam watched the hybrid spear streak across the battlefield, striking a Tier 2 necro. The projectile pierced the thick hide of the hippopotamus-like creature before shattering inside its body. In the next instant, the flames awakened, and an explosion tore the beast apart from within. ¡°Nice,¡± Priam grinned. He briefly regretted not being able to use a hybrid ice-Pyro spear, but since Pyro hadn¡¯t yet reached Symphony, the Concept refused to cooperate. Over the next few hours, he continued refining his projectiles to maximize their penetration coefficient and reduce air friction losses. He eventually hit a wall where further improvements became negligible. The next step was to enhance his mastery of the Concepts or to engrave runes on the projectiles. Progress was never-ending, and it was a good thing. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 38, 39 DEXT +6 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 43, 44, 45 MEM +9 META (Affinity) +9 META (Authority) +9 Despite the unyielding presence of the Necromoon in the sky, time flew by. New craters appeared as tens of thousands of undead burned. Gradually, a cloud of smoke created a black roof over the battlefield. Thunder rumbled, drowning out the screams of the necro soldiers. The battle raged on, and the flood of creatures seemed endless. Seeing his fingers tremble, Priam realized his exhaustion. How long has it been since the start of the Wave? [11 hours 14 minutes 12 seconds.] A grimace twisted his lips as Priam looked down. Esm¨¦e was writing in her grimoire without uttering a word. Her red eyes and ash-covered hair were the only signs of her fatigue. In front of her, Jasmine staggered as she gutted some corrupted that weren¡¯t drawn to Priam. After an hour of wrestling and two hours of guerrilla warfare, she had defeated the Tier 2 Earl, earning the title of Duchess. Her opponent had been less powerful than the necro legionnaire, but Priam was proud of her. Now, she no longer had the strength to decapitate a Tier 1. Realizing he was the last one capable of finishing the Wave, Priam used his attributes boosted by Conquest and transformed into a living gatling gun. Every second, he summoned and fired dozens of explosive ice spears, accelerating some with [Kinetic Control]. He eventually slowed down as a headache split his skull. He had overtaxed his willpower, and using his aether to compensate wasn¡¯t enough anymore. Beneath him, the waves of corrupted began to wane. Low on resources, Priam flew up to the cloud hovering over the battlefield and took control of it with his Mist Concept. He injected his entire Conquest Aura into it and guided it to the ground. The last thousands of undead were silently dissolved. Event: Necromoon Third wave: Victory! You defended your home against a horde of corrupted! Reward: 300 Sun points 24 hours of respite Priam found Esm¨¦e and Jasmine by the edge of the cenote. The two young women sat a few meters apart, trying to catch their breath. ¡°You guys okay?¡± Priam asked. Esm¨¦e coughed. ¡°I have got ash in my throat, my lungs, my eyes, my hair, and even under my clothes,¡± she said, shaking the sleeves of her robe. This action released another cloud of ash, causing her to cough again. ¡°I am most displeased.¡± Priam smirked at Esm¨¦e¡¯s formal language. ¡°You mean, ¡®fuck this shit,¡¯¡± Jasmine mocked, pulling a piece of bone out of her hair. ¡°You¡¯ve just got ash. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what I¡¯m covered in.¡± The assassin had been in close contact with the undead and was therefore coated in various semi-coagulated fluids, ash, bone dust, and charcoal. ¡°It is nothing personal, but you make me feel like vomiting,¡± Esm¨¦e said, inching further away. The physical distance between the two rivals wasn¡¯t just a matter of affinity. ¡°Yeah, me too. I have to use Micro to cut off my sense of smell and focus on my future bath.¡± Esm¨¦e looked sadly towards the cenote. ¡°I saw at least a hundred corpses fall in there...¡± ¡°I¡¯m covered in shit, blood, and rotting flesh because I went with you,¡± Jasmine said to Priam. ¡°Can I have a hot spring as a reward?¡± Esm¨¦e¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡± ¡°I propose a democratic vote,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled, turning to Jasmine, who raised her hand. ¡°Two against one, we win.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what democracy was before I taught you,¡± Priam pointed out. ¡°I still think it¡¯s a stupid idea¡ªwhy should I let idiots decide my life? But I¡¯m willing to be a hypocrite for a hot spring.¡± Priam opened his mouth to protest but noticed Jasmine was already dispelling her boots. ¡°You¡¯ve got thirty seconds before I take off the rest,¡± the young woman smiled. Leaning against the rock, Priam sighed in contentment. Giving in to the girls'' demands, he had dug two large, shallow holes and filled them with forty-degree Celsius water. Seated on a polished stone bench, he was submerged up to his neck, gazing at the false night sky. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Jasmine had created a massive dome of shadow to mask the cursed light of the Necromoon, and Esm¨¦e had summoned thousands of tiny light runes to replace the stars. The firmament was as artificial as it was fantastic. A thick mist separated him from the second bath behind him, preserving the girls¡¯ privacy. They had been soaking for thirty minutes, and so far, silence reigned as they all enjoyed the calm and serene atmosphere. Yet Priam wasn¡¯t idle. Half his attention was reorganizing his meridians to prepare his temperance, while the other half created small water currents. The experience was pleasant¡ªhe enjoyed the sensation of warm fluid caressing his legs¡ªand instructive as he felt his mastery of mist and [Kinetic Control] increasing. Not every training has to be torture, he thought with a smile. ¡°Have you decided where to place the rift?¡± Jasmine¡¯s clear, strong voice woke Priam from his thoughts. He nearly turned around before remembering the girls were bathing naked, and he could see through his own mist. ¡°In Log-a-rhythm,¡± he replied. ¡°When I feel the aether seeping from Valaryth, I think of a tree growing tall to withstand the storm. Log-a-rhythm needs a Concept to endure its High Tribulation so it fits. At the same time, it will allow me to offer the hoplites training in Valaryth and thus defend the other side of the rift.¡± If a Wave came to destroy the rift on Valaryth¡¯s side while Priam was occupied... It was a stupid way to lose access to an entire world. All this without even mentioning a potential invasion into Concepts Archipelago. ¡°A shame for your inner world,¡± Jasmine noted. ¡°It should not be neglected.¡± Priam recognized Esm¨¦e¡¯s melodious voice. The princess must have trained hard to achieve such a pleasant voice. ¡°Mid-Tiers are based on cultivating an inner world. If you could start at Tier 0, you would gain time and a solid foundation.¡± ¡°By mid-Tiers, you mean..?¡± ¡°Tiers 4, 5, and 6. I don¡¯t know the details, but low Tiers are about creating your own Concept, and mid-Tiers are about creating your own world.¡± ¡°B¨¦char¡ªthe supervisor of humanity¡¯s Colosseum¡ªtold me all Tier 5s have an internal world,¡± Priam recalled before sighing. ¡°I know Concepts Archipelago is currently underutilized, but I lack the time to use it properly.¡± ¡°You could use Bastard¡¯s fulcrum for the upgrade,¡± Jasmine pointed out. ¡°You don¡¯t really need to exchange it for an aether puzzle.¡± Priam still remembered the desire Concepts Archipelago had for Sumstreh¡¯s fulcrum shard. He had to carry it by hand, fearing his inner world would consume it. ¡°An aether puzzle is never useless,¡± Esm¨¦e interjected. ¡°Direct aether manipulation grants you a flexibility that skills will never achieve. It¡¯s a talent too powerful not to cultivate constantly.¡± Having unlocked [Ideal Aether Perception] and [High Aether Manipulation], Priam couldn¡¯t agree more with the princess. ¡°We¡¯ll loot other shards from Bastard¡¯s body,¡± Priam vowed. ¡°I was thinking of trading this one for something useful at the Auctions.¡± ¡°What kind of thing?¡± ¡°I have a few ideas,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°However, suggestions are welcome.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t already have a method of temperance, I would have said to buy one,¡± Esm¨¦e replied. ¡°That¡¯s what I plan to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for an item, a core, or a bloodline that contains one of the evolutions of the Shadow Concept,¡± Jasmine said. ¡°My Shadow Heart is a first step, and one of the rewards from the Skull Temple interests me too, but I want several points of comparison to create something unique.¡± Both of them have a plan to become more powerful. ¡°If you need Sun points, let me know,¡± he told Jasmine. ¡°...Thanks.¡± Priam smiled, hearing the note of joy in Jasmine¡¯s voice. His offer was purely pragmatic¡ªthe assassin was a part of his strength¡ªbut if it made her happy, all the better. ¡°You are not offering me?¡± Esm¨¦e asked playfully. ¡°Do you want to be my subordinate?¡± ¡°In your dreams,¡± Esm¨¦e laughed. ¡°Besides, I can earn my points on my own.¡± The provocation was evident, and Jasmine groaned. ¡°Are you implying I need Priam¡¯s charity? I earned nearly seven hundred thousand Sun points with my kills.¡± ¡°One million three hundred twelve thousand Sun points.¡± Esm¨¦e¡¯s voice was full of pride. Priam froze at the number. He had seen thousands of undead perish in various accidents during the Wave, but he hadn¡¯t realized the extent of Esm¨¦e¡¯s impact on the battle. ¡°You tripped up a lot of monsters over those fourteen hours,¡± taunted Jasmine. ¡°Without me, the cenote would be filled with corpses, and the rift would be in the hands of the Necromoon forces,¡± Esm¨¦e retorted. ¡°Without me, bosses would have roamed the battlefield, and I don¡¯t see how you could have dealt with the centipede.¡± ¡°You are simply upset because I won.¡± ¡°Won what? You were writing in your diary while I was saving your ass.¡± Priam smiled, hearing the rivalry in the voices of the two Champions. He found them cute, but he wasn''t suicidal enough to tell them so. [He Who Eludes Death] didn''t cover that kind of mistake. ¡°By the way, how many points did you get?¡± Esm¨¦e asked the young man. ¡°One million two hundred ninety-four thousand. Less than you, but I consider my main contribution to be these two hot springs,¡± Priam joked. ¡°...You¡¯re the MVP,¡± Jasmine sighed contentedly. ¡°I agree,¡± Esm¨¦e acknowledged. The three rivals passed through the protective dome and headed towards the rampart. They had relaxed for an hour before retrieving the rift. It had collapsed on itself, much to the dismay of Priam and Esm¨¦e. They had hoped to observe and emulate the System¡¯s technique for transporting the rift later. Instead, his System interface now had a new tab for creating a rift to Valaryth. Dodging the bio traps, the three young people greeted the hoplite sentinels and jumped onto the rampart walk. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Kazuki,¡± Jasmine informed. ¡°Thanks,¡± Priam replied. ¡°I need to buy some things to help your Moon Wyrm¡¯s mutation.¡± As he headed towards Log-a-rhythm, Priam couldn¡¯t help but glance at Esm¨¦e. Her white robe had been ruined by the battle and ash, and Jasmine had created an outfit for her from her own shadow. A form-fitting black biker suit now covered the Empyrean¡¯s body. The outfit contrasted with her royal demeanor, giving her a rebellious look. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± the princess asked, noticing Priam¡¯s gaze. ¡°None. This leather-like outfit suits you.¡± ¡°...Thanks,¡± she blushed. ¡°See you later,¡± Priam smiled, reaching the base of his tree. Log-a-rhythm opened a portal, and Priam stepped through. The passage led to the heart of the magical oak¡¯s foliage, and Priam took a deep, satisfied breath. The air, saturated with life aether, made his cells vibrate with joy. He could almost feel his lifespan lengthening. ¡°Did you get the rift?¡± Kazuki landed on a branch without making it crack. It was a testament to the tree¡¯s strength, as the hoplite warrior wasn¡¯t light. ¡°I did, and I¡¯m considering installing it here. What do you think?¡± Priam could already imagine his tree containing rifts to other worlds, like a fantastic Yggdrasil. ¡°Could there be an invasion from the other side?¡± ¡°Hard to say,¡± Priam replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t know enough about the Rehms to be sure.¡± Kazuki nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s better to err on the side of caution. A rift here would be hard to defend since we can¡¯t establish an omnidirectional fortification.¡± ¡°I wanted Log-a-rhythm to benefit from the Concept leaking from Valaryth,¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°It could help it grow. Can we install the rift inside it?¡± The hoplite was the defense expert, and Priam would defer to his judgment, but he wanted to ensure they got the best solution. Kazuki hesitated before shaking his head. ¡°I have another idea,¡± he said, pointing downward. ¡°Underground.¡± "What do you mean by that?" ¡°The bedrock is almost indestructible, but Log-a-rhythm can pierce it with its Underground features. With the rift under it, its roots would benefit from Valaryth''s special aether. Moreover, if an invasion occurs, the enemies would find themselves in an underground bunker with no exit.¡± Underground was part of the first generation of upgrades offered to Log-a-rhythm. Priam had never purchased it before, but the idea of a subterranean bunker appealed to him. The only way to leave would be to ask the tree to open a passage between its roots and trunk. ¡°With the Sun Shop and some enchantments, we could even isolate it from the outside world: we could hide the rift from the tribes,¡± Priam thought aloud. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± ¡°Glad you like it,¡± Kazuki smiled. ¡°Any other good news for me?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve unlocked several quests I can share with my army. How would you like to explore a new world?¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 (+4) Dexterity 652 (+12) Memory 824 (+21) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 780 (+15) Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 207 (+12) Potential: 13 517 (+22) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 979 223 (+1 081 412) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 156 days 18 hours 33 minutes 59 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 235: Back to Water World Log-a-rhythm Status: Current POT: 1 225 Passive gain: 100 (+250) (+40) POT/day. (+250 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest V) (+40 POT/day: bonus - Natural Growth IV) Available Themes: ¡­ Underground I (300) (-200) Log-a-rhythm had amassed over a thousand Potential Points in just three days. Priam''s tree continued to grow, destined to become a behemoth, both physically and magically. The thought of accelerating its development by helping it acquire a Concept brought a smile to his face. Underground I ACQUIRED The ground trembled slightly, but even this minor quake was enough to alert Priam. Placing a hand on the trunk of his tree, he closed his eyes and connected with it. Instantly, he felt the roots burrow into the earth beneath the trunk, reaching for the bedrock that formed the foundation of the floating island where the System had placed the rivals. From the chasm in the rabhorns'' territory, the rock layer was likely hundreds of meters deep. It was highly durable; even Priam¡¯s Breath left no mark during the battle against the Brood Mother. Only the corroded shaft leading to Sumstreh''s hideout proved it could be damaged. Gorged with Potential, Log-a-rhythm''s roots succeeded too. Empowered by the strength of the Seven, they mined the bedrock ten meters deep for about five minutes. When the power of the Seven withdrew, Priam turned to the Oasis inhabitants gathered around him. "Log-a-rhythm has created a circular room roughly twenty-five square meters in size. The walls, floor, and part of the ceiling are made of rock, with just an opening the roots used to dig and which they are now sealing," he summarized. "Log-a-rhythm is plugging the hole with its stump?" Louis asked. "That''s right. It¡¯s positioned directly above the future rift to absorb most of the foreign aether that will escape from it," Priam confirmed. "Passing through Log-a-rhythm is the only possible exit." "Twenty-five square meters is about a three-meter radius," calculated Rose. "My parents'' living room was bigger than that." "When I was a student, my apartment was smaller," Priam recalled. "We still have enough Potential to buy Underground II if we want." The Oasis inhabitants began debating the pros and cons before Hyshana spoke up. "It''s small for a home but perfect for hosting the rift. In case of an invasion, few enemies will be able to get through before piling up." Alain nodded. "Hyshana''s right. If enemies push us back to this side of the rift, this room will be our last defense. Better to fortify it and fill it with traps and turrets than let invaders use it as an outpost." Priam noticed Rose taking notes and smiled. If an enemy crossed over, they would get a hell of a welcome... "So, should I use Underground II?" "Not to enlarge the room, but you could create a second bunker," Alain suggested. "Do we need that?" "Rose and I are close to our first Tribulation and we could use a workshop." Hearing his father''s voice made Priam''s stomach churn. Conversations hushed; everyone remembered the last person who went through their Tribulations. Mirscella''s death was still fresh. "You..." Fear choked Priam''s words. "Don''t worry, son," Alain reassured with a smile. "I''ve spoken with the Guardian of Secrets. As non-combatants, our early Tribulations aren''t lethal." Priam narrowed his eyes. He knew his father well enough to see through his attempt to avoid causing worry. "Non-lethal doesn''t mean safe." "Life is dangerous," Alain shrugged. "But we should easily pass our first Tribulations; I wouldn¡¯t risk Rose¡¯s life if I thought she might get hurt." "Trust us," the teenager grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. Priam scrutinized Rose and then his father before nodding. The old man wouldn¡¯t risk others'' lives. "Alright. Why a workshop and not a Tribulation Chamber?" "Our Tribulations won''t be destructive but will need a calm and isolated environment. There''s a limit to what we can create without specialized tools and working outdoors," Rose indicated the clearing. "You know how annoying it is to carve runes with wasps buzzing in my ears and ants crawling on me?" Priam sympathized. "I suppose we didn''t build rockets by solving equations in the sand." "They wanted to buy a workshop with their Sun points, but I talked them out of it," Kazuki interjected. "With the tribes arriving soon, having it hidden would be safer." "If everyone agrees, so be it," Priam smiled. Underground II ACQUIRED Current POT: 125 The ground trembled again, and a second room was dug ten meters below the first. The future workshop was fifty square meters and disconnected from the first room. "I¡¯ll leave you to furnish it," Priam said. "Meanwhile, let¡¯s set up the rift." The white, rough, and indestructible walls of the first bunker surrounded the rivals, and only the dim light from Log-a-rhythm illuminated them. A massive root descended from the ceiling, and the crimson sap flowing within produced a fantastical ambiance. Priam, Kazuki, Jasmine, and Esm¨¦e stood in the room''s center. It was decided that the rivals would ensure the rift''s safety before inviting others. Priam had hesitated to invite Esm¨¦e, the only one whose allegiance was uncertain. After a half-second of intense reflection¡ªa monumental duration for someone with his vivacity¡ªhe decided to extend a hand. It had nothing to do with him finding her attractive or pleasant; it was a political and pragmatic choice. Esm¨¦e, like Osiris or ¨¨ve, was a genius in her field. She could easily obtain information and manipulate the world to achieve her goals. Alone, Priam was only half-confident about surviving if the princess wanted him dead¡ªshe didn¡¯t know the mechanism of his resurrection but knew he had the power. If she decided to kill him, she would go all out, knowing only one of them would make it out alive. However, Priam wasn¡¯t alone. If the princess targeted Oasis, he¡¯d be powerless to prevent a surprise attack. The conclusion was clear: if Esm¨¦e ever proved to be an enemy, he¡¯d have to eliminate her ruthlessly. A monumental waste. As an ally, the princess could be invaluable. Whether it was managing Oasis, keeping the tribes at bay, spying on their enemies, or even spotting opportunities, Esm¨¦e''s skills and education made her an exceptional professional partner. Priam watched the young woman touch the rock with a finger while consulting her grimoire. The System had placed ten rivals in Elysium, and some personalities were bound to clash. However, he was convinced he would go further by forging alliances rather than eliminating all competition. "Is there a problem?" The princess stood, pushing a stray blonde lock out of her eyes. "None," Priam smiled. "Everyone step back from the center: I¡¯m going to place the rift." Accessing his interface, he pointed to the room¡¯s center. The System descended, and in an instant, an invisible vortex began to distort light and space. A black orb appeared at the siphon''s center, breaking the silence. A shrill noise made the rivals wince as air and ambient aether were sucked into the singularity. Seeing the phenomenon grow, everyone stepped back. A minute later, the black hole stabilized after reaching the size of a human head. The air stopped rushing into the void, and a cascade of foreign energy erupted from the passage. Priam distinctly felt the aether of Elysium vanish inside, exchanged for that of Valaryth. "I can feel Valaryth¡¯s aether much more easily than in the cenote," Kazuki noted. The hoplite had already seen the rift when he used it to threaten Seth. "It might be a hidden System reward, but the flow is about five times greater," Priam measured. "Can we cross?" Jasmine asked, beginning to stretch. The young woman was ready to contort herself to fit through the small opening. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Only if you have multiple lives," Esm¨¦e replied. "This rift is stable, but it¡¯s not a portal. The dimensional currents are deadly." Priam focused for a moment before understanding the princess¡¯s point. His sphere of authority enveloped the rift, yet the information he received from the other side was scrambled, as if space itself was being shredded. Jumping into this rift was like leaping through a ship¡¯s propellers, hoping to pass through unscathed. "Good thing we have the Sun Shop," Priam said. "How do you plan to use it?" Esm¨¦e asked. "You¡¯re thinking of creating a ritual using Stability fragments?" The Tier 1 Concept fragment was purchasable directly, but Priam had a more straightforward solution. Sun Shop Territory: Some infrastructures are available as blueprints at half the cost. Protective Barrier VI (250 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 25 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a strong Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. ¡­ Rift Stabilizer T0 (500 000 points) - A ritual allowing Tier 0s to pass through a wild rift. "A ritual would likely be cheaper, but I¡¯d rather buy the stabilizer; it seems safer." "A stabilizer?" "Rift Stabilizer T0, half a million Sun points," Priam read. "As a Marquess, I can¡¯t see items more expensive than 250 000 points," Esm¨¦e grimaced. No matter their fortune in Sun points, the System refused to sell its best items to the weakest. "You¡¯re not even a Duchess?" Jasmine asked, feigning shock. "You¡¯ve been a Duchess for less than twelve hours," Esm¨¦e reminded her. "Still a Duchess." The princess frowned before turning to Priam. "Since only a Duke can exploit a rift, it¡¯s normal that a stabilizer isn¡¯t purchasable without reaching that rank of Nobility." "I guess so," Priam said, then grimaced. "I hope I can disable it from time to time to level up [Space Resistance]..." Under his rivals'' flabbergasted gaze, he bought the stabilizer, and the System manifested once more. A two-meter diameter runic circle appeared before the rivals. The structure floated perpendicularly to the ground, emitting a low hum. At its center, the rift''s intense blackness contrasted with the millions of tiny white runes flashing on the stabilizer''s surface. Suddenly, the hum intensified, and the tool began siphoning ambient aether at a furious pace. The runes absorbed the fluid, transforming it according to a mind-blowingly complicated pattern. The ritual began rewriting reality, manipulating space and time to connect two different worlds. Priam started recording the array''s functioning before a wave of dizziness brought him to his knees. His vision blurred, and his thoughts began to escape him. His personality multiplied, and a cacophony erupted in his mind as his fractured ego screamed. His mind¡ªor was it his soul?¡ªcouldn''t comprehend the changes enacted by the stabilizer, and he urgently retracted his Domain and aether perception. His add-on would kill him before he went insane, and Priam wanted to enter Valaryth with [He Who Eludes Death] primed. Another time, he promised himself. Turning his head, he met Esm¨¦e''s gaze, who was also bleeding from her eyes. He hadn''t been the only one to attempt something foolish. The two rivals exchanged a weary smile as the hum subsided. Priam waited for the silence to return before looking back. In the room''s center, the rift had expanded to touch the white circle. Now large enough to accommodate a standing man, it no longer resembled a singularity but a portal. A hole in reality opened onto a sandy beach. In the background, waves periodically crashed on the shore. A bird''s cry echoed in the bunker. You have just left the Concepts Universe. Location: Valaryth - fragment 84. As an invader, the laws of Elysium will allow you to remain in this world as long as the rift you exploit is operational. Happy invasion! Priam felt the dry sand caress his bare feet as he walked toward the water. A few steps later, he crossed an ephemeral boundary and felt the coolness of moisture refresh the soles of his feet. The tide was going out, and the wet sand he trod was firm. He moved further to let the waves lick him. Foam covered his toes, and he took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs. The ocean invigorated him. "Welcome to Valaryth," Priam smiled as he turned around. Through the rift, he could clearly see his rivals watching him. Being the most likely to survive a space storm or an ambush, he had crossed first. Kazuki followed. The hoplite strode across the sand with the confidence of habit. The difference in gravity or atmosphere didn''t seem to perturb the warrior. He smiled, closing his eyes. "Here, the wind speaks to me," he said before frowning. "The System grants me two months of conditional freedom." Priam nodded. "The laws of Elysium won¡¯t let us leave easily." "Unless I join your army." "Indeed." The hoplite looked pensive, and Priam continued. "You know it means nothing to me. You¡¯re a friend and a rival, not a subordinate." Kazuki laughed. "You don¡¯t need to reassure me. I¡¯m not that insecure. I worry about my soldiers and my people. Even if it¡¯s just in name, being under your command will have political repercussions." Priam was glad he had refused any political responsibility. If Prometheus was interested, he could have that glory. "I understand. It¡¯s up to you, my friend." "If only it were up to me," the hoplite growled before looking around. "Do you recognize this place?" "No, the rift''s destination has changed," Priam replied. "The first time, there was a ruined city behind me and other islands on the horizon. I have no idea where we are." The two rivals stood on a beach trapped between a forest and the ocean. To the right and left, the strip of sand ran a few hundred meters before reaching tall cliffs. The System had placed the portal exit at the center of a medium-sized bay, shaped like a perfect crescent. The rocky coastline extended over a hundred meters into the ocean at both ends, forming a natural harbor sheltered from storms. A pirate''s dream. "It looks like a perfect defensive position," declared Priam. "Against an attack coming from the sea," replied Kazuki. "But the hinterland could surprise us. I¡¯ll do some reconnaissance." "Meet back here in twenty minutes?" "That''s fine with me," declared the hoplite, heading toward the forest. Shortly after he left, the rift rippled, allowing Jasmine to step through. The young woman froze at the sight of the ocean, her eyes wide. "Impressive, right?" said Priam as a larger wave crashed on the sand. The water surged up the beach, and Jasmine stepped back just before her feet got wet. "You mean terrifying," she breathed. "I would say inspiring," declared Esm¨¦e as she crossed through next. The contrasting reactions of the two women made Priam smile. Jasmine looked at the sea a moment longer before turning to the cliffs bordering the bay. "I think I prefer heights to depths. Can I climb up there? To see where we are." "We''ll meet back here in twenty minutes. Have fun." As the assassin sprinted off, Esm¨¦e approached the water to dip her feet. "It¡¯s cold!" she exclaimed. "You get used to it," Priam laughed. "Is this your first time seeing the ocean?" "Indeed. The Royal Palace often flew over seas, but this is not the same," the princess smiled, opening her grimoire. Priam thought she was going to write something, but to his surprise, she began to sketch the landscape. With a few strokes of graphite pencil, she captured the sea, the waves, and the sun. When she set down the pencil, Priam didn¡¯t hide his admiration. With his memory and dexterity, he could have reproduced the scene with photographic accuracy, but Esm¨¦e had added an artistic touch that eluded him. The waves seemed ready to crash onto the sand, and just looking at the foam, he could almost feel the spray on his skin. "You have a gift," he said. The compliment felt almost bland compared to the emotion the drawing evoked in him. "I¡¯m sure you could do just as well." "I¡¯m good at many things, but not drawing," Priam replied. "I have trouble visualizing images in my head." That had partially changed thanks to [Eidetic Memory], but only for his memories. When he needed to visualize the design of a rune in his mind, Priam used his add-on. "Oh, you¡¯re slightly aphantasic?" As Priam prepared to ask what that meant, his earpiece crackled and activated. "I have good news and bad news," said Kazuki''s voice. "The bad news is I just found fresh footprints. The good news is they might be of draconic origin." Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 652 Memory 824 Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 780 Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 207 Potential: 13 517 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 479 396 (-499 827) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 156 days 16 hours 22 minutes 53 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 236: Outpost in another world Priam started running before he realized Esm¨¦e was struggling to keep up. The young woman wasn¡¯t slow, but the attribute difference was massive. He slowed his pace and signaled to Jasmine, who was watching them from the cliff top, to follow. His subordinate jumped, and Priam''s eyes widened momentarily before he remembered she wouldn''t die from a fall that high. The sand gave way to a carpet of leaves, different from those in Elysium. The climate and the trees reminded him of the Caribbean. Priam guided Esm¨¦e through the mahoganies, courbarils, and palm trees while tracking Kazuki with his aether perception and his sense of smell. The hoplite champion had left no visible trace on the ground but hadn¡¯t accounted for the aether particles he naturally produced or his scent. In Elysium, this was almost negligible, but in Valaryth, the foreign energy stood out against the natural energy¡ªsomething the keenest natives would undoubtedly notice. A hundred meters inland, Priam, Esm¨¦e, and Jasmine, who had just caught up, stopped behind Kazuki. The hoplite was kneeling and observing the ground closely. ¡°This is the fourth time I¡¯ve seen these kinds of tracks,¡± the warrior said, pointing to two marks on the ground. ¡°All similar but not identical.¡± The rivals understood the message: different creatures of the same species had passed through here. Priam approached and frowned upon seeing actual holes. The marks were about thirty centimeters long and ten deep. One didn¡¯t need to be a tracker to spot such imprints. ¡°The front marks are caused by claws,¡± Priam noted. ¡°Is that why you think they¡¯re draconic creatures?¡± ¡°That and my bloodline.¡± The hoplite offered no further explanation, and Priam didn¡¯t press. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be sure, but judging by the lack of scent, I¡¯d say these are at least a week old,¡± said Jasmine. ¡°Not much older, since the leaves that have fallen in haven¡¯t started decomposing yet,¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°Given the soil¡¯s resistance, the depth of the tracks, and the distance from the landing site¡ªabout a hundred meters from here¡ªI would say the creature that jumped here has a strength over two thousand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± Esm¨¦e said, opening her grimoire. ¡°They don¡¯t have our System, so their attributes must be balanced, or their bodies would break down.¡± Having a strength of two thousand and a constitution of five hundred was a good way to die stupidly by jumping too high or crashing into a wall. System users had resistances, skills, and Talents to offset their imbalances, but the natives did not. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me much,¡± Priam said. ¡°The first time I came here, I heard a howl from a city and dove into the water to escape the creature. My instinct told me that staying behind meant certain death. Later, the Rehms confirmed they avoid the shore.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a dangerous place.¡± ¡°I detect no enemies within at least a kilometer,¡± Esm¨¦e declared. ¡°There are animals, but nothing hostile or powerful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but they can return anytime,¡± Kazuki warned. ¡°First, we shall protect the rift. I don¡¯t have access to the Sun Shop here, do you?¡± Priam¡¯s attention turned to his interface. Sun Shop Error. Only a member of the Royalty or the holder of the World Key can invoke this function in a non-integrated world. ¡°Damn. Valaryth isn¡¯t part of the Universe of the Seven, which limits the System.¡± Priam forced himself to breathe, trying to dispel his frustration. He had planned to use his Sun points to facilitate their settlement, and his plan was already falling apart. ¡°We¡¯ll have to build the defenses ourselves,¡± Kazuki frowned. ¡°I can buy the blueprints and materials,¡± Priam suggested. ¡°It¡¯s slower than summoning the structures directly, but it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Possible but dangerous.¡± Kazuki pointed at the deep tracks. ¡°No visible tracks before these: this creature is stealthy. If it¡¯s hostile, the builders could die before even seeing it.¡± ¡°I could monitor the surroundings,¡± Esm¨¦e offered. ¡°Mutating the Moon Wyrm egg will only take part of my attention. In exchange, I would like to go through my Tribulations in this world, if that¡¯s okay with you?¡± ¡°That sounds fair,¡± Priam agreed. ¡°Good. However, without knowing the creature¡¯s characteristics, I¡¯m not sure I can contain it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle that,¡± Jasmine intervened. Priam nodded. His quest for draconic trophies would likely take him far, preventing him from defending the outpost himself. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me and a few hoplites willing to explore this world. Now, we have our defenders, but we lack builders. Alain is an excellent constructor, but he can¡¯t do everything alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯d feel bad exploiting my father,¡± Priam admitted, smiling. ¡°Why not hire artisans from Elysium with the Sun Shop? Ymir is a good recruit.¡± ¡°He¡¯s cool,¡± Jasmine confirmed. ¡°He even makes nice vegetarian dishes with Blueberry.¡± Priam''s smile wavered. The inhabitants of Oasis were getting to know each other while he trained alone. Sometimes, despite his obsession, he missed the idle loafing and friendly conversations. ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± Kazuki declared. ¡°Are you going to oversee the construction of the defenses?¡± ¡°My Tribulations force me to focus on my progression... and I think it¡¯s the same for you.¡± All the rivals nodded. ¡°Do you think Hyshana...?¡± Kazuki shook his head. ¡°With the tribes and our rivals prowling, my wife can¡¯t manage the defenses of both Oasis and Valaryth. To be honest, defending Oasis is an opportunity for her, which explains her enthusiasm, but building an outpost here won¡¯t interest her.¡± Priam nodded, slightly disappointed. Hyshana was doing a great job in Oasis, and he trusted her. However, the hoplite wasn¡¯t under his command; she was an ally, and he respected her choices. ¡°Nevertheless, she won¡¯t refuse to fight alongside us in case of an invasion,¡± the hoplite added. ¡°My friends are her friends.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Priam replied, looking his rival in the eyes. The hoplite didn¡¯t have his immortality but was willing to risk his life to help him. ¡°I hope you know you can count on me too.¡± ¡°I do.¡± A solemn and brotherly silence fell, soon broken by Jasmine. ¡°Why not ask Alain to oversee the construction? He was an architect, right?¡± ¡°My father can easily handle building an outpost around the rift with a crew of experts, but the administrative work¡ªscheduling patrols with the hoplites, managing resources, or even setting up meals... Well, he¡¯s capable, but he¡¯d make mistakes.¡± On Earth, a mistake could have serious consequences, but here, it was almost a certainty. Priam was reluctant to take that risk. ¡°Myuri could help.¡± Priam turned to Esm¨¦e. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Because of their racial Talent, the bastards of the royal family are trained to be secretaries,¡± the princess explained. ¡°In practice, they often manage the Empire¡¯s projects¡ªunder a man¡¯s supervision, of course.¡± A sneer twisted Esm¨¦e¡¯s lips. ¡°She could easily assist Alain and his team in building these defenses by managing the materials, buying what¡¯s needed, or liaising with the hoplites and Oasis.¡± Priam hesitated before turning to Jasmine. ¡°I don¡¯t know her well. What do you think?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a quiet girl who doesn¡¯t want to be a burden. I know she helps Rose a lot and sometimes Alain too. She won¡¯t be lost.¡± Priam considered the proposal. The Empyrean royal family had the gift of influencing the world to favor their endeavors. With Muyri as the administrator, most obstacles that could slow a project would resolve themselves. ¡°Very well. Jasmine, find my father and then talk to Muyri about this position. If she¡¯s interested, have her see me today. Kazuki¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see which hoplites are interested in this world. Then I¡¯ll start mapping it.¡± ¡°Perfect. It¡¯s time to establish an outpost in this new world!¡± Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 46 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 At the base of Log-a-rhythm, Priam scrolled through the Sun Shop interface. Now that the portal to Valaryth was stabilized, they could travel freely between the two worlds. Esm¨¦e was waiting by his side. Before the princess tended to his egg, Priam had asked for her help in recruiting artisans. Why choose blindly when his rival could provide information about the strangers who would come to live in Oasis? A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Sun Shop Artisan I (5,000 points) - Summons an Artisan. Requires Workshop or Forum. ACQUIRED. Artisan selection... Scanning your territory... Match found. Your territory and location match the criteria of a hundred and fifty-three Artisans. H?lo Mor - Tier 0 - Drow A forty-four-year-old artisan with three epic skills. Orphaned, he was taken in by the Brothers of Redemption and currently resides in the sixth fortress of Knaya. Specialty: Stonemason. Salary: 150 Sun Points per day. Lamnas Foen - Tier 0 - Elf A forty-nine-year-old artisan with three epic skills. The last of a long line of artisans, he currently resides in the seventh fortress of Knaya. Specialty: Gardener. Salary: 185 Sun Points per day. ¡­ Priam''s add-on reviewed the various candidates before returning an error. The information from the Sun Shop wasn''t enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. ¡°One hundred fifty-three artisans available,¡± Priam counted after reading all the descriptions aloud. ¡°That¡¯s a lot,¡± Esm¨¦e replied. ¡°The last time I talked to Aydan, he only had three proposals, and two of them were a disgrace to their profession.¡± ¡°Having a fortified base and a superior Nobility Title helps,¡± Priam guessed. ¡°How much time do you need to analyze all these people?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already done.¡± Priam''s eyes widened, and the princess smiled. ¡°I managed to get information on you despite your ideal resistance; these Tier 0s didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°So you admit you know things about me?¡± ¡°Not as much as I would like,¡± the princess replied innocently. ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± Priam¡¯s tone was far from innocent, and Esm¨¦e blushed. ¡°I feel compelled to warn you that even with my perception, I could hear you from afar.¡± Mortified, Priam and Esm¨¦e turned to see Alain approaching. ¡°Dad,¡± Priam coughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to summon some artisans to help you build an outpost in Valaryth.¡± ¡°Jasmine already told me,¡± Alain smiled. Priam noticed that his father''s smile had fewer wrinkles than before the Tutorial. ¡°Perfect. Esm¨¦e, you were saying?¡± ¡°After compiling their information, I have made a shortlist of five candidates based on your needs.¡± With a wave of her hand, the princess conjured an emerald hologram sheet. Five profiles were listed, with descriptions of their favorite skills, social relationships, photographs, and other characteristics. Seeing this, Priam remembered that each rival was terrifying in their own right. ¡°Among them, two pairs know and hate each other, so you can only choose three.¡± ¡°Will that be enough?¡± ¡°It will be sufficient,¡± Alain answered. ¡°With good skills, high attributes, and the experience I¡¯ve gained here, building a fortress can be quick. Supervising three people to ensure they don¡¯t sabotage the work is my limit.¡± Hiring strangers carried risks of sabotage, intentional or not. As the master builder, Priam¡¯s father was responsible for the construction site. ¡°First choice, H?lo Mor or Lamnas Foen,¡± Esm¨¦e announced. ¡°H?lo works with stone and can use parts of the bedrock from the islands. Walls built with this type of block would be tough to destroy. The issue is, he¡¯s slow to carve and hates Lamnas.¡± ¡°The gardener,¡± Priam recalled. ¡°An elf able to help trees grow and reinforce them. He could create planks from Log-a-rhythm without impacting its growth.¡± Alain looked thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s clear both are exceptional candidates. Couldn¡¯t we recruit Lamnas in Oasis and H?lo in Valaryth?¡± ¡°That would be ideal, but it¡¯s the System that handles their contracts, not them. The candidates set their conditions, and the System matches them with compatible Nobles. That way, they never have access to sensitive information.¡± ¡°I suppose Lamnas was selected by the System because of Log-a-rhythm?¡± Priam asked. ¡°Most likely. Without it, there¡¯s little chance an artisan like Lamnas would agree to work with Oasis.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tough, but I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Priam knew Oasis had potential thanks to Log-a-rhythm and the rivals, but it didn¡¯t amount to much against tribes with Tier 4s. With the necro event ongoing, artisans were likely looking for a faction capable of protecting them. ¡°Well, if they refuse to work for the same faction, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Dad, what do you think of these two?¡± The old man was squinting at the descriptions of his potential subordinates. ¡°According to Esm¨¦e¡¯s information, they¡¯re both passionate and honest about their work. Both are racist, one hating drows and the other hating elves, but that¡¯s irrelevant for now. Based on their skills alone, I lean towards the gardener.¡± ¡°Oh? I agree, but I thought you¡¯d prefer the stonemason for the walls?¡± Alain raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know the System gave you a nice stone rampart like in the eleventh century, but I don¡¯t plan to spend a decade doing masonry. Unless you plan on giving me a hand, son?¡± Priam looked sheepish, raising his hands. ¡°I need to temper my body¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Alain chuckled before explaining. ¡°The wood from Log-a-rhythm is stronger than regular stone and will get more durable over time. That¡¯s partly why I decided to focus my skills on wood manipulation and treatment. Plus, building the fortifications in wood will allow me to update them later.¡± ¡°I trust you,¡± Priam smiled, placing a hand on the trunk of his tree. It was growing at its own pace, but a gardener with the right skills wouldn¡¯t be useless, even if only to help the other trees in the domain. ¡°So it¡¯ll be Lamnas. Next?¡± ¡°We have a husband and wife, Bertomne and Bertaplm Gah¡¯l,¡± Esm¨¦e read. ¡°Two members of a small tribe ravaged by an unending Necro Wave this week. They¡¯re currently hiding in a tree trunk a few thousand kilometers from here.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t want to be together?¡± ¡°They hate each other,¡± the princess shrugged. ¡°Their son died, and they blame each other. They¡¯re both sand singers. Given Valaryth¡¯s sandy soil, either could create solid foundations for the outpost and glass.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°That could be useful. Dad?¡± ¡°Which one is more talented?¡± ¡°Bertomne. He¡¯s stubborn but honest.¡± ¡°Bertomne it is.¡± ¡°Last but not least, Trap. A goblin specialized in traps. She¡¯s expensive, almost three hundred Sun points per day, but extremely efficient.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take her too,¡± Priam declared, summoning the three artisans. ¡°They¡¯ll arrive in two hours.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare the workshop,¡± Alain said. The rift shimmered as Priam crossed it. He had entrusted the Moon Wyrm egg to Esm¨¦e so she could begin the preparations for its mutation. In a few days, he would have a holy guardian and face a choice: sacrifice the beast to temper his body or keep it to guard Oasis. Deep down, he already knew what he would choose. Looking up at Valaryth¡¯s single sun, the young man smiled. The omnipresence of the Necromoon annoyed him, and he was glad to see a world free from its influence. A seagull cried high in the sky. Watching the bird fly inland, Priam had an idea. I should have a few minutes before Myuri arrives¡­ Drawing thermal energy from the matter within his Domain, he converted it to kinetic energy and took off. A few seconds later, he caught up with the seagull, which screeched in outrage. Laughing, Priam overtook it and ascended. Just before reaching the first clouds, Priam stopped to gaze at the blue world stretching below him. Small islands dotted the ocean to the horizon, which curved slightly, revealing Valaryth as a planet. His rift was at the southern tip of a huge island¡¯s peninsula. Seeing this, Priam mentally thanked the System. The rift¡¯s location was easily defensible from land by blocking off the peninsula. The geography gave Priam a wild idea he couldn¡¯t shake. His musings were interrupted by movement. About twenty kilometers north of his position, the ruins of a city were surrounded by forest. Squinting, Priam saw several black dots rising above them. A fraction of a second later, he cursed, realizing winged creatures had spotted him and were hunting him down. Gaining some altitude gave him an unparalleled view but also made him a target. Diving towards the rift to avoid attracting more attention, Priam saw Myuri and Jasmine emerging from it. Muttering another curse, the warrior adjusted his trajectory. Flying east, he skimmed the water, checking that the creatures were still pursuing him. They were. Suppressing a smile, Priam landed a few kilometers away on an isolated sandbank. Promesse appeared in his hand as the flying creatures approached, roaring their impatience. Their shrill cries annoyed him, but a thought calmed the Ace. ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll have a good reason to scream.¡±Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 614 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 652 Memory 830 (+6) Willpower 1 134 Charisma 661 META: Meta-affinity 784 (+4) Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 210 (+3) Potential: 13 520 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 464 802 (-4 594) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 156 days 15 hours 47 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 237: The Fourth Terror As the first draconic creature closed within twenty meters, Priam sidestepped and placed Promesse in its path. The beast''s speed was nearly supersonic, too fast to alter its course and avoid the weapon. [Kinetic Control] froze the spear in place at the moment of impact, sending shivers through Priam¡¯s meridians. A grin spread across Priam''s face as he felt his pathways withstand the shock effortlessly. Promesse absorbed the beast''s momentum and bit cruelly into its scales, tearing through its neck muscles. With its trachea damaged, the winged crocodile-like creature collapsed, convulsing on the ground. Before Priam could finish it off, the remaining monsters were upon him. He merged with his mist to evade their charges, reappearing a few meters away, eyebrows furrowed. How had the creature not been decapitated? [Identification] [Gaunt Amphiptere - Tier 1] - A draconic creature, distant descendant of a Primordial and a Dragon. With a serpentine body six meters long, two wings, and a powerful tail, it is a formidable physical adversary. Only the waning energy of a dying world prevents it from fully deploying its wings. With its feathers, it looks like a Quetzalcoatl... The amphiptere was already rising, its draconic eyes locked on Priam. The young warrior felt his draconic heart race and his bloodline roar in his ears. Retreat would mean losing the Dragons'' favor. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to,¡± he murmured, analyzing the rapid regeneration of the winged serpent. Its vitality was absurdly strong, and its constitution was insane. ¡°Show me what else you¡¯ve got¡­¡± Cries drew his attention. The other three amphipteres were already banking sharply, coming back for another attack. Priam conjured hundreds of small ice spears imbued with his flames to greet them. The bullet-spears shattered against the monsters'' bodies, creating a series of small explosions. When the cloud of smoke and flames dispersed, Priam raised an eyebrow. His attacks hadn''t caused any damage but had revealed a layer of semi-transparent scales overlaying the natural ones. They reminded him of his own scales, a draconic talent he had awakened through a Merit. Bringing Promesse in front of him, Priam braced himself and executed a perfect thrust at the leading amphiptere. Micro and Spear Mastery fused with [Unrelenting Thrust] to create an unstoppable attack. The spear¡¯s point struck just below the creature''s maw, which was opening to reveal carnivorous teeth. Its momentum met Priam''s skill, resulting in a terrible shock. Promesse was repelled, and the draconic spawn collided with Priam. Activating [Kinetic Control], the warrior tried to petrify himself to ignore the impact, but to his surprise, his skill was bypassed by the scales. Several tons of hide, claws, and teeth swept Priam away. The world spun several times as his body ricocheted off the water. A massive wave engulfed him. [Tenacious Spirit] kicked in as Priam¡¯s brain hemorrhaged. The warrior opened his eyes, Micro capturing the information transmitted by his optic nerve and relaying it directly to his mind. Regaining sight, Priam realized he was underwater and began swimming toward the surface. Torn muscles and a dozen fractures slowed him before the Hydra''s power regenerated him. A few seconds later, he surfaced. A cry above warned him of a new attack, and Priam rode his mist back to the sandbank. His body finished restoring at the cost of some lifespan, and a smile spread across his lips. ¡°I got a bit arrogant, I suppose,¡± he murmured to himself. His progress over the past weeks was terrifying, but underestimating draconic creatures of a higher Tier was the pinnacle of stupidity. He made a mental note to reexamine his scales. He had thought the talent weaker than his draconic lung, but perhaps he was wrong¡­ The swarm of amphipteres, now complete again¡ªthe beast he had injured had regenerated and rejoined its companions¡ªshrieked upon detecting him. Stowing Promesse, Priam summoned a multitude of hybrid spears. Engaging in close combat with monsters possessing physical prowess far superior to his and equipped with draconic scales that could absorb and nullify his skills was not a good idea. Priam fired his projectiles as the monsters charged again. The shell-spears exploded in a dazzling pyrotechnic display, lighting up the sky and boiling the ocean''s surface. He replaced each destroyed spear with two new ones, bombarding the winged serpents with fervor. His instinct roared, and Priam vanished, dodging a charge that shook the sandbank. He emerged from the mist fifty meters from the impact point, grimacing as he saw the creature take off after creating a crater beneath it. A lance struck its wings without causing damage, and Priam had to face the truth. The scale layer covering their serpentine bodies allowed them to ignore all attacks below a certain threshold. The protection absorbed kinetic energy, and the skin underneath seemed fireproof. Not surprising for a draconic species, but still annoying. Priam dodged another charge by merging with his mist and gathered his strength before striking the nearest monster''s neck with an ice spear. The hide and scales resisted the blade, and the vertebrae withstood the blunt force; the summoned weapon shattered despite the protection of [Kinetic Control]. Propelled forward, the monster shot him a nasty look as it regained altitude. ¡°Micro, Spear Mastery, and Conquest Aura couldn¡¯t penetrate the hide reinforced by their scales,¡± Priam grimaced. It was the first time he encountered an opponent so resistant to his kinetic-fire build. The amphipteres could tank his physical attacks, and their scales interfered with his aether and Concepts. Watching the monsters circle above him, Priam considered using a Breath to try overloading the scales'' protection. Even then, I¡¯d struggle to hit all four simultaneously. Pyro might be able to consume their scales, but it would cost me my aether, and the chances that I have more energy than these four combined are slim. A cry interrupted his thoughts as the creatures opened their mouths. Priam¡¯s eyes widened, and he rode his mist. The next moment, the sandbank was engulfed by four Breaths. A hundred meters away, Priam cursed as he saw the destruction caused by the amphipteres. ¡°Fuck.¡± The sand had vanished. When the attacks ceased, the water filled the hole, but not before Priam saw a mass of vitrified quartz fifteen meters below sea level. Their Breaths were less powerful than his but still capable of vaporizing him. Worse, the draconic fire didn¡¯t react to his Fire Concept or Pyro. If Priam got hit, he would die. ¡°If these creatures find the rift¡­¡± The consequences would be catastrophic. Priam¡¯s eyes hardened, and he decided to use drastic measures. He had progressed too much since the Reunion to be humiliated by flying lizards. Flexing his aether reserves, Priam used [Moon Mist] to create a titanic wave of mist. Within seconds, a cloud formed, obscuring the ocean. The amphipteres shrieked in surprise, rising to escape the fog, and Priam smiled, satisfied with the first step of his plan. Absorbing thermal energy within his Domain, Priam took flight. Three heartbeats later, he broke the sound barrier and overtook the amphiptere swarm. The creatures followed, their cries inaudible. Surpassing Mach 1 allowed him to ignore their screeches. Priam quickly reached the first natural clouds and continued to climb. As he approached Mach 2, he was surprised to find the creatures keeping pace. Their scales gleamed, and Priam activated his own to test their effect. Instantly, air friction mostly disappeared, and the young man groaned at his own stupidity. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 17, 18 AGI +2 Moments later, his incredible speed made him forget his mistakes, and he burst into laughter. Dragons were not the lords of the skies for nothing. Only when the atmospheric temperature turned frigid did Priam slow down. His bloodline warned him that the amphipteres were lagging. The pressure was so low their wings struggled to find the air needed to ascend. If the aspiring Dragon continued to rise, he would lose his opponents, and that would be considered fleeing. No matter, this is enough. At nearly fifty kilometers high, Priam summoned his mist and began creating icicles. Assisted by the frigid temperature, he expanded them, transforming them into blocks of ice and then into long spears. Priam was soon surrounded by ten projectiles nearly thirty meters tall. Each had a volume of about two cubic meters and a mass of almost two tons. Seeing the four draconic creatures struggling to catch up, Priam grinned. "Let''s get back to basics." The next instant, he dove, mentally guiding his ice spears. In a heartbeat, he passed through the amphiptere swarm, delivering an ineffective kick to one that enraged the beast. Laughing, Priam plunged toward the endless ocean beneath him. Valaryth might be a fragmented world, but it was huge. Several kilometers below, Jasmine and others looked up at the bizarre spectacle. A young Homo Elysian hurtled toward the ground, followed by four winged serpents and ten gigantic spears. As they dove, the group reached Mach 2, then Mach 3. Air friction eventually slowed the lances, which reached their terminal velocity, and Priam decelerated as well. This allowed the amphipteres to catch up, and an aerial battle ensued. The warrior focused on dodging. Any contact with a creature nearly impervious to his attacks and many times stronger than him was a bad idea. Whenever an opportunity arose, he tried to blind the monsters, but their agility and dexterity far surpassed his. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Forced to merge with his mist multiple times per second, Priam grimaced as his aether reserves quickly dwindled. He endured until they reached the cloud whose peak was a hundred meters above the surface. Then, everything happened very quickly. At his speed¡ªnearly a thousand meters per second¡ªhe would hit the water in a tenth of a second. Using his formidable draconic vivacity, Priam multitasked. Part of his attention slightly adjusted the trajectory of his spears to target the amphipteres and another part dissipated the mist in a small radius around him. The creatures were physically powerful but lacked intelligence. Seeing their enemy below them, they continued to follow, unaware of the ocean hidden by the cloud. Their instincts might have warned them if a parallel thought of Priam hadn''t used [Homo Elysian Predation] to silence them. A fraction of a second before hitting the water, Priam merged with his mist, dispersing his kinetic energy in the process. The amphipteres didn''t have the same ability and crashed into the ocean. At a certain speed, Newtonian liquids, such as water, don''t have time to deform and react like solids. In those conditions, the collision against water was akin to hitting concrete. The impact was disastrous, and the aethereal scales of the winged serpents exploded from the shock. The next moment, each received two oversized ice spears at nearly three times the speed of sound. The second blow was as spectacular as the first. The sea churned before turning red. Without draconic protection, the serpents'' bodies weren''t enough to stop the projectiles targeting their heads. Priam watched through his mist, spotting the creatures sinking. Three were dead on impact, and his draconic bloodline roared with pleasure and glory. The last amphiptere, the largest, clung to life and began regenerating. With a powerful tail swipe, the winged serpent started swimming, racing to the surface. As Priam prepared to dive in and finish it off, a shadow passed beneath the water. The draconic creature vanished from his sight. Did it merge with a Concept? The warrior¡¯s eyes narrowed as he tried to anticipate the next attack. His caution saved his life when the ocean parted to reveal a monster lunging to swallow him whole. Its gaping maw alone was large enough to swallow a large fishing vessel, and Priam''s eyes widened, paralyzed by primal terror. His add-on took control, activating [Kinetic Control] and recharging the two remaining spears hovering above the cloud. Priam had kept two munitions in reserve in case one of the amphipteres survived the first assault. The projectiles accelerated to three times the speed of sound in an instant, targeting the depths¡¯ Lord. As it opened its jaws to engulf Priam, the spears struck its snout. The double attack did nothing but push the creature back into the ocean, yet it saved Priam. Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 10 WILL +18 CHAR +9 The level-up helped Priam avert his gaze. The mind control diminished, and he sought to ride his mist¡­ To no avail. His Mist Concept resisted as the cloud, air, and himself were drawn toward the monster''s open maw. Without hesitation, the warrior used his kinetic reserves to soar into the sky. Priam ascended to the first cloud without looking back. When he glanced down again, confident he had put enough distance between himself and the monster, his cloud had vanished. There was nothing but a roiling ocean. No corpses, no remnants of the sandbank, no shattered ice chunks. Only a notification confirmed to Priam that the confrontation hadn''t been a dream. [Identification] [Charybdis'' Descendant - Tier 1 - Duke] - The Fourth Ocean''s Terror. Eight fins to chase its prey, four eyes to track them, two rows of teeth to tear them apart, and a stomach capable of digesting steel: the Devourer is the failed result of an ambitious experiment. As massive as an oil tanker, it enjoys swallowing whales without chewing. You will make a perfect snack. Its atrophied soul saved it from certain death during Valaryth''s fragmentation. Lvl Up: [Identification] Lvl 16 MEM +1 ¡°Impressive,¡± Jasmine applauded as Priam set foot on the beach near the rift. ¡°Did you see that?¡± he grimaced. ¡°Not everything, but we felt the vibrations all the way here!¡± she exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Priam made a face, glancing between Jasmine and Myuri before sighing. ¡°I lost the amphiptere corpses¡ªthe winged serpents I was fighting. If I could have consumed their hearts, it would have been a boon for my bloodline.¡± ¡°They sank?¡± ¡°No, they were devoured by a monster.¡± Priam shivered, recalling the bottomless maw of his last adversary. ¡°The fourth Terror of the oceans.¡± Jasmine squinted. ¡°How do you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Grimace and smile at the same time.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Priam laughed, releasing his frustration. ¡°Maybe. The first time I came here, I almost died against its sibling, the seventh Terror. This one is even more powerful, and just remembering its gaping maw makes my head spin. Yet, my draconic heart has never beaten faster than during our brief encounter.¡± ¡°Is it a draconic creature? Are you interested in its core?¡± Priam just smiled. He would let his actions speak for him. ¡°Myuri,¡± he said, turning to the young woman. ¡°I''m glad to see you. Jasmine told you I''m looking for an administrator for the outpost in Valaryth?¡± The young woman opened her mouth slightly, looked down, trembled, glanced at Jasmine, then clenched her fists. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and whispered, ¡°Yes.¡± Priam made no comment on her behavior. From what Rose and Jasmine had told him and extrapolating from Esm¨¦e''s speech, he knew she had a tough life. The scars covering her face told a story. His Domain also detected various burns and other marks scattered across her Empyrean body. Thinking of the royal family that had inflicted this on her, Priam felt his French blood boil. ¡°Are you willing to be this administrator?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll be around for at least a day to explore the nearby ruins. Between me, Jasmine, and soon Kazuki and Esm¨¦e, there shouldn''t be any defense issues.¡± Priam was relieved to see Myuri didn''t react to the mention of Esm¨¦e. She didn''t seem to have any complaints about the princess. ¡°You have about a day to prove you can supervise the construction and work with my father, his future artisans and Oasis to build an outpost. You good with that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± repeated the former slave, staring at the ground, her hair hiding her face. ¡°Every job deserves a wage, and you''ll be paid,¡± Priam continued, opening a small passage to his internal world to retrieve a pill. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know how much¡ªit will depend on you. I¡¯ll decide after the construction but I think an advance should show you my sincerity. Do you know what this is?¡± Gathering her courage, the young woman raised her eyes to look at the item Priam held in his right hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± She shook her head as if ashamed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyes widened before she smiled. ¡°A Hydra Pill!¡± Priam nodded. ¡°In exchange for some lifespan, it will rebuild your body. It''s particularly effective combined with a race change.¡± Seeing Myuri''s eyes widen, Priam smiled. ¡°I see you understand where I''m going. Myuri, may I be frank with you?¡± The young woman hesitated, surprised he asked for her opinion, then nodded. ¡°You''ve been mocked, belittled, abused, terrorized, and beaten. I don¡¯t know you well but I want you to know that when Esm¨¦e entrusted you to me, I took you under my protection. I won''t let anyone hurt you anymore,¡± Priam vowed. Myuri listened in silence, but the sound of her beating heart was deafening. Priam extended the pill to the young Empyrean. ¡°You''re the only one who can heal your traumas, but I can give you an opportunity. From what Rose and Jasmine have told me, you''re strong enough to seize it. Today, if you want, you can take a first step to rebuild your body, your ego, and your future.¡± The young woman trembled as she met his gaze. In her eyes, hope mingled with fear¡ªthe hope of a fresh start and the fear that this was another trap set by a man. Priam activated his charisma to help the former slave forget he was a male. It might not have been necessary because Myuri bit her lip before stepping forward to take the pill. She was wounded, but the Empire had never managed to extinguish the fire that burned within her. ¡°There will be no problem with the outpost,¡± she promised in a firm voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Priam smiled. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 617 (+3) Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 652 Memory 832 (+2) Willpower 1 159 (+25) Charisma 677 (+16) META: Meta-affinity 784 Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 210 Potential: 13 527 (+7) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 464 878 (+76) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 156 days 15 hours 22 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 238: About Elysium The ritual proceeded without a hitch. Inside a room within Log-a-Rhythm, Priam stood face-to-face with Myuri, holding her hands. Beside them, Rose waited patiently. The young man required her presence to reassure the former slave. Even though Myuri knew Priam was different from the Empyreans, he was still a man. Priam preferred not to rush the young woman. Activating his Primogenitor Title, he was momentarily embarrassed to see Myuri''s naked body in his mind''s eye. The sight of her scars quickly ignited more violent emotions within him, and he refocused on the ritual. The transformations soon became significant enough to dispel any lingering awkwardness, and they began discussing the various possibilities that now lay before her. One of Myuri''s first decisions was to erase her scars and burns and then increase her height by nearly ten centimeters. Years of malnutrition had stunted her growth, and she seized this chance to correct the flaws that had accumulated, reshaping her physique to achieve a magnetically cold beauty. The ritual temporarily bound the Primogenitor and the future Homo Elysian, and Priam realized that the cosmetic changes were far from mere vanity. Following Jasmine''s advice, Myuri now saw her body as a weapon. If a man was focused on her appearance, he was less likely to concentrate on her schemes. In addition, Priam felt a bit awkward when he realized that Myuri had a fierce determination to repay a debt she believed she owed him. He hesitated to bring it up, then decided against it. One step at a time. Once Myuri finished customizing her appearance and swallowed the Hydra Pill to regenerate her body, Priam left Log-a-rhythm to review the plans proposed by his father for the new outpost. The architect had already completed the blueprint and was waiting for his future artisans to get to work. Your application has been selected. If you accept, you will be teleported in two hours. The notification surprised Lamnas as he was watering his flowers. He froze upon reading it, then accepted before he could think twice. He knew his weak mind would exploit any hesitation to convince him to change his decision. When one was as much of a coward as he was, it was sometimes better to sign before overthinking. Your new faction, Oasis, awaits you! Realizing his life was about to change, Lamnas wept with a blend of joy, sadness, and fear. Elves had temperaments tied to their occupations, and being as close to nature as he was, he felt no shame in the tears streaming down his cheeks. As one tear fell towards the ground, he caught it. The chemical composition of the soil was strictly regulated, and his plants didn¡¯t need more sodium chloride. Lamnas set down his watering can and dried his eyes. Before leaving the seventh fortress of Knaya, he had a few things to take care of. He hesitated momentarily about returning to the dormitory he shared with other Tier 0 artisans to grab clothes and mementos. Bad idea, he decided. Moving around the fortress during work hours would arouse suspicion. Lamnas mourned his meager possessions and headed towards the storage area for seeds, cuttings, and grafts. If he had to start a new life elsewhere, he might as well take the legacy of his predecessors with him. His mother, maternal grandfather, and great-grandmother had all been gardeners, and his lineage stretched far back. Lamnas didn¡¯t know exactly which ancestor, but one of them had been a Champion, torn from his world and civilization by the Seven. This hero had survived by marrying an elf, and their descendants had always found factions to attach to, living free and practicing their art. For the last three generations, it had been Knaya, specifically its seventh fortress. Traversing the small grove he maintained at the heart of the citadel, Lamnas quickly reached a small wooden cabin. The door opened automatically, recognizing his aetheric code, revealing a spatially extended room. The polished stone floor and metal shelves contrasted sharply with the cabin¡¯s natural appearance. Most of the cabin was occupied by rows of pots growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. While elven warriors consumed meat, some artisans adopted a vegetarian diet. Feeding these men and women was part of Lamnas¡¯s responsibilities. Without hesitation, he moved to the back of the room. A few minutes later, he reached containers specially designed for cultivating certain rare seeds. The elf wasn¡¯t a thief; he refused to leave his current faction with samples that didn¡¯t belong to him. However, the plants discovered, grafted, cultivated, and cherished by his family were his heritage, and he wouldn¡¯t leave them in the hands of knights incapable of appreciating their value. Opening the containers one by one, Lamnas stored a thousand plants in his [Heart Garden], a Talent created by his illustrious ancestor and inherited through his low-grade bloodline. This ability synergized with his Concept and an ideal epic skill for creating a spiritual garden where he could cultivate certain plants. The skill was currently full to the brim, but by spending his Potential, the gardener hoped to hold on for a few more hours. Closing the last container, he moved towards the fertilizers and manure and took a bit. Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and Lamnas looked up like a startled deer. Someone had entered the grove. ¡°Probably a knight coming to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of my grove after a tough battle,¡± he murmured to convince himself. Ordinarily, the gardener was happy to share his garden¡ªhis responsibility and job¡ªbut not today. Lamnas left the cabin, closing it behind him, and headed towards the garden''s center. In front of a massive Jal Quercus, a familiar silhouette waited. ¡°Menald,¡± greeted Lamnas, praying his voice wouldn¡¯t tremble. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°To see Mother for the last time.¡± A cold shiver ran down Lamnas''s spine at the response. He swallowed before attempting a pathetic bluff. ¡°Are you going on an expedition?¡± ¡°Enough, little brother!¡± Menald¡¯s voice cracked like a whip, and Lamnas stepped back. ¡°You want to flee in the midst of the storm, fine, but don¡¯t take me for a fool. What criteria did you provide to the Sun Shop?¡± The gardener gritted his teeth. ¡°... A safe place, far from the fighting, that has repelled at least three Waves, accepts elves, and... has a Tal Quercus that survived a Tribulation.¡± Menald turned sharply towards his brother. A strange glint appeared in his eyes, and he finally nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Maybe it was because he was convinced he was seeing his brother for the last time, but Lamnas dared to speak. ¡°Are you going to stop me from leaving?¡± ¡°By killing you, you mean? When I came here, I was torn,¡± the warrior said evenly. ¡°That you take the work of our ancestors with you, fine. You are their heir, after all, and I am only good for spilling blood. However, I refused to let you corrupt what remains of Mother.¡± Fearing for his life, Lamnas stepped back again before shouting. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for her! The Herald will soon take the fortress and¡ª¡± ¡°We will conquer this Necro Wave. Our Prince has chosen me as a potential disciple, and one of his clones is arriving.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The news was so shocking that Lamnas was caught off guard. The Prince was less powerful than the Empress, but it was said he was close to completing his Myth. Even in a world like Elysium, that was no small feat. ¡°Seeing the endless armies of the dead... I just wanted to save Mother,¡± Lamnas justified himself, staring at the leaves on the ground. In front of his brother, he always felt like a child. It was rather normal because, at forty-four, he was considered an adolescent by his people. ¡°I know; if you had acted out of cowardice, your oath of allegiance would have killed you.¡± Only the certainty of imminent death had allowed Lamnas to betray his oath to his faction. ¡°Without the arrival of our Prince, you would have been right to flee. Even our First Knight cannot indefinitely repel a Herald backed by an endless army. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now, and it¡¯s probably better for Mother. She never liked this place.¡± Menald stepped aside. ¡°Do what you must.¡± With his guts clenched in fear, Lamnas stepped alongside his brother and placed a hand on the trunk, which began to glow. Connecting to his Concept, the gardener communicated with the Jal Quercus and explained his choice. A vague sense of acceptance and trust radiated from the tree¡¯s consciousness. Its leaves trembled before retracting. In seconds, the colossal growth reversed until only an emerald seed remained, which the elf delicately seized. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your future faction?¡± Lamnas hesitated for a moment before replying in a whisper. ¡°Oasis.¡± Menald¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°I see... May Mother take care of you.¡± ¡°May Father take care of you,¡± Lamnas replied, glancing at the sword at his brother¡¯s belt. The warrior gave a rare smile. ¡°I will be the one taking care of him.¡± Priam looked up as Myuri stepped out of Log-a-rhythm, accompanied by Rose. The young woman had transformed, now exuding an aura of confidence. Their eyes met, and their charisma clashed. Without intending to, Priam''s aura overpowered Myuri''s, causing her to flinch. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Sorry, it was a reflex," Priam grimaced. He hadn¡¯t had the time or opportunity to master his social aura. "Was that a charisma-based skill?" "I thought it would be good for my work as an administrator," Myuri replied, her eyes downcast. "It¡¯s a good idea, but my effective charisma is at least four times yours. Against anyone else, it would have been compelling," Priam reassured her. "Are you feeling okay?" The question brought a rare smile to the former slave¡¯s lips. "I have never felt better. For this and everything else, I owe you eternally." Seeing Myuri start to kneel, Priam''s eyes widened, and he quickly caught her. "That''s unnecessary! I''m your boss, not your king." "I''m not sure I understand the difference," Myuri admitted, tilting her head. "It''s... we''ll talk about it later, okay?" he said, gesturing towards the three summoning circles reaching maturity. Myuri nodded and put on a neutral mask. Priam focused on the ritual nearing its completion. An elf, a native, and a goblin appeared simultaneously and looked around. "Welcome to Oasis," Priam smiled at the newcomers. "Master!" the goblin exclaimed, turning to him, grinning widely. "You spend thirty percent of Sun Points on traps?!" Priam stifled a smile, pointing at the hoplites. "I suppose that was the requirement to be able to select you?" The green being nodded so fast only a supernatural constitution kept his neck from snapping. "If you want to know more, I suggest discussing it with Hyshana, the leader of the hoplites." "Hyshana, Trap coming!" Watching the ADHD-afflicted creature scurry on its short legs, Priam hid a smile. The general escorted Trap towards the rampart while the second artisan, a native man, observed the scene, nodding. "No unnecessary speeches, I like that," the native declared. "My name is Bertomne Gah¡¯l, and I¡¯m a sand singer." "My name is Priam Azura, Duke of Oasis. As you can see, there¡¯s little sand here, but there¡¯s plenty behind a rift we control." The man squinted before lowering his gaze to Log-a-rhythm''s roots. "Yes, I can feel it." Note to self: isolate the first bunker. [Note recorded.] "Before I hand you over to those who will take care of you, I¡¯d like to exchange a few words about this event and the Wandering Islands in general." The former tribesman nodded, and Priam turned to the elf, who seemed mesmerized by Log-a-rhythm. "Lamnas?" "This Tal Quercus is just splendid... I feel a connection between it and the nearby plants. A mutation, perhaps..." "It¡¯s my partner, and I¡¯d be happy to discuss it with you¡ªthat¡¯s why you¡¯re here, after all¡ªas soon as we clear up a few points," Priam replied, projecting his charisma to capture the elf¡¯s attention. "Oh, of course," the elf apologized, finally noticing his new Lord. "Alright then, let''s get started." Sitting atop Log-a-rhythm, Priam, Alain, Rose, Myuri, Ymir, and the two new artisans sipped fresh sap. Once everyone had a mug in hand, the young Lord began to speak. ¡°I''ve gathered you here to discuss Oasis¡¯s place in Elysium.¡± Since his arrival, Priam had accumulated countless questions but found no one willing to answer for free. This was his chance to learn more about his new home. ¡°For those who don¡¯t know, my Champion rivals and I arrived here about two months ago from another universe.¡± In reality, only Kazuki had spent that much time here since time flowed faster in Elysium than on the Moon, but Priam didn¡¯t want to lose his audience with unnecessary details. ¡°I''ve learned a lot during this time, but I¡¯m still missing pieces of the puzzle. What can you tell me about Elysium?¡± Ymir, Lamnas, and Bertomne exchanged glances before the merchant cleared his throat. ¡°Lord Azura, allow me to share some knowledge I''ve gathered over my years as a traveling merchant,¡± the merchant smiled politely. ¡°Most people agree that Elysium is a vast sphere containing numerous biomes of varying sizes. Aether is denser at its center, making the biomes increasingly dangerous as you move inward. Legend has it that its core houses the Seven.¡± ¡°A story to entertain children,¡± grumbled Bertomne. ¡°Such unnecessary comments are not needed, Artisan Bertomne,¡± Priam pointed. His summers as a camp counselor had taught him that first impressions were crucial. There was no way he would let the sand singer develop unacceptable habits. The artisan met his gaze before looking away. ¡°All legends hold a kernel of truth,¡± Ymir smiled. ¡°What¡¯s certain is that the Wandering Islands are an archipelago of floating islands drifting across this superworld. In a way, it¡¯s the safest place in Elysium, which might explain why it¡¯s the starting point for so many Champions.¡± ¡°A superworld¡­¡± Priam nodded. ¡°How big is it?¡± The two artisans and the merchant exchanged looks before Ymir shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know. The Wandering Islands don¡¯t make a complete circuit of Elysium but hover over the same biomes in a loop. I''m ashamed to admit that I don''t know the size of the region where I was born.¡± ¡°About two million gashlaps,¡± Lamnas provided. When confused looks turned his way, he pretended to contemplate the sap at the bottom of his mug, blushing. Ymir smiled indulgently. ¡°Even if you bought our Lord¡¯s language at the Sun Shop, you need to convert the numbers into units he uses. That¡¯s roughly a hundred billion square kilometers,¡± he revealed. Alain whistled in surprise, and Rose¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s one and a half times the surface of Jupiter!¡± the teenager exclaimed. ¡°Or two hundred times the surface of Earth,¡± Priam calculated. ¡°That¡¯s immense.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Bertomne shrugged. ¡°From the center, the boundary is less than two hundred thousand kilometers. A determined Tier 3 could leave this region in under a year.¡± ¡°Determined and lucky,¡± Priam corrected. He doubted a Tier 3 could escape a monster like Sumstreh. ¡°If you truly wish to leave, there¡¯s an easier way,¡± Ymir smiled. ¡°The Wandering Islands are a vast drifting archipelago. You just need to jump between two islands to land in another biome. Currently, we¡¯re flying over the Leviathan¡¯s Lair if you feel like swimming.¡± While searching for Seth at Osiris¡¯s request, Priam had noticed the floating island he was on hovered over an ocean. ¡°That sounds like a draconic creature,¡± he smiled. Ymir shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a draconic beast, but it¡¯s rumored to be at the seraphic level. I advise against diving in; not all biomes are equal, and the Leviathan¡¯s Lair is one of the most dangerous I know. No resident of the Wandering Islands, not even the Empress, has the power to face such a monster if it still exists.¡± Priam¡¯s Domain sensed Lamnas¡¯s heartbeat quicken. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The elf looked up, surprised his reaction had been noticed. ¡°Before joining Oasis, I came from Knaya¡¯s seventh fortress, and the Empress was the leader of my faction,¡± he explained. ¡°However, the merchant is right: against a seraphic creature, all hope is lost. Even the dead of the Death Trench steer clear.¡± ¡°I recognize that name,¡± Alain interjected. ¡°Most items from the Auctions come from there.¡± ¡°We just entered the airspace of that biome,¡± Lamnas revealed. ¡°That''s why I left.¡± ¡°Can you tell us more?¡± Priam asked. The elf hesitated before nodding. ¡°Knaya, my former faction, is located on the northern border of the Wandering Islands. Because of this, it was often attacked by creatures noticing our region¡¯s approach. Millennia ago, the Empress ordered the construction of a hundred fortresses to protect our border. I come from the seventh.¡± The tale seemed to plunge him into thought, and the others waited for him to continue. ¡°The timing of the Necromoon is terrible because the northernmost islands just left the Leviathan¡¯s Lair to enter the Death Trench. As its name suggests, there are more damned souls in that region than trees in all the Wandering Islands. The Necromoon¡¯s curse rallied them under one banner, making their assaults hard to repel.¡± ¡°So you fled like a coward,¡± Bertomne taunted. ¡°I am a coward,¡± Lamnas admitted before Priam could intervene. ¡°However, I fail to see the point in giving my soul to a Herald.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Bertomne swore. ¡°So soon?! I thought Tier 3s were the maximum allowed for now.¡± Lamnas shrugged. ¡°My brother thinks a Tier 5 Lich voluntarily converted to the Necromoon.¡± Priam knew a Herald was present since Seth had told him about the order to track Sumstreh, but this didn¡¯t concern his new artisans. The discussion continued for almost an hour, with Ymir, Lamnas, and Bertomne proving to be valuable sources of information. The Wandering Islands were a vast Wild West where tribes roamed. Only a few locations belonged to factions, including Knaya, the land of the elves. The royal elf who had become the Tal Quercus at the heart of Log-a-rhythm likely hailed from there. For a moment, Priam recalled the figure that had appeared when his tree absorbed the Crimson Fruit. Feeling a headache coming on, he forced himself to ignore the memory. ¡°Thank you all for answering my questions,¡± Priam smiled once his curiosity was somewhat satisfied. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get down to business. A rift to a new world lies beneath this tree, and I plan to build an outpost there. That¡¯s why I summoned you.¡± Priam gestured to his father. ¡°This is Alain, the architect in charge of the project and your team leader. He¡¯ll tell you what to do once we better understand your skills.¡± ¡°I sense no recognition from the System,¡± Bertomne declared, crossing his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to obey someone who hasn¡¯t passed any Tribulation, do you?¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 617 Vitality 1 040 Perception 760 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 652 Memory 832 Willpower 1 159 Charisma 677 META: Meta-affinity 784 Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 210 Potential: 13 527 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 465 0197 (+219) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 156 days 13 hours 35 minutes 41 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 239: One more reason to commit draconic genocide ¡°I sense no recognition from the System,¡± Bertomne declared, crossing his arms. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to obey someone who hasn¡¯t passed any Tribulation, do you?¡± In response to Bertomne¡¯s provocation, Priam saw red and his draconic heart pounded with a terrible force. The pulse fused with his charisma and Conquest Aura, crashing over the assembly like a tidal wave. The physical impact slapped the insolent artisan, while the anger it contained paralyzed him. A Dragon did not tolerate disrespect. ¡°I¡¯ve triumphed over a quadruple Tribulation and am preparing for a quintuple. Does that give me the right to give you orders?¡± Priam asked. His tone was calm, but the mist raging in his eyes proved that the storm was already here. That, and his Domain¡¯s pressure which suffocated the artisan. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 8 CHAR +3 Lvl Up: [Emotional Discipline] lvl 10 WILL +3 ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes,¡± Priam continued. ¡°You¡¯re alive because the borders of Oasis are holding back an infinite horde of undead; my father built part of those defenses, so show him some respect!¡± His aura intensified to punctuate the command, reminding the artisan of his place in Oasis: that of a newcomer with everything to prove. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 9 CHAR +3 Once he was sure the message had sunk in, Priam eased the pressure on Bertomne, allowing him to take a deep breath. ¡°... I apologize,¡± the sand singer stammered, gasping for air. His erratic heartbeat betrayed his panic. Alain accepted the apology with a nod. ¡°Good,¡± said Priam. ¡°In the future, make sure to be polite and respectful towards the inhabitants of Oasis, and we¡¯ll do the same.¡± A small community like Oasis needed civility to thrive. Priam waited for Bertomne to nod before finishing. ¡°One last thing: I¡¯m open to dialogue, especially in areas I¡¯m not well-versed in, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can challenge fair orders. If you have a problem with that, you can leave.¡± Everyone present held their breath. It was a death sentence, and they all knew it, but Priam wouldn¡¯t let a pretentious artisan jeopardize Oasis¡¯s security. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 10 CHAR +3 For a few seconds, no one spoke until the young Lord retracted his aura. Despite his anger, Priam knew he needed artisans. If Bertomne was willing to obey, he could be very useful. After the stick, here comes the carrot. ¡°If you choose to stay, you¡¯ll have access to the basic resources needed to practice your craft, interesting projects, decent housing, and you¡¯ll be protected. Oasis doesn¡¯t abandon its members. Now, you have a choice to make.¡± Eyes downcast, the craftsman stared at his hands, deep in thought. No one tried to influence him. Everything had been said, and Priam wanted willing people around him. ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind; I want to join Oasis,¡± the sand singer declared after his contemplation. Priam smiled slightly. ¡°Then I welcome you again.¡± The dragon within him still bristled at the artisan, but the young Lord knew that concessions were sometimes necessary. Bertomne deserved one last chance. ¡°I might be wrong, but you don¡¯t seem like a fool,¡± Priam continued in a less harsh tone. Simultaneously, Log-a-rhythm softened the craftsman¡¯s chair. The tree had sensed its partner''s wrath. ¡°Why insult my father? Were you testing my limits? Trying to see if I could control my draconic bloodline?¡± His draconic heart exacerbated certain traits, especially anger and pride. Without his high charisma, Priam might have succumbed to his impulses and executed the artisan for his disrespect. ¡°... None of that, Lord Priam,¡± Bertomne replied after swallowing hard. ¡°It¡¯s just a tradition. Most tribes consider that a child must pass a Tribulation before becoming a man. It was insulting for me to be asked to obey under those conditions.¡± Priam turned to Lamnas and Ymir. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°He speaks the truth, my Lord,¡± Ymir confirmed as the elf nodded. ¡°It is like asking a veteran to obey a novice in wartime just because he is highborn.¡± Priam grimaced. How many battles had been lost due to incompetent officers? ¡°I¡¯ll keep our differences in mind and try to learn your customs to avoid unintentional insults.¡± Priam took a moment to silence the dragon within before continuing. ¡°I apologize for pressuring you, but know that I have little tolerance for rudeness; you¡¯ll need to temper your remarks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Bertomne promised, his voice trembling. Priam¡¯s aura seemed to have frightened him. Even when a predator was sated, the prey never forgot its place. ¡°Good. Now, let me assure you that nepotism has no place in Oasis. My father is in charge of this project because he has spent his life building and managing construction sites. He hasn¡¯t passed a Tribulation yet because we¡¯ve only been here a short time. Dad, anything to add?¡± ¡°Our team will be small, so I see no reason not to integrate you fully into the project if that reassures you about my competence,¡± Alain smiled, handing several sheets to the sand singer. ¡°You won¡¯t just be an executor but also a thinker. If you have suggestions, advice, or remarks, I¡¯m open to all proposals.¡± Bertomne nodded, eyes widening as he examined the plans, measurements, and material resistance calculations. A glance was enough to understand that Alain was the real deal. ¡°... I suppose I judged too quickly,¡± the artisan murmured as he studied the plan. ¡°From what I can see, it¡¯s a good plan, but it doesn¡¯t account for my abilities. For instance, there¡¯s no need for piles under the foundations,¡± he pointed out one of the diagrams, his tone now professional. ¡°I can create layers with different properties that will absorb shocks in case of earthquakes and stabilize the structure. A sort of giant spring.¡± Alain leaned in, scratching his beard. ¡°Good to know, but we must account for the runes Rose will engrave; that will inevitably create weaknesses.¡± ¡°I have special skills to reinforce the materials I work with,¡± Bertomne replied. ¡°My tribe was nomadic, so I rarely had the opportunity to use them on large structures, but I suppose it¡¯s possible¡ªeven if time-consuming. I¡¯ll need to experiment outside of work hours. By the way, maybe we should discuss my contract? Might as well get all the shitty stuff out of the way today.¡± ¡°Watch your language in front of Rose,¡± Alain admonished, ignoring the teenager rolling her eyes with a smile. Priam frowned. ¡°I already accepted a contract when I summoned you. Every day, the System will automatically deduct one hundred forty Sun Points from my wallet to pay your salary.¡± Bertomne grimaced, opened his mouth, then hesitated. He seemed to choose his words carefully before replying. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude, but I¡¯m not a slave. The salary you mentioned corresponds to eight hours of work per day, but I understand you want to build this outpost quickly¡­¡± Ymir was a self-employed merchant, but the two artisans would work for Priam and needed to be paid for their overtime. ¡°You¡¯re right. Very well, I suppose we¡¯ll have to revise your contracts. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the time or inclination to handle it,¡± Priam admitted, turning to his right. ¡°Let me introduce you to the project supervisor: Myuri. If you have any questions or requests, she¡¯s the one to see.¡± Myuri and Bertomne sized each other up. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll work well together,¡± the young woman declared. ¡°Maybe. I mean, yes,¡± Bertomne added after a glance at Priam. ¡°I¡¯m sure of it too,¡± said Lamnas. After another look at Priam, Myuri addressed Bertomne. ¡°I understand you have reservations about working more than eight hours a day. I get that you need rest, but remember that completing this outpost will allow you to enjoy the resources in Valaryth. I¡¯m willing to offer you unlimited access to the protected part of Valaryth once the project is finished and the right to use any natural resources you find there. Then, it would be in your best interest to finish this outpost as quickly as possible.¡± A thin smile appeared on Bertomne¡¯s lips. ¡°Given Alain¡¯s plans, you have few artisans. I¡¯m betting I¡¯ll be constantly in demand. Your offer is generous, but I probably won¡¯t have the chance to enjoy it. I want to be paid more.¡± ¡°Every extra hour will be paid twice the normal rate,¡± Myuri proposed. ¡°Four times more.¡± ¡°Twice, with a bonus if you perform well.¡± ¡°How will you evaluate that?¡± ¡°If your creations are rated higher by the System than those of¡­ Rose, for example?¡± Bertomne turned to the teenager and snorted. Seeing his new supervisor take charge, Priam smiled. Delegating is a good thing when you have competent friends. After a few minutes of boring discussion, Priam excused himself. He had better things to do than listen to Myuri and Bertomne iron out contract terms; sleeping, for instance. It had been almost four days since he¡¯d last died, and the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll. His brief naps during aether training weren¡¯t enough to keep his mind sharp. ¡°Priam!¡± A voice called out to him as he leapt from the top of Log-a-rhythm towards the lower branches. Priam¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Rose jumping after him. After a fall of several meters, the teenager¡¯s body entered his Domain. When he absorbed her kinetic energy to save her life, she burst out laughing. ¡°It¡¯s even better than jumping on a trampoline! Can you throw me back up?¡± A mischievous grin spread across Priam¡¯s lips, and he hurled Rose skyward before she could retract her request. Her laughter turned into screams when she realized he wasn¡¯t catching her. Log-a-rhythm parted its foliage for her descent, and she fell about fifteen meters. A magical force reduced her speed just before she hit the ground. Priam burst out laughing at her shocked expression. Rose pretended to be offended before copying him. ¡°That was awesome! It¡¯s this kind of adrenaline rush that makes me want to become a fighter.¡± ¡°Danger can be exhilarating, but pain and death are less fun,¡± Priam tempered. He had brought Rose to Elysium, and he¡¯d never forgive himself if something bad happened to her. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°I know it¡¯s not my path, but sometimes I think about it,¡± Rose said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you laugh. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little tired,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You took out your frustrations on that poor man.¡± ¡°He insulted my father and, by extension, me. Better to set boundaries right away than wait for a real discipline problem.¡± ¡°Sure, but you didn¡¯t need to pressure him so much. I thought he was going to piss himself out of fear.¡± Priam grimaced. He had felt the fear of the artisan and felt dirty because of his somewhat disproportionate response. ¡°I¡¯m a bit stressed right now. Between my Tribulations and¡­¡± ¡°And Sphinx.¡± Seeing Priam¡¯s incredulous look, Rose sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, you know? I talked to Ymir, and he explained the danger of a quintuple Tribulation. You have five and a half months left before you have to face them, yet you¡¯re rushing.¡± Torn between the desire not to divulge the terrible secret and reluctant to lie, Priam remained silent. ¡°You¡­ Are you going to save my friend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to save our friend,¡± Priam promised. ¡°I trust you,¡± Rose smiled faintly. ¡°If you want to sleep, you can take my hammock.¡± ¡°Your hammock?¡± Rose led Priam to a hammock hidden among the branches of Log-a-rhythm. Suspended high up, the net was invisible from the ground and offered a stunning view of the surrounding forest. Above it, a few glowing berries were arranged artistically to create an artificial starry sky. Finally, large leaves blocked the Necromoon¡¯s light. ¡°It¡¯s almost like sleeping under the stars,¡± Rose said. ¡°I¡¯m lending it to you.¡± ¡°Thank you. You should go back up there.¡± ¡°Not yet, Muyri hasn''t finished discussing.¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Rose smiled. ¡°None. She''s flying the nest, and I don''t want to bother her by crying because I''m proud of her. It''s her moment.¡± ¡°You''re a good friend.¡± ¡°I''m trying!¡± For the first time in a long while, Priam dreamed. The incident with Bertomne must have affected him because he found himself as a child, sitting at the dinner table with his parents and some guests. The beginning of the dream was hazy and forgettable until he reached for some olives by leaning on the table. Seeing him forget his manners, his mother stabbed the back of his hand with her fork. The promise of future punishments in her eyes woke him up. Priam opened his eyes, taking a few seconds to realize that the glowing berries were not stars. In the distance, the clash of weapons and the screams of the corrupted confirmed that he was still in Elysium. His mother was far away, and he would probably never see her again. Yet, she had played a significant role in his upbringing. Massaging the back of his hand, Priam remembered the etiquette rules he had learned through pain. His mother had written them in his bones. Sometimes quite literally. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why I hate disrespect in others,¡± he sighed. Bothered by this thought, he turned over and fell back asleep. The sun had set over Valaryth when Priam crossed back through the rift. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± The transformation of the beach had already begun. A massive pit, almost twenty meters deep and twice as wide, surrounded the portal. Its creator, Bertomne, stood nearby with his eyes closed. Thanks to [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam could see the artisan¡¯s aether slowly saturating the sand around them. His father was absent, likely discussing the wood they would use to build the outpost with Lamnas. Priam took off without disturbing the sand singer, heading towards the ruins that once housed the amphipteres. Somewhere below, Jasmine, Kazuki, and some hoplites were already mapping the area. A few minutes later, he landed less than a kilometer from the ruins. The monsters there could probably see better in the dark than he could, and he didn¡¯t want to start a fight with all of them at once. Navigating the dark forest, Priam used his enhanced vision and perception skills to avoid obstacles. For the first time in a long while, he channeled [Broad-Spectrum vision], [Trap Detection], and [Art of Movement] to move without crashing into the flora. Despite this, his feet regularly snapped dry branches and rustled leaves. Each noise made him wince, but Priam refused to levitate. The Phoenix Prince had reminded him that the Tribulations would target his weaknesses. If one of them countered both [Kinetic Control] and [Phoenix Wings], [Art of Movement] would be his only mobility skill. Not wanting to let a rare skill decide his survival, he had no choice but to level it up as quickly as possible. Focusing on his body, his environment, and his skills, Priam progressed slowly through the dense forest. Despite this, a smile crept onto his lips. Moving stealthily through wood at night, trying to avoid the attention of unknown monsters, reminded him of his first days in Elysium. Amused, the young warrior found pleasure in getting back to the basics. Using Micro to guide his body, he listened to his skills to improve. Consciously performing an action was necessary to develop his active skills. Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 30 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 When his Domain sensed the presence of cobblestones under his feet, Priam froze, surprised. Vegetation had invaded the ruins, erasing all boundaries between nature and civilization. He had reached his goal. Now, let''s see if any amphipteres remain. The first building was a block of hard, black stone. His sphere of authority couldn''t penetrate it, and it took Priam a few minutes to find the entrance, hidden by a dense bush. Deploying his mist, Priam infiltrated the building before using it as a point of entry. Instantly, he grimaced and covered his nose. The interior reeked almost as bad as Blueberry''s armpits, and the darkness was absolute. The first threshold of perception allowed Priam to see in the infrared, but that wasn''t enough to navigate when there was no heat source. He focused on his mist and his Domain to study the single room that made up the building. A few shards of ceramic on the floor, twisted and rusted metal, and the remnants of a giant nest¡ªthat was all that remained. Priam hesitated to summon light before reconsidering. He couldn''t afford to underestimate the draconic creatures living here again. If one had an affinity with the Light or Fire Concept, it could sense him from afar. He himself could detect a fire from over a kilometer away. Seeing a few fossilized eggs in the center of the nest, Priam decided to turn back. The exploration continued. Not being an archaeologist, the warrior had no idea what purpose the buildings he discovered served. Most were empty, but some still contained a few worn pieces of furniture. The city''s exodus hadn''t been rushed; the inhabitants had only left behind the blocks of stone too heavy to transport and worthless furniture. As he ascended a street wide enough for two cars to pass, Priam froze. Three meters away, a small feline hid in a dense bush. Without his Domain, he wouldn''t have noticed it. Forcing his hearts to beat slowly, he hesitated before continuing his route. His draconic instinct told him the wildcat was weak and wouldn¡¯t attack. From that moment on, Priam doubled his vigilance. If the feline had been as powerful as an amphiptere, it could have attacked before being detected¡­ with deadly consequences. The rest of his progress was slow and laborious. [Kinetic Control] absorbed the heat he emitted except for the infrared radiation, while [Phantom], the upgrade of [Stealth], helped correct his posture. A parallel thought employed [High Aether Manipulation] to prevent the dissemination of his aether, and Micro blocked his perspiration. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but Priam did his best to be stealthy. The next animals didn¡¯t seem to notice his presence. Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 17 AGI +3 When the sky began to turn a pastel pink, Priam reached a two-story building. It was the first of its kind, as the outskirts of the ruins only had low buildings. The heart of the ruins had taller structures, but his instinct urged him to inspect this one before continuing. The debris of a large door lay on the ground, and Priam cautiously stepped over it. The interior of the edifice had only one room, with a simple interior balcony that circled the second floor. The high ceiling created a spacious area, which had clearly pleased someone. The dawn light filtered through the windows, scattering over scales to create a multicolored spectacle. Noticing the deep breath of the sleeping amphiptere, Priam wasted no time. Promesse in his right hand, he used [Phantom] to silently approach. His second racial Talent paralyzed the beast¡¯s instincts, plunging it into eternal sleep as the spear pierced through the eyelid, eye, and brain in a single motion. Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 18 AGI +3 Priam stood, momentarily shocked by the ease of the kill. Amphipteres might be formidable beasts, but when exploiting its weakness, that one stood no chance. And that''s what the Tribulations will do to me¡­ Shaking off the morbid thought, Priam focused on the dying winged serpent. Despite the fatal blow, the draconic heart took several seconds to stop beating, showcasing the beast¡¯s exceptional vitality. An unnatural hunger gripped Priam, and he began working like a lousy butcher. Removing the scales, cutting the muscles, and breaking bones, he worked like a man possessed. His forearms stained red with blood, Priam finally extracted the beast¡¯s heart and bit into it. His draconic instincts liked it raw. The Dragon¡¯s ritual was complete, and his bloodline absorbed the essence of the amphiptere¡¯s power. His teeth cracked the hidden core, releasing a torrent of energy within him. ¡°Ancient Dragons are as rare as their descendants are numerous. If you choose [Draconic], prepare to face hordes of mixed bloods. Devouring their hearts will increase the purity of the bloodline.¡± The Phoenix¡¯s words echoed in his memory, reminding Priam why the Dragon¡¯s Way was as dangerous as it was profitable. Consumption of a fragment of draconic bloodline¡­ Insufficient purity to elevate your bloodline. A portion of the vanquished¡¯s powers is your rightful inheritance. The Dragon''s Way helped Priam''s cells and soul absorb the essence flowing through his veins. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 19, 20 AGI +2 [Friction Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. ¡°... One more reason to commit draconic genocide.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 630 (+13) Vitality 1 040 Perception 761 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 653 (+1) Memory 832 Willpower 1 163 (+4) Charisma 692 (+15) META: Meta-affinity 784 Meta-focus 403 Meta-endurance 608 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 210 Potential: 13 543 (+16) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 467 616 (+2519) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 155 days 22 hours 14 minutes 50 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 240: Deadly Copulation The Dragon''s Way helped Priam''s cells and soul absorb the draconic essence flowing through his veins. Lvl Up: [Friction Resistance] lvl 19, 20 AGI +2 As his body and soul transformed, the experience made Priam reflect on the different paths that could lead to Tier 10. Cultivating the Three Heart Supremacies elevated the self by increasing attributes and aligning the body, mind, and soul closer to the Zenith. Micro, Domain, and Mastery¡ªeach method was different, yet Priam knew they were pure and complementary. A more dangerous but vast path was that of the Concepts. To change the world, one had to understand and integrate it. It was dangerous for the ego because drawing closer to an idea was no trivial matter. Getting too close to Fire would get you burned, just as whoever tastes Freedom would seek to break their chains. Concepts changed your way of thinking, so it was crucial to avoid practicing those not aligned with your true nature. That was without even mentioning the influence of those walking the same path as you. Nonetheless, despite its pitfalls, it was a viable path, as proven by the Seven. A last alternative was the perception, understanding, and manipulation of aether. The primordial energy was the source of everything and defied the rules. Beginning, end, concepts, ideas, logic, and even entropy had no hold on the eternal essence; at least, that¡¯s what Priam had been told. Unlike the other paths, mastering aether required a medium. One had to use runes¡ªa structure that had meaning for the aether, that resonated with it¡ªwhich could take an infinite number of forms and concepts. A sigil drawn in the sand was as valid as a spoken incantation or the specific vibration of an atom¡­ and easier to replicate than creating a constellation. Runes, the alphabet of aether, were as infinite as the fluid they allowed one to manipulate, but some creatures had almost managed to comprehend them. The most famous were the dragons. Where most mythical races created cores and fulcrums, the supreme race had the innate ability to inscribe runes directly onto their souls. This power allowed them to manipulate reality directly. A fantastic power that the System had managed to democratize. Priam had recently understood the true nature of skills: a rune or a ritual etched onto one of the layers of the soul. Besides being a shortcut to manipulate reality, these sigils perfected the self¡¯s trilogy: body, mind, and soul. This improvement was gradual and better known as ¡°leveling up.¡± Several methods existed to level up one¡¯s skills. The most common was to train hard and consciously. The System and runes then helped with the regeneration of muscle fibers after work, guided the repair of microfractures in the bones, oriented body growth, perfected muscle memory, and optimized brain synapses. Priam hadn¡¯t yet fully understood what leveling up and upgrading a skill entailed for the soul, but the result was clear. The user learned and progressed faster and better without the System replacing the effort; it simply maximized the results obtained. Leveling up corresponded to better proficiency and the attributes gained by the user. Achievements, Titles, Quests, or Colosseum rewards could also level up skills, but all these methods had a common point: these gains were not simply given by an omnipotent entity, they were earned, untainted by a bloodline or Concept. Each level-up was thus a new step towards the Zenith: a miracle in line with the policies of the Seven Grand Concepts, which refused to corrupt the inhabitants of their world. Chewing the last piece of the defeated beast¡¯s heart, its barely controlled energy coursing through his body, Priam understood why dragons were so feared. The similarity between their Way and that of the System meant their bloodline was also capable of conferring level-ups. It was marvelous because it meant every draconic adversary was a potential source of raw power. It was perilous because the more Priam ascended, the more appetizing he would become to those who shared his bloodline. ¡°Let them come,¡± he smiled. As he used his mist and Domain to rinse off the draconic blood, part of Priam¡¯s attention checked his notifications. [Friction Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, two upgrades are available: [Great Friction Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Smooth Scales - Rare] - You possess draconic scales and the essence of an amphiptere flows in your veins. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 Priam hesitated for a moment to accept a high upgrade. Could he unlock an ideal upgrade with his unique build? Maybe, but it will be hard. He hadn¡¯t even unlocked a standard upgrade, not having worked hard on this resistance. [He Who Eludes Death] and [Kinetic Control] might eventually help him reach insane speeds in a fluid, maybe even explode in flight like a rocket re-entering the atmosphere, but would that be enough? Moreover, Priam was reluctant to die like that. His constitution was too close to twelve hundred, which would be a death sentence. Plus, he had been alive for almost four days¡ªa record so far¡ªand one of Elysium¡¯s chain quests was to survive. Log-a-rhythm¡¯s seed had been his reward for surviving three days, so Priam anticipated the next milestone: a week. ¡°Too bad, I would have liked to see what happens when you only unlock ideal upgrades for a skill,¡± he murmured as he validated the upgrade. ¡°Next time.¡± You have selected the skill [Smooth Scales - Rare]. POT -20 [Smooth Scales] - Friction is the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another. Your draconic scales act like a lubricant, allowing you to partially ignore this force. You lose less speed due to interactions with your environment. This skill has other advantages that will not be listed here to keep this description kid-friendly. AGI +3 A layer of spectral scales appeared on the surface of his skin, bringing a smile to Priam¡¯s lips. Thanks to [Ideal Aether Perception] and his constitution¡¯s milestones, he could see that his new resistance only applied to his draconic scales; a protection he could invoke and banish at will. In short, he could switch between a mode with friction and one without. This could be an interesting trick... While studying his new skill, Priam noticed another important point by reading the option description. He had obtained a high upgrade for two reasons: he possessed draconic scales and had absorbed the essence of the amphiptere. By extrapolating a bit, one could think that the draconic essence had been integrated into [Friction Resistance] because it was one of the winged serpent¡¯s main characteristics. ¡°Depending on the species of dragon I hunt, I¡¯ll get a corresponding reward,¡± mused Priam. By targeting specific monsters, he could fill his gaps. ¡°Better yet, I could get better upgrades. If I had absorbed the essence of a Tier 2 amphiptere, it would certainly have counted as a prerequisite for an ideal upgrade.¡± Priam had to clench his abs to avoid bursting out laughing. This was excellent news! Of course, it was dangerous, but between this discovery and his [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] Title, he now had two free prerequisites for the ideal upgrade of all his common and rare resistances. The day he became the ultimate juggernaut was no longer so far off. The chirping of a bird outside pulled Priam from his reverie. Counting your chickens before they hatch was stupid. ¡°I need to verify that killing and absorbing the draconic essence of other amphipteres can increase the level of [Smooth Scales]. If it¡¯s true, then I need to find them all.¡± The skill boosted his agility, an attribute far from the next dangerous threshold¡ªnine hundred points. The resistance effect would allow him to fly and swim faster, which would surely be instrumental in his future hunt against the Terrors of Valaryth. ¡°Absorb the essence of amphipteres and other draconic species, track and kill the Terrors, use their cores as trophies for Heavenly Dragon, then survive my Tribulations. Sounds like a plan,¡± Priam smiled. After a final glance at the carcass beginning to attract flies, he cautiously exited the building. It took Priam nearly two hours to find a second amphiptere. Whether draconic species were rare or the monsters had slaughtered each other before he arrived, they were few and far between. His dream of quickly maxing out [Smooth Scales] shattered, Priam focused on his hunt. The winged serpents left little trace. [Ideal Aether Perception] couldn''t detect their aether, and [Sense of Smell] failed to catch their scent¡ªunderstandable for airborne monsters. Eventually, Priam started searching for large buildings with wide entrances. After all, amphipteres weren''t small and needed double doors to enter their lairs. This led him to a grand amphitheater near the city''s heart. Seeing the main gate busted open, he grinned and entered through a side door. After navigating a long corridor, he arrived at a room overlooking the stands. Priam¡¯s superhuman perception and high vivacity let him count ten thousand seats in under a second. Call me Rain Man... Finely carved pillars and lifelike statues hinted at the builders'' aesthetic sense. It wasn''t the grandest stadium Priam had ever seen, but for a small city, it was impressive. The structure was designed for the entire population to gather, be it for sports, games, or politics¡ªPriam couldn''t tell. All this paled in comparison to the massive amphiptere having its breakfast in the arena''s center. The draconic beast was using its claws to butcher what seemed like a cow or bison. It appeared occupied but regularly lifted its head to check its surroundings. Seeing it ready to enable its scales, Priam was sure that the beast¡¯s instincts weren''t dulled by [Homo Elysian Predation]. The warrior watched for several minutes, observing the wary opponent and looking for a pattern in its surveillance. If I can''t kill it in one strike, our fight will alert the entire region... As Priam pondered his next move, his add-on suggested a solution. No plan survived contact with the enemy, but some were safer than others, and Priam decided to bet on this one. Using [Phantom], he retreated and exited the building. Surveying the facade, he focused on Micro and [Climb], one of his first skills. With a grin, he leapt nearly eight meters high and nimbly scaled the structure. A more powerful jump would have caused vibrations in the ground, and his primary goal was stealth. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Reaching the roof in less than two seconds, he faced stone bars radiating towards the arena''s center like spokes on a bicycle wheel. Between each beam, a tarpaulin provided shade for spectators. It was surprisingly well-preserved, but Priam didn¡¯t trust it to hold his weight. Taking a deep breath, he mentally mapped the city before dashing along the beam ahead. He ran nimbly, holding his breath. Forty meters long, the beam ended in an open circle. The former light well illuminated the arena''s center and allowed the amphiptere to take flight. Reaching this point, Priam executed a swan dive. Like the protagonist of a famous video game franchise, he plunged into the void, Promesse in hand. Below him, the alert amphiptere lifted its head, eyes blazing with hostility. Its scales shimmered with a spectral sheen, and thinking it was the predator, it opened its maw to swallow the impudent intruder. Discovered, Priam didn¡¯t hesitate to slow his fall with kinetic mastery and readied Promesse. In a fraction of a second, he aimed at the gaping maw and threw. His resilient meridians trembled in sync with the shockwave. The air tore where the spear passed, slipping between two fangs to strike the beast''s palate. Its inner jaw, unprotected by scales, exploded. Priam landed in a roll as his adversary collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. Turning to admire his work, Priam saw Promesse''s tip protruding from the creature¡¯s skull. His bound weapon merged with the ambient moisture to reappear in his hand, and Priam sighed at the enormous beast. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll unlock [Butchery]¡­¡± With his bloodline roaring in his ears, Priam grilled the draconic heart over a fire. To avoid alerting nearby creatures, he had lit it manually. What had troubled him upon arriving in Elysium was now trivial for the Fire Champion. A Concept was more than the ability to alter reality; it was an intimate understanding of the notions behind it. The massive vital organ sizzled over the flames as Priam endured the call of his bloodline. The Dragon in him demanded he devour the heart raw, but the human found that repulsive. ¡°No one, not even my own power, will dictate my actions.¡± Seated on the arena''s sand, Priam repeated the mantra to affirm his resolve. If he hadn''t used his Potential to seal [True Will], the skill would have undoubtedly leveled up, given how hard it was to resist. However, his willpower was too close to triggering a sixth Tribulation to risk it. When the scent made his stomach growl, Priam gave in and devoured the still-rare meat in a few bites. Chin dripping with blood, he smiled as he licked his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it tastes like duck or chicken, but it¡¯s delicious!¡± Glancing at the enormous carcass, he opened a passage to Concept Archipelago and stored it there. If an unseasoned heart was this good, Blueberry could work wonders with the rest. Moments after closing the portal, Priam felt a surge of energy gathering in his stomach. As his digestive system absorbed the meat¡¯s proteins, acids, and fats, his bloodline consumed the hidden draconic essence. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 2, 3, 4 AGI +9 Satisfied, Priam allowed himself a few minutes of rest to rinse off and retaliate against those who continued to spy on him. Then, after covering the fire with sand, he stood. The hunt was far from over. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 5,..., 22 AGI +54 Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 19,..., 26 AGI +24 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 31, 32 AGI +2 PERC +2 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 13, 14 AGI +2 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 47, 48 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum Vision] lvl 7, 8 PERC +2 Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 5, 6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +6 For two days, Priam scoured the city from its outskirts to its center. In total, he hunted down and killed a dozen amphipteres. As his stealth and other skills improved, the kills became easier. Moreover, he took great pleasure in feeling his agility increase; not only did it boost his speed, but it also made his movements more fluid and enjoyable. So, in high spirits, Priam roamed the city, devouring the power of his enemies while reorganizing his meridians. The city ruins piqued his curiosity, and he spent some time trying to understand what had happened here. Unfortunately, the few visible frescoes depicted events that were hard to comprehend and likely predated the inhabitants'' exodus. After several hours without finding prey, Priam headed toward the city''s heart, where two buildings on a hill dominated the landscape. Deciding to save the best for last, Priam entered a small temple and faced a problem. A pair of amphipteres were there, clearly in the midst of a romantic ritual. Killing them both at the same time would be tricky. Hesitant to attack, Priam waited for the perfect moment for almost five hours. Just as he began to lose patience, the two monsters started mating. The male introduced its hemipenis into the female¡¯s cloaca, and Priam lost it. He had been celibate since the Tutorial, and his non-existent sex life couldn''t bear the sight of two winged serpents getting it on. Readying Promesse, he positioned himself to skewer them both and fired. His spear decapitated the male, but its natural scales deflected the attack, missing the female. Shoving the male¡¯s corpse away with a flap of its wing¡ªthereby tearing out his hemipenis, which was stuck inside her¡ªthe enraged survivor attacked Priam with its tail. The temple wasn¡¯t spacious, and Priam struggled to dodge. Each tail strike was powerful enough to break his bones twice over, and he relied heavily on his ability to ride the mist to stay alive. Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 9 AGI +2 DEXT +1 For ten minutes, the winged serpent¡¯s scales resisted all his physical attacks. As Priam hesitated to summon his flames or lure the monster outside, a voice echoed in his head. ¡°Need some help?¡± ¡°Jasmine?¡± answered Priam while avoiding a tail strike. ¡°The very one. The Princess sent me to fetch you because the mutation is finished. Your egg is about to hatch, and you need to be there for the baby to imprint on you.¡± ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m a little busy here. Got a plan to kill this thing? Its scales are immune to all my kinetic charges and high-frequency barrages.¡± ¡°Easy.¡± Before Priam could ask what she meant, Jasmine dropped from a shadow on the ceiling and landed on the monster¡¯s head. The creature¡¯s shadow roiled as the assassin drew a dagger. The blade plunged into the spectral scales, ignoring them completely, and pierced the draconic beast¡¯s skull. The execution had taken less than a second. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Jasmine leapt as the body collapsed behind her, laughing at Priam¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Did I catch you off guard?¡± she winked. ¡°How did you do that? My attacks can pierce a bank vault¡¯s door, and they couldn¡¯t even scratch this thing¡¯s scales!¡± Jasmine shrugged. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just that strong.¡± ¡°... Okay, you¡¯re mighty,¡± Priam replied, amused. ¡°Can you tell me your secret now? Is it your dagger?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Legendary quality,¡± Jasmine admitted, twirling her weapon. ¡°But it¡¯s mostly my new Legendary skill, [A Shadow of Their Former Self]. I can temporarily nullify buffs. Without its draconic scales and with a Legendary dagger, it wasn¡¯t hard to pierce this snake¡¯s brain¡ªespecially since you had its attention.¡± Priam frowned but accepted the explanation. Jasmine was a glass-cannon assassin who could easily take down an unsuspecting enemy. In return, her build made it impossible for her to handle giants and left her vulnerable to a sniper or vigilant duelist. Their strengths were different, and he had no right to be jealous. Yet, he was a bit. ¡°It¡¯s pretty arrogant of you to think you could be better than me at my specialty,¡± Jasmine snorted, as if reading his thoughts. ¡°Touch¨¦. Alright, I¡¯ll harvest the heart of the one I killed first, and we can go,¡± Priam sighed, heading toward the male he had decapitated. ¡°And the other one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your kill, do whatever you want with it,¡± Priam replied, shrugging. The laws of the Dragon wouldn¡¯t reward someone else¡¯s feats. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here. I respect my dagger too much to plunge it into those entrails. By the way, why is the male¡¯s penis torn off? You didn¡¯t interrupt them during¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you don¡¯t want answers to.¡± Jasmine remained silent for a moment before grinning. ¡°... He who wanted to fuck got fucked. Funny.¡± Priam shivered, offering a silent prayer of apology to the winged serpent. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 773 (+143) Vitality 1 040 Perception 766 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 656 (+3) Memory 842 (+10) Willpower 1 163 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 799 (+15) Meta-focus 409 (+6) Meta-endurance 617 (+9) Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 (+6) Potential: 13 607 (+64) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 478 906 (+11 290) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 18 hours 47 minutes 10 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 241: Hatching & Foot Fetishism Priam pulled aside the pavilion curtain and stepped inside. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of a dozen tables scattered around the Auction Altar. Each display case held no more than two or three items, all under glass domes. Compared to the overflowing market Ymir had shown during Priam¡¯s first visit, things had certainly changed. ¡°Lord Azura, it¡¯s always a pleasure to welcome you to my humble establishment.¡± Priam smiled at the sound of Ymir''s melodious voice as he approached with his graceful stride. The merchant clasped his hands in a ritual greeting, and Priam responded with a genuine smile. ¡°Merchant Ymir, the pleasure is mutual. I see you¡¯ve redecorated?¡± The elf smiled faintly, glancing behind him. ¡°My mercantile instincts tell me that the tribes you¡¯ve made deals with will soon arrive to trade.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Indeed. Rather than offering a familiar bazaar, I thought it would be interesting to break the mold. I asked Miss Rose to help renovate the place, and she introduced me to minimalism.¡± Priam grimaced at the sight of the twenty or so items in the vast space. ¡°I¡¯ve never been a fan of that movement. When everything is neutral and bare, you lose the soul of the place.¡± ¡°When there are too many items on display, the buyer is paralyzed by the sheer number of options,¡± Ymir smiled. ¡°With fewer choices, I can guide my potential clients to the items that suit them, increasing both my sales and the allure of this place. That¡¯s what matters.¡± ¡°On that, we agree.¡± Thanks to Oasis¡¯s commission on Auctions, Priam¡¯s fortune was tied to the merchant''s. ¡°I was wondering if you could take me to Esm¨¦e?¡± ¡°The princess awaits you,¡± Ymir smiled, leading Priam to the back of the pavilion. He pulled a bell and slid open a door. Priam¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise. Last time, the door had led to a garden with an impressive variety of plants. Today, it opened to a small room. Esm¨¦e, seated at a desk, stood and curtsied upon seeing him. ¡°Duke Priam, I¡¯ve been expecting you. Please, come in.¡± Her charming smile contrasted with the formality of her words, and Priam found himself smiling back. ¡°Princess Esm¨¦e.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two,¡± Ymir announced, exiting and closing the door behind him. ¡°Do you like the apartment?¡± Priam asked, looking around. The furniture belonged to Ymir¡¯s collection, but Esm¨¦e had certainly chosen it herself, revealing much about her personality. The d¨¦cor was minimal, and aside from a few plants, a desk, and a bed, the only notable feature was a thick, plush rug. ¡°Yes, thank you so much!¡± Esm¨¦e exclaimed, burying her bare feet in the carpet. ¡°This rug is incredibly soft¡­¡± Priam had to suppress a smile at his rival''s childlike expression. He wiggled his toes in the fibers and had to admit she was right. ¡°It¡¯s definitely softer than the grass outside.¡± With the three new artisans, Oasis had no more free cabins, and the interior of Log-a-rhythm wasn''t suitable for the Moon Wyrm''s mutation. When Ymir had offered to rent his guest room, Priam had immediately accepted. ¡°Honestly, the rent is not expensive.¡± At least, not for a Tier 0 capable of wiping out entire hordes of undead. ¡°Ymir is too shrewd to overcharge his Lord,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. ¡°Though I don¡¯t understand why you refuse to let me pay for it myself.¡± ¡°And miss the chance to make you my debtor? No way,¡± Priam joked before explaining. ¡°You¡¯re my guest, so it¡¯s my duty to house you; that¡¯s how I was raised. By the way, do you have everything you need? I don¡¯t see a bathroom.¡± Esm¨¦e pointed to the sliding door through which Priam had entered. ¡°I just have to think of the bathroom before opening the door, and the pavilion connects me there.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Priam¡¯s curious mind made his hand move before he even thought. The door began to open before Esm¨¦e¡¯s hand blocked it. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to tidy up,¡± the young woman blushed. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw a small room with a wooden floor and a sink with a single bar of soap. Nearby, a clothes rack was drying some clothes and underwear. He closed the door, pretending he hadn''t seen anything. ¡°Sorry, I acted without thinking.¡± Esm¨¦e lowered her head, and Priam noticed the tips of her ears were red. ¡°Jasmine told me the egg is about to hatch?¡± Priam asked, trying to change the subject. ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, it¡¯s already starting to stir. I had to play music to calm it.¡± Priam raised an eyebrow as Esm¨¦e reopened the door. The bathroom had vanished, replaced by a small room with dark wooden walls. The gentle music of an invisible wind instrument created a serene atmosphere. Priam¡¯s gaze ignored the ambiance, focusing on the egg in the center of the room. Levitating about a meter off the ground, seven white spheres orbited around it like a miniature planetary system. This was possible thanks to an incredibly complex ritual covering the available space; tens of thousands of runes, most smaller than a grain of rice, formed the system¡¯s matrix. Assisted by his add-on and [Ideal Aether Perception], Priam tried to understand what was happening. Each rune was linked to ten others, exchanging, transferring, encoding, and modifying aether at high speed. His add-on was proficient at solving two-body problems but incapable of simulating the behavior of thousands of interacting runes. After a few seconds, Priam had to admit that while he had made monumental strides in understanding the aether alphabet, Esm¨¦e¡¯s creation was beyond his capabilities. ¡°What exactly is the purpose of this ritual?¡± Priam disliked admitting his ignorance but hated staying ignorant even more. ¡°It¡¯s a statistical manipulation ritual,¡± Esm¨¦e explained in a professional tone. ¡°These seven spheres each come from famous Moons and are infused with certain Concepts related to the Moon Concept. The genes, aetheric code, and soul of a creature have a non-zero chance of mutating when they come into contact with a Concept. I manipulate these chances to force positive mutations.¡± ¡°So my Moon Wyrm will have properties from these Moons?¡± Esm¨¦e shook her head. ¡°Even with this ritual, which I¡¯m very proud of, I can¡¯t do that. What I can do is increase the egg¡¯s affinity with Concepts superior to the Moon Concept¡ªbreaking the power ceiling your Moon Wyrm can aspire to. You seem disappointed?¡± the princess observed. ¡°I¡­¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound rude, but it just seems like a very complicated ritual for a few affinity points.¡± It was evident that the effort behind the ritual had been titanic, but the announced results didn¡¯t impress him. ¡°You say that as if it¡¯s easy, but boosting a soul¡¯s natural affinity with a Concept is a nightmare without a Token or Merit. It requires an epiphany, a Concept Baptism, or the consumption of legendary resources.¡± ¡°There are other methods,¡± Priam pointed out. He had personally used at least three others, and Esm¨¦e¡¯s ritual was a fourth. ¡°They are very rare, otherwise the Sun Shop wouldn¡¯t sell Tier 0 Concept Baptisms for a quarter of a million points. Those Concepts are Tier 5s, unattainable for us Tier 0s, and there are seven of them.¡± Priam nodded before freezing. If the Sun Shop used the numerical progression it employed in its price calculations, a Tier 4 Concept Baptism could only be bought by a Tier 3 user and cost ten million Sun points. Multiplied by seven¡­ ¡°Wow! It¡¯s that expensive to unlock a Wyrm¡¯s potential?!¡± Esm¨¦e seemed pleased that he finally appreciated the significance of her ritual. ¡°An adult Moon Wyrm dominates Tier 4. However, it suffers from the same weakness as all naturally powerful creatures: it¡¯s difficult for it to rise above its station.¡± ¡°I thought draconic creatures didn¡¯t have that kind of problem?¡± ¡°Natural ones, maybe, but this one is a creation of the System, so it doesn¡¯t get the full benefit of its draconic bloodline. Aydan asked Father for information, and from what he found, my brother¡¯s Sun Wyrm is limited by its base Concept. The Soul Tier cannot exceed the Tier of the Concept it embodies or the stage of its Supremacy.¡± ¡°If I understand correctly, since its atavistic progression is a dead end, you have to mutate its core Concept to give it a future? As my Moon Wyrm will be limited by the Tier of the Moon Concept.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Empyrean scientists think. However, its core Concept hasn¡¯t mutated; it¡¯s still Moon. What I¡¯ve done is point out several paths to Tier 5 Concepts. At adulthood, it will have a chance to evolve, but it¡¯s not a certainty. You may have to further enhance its affinities¡ªand that will cost much more than today because changing an adult¡¯s destiny is more complicated than changing a child¡¯s.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Priam watched the egg spin, illuminated by the vibrant runes. ¡°Makes sense. In any case, thank you for what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°I always uphold my end of the bargain,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. ¡°You should step forward; the song is ending.¡± Priam entered the room as the music softened. The runes around him dissipated into aether, which re-entered the princess''s body. Priam approached the egg and placed his hand on it. As if waiting for this moment, the shell cracked, and the top exploded, revealing a curious head. Two heterochromatic eyes, one white and the other black, fixed on Priam before the creature fully emerged. A fusion of serpent, worm, and dragon, the creature was no more than twenty centimeters long. Powerful muscles lay beneath scales the same color as its eyes. Some scales changed color in real time, as if the wyrm hadn¡¯t yet decided what it wanted to look like. It floated slowly towards Priam. ¡°Hello there,¡± the young man smiled, extending his hand gently. When his fingers touched the wyrm, it froze before coiling around his wrist like a monochrome bracelet. Priam felt his connection with his Holy Guardian strengthen. This bond was different from the one he shared with Log-a-rhythm. Less natural, it seemed artificial. Perhaps because this creature isn¡¯t quite natural¡­ [Identification] [Moon Wyrm (Mutated) - Tier 0 - Holy Guardian IV (T0)] - The Space Terror. Like the different phases of the Moon, this descendant of the Dragons is capable of changing its hunting methods. As elusive as the New Moon, as powerful as the Full Moon, it knows how to adapt to slay its prey. This one is a clone created by the System to protect a Noble''s territory. Its growth depends on its bloodline, opportunities, and the ritual binding it to its territory. Immune to the Necromoon curse, it is also resistant to the Necro Concept. Its artificial nature and connection to the System exempt it from Tribulation. Evolution condition to Tier 1:
  • Six months of growth (divided by four thanks to Holy Guardian IV, equaling 45 days)
Consuming draconic essence or a compatible Concept fragment accelerates its evolution. Number of available resurrections: 4 Natural affinity: (Moon): 90% (50% (base) + 40%) (?): ?% Maximum potential: Marquess (Prince) ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Esm¨¦e murmured behind him. Priam nodded absently, gazing at his wyrm. He had a decision to make. Each Gate of the Heavenly Dragon required a trophy, and this Moon Wyrm was a draconic creature aligned with the Moon Concept. In theory, its power was perfectly suited to [Revelation Resilience]. Yet, he hesitated to sacrifice a creature that looked at him with innocent eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll defend Oasis in my absence, won¡¯t you?¡± Priam smiled, gently scratching the tiny wyrm¡¯s head. The creature chirped, making both rivals smile. Priam¡¯s heart softened. My path to the Zenith will be bloody, but killing innocents who rely on me¡­ That¡¯s not me. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t really be a trophy, would it? Esm¨¦e''s POV ¡°You want my help to locate the Terrors of Valaryth?¡± Sitting at the edge of the couch, Esm¨¦e watched her rival play with his new pet. He didn¡¯t seem bothered by sharing the sofa with her. If her brother had seen them like this, he¡¯d have surely called her a tramp. Or maybe not; he is too afraid of Priam to open his mouth. ¡°Please,¡± Priam replied, looking at her. His wyrm, feeling neglected, chirped to grab his attention. The young man smiled before continuing, ¡°The ocean is too vast for me to waste time finding them.¡± ¡°You possess a draconic bloodline different from theirs; they¡¯ll come to you,¡± Esm¨¦e pointed out. ¡°Some Terrors are too powerful for me. I want to be the hunter, not the prey.¡± Esm¨¦e filed that information away. It had been a while since she¡¯d divined Priam¡¯s exact status, but she knew he was one of the most adaptable rivals and the second hardest to kill. If he wasn¡¯t deterred by a Tier 3 necro legionnaire but preferred to avoid these Terrors... ¡°Are they that dangerous?¡± ¡°Hard to say without a real fight, but my instincts tell me they¡¯re the most dangerous opponents I¡¯ve ever faced. Almost,¡± his brows furrowed before he shook his head, dispelling a thought. ¡°In any case, they¡¯re extremely powerful and possess a very pure draconic bloodline.¡± ¡°Trapped for millennia in a ruined world, unable to Tier up, they push the limits of what¡¯s possible at Tier 1,¡± Esm¨¦e understood. ¡°Which makes them perfect trophies,¡± Priam added with a grin. ¡°But only if I can find them.¡± Esm¨¦e tucked a strand of white-gold hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m willing to help¡­¡± As she said it, her royal training kicked in. ¡°But what do I get in return?¡± The question barely left her mouth before she regretted it. What an idiot! He¡¯s going to think I see our relationship as purely transactional. ¡°My gratitude?¡± Priam winked. Esm¨¦e felt butterflies in her stomach. ¡°Okay.¡± Priam seemed surprised before returning a genuine smile. The wyrm took advantage of the silence to start exploring the couch. Esm¨¦e extended her hand and was surprised when the creature approached to sniff her with its forked tongue. It must have found her scent pleasing because it began to slither up her arm, tickling her in the process. ¡°She likes you,¡± Priam observed. ¡°I like her too. She¡¯s cool to the touch; it¡¯s refreshing,¡± the princess marveled, stroking the wyrm. A comfortable silence settled before Priam broke it. ¡°You know, if you need help, you can ask me.¡± ¡°...I could use help with my Tribulations,¡± she admitted after a few seconds of hesitation. Her rival shot her a surprised look. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can interfere with the System yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking,¡± Esm¨¦e reassured him. ¡°My way of fighting is more that of a strategist or general than a soldier: I use the world to fight my Tribulations for me. The trouble is, Elysium is dangerous.¡± ¡°You want to trigger them in Valaryth instead of Elysium,¡± Priam realized. ¡°No problem. Is that all?¡± ¡°If a dangerous variable appears, I would like your help to fend it off. I¡¯ll have my hands full with my Tribulations without worrying about the Terrors.¡± Of course, Esm¨¦e planned to take precautions, but she knew better than anyone that fate could be fickle. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but is that allowed by the System?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my way of fighting, so yes. During my first Tribulation, I turned my enemies into shields by placing them between me and the danger,¡± Esm¨¦e revealed, scratching the wyrm to their mutual delight. ¡°Your first... You¡¯ve only passed one Tribulation so far?¡± Esm¨¦e nodded. ¡°But then, how many are you triggering this time?¡± ¡°Like you, five.¡± As a reward for her first Tribulation, Esm¨¦e had simply chosen to delay her other Tribulations by a month. She would face them soon, but even the most powerful would be only her sixth Tribulation. Compared to Priam, who was up to nine, she was relatively confident. Priam scrutinized her before smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a good plan but why not go up to six?¡± Esm¨¦e observed her rival''s teasing eyes. ¡°You¡¯re only half joking, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If I were in your shoes, I think I¡¯d try it,¡± Priam admitted. The prospect of a title higher than mythical would have made him greedy. ¡°I don''t have any shoes,¡± Esm¨¦e pointed out, wiggling her toes. She had taken them off to enjoy the softness of the carpet. ¡°That''s the first thing I noticed.¡± Priam grimaced at his own words. ¡°Wait, that''s not what I meant!¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 773 Vitality 1 040 Perception 766 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 656 Memory 842 Willpower 1 163 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 799 Meta-focus 409 Meta-endurance 617 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 Potential: 13 607 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 480 545 (+1 639) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 15 hours 12 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 242: The Undeads Anathema [Auctions:
  • Legacy Core (Rare/T0) - Territory: Knaya/Wanderings Islands - A core containing memories of an Ace who survived 9 Tribulations at Tier 0. Note from the seller: One Legendary resistance confirmed, [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber]. An upgrade and fusion of [Bending Resistance], [Torsion Resistance], and [Tension Resistance]. Current bid: 747 000 Sun points. Auction ends in 139 hours.
Note (add-on): All forces can be broken down into combinations of compression, tension, bending, shear, and torsion. The host already resists compression thanks to [Sun Steel Body] and shear via [Atomos] and [Kevlar Tissue]. [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber] would complete your build.
  • Legacy Core (Rare/T1) - Territory: Pnothl/Sky Ring - A core containing memories of an Ace who survived 8 Tribulations at Tier 0, 3 at Tier 1, and unlocked Mastery - Spear III. Note from the seller: One ideal Mythic spear skill confirmed. If you''re fated¡­ Current bid: 1 948 000 Sun points. Auction ends in 1 677 hours.
Note (add-on): Except for Breath, all the host''s attacks are spear-based. A Mythical spear skill could holistically enhance your offensive capabilities. Alternatively, Kazuki might find it useful as well.] As Priam stepped out of Esm¨¦e''s chamber, he paused before the Auction altar. The fulcrum of Sumstreh was still up for sale, but none of the aether puzzle propositions Ymir had received appealed to Priam. Enhancing his aether proficiency was crucial, and he sought an exceptional item for himself and his family. That didn''t mean nothing caught his eye. His add-on had flagged two cores from the list of new items. The second was too expensive for now, but the first boasted a Legendary resistance that intrigued him. Briefly wondering if the former owner of [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber] was named Luffy, Priam agreed with his add-on: he lacked three fundamental resistances. With his father being an architect, Priam knew the five forces that could act on a structure¡ªand by extension, a body. Fortifying his body to endure all types of physical stress seemed like a stellar idea. Sun points: 1 480 545 His funds weren''t endless, but points were meant to be spent. The only question was: was this the best way? "You''re troubled?" Priam turned to see Esm¨¦e watching him with concern. "Not really. More like facing choice overload. I''m afraid of making a mistake and overlooking something crucial." Ymir stepped forward. "Is there an item you fancy? Perhaps I can offer my expertise?" On Earth, Priam disliked when a biased seller offered help. He hated being influenced. However, Ymir worked for him and knew a lot. "I saw a Legacy Core with a Legendary resistance I don''t have. If I buy it, can I acquire the resistance?" Ymir grimaced. "That''s complicated. Consuming the core during specialized rituals can grant advantages, but rarely the deceased''s skills. If that were the case, the tribes would be much more powerful." "What kind of advantages?" asked Esm¨¦e. "It depends on the ritual. The Gaeserts use boar cores to enhance their bloodline and improve their racial Talent. If there''s a strong resonance between the subject and the core, their race can evolve. I''ve seen other tribes fuse the cores of elders with those of the young. They manage to acquire the elders'' skills at lower rarities, but it requires active participation from both core owners." "So there are possibilities." "With the right ritual. However, they are often crafted by Tier 4 Shamans and refined over generations. It''s a risky gamble," the merchant concluded. "Maybe not so much," Esm¨¦e said, holding a small core. "I wanted to see the differences between a monster core and a humanoid one." Using advanced search, Priam''s add-on found the cheapest core in the Auction and bought it outright for a hundred Sun points. It was ten times the starting price, but his time was more valuable than ninety Sun points. Focusing his senses on the crystallized aether, Priam detected a single rune. Comparing it to those etched on the layers of his soul, he estimated its rarity as rare. The skill was unknown to him, but [Ideal Aether Perception] suggested it had to do with air and... life? No, the living. A bird. A skill for flying? Judging by the core''s size, Priam understood the former owner hadn''t created this core alone; he had been aided by a ritual. Even with his draconic lung and [High Aether Manipulation], Priam doubted he could make such a large piece of solid aether. Now, the warrior is dead, and someone has sold his core for a few Sun points. What a waste. "You think by studying the runes at the core''s heart, we could gain their skills?" Priam said after copying the rune into his add-on''s database. "It''s less barbaric than ingesting the core, with superior results. Several people could benefit from it." Priam considered Esm¨¦e''s proposal before pointing out its weaknesses. "To gain a skill, the rune must be etched onto one''s soul; I can''t do that¡ªand far from even considering that possibility." "The System must handle it," Esm¨¦e agreed. "It''s not impossible; you just need to use the rune consciously." She conjured an orb of light in her hand. "When I concentrate, I feel the System querying me. If I didn''t have to worry about Tribulation thresholds, I might have accepted." Priam mimicked Esm¨¦e by summoning a light-making rune and realizing she was right. In the background, he felt the System''s query. He could transform the rune into a common skill. With the right runes, it should be possible to min-max my attributes. To test later. "It won''t work with a Legendary skill," Ymir interjected. "The System will grant at most Epic rarity." "That suits me because I want an ideal resistance," Priam replied. A resistance capable of enduring three different physical forces must be ideal if he wanted to become the ultimate tank. "However, we¡¯re overlooking the main issue: it¡¯s a resistance, not an active skill. My body must withstand these forces; I can''t simply invoke a rune." "With the Sun Shop, you could subject yourself to these forces by purchasing a few traps," Esm¨¦e pointed out. "Or my father could build machines to stress my body," Priam said, shrugging. "That doesn¡¯t solve the problem: my body needs to resonate with the core¡¯s rune to acquire the resistance. Preferably, the epic version." Priam''s true goal was to skip the common and rare skill rarities to avoid gaining too many attributes. His Tribulations loomed, and his constitution was nearing the next threshold. If he wanted to include this new resistance in Heavenly Dragon, he couldn''t wait for level-ups, upgrades, and fusions of the three basic skills. Esm¨¦e was contemplating a solution when Priam had an idea. "Could I temporarily transplant the core in my body?" Esm¨¦e shook her head. "A core is made of crystallized aether; you would poison your meridians and spirit body by doing that." "I''d survive," Priam grimaced. "But not the core; my aether would corrode it..." For several minutes, the two rivals exchanged ideas, formulating a plan while Ymir occasionally chimed in. Numerous theories were proposed, tested, and discarded. When their ideas began to dwindle, Priam ended the brainstorming session. Delving into aether arcane with a prodigy like Esm¨¦e was exhilarating, but he sensed the baby wyrm coiled around his wrist growing bored. "I''ll ponder it in my free time," Esm¨¦e sighed. "I feel a solution is close." Priam nodded. He would consult the phoenix once they had exhausted all their ideas¡ªbut not before. No one improved by simply looking at the answer. Perched atop the ramparts of Oasis, Priam and Esm¨¦e watched as waves of corrupted creatures were ground to dust by bio-traps, decimated by hoplites, and shredded by Rose''s turrets. On the warrior''s left shoulder, the young wyrm observed the battle with keen interest. "Our Holy Guardian has finally hatched?" Priam smiled as he saw Kazuki approaching, wiping blood from the tip of his spear. A simple application of Spear Mastery II could have done the job, but the hoplite warrior insisted on cleaning his weapon himself. Perhaps this purist mindset explained why he was such a spear virtuoso. "Meet our future protector," Priam said, mentally indicating to the young creature that Kazuki was a friend. The wyrm floated in the air to Kazuki''s cheek, licking it with her tongue. A brief smile crossed the hoplite''s face as he gently stroked the scales of Oasis''s future guardian. "She''s adorable. Does she have a name?" "Not yet," Priam admitted. "I want to get to know her personality first." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "How about Moonie?" Priam turned to see Blueberry approaching. "That''s the second worst name I''ve ever heard." "If the first is Blueberry, I swear I won''t cook for you for at least a month," the bear declared. Kazuki and Esm¨¦e smiled as Priam grumbled. "Speaking of food, I''m organizing a banquet tonight for the arrival of the new artisans... and for our new guardian, I suppose," Blueberry added. "That could be good for team cohesion," Priam agreed. "It''s just an excuse to make you pay for the food," the bear laughed. "By the way, my instincts tell me you have something for me." Opening a portal to his internal world, Priam pulled out the carcass of a giant amphiptere. "Tastes like a cross between chicken and duck," he said. The giant bear slung the winged serpent over his shoulder like a scarf and started to walk away. "Don''t be late." "... There''s no way I''m calling her Moonie," Priam declared once the cook was out of earshot. "I''ll come up with something else." "It''s important not to rush these things," the hoplite agreed, turning back to the scene of carnage. Protected by the second barrier created by the ramparts, they couldn''t hear anything, but the trembling forest spoke volumes about the battle''s violence. "Are you going to have her fight?" "That''s what she wants." The wyrm struggled against Priam''s Domain, eager to approach the battlefield. "She''s small, but she''s a weapon created by the System, and I have a feeling it''ll boost her growth." "The war forges strong people," agreed Kazuki. Priam hesitated before releasing his bond. "Show us what you''re capable of..." The tiny wyrm zipped toward the battlefield at a walking pace. Within seconds, she reached the nearest corrupted creature. A fox¡¯s skeleton was attempting to cut the roots of a bio-trap. The Holy Guardian''s monochrome scales turned white just before she touched her foe. The collision wasn''t brutal; the wyrm created a hole in the bone, vaporizing the fox''s body and aether upon contact. The undead''s remains fell to the ground, disarticulated, as the wyrm continued her hunt. Priam whistled, impressed. The fox was as weak as a corrupted creature could be, but the wyrm was only a few hours old. "She''s the natural enemy of the undead," Kazuki noted. "Their anathema," Esm¨¦e added. "Her aether possesses a Holy affinity that nullifies the Necro Concept of these creatures." Priam smiled as his bond shredded more corrupted beings. The Tier 0s didn''t stand a chance against her; they didn''t even seem to register her presence until she touched them. He squinted as he saw the wyrm approach a fallen Tier 1. One of the turrets had broken its legs, and the zombie bear was crawling toward a hoplite. When the future guardian touched it, the Tier 1 froze. Its flesh began to smoke before being eaten away, but its resistance slowed the wyrm. The bear roared and attacked. Before it could reach the draconic creature, a small ice bullet-spear exploded its head. "I guess it''s still too early for her to kill Tier 1s," Priam said, sensing the wyrm''s confusion. She wondered why she hadn''t absorbed energy from her adversary. "She doesn''t just nullify the Necro Concept; she devours it." "Does that help her growth?" Esm¨¦e asked. "I suppose so." The rivals watched the battle for a few more minutes before Kazuki broke the silence. "Have you built her a nest?" "No?" The hoplite pointed to the creature innocently stalking the undead. "She''s already flying slower than before. She''s not a robot; she needs rest." Priam grimaced and turned toward Log-a-rhythm. The two protectors of Oasis would be a tree of life and a pseudo-dragon. It reminded him of Norse mythology, where N¨ªdh?gg lived under Yggdrasil. The legend said the dragon gnawed at the world tree''s roots, but the young lord had no intention of letting that happen. Mentally, he connected his link with Log-a-rhythm with that of the wyrm. The young creature turned toward the tree, puzzled. The guardian tree''s leaves rustled to greet her, and Priam smiled as the draconic creature headed for a random tree. A Secret Passage opened, depositing the wyrm into Log-a-rhythm''s trunk. A sort of snake''s nest awaited her, and he felt his bond drink a bit of sap before falling asleep. Her scales darkened, and her digestion began. As Priam, Esm¨¦e, Kazuki, and Jasmine crossed the rift, they discovered that the construction was progressing well. A large circular slab, twenty meters in radius, lay beneath the rift, serving as the foundation for the future outpost. Domain reported a crystalline structure, resembling quartz, with numerous hidden channels. Upon closer inspection, Priam realized the foundation was embedded with concealed runes. A few meters away, Alain, Bertomne, Rose, and Myuri were engaged in a heated discussion. Priam cleared his throat to announce their arrival. ¡°Hey kid, back already? Did the egg hatch?¡± ¡°Into an adorable wyrm,¡± Priam grinned as Jasmine groaned. The assassin hadn''t seen the creature before it fell asleep and was disappointed. ¡°I see the project is coming along well.¡± ¡°The foundations are complete; a half-sphere twenty meters in radius with stakes driven forty meters deep. Reinforced by my skills, it will withstand any earthquake,¡± Bertomne explained. ¡°We¡¯re adding various runes now, but Miss Rose isn¡¯t satisfied with my work.¡± Priam noted a hint of respect in his voice when he spoke of Rose. ¡°Alain says this structure looks like purified and vitrified sand, almost like glass. The material is exceptionally conductive and can amplify the power of the runes. Accepting energy losses is just stupid,¡± the teenager complained, sifting through the plans scattered across a table. ¡°I won''t settle for anything less than perfect patterns.¡± Priam nodded. He was a perfectionist too and understood her sentiment. ¡°What runes are you using?¡± ¡°Boundary to trap Elysium''s aether, Dynamic shield to distribute attacks over a large surface, Elasticity to prevent the crystalline structure from shattering, and Growth on Bertomne''s advice.¡± ¡°Growth? To make the material replicate on its own?¡± ¡°Not that kind of growth,¡± the artisan clarified. ¡°The slab is made of Tier 0 sand, and Growth will infuse it with aether over time. In a few months, the sand¡¯s aetheric code will mutate, and this crystal will reach Tier 1. With Elysium''s aether flowing through the rift, it might even reach Tier 2, making it nearly indestructible in a Tier 1 world.¡± The argument was sound, and the rivals discussed the banquet with the artisans before heading off. Kazuki and Jasmine ventured into the forest to explore, while Priam and Esm¨¦e headed toward the sea. As the waves began to lap at his feet, Priam cloaked his body in a film of opaque mist, allowing him to dive underwater without looking like a streaker. A surprised cry behind him made him turn around. ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Esm¨¦e grimaced as the water reached her ankles. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Priam promised. Their inhuman constitution protected them from the cold¡¯s damage but didn¡¯t make it any more comfortable. The princess waded in until the water reached her knees. ¡°My outfit isn¡¯t exactly appropriate, is it?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Priam laughed. Her dress was perfect for a ball, not for swimming. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Esm¨¦e said, heading towards the rift. A few minutes later, Priam sighed in disappointment. ¡°This is better,¡± the princess smiled as she easily stepped into the water, now wearing a wetsuit. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I thought you were going to get a swimsuit,¡± Priam admitted. Esm¨¦e pointed to her outfit. ¡°The Sun Shop suggested this for comfort and warmth. It even has an enchantment against pressure. Do swimsuits offer better protection?¡± ¡°In some video games, maybe, but not in real life,¡± Priam chuckled. ¡°They just highlight your figure more.¡± Esm¨¦e raised an eyebrow before smiling. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll buy one when we get back.¡± Before Priam¡¯s imagination could run wild, the princess pulled out a piece of chewing gum and dove underwater. Taking a deep breath, he followed her. The water was cool but not cold, and crystal clear. Dodging a school of unfamiliar fish, Priam caught up to Esm¨¦e as she swam away from the shore. To his surprise, the princess wasn¡¯t swimming; she had summoned two solid aether propellers that she used to propel herself. Weaving his aether into a mental bridge, he directed it toward Esm¨¦e, who connected to it. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you take any dioxygen gum.¡± ¡°To breathe?¡± Priam guessed. ¡°I can hold my breath for a long time, and if necessary, I can even breathe my aether for a while.¡± ¡°Handy.¡± As they left the protected bay, Esm¨¦e stopped. ¡°I¡¯m going to divine the location of the seventh Terror. Give me your hand.¡± Priam complied. The princess¡¯s hand seemed small in his as she appeared to read his palm. Suddenly, he felt his draconic bloodline react. ¡°Found it!¡± exclaimed Esm¨¦e. ¡°It''s a hundred kilometers from here, alone and unmoving. That must be its lair.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time; I don¡¯t want to miss Blueberry¡¯s meal.¡± Nodding, the princess pointed in a direction, and the two rivals set off. It was time to obtain the first trophy. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 707 Constitution 1 105 Agility 773 Vitality 1 040 Perception 766 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 656 Memory 842 Willpower 1 163 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 799 Meta-focus 409 Meta-endurance 617 Meta-perception 339 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 Potential: 13 607 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 480 901 (+356) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 12 hours 47 minutes 5 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 243: May the Forest be with You Valaryth was a world of splendor, both on the surface and beneath the sea. Having grown up near the ocean, Priam admired this force more than he feared it. Sure, the unknown could be terrifying, but it never discouraged him. Once underwater, a new world opened up to him. Priam felt fortunate that the marine topography was in their favor. The seabed never descended beyond fifty meters, and with his enhanced vision and [Echolocation], he had no trouble navigating. Natural light filtered down to the sandy bottom, illuminating algae, fish, reefs, and other wonders. Instead of worrying about monsters from the deep, the two rivals enjoyed the expedition, admiring the local wildlife. ¡°Look at these fish, they¡¯re all colors of the rainbow!¡± Priam smiled as he heard Esm¨¦e exclaiming in delight while a school of small fish enveloped them. In a world away from her rotten family and in this new environment, the princess finally shed her royal shell, allowing the young woman within her to marvel at the beauty around her. ¡°They look delicious,¡± Priam noted, mentally mapping their position relative to the outpost. Blueberry would undoubtedly be thrilled to make sushi out of them. ¡°All you think about is food,¡± teased the young woman. ¡°Guilty as charged!¡± Laughing, Esm¨¦e continued her exploration. They chatted as they traveled, Priam sharing his knowledge. "See those rocks? They¡¯re corals, a type of living stone,¡± Priam explained. ¡°Really? How is that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a colony of tiny organisms with calcium skeletons, I think. I don¡¯t know much more, but they can form massive reefs.¡± On Earth, the Great Barrier Reef was visible from space. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful... oh, you¡¯re right, it¡¯s moving!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a crustacean,¡± Priam chuckled. Esm¨¦e moved closer to touch it, and Priam smiled as he saw her light up with joy. The political machinations might have stifled the child in her, but they hadn¡¯t killed it. ¡°Did you notice their shape?¡± Esm¨¦e asked, pointing to the coral. ¡°Their shape?¡± ¡°They cover the rock they grow on, but if you look closely, the base is rectangular. We¡¯re on submerged ruins.¡± Using his Domain to scan the environment, Priam was surprised to find familiar blocks beneath the coral. The stone used to build the city of the amphipteres was now infested with coral. ¡°I wonder what could have caused the rise in sea levels¡­¡± Over the next hour, the two rivals advanced, stopping occasionally to admire the underwater scenery or to pet a few fish. The biodiversity was rich, both in fauna and flora. The trip was a unique multisensory experience that delighted both of them. After rounding a coral reef, they stopped. In front of them, the sea abruptly plunged into an abyss. No fish approached it, and even the water was colder. ¡°The stroll ends here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back," Priam promised. "After the ocean¡¯s treasures, let¡¯s see its horrors¡­¡± Proceeding cautiously, the two rivals descended into the depths, staying close to the cliff. It might have been foolish, but the landmark comforted them. Soon, the light faded, and Priam used Domain and [Echolocation] to navigate. Esm¨¦e seemed fine as she didn¡¯t ask for help. Feeling the slight weight of the water on his body, Priam glanced at his add-on. [Current depth: 453 meters.] A smile crept onto his lips. During his last dive in Valaryth three weeks ago, his record had been five hundred meters. His constitution and [Star Iron Body] couldn¡¯t withstand higher pressure, sealing any hope of further descent. Twenty-four days later, he had doubled his constitution, upgraded his race, and improved various resistances. With [Sun Steel Body], an ideal and Epic resistance, the compression from the ambient pressure barely bothered him. And that was without equipping his scales... ¡°I''m not sure I can go much deeper,¡± Esm¨¦e warned. ¡°This suit is enchanted to resist pressure, but my constitution is too weak to handle the leaks.¡± Priam nodded, slowing down before stopping. ¡°Can you guide me above the Terror¡¯s lair?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After a vertical descent, the two rivals moved horizontally away from the cliff. Around them, the darkness was absolute. Now that Priam could convert his aether into light, he was tempted to do so but quickly reconsidered. Creating a light source in the middle of an abyss was like lighting a torch in a dark forest: it was sure to attract unwanted attention. Closing their eyes, Priam and Esm¨¦e accelerated without needing to discuss it. The prospect of being spotted by an abomination from the depths was unappealing to both. Focusing on [Swimming], Priam summoned his scales to activate [Smooth Scales]. The water¡¯s relative viscosity decreased, and the change threw him off for a moment. The fluid¡¯s lack of resistance prevented him from properly propelling himself, his strokes cutting through the liquid like gas. Grimacing, Priam cursed himself as he deactivated the scales on his arms. He could now push against the water again and surged forward to catch up with Esm¨¦e. The rest of his body remained covered in scales, allowing him to ignore most of the water¡¯s resistance. Sensing his approach, the princess flashed him a smile and created aether helixes under her feet to accelerate. Spinning, they propelled her forward and the water backward. Feeling the current slow him down as he tried to catch up, Priam smiled. Not letting herself get caught was one thing, but pushing him back? "Want to race?" "You''re too slow, I can barely hear you," the princess lied with a grin. Priam didn''t just like competition; he loved it. His draconic bloodline roared, and he almost used [Kinetic Control] to surpass his opponent before rejecting the idea. An easy win would be disappointing, and this was too good an opportunity to level up some neglected skills. Using Micro to focus on each movement, Priam let his dexterity resonate with [Swimming]. Instantly, he adjusted his arm position and synchronized his limbs. Once satisfied with the improvements, he overclocked his muscles and lunged forward. His hearts pounded in his chest, and Priam smiled. There was something cathartic about heeding a physical skill¡¯s advice and refining his movements. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 13 STR +1 "Maybe I should deactivate one of my helixes to make it more interesting?" the princess winked. She was still much faster than him. Ignoring the dopamine rush from the level-up, Priam focused. Blood pulsing in his ears, he commanded his add-on to simulate different swimming techniques. His system analyzed the images of Olympic events he had watched on TV and that his Ultimate Sensory Memory could recall. He cross-referenced this with animal documentaries, studying ocean inhabitants¡¯ swimming patterns. Receiving the first results, Priam realized he was foolish to rely solely on his arms and legs. Inspired by dolphins, he began to undulate, the motion starting from his head and traveling down to his joined legs. At the end of the movement, his feet whipped the water powerfully. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 14 STR +1 The motion propelled him forward but not as far as his add-on had predicted. Priam almost grumbled, noting that the scales on his legs cut through the water too easily. This was problematic as he needed to push against the water to leap forward. In the same way that it was easier to jump on hard ground than on sand, the absence of friction resistance was sometimes a bad thing. I need to reduce my resistance in some areas and increase it in others. He did just that. With his add-on and scientific knowledge, Priam began activating and deactivating his scales, synchronizing them with his movements. When he pulled with his arms or kicked with his feet, the absence of scales was perfect for gripping the water and pushing it back. The counterforce propelled his body forward. At the end of the movement, Priam activated his scales to bring his arms forward without being slowed down by the environment. Playing with the lack of resistance, he then adjusted the scales covering the rest of his body, synchronizing their invocation with his undulations. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 15 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] Lvl 33 AGI +1 PERC +1 DEXT +1 Surging forward, Priam surpassed the speed records of dolphins, then sharks. Dynamically materializing his scales to optimize his movements, he refocused on his rival. Ahead, the princess no longer taunted him, and her helixes spun so fast they were invisible to his Domain. Eyes closed, Priam entered the zone and swam. Gradually, the hunter began to close the gap. When he started to veer right to overtake Esm¨¦e, his rival mirrored him, continuing to project a current behind her to slow him down. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It was futile. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 16 STR +1 Each skill level-up helped Priam correct his posture and better control his scales. Esm¨¦e kept changing her helixes¡¯ shapes, but Priam gained ground. She could have left him in the dust by enlarging them, but they both knew that would be an admission of defeat. As his muscles began to burn, Priam broke a record. Title upgraded! [Hermes'' Apprentice - Bronze] becomes [Hermes¡¯ Disciple - Silver] [Hermes'' Disciple - Silver] - You run faster than a cheetah and swim swifter than a sailfish. From high in the sky, the falcon watches you. One last chain holds you back from accelerating further: your hair. Shave it off and unleash the power of the bald that sleeps within you. AGI +60 Priam grimaced. As it prevented the scales from forming on his scalp, his hair slowed him down. He could make many sacrifices to win, but going bald was not one of them. It was a pity, but he would triumph even with this handicap. Too soon to join your club, Saitama! Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Swimming] x5. Lvl Up: [Swimming] Lvl 17, 18, 19, 20 STR +4 [Swimming] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Swimming - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Dolphin Swimming - Rare] - Abandoning the crawl, you mimic the dolphin¡¯s undulations to move at great speed underwater. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10 [Valaryth Swimming - Rare] - You are a citizen of Atlantis. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 Priam was taken aback when he read the last option. He already knew that Valaryth could reward him for reaching milestones; descending below five hundred meters had earned him a Silver Title, [Atlantis Citizen], and some level-ups. However, he hadn¡¯t known that this Title could be a prerequisite for an upgrade. Interesting. You have selected the skill [Valaryth Swimming - Rare]. POT-20 [Valaryth Swimming] - Influenced by an alien Concept, this skill is unique, but its rune is present in the core of some locals. Enhances your instinct and talent for swimming. Your body better handles environmental pressure, and your mind is never lost in the depths. The last time you won a swimming race was right after you came out of your father''s balls. STR +2 AGI +1 Lvl Up: [Valaryth Swimming] Lvl 2 STR +2 AGI +1 The transition to the new swimming skill was smooth. Priam smiled as new inspirations filled his mind. Adjusting the position of his arms, he felt his connection to his environment and his scales strengthen. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] Lvl 23 AGI +3 Taking advantage of the synergy, he accelerated too quickly for Esm¨¦e to block him. Catching up to his beautiful rival, he flashed a smile and overtook her. ¡°What do I win?¡± he winked. ¡°What do you want?¡± asked the princess. ¡°For the System to delete my internet history. And a nice stick.¡± Esm¨¦e looked at him incredulously. When [Echolocation] finally sent back a sound wave, Priam went alert. A few seconds later, the two rivals arrived before an underwater mountain. Without light, he couldn¡¯t truly assess its dimensions, but his perception skill told him it was close to the surface and descended over a kilometer below him. Possibly much more. ¡°It¡¯s hiding in this mountain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a volcano.¡± ¡°Active?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. The good news is that your target isn¡¯t in the magma chamber.¡± Priam shrugged. As a Fire Champion, he was almost certain a lava bath wouldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°Where is it?¡± Esm¨¦e remained silent for a moment before a wave of information crossed the mental bridge. Lvl Up: [Mind Bridge] Lvl 5 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 As Priam tried to make sense of the information he received, his add-on took over. A moment later, his mini-map updated with a network of tunnels and underground caverns deep within the volcano. The amount and precision of the data impressed Priam. ¡°The target is nearly two kilometers deep. If it¡¯s too far, I can lure it here,¡± the princess offered. Priam shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s kind, but my instincts tell me I must handle this monster alone. A trophy is personal.¡± ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll find you when you¡¯re done.¡± Priam gave a thumbs-up before diving. He had a draconic heart to devour. Dishnu looked up as the huntress entered the clearing. As an excellent empath, the forest guardian immediately sensed the dark thoughts of the stranger. Anger, resentment, and arrogance¡ªa destructive cocktail. ¡°You¡¯ve created a lovely forest,¡± the huntress smiled, holding a dagger in each hand. ¡°I saved what I could.¡± The arrival of the Necromoon had been a catastrophe in the Drya''s eyes. It had also been a revelation. ¡°Trees resistant to necro corruption.¡± The stranger looked at the forest appreciatively. ¡°Your bioengineering skills surpass our shamans¡¯.¡± Dishnu shrugged to indicate his disinterest. He had so many trees left to save; did she really need to waste his time? ¡°I see you¡¯re less talkative than your rivals.¡± The drya sent a wave of aether through the ground that traveled hundreds of kilometers before reaching Log-a-rhythm. The tree was in excellent health, and someone was actively reinforcing it. Seeing another gardener''s work piqued the guardian''s curiosity, and he began extending his domain in that direction. Perhaps, by joining forces with Log-a-rhythm, they could protect the forest? ¡°I wanted to provoke you before killing you¡­¡± Dishnu blinked. ¡°Do I finally have your attention?¡± ¡°I am a being of peace and have no material possessions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to find a gift to appease one of your rivals. I¡¯m sure your heart will boost his tree while sending a strong message,¡± the Tier 3 smiled cruelly. ¡°No matter your potential as Champions, you¡¯re just Tier 0s.¡± Dishnu nodded. His heart could theoretically amplify Log-a-rhythm¡¯s power, but he had to be selfish and refuse. The forest needed him. As his opponent opened her mouth to spew more nonsense, the forest guardian sighed. Dishnu wept tears of sap as he beheld the shattered trees. The battle had been fierce, and the collateral damage was immense. It would take him at least a day to mend the destruction. ¡°Monster¡­¡± the broken huntress murmured. Ignoring his captive, the drya plucked a yellow flower, an ethereal wood daffodil, and began altering its genetic and aethereal code. His old world had been teeming with fascinating plants, and one of them was particularly well-known to the Dryas. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± The huntress was wracked with a fit of coughing, spitting blood and bits of crushed organs. Her scarred mind could no longer summon Micro, and she curled up on the ground in agony. Dishnu was in no hurry to end the Tier 3; every second, her aether was strengthening her blood, which in turn enriched the soil as it dripped. ¡°Finish me off¡­¡± the defeated huntress whimpered. In Dishnu¡¯s hand, the flower¡¯s petals turned crimson and a bulb appeared. Satisfied, he turned to the Tier 3, now mumbling like a madwoman. ¡°My tribe will burn this fucking wood, they will¡ª¡± Dishnu planted the bulb in the huntress''s open mouth. The flower extended its roots into her veins and arteries, paralyzing her nervous system. Moments later, the plant connected to the forest and released a wave of aether. Like a parasite, it absorbed the aether from its victim while healing her. The eyes of the humanoid battery widened in horror as she realized her fate. ¡°Your body will fertilize the forest until you have repaid your blood debt.¡± Life always found a way to survive. Even when it didn¡¯t want to. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 725 (+18) Constitution 1 105 Agility 842 (+69) Vitality 1 040 Perception 767 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 570 Dexterity 657 (+1) Memory 842 Willpower 1 163 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 801 (+2) Meta-focus 409 Meta-endurance 617 Meta-perception 340 (+1) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 Potential: 13 605 (-2) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 481 104 (+203) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 11 hours 17 minutes 8 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 244: Abyssal Explorer ¡°What did you learn from the fight?¡± asked Kazuki. ¡°My saber struggled to pierce its scales,¡± Gallad reported. The former instructor nodded, eyes on the shredded corpse of the amphiptere. The winged serpent had ambushed the two hoplites as they explored the city. Knowing his rival had a penchant for slaying draconic creatures, Kazuki had first tried to repel the beast before realizing it was rabid and killing it was necessary. ¡°Draconic talents are formidable.¡± The Hoplite Champion had no trouble breaching the creature''s defenses, but his build was tailored for armor-piercing. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Considering the size of this beast, it''s not an adult. The creature Blueberry is cooking is at least four times larger... This world is dangerous, even for Titan-class warriors,¡± Gallad said, frowning. He was disappointed but too disciplined to deny the truth. ¡°Yet, data from the Reunion suggests I should be able to handle most Tier 1s without issue.¡± ¡°I felt more resistance piercing this serpent''s scales than Eleha''s skin,¡± Kazuki said, kneeling to touch the amphiptere''s scales. They were still tough, but much less so than during the fight. ¡°The harsh environment forces the inhabitants to push their limits to reach Tier 1. It''s good training for us.¡± Gallad nodded. ¡°We will fight to pave the way, sir. What''s our next move?¡± ¡°Let''s keep exploring. We can''t leave such powerful enemies near the rift.¡± If Priam had wanted to kill every amphiptere, he would have done so. The two hoplites continued exploring the ruins for almost two hours without encountering any new adversaries. ¡°According to the Guardian of Secrets, draconic creatures breed like rabbits, yet this city is empty,¡± Gallad noted. ¡°It''s possible a certain density of aether is needed for these creatures to reproduce easily. Or something is culling them,¡± Kazuki replied, eyeing the two buildings at the city''s heart. The warriors headed toward the first building, which resembled a temple. Priam had likely visited it already, as two enormous winged serpent corpses lay inside. After analyzing the hall to better understand the amphipteres'' strengths and weaknesses, they moved to the second structure. Its double doors were titanic, nearly ten meters high, but dwarfed by the edifice''s towers, some of which reached two hundred meters. Pausing at the entrance, the warriors surveyed the lobby. The monumental room was tall enough to comfortably fit Log-a-rhythm and nearly a hundred meters long. Colorful statues and purple tapestries filled the space. Besides the opulent decor that had weathered time well, Kazuki''s eyes were drawn to the hundreds of skeletons littering the floor. ¡°Amphipteres died here,¡± Gallad stated the obvious. ¡°The question is: were they hunted or did they come here voluntarily?¡± Kazuki scanned for traps and found nothing. The corpses were scattered haphazardly, some piled on top of others. Only the staircase at the lobby''s far end, leading to the building''s core, was free of remains. ¡°Permission to scout ahead.¡± ¡°Permission denied. Go inform Hyshana and bring back all the soldiers on break,¡± Kazuki ordered. ¡°Tell them to bring their mechs.¡± Gallad saluted, then left without another word. The hoplites weren''t obligated to help Priam invade this world, but compensation might tempt them. Something tells me this building hides interesting secrets... Kazuki surveyed the lobby without stepping inside. The doors could shut behind him, and he refused to die foolishly. His gaze returned to the remains. While the flesh had decayed, leaving only traces on the floor, the bones had endured. Kazuki noticed they were far from intact. Some had been crushed, sliced, pierced, or burned... others had simply vanished. Each amphiptere had perished in violent conflict. But against what adversary? A faint noise alerted Kazuki, who leapt back. The doors slammed shut, nearly pushing him inside. A trap. Summoning his spear, the hoplite prepared for battle. Five minutes passed with the doors remaining closed. The enemy was cautious. Kazuki pointed his spear at the heavy stone doors. In a fluid motion, he channeled maximum energy from his feet to his shoulders and struck the stone. The air vibrated, and the shockwave swept the ground before the building. The door remained intact. Kazuki''s face showed no disappointment or frustration. Mobilizing Micro II and Spear Mastery II, he repeated the attack. The impact shook the ground, and a fragment of stone chipped off the door. Stretching his wrists, sore from the shock, the Spear Virtuoso contemplated improvements. He could enhance penetration by focusing his Mastery on the spear tip rather than the blade. With a stationary target, he could plant his feet firmly, drawing more power from the ground. Agility was unnecessary; the strike needed to be powerful, not swift. Micro II could overclock other muscles while reinforcing his wrists. I could also take inspiration from Priam and his high-intensity barrage... Kazuki resumed his stance and attacked again. The ground trembled, his spear vibrated, and a fragment of stone sublimated, transformed into gas like a flint being struck. Three tries later, he doubled the fragment''s size with each strike. Ten tries later, he developed a new epic skill for destroying hard materials. Forty tries later, a fist-sized hole was visible in the right door. Sweat beaded on the tiny scales covering his skin, but the warrior was satisfied. His spear skills made progress, and that was what mattered. When the hole reached fifty centimeters in radius, having penetrated half the door''s thickness, the invisible enemy had enough. The double doors opened again, revealing a statue at the lobby''s far end. Descending the stairs, the stone figure locked eyes with Kazuki. ¡°After all this time, the Concepts send soldiers... Isn''t the fate of this fragment cruel enough?¡± Rather than answer, Kazuki took a defensive stance. His instincts told him this mysterious foe was at least as powerful as Eleha. His chances of victory were slim, but the Champion refused to back down. His defeat against Eleha had confirmed that the only way to protect his people was to become stronger. [Symbiosis - Knightmare], [Odyssey - Legendary]. As his armor materialized around him and his Story unfolded, Kazuki identified the stranger. [Multi-Analysis] [Stone Sentinel - Tier 1 - Earl] - A sentinel controlled by a vengeful spirit. The sentinel leapt. Breaking the sound barrier with its acceleration, it arrived in front of Kazuki in an instant, swinging a warhammer. The hoplite parried instinctively and countered with [Odyssey - Legendary Thrust]. His third legendary skill, boosted by Odyssey, struck the sentinel''s neck. The blow sent the sentinel flying like a puppet hit by a missile. According to his AI, the combo created by the two skills was powerful enough to decapitate Eleha if the Tier 3 allowed herself to be hit. The sentinel stood up and mended the crack with a wave of its hand. Kazuki tightened his grip. The fight would be tough. That was precisely what he wanted. Title upgraded! [Atlantis Citizen - Silver] becomes [Abyssal Explorer - Gold]. Congratulations! [Abyssal Explorer - Gold] - One kilometer deep. You¡¯ve reached a zone where light never penetrates. The pressure is terrifying, but for now, you¡¯ve realized it¡¯s not a real problem. Your instincts are sharp; the Abyss is a mysterious place. Humanity has conquered space but not the ocean depths. As a Champion of Humanity, it¡¯s your role to be the pioneer. Increases the learning speed of underwater skills. AGI +30% Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Asphyxia Resistance] x5; [Smooth Scales] x5 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] Lvl 24,..., 28 VIT +10 The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. META (Endurance) +5 Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] Lvl 24,..., 28 AGI +15 With the Title¡¯s upgraded bonus and level-ups, a primal energy nourished Priam¡¯s physique. His agility increased, transforming his muscles, tendons, and bones, while he felt his dependency on oxygen decrease, relieving him of a burden. He had made a mistake by not resurfacing for air, but his resistance plus [Breathless] still gave him another half hour. So, I have about twenty minutes to find the Terror¡­ Descending below a thousand meters hadn¡¯t been too complicated. Thanks to his knowledge of physics, Priam knew that the water making up sixty percent of his body was nearly incompressible. Theoretically, an ordinary human could dive ten times deeper without their organs bursting. Several difficulties prevented this feat, the primary being the need to breathe. The pressure of the air in the lungs must equal that of the outside environment. This was a problem for divers with tanks, as the density of gases increased with pressure, requiring greater breathing effort and modification of the inhaled air. This wasn¡¯t an obstacle for Priam because he could hold his breath for a long time. However, without taking a breath, the air in his lungs was at a much lower pressure compared to the outside. The water¡¯s weight compressed his lungs, and while his constitution and [Sun Steel Body] kept him from being crushed like a soda can, this was a temporary aid. Priam had found a better solution by filling his lungs with saltwater. Without a void to press on, the pressure on his ribcage vanished. The sensation was obviously uncomfortable, but Micro sealed his lungs. Other physiological issues would arise at greater depths, but for now, Priam could continue his hunt without a problem. Eyes closed, he swam, feeling his powerful muscles propel him towards the abyss. Guided by [Echolocation], he entered a canyon. The chasm had straight edges as if cut by a gigantic sword. It lay at the foot of an underwater volcano and seemed anything but natural. Priam wasn¡¯t there to study the local topology and continued his descent. At fifteen hundred meters, a creature akin to a giant squid crossed his path. Possessing about twenty tentacles nearly forty meters long, it approached within ten meters of him. Priam prepared for battle, summoning Promesse and a dozen ice spears. To counter the water¡¯s viscosity, he covered them with Spear Mastery and Conquest Aura. The misty halo created a glow that pierced the darkness, seemingly terrorizing the cephalopod, which retreated. It¡¯s afraid of the light or the Aura. Shrugging, Priam resumed swimming towards the depths. He encountered other inhabitants, but none sought trouble except for a lamprey he froze using [Kinetic Control]. His instincts whispered that nightmarish creatures inhabited the abyss, but for now, they showed no interest in him. At two kilometers deep, he reached the bottom of the underwater gorge. The two steep sides met in an artificial line running the length of the canyon. No Terror was visible on the horizon, and there was no way to go deeper without digging a hole through the rock. Frowning, Priam touched the bottom before passing his hand over the perfectly smooth stone. A thin layer of sand covered the canyon, but nothing indicated the presence of his enemy. Was Esm¨¦e wrong? Knowing she could scry him despite his ideal Epic resistance, Priam doubted it. Maybe he had swum diagonally? His add-on confirmed he had deviated by about fifty meters during his vertical dive. Using Domain to anchor himself to the ocean floor, Priam ascended the chasm before reaching a new point. Nothing seemed different, but his Domain detected an absence of sand. The young man roamed the seabed for a few minutes before noticing a nearly one hundred square meter section of stone was pristine. No sand, no small algae, no organic debris rested on the stone. That¡¯s suspicious. A hidden gate? Priam infused his aether into the ground and tried using Domain to probe it without success. Equipping Promesse, he struck the ground several times¡ªin vain. His spear skills were ineffective underwater as his weapon benefited from his Titles and Talents, but not from his resistances. This was regrettable because [Smooth Scales] alone could have turned him into a master of aquatic combat. Currently, his only attack capable of piercing rock was Breath and it would transform the surroundings into vapor, likely injuring him in return. He searched for a clue, a crack, and even ended up pronouncing ¡°Mellon¡± with an old wizard accent before admitting the truth: the riddle eluded him. As his lungs began to cry out in distress, Priam used his kinetic mastery to cool the water in a sphere around him. The goal was to create an ice shell to safely open a passage to Concepts Archipelago. He could then breathe and consult the Phoenix. Priam siphoned nearby kinetic energy, wary of a potential ambush. The ambient temperature dropped to zero degrees Celsius without the water solidifying. When it reached minus eight degrees Celsius while remaining liquid, Priam was astonished. Saltwater had a lower freezing point than pure water, but not by that much. Intrigued, he continued channeling his skill, observing the water¡¯s behavior through his Domain. His Supremacy wasn¡¯t fine enough to study individual molecules, but his add-on could perceive trends. Forgetting his prey for a few seconds, Priam focused on his kinetic proficiency, trying to understand the molecules¡¯ behavior through his skill. As the water approached minus ten degrees Celsius, his Ultimate Sensory Memory recalled the phase diagram for water¡ªa diagram showing the state change temperature of a pure substance depending on its pressure. I¡¯m so dumb. He had forgotten his physics lessons. At two thousand meters deep, the water pressure was two hundred times that of the atmosphere. On Valaryth, this pressure was greater than on Earth, resulting in a much lower state change temperature. The water began to freeze at minus fifteen degrees Celsius. As the ice dome appeared, half of Priam¡¯s attention was focused on his kinetic skill. Through his Domain and skill, he now saw a link between pressure, temperature, and kinetic energy. This epiphany resonated within him, deepened his understanding of the skill, and allowed him to delve deeper into its intricacies. Lvl Up: [Physics - Matter] Lvl 2, 3, 4 VIVA +9 Lvl Up: [Physics - Energy] Lvl 3, 4, 5 VIVA +9 Priam was taken aback when he saw his Vivacity so close to six hundred. If he gained eight more points, he would trigger a sixth Tribulation. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he instructed his add-on to block any level-up with Potential. Forcing himself to ignore this annoyance, Priam focused on digesting the inspirations and knowledge he had just acquired. This would help him better master his kinetic ability and understand its limits and possibilities. The System appeared to agree. [Kinetic Control] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Another upgrade unlocked. Three upgrades are available: [Kinetic Domination - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Domain, [Physics - Forces], [Physics - Energies], [Adaptive Golden Meridians]. You know about subtle kinetic applications but prefer power. Shock and velocity become your main weapons. You sow great destruction on the battlefield. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360. [Chemical & Kinetic Control - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Pyro Concept (Affinity), Domain, [Physics - Matter]. Pyro grants you an affinity with thermal energy. Domain allows you to finely manipulate particles. You can now catalyze or halt certain chemical reactions. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 180. [Thermal & Kinetic Control - Legendary] - Prerequisites: Pyro Concept (Affinity), Domain, [Physics - Energies], [Physics - Matter]. Your affinity with thermal energy and Domain enable you to manipulate thermal agitation as well as the movement of molecules and atoms. You understand the role of pressure in the grand scheme of things. In your Domain, different states coexist. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360. NEW Priam felt his heart race upon seeing the high upgrade. With this new prerequisite checked, he was sure that mastering the Pyro Concept was the final hurdle before achieving an ideal upgrade of his most versatile skill. But first¡­ As the ice layer shielded him from the pressure, Priam opened a passage to Concepts Archipelago. The water around him surged into the portal before a rush of air flowed from the opposite direction. Taking a deep breath, Priam smiled as he felt his cells revive. There were few things better than taking a gulp of air just after narrowly escaping drowning. Satisfied, he took a step forward to cross through the portal and collided with the beak of the phoenix standing at the entrance. ¡°Well, well... A draconic lair.¡± Priam could have sworn his mentor was smiling. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 725 Constitution 1 105 Agility 864 (+22) Vitality 1 058 (+18) Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 592 (+22) Dexterity 657 Memory 842 Willpower 1 163 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 801 Meta-focus 409 Meta-endurance 624 (+7) Meta-perception 340 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 Potential: 13 637 (+32) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 481 193 (+89) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 11 hours 9 minutes 40 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 245: The Awakening of the Titan Kazuki was frustrated: his Wind Concept was useless. The sentinel was unfazed by the wind blades, and even the strongest gusts barely slowed it down. The hoplite warrior knew his Concept had little chance of aiding him against a mighty enemy, but usually, the breathless zone had some impact. Here, the only advantage the wind provided was reducing air resistance for him. Annoyed by the ineffectiveness of his Concept, the hoplite grimaced as he blocked a vertical strike. The shockwave rippled through his body before it was absorbed by his lower limbs. Using Micro II to focus his vitality into his legs, Kazuki dodged another attack. He landed a few meters away, hiding a wince. The microfractures in his shins and the light tears in his calves weren¡¯t yet critical, but if left unchecked, they could lead to a fracture or a tear. In high-intensity combat, that meant death. The sentinel raised its warhammer and charged. Kazuki¡¯s mind, assisted by Knightmare¡¯s AI, broke down his opponent¡¯s movements. One foot forward, a shift in center of mass, and a grip at the base of the heavy weapon¡¯s shaft. No doubt, the enemy was preparing a powerful vertical strike. Some might have considered it a feint, but Kazuki had studied his opponent. The sentinel was a juggernaut: it possessed insane strength and infinite endurance, but its fighting skills were unexceptional. In an instant, the hoplite warrior reviewed his options. Should he retreat and risk underestimating the warhammer¡¯s reach, or advance to get inside its guard? Using his physical strength and Knightmare¡¯s thrusters, Kazuki dashed forward. The heavy melee weapon reached its apex and then came crashing down. Taking advantage of his opponent¡¯s temporary imbalance, Kazuki slipped under the heavy weapon and tackled the sentinel. His shoulder slammed into the stone body with monstrous momentum, sending the sentinel sprawling. ¡°Always press a winning exchange when you have the chance.¡± It was one of his maxims when he was the instructor of the Titan classes. Following his own advice, the hoplite reactivated his armor¡¯s thrusters. Catching up with the sentinel before it hit the ground, he doubled his attack. The tip of his spear struck the stone head with the combined power of his body, his mech, and his Mastery. The creature hit the ground, creating a crater that widened as Kazuki tripled the attack, initiating a devastating combo. Sparing a downed opponent was not a hoplite habit, and the Champion wanted to win. Deep down, he was tired of seeing his rivals shine. Arnold, Dishnu, and, of course, Priam were monsters, but the Champion refused to be left behind. Kazuki wanted to prove to the hoplites that they remained a force to be reckoned with, even in this new world. As a Champion, it was his responsibility to lead his people. Deploying his Supremacies, the warrior struck again. The black stone slab under the sentinel cracked before exploding. The geyser of dust temporarily blinded Knightmare¡¯s photosensitive sensors. When Kazuki¡¯s Domain detected his opponent¡¯s kick, it was too late. Hurled backward like a rag doll, the multi-ton mech spun before landing heavily. Kazuki grimaced at the sight of the hole in his machine¡¯s chest. Facing him, the sentinel was rising amid a cloud of dust. A flow of glowing aether leaked from the cracks in its face. A red aura surrounded it, and the instinct Kazuki had honed over decades of combat roared. ¡°You¡¯re powerful for a Tier 0, but let me show you the pinnacle of Tier 1.¡± Purple runes appeared on the sentinel¡¯s surface an instant before it leapt. Kazuki blocked the first blow by instinct and the second by experience. The third pierced his armor like paper, shattering one of his kidneys. Even with his agility, the warrior couldn¡¯t keep up. Roaring in defiance, the spear master stopped defending to attack. The exchange went poorly for him: where the opponent¡¯s warhammer shattered his chest plate and half a dozen ribs, his spear couldn¡¯t pierce the sentinel¡¯s wrist. ¡°My attacks should scatter you like a handful of sand. Strange,¡± murmured the voice of the vengeful spirit. Kazuki spat blood as he retreated. Without [Titan of Iron], a Merit that lent him the metallic constitution of a Titan, each blow from the warhammer would have reduced him to pulp. ¡°Sir!¡± Kazuki grimaced as Gallad took position beside him, his saber pointed at the sentinel. ¡°Elaine is taking up position,¡± his subordinate explained over a secure channel. ¡°Sakura should arrive in a few minutes.¡± According to their training, Kazuki and Gallad were close combat masters, Elaine was a sniper, and Sakura a trap specialist and a scout. They only lacked a shield bearer to have the classic hoplite team composition. ¡°This isn¡¯t a duel anymore?¡± the sentinel asked telepathically. Kazuki ignored his opponent. Among the hoplites, only victory mattered. A bullet struck the sentinel¡¯s ear before Kazuki heard the gunshot; it was the signal. Without hesitation, he dashed forward, Gallad at his side. [Odyssey - Legendary Thrust] targeted the enemy¡¯s fractured face while his subordinate¡¯s saber intercepted the rising warhammer. Both attacks hit as the sentinel trembled with rage. Kazuki¡¯s spear widened one of the cracks on the stone face, but the saber couldn¡¯t stop the heavy melee weapon. Rather than resist, Gallad went with the swing and leaped at the end of the arc. After almost a hundred meters of flight, he landed in a roll. The sentinel hesitated for a moment before charging at the saber master, recognizing the team¡¯s weak link. Kazuki gave chase while Elaine tried to slow it down with her shots. When the sentinel realized the bullets weren¡¯t powerful enough to harm it, it stopped dodging. ¡°It¡¯s ignoring my attacks,¡± the sniper growled over the local channel. ¡°Its eyes and ears are cosmetic; I can¡¯t disorient it.¡± Kazuki grimaced at the news. If their glass cannon sniper couldn¡¯t damage the enemy, he was their only source of offense. The Champion arrived just in time to save Gallad from a powerful blow. His subordinate dodged what he could, knowing even the weakest hit would tear him apart. For about thirty seconds, the three warriors improvised a deadly dance, with Kazuki trying to take down the sentinel before it killed his subordinate. Each strike further damaged his opponent, and the tip of his spear always found a way to widen the existing cracks. The flow of aether escaping from the stone statue increased rapidly, depleting its energy reserves. It was a race against time the hoplites couldn¡¯t afford to lose. As Gallad retreated further, the sentinel smashed its warhammer into the ground. Powered by Tier 1, the heavy weapon triggered a small earthquake that unbalanced the hoplite. In an attempt to regain his balance, the saber master stepped into one of the newly opened fissures. His pupils dilated as he realized his mistake. Time slowed for Kazuki. He could already see the sentinel¡¯s swift and deadly response. By the time his subordinate freed himself, the warhammer would have turned him into paste. Gritting his teeth, the Champion hoplite overclocked his muscles without restraint to divert the sentinel¡¯s attention. Grabbing the heavy weapon with both hands, the enemy tanked Kazuki¡¯s ultimate to execute a whirlwind strike. The wind displaced by the heavy weapon pushed the Champion back before he could dominate it, while the steel bit into Gallad¡¯s leg. The limb vanished in an explosion of blood and bone. Freed by the amputation, the saber master threw himself backward, dodging a second strike. A mech descended from the sky, grabbed the hoplite, and took off again. The sentinel threw its warhammer to finish the kill, but Kazuki¡¯s spear intercepted it mid-air. The two opponents locked eyes as their respective weapons fell back to the ground. Half the stone face was gone, revealing a glowing crystalline structure. Thousands of foreign runes glowed, exchanging energy to allow the creation to move. Far from being an enchanted statue, the sentinel was a robotic and runic creature. It tilted its head, observing its panting opponent. Blood trickled from Kazuki¡¯s mouth: the overclock he used to save Gallad had cost him dearly. ¡°If this isn¡¯t a duel, then¡­¡± Kazuki gritted his teeth as two new stone sentinels emerged from the central building. His spear landed beside him, and he grabbed it before taking a defensive stance. With half a dozen broken ribs, a shattered kidney, torn muscles, and a pounding headache, Kazuki smiled. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He had always known his story would be written in blood and sweat. ¡°Sir, the Sun Shop¡¯s medicines aren¡¯t healing Gallad. Something¡¯s blocking the regeneration.¡± Elaine¡¯s mech hovered about three hundred meters above the scene. ¡°Get him across the rift,¡± Kazuki ordered. ¡°But Sir¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡± Hoplite discipline was absolute, and Elaine engaged her armor¡¯s thrusters to take Gallad back to Log-a-rhythm before he bled out. ¡°Without them, you don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Recognizing the same mental voice, Kazuki understood the vengeful spirit identified by the System didn¡¯t possess a sentinel; it controlled them all. ¡°What I fear isn¡¯t dying; it¡¯s failing to protect my own,¡± Kazuki declared while communing with his bound mech. ¡°But I shall not falter today.¡± [Symbiosis - Knightmare], [Titan of Steel]. The bound mecha fused with Kazuki, inert steel merging with living flesh. His blood began to boil, charged with liquid uranium. His new cells no longer ran on chemical energy but nuclear power. The AI merged with the hoplite¡¯s mind, creating a consciousness running on a quantum processor and possessing an instinct¡ªthe best of both worlds. When Kazuki-Knightmare opened his eyes again, his golden gaze settled on the world with confidence. Unlike his battle against Seth, his bloodline now granted him a fantastic Merit, [Titan of Steel]. The boost was temporary but allowed him to ignore his injuries until the fight''s end. Even better, it enabled Kazuki to adopt the physical attributes of a Titan, a mythical and metallic race. In short, Micro II could now control his steel muscles and artificial nerves. A drop struck the ground, capturing the attention of the new being. His sensors identified the vital liquid flowing from the warhammer of the first sentinel. Gallad''s blood. The blood of his subordinate. Kazuki-Knightmare leapt, and his Wind Concept created a tunnel of vacuum ahead. His brutal acceleration caught his opponents off guard, leaving them no time to react. Deploying D¨®ry, a four-meter spear, Kazuki-Knightmare struck with all the power contained in his pistons, enhanced by his attributes and overclocked by Micro II. The strike slipped beneath the warhammer of the first sentinel and exploded its left arm in a cloud of stone and crystal dust. The sentinel roared, bringing down its melee weapon. The warhammer collided with Kazuki-Knightmare''s forearm, producing a clear ringing sound. A light dent appeared on the bodywork. A blow that would have once shattered flesh and bone barely dented the metal. Surprised, the sentinel froze, and Kazuki-Knightmare punished its hesitation with a left hook. The stone body flew fifty meters before crashing into the central building. Before it could rise, a spear, faster than sound, impaled it against the wall like an insect on a pin. Agreeing with his doubtful instinct, Kazuki-Knightmare flared his nuclear reactor and dashed. The wind accompanied him, increasing his speed and slowing the two remaining sentinels following him. In a split second, he reached the decapitated sentinel, tore his spear from the wall, and raised it high. ¡°[Odyssey - Coup de Grace].¡± Overclocking his metallic muscles and gathering Spear Mastery II, Kazuki-Knightmare unleashed the most powerful attack at his disposal. His spear struck the sentinel¡¯s torso, pierced the stone skin, broke the crystalline structure beneath, and shattered its core. The shockwave shook the ruins. When a gust of wind dispersed the dust cloud, part of the plaza and wall had vanished. Nothing remained of the sentinel, annihilated along with D¨®ry. Deprived of his spear, Kazuki-Knightmare walked to the abandoned warhammer. He picked it up, weighed it in his hand, then, satisfied, turned to two shocked opponents. His face was impassive, but his eyes smiled. His struggle, his commitment, and the blood of his enemies were fusing, forming a truth that resonated with his soul. A Concept was beginning to take shape, and Kazuki was determined to feed it with all the necessary blood. Seated atop a volcano barely peeking above the water, Esm¨¦e gazed north, poised to intervene. There, near the fault line, Kazuki fought. Though the last to arrive in Elysium, the hoplite was far from the weakest. Each portal of the Impossible Tutorial was a single-use thing. For the leader of an army and protector of his race, it must have been a bitter pill to swallow, knowing he condemned part of his unit by crossing through. The weight of that sacrifice had hung heavy on him, his early days in this new universe far from impressive. But time healed most wounds. True to his Title, the Hoplite Champion was rising, ready to fight for his people. One thing was undeniable: Kazuki knew how to battle, his mastery of weapons elevated to an art form. Among his rivals, only the Judge matched him in weapon proficiency¡ªthough could one really compare an immortal to a forty-year-old being? Wielding a warhammer, Kazuki toyed with his enemies, shattering their limbs without killing them. Better yet, he did so in a way that the sentinels were none the wiser. Soon, they would shut down, unable to detonate their cores, and the warrior would take them back to Rose for analysis. Perhaps this was what Esm¨¦e respected most about her rival. Far from being governed by belligerent instincts, the hoplite warrior was, above all, a strategist with a tactical vision. As the battle progressed, the sentinels'' situation looked grim. The golem controller finally lost patience and went all in. One construct sacrificed itself to immobilize Kazuki¡¯s legs while the second attacked. The young Titan decapitated the first with a swing of his warhammer, then dropped the heavy weapon. Pivoting, he blocked the strike with his left hand, then mimicked a leaf with his right. A precise and decisive thrust pierced the sentinel¡¯s core, effortlessly passing through its monstrous constitution. Seeing Kazuki no longer needed her, Esm¨¦e deactivated her skill, frowning. At the end of the fight and for a moment, [Spoiler] had perceived Kazuki''s arm as a spear. There was only one reason why her scrying skill could have made such an error... ¡°That should be impossible, a Tier 0 soul can¡¯t be that close to Mastery III¡­¡± The world trembled, interrupting the princess''s thoughts. She sprang to her feet, her eyes darting to the depths below. Priam, refusing to let his rival bask in all the glory, had triggered the volcano¡¯s eruption. Something must have irked the First enough to make him forget the princess''s presence. ¡°What a boor,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. Kazuki''s status: (Average value for a Hoplite male before integration: PHY 23 / MEN 18 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 1107 Constitution 852 Agility 1081 Vitality 811 Perception 845 MENTAL: Vivacity 591 Dexterity 591 Memory 580 Willpower 592 Charisma 311 META: Meta-affinity 184 Meta-focus 152 Meta-endurance 352 Meta-perception 160 Meta-chance 79 Meta-authority 180 Potential: 10 763 Tier 0 Race: Titan Hoplite (Tier 1) Bloodline: Titan - Purity < 1% Concepts: Wind (T0) - Harmony ? (T1) - Awakening Suprematies: Micro II Spear Mastery II Domain I [Symbiose - Knightmare] - Active. [Tribulation]: Four Tribulations are coming. Time: 1 day 9 hours 13 minutes 22 seconds. Your Soul Baptism is due. Time limit: 69 days 15 hours 34 minutes 12 seconds. Chapter 246: He Who Woke the Volcano ¡°A draconic lair? Is that the den of the Seventh Terror?¡± Priam asked, tapping his foot on the pristine rock. He didn¡¯t need Esm¨¦e¡¯s intel to feel it: his prey awaited below. ¡°That is right,¡± the phoenix confirmed, scrutinizing the ground. ¡°It is a well-known ability of dragons.¡± ¡°I know what comes after Scales now,¡± mused Priam. The bird exhaled a puff of smoke in disagreement. ¡°Your bloodline comes from a wyvern, which is why you gained Breath first and Scales second. However, it is not a universal rule; amphipteres start with Wings, drakes with Scales, and so on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring¡­ and disappointing.¡± If the Terror possessed three draconic abilities, devouring its heart would significantly enhance Priam¡¯s bloodline. ¡°Lair allows the creature to alter a space and restrict access to it,¡± continued the phoenix. ¡°Facing it on its home turf is dangerous, but the risk is often worth it, as that is where it hides its treasures.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes sparkled. In most human myths, a dragon¡¯s lair was brimming with the riches of these greedy and hoarding beings. ¡°How do I get in?¡± ¡°Assuming you don¡¯t have mythical skills related to spatial displacement or thievery, you have two options. The first is simple: blow the door down by overwhelming its defenses. An A-bomb or ten should do the trick.¡± Priam rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s say I misplaced my bombs. What¡¯s the second option? Knock on the door?¡± The phoenix chuckled. ¡°Exactly. As a bearer of the same bloodline, you can challenge it, and its draconic honor will compel it to respond. Of course, it¡¯s not that simple. After all, it¡¯s an ability meant for secluding oneself to meditate¡ªalthough, if you ask me, most dragons use it to hibernate. Nevertheless, the lair¡¯s master will have to accept your challenge if you can prove to the draconic laws that your request is serious enough to wake it up.¡± Priam pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°How do I prove that?¡± ¡°To avoid wasting the lair master¡¯s time, you must prove your motivation. Thus, you¡¯ll have to lay siege to the lair for a duration depending on your difference in Soul Tier and the purity of your respective bloodlines.¡± Priam had a bad feeling. ¡°I suppose it would be ridiculous if I could easily force a Tier 9 dragon out of their lair to listen to my challenge. Well, how long will I have to wait?¡± ¡°Hard to say without knowing the purity of the Terror¡¯s bloodline,¡± the phoenix replied, shrugging its wings. ¡°At equal purity, it is a year between two draconic creatures of the same Tier. You may multiply that time by ten for each Tier of difference.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shitting me,¡± grumbled the young man. ¡°The Terror is Tier 1. I¡¯m not waiting ten years!¡± ¡°If its bloodline purity is over one percent, you can multiply by ten,¡± the phoenix pointed out. It was so ridiculous that Priam burst out laughing before calming down. That was the maximum time, but if the Terror remembered him, it might want to make him pay for his arrogance. ¡°I¡¯ll provoke it to a duel. If it responds immediately, great. Otherwise, we¡¯ll move to plan B.¡± ¡°Sounds like a solid idea.¡± Priam stared at the ground and the hidden lair below for a moment before coughing. ¡°Is there a specific rite to follow?¡± ¡°You need to dance naked with a phoenix feather up your ass.¡± Masking a smile, Priam cast a calculating look at the phoenix. ¡°I wonder where I¡¯ll find a phoenix feather¡­¡± The bird quickly backed away. ¡°Stay away from me! Just spill some blood on the door and challenge it.¡± ¡°Why is it always blood,¡± muttered the young warrior, using his skills to make a small cut on the inside of his cheek. He extracted a droplet of blood from the tiny wound, then made it levitate above his hand. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just prick your finger like everyone else?¡± asked the phoenix. The question reminded Priam of the wildlife documentaries he watched as a child. ¡°On my planet, sharks can sense a drop of blood from nearly a mile away. I¡¯d rather not have an open wound while underwater.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am always surprised to see that you can actually think. You would have made a good phoenix.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Priam grinned, letting the drop of blood fall onto the hidden door. In a loud voice, he declared, ¡°It¡¯s time to duel!¡± and then waited. And waited. Thirty seconds later, he groaned. ¡°I guess I can go fuck myself.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Dragons are heavy sleepers because their dreams can enhance their affinity with Concepts; the Terror might be taking a while to wake up.¡± Priam raised an eyebrow at his mentor. When the phoenix met his gaze without flinching, the young man realized it wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°This race is seriously broken¡­¡± ¡°That is actually a good thing for you.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦. Alright, I¡¯m tired of waiting. If it comes out, it¡¯ll find me easily. Otherwise, I¡¯ll force it out.¡± ¡°How?¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°I may not have ten A-bombs, but I do have a volcano. Let¡¯s see who wakes up faster, the Terror or Mother Nature.¡± Triggering a volcanic eruption was an idea Priam was particularly proud of. Discussing it with the phoenix, the bird had confirmed the feasibility of his plan. According to the bird, there were two main types of eruptions: effusive, with simple lava flows, and explosive, with pyroclastic flows. It got more complicated underwater, but Priam had an idea to correct that and provoke a memorable explosion. After taking a deep breath of oxygen, Priam closed the portal and shattered the ice shell surrounding him. Pressurized water rushed in with terrifying force, forcing him to briefly merge with his mist to avoid being crushed. Moving a few meters away from the lair entrance, Priam asked his add-on to find the approximate position of the main volcanic conduit¡ªthe path lava took from the earth''s depths to the surface. Knowing the crater''s location, his system indicated he was about two hundred meters from his target. Perfect. Using his kinetic mastery, Priam created a sort of ice drill the size of a refrigerator. Hesitating for a moment, the young man decided to go all out and increased its size to that of a pickup truck. Orienting the massive drill horizontally toward the main volcanic conduit, he reviewed his plan. It boiled down to one sentence: create a second conduit through the rock that would channel the pyroclastic explosion directly to the lair of the Seventh Terror. A volcanic eruption was far more powerful than an A-bomb¡ªsometimes by a factor of ten thousand. The energy would dissipate over a vast area, but even a fraction of it would surely force open the Terror¡¯s lair. [Note: The explosion may destroy some of the Terror¡¯s possessions.] Priam shrugged off the warning. His main goal was his opponent¡¯s core; the rest was just a bonus. While studying the volcano''s topography, Priam continued to cool his drill to increase the ice''s hardness. Finally, he decided to angle it slightly downward. Instead of reaching the main conduit, it was better to drill obliquely to target the magma chamber, the reservoir of magma and gas within the volcano. Creating a breach in this high-pressure basin would lead to a violent explosion¡ªlike puncturing a tractor tire. Once his add-on validated the plan, Priam began to rotate his drill clockwise. The multi-ton tool started to turn slowly, then accelerated, creating a massive underwater current that stirred up nearby sand. Smiling, the young man hoped the Terror wouldn¡¯t immediately respond to his challenge. If he could create a volcanic explosion, he had to do it. For science! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Flexing his skills and Domain, Priam advanced the drill, which struck the chasm wall. A violent shockwave made the seafloor tremble for a moment before the rock began to fracture. Stone fragments shot backward at high speed, and Priam dodged a few before ignoring them¡ªthey would train [Kevlar Tissue], the upgrade to [Perforation Resistance]. The tool shook as it drilled into the rock, and Priam groaned as he felt cracks spread through the drill. Part of his attention, which had been reorganizing his meridians, switched tasks to focus on [Kinetic Control]. He applied the skill not only to spin the drill but also to maintain the ice¡¯s cohesion. As the entire canyon trembled and the tunnel began to take shape, a parallel thought employed [High Aether Manipulation] to create an aether drill around the ice drill. The blueprint for this second drill was inspired by [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Once ready, the aether drill began to spin counterclockwise, increasing the tool¡¯s penetrating power. Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 7 META (Affinity) +3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 18 STR +1 AGI +1 DEXT +1 A smile on his face, Priam started moving behind his creation. The tunnel drilled into the rock was three meters in diameter and water filled every corner of it, progressing along with the drill. That suited Priam perfectly, as he siphoned its heat to maintain his tool¡¯s rotation. As he advanced, he pondered possible improvements. A water drill could have done the job, but it was less controllable than a solid like ice. His Mist Concept could manipulate mist and, to a lesser extent, the water he condensed, but natural water largely escaped his control. Something to keep in mind for future evolution¡­ Part of his attention soon noticed the rock¡¯s temperature beneath his feet increasing. He was getting closer to the magma. The Champion dispersed the ice drill, fearing a vibration might prematurely create a fissure leading to the magma chamber. Keeping only the aether drill, Priam continued mining. It was slower, and he had to push away the fine dust, but it was also safer. A few minutes later, he paused. His Domain sensed nothing, but Pyro did. Ahead of him, less than twenty meters away, a massive magma and gas reservoir bubbled. Sensing the immense pressure, Priam smiled before continuing to excavate. When the wall separating him from the chamber was just two meters thick, Priam dispersed his last drill and turned around. He had left a large amount of broken stones and fine dust in his wake, in the middle of a flooded tunnel. The water couldn¡¯t act as a buffer between the explosion and the Terror¡¯s lair. Summoning his Mist Concept, Priam conjured a massive amount of mist around him before condensing it. The water he created gradually pushed out the natural water. Watching the two fluids in his Domain, physically identical but magically different, Priam was struck by the contrast. I need to compare natural mist with my own. The Champion was at the Symphony stage with the Mist Concept, just before Unity, and an epiphany would undoubtedly bring him closer to that final tier. A power-up that doesn''t bring another Tribulation? Too good to ignore! Priam studied the differences between the two types of water until the entire tunnel was filled with his own condensed mist¡ªa substance he could banish with a single thought. Satisfied, he turned toward the chamber and focused on the spark orbiting his soul. Pyro manifested, and Priam rode it to mentally plunge into the volcano¡¯s heart. Viewed through Pyro¡¯s prism, a world of blazing flames opened up before him. The Concept he had inherited from the ancestor of the phoenix in Elysium, whose body served as Elysium''s sun, was peculiar. It was fire, but it was also more than that. Priam didn¡¯t fully understand it yet, but so close to the volcano¡¯s heart, a new facet of the Concept revealed itself. Pyro was the prefix of pyroclastic, an adjective describing flows or clouds. These phenomena were tied to volcanoes and exemplified nature¡¯s violence. A glimmer appeared in the flooded tunnel. Priam''s hair began to move and glow like flames, a physical manifestation of his soul resonating with the volcano and Pyro, a fierce and irascible Concept. Pyro wasn¡¯t a flame guiding humanity through the night; it was the wildfire that blinded frightened animals. Pyro wasn¡¯t a campfire warming a weary traveler; it was the blaze consuming the condemned on their pyre. Pyro wasn¡¯t the embers resting peacefully; it was the volcano shaking the world. Seeing the vehement lava raging against its earthen prison, Priam understood. [Pyro - Concept] - The fragment of a shattered Concept from an Eighth Throne Candidate. Let the failure of its creator be your stepping stone. You still master the Fire Concept. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Pyro and manipulate it. Harmony - Allows you to infuse your aether into your flames to increase their tenacity. Nothing can withstand your flames. Symphony - Your flames are enraged. When you work for destruction, they more easily cause ruin. Priam opened his eyes, filled with rage. A few meters away, a volcano rumbled, ready to unleash its fury. The Champion clenched his teeth to maintain control of his thoughts and applied his formidable willpower to his cause: he wasn¡¯t Pyro¡¯s avatar; he was Priam Azura, and he was here to force open the Terror¡¯s lair. Lvl Up: [Emotional Discipline] lvl 11 WILL +3 The outlet satisfied Pyro¡¯s Symphony stage¡¯s violent condition and empowered the Concept. Even for a Tier 0 as formidable as Priam, willing a volcanic eruption was a tall order. However, with a Tier 1 Concept lending its strength, the bridge could be crossed. Pouring his aether like a philanthropist¡¯s money for a worthy cause, Priam cultivated the flames¡¯ anger, increasing the magma chamber¡¯s pressure. Just before passing the point of no return and triggering a classic eruption, the Champion summoned Promesse and fired it into the wall separating him from the chamber. The bound weapon effortlessly penetrated the rock, creating a large hole between the tunnel and the chaotic blend of gas and lava. For a brief moment, the world stood still, as if incredulous. Then the moment passed; the superheated gasses rushed into the breach, and the explosion occurred. A blast of lava, molten rock, and pressurized gas surged through the drilled gallery. As the incandescent wave rushed, the summoned water vanished, seemingly revoked by its creator. A second after the eruption, the flow reached the tunnel¡¯s end and struck the draconic lair. The world shook as the equivalent of a thousand A-bombs detonated at the bottom of the underwater chasm, unleashing a pyroclastic hell. Amidst the volcano, as Priam tried to survive by merging with the flames, a thought disturbed him. I feel like I forgot something¡­ ¡­ Shit, Esm¨¦e! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 (+1) Constitution 1 105 Agility 866 (+2) Vitality 1 058 (+18) Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 592 Dexterity 658 (+1) Memory 842 Willpower 1 168 (+5) Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 805 (+4) Meta-focus 412 (+3) Meta-endurance 629 (+5) Meta-perception 340 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 216 Potential: 13 644 (+7) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 481 401 (+208) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 10 hours 48 minutes 21 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 247: The Floor is Lava—Cheater Edition New Title! [Lava Summoner - Silver] - A volcanic plume of about twenty-five kilometers, over five cubic kilometers of ejected material, and the energy of fifty thousand A-bombs; that''s the terror of a Plinian eruption. Your work. The floor is lava. And the walls. The ceiling too. You will lose, but will you die? Sub-Energy Affinity +2% (Your affinity with all sub-concepts of Energy increases by 2%) Most mythologies place paradise in the skies and hell in the earth''s depths. At this moment, Priam understood why. The pressure in the magma chamber was titanic. After stoking it with Pyro, Priam had provided an escape route through the tunnel he had dug. The superheated gasses caused a terrible explosion, which he survived only by merging with his Fire Unity. Seeing the unparalleled energy released by the eruption, Priam became worried for his partner. Esm¨¦e! A split second later, drops of magma, semi-melted rocks, and vapors replaced the flames. Without fire, there was no Unity. Priam reappeared abruptly in the path of an infernal avalanche that drowned his guilt. The shock of being yanked from his fusion with the Fire Concept gave way to fear as the eruption pinned him against the tunnel''s ceiling with the force of a titan. The viscous magma struck him with unbelievable violence, breaking his bones like twigs. Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 11 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Coughing blood that vaporized instantly, Priam screamed as the eruption dragged him toward the exit, scraping his body against the tunnel walls. A mix of molten rock and incandescent gasses poured into his open mouth, scorching his body from the inside. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 8 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Fuck! Caught between the hard rock and the pyroclastic surge, pelted by molten stones propelled at half the speed of sound, and with his esophagus burning, Priam knew his chances of survival were slim. An eruption could last months or even years, and his resurrection would place him back at the site of his death. A sure way to die permanently. Worse, if the flow carried him to a water area, the magma would cool, trapping him in a rock casing. It¡¯s at this moment I know I fucked up! Furious at his dumb decision to closely observe the explosion, Priam activated his scales, boosting his friction resistance. The fiery storm and the viscous liquid began to flow around him. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 29 AGI +3 Far from reassured, Priam focused on survival. Half his attention communed with Pyro, trying to find a way to calm the volcano''s fury locally. The other half concentrated on [Kinetic Control] to lower the magma''s temperature that was threatening to incinerate him and pin him against the tunnel wall. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 9 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Less than a second later, Priam abandoned the first part of his experiment, feeling the liquid stone solidify around him. He was creating his own tomb. Refusing to succumb to the panic clouding his thoughts, Priam sought a solution. Despite his draconic scales and Fire Champion physique, the magma easily burned his flesh. Feeling his skin char and be carried away by the river of lava, he instinctively activated his kinetic skill on his own body. Slowing the thermal agitation of his molecules, he tried to maintain a viable temperature for his cells. Around him, hell unleashed superheated solids, liquids, and gasses. The cataclysm sought to obliterate all opposition, and the young Homo Elysian stood in its path. Because I was stupid enough to try tanking an eruption! Accepting his mistake, Priam set his anger aside and fought to survive. His body was falling apart. His hair and scalp had vanished, and when his eyelids turned to charcoal, he winced as his eyes melted. To prevent lava from entering his skull through his eye sockets, Priam cooled the liquid, ending up with two obsidian eyes. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 10 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 While only [Kinetic Control] kept him alive by preventing heat from gaining a hold on him, Priam felt his meridians overheating. Absorbing such an incredible amount of heat was untenable, neither in the long term nor the short term. Without his ideal and epic resistance, his pathways would have already failed. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 9 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 It took Priam only a fraction of a second to make a decision. His primary goal was survival; everything else was bullshit. The part of his split vivacity controlling his kinetic skill chose to sacrifice his unnecessary body parts. His legs and arms were discarded, left to the mercy of the furnace that devoured them in seconds. The sensation was atrocious, but ever since the Tutorial, he had been ready to make the necessary sacrifices to survive. There was a reason he was the First. Gritting his teeth, Priam let his limbs disappear without resistance and felt relief as his meridians could once again absorb some of the thermal energy that was carbonizing his body. However, even that wasn''t enough. Priam was dying slowly, and the only way out was to adapt; it was time to invest his Merit points. Trees of Merit [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. ¡­ [Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 3: The poison in your blood now causes accelerated aging. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m harder - Gold] - Tier 0: Your resistances are even more effective. [Mist Sage - Silver] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title. [Bloodless - Bronze] - Tier 1: Aether flows through your veins, elevating your body. LOCKED - Requires epic-grade tempering. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. [Soul Scarred - Gold] - Tier 0: Just like your body, your soul is now capable of regenerating to some extent. [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 1: Second Breath, Second Wind: restores your body to its most exceptional form possible. [Lava Summoner - Silver] - Tier 0: Ga?a¡¯s Wrath. You can awaken any Plinian-class volcano once a week. 10 Unused Merit Points. Eyeing the Merit of [Breathless] for a bit, Priam still preferred another Merit. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 0: Your resistances are even more effective. ACQUIRED [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 1: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your race. 9 Unused Merit Points. The change was immediate, and if he could have, Priam would have sighed in relief. The second tier of constitution allowed him to feel his resistances spreading their wings, gaining the equivalent of half a level of rarity. As the terror of the flames became more bearable, a half-melted rock struck Priam on the shoulder, breaking his collarbone. A second and then a third were kinetically deflected by his add-on, which detected them through his Domain. Pinned to the tunnel wall, submerged by an infernal river reminiscent of the Phlegethon, struck by high-velocity rocks, compressed by the magma flow, and eroded by burning winds, Priam gritted his teeth and waited. If a Tier 0 could survive a plunge into the heart of a volcano, it was him. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 11 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Stay alive and adapt. I refuse to die, I refuse to lose, I refuse to let this be my end. I REFUSE! Priam never gave up. Never. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 12 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 12 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 49 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 30 AGI +3 Every level-up was a star in a moonless night, but the attributes gained were less important than the metamorphosis of his body. His resistances were altering his genetic and aetheric code, gradually transforming him into a superior being. Like a caterpillar in a chrysalis of flame, the Champion awaited the moment to emerge, to prove to the world that he could endure the fury of a volcano. His skin had melted once, and the new layer was the result of the power of [Three-Headed Hydra]. This molt had bought him precious seconds, allowing his cells to adjust to the infernal temperatures. His constitution and vitality were increasing, supporting the hellish environment and threatening to trigger a sixth Tribulation. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Priam almost burst out laughing at the thought. At this stage, he didn''t care about the System''s trials. An inner voice even wondered which Tribulation could survive a volcano''s eruption. His connection to the Fire Concept wavered for a moment, and fear crept back in. Maybe the System wouldn''t need to send a Tribulation. The physical damage he was taking was terrifying and reflected on his soul. The prismatic sphere at the center of his skill layers was cracked, charred, and faltering. [Homo Elysian Obsession] allowed Priam to acclimate quickly to the unleashed elements, but it came at a price: his soul bore the wounds of his body. Priam was reaching his limits. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 50 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 If he still had lips, the level-up would have made Priam smile. All across Valaryth, thousands of people must be wondering who the idiot was that triggered a volcanic eruption. The ceiling¡ªor was it the floor?¡ªtrembled, and he had a bad feeling. The gallery he had dug had long since been expanded by the eruption, but Priam was surprised when a bus-sized rock partially penetrated his Domain. The projectile struck him with the force of a meteorite, obliterating part of his right side and hurling him into the heart of the volcanic conduit. Near death, Priam felt strangely calm. It was in the most unfavorable situations that he truly pushed his limits. Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 13 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 6 CONST +3 His first instinct was to find a wall to cling to. [Kinetic Control] rebooted in a fraction of a second, his first set of meridians having exploded to cushion the impact. His veins and arteries took over as Micro informed him that his right shoulder, right lung, and second heart were gone. Using the first Merit of [Heartless], which had evolved into [Tribulation Wyvern Heart], Priam regenerated his draconic heart and exchanged his lifespan for accelerated regeneration. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 13 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Five minutes later, the Champion had regained his body, or rather, his torso. His vacant gaze fixed on the magma chamber, he waited, on guard. The Hydra''s regeneration healed him faster than the eruption could destroy him. As long as no bus-sized debris hit him, he was confident he would survive. At the heart of a volcano, a young man fought for his life. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 14, 15, 16, 17 VIT +12 CONST +12 META (Endurance) +12 Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 AGI +15 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 29, 30 VIT +4 META (Endurance) +2 Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 25, 26, 27 CONST +3 VIT +3 META (Endurance) +3 An hour later, Priam seized his moment. His body had partially adapted to the eruption. Though far from impervious, he could now endure it¡ªunder certain conditions. For the past thirty minutes, the explosion had gradually subsided. A period of calm was approaching, but Pyro whispered that more eruptions would follow. The calm before the storm. It was time to escape. Taking advantage of a lull in the volcanic cycle, Priam regenerated his body and let himself be swept away by the pyroclastic flow. In less than a second, he left the tunnel and found himself in a massive cavern that hadn¡¯t been there when he began digging hours earlier. Here, the conditions were much more bearable; from twelve hundred degrees Celsius, the temperature had dropped to less than a thousand. For a moment, Priam had to fight the urge to laugh and cry. He had succeeded, he had survived! Happy and proud, he allowed himself a few seconds of joy before refocusing. He had a trophy to obtain. Using Pyro''s help, Priam surveyed his surroundings. The lava had cooled upon contact with water, but the pressure from the magma propelled by the volcano constantly shattered the igneous rock. Pressurized lava pushed away the water, swelling into an underwater pocket akin to a geological blister full of magma. Guided by his Concept, Priam navigated through this environment. A few hundred meters to his right, a fractured tetrahedron lay against the seabed. The draconic lair had survived the eruption. Despite his smooth scales, Priam struggled to swim through the magma¡ªcolder and thus more viscous¡ªbut eventually reached the four-sided polyhedron. It was large enough to contain a small building. Inside, the seventh Terror was likely waiting out the cataclysm in safety. A surge of satisfaction rose in Priam. During their first encounter, he had fled for his life. Today, the roles were reversed. Trembling with fatigue and anticipation, he summoned Promesse and drove it deep into one of the pyramid¡¯s cracks. The blade''s tip lodged in the draconic stone, and Priam channeled a portion of the colossal kinetic energy he had accumulated. Using the spear as a lever, he pried open the lair, which exploded with a sound like the end of the world. A large quantity of objects was released, most burning instantly. Priam ignored them, focused on his adversary. The seventh Terror emerged in all its hideousness, screaming in pain. The giant lobster that served as its mother must have mated with Cthulhu, but that wasn¡¯t the only explanation for its nightmarish appearance: the embodiment of ugliness was horrifically burned. The volcanic explosion had not only fractured its lair but also scarred the creature. Most of its tentacles were gone, and the remaining ones were cauterized. Disoriented by the flames, poisoned by toxic gasses, and drowned by molten rock, the seventh Terror of the oceans convulsed as it turned towards Priam. Time for Round 2! "It''s good seein'' them trees lookin'' healthy. Even the air feels cleaner," sighed the Aelbes warrior with a contented smile. "I''m just glad these leaves block out that nasty crimson light. I swear, it''s been ruining my tan," complained the second warrior. "What tan? Bro, your head''s the same color as my ass." "Red from all the spankings your wife gives you?" "You spyin'' on us?" Rohan ignored the brothers'' nonsense as he surveyed the forest. "One thing''s for sure, these leaves absorb the corruption. It''s a natural shield that could save the weaker members of our clan..." The brothers nodded solemnly. They continued their trek through the rejuvenated forest in silence, ever alert; this was where Eleha had vanished. "Do you think this is turning us into corrupted beings bit by bit?" asked the polite twin. "Like, one morning we wake up as skeletons?" "I wake up every mornin'' with a boner, does that count?" the second warrior snickered. "You''re as dumb as your father." "We got the same old man, idiot." "Exactly, so I know what I''m talking about." "Silence," ordered Rohan. "We''re here. August, watch the trees. Gustau, keep an eye on the roots. At the first sign of an ambush, you attack." Following a Concept''s guidance, Rohan pushed aside a branch and stepped into a clearing. "Shit," muttered August. With its tall grass swaying gently in the wind and the sweet scent of wildflowers, the place seemed idyllic. But a closer look revealed a chilling detail. At the center of the clearing, half-hidden by grass, a mound of earth partially covered Eleha. The sight of the Tier 3 warrior half-buried and serving as fertilizer for a red flower was horrifying. More terrifying still, she was alive. "We come in peace," declared the young master into the empty air. The clearing seemed deserted, but his instincts told him that attacking even a single tree would trigger a hard fight. "To what end?" A voice echoed in his head, and Rohan signaled his subordinates to be ready to raze as much forest as possible if things went south. "I am Rohan Aelbes, sent by my Chief to retrieve the body of Eleha Aelbes." "Dishnu, humble Drya and guardian of this forest." When no other response came after a few seconds, Rohan stepped closer to the huntress''s body. As he neared, a wave of aether surged through the tall grass, giving it razor-sharp properties. Each blade was now as cutting as a Tier 1 sword and just as solid. The warning was clear. "I came in peace and apologize if she caused you any trouble. I''m willing to pay a ransom, but I won''t leave without her. She¡¯s of my blood." "This woman is more useful alive than any ransom. She helps the forest." Rohan frowned and then felt it. Each heartbeat of his cousin pumped blood through her arteries and aether through her meridians. The red flower emerging from her mouth absorbed this energy and diffused it into the forest. Eleha was catalyzing the forest''s growth. The young man noted that the flower also paralyzed her nerves. His cousin wasn¡¯t suffering... at least not physically. Knowing she would spend the next centuries as a battery without help was torture in itself. Rohan sighed, placing his hand on his sword hilt. He drew and sheathed it in one swift motion. The crimson flower began to wither as Eleha''s body relaxed. In a single strike, the young prodigy had pierced her brain and heart. "May her death erase her debt," Rohan declared. "May her body fertilize the forest." "So be it. This is her last chance." The presence vanished, and the tall grass lost its sharpness. Rohan advanced to the corpse, confirming the absence of traps. With a swift movement, he retrieved the core from Eleha¡¯s chest and turned back. "We''re leaving," he declared, flexing his tiger bloodline to suppress the cat¡¯s core. If she decided to attack the forest after her resurrection... Rohan had no desire to fight in the heart of enemy territory. "Was that necessary?" asked one of the twins. He didn¡¯t particularly like Eleha, but she was a fellow tribeswoman. "We would have won, but we wouldn¡¯t have killed him," Rohan explained, analyzing the core for any tampering. "If sacrificing one of Eleha''s nine lives can appease a Champion, it''s worth it. Besides, the flower had already ruined her body and meridians; she was beyond hope." Of course, some treasures could have saved her, but no council member would have agreed to use them to preserve one of Eleha''s lives¡ªnot even her great-uncle Felix. "She ain''t gonna forget that," pointed out August. "I hope not," Rohan growled. "Our clan has enough problems without making an enemy of that caliber." The Aelbes were powerful locally, but their young master knew they were insignificant on the scale of the Wandering Islands. "Maybe this death will help her grow," Gustau chuckled, gently pushing aside a branch. The Tier 3 had no desire to become an aether battery himself. "She''s too stupid for that," sighed August. "Otherwise, she woulda learned the first time. This her third death now?" "She has six lives left," Rohan confirmed before widening his eyes at the sight of her core. "Fuck!" The twins turned, surprised. It was the first time they''d heard Rohan lose his composure. "She should have six lives left... But I count only one active resurrection rune." As he spoke, he remembered the Drya''s words. "This is her last chance." It was to be taken literally; Dishnu didn¡¯t give third chances to the forest¡¯s enemies. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 175 (+70) Agility 897 (+31) Vitality 1 125 (+67) Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 592 Dexterity 658 Memory 853 (+11) Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 813 (+8) Meta-focus 415 (+3) Meta-endurance 704 (+75) Meta-perception 340 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 222 (+6) Potential: 13 718 (+74) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 482 203 (+802) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 9 hours 33 minutes 2 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 248: To Spare or to Play Helming the rudder, Titus watched the stormy sea beyond the prow. Waves taller than his own sailboat surged toward him. Flexing his Concept, the Rehm parted each crashing wave, making way for his passage. What required no effort for him was arduous for others; one of the reasons he had entrusted his tribe to another leader. Some daring young tribespeople had wanted to accompany him, but he refused. The epicenter of the cataclysm lay at the lair of the seventh Terror, and Titus didn''t believe in coincidences. As the chief, it was his duty to investigate the origin of the calamity that had shaken the ocean an hour earlier. Gladius had offered to accompany him, but Titus declined; someone needed to protect their tribes in case it was a trap. The Rehms were a dwindling people, and every individual was precious. So, here stood the old warrior, defying the wrath of the ocean at the helm of his catamaran. Ahead, two waves moving in different directions collided to form a hill of water. Titus¡¯ soul called upon his Concept, and a supernatural wind filled his sails, magically accelerating his boat. A moment later, the vessel climbed the water wall before taking off into the air. The sailboat flew almost three hundred meters before landing on the crest of a wave. Titus laughed as the foam from the landing splashed him. It had been a decade since he had sailed the seas alone, and he had forgotten the pleasure of navigating solo. Suddenly, an ash cloud appeared on the horizon, and the old sea dog squinted. The seismic activity of their world fragment was too weak to cause an eruption. Someone or something had forced nature''s hand. ¡°To ruin the status quo? Who would be stupid enough for that¡­¡± Heart tight with worry, Titus accelerated again. Disoriented by the flames, poisoned by toxic gasses, and drowned by molten rock, the seventh Terror of the oceans convulsed as it turned towards Priam. Despite the magma between them, he felt its gaze on him. It has a way of tracking me, he noted. Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy was the key to victory¡­ Pretty sure I heard that in a Dark Souls let''s play. The creature roared, and the sound wave traveled through the viscous liquid to hit him. It would have been enough to kill an ordinary human, but Priam just smiled. Opening your mouth in a magma lake was a bad idea. Judging by the retchings that shook the creature, the molten rock was burning its throat. Despite its terrifying power, the Terror wasn''t that smart. Or rage is clouding its mind. That wasn''t impossible. After all, from the abomination''s point of view, Priam was an insect it had almost killed less than a month ago. Now, he had returned, awakened a volcano beneath its home, and shattered its lair with a style Jack Nicholson from The Shining wouldn''t have disdained. It had reasons to be angry. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 18 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Wiping the grin off his face, Priam remembered that while the environment was in his favor, it remained perilous. The magma was devouring his body, and only his rapid regeneration kept him alive. A costly ability: every second of it consumed hours of his lifespan. I need to finish this quickly. His training helped him focus on the resonance between his soul and Pyro. The two percent affinity granted by his new Title allowed him to better understand the Concept''s perception and command it more easily. At the cost of his mental endurance, Pyro took control of the nearby lava and shaped it like a giant hand. His creation closed like a fist around the Terror and began to squeeze. The creature trembled, trying to free itself from its viscous bonds... to no avail. Gravely injured by the eruption, it seemed unable to escape the lake of molten rock. Priam only had to wait a few minutes for nature to finish the job for him. It''s on its last legs! Suddenly, a mental pressure struck him full force. The Charybdis'' descendant''s mind weighed down on his. The sensation was both strange and horrible. The screeching sound of nails on a chalkboard, an abominable migraine, a terrible hangover, vertigo, nausea, and extreme fatigue... all multiplied by a hundred. Seized by spasms, Priam momentarily lost control of his aether. His add-on took over as his body was carried away by the magma currents, distancing him from his adversary. The intensity of the attack diminished, allowing Priam to regain his senses. His rolling eyes focused before being burned by the heat and then restored by his accelerated regeneration. Fuck. Reconnecting with Pyro, the warrior sensed the Terror struggling to swim upwards, trying to escape the apocalyptic environment. Priam growled as he resumed control of Pyro. Reforming the titanic hand, he grabbed his opponent and dragged it back toward the volcanic conduit, where the magma was hottest. The Terror retaliated with a new mental attack. Priam winced, and his mastery of the Concept wavered before his will stabilized it. The headache increased, eliciting a growl from the warrior, but without reaching its previous intensity. Having understood that distance diminished the Terror''s capabilities, Priam positioned himself as far away as possible, just at the edge of Pyro''s reach. The liquid flame hand squeezed while the draconic creature tried to blow apart his mind. Despite [True Will], a legendary resistance, and his high willpower, an excruciating pain split his head. Tasting something metallic in his mouth, Priam understood his enemy was trying to drag him to the grave. Soon, the heat vanished, and Priam shivered with cold. His brain was falling apart. It¡¯s killing me! I need to disrupt the attack or defend myself actively. Half his attention redoubled efforts to crush and suffocate his adversary while a parallel thought connected to his Potential to detect the mental attack. POT -25 There! Boosted by the divine resource, [Ideal Aether Perception] spotted a transparent mental bridge in his Domain. Its construction was exquisite: three threads braided together, allowing aether to flow between him and his adversary. Each bore a dozen runes repeating. Five of the runes were known to Priam; he had stolen them from the Necro Envoy and used them in his version of the [Mental Bridge]. After his add-on recorded the foreign runes, Priam employed [High Aether Manipulation] to strike the link with the subtlety of a meteorite. The connection''s robustness was directly linked to its creator''s aether proficiency and some meta attributes. If Affinity governed precision, brute strength was proportional to Focus. The meta attribute struck the structure and cracked it. The warrior struck again but faced surprising resistance. The abomination was actively reinforcing its creation. Worse, the cracks were already beginning to heal. A mental counterattack assaulted Priam, who felt blood flowing from his orifices before being vaporized by the ambient temperature. Suppressing a cry of rage, he attacked again and again. Backed by meta Focus, [High Aether Manipulation] repeatedly hit the mental bridge, without breaking it. The vast differences in attributes and Soul Tier between the combatants became evident. Even his Domain, a Supremacy that ensured a defensive advantage, couldn''t give him the upper hand against the enemy''s aether. Damn! Pain crushed his skull, and Priam felt his instinct roar with primal force. Defeat didn''t just mean death; it would slow him down, prevent him from obtaining a powerful trophy, and weaken his body''s tempering. Worse, it would reduce his chances of surviving his next Tribulations, impacting his friends, family, and Sphinx. That was out of the question. Priam refused to accept defeat! Gritting his teeth hard enough to nearly break them, he threw all his strength into the battle. Opening the floodgates of his Potential, he let his add-on strike the aether structure and used one of his two flows of draconic vivacity to command Pyro, directing the volcano''s wrath against the Terror. The magical front might be too hard, but he could win the physical. I¡¯ll cook you! POT -72 His second parallel thought activated [Mental Bridge] to tap directly into the enemy''s connection. The nature of the mental attack changed. A flood of thoughts, confusion, pain, and curses hit him with force, but Priam held firm. On this third front, his weapon was his will. His grit faced off briefly against the enemy creature''s and was repelled. The Terror was ancient, its soul and attributes were superior, and its experiences surpassed almost everything Priam had known. Almost. Priam delved into his memory and, thanks to his memory Talent, sent lifelike flashbacks to the creature. The helplessness against Sumstreh''s divine mark made his enemy hesitate. The descent of his quadruple Tribulation made it retreat. His first death at the end of the Tutorial instilled fear in the abomination and his Patron tearing him from the Concepts'' authority nearly broke the connection. Taking advantage of his enemy''s hesitation, Priam flexed his will to tighten the Pyro fist as his add-on cracked the mental bridge. He could fight on three fronts simultaneously; his adversary could not. A second strike nearly shattered the connection before the Terror stabilized it. The next moment, a flood of disordered memories struck him in return. A rift a thousand times more imposing than the one beneath Log-a-rhythm, allowing an invasion from another Universe. An infinite army with divine officers and Immortal generals. A titanic clash between two Primordials, tearing a piece of the world apart. Someone screamed, and Priam couldn¡¯t tell if it was him or not. The Charybdis'' descendant, the youngest of its siblings, terrified, clinging to them for survival. Centuries passed. They mostly hibernated, patiently waiting for a new rift to open or an officer to come for them. The flood of memories cut off before they could rewrite his personality. His add-on had found a way to absorb them before they reached him. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Lvl Up: [Priam¡¯s System] lvl 14 VIVA +3 MEM +3 META(Authority) + 3 For a moment, Priam stood still in the middle of the molten lake. The illusion of condensed centuries of waiting had exhausted him. His mental stamina was drained, urging him to sleep. Priam growled in defiance. His competitive spirit wouldn¡¯t allow him to lose. He had already been defeated by the Terror once; a second defeat was unthinkable. Move. Move! MOVE YOU STUPID FUCKER! Releasing his grip on Micro, Priam used the searing pain of his burning skin to wake himself up. He had a duel to win. His nerves saturated with agony, Priam studied his adversary. The Terror was dying. Horribly burned, its spasms growing weaker, it seemed at its end as Pyro forced the magma to suffocate it. The battle was nearing its conclusion. If something was going to happen, it had to be now. His instincts whispered that victory was near but precarious. Unless I exploit a weakness. An idea crossed his mind, and Priam decided to act on it. With his add-on acting as a firewall, he sent an image of the rift leading to Elysium through the mental bridge. The creature froze, understanding the message. ¡°A path to Elysium, to your home, exists. If you kill me, it will disappear.¡± A long second passed before the dying abomination turned to Priam. ¡°I could have sacrificed my mind to break yours. You live, but my siblings will avenge me. Then they will be free to find our Ancestor.¡± Without even truly seeing each other, the two adversaries faced off. Priam remained silent as the creature took its final breath. In a corner of his mind, a spiritual cooldown that never left him was primed. He had never needed to be spared. The creature relaxed as a new eruption shook the underwater lake. Quest Completed: Charybdis¡¯ enemy The goddess birthed many children during her war campaigns. Cleanse this world of the offspring that attacked you. The seventh Terror is dead. Reward: Potential +500. Stolen Concept Fragment. Priam broke the ocean''s surface, gulping down a lungful of air. He had chosen to resurface in one swift move rather than create a new passage to his inner world. The reason was obvious: he feared the eruption he had caused had harmed Esm¨¦e. A few seconds later, he turned to his right, alerted by his [Echolocation]. The young woman was approaching, riding a dolphin. The sight of the princess riding the animal with the grace of a drunken monkey made him smile. At least, there were things even his rivals didn''t excel at. ¡°I¡¯ll get better,¡± Esm¨¦e muttered, patting the dolphin¡¯s head lightly before releasing it. ¡°It was the only way to get away from the eruption quickly¡­¡± Her tone was neutral, but Priam thought he detected a hint of reprimand. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Priam coughed, blushing with embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have a choice.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on it. Did you get what you wanted?¡± Priam grinned, raising his hand. Nestled in his palm was a core the size of a walnut. Its amethyst hue reflected the sunlight like the world¡¯s most flawless diamond. [Core - Tier 1 - Earl] - The core of the seventh Terror of the ocean. Contains draconic and mental affinities. Your skill level does not allow you to assess the runes within. The pressure of the ocean depths compressed a drop of draconic blood and a large volume of aether into a unique gem. Add-on note: Detection of an ideal-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is highly recommended. ¡°It¡¯s magnificent,¡± Esm¨¦e murmured. ¡°Is it from the seventh Terror?¡± ¡°It was,¡± the warrior corrected. ¡°I found it inside its brain.¡± The heart had been devoured, boosting the level of [Mental Bridge]. The enhancement came with knowledge and certain tricks, including the translation of runes stolen by Priam. Lvl Up: [Mental Bridge] Lvl 6,..., 10 META (Affinity) +10 META (Perception) +5 ¡°Cores are distributed based on their abilities. Did its owner have mental talents?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Priam replied, levitating out of the water. ¡°Let¡¯s head back. Blueberry must have finished preparing the banquet.¡± ¡°To good health!¡± Louis exclaimed, raising his mug. The inhabitants of Oasis echoed him before draining their mugs, and the hum of conversation rose. Satisfied, Priam helped himself to a piece of meat. The knife in his hand resembled a dagger, which was typical for an item bought in the Sun Shop. ¡°So, that Terror?¡± Kazuki asked. ¡°Terrifying,¡± Priam admitted, popping a piece of amphiptere into his mouth. He widened his eyes as he chewed. ¡°Blueberry, this is delicious!¡± ¡°I know,¡± the bear grumbled, helping himself to a third slice. The meal had just begun, but he seemed determined not to let anyone else get fat, even if it meant finishing the multi-ton winged snake on his own. ¡°I¡¯m the best cook.¡± ¡°Watch out, you¡¯ll choke on your arrogance,¡± Jasmine teased. ¡°And you won¡¯t choke on the snacks I used to make for you.¡± ¡°No!¡± shouted Jasmine before leaning towards Rose, faking some tears. While the teenager consoled her, the assassin stole her food. Amused by his friends¡¯ antics, Priam turned to Kazuki. ¡°As I was saying, the Terror was terrifying. I had to blow up a volcano under its lair to get it out, then drown it in molten rock for several minutes to finish it off. Even then, it nearly fried my brain.¡± An awed silence followed his statement before Blueberry interrupted it. ¡°I wonder if I can make a marinade using magma,¡± mused the bear. Kazuki was the second to find his voice. ¡°I would like to say I¡¯m surprised, but that would be a lie. I felt the vibrations from the outpost and knew it had to be you. Did you get a Title for that ?¡± Priam winked. ¡°A silver one, and I have an idea on how to improve it.¡± ¡°How?¡± Jasmine asked, clearly interested. ¡°By entering the magma chamber itself. If I can survive a few minutes at the heart of the volcano, that should do the trick. But I¡¯ll wait until I have the right trophy to temper my body.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re mad.¡± ¡°That''s what makes me charming,¡± Priam grinned while continuing to eat. He felt a small bone in his mouth and decided to crunch it rather than spit it out. ¡°Careful, there are bones.¡± ¡°There are no bones,¡± Blueberry replied. ¡°Yet I just bit into something hard,¡± Priam said, pulling the object from his mouth to show the bear. ¡°It¡¯s one of my hairs. My high constitution makes them crunchy, but it¡¯s rare for me to lose any. Bad luck for you.¡± ¡°Yeah, really unlucky,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled innocently. ¡°That''s low,¡± Priam growled. The princess winked at him. After this episode and at Jasmine''s request, Kazuki recounted his own battle against the sentinels guarding the biggest building of the ruins near the outpost. The hoplite volunteered to handle the problem alone, and Priam had no objections. The stone guardians contained artificial cores that were useless for Heavenly Dragon. ¡°When are you going to use the core you just obtained?¡± Jasmine asked Priam. ¡°My meridians are reorganized, so I can start anytime¡­¡± ¡°You look thoughtful,¡± Esm¨¦e observed. Priam just smiled. According to his add-on, the core of the seventh Terror was perfect for tempering mental resistance. While [True Will] was legendary, it wasn''t ideal. Having survived an ancient god''s assault, Priam hesitated to downgrade the rarity of his resistance. He would lose effectiveness in the short term but strengthen his future. I suppose I should talk to the Phoenix first. It took the group only an hour to devour the entire creature. Everyone complimented Blueberry, eventually eliciting a toothy grin from the grumpy bear. ¡°You''ll get used to the compliments,¡± Priam joked, leaning towards the bear on his left. ¡°You guys will have a hard time finding new compliments as I keep improving,¡± his friend retorted. ¡°You seem happy.¡± ¡°... I am. I followed you and Sphinx, but I lacked a purpose. Today, I''ve found it.¡± Priam tensed at the mention of Sphinx, then nodded. ¡°I''m glad for you.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You seem tired. Not physically, but mentally,¡± Blueberry whispered. Despite his immense size, he spoke so softly that Priam had to strain to hear him. ¡°I faced a monster that played with my memories.¡± Blueberry turned to lock his brown eyes with Priam''s. ¡°It''s not just today. It''s been since Sphinx disappeared.¡± ¡°You¡ª" ¡°I''m not stupid, and by now, everyone knows. I mean, a quintuple Tribulation so soon is dumb and I know you aren¡¯t dumb. Since she vanished, you seem to be in a rush, as if you were the only one who could change things. ¡± ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Priam sighed. As he said it, he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. ¡°Remember, we''re counting on you, but you can count on us too. We¡¯re friends.¡± Before Priam could respond, the System manifested. Congratulations, you have survived a week in Elysium! Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 (+4) Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 (+5) Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 (+3) Dexterity 658 Memory 859 (+6) Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 825 (+12) Meta-focus 415 Meta-endurance 708 (+4) Meta-perception 346 (+6) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 225 (+3) Potential: 14 137 (+419) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 482 612 (+409) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 4 hours 17 minutes 9 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 249: Plot Twist! Congratulations, you have survived a week in Elysium! Reward (choose one):
  • Back in Time: Allows you to return 24 hours in the past, at any time, and with all your earnings. One use only.
  • 5 seconds of Glory: Allows you to summon a hypothetical version of yourself, a year older... For 5 seconds.
  • Memoir of a Survivor: A survivor''s memoir of his quintuple Tribulation.
  • Lord Five: One, two, three, four, five, five, five... Whatever your attributes, the Tribulation coming will be a quintuple Tribulation.
Priam''s eyes widened. "Bordel de merde..." The selection resembled the tailored reward he''d received for earning three Achievements at Tier 0, but updated. His astonished expression caught Esm¨¦e''s attention. "Is there a problem?" she asked. "What? No, I just got a reward for surviving a week in Elysium." "That''s what I call a big lag!" laughed Rose. "My resurrection interfered with the quest," Priam explained, his voice distracted. "The possibilities..." Even with his draconic vivacity''s dual parallel thoughts, he couldn''t calculate all the paths available to him. It changes everything¡­ Priam¡¯s hands began to tremble. "Hey, are you sure you''re okay?" Jasmine''s voice was filled with concern. The entire assembly, from the new artisan Bertomne to his father Alain, watched in silence, understanding that something significant was happening. Looking up at his rivals, friends, and family, Priam smiled. "Everything will be fine," he promised. "I will do what I do best: I will adapt." Sphinx, I''m coming. The four rivals, accompanied by Louis, entered Concept Archipelago. "This place feels strange," murmured Esm¨¦e as she looked around. "What do you mean?" Jasmine asked. "It feels like being inside a divination shield. It''s slightly harder to scry someone from here, but the defenses are worth it." Priam nodded. Concept Archipelago was a Talent recorded in his soul. As such, it was partially protected by [Revelation Resistance]. "Could you scry a Tier 4 without being detected?" he asked. Esm¨¦e raised an eyebrow. "I could do it even from outside. However, it will be easier here," she conceded. "Why?" "Because I might have a deal for you. Let¡¯s talk about it later. Phoenix?" Nothing happened for a moment, then a sigh was heard. "I''m not sure shouting my existence from the rooftops is a great idea... But fine." The artificial sun flared. Leaving a beam of light, the fiery bird appeared before Louis and the rivals. Amused, Priam noted that the former prince was still vain enough to make a grand entrance before strangers. "I thought you would come to me about your tempering." Priam shook his head. "I need advice about a quest reward. In short..." As he explained, the phoenix''s flames calmed while his rivals'' breathing grew ragged. Despite their self-control and intelligence, the possibilities offered by the reward choice were colossal. "The System plays favorites," sighed the phoenix after Priam finished. "Unless your rivals'' rewards are equally overpowered?" Jasmine inspected her nails, while Esm¨¦e shook her head. The assassin only answered to Priam, and the princess was only a temporary ally. "The System bound me with Knightmare using a Mythic Talent," revealed Kazuki, seeing that the women wanted to keep their secrets. "It multiplies my attributes and allows me to benefit from the computing power, knowledge, and calm of an AI running on a quantum computer. I had the choice of various types of unions, some more bionic, but I preferred to remain hoplite." The phoenix nodded. "Thank you for sharing that. You have answered my question: the early advantages of the Champions are as great as their future responsibilities." The rivals simply nodded. Survival quests were only given to Champions; none of the other immigrants or inhabitants of Elysium received them. Priam suspected that these benefits would have to be repaid one day. "Back to the main topic," the fiery mentor continued. "Lord Five, a guaranteed quintuple Tribulation, seems the obvious option. You still have five months to transform into an absolute monster. You could become one of the most terrifying Tier 0s in Elysium¡ªand thus the Universe¡ªpaving a royal road to the Zenith." "With my phenomenal adaptation and resurrections, the sky''s the limit," Priam agreed. He wasn''t being arrogant, just realistic. "I could farm Sun Points, temper my body, break records in the Colosseum, and face my Tribulations with five maxed-out ideal Legendary resistances..." Priam let his sentence hang. "But you won''t do it," the phoenix finished. "Why not?" "Of course, the power to protect my freedom is tempting." Priam clenched his fists. "But when I say that, I think of Sphinx, who sacrificed herself for me. What''s the point of becoming powerful if I abandon everything I intend to protect along the way?!" By the end, he was almost shouting. The frustration had been building over the past few weeks and was finally boiling over. Priam felt ashamed of himself, and now that he had a chance to change things, he wanted it desperately, even if it disrupted his plans. "The stronger you become, the better your chances of saving her," pointed out the fiery bird. "While I wait, only the Concepts know what that bastard is doing to her," Priam retorted. The sound of wings responded before the phoenix sighed. "I find your reasoning foolish." Silently, Priam held the bird''s gaze. He had made his decision. "However, it''s because of this mindset that my original was lost to the Depths. I''m just the hologram of an artificial program; my words carry little weight, but I''m proud of you. Renouncing an easy road to uphold your convictions is admirable." A weight lifted from Priam''s chest, the phoenix''s words warming his hearts more than he had expected. "You never know, if the System offered me the same rewards twice, it might do it a third time. Lord Five will still be exceptional at Tier 1." "System moves in mysterious ways¡­ And your decision might be the right one. Not because it''s human, but because the Tribulations are only a death sentence for the weak. Those trials highlight the weaknesses of the strong and reward them when they overcome them. For someone aiming for the Zenith, that might be more important than a few attribute points. That ultimately convinced Priam. If his mentor had imparted any lesson, it was that the easy path was seldom the correct one. ¡°Well, what do you want from those rewards?" "My primary goal is simple: save Sphinx from Bastard''s clutches. For that, I suppose Five Seconds of Glory is the best option, right?" The phoenix nodded. "Given the word Glory, you can be sure the System will take a hypothetical you who has succeeded in everything over the next year. Sextuple Tribulation, perfect tempering, all his Supremacies at rank II... If you summon him under the right conditions, I give him a good chance of saving Sphinx." It wasn''t the answer Priam expected, and he grimaced. "Is that all?" Jasmine interjected. "I may not be very objective, but Priam was introduced to the System just over a month ago and he''s already a monster. In a year, I can''t imagine him not being able to crush a Tier 4 without breaking a sweat." Esm¨¦e shook her head. "Priam is the First, but he isn''t a thief. We''re talking about getting your friend out of an ancient god''s Domain, not just surviving their attacks." The princess had done her research. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "The empyrean girl is right," confirmed the phoenix. "You are underestimating the gap between a Tier 3 and a Tier 4. A perfect and older Priam might have the means to survive against this Fallen, but rescuing someone is another matter. Due to the difference in Soul Tiers, your opponent can vaporize Sphinx¡¯s soul with a single thought. Don¡¯t forget the vivacity gap between you and the Fallen: they will be able to react quickly, even if you trap them." "I was more tempted by Back in Time anyway," Priam said. "If the rescue fails, we''ll have a second chance. Plus, as our Tribulations are chosen when we trigger them, I could get a sneak peek at mine and those of my friends." Priam felt four pairs of eyes fix on him with rare intensity. "Is that possible?" Esm¨¦e asked the phoenix. "It is. As Priam said, your Tribulations are chosen when you pass an attribute threshold; they''re already pre-programmed. They will only change if you reset the thresholds, like when you upgrade your race." "I mean, is it allowed?" "Priam used a reward the first time to help himself." By asking twenty questions to his hypothetical doubles, the young Champion had managed to avoid some traps and obtain his draconic bloodline. "With scrying powers, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t tried to learn more about your Tribulations." "I found nothing," the princess admitted. "Skill issue," Jasmine muttered. Louis cleared his throat. "In any case, if Priam could hint us about our next Tribulations, it would give us a much better chance of survival. Well, most of us." He grimaced in Kazuki''s direction, who nodded. "My Tribulations start in twenty-seven hours," the hoplite explained, seeing Priam''s confusion. "It¡¯s too soon for me, but I would like you to help Hyshana and some hoplites." Priam frowned. "Then we¡¯ll hurry. My friend, don¡¯t insult me by refusing my help." During the banquet, he had seen the hoplite warrior drop his stern instructor mask to laugh with his subordinates and wife. Kazuki was a paragon of duty, but he wasn¡¯t insensitive to the breath of death on his neck. Priam refused to leave his friend behind, even if it meant accelerating his plans for Sphinx. I will sacrifice my friends no more! The hoplite looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Then I will set the example." "It takes courage to trigger your Tribulations early," added Louis. "Knowing you will likely die but that another you will survive in another timeline won¡¯t be enough for everyone." Jasmine shrugged. "If they''re too cowardly to accept Priam''s help, they deserve to die." "That''s going a bit far, but what¡¯s certain is that I won''t force anyone to accept my help," Priam nuanced, turning to his winged mentor. "We¡¯re getting off-topic: I wanted your help to know exactly what¡¯s possible with Back in Time. ''Allows you to return 24 hours in the past, at any time, and with all your earnings''... It¡¯s not very clear." The phoenix nodded and began to explain that the System chose its words carefully. Here, the concept of "earning" was subjective and left to the user''s discretion. For instance, Priam could leave the atmosphere, gain a Title and a few levels of [Asphyxia Resistance], rewind time, and keep the Title but discard the levels. It was an incredible safety net for someone threatened by a sixth Tribulation. Better yet, it allowed him to invest in his Merits and rewards to test a build before finalizing it. Thinking about his next power-up, he grinned widely. "Is there a way to know what I''ve done?" he asked before deciding on a plan of action. "Like if I talk to the tribes to probe their secrets, for example..." If he had the chance to meet other ideal prerequisites, Priam wouldn''t hesitate. The phoenix shook its head. "Dimension, one of the Seven Great Concepts, will rewind time for the entirety of the universe and its connected worlds. In Sector Hope, you would be relatively safe, but in Elysium, factions with rifts leading to other universes will experience some adjustments. It happens fairly often¡ªthere are even adaptation chambers between universes for that¡ªand if a powerful diviner wanted to find out who triggered Back in Time, they could. Even your girlfriend could, if she knew what to look for. It doesn''t concern you as long as you don''t attack a too-powerful faction. To answer your question, you are free to exploit your power to scam naive enemies." "Naive?" Jasmine asked. "Such rewards are rare, but on a universal scale, they happen frequently," repeated the bird, shrugging its wings. "Any self-respecting faction knows not to reveal secrets or make deals too hastily; for example, nothing stops Priam from selling all his possessions for the signature skill of a small clan that will never get paid. Most contracts have clauses to avoid such scams. But a Tier 4 tribe... Nothing stops you from trying." Priam was salivating at the thought of obtaining ideal skills from the tribes. It will also allow me to gauge their intentions towards us. "And if they refuse, we can always steal from them," grinned the assassin. "What about the Sun Shop?" The phoenix shook its head. "Using one reward to get another is impossible. Likewise, if you used Back in Time now to go back a day, you could not select another reward at the next banquet. Incidentally, this kind of reward is the reason why the shipping time for the Auctions is at least one day. This way, the client can be sure you''re not scamming them by buying their secrets and then rewinding time to get a refund." In summary, the Concepts and the System were outside the time loop and wouldn''t allow any abuse. However, Sumstreh was far from powerful enough to suspect any trickery... At least as long as Priam didn''t let them read his memories. "Then we only have one thing left to do: devise a plan." There was no longer any question of waiting until after the tournament to free Sphinx. Imagining his friend''s smile upon being freed, Priam couldn''t help but smile himself. "I hinted at it before, but I guess it''s time to be direct," Priam said, gazing at the forest stretching towards the horizon. "If you help me save Sphinx, I''ll help you survive your Tribulation." Beside him, Esm¨¦e also looked towards the forest, seemingly fixated on a point beyond the horizon, hesitant. "I can''t face a Tier 4 without convincing my brother first. My geas¡ª" Priam turned to the princess. "Esm¨¦e... You heard Kazuki, we don''t have much time. In two days max, I''ll be risking my life against a Fallen to save my friend." Saying these words, he felt a massive weight lift off his shoulders. "It might be madness, it might be stupid, but I''m finally taking action. For the first time in weeks, I don''t feel like a coward." "You''re not a coward." "Neither are you," Priam smiled, sharing the quest to kill the Fallen with her. "I''m sure someone as smart as you can find a way to bend the rules." He began to levitate. "The strongest chains are the ones we put on ourselves. If you want to break free from your family, you should start today." With these words, Priam left his rival to ponder as he descended towards the clearing. He hoped for a relationship with the princess, but it would be impossible if she weren''t ready to break free. He didn''t expect her to face a Fallen for his sake, but here she took no real risk and the reward was colossal. "Hey," he said to Rose as he landed on the rampart. "Working hard?" "Hey," replied the teenager, inscribing a rune at lightning speed on a stone she then tossed. Upon striking a corrupted, the projectile exploded like a grenade. "I''m trying to farm skill levels to unlock a double Tribulation." "Are you sure that..." "Sure. For a craftsman like me, it''s not really dangerous. By the way, shouldn''t you be gone already?" The blunt transition reminded Priam of his own attempts to dodge boring conversations with his father. So this is what growing up feels like? Worrying about others¡­ "I''m waiting for Kazuki and Jasmine." The hoplite was explaining to his troops the opportunity presented by Priam while the assassin was scouring the Auctions for a way to erase her scent. The phoenix had warned him about the supernatural perception of Tier 4s with animal bloodlines. The two Earthlings chatted for a few minutes before being joined by their two rivals. "Sorry for the wait," said Kazuki, holding a spear whose blade seemed made of glowing embers. "I¡¯m ready." "Ready!" Jasmine wore a tight black suit that highlighted her curves and winked as she caught Priam''s gaze. A tattoo covered part of her arm. "That''s so cool, are those runes?!" Rose asked. "A runic tattoo," Jasmine confirmed, flexing her biceps. "This beauty costs more than a night with a high-class escort, but it can absorb my scent and diminish my presence. Perfect for robbing tribes. For Sphinx, of course," she added, seeing Priam''s look. The Lord of Oasis pursed his lips. He didn''t really want to use a time loop to rob his allies, but Sphinx''s safety came first. "I''ll focus mainly on Eleha''s tribe?" the assassin ventured. "Yeah, fuck Eleha!" Rose exclaimed. Kazuki and Priam cracked a smile before leaping towards the tribal camp. Sumstreh''s looming shadow was drawing significantly closer, but Priam''s hearts felt light. For the first time in a long while, he was the hunter. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 Dexterity 658 Memory 859 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 825 Meta-focus 415 Meta-endurance 708 Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 225 Potential: 14 137 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 482 803 (+191) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 3 hours 50 minutes 50 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Yes, Lord Five is very strong. But if you think about everything we can do by rewinding time, I promise that Back in Time is just as overpowered! By the way, this arc is already complete on Patreon if you''re interested in finding out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 250: Why am I generous? Well, that’s not my money The three rivals stopped at the top of a tree on the edge of a cliff. This landmark overlooked a valley teeming with monsters. The only time Priam had seen so many beings united in fury was during a protest. The French sure knew how to go on a strike. ¡°According to the coordinates Laepa and Vysharratchmo... Hum, Vysharratjekto gave me, the tribes¡¯ camp is less than twenty kilometers away,¡± Priam said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how you can pronounce his name,¡± sighed Jasmine. ¡°What a mouthful.¡± ¡°Dexterity,¡± grinned Priam. ¡°Mmh. Are we going to destroy these corrupted creatures?¡± ¡°I don''t think that''s the best use of our time,¡± Kazuki replied. Priam nodded. ¡°It''s paradoxical, but the more time we have, the better we must use it.¡± Back in Time was a compromise between surviving his Tribulations and saving his loved ones. Deep down, the Champion knew he could progress incredibly if he used his reward well. To do that, he couldn''t waste a single second. ¡°If the tribes are attacked during our discussions, it¡¯ll be good if we help them,¡± Kazuki pointed out. ¡°Then we just pass through... and maybe stir them up a bit.¡± The assassin merged with his shadow as Priam leaped into the void. Two wings of fire spread from his back, charged with aether. His skin covered itself in spectral scales as he broke the sound barrier, diving toward the army of the dead. Less than a second later, a wingbeat adjusted his course, allowing him to skim the heads of the necromantic creatures. Smiling, Priam burst into laughter as the servants of the Necromoon screamed and turned towards him. The fiery trail left by his [Phoenix Wings] was particularly visible in the dark sky. As a clamor rose beneath him, with the corrupted creatures trampling each other to get to him, Priam called upon Pyro. The Concept responded, overloading his wings and expanding their span to that of a troop transport aircraft. With a thought, Priam disconnected the feathers created by his skill, letting them fall. A new wingbeat propelled him forward as the flaming feathers hit the ground. A dozen simultaneous explosions ravaged the ranks of the undead army, plunging it into chaos. The flames created by Pyro were hard to extinguish, consuming bone, flesh, fur, and even the air to spread. As the abominations tried to move away, a gust of wind pushed the flames towards them; Kazuki was fanning the fire. Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 0 - common) - Sun point +1 ¡­ Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 15 META(Focus) +2 META(Endurance) +1 A chorus of cawing made Priam look up. Above him, a murder of crows descended. As he prepared to unleash his Domain and kinetic mastery to crush them, the birds passed into the shadow of a cloud and disappeared. ¡°Leave me some points,¡± Jasmine said. ¡°Every man for himself,¡± Priam replied, directing his aether to his phoenix wings. The skill absorbed the energy to create new feathers, allowing the Champion to continue his bombardment. Without a Tier 3 to command it, the army was powerless against the alliance of the three rivals. The tribes'' camp was divided into three parts. The Snaherts to the east and the Gaeserts to the west were separated by a wide road leading to the northern quarter of the Aelbes. At the road''s origin, the camp''s only entrance faced south. ¡°It¡¯s well guarded,¡± Kazuki remarked, observing the entrance. ¡°Too well guarded just to repel mindless corrupted,¡± Jasmine murmured. ¡°They¡¯re noting entries and exits and searching every hunter-gatherer. Someone''s expecting betrayal.¡± ¡°The three tribes were allies of convenience,¡± Priam confirmed. ¡°Could you infiltrate those defenses?¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°If I disguise myself, I could pass as a huntress and get into the camp, but when the real deal returns, they''ll realize the trick.¡± Priam was surprised. ¡°Can''t you just slip through the shadows?¡± ¡°Hard to say,¡± the assassin grimaced. ¡°The wooden palisades look easy to jump, but it¡¯s like our rampart: there¡¯s an invisible magical barrier surrounding the camp. Since I see few patrols on the guard path, I deduce that their Tier 4s are confident in their enchantments. As I can¡¯t sense the shadows in the camp, I guess they aren¡¯t overconfident.¡± Priam frowned, realizing he couldn¡¯t perceive the campfires they saw beyond the defenses. Normally, he would have been able to share the perception of the flames and teleport to them. ¡°When there¡¯s no obvious gap, it¡¯s faster to count on the mediocrity of the guards than to try to breach the defenses of a zealous architect,¡± Jasmine concluded. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re not here to hide,¡± Priam said, standing up. ¡°At least not for now.¡± The three rivals crossed the forest edge, leaving the shelter of the trees. Less than three hundred meters from the giant camp, the wood had been cleared to prevent a stealthy approach by necromantic forces. The hairs on Priam''s arms stood up as his draconic instinct sensed the attention of multiple Tier 3s. Without flinching, he walked up to the gate, waiting his turn behind a group of Gaesert warriors who eyed them with surprise. When the deer carcass they brought back was declared free from the necro curse, Priam, Kazuki, and Jasmine stepped forward. ¡°Who are you?¡± one of the guards asked. From the tattoos covering his face, Priam recognized an Aelbes. ¡°Emissaries from Oasis,¡± Priam smiled, turning to the pairs of Snahert and Gaesert warriors also guarding the gate. ¡°I hope Laepa and Vysharratjekto have validated our alliance?¡± One of the Gaesert warriors stepped forward, smiling. ¡°Cloudy eyes, fiery hair, misty clothes¡­ Priam the arm ripper, I presume?¡± Jasmine let out a snicker as Priam held back a sigh. My reputation is shot. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gadrick. We haven¡¯t sent the supply convoys yet, if that''s why you''re here.¡± Priam shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m here for something else. Is it possible to speak with Laepa?¡± The first adjective that came to Priam''s mind to describe the Gaesert camp was ¡°lively.¡± Their group weaved between tents arranged in a logic that eluded him. The first time Gadrick jumped over a pavilion, Priam thought it was a shortcut. The native corrected him: it was the normal path. ¡°Watch out!¡± A ball flew towards the Tier 3, who stopped it with a chest control and grabbed it. Moments later, two teenagers came running. ¡°That¡¯s out of bounds, the point is ours,¡± declared the first. ¡°No, Gadrick caught it before it touched the ground, it¡¯s still in play!¡± exclaimed the second, trying to grab the ball tucked under the warrior¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you kidding me? He wasn¡¯t even playing!¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s like a tree stopped it, so it doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Did you just compare me to a tree?¡± Gadrick asked. The question was lost as the two boys were too busy shouting to listen. Sighing, Gadrick shot the ball into the air. With the power of a Tier 3, the ball reached a hundred meters in seconds. ¡°First one to catch it wins.¡± He had barely finished speaking when the two teenagers ran off towards the likely point of impact. ¡°They don¡¯t seem afraid of you,¡± Priam smiled. ¡°Why should they be?¡± Gadrick seemed surprised. ¡°You¡¯re a Tier 3? When Laepa, Vysharratjekto, and Eleha came, the teens looked like they were walking on eggshells.¡± The warrior let out a grunt. ¡°Gabrielle is always like that. As for the other tribes... Eleha is insane and the Snaherts have a strict hierarchy: your Soul Tier, or at least your power, decides your position in the clan. We Gaeserts don¡¯t care about that; we¡¯re one big family.¡± Priam nodded, masking a grimace. He admired that mindset, but it was because of it that ¨¨ve had chosen the Gaeserts for her attack. For this tribe, it wasn''t just a matter of honor; every death was a tragedy. A few minutes later, they arrived at a rectangle of packed earth the size of a tennis court. Laepa was there with a dozen young people training. ¡°Broli, move your elbow! You don¡¯t want to cut off his breath, you want to cut off the carotid¡¯s blood flow!¡± The nearest teenager grumbled, correcting his position. Moments later, his opponent¡¯s body went limp, and Laepa smiled. ¡°That was better. Wake up Timmy and switch roles.¡± She turned to the rivals and smiled. ¡°Hey guys.¡± Priam shook his head as he watched the victor slap his unconscious opponent to wake him up. They were no older than sixteen, yet their training was incredibly harsh. ¡°Hey Laepa. They¡¯re training hard.¡± At their age, Priam would never have accepted being strangled every minute. ¡°It''s necessary for their future survival. One works on technique and anatomy, the other on endurance, then they switch. With the tournament approaching, they¡¯re overexcited.¡± Dozens of grunts reached them, and Priam broke into a wry smile. ¡°Yeah, it''s glaringly obvious. I just thought the instructors would be Tier 2s.¡± ¡°I come when I have time. Training the youth is important.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And it strengthens your own foundations,¡± Kazuki added. Laepa looked at him before nodding. ¡°True. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here before the tournament.¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°There¡¯s a change of plans.¡± ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± ¡°We have a problem,¡± Priam corrected. ¡°There¡¯s a Fallen near here. A hostile Tier 4.¡± Laepa tensed before exchanging a glance with Gadrick. ¡°I¡¯ll warn the Chief and the Shaman,¡± the warrior said before leaping. He reached the top of the protective dome in an instant, using it as a springboard to jump towards another part of the camp. ¡°As if the necro forces weren''t problematic enough¡­ Follow me, please.¡± Laepa pulled back the flap of the brown-and-white tent, gesturing for the rivals to enter. Inside, a fur carpet covered the ground, and the mouthwatering aroma of roasting meat wafted from a poultry leg cooking over the campfire. Slowly turning the spit was a true colossus of a man who didn¡¯t acknowledge the newcomers. Behind him, a woman was drinking straight from a jug of wine. The first two words that came to Priam''s mind to describe her were "tiny" and "ancient." Once she emptied the jug, she set it down, belched, and nodded at Priam. "Thanks for letting Gabrielle use the Auction. The herbs she bought saved many of our sons and daughters." Despite the commanding tone of a woman used to being obeyed, Priam sensed her sincerity. He nodded. ¡°I''m glad to hear that. It''s always a pleasure to help those who deserve it.¡± ¡°And to make the others regret their actions,¡± Jasmine muttered. ¡°I heard about what you did to Eleha. Not sure she learned her lesson,¡± growled the giant as he turned his meat. ¡°Braato, chief of the Gaeserts. The old woman behind me is Mama Apo. Speak loud so she can hear you.¡± ¡°Repeat that if you dare?" ¡°See? Deaf as a post.¡± Braato tilted his head to dodge the wine jug that shattered on the carpet. "Sit wherever you like, kids." Priam glanced around before sitting on the ground. Kazuki followed suit while Jasmine leaned against one of the tent''s poles. ¡°So, there''s an ancient god in the area?¡± Braato continued. ¡°I knew settling here was a bad idea; the tribes are nomadic for a reason.¡± ¡°As if we had a choice.¡± The cold voice came from behind them, and Priam turned. His draconic bloodline growled as a man with chiseled features entered. His midnight blue hair seemed almost alive, and his deep eyes scrutinized the Champions. ¡°Ophis, Chief of the Snaherts,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°Happy to meet our neighbors.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Priam replied, using [Acting] and Micro to control his voice. The draconic bloodline of this Tier 4 was so pure it pressurized his own. Worse, while Braato and the old woman were invisible to his senses, the newcomer exerted a spiritual pressure that weighed on his soul. It was undoubtedly a test, but Priam remained unflinching; ever since he had pissed on a god''s statue, he found it easier to resist the spiritual auras of powerhouses. Silence settled over the tent until Jasmine yawned. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°The Aelbes,¡± sighed Mama Apo. ¡°They like to keep us waiting.¡± With that, the tent flap opened again to let in an elderly woman and a young man. ¡°What''s this nonsense about a Fallen?¡± snapped the old woman. Priam raised an eyebrow. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Gryphe, a Shaman, and you?¡± Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 51 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Why ask if you''re just going to do that? Given the shaman''s grimace, she clearly hadn''t seen what she wanted. ¡°Priam, Lord of Oasis,¡± smirked the Champion. ¡°Ah, the one who ripped off Eleha''s arms!¡± ¡°She deserved it. I hate rude people.¡± Usually Priam would have shown more respect to someone capable of killing him in an instant, but this was too good an opportunity. He intended to use this time rewind to gauge the tribes'' and their leaders'' attitudes. ¡°Ah, you''ve got balls, kid,¡± laughed Gryphe after a few seconds. ¡°Too bad I¡¯m too old to check for real.¡± Her young companion sighed as Priam widened his eyes. ¡°I''m Rohan. On behalf of all the Aelbes, I apologize for Eleha''s behavior. We''re already searching for a gift to smooth relations between our factions.¡± His brain forced itself to forget the old woman and focus on Rohan''s words. According to Laepa, the young master of the Aelbes was a prodigy who had survived at least nine Tribulations... And her information was old. Rohan had forfeited Ace II by staying at Tier 0 longer than necessary to maximize his Achievements. ¡°He''ll be your main rival in the tournament.¡± Jasmine didn''t respond to the message but kept her gray eyes fixed on Rohan. ¡°I don''t intend to judge all the Aelbes by Eleha''s performance¡­¡± Priam reassured, letting the sentence hang. The implication was clear: it was up to the Aelbes to make a good impression now. ¡°If you''re done stuffing your words with veiled threats, maybe we can start this meeting,¡± grumbled Braato, inspecting his grilled meat. He seemed satisfied and devoured it in a few bites while the assembly settled in. ¡°There''s a Fallen nearby,¡± Priam declared once he had their full attention. ¡°A being born from a fragment of a dead god''s soul. Hidden in their pseudo-Divine Kingdom, they¡¯re plotting their Apotheosis.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Gryphe asked. Priam smiled at her. ¡°They made the same mistake as Eleha; they underestimated the Champions.¡± Ophis leaned forward. ¡°What can you tell us about them?¡± ¡°I know their name, hideout, agents, and even some of their plans. One of them is to create a schism between your tribes to avoid being discovered.¡± Ophis narrowed his eyes. "The recent attack on the Gaeserts¡­¡± ¡°If you''re talking about the poisoning, they¡¯re the culprit,¡± confirmed Priam, keeping ¨¨ve''s existence a secret. His rival was too valuable to be thrown to the tribes just yet; she was currently exploiting the absence of the Tier 4s to search their tents for anything useful. A sharp crack startled the audience. Braato, the chief of the Gaeserts, had crushed his stone spit into dust. His anger manifested physically; the air, fire, and even the earth seemed to shy away from him. ¡°That filthy coward, a Depths-corrupted sow¡¯s spawn... Where are they?¡± ¡°Before I tell you¡ª¡± Braato roared, and the soundwave crashed into Priam with the force of a speeding train. His eyes and eardrums burst as the warrior rose. When his regeneration healed him, Priam saw the Tier 4 towering over him. ¡°TALK!¡± Braato shouted. He was holding Kazuki''s spear barehanded and ignored Jasmine''s dagger against his left eye. Priam felt his body break into a sweat for the first time in a long while, an instinctive response to a visceral, primal fear that crept into him. The aura of the Tier 4 was so overwhelming that it eclipsed Micro, leaving him as nothing more than a mere human facing a giant. He clenched his teeth, summoning his defiance. The emotion slammed into his fear and overturned it. He refused to be intimidated. He would bow to neither god nor foe, no matter how formidable. As the other Tier 4s stood ready to intervene, Priam raised his hand. ¡°Gadrick told me the Gaeserts are a big family. As Chief, you''re responsible for them just as I''m responsible for mine. Sphinx is my family, and she''s a prisoner of the Fallen. If you do anything rash, she''ll die. I''m far more afraid of that than of you.¡± Priam''s voice was calm but firm. The Tier 4''s enraged features trembled. The standoff lasted a few seconds before the giant sat down, teeth clenched. Kazuki and Jasmine resumed their positions, visibly annoyed by the situation. There was no apology, but Priam didn''t mind. He preferred a straightforward Braato, protective of his own, to an Ophis who seemed to dominate his emotions. The event, however, reminded him of a key point. Though the clans resembled humans, they were anything but. The men and women before him were aliens, with their own customs and laws. The first of these was Elysium¡¯s law: power commanded respect. ¡°Where is Sphinx?¡± Mama Apo asked before the silence became too heavy. ¡°In their Divine Kingdom¡ªtheir internal world." ¡°Sorry, but she''s dead,¡± Gryphe bluntly stated. ¡°You have access to the Colosseum, right? If she''s a Tier 0, you should be able to resurrect her if you climb high enough.¡± Priam glared at her. ¡°I refuse to subject a child to the Wheels of Reincarnation.¡± Gryphe shrugged. ¡°It''s not that bad.¡± ¡°Easy to say for a fossil who''s about to see them up close,¡± Jasmine shot back. The Aelbes shaman cackled with laughter. ¡°Do you have a plan to save her?¡± Mama Apo asked. ¡°I was counting on you. In exchange for all I know about this Fallen and even a diversion, I wanted you to save her.¡± Gryphe, Ophis, and Mama Apo exchanged glances. ¡°Your information is important to us,¡± Ophis admitted. ¡°We can''t allow a hostile Fallen so close to our new land, and none of us will refuse the Achievement that comes with the kill. I''d like to help, but unfortunately, my build isn''t suited for infiltrating a Divine Kingdom. If the Fallen resists, I''d have a hard time breaking in, let alone saving your friend before they kill her.¡± Priam felt his hearts grow heavy. Despite the time rewind, if the Tier 4s couldn''t help, then Sphinx... ¡°There must be a way?¡± ¡°... You mentioned a diversion. Could you get us into their Divine Kingdom?¡± Priam turned to Braato, who had just spoken. ¡°I''m sure of it.¡± It was a lie, but ¨¨ve would find a solution¡ªor die trying. ¡°I can temporarily protect someone by absorbing the damage meant for them,¡± Braato revealed. ¡°But I need a visual. If their internal world is too big¡­¡± ¡°It''s about two hundred meters in radius,¡± Priam said, suppressing his excitement. ¡°A small forest full of... animals.¡± If he mentioned the rabhorns and one of these idiots tried to locate it, Sphinx might die. Mama Apo frowned. ¡°A Divine Kingdom that size is too small.¡± ¡°They fused their Domain with a fragment of their former Divine Kingdom to stabilize it,¡± Priam said, quoting his phoenix mentor. Gryphe shook her head. ¡°What Mama Apo means is that even the smallest stable fragment is bigger than what you''re describing. It''s called a Divine Kingdom, not a divine garden; it''s supposed to be vast. They must have destroyed part of their world to reduce the karma between them and their original, out of fear of their killer. They don''t want to become the same god again; they want to create a new Divine Kingdom.¡± Priam nodded. It was a plausible theory. If true, he could sell the existence of Sumstreh at the Auction, and his killer would likely come to finish the job. What held Priam back was Sphinx''s presence: if a Tier 5 came to slay Bastard, there was little chance his friend would survive. Ophis had a thoughtful expression. ¡°If that''s true, then they might possess fragments of their old Divine Kingdom.¡± ¡°They gave me a fragment of their former fulcrum to sell at the Auction,¡± Priam confirmed. The Tier 4s flinched. ¡°Did you sell it?¡± Ophis asked. A blind man could have seen the greed in the Snaherts chief''s eyes. The other Tier 4s were more measured but seemed equally interested. ¡°I still have the fragment, and I''m willing to trade it.¡± Priam summoned his best fake smile as the dragon within him roared at the prospect of amassing wealth for free. It was time to reap some of the benefits of the time rewind. What could be better than buying ideal upgrades without spending one¡¯s money? ¡°Anyone want to make an offer?¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 Dexterity 658 Memory 864 (+5) Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 829 (+4) Meta-focus 417 (+2) Meta-endurance 710 (+2) Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 (+3) Potential: 14 140 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 485 003 (+2200) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 3 hours 20 minutes 39 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you''re interested in finding out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 251: A Tale of Wine and Pain ¡°I still have the fragment, and I''m willing to trade it. Anyone want to make an offer?¡± Standing apart, Rohan''s eyes widened as he heard the bombshell dropped by the smiling Homo Elysian. He''s insane! Micro helped him master his surprise before Priam could notice. The young master had read the diary of Aelbes, the Champion who founded his tribe. According to him, all Champions were geniuses in their own right, but few truly understood the dynamics of their new universe. For a prodigy driven by the System, the notion that a warrior could be stalled in their ascent to the Zenith was bizarre. Yet, it was a reality when climbing through the Tiers. ¡°I''m not sure discussing this here is a good idea,¡± Ophis grimaced, stretching his hands toward the campfire. ¡°I have much to offer, but I''m afraid revealing my tribe''s treasures will only spark jealousy.¡± ¡°Pah!¡± Gryphe spat on the fur rug, earning and ignoring a dark glare from Braato. ¡°As if we¡¯d be the ones to steal from you. You might not be as powerful as a dragon, but you''re just as greedy.¡± ¡°There is only one fragment, and several of you,¡± Priam cut in before the situation could escalate. ¡°An auction is the best way for me to get a fair deal.¡± Rohan nodded almost imperceptibly. A ruthless Tier 4 with a silver tongue could convince the Champion to hand over the fulcrum. Uncle Felix could make him believe he was doing him a favor by taking it. Priam was banking on the presence of rival tribes to keep each other in check. As expected, the young Champion wasn¡¯t just strong; he was also smart. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Mama Apo asked, pouring herself another glass. ¡°First, an answer: why does this fragment interest you?¡± Gryphe exchanged a furtive glance with Ophis, then sought Mama Apo''s gaze. By downplaying the fragment''s importance, they could drive its price down and... ¡°Whatever Story a Tier 5 seeks to write, they all share one thing: an internal world. The symbolic core of this world, the fulcrum, can help a Tier 4 lay the foundations of their own world. Since few Tier 5s agree to part with their fulcrum intact, a fragment is the next best thing, enabling a Tier 4 to survive their High Tribulation.¡± Rohan held back, but Gryphe and Ophis shot Braato a murderous look. What game was the Gaeserts'' leader playing? ¡°Thank you,¡± Priam replied, inclining his head slightly. ¡°What I seek is to increase our strength before facing our Tribulations. Ideal upgrades are our priority, but rare resources that can boost a bloodline or our aether proficiency are also of interest.¡± Rohan nearly laughed, realizing Priam wasn''t bluffing. He genuinely planned to bleed the tribes dry. ¡°Is this a joke? Do you want to sleep with me while you''re at it?!¡± Gryphe exclaimed. ¡°Not really, no,¡± the insolent youth replied, eyeing the old shaman''s body. ¡°Impertinent! When I was young and my breasts were firmer, you would have¡ª¡± ¡°What Gryphe means,¡± Ophis interrupted, ¡°is that you''re asking for our tribes'' secrets. My ancestors would roll in their graves if I sold their secrets.¡± ¡°No worry, I doubt the Necromoon left them there,¡± mocked the pretty young woman behind Priam. Rohan pressed his lips together. Their ancestors had given their lives for the tribe, and mocking their sacrifice was not honorable. ¡°Jasmine, please,¡± Priam grimaced before continuing. ¡°The fate of the living is more important than that of the dead. You reaching Tier 5 seems essential, especially with the necro event.¡± ¡°A fragment eases things, but it''s far from a guarantee,¡± Braato grumbled. ¡°It''s not a guarantee, but it''s hope. For some, that''s almost the same.¡± Silence fell over the tent as the Tier 4s pondered. Rohan knew better than anyone that in this camp, only Leo, his father, had a real shot at reaching Tier 5. However, the Champion was right: the fragment gave the others hope. When dreams of grandeur had a chance to materialize, even the pragmatic would falter. ¡°[Stealth] or [Molt].¡± Ophis cracked first, and the young master sighed, turning to Gryphe. The old woman nodded. ¡°[Dark Vision] or [Art of Movement],¡± Rohan proposed, not so much to help his father but to block Ophis'' path. Despite his draconic bloodline, Ophis remained a snake. All signs pointed to him having little chance of Tiering up, but maybe he was hiding his true potential... ¡°If there''s one fragment, there will be more once we kill the Fallen,¡± Braato declared, picking his nose. He flicked the bogey into the fire, which crackled. Unless the Fallen decides to destroy them all. Mama Apo remained silent. People often called the Aelbes vain, but the Gaeserts'' stubbornness was legendary. Priam nodded. ¡°I understand. What is the purpose of [Molt]?¡± ¡°The common skill allows for shedding skin and accelerating growth. At the rare rank, it purges some received poisons. At the epic rank, the ideal upgrade can cleanse certain infections from enemy Concepts,¡± Ophis explained in a very neutral tone. The Tier 4 was clearly annoyed. ¡°It''s an excellent skill for recovering from tough battles.¡± Rohan held back from nodding. How many warriors had died from cursed wounds after winning a fight? ¡°I see. What about [Dark Vision]?¡± ¡°Thermal vision, then total darkness. At the epic rank, it lets you see who is watching you. Not sense, but see,¡± Rohan insisted. The skill was powerful but had its flaws, which was why he proposed it. ¡°Watching me physically or magically?¡± Rohan allowed himself a slight smile. The Champion hadn''t yet grasped how skill rarity worked. ¡°Physically. Epic skills have only one effect at level one. As you level up, you can choose to dilute their power to add a second effect¡ªlike detecting magical or indirect observations.¡± That wasn''t the enhancement he had chosen. Priam nodded and lowered his gaze to the campfire, deep in thought. While the audience awaited his decision, Priam conversed quietly. ¡°So?¡± he asked. ¡°About one in ten warriors have [Art of Movement] as most fail during the rather lengthy training. All Aelbes, warriors and crafters alike, possess [Dark Vision]. According to those I''ve questioned, this skill is learned through a ritual, but their memories are hazy.¡± ¡°And [Stealth]?¡± ¡°The training is long, but three of the prerequisites are quick.¡± Mentally, Priam envisioned Eve''s clone discussing with the Tier 2 warrior whose memory she had just read. Disguised as an Aelbes, his rival seemed to have integrated into the clan seamlessly. She had replaced a huntress who had an unfortunate¡ªbut natural¡ªaccident during a solo mission. No one, not even her husband, suspected the truth. Priam shuddered at Eve''s power. If she wasn''t a fake he could control, he would have eliminated her long ago. Sumstreh might have done them a favor by neutralizing her true body. ¡°Search the shaman Gryphe''s tent while she''s away, but don''t steal anything.¡± ¡°What should I look for?¡± ¡°Secrets, texts, cores... Tokens.¡± Feigning a decision, he raised his head. ¡°I''ll take [Dark Vision], but I''d like to make the exchange as soon as possible.¡± ¡°In a month or two, I¡ª¡± ¡°Before tomorrow,¡± Priam interrupted. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That''s too soon,¡± Gryphe growled. ¡°The Fallen is about to act, and my Tribulations are approaching,¡± Priam lied. ¡°If it''s too soon, I''ll choose [Stealth].¡± Ophis grunted, realizing he was being used, but Gryphe finally nodded. She seemed annoyed but had no choice. The law of supply and demand was absolute. ¡°Come to my tent tonight.¡± Priam shivered. ¡°When will the Fallen act?¡± Braato asked. ¡°In two days, which gives us until tomorrow evening to take action. Kazuki, if you would.¡± The hoplite projected a hologram of Sumstreh''s cavern in the center of the tent. ¡°Here is the Fallen''s base. It''s an Earl Tier 4 with a suspected light affinity¡­¡± The tent flap opened, allowing the three rivals to exit. The discussions had been intense, but Priam quickly realized their participation wasn''t necessary. It had been made clear his only contribution would be the initial diversion. After that, they would either defeat Sumstreh or everyone would die. ¡°Do you think they''ll defeat Bastard?¡± Jasmine asked. Priam shrugged. ¡°According to my sources, there''s a chasm between Tier 3 and Tier 4¡ªbetween the low Tiers and the mid Tiers.¡± That was at least what Eve had found reading the tribesmen''s memories. ¡°Until we see them fight, it''s hard to say. It doesn''t matter; we can''t do anything about it. What we can do is stack the odds in our favor by offering our rivals the same deal we gave Esm¨¦e.¡± ¡°It''s dangerous to arm those who might become our enemies,¡± Kazuki pointed out. Priam shook his head. ¡°Not really. Can you imagine Seth or Arnold failing their Tribulations? Neither can I. But if I see them fight and face their Tribulations, I''ll learn a lot about them.¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°Osiris will join if I ask, and his brother will follow.¡± She stretched to emphasize her point, causing two young Gaeserts warriors to nearly crash as they turned to check her out. ¡°How can such a prodigious biomancer be so ruled by his hormones,¡± Priam sighed. ¡°I''ll stay here a few more hours. I want to see what Rohan is capable of before getting my ideal upgrades.¡± ¡°Plural?¡± Kazuki noted. ¡°The Gaeserts owe me one too. Though, I might trade it for a bit of help with my tempering¡­¡± ¡°You really plan on squeezing these tribes dry, don''t you?¡± Priam raised his thumb in the air with a grin. ¡°I see you''ve got things well in hand so I''ll leave the preparations to you two. I need to get ready,¡± the hoplite announced in a tone too neutral to be natural. He would trigger his Tribulation a few hours before the attack, knowing the trial would be perilous. ¡°Good luck, bro.¡± Jasmine waited for the virile handshake between the two friends to end before embracing the hoplite. A few seconds later, he turned and walked away. ¡°Do you want me to stay a bit?¡± Jasmine asked mentally. ¡°No need. Go see Osiris, then check on the princess. Meet me back here tonight.¡± Jasmine mimed a military salute Rose had taught her, then slipped into a shadow just as Ophis emerged from the tent. ¡°I hope you don''t hold a grudge about the fulcrum,¡± smiled Priam. The Tier 4 stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°As Braato said, there will likely be more. Even if it''s the only one, I''m sure such an item can be found at the Sun Auctions. To tell you the truth, I suspected you wouldn''t choose my upgrades.¡± He wasn''t planning to buy the fragment. Is he trying to tell me he did me a favor by trapping the Aelbes and now I owe him? Really, a snake. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your subordinate already has an ideal upgrade of [Stealth], and a phoenix capable of resurrection doesn''t need [Molt].¡± Trying to probe me? Fuck off. Priam forced a smile. ¡°I chose my bloodlines well. But the phoenix is still inferior to the dragon, and I have an offer for you regarding that. May I visit you after my meeting with Gryphe?¡± To make the time rewind as good as Lord Five''s, Priam planned to exploit every possibility. Even the draconic heart lying at the bottom of the Skull Temple wasn''t safe from his ambition. ¡°The strongest chains are the ones we put on ourselves.¡± Esm¨¦e read Priam''s words over and over after he left. The words swirled in her mind, urging her to act. Soon, time would rewind, and it would be too late to choose a side. Doing nothing would be betraying Priam. Helping him would mean dying from the geas. Her rival didn''t know what he was asking her for. ¡°If time rewinds and I don''t remember, isn''t that a kind of death?¡± she noted in the journal section of her grimoire. For a moment, Esm¨¦e considered allying with Sumstreh to kill the First. She didn''t want to die. Death was a form of freedom for many, but Esm¨¦e was too proud, too ambitious to settle for that. ¡°Maybe that''s why I''m drawn to him. He''s so free that even death doesn''t hold him.¡± With a few quick strokes, the princess sketched the face of the first man who didn''t disgust her and smiled. Reflecting on her previous thought, she decided she wouldn''t kill Priam to prevent him from using his reward. Ruthlessness was necessary to achieve her dream, but it needed to be directed at enemies, not allies. ¡°Achieve my dream¡­¡± Esm¨¦e turned her attention to her brother''s base. She didn''t even try to talk to him about Sumstreh; he would refuse. Their father had ordered them to facilitate the Champions'' deaths, and he wouldn''t disobey. To bypass the mandate, she had to convince herself that plotting against Priam would be bad for the Empyreans. It hadn''t been hard with how powerful and full of tricks he was. ¡°What should I do?¡± [Spoiler]. Boosted by her Concept, her Book Mastery, and her Talent, the Legendary skill activated, providing her with information about her brother. The Crown Prince was, of course, protected against most scrying skills and rituals, and her geas prevented her from spying on him directly. The princess smiled, thinking of the fools who didn''t understand her abilities. She had long mastered the art of observing consequences to trace back their sources. Why try to divine an enemy, taking the risk of them building resistance, when she could focus on the grass they tread or the clothes they wore? At the Legendary rank, the skill could now translate air vibrations into sound, then into words, writing them in her grimoire. ¡°Well, woman, you belong to me now.¡± The prince raises his glass. ¡°Drink.¡± The new recruit takes a few sips, and the prince smiles. ¡°I would like a healer''s opinion. Is wine bad for my health?¡± ¡°That depends on your constitution and vitality.¡± ¡°My Prince.¡± The young woman doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°You will end your sentences with ''My Prince.''¡± ¡°Alright... My Prince.¡± ¡°Wine.¡± The healer carefully takes the carafe and fills the Idiot Prince''s cup. He drinks, then snatches the carafe from her hands to empty it in one gulp. He gazes at his latest acquisition, lingering over her generous curves. ¡°Take care of me.¡± He gestures to his crotch. The healer hesitates before starting to undo the Prince''s robe. His member appears, limp. She hesitates again, knowing she is carrying a deadly syphilis. The Idiot Prince goes purple with shame and suddenly lunges at the healer. The table overturns, spilling the half-full cup onto the floor and staining the cushions. The healer screams, but the guards outside the door don''t flinch. They are used to it. The scream turns into a cry as the Idiot Prince''s slap splits the healer''s lower lip. She falls back, gasping as hands close around her throat. The royal member begins to swell, its bearer aroused by the blood and fear. ¡°If you don''t do it, I''ll take care of it myself. But maybe you like it rough¡­¡± The young woman shakes her head, terrified. Black spots appear before her eyes, and blood pounds in her ears. The Idiot Prince slaps her again. ¡°Too bad for you.¡± Esm¨¦e snapped the grimoire shut. She didn''t need to read more to convince herself again that her brother deserved to die. She just hoped the young woman would find solace in knowing she had caused his death. Next, it would be her father''s turn and all the others. But to take down a system supported by billions, one had to be powerful. The first step was to defy the oppressor''s authority. ¡°I will help Priam,¡± she wrote. If she could sacrifice a young woman to kill her brother, then she must also be ready to die for her cause. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 Dexterity 658 Memory 864 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 829 Meta-focus 417 Meta-endurance 710 Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 Potential: 14 140 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 485 416 (+413) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 1 hours 47 minutes 4 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you''re interested in finding out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 252: The Smiling Juggernaut The brothel was a sensory overload. Crimson tents half-opened to reveal dim lights and stained sheets. The mingling scents of alcohol, sweat, sex, perfume, and drugs hung thickly in the air, leaving no doubt about what activities were hidden behind thin tent fabrics. Yet, amidst the faint sounds of pleasure reaching his ears, Priam realized this wasn¡¯t merely a den of debauchery. He hadn¡¯t seen any commerce, transactions, or bartering. It was a place of free exchange. ¡°Wanna have some fun?¡± Startled, Priam turned to face the speaker. A huntress stood before a half-open tent, revealing a sleeping man tangled in sheets behind her. Her bare breasts were exposed, and she was smoking something that stung Priam''s nostrils. ¡°What is that?¡± he asked, pointing at the pipe. ¡°Nargal. I¡¯d offer you some, but it¡¯s a Tier 3 drug. Without an epic poison resistance, it would kill you.¡± It''s been so long since I''ve died¡­ His instincts whispered that his date with Death was near, and Priam smiled. It was better this way; staying alive for too long wasn¡¯t good for his growth. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m looking for the hospital. Someone must¡¯ve messed with me because they told me it was around here.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The huntress gave a small smile. ¡°They weren¡¯t lying. It¡¯s right behind here. When we set up camp, the maternity ward is always placed next to the lupanar.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Priam said, tilting his head. It was both a gesture of politeness and a survival instinct. The Tier 3 huntress was evidently intoxicated; if she decided to attack, his chances of survival were slim. Not that dying bothered him, but he was seeking a meaningful death. After brushing off three more advances, Priam reached the hospital. Infirmary might have been more accurate since the tent was quite small. He pushed aside a flap and entered a space that felt disproportionately large compared to the shelter¡¯s exterior. It was empty except for a teenage girl pounding leaves into a paste. ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± The girl jumped and turned around. ¡°Priam?!¡± ¡°Hey Gabrielle.¡± ¡°You scared me! I didn¡¯t hear you come in,¡± she said, placing a hand on her chest to calm herself. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m using my Mist Concept to try and be more discreet.¡± His goal was to replicate Jasmine¡¯s feat of evading a Domain¡¯s detection. He was still far from that level, but his Concept and natural talent lagged behind the young assassin¡¯s. ¡°I meant, what are you doing in this tent?¡± ¡°Ah! Well, I¡¯m here to see Mama Apo for one of your Ideal upgrades, as agreed when we made our alliance.¡± ¡°Laepa agreed to that all by herself.¡± The old woman entered the tent, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Capoele juice reacts with the air. The longer you pound, the less effective the paste becomes.¡± Gabrielle resumed her work without a word. ¡°Should I understand that you¡¯re not honoring our agreement?¡± Priam asked, struggling to suppress his rising anger. ¡°Parents are responsible for their child¡¯s actions. As you reminded us earlier, unlike other tribes, the Gaeserts are one big family. Laepa shouldn¡¯t have promised you that¡­ but she did, and I won¡¯t betray her word.¡± Priam nodded. ¡°How did you know you¡¯d find me here?¡± the frail shaman asked as she moved to wash her hands in a basin of water. ¡°I remembered you were Gabrielle¡¯s teacher and that she took care of people. I would have gone straight to your tent, but people I asked said you didn¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The old woman chuckled. ¡°They know I don¡¯t like being disturbed.¡± She moved behind Priam and grabbed several vials, placing them on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare a potion of weakness. Help me, and we¡¯ll discuss the Ideal upgrade afterward.¡± Chemistry¡ªor was it alchemy?¡ªwasn¡¯t Priam¡¯s top concern, but he stepped closer. The apothecary opened a jar of red flowers and asked him to handle them with his kinetic skill. All the potion¡¯s ingredients were manipulated through telekinesis. According to Mama Apo, finger sweat could alter the final product. For almost half an hour, Priam assisted the shaman. Distilling flowers, leaves, and roots, heating, mixing, transforming into vapor, and extracting essential oils¡­ The entire first part of the process reminded him of his chemistry classes. With his knowledge, Domain, add-on, kinetic control, and his Fire and Mist Concepts, he helped Mama Apo without issue. ¡°You¡¯d make an excellent assistant,¡± the old woman remarked at the end of the preparation. ¡°Your Domain lacks resolution, but your Concepts and skills are perfectly suited.¡± Priam shrugged. He had always preferred physics over chemistry and knew he would never be the best in a field that didn¡¯t interest him. Alchemy was undoubtedly useful for many things, but he could recruit someone through Oasis. ¡°Now,¡± Mama Apo said, ¡°the finishing touch. Every potion needs a ritual to catalyze it. Two potions of weakness can be very different depending on the ritual. This one is for a pregnant woman. Can you guess its purpose?¡± Priam thought for a few minutes, watching the apothecary create aether runes inside the potion. Her mastery of aether was eye-opening. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s to prevent the woman from harming the unborn child during childbirth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sharp. Micro helps most high-Tier mothers avoid excessive contractions, but one wrong move, and the baby explodes. It happens more often than you¡¯d think, and it¡¯s traumatic for everyone.¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Priam shuddered. ¡°I¡¯ve had some problems with my high constitution, but that¡¯s one of the worst things I¡¯ve ever heard. Does it happen often?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare among huntresses because we make them unlock Micro during their training. Among crafters, though, it¡¯s a frequent problem if they don¡¯t have access to this kind of potion.¡± ¡°How long does the effect last?¡± If the potion could weaken someone, Priam could see it used as a weapon. ¡°Don¡¯t they develop resistance?¡± ¡°It lasts a week, and my Concept prevents them from developing resistance.¡± That¡¯s a thing?! ¡°In any case, now you know we care for children, so if you feel like having some fun, don¡¯t hesitate.¡± Priam was too stunned to speak. ¡°You seem surprised. I suppose your civilization doesn¡¯t have the same customs as ours¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I don''t know, many men were¡­ Scratch that. Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s scientifically obvious: we want to expand our gene pool. I will just ask you to do it in the lupanar and not elsewhere; that¡¯s its role.¡± Priam clung to that phrase like a lifeline to extricate himself from an uncomfortable conversation. ¡°The lupanar¡­ I thought it was for resting between missions.¡± ¡°In part,¡± the old woman sighed. ¡°Sex and the medicines I concoct help warriors and huntresses decompress. Some tribes are plagued by drug addiction, not ours. I provide everyone with the right dosage, the right plant, so they don¡¯t ruin their health needlessly.¡± The work of a shaman was more diverse than Priam had imagined. ¡°For non-combatants, the brothel is for making children,¡± Gabrielle said while pounding her leaves. ¡°High-Tiers have more difficulty having children, so some multiply partners to succeed.¡± What Priam had taken for a place of pleasure was also a necessity. ¡°There¡¯s no law forcing couples to participate, but singles or widows are strongly encouraged to spend time there,¡± the old woman continued. ¡°Unwanted children are adopted.¡± ¡°To make the tribe thrive?¡± Priam guessed. ¡°Monster hordes, tribal feuds, Tribulations, Tier 1 or 2 viruses¡­ In Elysium, dangers are as numerous as opportunities. Without children, a tribe vanishes quickly.¡± ¡°Without warriors too,¡± the Champion pointed out. ¡°True, which is why we don¡¯t regulate their Tier ups.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes widened, understanding the implication. ¡°You regulate the Tier up of non-combatants?!¡± The conversation had veered off the topic of Ideal upgrades, but Priam knew one of his priorities was to fill the gaps in his knowledge about Elysium. ¡°Nine out of ten Gaeserts are crafters,¡± the shaman explained, never taking her eyes off the potion. ¡°If every one of them reached Tier 3, we wouldn¡¯t have enough children, and the tribe would decline. There¡¯s a balance to find between Tier 3s who can elevate the tribe and low-Tiers who can bear children.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s easy for a crafter to reach Tier 3,¡± Priam noted. The phoenix and the Guardian of Secrets had indicated that non-combatants'' Tribulations weren¡¯t lethal, but he wanted to be sure. ¡°As long as they are crafters, a failed Tribulation is just a warning. However, too many failures and the System switches you to the warrior path. Your number of chances per Tier equals your Soul Tier plus one.¡± One mistake, and the Tier 0 crafter would become a fighter. A failure during his next Tribulation would result in his death. ¡°If I¡¯d known, I¡¯d have chosen the Tutorial for non-combatants,¡± Priam muttered, not really believing it. It couldn¡¯t be that easy. Mama Apo shook her head. ¡°As if it were that simple. Non-combatants don¡¯t have the same Titles as combatants, not the same Merits, not the same Achievements, and not the same experience with lethal Tribulations. Even I, a Tier 4 poison expert, would die facing a fighter¡¯s Tribulation. It¡¯s not the same path to the Zenith, and it¡¯s equivalent to a death sentence from the System. Fortunately, High Tribulations reset this counter.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Reassured for his father and Rose, Priam asked the question he had in stock for a few minutes. ¡°One last question. When you say high-Tiers have fertility problems, what do you mean by that?¡± Priam was concerned as he wanted to have children in the future. Mama Apo gestured to Gabrielle, who cleared her throat. ¡°There are several problems,¡± said the teenage girl as if reciting a lesson. ¡°Starting with the obvious assumption that both parents have genetically compatible races: at lower Tiers, sperm is considered an invasion by the mother''s body and is attacked by her immune system. As her vitality is higher than a spermatozoon¡¯s, it will die fast. To actively prevent this, the mother needs Micro IV, which is nearly impossible before Tier 4. At higher Tiers, passive spiritual pressure can easily kill sperm, eggs, embryos, and children. It''s further complicated by Supremacies, Concepts, Talents, attributes, and even skills¡ªall unknown factors that alter the equation. The rule of thumb is: the more powerful a person is, the harder it is for them to have natural descendants.¡± Priam digested the information before furrowing his brow. ¡°I find it hard to believe such a fundamental problem could be ignored by the powerhouses of the universe.¡± ¡°I know of some resources that help, and certain tribes have developed rituals to change that,¡± the shaman replied. ¡°Surely the powerful have other ways around it. Worst case, they can find a draconic partner.¡± The weakness potion flashed red, and Mama Apo set it back on the table, satisfied. ¡°What do you mean, a draconic partner?¡± Priam asked, a bad feeling creeping up on him. ¡°Dragons are big-time fuckers.¡± The old shaman smiled as Gabrielle grumbled. ¡°One of their Talents allows them to fertilize just about anything. When I was young, I saw a drake wipe itself on a tree leaf after mating. Three days later, a draconic treant sprouted from a fruit in the dead of winter. Be mindful of the Talents you awaken while purifying your bloodline, or even I might get tempted.¡± Priam recoiled, which made the old woman laugh heartily. ¡°Mama¡­¡± Gabrielle grimaced. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Anyway, you wanted an ideal upgrade, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Priam said, refocusing. ¡°Which skill do you want to improve?¡± ¡°Why not just ask for my entire skill list while you¡¯re at it?¡± The shaman shrugged. ¡°As I tell my patients, if you don''t tell me where it hurts, how can I help you?¡± She refused to give him the list of ideal upgrades she possessed, forcing Priam to list his own skills and thus provide information to these circumstantial allies. Luckily, I already know what I want, but it will tip her off¡­ ¡°I want the epic ideal upgrade for [Focus]. I already have the skill at the maximum level.¡± Mama Apo squinted. ¡°How do you know we have that upgrade?¡± Priam just shrugged, unwilling to lie but unable to tell the truth. If the shaman learned that ¨¨ve was reading the memories of the Gaeserts on his orders¡­ The silence stretched uncomfortably before it was broken. ¡°Fine. Follow me.¡± Surprised it was so quick, Priam silently celebrated and followed her. The shaman led him to the back of the tent and pulled aside a flap. Instead of stepping outside, they entered a dark room containing only a large rune three meters in diameter. ¡°Sit down and prepare to be bombarded by various stimuli. Use [Focus] to resist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Priam sat cross-legged on the ground in the center of the rune and whistled in appreciation as a core appeared above his head. The aether crystal emitted a passive spiritual pressure stronger than any Tier 4 he had encountered today. Must be from a high Tier 4 or even a Tier 5¡­ A resonance formed between the crystal and the rune, which began to glow and hum. In the next instant, Priam¡¯s vision changed. He was tied to a pole in the middle of a plain. The breeze in his hair, the blinding sun in the sky, and an archer fifty meters away¡ªall seemed real. He felt like he was back on Earth. ¡°Why am I naked?¡± ¡°The illusion will break when your concentration wavers. The longer you endure, the greater the benefit,¡± echoed the shaman¡¯s voice, ignoring his question. When the arrow bit into the wood between his thighs a split second later, Priam nearly flinched. My skills are unreachable? No, it¡¯s just an illusion. I¡¯m supposed to defend with [Focus]. The warrior activated the skill, and his mind sharpened as he set his doubts aside. He started noticing inconsistencies¡ªthe cold on his skin despite his high constitution, the clouds moving against the wind, and even the pole''s texture, which felt more like plastic than wood. Each detected error corrected itself, enhancing the illusion and increasing its realism. When the second arrow lodged into his thigh, Priam almost forgot that none of this was real. Micro seemed unable to dull the pain, and it was [Focus] that allowed him to keep thinking despite the wound. Finally understanding the illusion¡¯s purpose, Priam gritted his teeth and made a bet with himself. I will emerge from this illusion with the ideal upgrade. Apoline watched the Champion grit his teeth, stoically enduring the pain. Part of her focus controlled the ritual, adjusting parameters as Priam detected errors. Another part pondered this young neighbor. His soul was young, bound to his body, and immense. Even Rohan, the young master of the Aelbes, had a smaller soul, despite the vast resources Gryphe had invested to enlarge it. At Tier 0, soul volume didn''t mean much. Past a certain threshold, a sixth Legendary skill became available, but that was it. However, the advantage at Tier 2 and 3 could be decisive. A fifth arrow struck the Champion¡¯s illusory body. He let out a single grunt before falling silent, clinging to [Focus]. The shaman nodded, seeing that he wasn¡¯t just activating it but trying to understand it. The skill was relatively common, but too many people simply hid behind it without further thought. Like any skill, it held secrets, and only those who uncovered them had a chance at an ideal upgrade. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Gabrielle announced, approaching. ¡°Will he get it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll try as many times as necessary until he does. Laepa promised him an ideal upgrade, and the Gaeserts keep their word.¡± ¡°I know, but I hope he won¡¯t waste our resources.¡± The shaman merely grunted. The Tier 5 core was massive, but part of its power was consumed with each activation of the ritual. Gaesert warriors were only allowed five tries. Nine out of ten failed and had to settle for a high upgrade. ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to give him [Art of Movement] to undercut the Aelbes.¡± Apoline glanced approvingly at her apprentice. ¡°That was the plan, but he surprised me. It''s just as well; this illusory world lets me see who we¡¯re dealing with. The Champions won''t stay weak for long, and I refuse to let weeds grow in my garden.¡± There was a trace of steel in her voice. ¡°I don''t think he entered our camp without some guarantee,¡± Gabrielle noted. The teenager was level-headed, and her mentor liked that. ¡°He must have trump cards, but so do we.¡± One of her rings contained a core capable of stealing a Tier 1 soul. Priam likely thought the Fallen was a danger, and he wasn¡¯t wrong, but the tribes hadn''t survived this long without a few secrets. The real question was: was the Fallen worth deploying some of them, and if so, which tribe should sacrifice its resources? Priam gasped as an arrow tore through part of his intestines. Mama Apo adjusted the illusion to make the stench of his own excrement assault the warrior. When his senses no longer detected any inconsistencies, it would become much harder to maintain [Focus], validating one of the prerequisites for the ideal upgrade. ¡°He¡¯s holding out for a long time,¡± Gabrielle noted. ¡°Do you think he was a great warrior among his people?¡± Apoline laughed. ¡°I don''t think so. The System loves archetypes, and the hoplite already fills that role.¡± ¡°Like the stories you told when I was little¡­ What¡¯s his role then?¡± Apoline hesitated, watching Priam open his eyes to stare at the archer. The anger sparked by the dragon was silenced, replaced by calm and analysis. His wrath hadn¡¯t vanished, but it was now controlled, serving its creator. He was plotting a cold revenge, transforming pain into strength and helplessness into hope. The trial wasn''t about suppressing emotions and sensations, it was about commanding them. It took only a few minutes of guidance for the Champion to grasp the essence of [Focus]. His talent and instinct were exceptional, having nothing to do with the System. The illusion wavered, struggling to deceive Priam¡¯s will, sharpened to a razor¡¯s edge by his concentration. In a few minutes, he had already unlocked two prerequisites. ¡°He¡¯s too fast,¡± Gabrielle murmured, studying the ritual¡¯s indicators. ¡°Even Braato wasn¡¯t so driven¡­¡± Some prodigies needed only one dive into the illusion to obtain the ideal upgrade. This generation''s record, held by Chief Braato, was a little over twenty-three hours. An hour and a half into the trial, Priam¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t wavered from his adversary. Replacing the archer to shoot the final illusory arrow, Apoline flinched at the intensity in the Champion¡¯s eyes. He had transcended the pain afflicting his body, his eyes fixed solely on the prize. Indifferent to the virtual world and simulated danger, Priam focused on his goal. He was in the famed zone. Gaesert, help me, this monster aims for the Zenith. Elysium¡¯s warriors were mighty, but the violence of the spearhead world had tamed them. All it took was to meet the First''s gaze to understand that the first among the rivals was ready to strike back at Elysium and anyone who stood in his way. Pulling the bowstring to her cheek, Apoline aimed and then released. As the final arrow sped toward his eye, Priam welcomed death without flinching. Far from fearing it, he saw it as an old friend. Death¡¯s Obsession¡­ For a moment, as the illusion shattered under the force of an epiphany, the Tier 4 caught a glimpse of the young Champion¡¯s nature. He was a force of nature, not merely walking the Zenith path. He was sprinting on it, inevitable and unstoppable. For who could challenge one who even toyed with Death? ¡°¡­ The Smiling Juggernaut.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 Dexterity 658 Memory 864 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 829 Meta-focus 417 Meta-endurance 710 Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 Potential: 14 140 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 485 926 (+510) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 23 hours 11 minutes 11 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you''re interested in finding out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 253: In the Zone Ideal upgrade available for [Focus - Rare]. Prerequisites met:
  • Remain focused in the face of severe pain.
  • Remain focused in the face of certain death.
  • Actively use [Focus] to resist a Tier 4 fake-world illusion for one hour.
  • Channel emotions to enhance [Focus].
  • Score in the 99th percentile on the trait of concentration.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [In the Zone - Epic] - Elevate yourself to a state of laser focus and enter the Zone. Once inside, there''s only one thing left to do: annihilate the obstacles in your path. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320 You have selected the skill [In the Zone - Epic]. POT -320 [In the Zone - Epic] - The Zone is a mental construct that channels your emotions, filters distractions, and isolates you from irrelevant aspects of your environment. With unnecessary data stripped away, the situation becomes clearer, allowing you to find solutions more easily. Your purpose becomes a guiding flame... but it can also burn you. PERC +3 VIVA +3 DEXT +3 Priam opened his eyes as the System upgraded his skill. With the transformation of [Focus] into [In the Zone], everything gained clarity. The illusion dissipated on its own, and the ritual ceased, having achieved its purpose. The runes composing it were interesting as references, and the add-on began copying them. Several things happened simultaneously. Mama Apo and Gabrielle''s conversation had been recorded by the System even as Priam''s senses were disrupted by the illusion. He absorbed the information in moments. A parallel thought, influenced by [In the Zone], observed the two Gaeserts watching him. ¡°You were quick,¡± said the grandmother. Replying was a waste of time. He needed more ideal upgrades before facing Sumstreh to maximize the use of Back in Time. His next step was to talk to Gryphe. Eager to move on, Priam set off. ¡°Kids¡­¡± Mama Apo waved a hand, and Priam nearly stumbled as he passed her. The clarity brought by his new skill shattered, and he blinked, as if waking from a lucid dream. ¡°What the¡ª¡± ¡°[Focus] is less disorienting than [Berserk], but it can still severely affect its user.¡± With his vivacity, Priam needed only a second to regain his composure and realize he had let the skill control him. The upgrade had boosted both its strengths and its hazards. I''ll need to be careful with the influence of mental skills... ¡°You knew this might happen.¡± The shaman shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have access to your full status, but it was a possibility.¡± ¡°I see. Well, thank you for your help.¡± Priam rubbed his left eye. A phantom pain bothered him, and Micro couldn''t alleviate it. In the fake world, the last arrow had pierced his eye socket, and the illusion felt so real that his mind struggled to accept it had been deceived. [Focus] had kept the pain at bay while active, but now, Priam had to endure it. ¡°The pain will fade soon,¡± Mama Apo reassured him. Priam hoped so. He was accustomed to pain and accepted it when it came with growth. This torture was more excruciating because it offered no positive change. ¡°You were super fast!¡± Gabrielle exclaimed, seizing a lull in the conversation. ¡°I guess so.¡± Priam had shattered Braato''s record, the Gaeserts'' chief, but he had advantages Braato didn¡¯t. Besides his innate talent for concentration and his familiarity with pain and death, he used his two parallel thought streams to understand the skill from different angles. As usual, dragons cheated. ¡°Once again, thanks for your help. I won''t bother you any longer.¡± His ideal upgrade checklist was far from complete. ¡°Wait. You''re not obliged to answer, but could you tell me the prerequisites that unlocked [Ideal Focus - Epic]?¡± asked the shaman. ¡°Most warriors need to go through multiple illusions to get it, and you did it on the first try.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get [Ideal Focus], but [In the Zone],¡± Priam corrected. ¡°The System loves giving complicated names to its skills,¡± Gabrielle explained, hearing her mentor grunt. ¡°In the tribe, we prefer to rename skills as the original name helps to understand what they do. Some add High or Ideal in front to flaunt their power.¡± ¡°It also prevents giving away information to strangers. For an epic skill, it¡¯s less critical, but knowing the full name of a mythical skill could reveal the path of a Tier 1.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Priam admitted, grimacing. His eye still hurt. ¡°I¡¯ll share my prerequisites if you tell me what a Smiling Juggernaut is.¡± Mama Apo squinted before nodding. ¡°The founder of our tribe was a Champion. In his memoirs¡ªwhich you won¡¯t read¡ªhe wrote that rivals always have an archetype. The Juggernaut is one. To differentiate between generations of rivals, Gaesert added an adjective. I thought Smiling Juggernaut suited you well, but it''s not official. At least, the adjective isn¡¯t.¡± A Juggernaut, an unstoppable force crushing all obstacles in its path. I guess that fits me in some ways. ¡°Why smiling?¡± ¡°The Impossible difficulty of the Tutorial only appears to those who seek change. Hence, Champions are naturally inclined to the System''s arrival.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°You, however, seem particularly happy to pursue the Zenith.¡± Where the Gaesert camp was disorderly, the Aelbes'' camp was pure chaos. No two tents were alike in shape, size, or color. The inhabitants, more human in appearance than feline, behaved like cats. One only had to watch them chase each other through the maze of tents and pavilions or lounge in hammocks several meters off the ground to see the resemblance. As Priam walked along a winding path, he encountered an adorable girl with slightly pointed ears and vertical pupils. She stood pensively near a clothesline strung between two tents, adorned with a dozen garments. Suddenly, she noticed Priam approaching and smiled before putting a finger to her lips. Priam returned her smile and nodded. The next moment, the girl drew a claw, cut the line, and darted between two tents. Dumbfounded, Priam watched the clothes tumble into the dust. The definition of chaotic neutral... A second later, a teenage boy burst from one of the tents, loudly complaining as he surveyed the mess. ¡°Was it you?¡± he asked, casting a suspicious glance at Priam. ¡°I don¡¯t have the nails for it.¡± A lighthearted justification was always better received than outright denial. ¡°Mmh,¡± the teenager muttered, eyeing Priam''s hands. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d accuse you, but you look too pitiful.¡± He retreated into his tent, leaving the clothes on the ground and Priam stunned. ¡°Those cats are crazy...¡± Priam murmured, heading toward the central pavilions. Gryphe¡¯s tent was larger than the others and the only one closed. Touching the flap, Priam realized it was as solid as stone¡ªthe equivalent of a locked door. ¡°The shaman is napping.¡± Priam turned as Rohan approached. ¡°We like to sleep... and we hate being woken up for nothing.¡± The young master, somewhere between twenty and thirty years old, had a charming smile and the looks of a movie star. He resembled a surfer ready to flirt with girls on the beach, preferably ones whose boyfriends were working hard to buy them a ring. I don¡¯t like him¡­ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I see¡­¡± Priam grimaced. Time was of the essence, but he couldn¡¯t very well attack the pavilion to wake Gryphe, right? ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Rohan shrugged. ¡°No idea. Why not come kill some time with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already got a girlfriend.¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely true, but it was a good lie to deter unwanted company. ¡°... I meant training.¡± Rohan¡¯s smile cracked. ¡°Oh. Why not?¡± Priam followed the young master of the Aelbes to a sort of dirt circle. Several smaller circles were drawn inside the larger one, and duels were taking place in most of them. ¡°The Gaeserts love lifting logs to build muscle, but that kind of training bores us. Instead, we prefer sparring or challenging the Cage,¡± he indicated a kind of cage to the right, where warriors were entering and exiting. The inside of the cage was blurry, but given the number of entries, Priam was sure it was spatially expanded. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Cat trees and obstacle courses. It¡¯s especially useful for unlocking good movement skill upgrades and training while having fun.¡± A cry drew Priam¡¯s attention as one of the duels ended. Hit by a spinning kick, one of the warriors was thrown out of the circle. His opponent helped him up, laughing, and they walked away together. ¡°Want to warm up?¡± Rohan asked, stepping into the circle without waiting for an answer. ¡°Since you¡¯re giving me a choice,¡± Priam said sarcastically. A sword appeared in each of Rohan''s hands, and Priam summoned Promesse. The two nodded, then Rohan leaped. His silhouette blurred, and Priam''s eyes widened as he barely managed to raise his spear in time to block. The impact was light, surprising Priam almost as much as the second sword that shot toward his left thigh. Pushing away the first blade, Priam spun his spear like a staff to deflect the second strike. He then launched a kick, forcing his opponent to retreat, and pressed his advantage with a jumping attack. Rohan crossed his swords to absorb Promesse''s crushing blow. Springing back, he repelled the weapon with a grunt. Priam landed a few meters away before resuming his stance. His hearts pounded, the spar awakening a desire to win. Facing him, Rohan smiled, and Priam let his lips curl into a grin as well. Their physical attributes were nearly equal, and the Aelbes¡¯ fighting style was new and intriguing. Adjusting his grip on his spear, Priam lunged. The clash of weapons created sparks and a clear sound. The succession of those produced a violent, epic symphony. Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 9 STR +3 Ten seconds into the fight, Rohan elevated his style, and Priam realized he was outmatched in weapon proficiency. Despite Micro and Spear Mastery, his attacks barely grazed his opponent. Meanwhile, the Aelbes warrior spun, dodged, danced, parried, and attacked, pinpointing weaknesses in the Champion¡¯s guard without landing a fatal blow. It was a spar to understand each other better, a duel where blows replaced words, but poetry reigned. Priam knew Kazuki was a monster, but he had never fully grasped the extent of his rival¡¯s talent. During their spar, the hoplite had been a teacher, maintaining a comprehensible level. Here, the spectacle of the young master wielding two blades was breathtaking. Where Priam slashed to win, Rohan delivered a fencing demonstration. Innate talent, passion, and hard work had created a master of dual blades. This was an opportunity too good to pass up. ¡°I can regenerate,¡± said Priam, feeling the duel¡¯s intensity was insufficient to catalyze level-ups in his spear skills. No sooner had he spoken than a slash appeared on his right arm. Burning his lifespan, his vitality closed the wound in a second, and Rohan burst out laughing. The rest of the duel was brutal. His add-on analyzed the Aelbes¡¯ battle style in real-time, occasionally providing appropriate counters. Most of the time, the exchanges were disadvantageous for Priam. The ground beneath their feet grew wet with his blood. It didn¡¯t matter because he was progressing. Half his attention was on Promesse and his body, using the duel as a whetstone to sharpen his skills. The other half was in the zone, studying his opponent and dictating movements. Using his draconic vivacity, his new ideal skill, and an exceptional adversary, Priam rapidly improved. Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 10, 11 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 31, 32, 33 STR +9 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 19 STR +1 Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 10, 11, 12 VIT +9 Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 9, 10 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 7, 8 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 22, ¡­, 27 PERC +6 DEXT +12 When Rohan retreated with a backflip, Priam seized the moment to catch his breath. Despite his vitality and [Three-Headed Hydra], his endurance wasn¡¯t limitless, and his bone marrow struggled to produce enough blood. Without nutrients, his Merit used aether to regenerate his body, but even that resource was running low. Burning his lifespan multiplied his regeneration, but it didn¡¯t make him immortal. ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± Rohan said, glancing at the sky. ¡°Gryphe should be awake by now.¡± Priam blinked, looking at the Necromoon shining high above. Without the sun, the only way to tell time was by observing the constellations. ¡°I enjoyed the spar,¡± Priam admitted, letting his add-on and half his attention analyze the fight. His first impression had been poor, but after a good fight, he almost liked his training partner. ¡°Anytime,¡± Rohan laughed, tossing him an orange fruit. ¡°We don¡¯t have a tank in our tribe, so I appreciate the variety.¡± Priam identified the gift. [Vitamin-Rich Mango - Tier 1] - A mango packed with an impressive amount of nutrients. To be consumed after significant blood loss. He bit into the fruit and smiled. ¡°This is delicious!¡± he exclaimed after swallowing. ¡°Where does it grow?¡± He needed Log-a-rhythm to analyze the seed after rewinding time. ¡°Our gardeners have cultivated this species for generations. There are mango trees on a floating island several days from here, but their fruits are nothing special. We sell ours for Sun points if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy some, it''s perfect for recovery.¡± ¡°The best thing,¡± Rohan said, dodging two children chasing each other, ¡°is not to lose so much blood in the first place. For a moment, I thought you were under some kind of [Focus] skill. You know you¡¯re allowed to dodge, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t train my resistances,¡± Priam joked. Rohan¡¯s look was eloquent, the young master questioning Priam¡¯s sanity. Finally, he shrugged as they arrived in front of the now-open tent. ¡°Gryphe is gruff but kind,¡± Rohan warned. ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡± Seeing the young master hesitate to continue, Priam waited. ¡°Mmh¡­ The young woman who was with you, in Braato¡¯s tent¡­¡± ¡°Jasmine?¡± ¡°Yes. She seemed feline. Did she talk about me?¡± This fucker¡­ The Homo Elysium squinted before grinning. ¡°No,¡± he said, stepping into the tent. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 (+29) Constitution 1 195 (+16) Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 (+17) Perception 778 (+11) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 (+4) Dexterity 673 (+15) Memory 864 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 829 Meta-focus 417 Meta-endurance 710 Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 Potential: 13 862 (-278) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 486 825 (+899) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 20 hours 40 minutes 10 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you''re interested in finding out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 254: Ishihara Test and Memory A wave of aether hit Rohan as he entered the antechamber of the meditation hall. He waited a few seconds for the airlock to saturate with energy before stepping into the room proper. The wooden walls were covered with glowing runes, capturing and concentrating the aether of Elysium. A dim light illuminated the warrior sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. With eyes closed, the leader of the Aelbes seemed lifeless. A minute after Rohan¡¯s entrance, a shockwave rippled through the air, making him grimace. His father''s heartbeat was slow, but each beat was phenomenally powerful. Five heartbeats later, the warrior exhaled and opened his eyes. With a gesture, he invited his son to sit opposite him. ¡°Your heart is becoming terrifying, Dad.¡± Leo smiled faintly. ¡°Not enough to bear a world... but I¡¯m on the right path. Got any good news, son?¡± Unlike the other Aelbes, father and son were training maniacs. Yet they never shirked their duties. ¡°A Fallen is on the island and has captured an important member of Oasis,¡± Rohan reported. ¡°The lord and two other Champions are seeking the tribes'' help to defeat it, and we agreed. I negotiated the ideal upgrade of [Dark Vision] in exchange for a fragment of the Fallen¡¯s fulcrum.¡± The Tier 4 shook his head. ¡°Useless for me, but it¡¯ll make a nice gift to win over a Tier 4... So, three rivals have allied?¡± Rohan nodded. ¡°I checked by provoking his jealousy. It''s actually quite understandable, as they¡¯ve only had their first Reunion. They have no reason to be enemies yet.¡± ¡°Did you test them?¡± ¡°Only the lord of Oasis. He¡¯s not impressive with his spear, but he learns quickly. In a few months, he could become a formidable opponent with it, but I think martial arts aren¡¯t his priority.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°According to Eleha¡¯s report, he¡¯s a versatile Ace. He prefers wielding his Concepts and skills over a weapon. I predict he¡¯ll reach Spear Mastery II, but I doubt he¡¯ll achieve Spear Mastery III.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget he¡¯s a newcomer. Once he realizes he might miss out on Ace III without a solid Mastery, he¡¯ll change his mind,¡± Leo predicted. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an intimidating tank even before tempering his body, but...¡± Rohan frowned. ¡°During our duel, he spent his lifespan to overclock his regeneration.¡± Some abilities made that possible but were usually used as a last resort, not for training. ¡°Strange. Did you wager anything?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t, which is why I¡¯m confused. Nobody wastes lifespan like that unless they¡¯re crazy or pseudo-immortal. Gryphe¡¯s theory that he has a way to ensure his Nirvana seems increasingly credible¡­¡± The Aelbes had considered other explanations, but they were all even more unlikely. Father and son remained silent before Leo looked up at the ceiling. An instant later, he smiled, revealing predator¡¯s fangs. ¡°Gryphe just sent me the results of the genetic analysis she conducted on the cells left in Braato¡¯s tent. The girl with him possesses [Ageless].¡± Rohan¡¯s eyes widened. Priam wasn¡¯t wasting his lifespan; he had found a way to become pseudo-immortal. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Leo was silent for almost a minute before he spoke. Hundreds of glowing fireflies flitted inside the tent, banishing the darkness. Priam smiled as he reached out to one, surprised to find it intangible. Undetectable by Domain, [Ideal Aether Perception] solved the mystery: the fireflies were aether constructs. Using his meta perception, he tried to observe the firefly''s interior to understand its workings and was surprised when it exploded. ¡°You¡¯re too young to steal my secrets, boy.¡± A voice rose from the back of the tent. ¡°Sorry, just curious,¡± Priam replied, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not a cat who¡¯s going to hold that against you,¡± cackled the shaman. ¡°It¡¯s good practice for aether proficiency, but that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here. Come closer.¡± Priam navigated through piles of books, finding a black cat curled up on a large cushion floating a meter off the ground. The cat and the Homo Elysium eyed each other for a moment before Priam cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m here for the ideal upgrade of [Dark Vision].¡± ¡°Bah! Damn Champions,¡± she spat. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The cat started grooming itself as a voice echoed in Priam¡¯s head. ¡°The fact I can take the form of a cat should impress you, as it marks a mid-level bloodline purity of over fifty percent. But since you¡¯re ignorant, you didn¡¯t even realize I was posing.¡± Priam ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed. Was the shaman expecting a reaction from him? ¡°That¡¯s... really impressive.¡± The cat glared at him. ¡°Not good with girls, are you?¡± Who¡¯s a girl, you old hag! Seeing the feline¡¯s eyes promising violence, Priam kept that thought to himself and chose a more diplomatic response. ¡°Forgive me, I¡¯m a bit intimidated talking to a Tier 4,¡± he lied. Lvl Up: [Acting] lvl 6 CHAR +3 The shaman puffed up. ¡°Understandable. As the bigger person, I shall forgive your mistakes.¡± Only Micro kept one of Priam¡¯s forehead veins from bursting. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time: do you already have an ocular skill?¡± ¡°[Broad-spectrum Vision],¡± Priam replied in English. ¡°There¡¯s no real equivalent in your language, but it lets me see invisible colors, like the first milestone of Perception.¡± The cat stopped grooming to nod. ¡°It¡¯s equivalent to [Dark Vision]. Common rank?¡± ¡°Yeah, level eight.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll make our job easier. Now, pay attention.¡± With a paw gesture, the cat conjured sixty aether spheres. Different runes inscribed on their surfaces created a light source within each. English words were projected onto the surface of the first eight spheres, changing color from infrared to rainbow hues and then ultraviolet. With his skill and enhanced eyes, Priam read the words inside the first eight spheres. Letter, tribe, cat, tiger, ancestor, fish, sky, earth. Looking at the ninth sphere, Priam saw a word but couldn¡¯t read it. There are words in each sphere, but I can¡¯t see them, he realized. His eyes struggled to adjust to the frequent color changes, especially when the word¡¯s letters didn¡¯t diffuse the same wavelength. However, failure was not an option. The ninth word was difficult to decipher, but by focusing on his skill and spending a bit of Potential, it appeared. Island. POT -3 Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum Vision] lvl 9 PERC +1 Gryphe grunted approval. ¡°If you reach the twentieth word, not only will you have unlocked three prerequisites, but you¡¯ll also have brought your skill to level twenty. Now hurry.¡± Receiving no response, she looked up and saw Priam fixated on the tenth sphere. Too focused on his task, he hadn¡¯t even heard her. POT -107 Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum Vision] lvl 10, ¡­, 15 PERC +6 Using Potential had allowed Priam to quickly bring his skill to level fifteen, but the efficacy of the artificial epiphany was now less pronounced. The sixteenth sphere had a different mechanism, which frustrated him. Previously, Priam only needed to widen the spectrum of wavelengths he could see and get used to the power of his eyes. Now, he had to distinguish certain wavelengths among others. Specifically, the letters were now composed of hundreds of points of different colors and sizes, on a background also made up of points. It reminded Priam of the Ishihara test, which detected most types of color blindness. He wasn¡¯t color blind and had no problem distinguishing colors, but that only held true for the colors of the rainbow. When the test included infrared and ultraviolet, things got complicated. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. After spending a few minutes staring at a sphere without blinking, Priam sighed and rubbed his eyelids. The difficulty had spiked suddenly, and he suspected it had something to do with one of the prerequisites for the rare ideal upgrade. It was no longer enough to let the skill do the work; he now had to control it to succeed in the final levels. A glance at Gryphe informed him that the cat was very busy licking her anus and couldn''t care less about him. That suited him perfectly. Finding the solution without help is always better. Priam turned back to the sphere and summoned Micro to try to control his eyes. After a moment''s hesitation, he also opened the floodgates of his Potential. He had an advantage and wasn¡¯t too shy to abuse it. POT -1099 Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum Vision] lvl 16, 17, 18 ,19, 20 PERC +5 [Broad-spectrum Vision] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Yeah, baby! ¡°You must be rich to squander your Potential so easily.¡± Priam turned to Gryphe, who had finally finished grooming her fur. ¡°I want to be ready before the assault on the Fallen.¡± After that, he would rewind time and no longer have the opportunity to acquire the ideal upgrade for [Dark Vision]. For him, Potential was a resource less rare than time. ¡°Bah, you think you¡¯ll be in danger? We¡¯re not going to lose.¡± The shaman had misunderstood the comment. ¡°I may be a crafter, but I didn¡¯t reach my old age by being weak. Though, I''d pay a lot to be young again¡­¡± The old shaman let her sentence hang, and silence filled the tent. ¡­ She¡¯s waiting for a response from me? It feels like the start of a quest in a video game, but I have no idea how to help you, granny. Seeing Priam¡¯s lack of reaction, Gryphe growled before jumping onto her desk. ¡°We''ll talk about that later. Come closer, you still need two prerequisites for the ideal upgrade.¡± Priam pulled up a chair and sat facing the cat. Tapping a claw on the wood, she made a large deck of cards appear. ¡°We''re going to play Concentration, a round game with fifty pairs of identical cards. These hundred cards are placed face down on a table. In turns, we reveal two cards, and if they¡¯re identical, we keep them. The goal is to have the most cards by the end.¡± ¡°Oh, Memory! I used to play that game as a kid, with animal cards.¡± Priam smiled nostalgically. It was a memory game where one had to remember the position of cards that different players revealed. As soon as a card was shown whose twin had already been found, one had to recall its position correctly to win the pair. Thanks to his excellent memory, the young and competitive Priam had often won against his family. ¡°Perfect,¡± said Gryphe. ¡°However, there are two major differences: we¡¯ll play in the dark, with the cards faintly glowing in the ultraviolet. In the second round, it will be in infrared, and then back to ultraviolet. If you play well, you should obtain the last two prerequisites within a few hundred defeats.¡± Priam¡¯s competitive spirit roared. I¡¯m going to crush you, granny. ¡°And the second difference?¡± ¡°Even if we find a pair, we don¡¯t get another turn. The goal is for you to unlock your prerequisites, not to play a real game.¡± Before Priam could agree, the fluorescent fireflies disappeared, plunging the room into darkness. The only patches of color were the infrared emitted by the heat of the cat and himself. Tap, tap, tap¡­ A small noise caught Priam¡¯s attention, and his Domain informed him that Gryphe was arranging the cards on the table. Each card glowed uniformly in ultraviolet. ¡°Your turn.¡± Blind to most colors, Priam chose a random card and flipped it over. Nothing. What? The card in his hand was blank, utterly invisible to his eyes. When he tried to examine it more closely, Gryphe snatched it from him. ¡°You only touch the cards to flip them.¡± Frustrated, Priam focused on the card but saw nothing. [Broad-spectrum Vision] had reached the pinnacle of the common rank, and his eyes had evolved thanks to the first milestone of his Perception; yet, the card was black. "New rule: we only have two seconds per turn." That might seem short, but with their vivacity and memory, it was more than enough. Except when I can¡¯t see the cards! Priam flipped a second card, also blank. Maybe the light emitted is very faint? Gryphe''s turn came, and she flipped a card, then another. Under Priam¡¯s blind eyes, she picked them up and placed them in front of her. Priam frowned. The probability of getting a correct pair right away was one in ninety-nine. I can reasonably say she¡¯s cheating. The young Champion looked up at the cat, who was patiently waiting her turn. Cheating so blatantly on the very first turn can only mean one thing: she wants me to know she¡¯s cheating. That leaves two possibilities: either she¡¯s using a method beyond my reach to show the gap between us, or she wants me to realize there¡¯s a trick to it. It didn¡¯t take a great psychologist to see that Gryphe was a prideful being, but also a fair teacher. There¡¯s a trick I¡¯m not seeing¡ªpun intended. Reaching this conclusion in less than a tenth of a second, Priam used his perfect memory to replay the mental scene. ¡°Ah! The cards aren¡¯t face down, are they?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Gryphe seemed surprised. ¡°Usually, it takes people several games to figure that out.¡± Priam shrugged. "The cards are blank when I flip them because I¡¯m looking at their backs. Conversely, they¡¯re currently glowing because I see them from the right side. If I can¡¯t distinguish anything, it¡¯s because they¡¯re painted to emit almost uniform ultraviolet light.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t applaud in my cat form... But even if I had hands, I wouldn¡¯t clap. However, you¡¯re correct; the ultraviolet shades are very subtle. It¡¯s like looking at a chameleon on a green leaf; if you don¡¯t pay attention, you just see green. Tick-tock, you¡¯re too slow; it¡¯s my turn.¡± Gryphe grabbed two more cards without bothering to flip them and placed them on her first pair. Priam smiled as he looked at the game again. He couldn¡¯t yet distinguish the subtle shades of ultraviolet, but it would come. He was on the right track. With half his attention naturally focused, the other half [In the Zone], and actively using his add-on, Priam was determined to collect as many pairs as possible. Gryphe was triply annoyed. First, Priam had seen through her trick in the first round. She had nothing against smart people, but he made her entire clan look like idiots. Even Rohan, her little prot¨¦g¨¦, had only figured it out at the end of the fifteenth round. Second, the result of the first game was bitter. She had collected thirty-eight pairs, and Priam had twelve. She had won, of course, but the Champion''s speed of progression was terrifying. Not all pairs were equally simple, and he had managed to snag three of the most complex ones. At first, Gryphe thought it was a bluff¡ªhow could he have cheated in front of her?¡ªbut the young man had smiled at her as he described the cards. She was almost sure it was enough to meet one of the prerequisites needed for the ideal upgrade. In just one game! The second game frustrated the shaman. This time, it was with infrared-emitting cards and face-down. She had only managed to grab one pair before Priam adapted. The game, partially based on luck, now had her trailing twelve to seven. Maybe I should cheat¡­ ¡°Yeah!¡± Priam flipped a pair and let out a shout of joy that made Gryphe smile. If he had tried to taunt her, she would have cheated without remorse, but he smiled so naturally that she couldn''t bring herself to crush him. ¡°I love this game. Can I buy a deck somewhere?¡± ¡°In your dreams, maybe,¡± the shaman replied, invoking her luck before revealing a card whose pair she didn''t know. Damn! ¡°Do you realize my predecessors spent part of their lives creating these cards to facilitate getting the ideal upgrade for [Dark Vision]?¡± ¡°I didn''t mean to be rude, sorry. Is it really that complicated?¡± he asked, winning a pair. Gryphe sighed, flipping another orphan card. ¡°An ideal upgrade allows you to obtain a legendary skill, even without the corresponding Concepts or Supremacies. It¡¯s the cornerstone of many factions. Today, you''ll get an ideal upgrade because hundreds of Tier 3s and Tier 4s have spent part of their lives exploring and studying the System. They had to collect dozens, if not hundreds, of prerequisites and figure out which ones were easily reproducible and safe to earn. These cards before you and the spheres you saw earlier are the fruits of multiple lifetimes of work. It all seems easy to you because you¡¯re standing on the shoulders of giants.¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t forget that.¡± Gryphe smiled as she quickly flipped another card whose pair she knew. ¡°Too busy listening to my speech, you missed your turn,¡± she cackled. The young man just smiled. ¡°It''s not a big deal; I already got the ideal upgrade.¡± The statement left the old shaman flabbergasted. In two games?! ¡°¡­Monster.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 195 Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 792 (+14) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 864 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 697 (+5) META: Meta-affinity 829 Meta-focus 417 Meta-endurance 710 Meta-perception 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 Potential: 12 670 (-1 192) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 487 224 (+399) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 18 hours 37 minutes 55 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 255: Knight of the Aether ¡°What are you waiting for? Upgrade your skill,¡± Gryphe growled, starting to pack away the cards. The game wasn¡¯t over, but the old shaman had no desire to play a hopeless round. Priam smiled, recognizing she was a sore loser, but still complied. Prerequisites met:
  • Your eyes capture a light spectrum ranging from middle ultraviolet (200 nm) to thermal infrared (15 000 nm).
  • You have corrected your infrared-ultraviolet color deficiencies.
  • You have pierced infrared and ultraviolet camouflage.
  • You possess an epic upgrade of [Aether Perception].
  • First milestone of Perception unlocked.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Ideal Lightless Vision - Rare] - Allows you to distinguish your environment, even in total darkness. Potential Cost: 40 My first rare Ideal skill¡­ I prefer the name [Dark Vision], Priam thought, recalling his conversation with Mama Apo. Updated. [Ideal Dark Vision - Rare] - Allows you to distinguish your environment, even in total darkness. Potential Cost: 40 You have selected the skill [Ideal Dark Vision - Rare]. POT -40 [Ideal Dark Vision - Rare] - Brief Explanation: This skill extends the electromagnetic spectrum you perceive and reads the aethereal history of the light particles entering your eyes. You can now see in the dark. Detailed Explanation: To see, your eyes capture photons created or diffused by matter. This skill allows you to comprehend the aether constituting these light particles, giving you information about their previous collisions or origin. A certain number of photons are necessary to see, but your body¡¯s heat naturally produces enough infrared to perceive your immediate environment. After diffusion, some of these photons are absorbed by your eyes and convey the data they have collected. If you understand the detailed explanation, you¡¯re a scientist. Otherwise, your ignorance is compensated by a higher probability of an active sex life. PERC +3 This fucking System¡­ Lvl Up: [Dark Vision] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PERC +15 As he watched the levels tick by, Priam realized his add-on had already analyzed his new skill. Looking up, he took a moment to observe the tent shrouded in darkness. The only light was the infrared emitted by his own heat and that of the shaman. Invisible to the human eye, it diffused through the room before returning to his eyes. Despite the absence of visible light, he saw most objects in color. The aether constituting the infrared photons conveyed certain properties of the matter they interacted with, including color nuances. The problem was that his vision was as blurry as a low-quality video. The scarcity of infrared photons hindered high resolution. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°It works. I can see quite well.¡± Priam began to scan his surroundings, noticing he saw nearby objects more clearly than distant ones. Using his [Kinetic Control], he slightly increased his body temperature and smiled as his vision improved. ¡°As it stands, I can see thanks to my own heat, but if I cool my body to be less visible, it won¡¯t work anymore. I thought it would work even without light particles.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a rare skill.¡± the shaman scoffed. ¡°If you want to see without any light, you¡¯ll need to rely on a Concept, and that requires at least Legendary rarity. Now stop bothering me and go train with the other spheres.¡± ¡°Yes, grandma,¡± Priam joked, standing up as the light returned. The shaman shot him a dirty look, but he pretended not to notice. After all, there was no light in the room. Of the sixty spheres Gryphe had previously summoned, he had already studied twenty for the first twenty levels of [Broad-spectrum Vision]. Forty remained... or rather thirty-four, as he could easily see the words contained in the first six orbs. Analyzing the already decoded spheres, he noticed that this time, the words were formed from a sort of mist that moved with his position. The particles composing the letters reflected ambient light like tiny diamonds. ¡°For the first thirty spheres, you need to find information about the matter¡ªcolor, density, atomic composition, etc.¡ªthat constitutes the mist,¡± Gryphe said. ¡°The particles are reflective, so they will provide information about yourself. It¡¯s a prerequisite for the next ideal upgrade.¡± Priam nodded, examining the seventh sphere. His Mist Concept didn¡¯t react; it wasn¡¯t really mist. For five minutes, Priam used his new skill, trying to understand and decode the aether packets arriving with each photon. He quickly realized that, despite his inhuman calculation ability, it was nearly impossible. The room''s bright light meant that hundreds of millions of photons entered his pupils every second. Even with my add-on and two parallel thoughts, I¡¯m far from being able to handle this much data... The skill automatically analyzed the packets to find the color of objects, but Priam was far from being able to do that manually. Yet, that was what was expected of him... ¡°I need to select a few packets at random and then study them,¡± he realized. Behind him, Gryphe had opened a book and didn¡¯t bother to respond. Priam sighed, looking again at the dozens of spheres before him. It would take a long time to level up the skill and meet all the prerequisites. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have months to spare. He had less than a day left before rewinding time and a lot of important things to do if he hoped to save Sphinx, Kazuki, and everyone else. Using Micro to keep his stomach from knotting with stress, Priam made a decision. If he couldn¡¯t obtain the epic ideal skill tonight, he would need to train later. Of course, he didn¡¯t plan to exchange the fulcrum for a new ideal upgrade again. He didn¡¯t have many options left. I have to copy the spheres. It was the perfect solution because, in addition to obtaining the ideal upgrade, he would help his friends and improve his mastery of aether and runes. Studying one of the Aelbes¡¯ treasures at leisure was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t pass up. As the idea grew increasingly tempting to Priam, a part of his brain warned him of the danger. It was madness; if he were caught, he would almost certainly be executed and have to rewind time without ever facing Sumstreh. Who was he to dare study confidential runes right under the nose of a Tier 4 shaman? Priam felt adrenaline surge through his body. Instead of being terrified by the prospect of death, he was exhilarated by the challenge. I didn¡¯t get this far by being a pussy! It was settled. Priam glanced at Gryphe, but the Tier 4 seemed absorbed in her research. She must have believed the spheres created and enhanced by generations of shamans were perfect and their protection infallible. She wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong, as Domain and [Ideal Aether Perception] had difficulty observing the spheres¡¯ mechanisms. Some runes seemed to blur his meta-perception, obscuring the ritual¡¯s workings, and others eluded his senses. However, she couldn¡¯t have predicted that Priam was willing to sacrifice his future to gain the power to steal the Aelbes¡¯ secrets. Priam hesitated for a moment, weighing the betrayal of the shaman¡¯s trust, before steeling his hearts. He had chosen Back in Time over Lord Fifth and had to make the most of it. Trees of Merit ¡­ [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. [Soul Scarred - Gold] - Tier 0: Just like your body, your soul is now capable of regenerating to some extent. [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 1: Second Breath, Second Wind: restores your body to its most exceptional form possible. [Lava Summoner - Silver] - Tier 0: Ga?a¡¯s Wrath. You can awaken any Plinian-class volcano near you, once a week. 9 Unused Merit Points. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. ACQUIRED This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. Aether Citizen. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 3: Evolved Candidate: Choose one of your primitive attributes and evolve it. ACQUIRED Meta Perception. [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 4: Mutated Candidate: Choose a part of your body and let one of your Concepts or Affinities metamorphose it. NEW As a terrible and invisible power began to gather around him, Priam hesitated. Sumstreh remained the priority, reserving six Merit points for [Iconoclast - Legendary]. He only had one Tree of Merit left to choose... Glancing at his list, he finally settled on a situational Title. [Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters. ACQUIRED The phoenix had confirmed that runes were considered an alphabet, making it the obvious choice for understanding the runes he didn¡¯t yet know. [Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 1: Increases your affinity with magical alphabets and characters. NEW 6 Unused Merit Points. Half of Priam¡¯s draconic vivacity was occupied with controlling his body to ensure Gryphe didn¡¯t suspect anything. The other half marveled at the changes taking place within him. [Citizen of the Aether - Silver] becomes [Knight of the Aether - Gold]! [Knight of the Aether - Gold] - Temper your body, ennoble your mind, baptize your soul. These three steps bring you closer to the primal and eternal energy that is aether. As a Knight, your mind begins to dialogue with the aether, and your clearance level increases. Unlike many changes, the ennobling of his mind didn¡¯t cause Priam pain. On the contrary, he felt a sort of clarity envelop him, followed by a sense of belonging. Retracing the steps of one¡¯s childhood, returning home after a long sea voyage, or even seeing Earth from space¡ªthese experiences resonated with the human soul, awakening a nostalgia tinged with simple happiness. This was what Priam felt as the energy constituting his soul and body embraced his ego, making him understand that he was loved by the Aether. He existed, and the world rejoiced in it. Better yet, this new identity granted him rights over the primordial fluid. It feels so good to finally spend my Merit points! Priam exulted, feeling his rejuvenated mind. Before he could truly grasp his new abilities, a portal opened at the very heart of his soul. The passage was familiar, but most of the time, Priam initiated it to exchange his Potential for certain revelations. Today, an immense and pure flow of power traversed the rift in reverse, flooding his soul space. The wave bathed his Concepts, Supremacies, and Sumstreh¡¯s mark without drowning them, leaving only a crystalline film on the surface of his soul¡¯s layers. When the deluge receded, the crystals fused with their support, gently finalizing the evolution of meta-perception. Meta attributes commanded the ability to interact with the aether, and among them, the role of meta-perception was evident. The higher the stat, the more finely the soul perceived the fluid. The resolution of his Domain increased proportionally, allowing him to capture smaller energy variations. This acuity was necessary to unlock a skill like [Divination Interception]. When the passage at the center of his soul closed, cementing the changes, Priam waited. A few seconds later, the sound of a page turning confirmed that the shaman suspected nothing. According to his add-on, his transformation had been purely spiritual, but how could he know what a Tier 4 could feel? Reassured, Priam reconnected his Domain and immediately sensed the difference. His Supremacy resonated with his soul, and the crystals on its surfaces detected new signals. Summoning [Ideal Aether Perception], he observed the runes constituting the floating sphere before him and was surprised to see them colored. Don¡¯t tell me...! Foreign Concepts were a dimension of the aether that eluded his perception. Until today. The evolution of meta-perception now allowed him to discern them. Priam smiled as ¨¨ve would no longer be able to manipulate his immediate memory without him seeing the attack coming. In the same way, Jasmine would have to double her efforts to catch him off guard. She¡¯s going to be disappointed, he grinned. The forest blurred past Jasmine¡¯s eyes. Every corrupted that crossed her path was twisted like a rag by its own shadows, but she wasn''t going out of her way to accumulate more Sun points. Time was pressing and with the time rewind, it was useless anyway. As the cursed forest seemed to stretch infinitely, she soon crossed a boundary. The bare trunks became covered with strange leaves and exotic moss. Some bioluminescent, others as black as night, no two canopies were alike. Jasmine stopped at the ruined temple, parted the toxic vines masking the entrance, and descended into a recently fitted-out cavern. In the depths, a child was building a snowman. As Jasmine approached, she realized her mistake. It wasn¡¯t snow; it was bone. ¡°Is that a golem or a boneman?¡± she asked. Osiris turned and shouted with joy. ¡°Jasmine!¡± he cried, running towards her before stopping, hesitant. The young woman smiled and stepped forward, pulling the child into a hug. ¡°Hey, Osiris!¡± ¡°You''re¡ªsuffocating¡ªme!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Jasmine apologized, pushing the child away, now red as a beet. ¡°PERVERT!¡± roared a voice from beyond the grave. Seth entered from outside, and Jasmine was surprised by his human appearance. He pointed a trembling finger at her. ¡°Let go of my brother!¡± ¡°Or else what?¡± she smirked. A dark aura covered the corrupted rival''s hands, giving Jasmine goosebumps. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Seth, it¡¯s fine,¡± Osiris cut in, sounding worried. His older brother fixed his crimson eyes on him. The child flinched but didn¡¯t back down. ¡°You know what Mom would say if she were here? ¡®Let the adults talk, sweetheart.¡¯ You haven''t forgotten Mom, have you?¡± The necromancer''s voice was both gentle and menacing. Jasmine opened her mouth but closed it again, meeting Osiris''s gaze. ¡°I miss Mom too, but Jasmine is a friend.¡± The necromancer muttered something before sitting by the fire to watch the assassin. ¡°She¡¯s not our friend. She¡¯s a snake who uses her fat tits to manipulate you. I¡¯ve already told you to block your hormones.¡± ¡°At least I have fat,¡± Jasmine retorted, sitting as far from the lunatic as possible. His smell of decaying flesh stung her nose. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but skin and bones. And they¡¯re not even yours.¡± ¡°Funny you should say that,¡± Seth replied with a tone that sent a shiver down Jasmine¡¯s spine. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Once rejuvenated, your bones are quite solid.¡± Disgusted, Jasmine gritted her teeth. Leaving her old body, she had suspected what would happen, but there was a difference between knowing and seeing. ¡°Is that all? No reaction? I see why you rolled over so easily for the First¡­¡± The assassin ignored the necromancer¡¯s taunting smile with great difficulty. This wasn¡¯t the time to fight; Priam had given her a mission, and she would see it through. And when the time comes, I will take great pleasure in reclaiming my bones. ¡°Um¡­ Could you tell us why you¡¯re here?¡± Osiris asked with a strained smile. ¡°For the Fallen. Is your brother ready to summon a Tier 4 necro?¡± ¡°I thought the First allied with the tribes.¡± ¡°My boss prefers to be cautious.¡± Osiris turned to his older brother, who shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll take about ten million corrupted souls to summon a Tier 4,¡± Seth said, making a diamond appear in his hand. Jasmine recognized it as the focal that enabled her body swap. ¡°Gathering all that will take time, but I should be ready in two or three months. In return, I want the Fallen¡¯s bones.¡± Jasmine shook her head. ¡°The confrontation is tomorrow night, and you¡¯ll get the bones if you manage to direct the Tier 4. Give me the crystal; I¡¯ll charge it by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Ten million Corrupted by tomorrow morning?¡± Seth laughed as he tossed her the diamond. ¡°You must have lost your mind. Do you realize how much that is, ten million?¡± Jasmine smiled at Osiris and left without bothering to reply. She was sure Priam had an explosive plan in mind. He always did. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 195 Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 (+22) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 864 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 697 META: Meta-affinity 829 Meta-focus 417 Meta-endurance 710 Meta-perception (A) 346 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 228 Potential: 12 642 (-28) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 487 266 (+42) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 18 hours 30 minutes 51 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 256: Runic Hacker The sound of a page being turned reminded Priam that time was slipping away. Ignoring the fleeting fantasies of power that came with rapid progress, he focused on the orbs before him. They held the secret to the next ideal upgrade of [Dark Vision], and he wanted it for both himself and Oasis. Activating his addon, Priam began to craft a three-dimensional model of the orb. Perhaps it was the evolution of his perception, or maybe the new clearance level from [Knight of the Aether], but he could now discern the external runes on the sphere. Without hesitation, Priam set about copying and annotating them. Most of the runes were imbued with unknown Concepts, and Priam noted each flavor detected by the evolution of his meta-perception. He assumed the Aelbes crafters had used their Concepts to enchant the very runes. For anyone else, the project might have ended there, but Priam possessed Concepts Archipelago. By purchasing Concept fragments from the Sun Shop, he hoped to be able to recreate most of the enchantments. I''ve neglected this Talent lately, but it''s every crafter''s dream¡­ Once the outer layer was copied by his addon, Priam focused on the inner layer. The runes composing it were infused with a strange Concept, and Priam''s attention seemed to slip over them. He spent several minutes trying to circumvent the anti-espionage security before finding a simple solution: letting his addon copy them alone. The enchantment easily distracted Priam, but was powerless against a machine. The Aelbes'' anti-espionage protection finally slowed him when his Domain reached the sphere''s core. A spiritual bubble, akin to an artificial sphere of authority, blocked his Supremacy from penetrating it. Priam pressed on for a few seconds before scowling at his failure. While half his attention sought a breach, a parallel thought process was at work. Domain was the second Supremacy he had discovered, and Priam knew his resurrections and [Homo Elysian Obsession] gave him an edge over most Tier 0s. Though not that close to Domain II, Priam could see what that stage entailed. Damn, that this artificial bubble is more powerful than Domain II¡­ Brute-forcing through the protection was hardly feasible. Accepting this, Priam opened his Potential and overclocked [Ideal Aether Perception]. If video games had taught him anything, it was that there were two ways to access a vault: the hard way and the soft way. Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 17 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 POT -212 It took nearly fifteen minutes and an obscene amount of Potential for Priam to grasp the perverse ingenuity of the Aelbes construction. Far from being annoyed, the discovery made him ecstatic. The sublime ritual opened up a horizon of possibilities. The bubble was both a defense capable of emulating a Supremacy and a lock¡ªor rather, a recognition system. The Aelbes hadn¡¯t achieved a level sufficient to create an AI to command the bubble, so they had set up a sort of test¡ªa lock¡ªto deactivate it. Revealing this lock was as simple as it was dangerous: it required transmitting a certain amount of aether to the sphere. Having unlocked the ideal upgrade of [Aether Perception], Priam knew that an individual''s aether had a sort of unique signature. Transmitting his aether to the bubble risked it storing a sample that would allow the shaman to verify if someone had tried to access the core. Refusing to fall for such a basic trap, Priam first tried to force ambient aether into the sphere, only to realize it was futile; the sphere wanted the aether of a living being. Let¡¯s modify my aether signature. At the epic rank, [High Aether Manipulation] was incapable of reproducing another¡¯s aether signature, but the skill could at least scramble his own. It was always easier to destroy than to create¡­ Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 8 META (Affinity) +3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +3 After absorbing a hundred points of aether, a ripple traversed the bubble. At the origin of the wave, Priam detected a tiny hole which he scanned. His Domain detected a thin cylinder of vacuum extending into the bubble¡ªa lock one centimeter deep and one millimeter in diameter. Unlike a traditional lock with pins, this one was lined with ten runes that seemed capable of accepting a bit of aether. The challenge was clear: he had to activate these runes in the correct order to unlock the bubble. [If each rune can be activated once, the number of possible permutations is 10! = 3 628 800.] Only Gryphe''s presence stopped Priam from cursing the lock''s creator¡ªprobably one of her ancestors. He didn''t need his addon to know he could spend days working on the code without finding the right combination. Part of him considered summoning Promesse to violently shatter the bubble, but his competitive spirit was excited by the prospect of solving a puzzle created by a Tier 4. ¡­ No need to rush. There must be a way around this lock. Observing the runic lock closely, Priam realized the protective bubble didn¡¯t extend inside the cylinder. Instead, a type of magically opaque metal constituted the lock. Despite his efforts, Priam''s sphere of authority struggled to penetrate this material beyond a millimeter. It was little, but enough to glimpse the lock¡¯s mechanism. Bingo! A neutral aether current flowed from the bottom of the lock to the entrance, passing through each activatable rune. Helped by the Polyglot Merit, Priam understood that activating a rune would slightly alter the aether flow''s affinity¡ªlike adding a dye to water. Unlike colored water, the changes to the aether weren¡¯t commutative, so their order mattered. Activating the first rune, then the fifth, would yield a different result than activating the fifth, then the first. Once all ten runes were activated, the lock would compare the result with the recorded signature. If they matched, it would open. Otherwise, my gut tells me I¡¯ll be in for a nasty surprise. The thought briefly made Priam smile. Who would be dumb enough to trigger an alarm a few meters from a Tier 4? An idiot who can turn back time. Understanding the lock''s mechanism didn¡¯t help him find the correct signature, but it did help him avoid the traps. Three of the runes seemed off, coloring the aether with the same affinity. The instinct granted by the Polyglot Merit whispered to Priam that these runes were more taint than dye. A smile spread across his face as he realized they were traps. So, there were only seven viable runes, leaving¡­ five thousand and forty combinations. Doable with brute force. [Probability of finding the right combination on the first try: 0.0185%] Priam¡¯s competitive spirit and pride forbade him from backing down now, so there was only one thing left to do. Manipulating his aether, he activated the good runes from the deepest to the nearest¡ªhe had to start somewhere¡ªand studied the aether flow''s change in affinity each time. Just before touching the last rune, Priam took a breath. How would the protection react to an error? There was only one way to find out. Click. The bubble trembled, and a hundred furtive marbles appeared on its surface. Priam''s eyes widened as they were fired in all directions. FUCK! [In the Zone]. Time seemed to slow as his dual consciousness and addon hunted and destroyed marbles as fast as possible using [Divination Interception]. These weren¡¯t probes seeking information on him, but distress signals. Unstable, the aether marbles were trying to escape his Domain to explode. Spending his Potential as freely as a retiree blowing money in a Las Vegas casino, Priam targeted and annihilated each marble within his Domain. Four by four, the signals were mercilessly crushed. He ignored those racing toward his body, which exploded on contact with [Revelation Resilience]. For a stressful second, his overclocked brain smothered each alarm. The last probe reached within ten centimeters of his Domain¡¯s edge before being obliterated. POT -8 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 8 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Priam¡¯s eyes opened as his addon deactivated [In the Zone], and he waited, holding his breath. Another page turning told him Gryphe hadn¡¯t noticed anything, and he sighed in relief. The Tier 4 was a crafter, and Domain was notoriously hard to evolve, but he had feared she might spy on his sphere of authority. As his heartbeat returned to normal, Priam began to smile. He had gambled and won where any other rival would surely have failed. His unusually large Domain, [Ideal Aether Perception], and his experience with [Divination Interception] had allowed him to defuse the trap in extremis. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Well, that was close¡­ Despite his success, he didn¡¯t get cocky, realizing the various protections he had bypassed were calibrated to block the perception of Tier 0s. Priam might be the only rival capable of hacking this protection, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t pose any problem to a single Tier 1 Champion. And why should it? The Aelbes wouldn¡¯t let a Tier 1 outsider use this sphere without active supervision. In reality, the protective bubble frustrating Priam was just a basic safeguard, no more than a security tag on a supermarket product. Its sole purpose was to prevent the Tier 0s of the tribe from learning secrets that didn¡¯t concern them. The real defense was Gryphe¡­ But she was reading, underestimating the Champion. Too bad for her. Priam stretched before refocusing on the sphere and the lock that had just reset. He had proven he had what it took to hack the security and wasn¡¯t about to give up so close to the goal. Manipulating his aether again, Priam tried a second rune combination. Once again, the sphere attempted to alert the shaman, and once again, he stopped the probes in time. This time, the last one was crushed nearly forty centimeters from his Domain¡¯s edge. POT -3 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 9 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 52, 53 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +6 Time to grind. Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 META (Affinity) +12 META (Perception) +6 Title won! [Runic Hacker - Silver] - There are countless ways to achieve your goals. Using your aetheric knowledge, you exploited the weaknesses of a runic system to study it and devise a method to breach its defenses. This title slightly increases your addon¡¯s logical-mathematical intelligence and enhances your understanding of runes. Most factions imprison those with the mythical version of this title. You triggered 4 598 alarms before unlocking the protection. Your luck is as impressive as your capabilities. (sarcastic tone) META (Perception) +20% Trees of Merit [Runic Hacker - Silver] - Tier 0: Reset: Allows you to disavow your aether when it is outside your body. NEW [Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity. ACQUIRED [Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 1: Allows you to store a rune in a spiritual library and duplicate it infinitely. Ten slots available. NEW 6 Unused Merit Points. Prerequisites met:
  • META (Perception) evolved (Specialty: Ace)
  • First Polyglot Merit unlocked
  • Ennobled Mind
  • [Aetherist - Gold] acquired
  • Runic knowledge above the minimum threshold
You have gained the ideal skill: [Runic Language - Rare]. [Runic Language] - If a rune is a letter, a glyph an accent, and a ritual a word, then your reality is a book. You''re learning to read, but remember there are countless patterns resonating with the aether. When a picture is worth a thousand words, the brush is mightier than the pen. This skill greatly increases your affinity for runes and helps you understand the meaning of rituals. You might fancy yourself the next Champollion, deciphering strange and foreign runes. The only thing you have in common is that you''re late to ### (the) Sphinx. Note: Few people need to know this, but the prerequisites for an ideal skill are only necessary at the time of acquisition. META (AFFI) +3 A headache pulsed at the base of Priam''s forehead as he finally tore his eyes away from the spheres. Massaging his temples to relieve the pain, he allowed himself a small smile. After hacking the bubble and copying the final runes constituting the sphere¡¯s core, he decided to purchase the [Aetherist] Merit to verify that his model was functional. In his mind, the three-dimensional ritual created by his addon hummed to life under the Merit¡¯s influence. Priam had removed all the security runes, keeping only the base mechanism he was interested in. Drawing heavily from his aether, the mental model soon formed a mist capable of teaching one of the prerequisites of [Dark Vision]. It¡¯s working! Priam had to stop himself from doing a little victorious dance. Adding this to his new ideal skill, no one could say he had wasted his time. Rubbing his temples¡ªhis brain nearing overload¡ªhe moved to the next sphere and was pleased to find that the Aelbes were lazy: the combination he had obtained opened all the locks. He paused briefly before each sphere, letting his addon copy the notable differences. After recording all sixty spheres, Priam turned to Gryphe. ¡°I¡¯m heading out. I¡¯m starting to lose efficiency,¡± he said, feeling a bit guilty. The Aelbes weren¡¯t exactly allies, but he wasn¡¯t proud of stealing their secrets. Still, he had no regrets: he knew his priorities. But I owe you one. ¡°Mmh, I''ll see you tomorrow. Don¡¯t forget the fulcrum,¡± the shaman responded, engrossed in her book. She was spinning an aether sphere in her hand that Priam found strangely familiar. ¡°Is that an aether soul pattern?¡± Gryphe looked up before nodding. ¡°Of a Tier 0, yes. I''m trying to understand what you did better than me.¡± Priam didn''t hide his surprise and the shaman pointed a finger at him. ¡°I spent twenty-five years growing Rohan¡¯s soul, yet it¡¯s smaller than yours. I thought I was nearing the apocryphal limit, but it seems I still have room. Got any advice by chance?¡± ¡°I don''t even know what apocryphal means,¡± Priam admitted, blushing. The shaman stared at him, then burst out laughing. He waited nearly thirty seconds for her to calm down. ¡°Innocence is bliss... Many consider this research taboo,¡± she confessed, wiping away a tear of laughter. ¡°All I know is that while growing a soul is possible, without increasing its density, it risks collapsing under its own weight.¡± ¡°A pretty exotic way to die,¡± Priam muttered to himself. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the shaman grimaced. ¡°Supremacies allow one to control their own soul, and someone like Rohan could likely survive... But by becoming apocryphal. Even you must have heard of one of this universe¡¯s three taboos?¡± Priam nodded, waking his headache. ¡°A Grace awarded to the one who kills the apocryphal,¡± he grimaced. ¡°And everyone who helped them.¡± The shaman''s tone was serious, speaking of the potential annihilation of her entire tribe. ¡°So why take the risk?¡± The shaman gave a thin smile. ¡°To become more powerful, why else? The ancestor of the Gaeserts had six Legendary skills at Tier 0, and I¡¯m not talking about fake skills tied to a core. I want the same for Rohan... But to do that, I must do as you did: increase the density of his soul. Any advice for an old woman?¡± Priam opened his mouth to declare his incompetence before thinking of something. ¡°I have a title that started crystallizing my soul.¡± Normally, he would never admit this, but Gryphe would soon forget. ¡°[Iconoclast]. I got it by pissing on a god''s statue.¡± The shaman stared at him for several seconds before shaking her head. ¡°If I couldn''t detect a lie, I¡¯d believe you¡¯re trying to kill my clan''s future. Instead, I now know you''re completely insane.¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliment,¡± Priam laughed, leaving the tent. He had one last bait to cast before Kazuki¡¯s Tribulations began. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 195 Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 875 (+11) Willpower 1 168 Charisma 697 META: Meta-affinity 868 (+39) Meta-focus 420 (+3) Meta-endurance 714 (+4) Meta-perception (A) 425 (+79) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 234 (+6) Potential: 12 449 (-193) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 487 599 (+333) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 16 hours 17 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 257: You can have it for today... Tomorrow, it’ll be mine After visiting the Gaeserts and the Aelbes, Priam only needed to steal a few secrets from the Snaherts to complete his tour. Whistling, he strolled into the tribe¡¯s camp, surprised by the silence. Unlike the bustling Gaeserts or the feline Aelbes, the discreet Snaherts exuded a sly aura. His good mood evaporated, Priam stopped whistling and made his way to Ophis¡¯ place without asking for directions. The straight paths and the growing size of the tents provided all the clues he needed. At the camp''s center, two shelters dominated the landscape. The first was red and black, the second green and silver. Dragon and serpent¡­ Ignoring the shaman Snahert¡¯s tent, Priam approached Ophis¡¯. The entrance opened, and a forgettable young man with slumped shoulders emerged. Fortunately for Priam, his perfect memory quickly identified Vyphers, the young Snahert he had defeated while retrieving Seth¡¯s skull at Osiris¡¯s behest. ¡°Hey,¡± Priam greeted. The loser looked up, flinched upon recognizing Priam, and then bolted, screaming. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Dumbfounded, Priam stood still for a moment. He had no intention of picking another fight with Ophis¡¯ son. From his perspective, their last battle made them even as it had purified his draconic bloodline. The young master seemed to disagree. Well, he hasn¡¯t gotten his bloodline back yet¡­ Shrugging, Priam entered the tent and found himself in a relatively small room. The decor was sparse: a few cushions scattered on the floor circled an intense brazier. Sharing a meal of raw meat, Ophis and a young woman watched the flames. ¡°Can I come in?¡± The Snahert leader smiled and nodded. ¡°Sna, meet Priam, the Lord of Oasis who refused my offer a few hours ago.¡± The young woman¡¯s cold eyes met Priam¡¯s, forcing him to steady himself. Despite her youthful appearance, the creature before him was ancient and... cold. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Ophis continued, looking at Priam. ¡°Can I sit?¡± His host didn¡¯t respond, and Priam almost rolled his eyes. You¡¯re too old to sulk, man. Summoning a fake smile, Priam sat on a cloud of mist. ¡°The fulcrum was a good item, but I have something more interesting for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°The heart of a Tier 4 Skulc shaman.¡± The room¡¯s atmosphere froze... literally. Like his son, Ophis had the petrifying gaze of a basilisk. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked in a gravelly voice. Priam tried to reply but couldn¡¯t, having to wait for the Snahert leader to regain his composure before moving. ¡°... An organ that concentrates a potent draconic bloodline, yes,¡± Priam resumed, irritated. He didn¡¯t believe for a second that the Snahert leader had truly lost his temper for so long. But maybe it wasn¡¯t just a threat. Maybe he did lose his temper for a moment. Makes me wonder how rare the heart is¡­ ¡°Interesting,¡± Ophis said, glancing at Sna. The shaman likely had the gift of discerning truth, and Priam decided to play with half-truths. ¡°In exchange for...?¡± ¡°The ideal upgrade for [Stealth]¡­¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°¡­ and access to your own source of draconic bloodline¡ªa basilisk, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± Today, the Snaherts'' draconic source, and tomorrow, the Skull Temple¡¯s heart: Priam intended to have it both ways. But first, you¡¯ll show me how to access the heart. Before Ophis could respond, Sna leaned forward. ¡°Why negotiate with him? We know where his base is.¡± Her voice was warm and hypnotic, yet still gave Priam goosebumps. ¡°Sna, he¡¯s our ally!¡± Ophis frowned. ¡°An ally overstepping his bounds.¡± Ophis clenched his fist, overacting his pity. ¡°He doesn¡¯t realize¡ª¡± Priam burst into laughter. The pressure from his Tribulations and the responsibility of saving his loved ones was weighing heavily on him. Just hours away from confronting Sumstreh, the good cop, bad cop tactic adopted by the two Tier 4s was so crude it was hilarious. Seeing the astonished expressions of the two powerhouses, Priam¡¯s laughter doubled. ¡°¡­ Is something funny?¡± ¡°Your role-playing is comically bad,¡± Priam replied while sending a secret message to ¨¨ve. ¡°What you consider the pinnacle of psychological tactics is common knowledge in my civilization.¡± ¡°So let me be blunt: a Tier 0 should know his place,¡± Ophis retorted. ¡°A Tier 4 should fear an immortal Champion.¡± Priam turned to Sna. ¡°I am Death¡¯s Obsession. Have you lost your hubris along with your shedding to think you can succeed where death has failed? Now, either accept my offer, or I¡¯ll see if I get a good price for the draconic heart at the Auctions.¡± Ophis remained silent for a few seconds before dropping the affable mask he had worn so far. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve guessed, but my shaman currently wears another¡¯s skin thanks to [Molt]. Give me one reason not to have her possess one of your friends like a garment and take what¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°I knew you were a pragmatic asshole,¡± Priam smiled. He had worn enough masks to recognize another adept. ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯m counting on nuclear deterrence. There are several H-bombs hidden in your camp.¡± ¡°My Domain detects nothing and it¡¯s always active,¡± hissed the ancient serpent. ¡°¨¨ve.¡± A second later, Sna violently turned her head towards her tent. For her, a wooden sphere concealed by ¨¨ve¡¯s clone¡¯s power had just appeared on her table. It was enough to prove Priam could hide an object from her senses. Ophis met Sna¡¯s gaze and hissed. ¡°I thought you came in peace.¡± ¡°If you want peace, prepare for war,¡± Priam quoted. ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Sna asked, unleashing her aura. ¡°What a stupid question,¡± Priam replied, undeterred. After enduring the aura of a god and a Fallen, the Tier 4 didn¡¯t scare him. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a threat.¡± The torchlight reflecting off the fine scales of the Snaherts¡¯ skin framed the tent¡¯s entrance. ¡°Fine,¡± Ophis murmured after a minute of tense silence. ¡°A drop of diluted royal basilisk blood and [Stealth] in exchange for the Skulc heart.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± Priam smiled. He knew he had just made enemies, but what did it matter? He would soon be the only one to remember. You have gained the skill: [Petrification Resistance - Rare]. [Petrification Resistance] - A rare resistance that prevents certain powers from turning you to stone. One of its side effects will make you more resilient to shock, stupefaction, and any paralysis induced by a soul aura, a Supremacy, or a Concept. Medusa had two ways to turn you hard. Now, she only has one. CONST +3 The drop of basilisk blood didn¡¯t awaken any new draconic powers. According to Ophis, Priam wouldn¡¯t gain any new abilities until his bloodline purity exceeded one percent. Deep within, he felt that he was close. Racing towards Oasis through the cursed woods, Priam focused on the tattoos covering his skin. Sna had used magical ink to draw intricate patterns meant to divert the attention of onlookers. She claimed he just needed to temporarily deceive the perception of a Tier 4 to acquire one of the prerequisites for [Stealth], or rather [Phantom]. One of the other prerequisites was mastering a particular movement technique his addon had already recorded. The third was consuming the raw heart of a Tier 2 chameleon. As the acrid, salty taste threatened to make him vomit, Priam kept reminding himself it was worth it. ¡°You¡¯ll have to earn the last two prerequisites,¡± Ophis had said. ¡°The first requires you to stalk a Noble of a higher rank than yours¡ªadjusted with Soul Tier, so a Tier 1 Duke or a Tier 2 Marquess will do¡ªfor an hour without being detected. For the second, you must land a surprise blow on a monster three Soul Tiers above yours.¡± Priam could almost taste his tenth ideal skill... and the Mythical Achievement that would come with it. A few minutes later, the two Tier 4s and the Champion arrived at Oasis. Recognizing its Lord, the barrier let them pass. With a leap, the two Tier 4s jumped over the bio traps that were crushing corrupted creatures without pause. A hoplite almost stopped them until he saw Priam. ¡°Which way?¡± asked Ophis, perched on the crenellation of the rampart. Priam pointed to the bone staircase descending into the ground near the river. The Skull Temple was an odd structure Kazuki had used to reach Micro II and survive his previous quadruple Tribulations. The two Tier 4s flashed to the structure, and Priam followed after sending a silent signal to Hyshana, who was monitoring the situation. Potential enemies, H-bomb aware. The warrior was a professional and didn''t let anything show. ¡°It¡¯s an inheritance limited to Tier 1s,¡± declared Ophis as Priam approached. ¡°A mental parkour dungeon designed to help a crafter reach Micro II,¡± Sna clarified. ¡°It would be useful to us.¡± ¡°I can give it to you if you want,¡± offered Priam. With the next time rewind, his promise had no consequence but wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. ¡°But aside from the Skulc Heart, I want the other rewards,¡± he added before the Snaherts could grow suspicious. If he seemed too agreeable, they¡¯d suspect a trap. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting proposal, but none of our Tier 1 crafters are close to Micro II.¡± ¡°And the warriors?¡± ¡°We already have ways to assist them¡­ However, without a crawler to finish this dungeon, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s only one way to access the rewards,¡± said Ophis. ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°To hack its runic core.¡± Priam pretended to ponder. ¡°You can do that without damaging it?¡± Sna bared her teeth. ¡°The shaman Skulc who created this artifact might be better than me, but she¡¯s dead, and I¡¯m alive. However, I can¡¯t promise to leave the dungeon intact.¡± ¡°I could always repair it with Sun Points as long as it¡¯s not completely destroyed,¡± Priam said. ¡°But I want to see what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of the deal.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°We also didn¡¯t plan for you to destroy my artifact,¡± countered Priam. ¡°There are other rewards than the Skulc Heart; in exchange for a detailed explanation of the hack, I¡¯ll give you an item equivalent in value to the heart.¡± A lesson on runes from a Tier 4 would be as valuable to Priam as to Oasis''s crafters and, thus, at least as precious as an ideal upgrade. Rose will love that. Sna remained silent for a moment before turning to the structure. ¡°I¡¯ll explain; if you don¡¯t understand, that¡¯s your problem.¡± Priam hid a smile. No different from a college professor who prefers research. It didn¡¯t matter. With his addon, Titles, Merits, and new ideal skill, [Runic Language], he was confident in his ability to keep up. His pride forbade failure. ¡°Any hacker must at least have [High Aether Perception].¡± ¡°I have the ideal upgrade thanks to [Ace].¡± ¡°[Aether Manipulation]?¡± ¡°High.¡± The shaman blinked slowly before turning to the stairs. ¡°First, we use our meta perception to find where the mechanism is hidden. Here, it¡¯s behind this old Tier 5 bone,¡± she said, pointing to the first ivory step sinking into the ground. Priam frowned, seeing nothing, and was surprised when Sna struck the bone. A wave of aether escaped from a crack. Two more kicks, and half the step shattered, revealing a galaxy of tiny runes. ¡°This is what I call subtlety,¡± he muttered. The Tier 4 didn¡¯t bother to respond. ¡°Without [Aether Perception] at Legendary rarity, it¡¯s impossible to see through Tier 5 material, even degraded. That¡¯s the point: no one can hack a ritual they can¡¯t find. The second difficulty is identifying the runes concerning the rewards.¡± The broken step revealed a green cloud with millions of interconnected runes, creating hundreds of rituals, each controlling an element of the Skull Temple. Finding the relevant ones was like searching for a line of uncommented code among thousands, without knowing what it looked like or its exact function. In a word, tedious. The first task was understanding the overall code, and the [Polyglot] Merit helped Priam grasp the utility of different parts of the galaxy. When he pointed out their target to Sna five minutes later, she gave him a strange look before nodding. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found the ritual that sends the winner to the reward room, we need to modify it to open an entry here.¡± The shaman began explaining the ritual''s workings. Aided by [Runic Language], [Runic Hacker], and the Polyglot Merit, Priam absorbed the knowledge with ease. Within minutes, he felt confident enough to ask pointed questions and offer relevant suggestions on modifications. ¡°Here, we have an aether node that distributes the flow equally among several branches,¡± Sna pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s often used because if one rune fails, the parallel ones remain powered. If they were in series, destroying one rune would prevent aether from reaching the others.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad for us,¡± grumbled Priam. Seeing Sna nod, he continued. ¡°These are traps. If any of these runes detect an unusual aether flow¡ªif we tamper with anything¡ªthey¡¯ll explode, blocking all access to the reward room.¡± Like a serpent, Sna hissed her approval. ¡°Which means we¡¯ll have to erase all these security runes simultaneously before modifying the ritual to open a direct passage to the reward room.¡± Priam frowned, pointing at the thousands of micro-runes floating above the bone stairs. ¡°I doubt someone this meticulous about securing their creation would let us destroy these without retaliation. If we force-shutdown these runes, we risk a nasty surprise.¡± ¡°Your dungeon might never work again,¡± Sna agreed. ¡°But you knew the risks.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the dungeon; the creator of this must have expected anyone tampering with its core mechanism to be after the rewards. I¡¯m willing to bet that if these runes are destroyed, a secondary trap will destroy the rewards.¡± ¡°I see no other traps.¡± ¡°In this ritual, maybe, but there are hundreds. Who¡¯s to say the Skulc didn¡¯t hide a trap in the ritual commanding the Skull Temple¡¯s Hall of Fame? Until we analyze all these millions of runes, we can¡¯t be sure.¡± ¡°That would take weeks,¡± Ophis growled. ¡°We don¡¯t have that time¡­ but I have an idea.¡± Ophis opened his mouth again, but a look from Sna silenced him. ¡°What do you propose?¡± Priam¡¯s skills seemed to have earned the shaman¡¯s respect. ¡°Create a natural accident. We could build an aether bridge that goes from before to after the security rune¡ªa shortcut for the aether to bypass it. With no energy flowing through them, the security runes would be inactive but not destroyed.¡± The laws of electricity had inspired Priam. An electrical device stops working in water because the current diverted by the liquid no longer follows the intended path. He had already noticed that the aether behaved similarly to electrical energy. Seeing Sna ponder, Ophis cleared his throat. ¡°Even if the trapped runes aren¡¯t destroyed, they won¡¯t be powered, making them invisible to the artifact. How is that different from destroying them?¡± Priam pointed to an area with a hundred runes. ¡°Because this ritual inventories the runes using an energy field. The runes don¡¯t need to be connected to be counted¡ªand don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s a coincidence.¡± While his parallel thought streams focused on the immediate problem, his addon had recorded the entire super ritual and started analyzing it. Despite the Tier 4s¡¯ vastly superior computational abilities, Priam¡¯s multitasking prowess gave him an edge over them. Sna nodded. ¡°You have convinced me. Let¡¯s start.¡± The rituals that composed the dungeon were cunningly intertwined, and Ophis had to admit he didn¡¯t understand half of them. It wasn¡¯t exactly shameful¡ªhis knowledge of runes was naturally inferior to that of a crafter like the Skulc shaman. The leader of the Snaherts was, first and foremost, a warrior and didn''t intend to base the fulcrum of his internal world on a ritual. Still, seeing the young Champion following his grandmother¡¯s explanations with ease irked him. When Priam had offered two extremely rare items in exchange for an ideal upgrade, a drop of royal basilisk blood, and a lesson, Ophis had doubted his true objective. Now, seeing the alien prodigy effortlessly assimilate his grandmother¡¯s teachings, the Snahert leader understood that this had been his primary goal all along. Priam had the potential to become a top-tier Aetherist and was using his grandmother as a teacher. "Get a grip, I can feel your murderous intent." Ophis straightened slightly at the mental voice. ¡°Grandmother, he¡¯s using you.¡± ¡°Without him, I would have failed to hack this dungeon.¡± Ophis widened his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s an alien Aetherist?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s worse than that. He¡¯s a prodigy.¡± Watching the young Homo Elysian soak up the shaman¡¯s knowledge like a sponge, the Tier 4 remembered the report Vysharratjekto had given him upon returning from his mission. ¡°If we decide to kill the Champions, it must be done quickly. Afterward, it will be too late.¡± Should I kill him? If yes, a crucial question remained. How does one kill Death¡¯s Obsession? Lvl Up: [Runic Language] lvl 2, ¡­, 7 META (Affinity) +18 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 18 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 9 META (Affinity) +3 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +3 Redirecting certain currents of aether, slightly modifying the arrangement of runes, or rewriting others¡ªthis was a runic hacker¡¯s work. Smiling, Priam used his aether to alter the complex ritual before him. Maybe it was his numerous advantages¡ªTitles, Merits, ideal skills, and addon¡ªbut he found it easy. Almost natural. When Sna had asked him to correct a rune modified by Ophis, Priam realized two things. First, the Snaherts¡¯ leader didn¡¯t possess [High Aether Manipulation]. Secondly, I¡¯m more talented and much more passionate. Using his mind and abilities to break into a dungeon composed of hundreds of intricate rituals entertained Priam. Ophis regarded the galaxy of floating runes like a lazy retiree peering inside a computer. Rather than marveling at the runes'' possibilities to rewrite reality¡ªor the billions of transistors in a processor¡ªthe Tier 4 Snahert preferred to stick to his martial prowess. To Priam, magic was magic. Perhaps because he had lived a mundane life before the Tutorial, he refused to dismiss any path to the Zenith. Concepts, Supremacies, and mastery of the aether¡ªhe intended to climb every mountain. ¡°Now,¡± ordered Sna. Priam provided a solid aether crystal to the tampered ritual, which buzzed to life. A door opened in mid-air, and he entered first, stepping into a small room. Engravings depicting the fall of a Skulc empire covered each wall, but Priam¡¯s gaze was drawn to the pile of treasures haphazardly arranged before him. Under normal circumstances, the ritual would materialize only one reward at a time, but they had found a way to grab everything at once. ¡°The heart of a Tier 4 Skulc¡­¡± Ophis laughed as he entered the artificial space. A bloody heart lay at the center of one engraving, embedded in the green chest of a female Skulc fleeing from a Necromoon horde. Priam¡¯s draconic bloodline surged when his eyes landed on it, but he calmed it with a thought. You can have it for today... Tomorrow, it¡¯ll be mine. The idea of using the Snaherts to secure a draconic heart otherwise out of his reach nearly made him laugh. As soon as he rewound time, he would hack the Skull Temple for himself and his friends. Various items imbued with bloodlines awaited him, and Priam smiled. With these and their own tips, his close allies would have a better chance of surviving their Tribulations. After Sna chose a [Crystallized Gorgon Tear], he pocketed the rest, pausing briefly as he identified two of the drops of blood¡ªone from a phantom panther and the other from a sphinx. ¡°You should head back and secure your camp,¡± Priam declared as he exited the reward room. Seeing Ophis raise an eyebrow, Priam smiled. ¡°The distraction I promised you begins soon with a quadruple Tribulation.¡± ¡°Very soon,¡± corrected a voice from the branches of Log-a-rhythm. The warrior in mechanical armor landed like Superman a few meters from Priam before straightening up. Bearing the weight of millennia of Hoplite pride on his shoulders, Kazuki was holding his head high. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Ignoring the two Tier 4s, Priam stepped forward to shake his friend¡¯s hand. Both knew the risks of death, but that had never stopped them before. Today, Priam would witness a new chapter of the Spear Virtuoso¡¯s Odyssey. And if the worst came to pass, he would force time to correct the Tribulations'' mistake. [8 hours 21 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 199 (+4) Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 875 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 697 META: Meta-affinity 898 (+30) Meta-focus 423 (+3) Meta-endurance 719 (+5) Meta-perception (A) 433 (+8) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 234 Potential: 12 469 (+20) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 488 111 (+512) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 14 hours 12 minutes 47 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 258: The First Labor of Kazuki Ophis advanced, his expression menacing. "I can feel he has already endured five Tribulations. Depending on its nature, a quadruple Tribulation could destroy this island. There''s no way I''m letting that happen." Priam turned toward the Snahert Chief, feigning ignorance of the implication of his last sentence. "Kazuki will start his Tribulations in another world. We¡¯ll only bring Tribulations back to Elysium if they¡¯re interesting as distractions. Be sure I wouldn¡¯t put Oasis at risk." "A new world? How can we be sure that¡ª" "We trust you," Sna interrupted. "The battle is imminent, and we need to absorb the bloodlines from the rewards," she said to her companion. "... Fine," Ophis muttered before disappearing. The shaman rolled her eyes and then vanished as well. Priam noted the power dynamics between the two Tier 4s. The shaman calls the shots¡­ "Let''s head to Valaryth without delay," Priam said as Eve¡¯s clone confirmed the Tier 4s had already returned to their tribe. The bastards were fast. The outpost continued its construction despite the impending time rewind. Alain had insisted, arguing that the cataclysm brought by the successive Tribulations of Oasis''s inhabitants would be an excellent crash test for improvements. The argument was solid, and Priam agreed to let his father, Bertomne, and Myuri stay to witness the start of the Tribulations. "Is it time?" Alain asked as Priam, Kazuki, and the hoplite squad appeared. With the final battle so close, they had stopped defending Oasis, preferring to train. The protective barrier could hold for eight hours as long as no Tier 3 showed interest in it. "It''s up to Kazuki." Gazing at the ocean, Kazuki took a few moments to respond. "A hoplite''s life is a constant tribulation; now or later, what difference does it make? I have been ready since the day I was born." Coming from anyone else, Priam would have found the statement cringeworthy. Not here. Kazuki wasn¡¯t trying to sound cool; he was simply true to his values, which made all the difference. "Has it already started?!" Rose exclaimed, crossing the rift, followed by Blueberry, Louis, and Lamnas. She sighed in relief seeing the hoplite Champion still there. "Perfect, I was afraid I¡¯d be late. Good luck, Kazu," she said, awkwardly patting the warrior¡¯s mecha. "I mean, not that you need it, but..." "I take it in the spirit it was intended, thanks, Rose," Kazuki smiled, seeing the girl blush despite her good intentions. He then turned to his subordinates and saluted. The hoplites returned a crisp salute. Finally, the colossus looked his wife in the eyes and mouthed silent words. With shining eyes, Hyshana kissed her husband for a few seconds before letting him go. Without another word, the hoplite hero flew toward the horizon. Priam turned to the assembly. Oasis''s inhabitants were gathered in full on the idyllic beach. He hesitated to send Rose away before shaking his head. He was the only one who would benefit from the time rewind. For everyone else, the next few hours would be all too real and the failures all too harsh. Who am I to deny them witnessing this battle? "Stay close to the rift. Depending on the Tribulations, you might need to quickly seek shelter in Oasis," Priam warned. His first quadruple Tribulation had partially ruined a city protected by a barrier. Kazuki''s would likely be terrifying. [Tribulation Danger Levels:
  • Priam Azura: Tribulations 1, 2, 3, 4. Energy Level (square function): 1, 4, 9, 16. Total Level: 30 (low estimate). Note: The danger of multiple Tribulations cannot be assessed by simply summing the energy levels of individual Tribulations. Their synergy multiplies the total level by an unknown factor. As such, 30 should be considered a low estimate.
  • Kazuki Arashi: Tribulations 6, 7, 8, 9. Energy Level: 36, 49, 64, 81. Total Level: 230 (low estimate).
Simulations of destruction created by the Tribulations¡­ Note: few points of comparison in the database; accuracy of simulations affected.] Seeing his system¡¯s simulations, Priam grimaced. If the wyvern he had faced during his last Tribulation had a power of sixteen, then the combined power of Kazuki¡¯s Tribulations would be two hundred thirty. In other words, a cataclysm was brewing. Using [Runic Language] and his aether proficiency, Priam summoned a thousand protective runes, saturating the nearby environment with an invisible mist. If the apocalypse descended upon his loved ones, he would be ready to protect them. A few dozen kilometers away, high in the sky, Kazuki slowed down. He turned, and the photographic sensors of his mecha allowed him to see the worried faces of his hoplites and friends. Priam hid his concern better than the others, and Hyshana¡­ her confidence in him was unwavering. More than anyone, his wife knew the merit it took for him to stand here. Born not in a grand house like hers, but in poverty, his future had been choked by the dishonor of his parents. She had chosen him back then, and he had never betrayed her trust or her expectations. I can¡¯t lose if Shana is watching. With his promise renewed, Kazuki closed his eyes. [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time: 12 hours 28 minutes 23 seconds. Would you like to trigger your Tribulations? As always when it came to Tribulations, the blue of the System turned red. Today, Kazuki saw it tinged with blood. The corner of his mouth lifted in a thin smile. He had never let omens and superstitions slow him down. ¡°Show me your worst.¡± Without fanfare or second confirmation, the world trembled. "The History of the Hoplites is written in blood and sweat." A voice with no source thundered in the sky, shaking heaven and earth. "Each of its chapters is penned by a Hero." The air tore a hundred meters in front of Kazuki, revealing a true colossus. With a shaved head, chiseled muscles, piercing gaze, and dressed in a white pallium, the hoplite looked as much a warrior as a philosopher. Kazuki¡¯s eyes widened, recognizing a face he had seen on a thousand statues. "The first was Taishi." The legendary hoplite turned his gray eyes to Kazuki and inclined his head. Manipulating the wind to float beneath the clouds, Kazuki recalled his mecha and mirrored the gesture. He would not suffer the shame of ignoring the salute of the father of his civilization. "Hoplites are a proud race...," continued the unseen announcer. "Yet they need a figure to lead them into battle." A circular, spectral arena appeared around the heroes. Spanning dozens of kilometers in circumference, its titanic proportions did not hide the most important detail: each seat was occupied by the specter or shade of a hoplite. The former represented the living, the latter the dead. Kazuki felt his heart race as the entirety of the hoplite people since the dawn of time watched him. "The people will judge: which Hero will lead them?" Kazuki grimaced, seeing his own people prepare to judge him. Women, children, men, elders, warriors, and crafters¡ªall would judge the upcoming duel. Winning was not enough; his legend had to triumph over the myth of the Father of the Hoplites. "One way or another, today Kazuki Arashi will immortalize his greatness." If his civilization deemed him unworthy, if he failed to convince, he would become a martyr. The wind blew through the ghostly stands. In the silence that followed, Kazuki studied his ancestor before speaking. "I am Kazuki Arashi." "Taishi," introduced the one whose name everyone knew. Born a slave, he had no last name. "Arashi... the storm. What have you done to earn this name?" This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. A family name was passed from father to son and from mother to daughter. The only way to change it was to earn a new one through a resounding feat. There were no judges: only popular rumors allowed one to earn it. "I challenged and defeated the Council of the Grays." A clamor rose from the stands as the dead learned of his feat and the living roared their approval. Taishi inclined his head again. "A storm of blades, triumphing one against twelve." The hoplite observed him with clear eyes, and Kazuki remained impassive before a gaze that had made kingdoms tremble. "Forgive me for asking, things may have changed since my death, but I thought only the Gray warriors knew the name of the Wind. Yet it¡¯s with its help you stand before me today." It was indeed the wind that carried Kazuki, preventing him from falling into the ocean of Valaryth. "I was born to Gray parents. The only way to wash away that dishonor was to eliminate the very notion of them." Taishi¡¯s eyes sparkled, understanding that the man before him respected the hoplite code enough to kill his own parents. In doing so, he had also changed hoplite civilization. "A true Hero then," said Taishi, grasping the air. A spear appeared between his fingers. "You know it, but it is the duty of the dead to judge the actions of the living. Allow me to be your judge." "... And I yours," replied Kazuki, summoning his new spear, Taifu. He had exchanged it a few hours earlier, spending nearly all his Sun Points at the Auction. The weapon was as deadly as it was long and could be wielded by his mecha. Thanks to this, it had replaced Dory and was considered his bound weapon. "The dead receive praise more easily than the living because no one envies them... yet, you will find my legend is not without foundation," announced Taishi before pointing his spear at the sky. The clouds rolled back to let sunlight pierce through. The rays, diffused by water droplets, gathered to give birth to a golden fur. The next moment, Kazuki saw the Golden Lion appear, one of the mythical creatures from the tales of his childhood. "I see you recognize my companion," Taishi smiled, stroking the immense beast. "I am often credited with the feat of having defeated an invulnerable lion during the first of my ten labors... It¡¯s true. Today, it¡¯s your turn to face him to prove your worth in the eyes of the dead." The lion¡¯s roar contrasted with the silence that gripped the stands. Kazuki readied himself. "Thank you for this opportunity." All the mythical beasts had been defeated long before his birth. The surest way to achieve heroic status had thus disappeared, much to the chagrin of modern heroes who had to redouble their courage to convince the crowds. What better way to confirm his title than to slay the most famous lion in hoplite mythology? Enhanced by his high perception, Priam''s eyes tracked the battle, dissecting the Tribulation. When Kazuki''s mythical spear failed to pierce the king of beasts'' hide, he swore under his breath. "Kazuki''s a prodigy with that spear, but when his favorite weapon fails him, his lack of versatility shows," Louis said, approaching slowly. "That''s the weakness this Tribulation is targeting." "We knew it was his most glaring weakness, and so did he," Priam replied, clenching his fists. "So can you explain why he''s not suffocating that lion with his Wind Concept?!" A golden aura enveloped the spear, and Priam saw his rival''s muscles contract as he delivered a titanic blow to the lion''s chest. The impact unleashed a shockwave that swept everything in its path for hundreds of meters, pushing clouds in all directions and raising a tsunami. The lion roared in pain but immediately charged again. "Knowing your weakness doesn''t mean accepting it," Louis sighed. "It''s obvious he doesn''t respect his Wind Concept... or the Name of the Wind as they call it. Kazuki has many qualities, but he''s stubborn." "My husband isn¡¯t so obstinate that he becomes foolish," Hyshana corrected, approaching. "The Name of the Wind was the weapon of the Gray. Using it would tarnish the Hoplite honor. It¡¯s hard enough in normal times, but in front of our Father and our people? He¡¯ll struggle to justify his heroic title if he resorts to a taboo." Priam looked anxiously at the spectral stands filled with hoplites. The seventh Tribulation was more brutal than the sixth because Kazuki was being judged by his civilization. If he wasn''t seen as superior to the Father of the nation, he would die. For someone who had dedicated his life to Hoplite honor, it was the worst possible humiliation. Powerless, Priam watched his friend battle against a formidable synergy. Kazuki struck, feeling his body tremble from the backlash. The lion''s pained roar told him the exchange had been worth it. He began preparing for his next attack. Micro acted as a spiritual bridge between mind and body. There was something cathartic about using his Supremacy to channel the immense power hidden within his System-enhanced muscles to strike a monster capable of enduring his blows. Arcing his body, Kazuki concentrated the energy in his legs and, with a twist of his torso, gathered it to direct towards his shoulders. Like a spring uncoiling, he struck. Tendons, muscles, and bones in his arms nearly buckled as they guided the immense force into his spear. ¡°HAAAAH!¡± he roared, accompanied by billions of ghostly voices. The air exploded, and the spectators cheered for their champion. The destructive blow didn¡¯t pierce the golden lion¡¯s fur but hurled it backward with incredible force. From its howl, the creature was beginning to suffer internal bleeding. Kazuki took a moment to catch his breath, ignoring the fiery atmosphere that had gripped the Hoplite people. He wasn¡¯t stupid; he understood the sixth Tribulation targeted his most glaring weakness: his spear reliance. Yet, under the watchful eyes of the living and the dead, he hesitated to use the Wind Concept to win. He was the Hoplite Spear, and he wanted to win on those terms. The System thought it had created a hopeless situation, but Kazuki¡¯s talent and resolve were not so easily broken. That was also why he hadn''t summoned his mecha. He would give the ancient Hoplites no excuse to belittle his accomplishment. After all, the real battle lies elsewhere, he thought, glancing at his next adversary. The fight resumed, the lion riding the light, absorbing each attack while the Champion burned his endurance in a desperate attempt to defeat his foe. Another blow shook the world, and as the two adversaries separated, Kazuki masked a grimace. The lion¡¯s defense was formidable¡ªcertainly enough to challenge a Tier 3¡ªbut he shouldn¡¯t have spent this long fighting it. In the background, he could see Taishi watching, unimpressed. Kazuki almost furrowed his brow but caught himself. He needed no one''s approval, not even the Father of the Hoplites. Elders deserved honor, but a nation only grew when each generation surpassed the previous one. The exchanges continued, and gradually, Kazuki''s confidence grew. Fatigue set in slower than his progress. Though the lion was impervious to piercing and slashing attacks, the blunt damage was accumulating. Facing an opponent capable of tanking his blows was beneficial, allowing him to explore the limits of Micro and his body. Spear Mastery II also progressed as he could finally test his most destructive combos on a resilient foe. When the clouds in the sky completely vanished, annihilated by shockwaves, the lion''s roar turned into a whimper. Nearly fifteen minutes into the fight, the creature''s organs were no more than mush. Exhausted, the animal opened its mouth, its tongue lolling. Now! In an instant, Kazuki merged with his spear... then hurled it skyward. Letting out a roar the lion would have envied, he ordered the wind to catapult him toward the gaping maw. Reaching close quarters, he grabbed the creature¡¯s fur and climbed onto its neck. Before the fired-up spectators, Kazuki wrapped his arms around the beast''s throat and began to squeeze. His overclocked muscles, as thick as thighs, started to strangle his opponent. Gritting his teeth, the Champion poured every ounce of his strength into the fight. In the sky, two bodies plummeted. While the legendary lion thrashed, a titan with bulging veins crushed its trachea and carotid arteries. The metallic blood coursing through his veins was as fiery as his determination. He was the Champion of his civilization, the youngest Titan instructor, and the conqueror of the Impossible Tutorial. His honor forbade him from losing before his people and Hyshana. After a thousand meters fall, the lion lost consciousness. With a grunt, Kazuki loosened his grip and grabbed its jaw. He pried it open wide and aimed it at the sky just as a blood-red meteor streaked down. Like divine judgment, the weapon plunged into the weak point and exploded the beast''s insides. The spear the spearmaster had thrown moments before had returned, sealing his victory. Letting the carcass drop into the ocean, Kazuki raised his weapon to the heavens amid the deafening cheers of his people. Rarely did he smile, but now he did, haloed by his glory. No matter what the future held, the Hoplite Spear would forever be recognized as a Hero. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 199 Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 875 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 697 META: Meta-affinity 898 Meta-focus 423 Meta-endurance 719 Meta-perception (A) 433 Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 234 Potential: 12 469 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 488 111 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 13 hours 51 minutes 15 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 259: Kazuki’s Duty ¡°A hero is born today,¡± Taishi said as he approached. Panting, Kazuki met his ancestor''s clear gaze and merely nodded. He had never been a hoplite of many words. ¡°... May I offer you some advice before our duel?¡± Taishi asked. ¡°It would be an honor.¡± Besides being the first Grandmaster in the history of their civilization, his ancestor had been an exceptional philosopher who created the Hoplite Code. ¡°A Hoplite always pays his debts¡­ but only a slave pays them twice.¡± Kazuki furrowed his brow, confused. Taishi had banned slavery by uniting the nations of the old world. ¡°I was born a slave and reformed our world to make it just.¡± Taishi proudly wore the bracelets from the chains he had broken. ¡°You, who ended the Greys, why do you fear your glory? You should be proud to have freed the Name of the Wind.¡± Kazuki pondered silently before glancing at the stands filled with hoplites. He had the feeling that everyone could hear their conversation. Whether the living retained their memories after the Tribulation or not, he had to choose his words carefully. Facing Taishi, the warrior-philosopher, Kazuki had no illusions: the duel had already begun. With the seventh Tribulation, words could be as lethal as weapons if he failed to convince his people. ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of being born to Grey parents or of using the Name of the Wind... It¡¯s just that I am different from the wind,¡± Kazuki confided. ¡°You say I freed the Wind, but that¡¯s not true: it has always been free. I was born free¡­ and I chose to bind my fate to the Hoplite honor.¡± An appreciative murmur swept through the stands. ¡°Some might accuse you of not using all means to defeat the enemy,¡± Taishi pointed out. ¡°There is no greater honor than victory.¡± Kazuki grunted. Although less skilled in oratory than his ancestor, he understood he couldn¡¯t let him control the conversation. ¡°The end doesn¡¯t always justify the means. That¡¯s why a Hoplite prefers death to slavery.¡± The hoplites roared as Taishi¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°That¡¯s the exception that proves the rule, nothing more.¡± ¡°Many may not agree with me,¡± Kazuki conceded. ¡°But a leader can¡¯t be a follower. Listening to the concerns of those who speak without acting is putting a noose around your neck. A hero carves his own path; if he¡¯s inspiring, he will be followed. That¡¯s how I will prove my honor.¡± Kazuki¡¯s sincere words resonated with the spectators, who shouted their approval. The Champion felt a great strength fill him, and he puffed out his chest. With his people behind him, he felt ready to carry the sky. Taishi let the cheers die down after several minutes. ¡°The traditions I established have forged an honorable hero.¡± With a single phrase, the ancestor claimed a portion of Kazuki¡¯s honor. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had time to recover from your wounds, one question remains: which of us has what it takes to lead our civilization into this new world?¡± Kazuki smiled as he assumed his stance. Words built civilizations; weapons defended them. Leveraging a beam of light, Taishi sprang forward. In the next instant, his spear materialized before Kazuki¡¯s pupil, eclipsing the sky. The Champion had never seen a thrust so swift, but his talent, enhanced by the System, allowed him to react. His instinct read the attack''s trajectory, which he dodged by tilting his head a few degrees to the side. Simultaneously, his own spear darted forward like a predator on its prey. Taishi used the shaft of his weapon to block and lifted Kazuki¡¯s spear. His guard shattered, the Champion couldn¡¯t evade a second attack that pierced his shoulder. His metallic flesh, enhanced by his Titanic bloodline, was torn by the aura of Spear Mastery, and Kazuki groaned as he staggered back. Before he could catch his breath, his pupils dilated from a sudden flash of light. The beam transformed into a second spear that shattered against his clavicle. The bone cracked despite his Titanic constitution. Spear Mastery II¡­ He¡¯s a spear grandmaster. His instincts screamed again, and Kazuki executed a horizontal attack, forcing his opponent to retreat. Taishi was certainly resilient, but an attack boosted by Micro II, Spear Mastery II, and an ideal offensive spear skill would have easily bisected him. Floating a kilometer above the sea, the two duelists observed each other. Two heartbeats later, the duel resumed. [Kazuki¡¯s Quadruple Tribulation: 6) Golden Lion - Impervious to the spear 7) Hoplite Tribunal - Judgment of the People 8) Taishi - Founder of a Civilization and Spearmaster 9) ???] "Fuck," Priam growled as he saw his friend outclassed in the first exchange. The ancestor resurrected by the Tribulation wasn¡¯t here to play and would have won in the first round if Kazuki hadn¡¯t forced him back. ¡°Is Kazu gonna win?¡± Rose asked, her voice tinged with worry. ¡°The bald guy has Micro II, Spear Mastery II, and something like a Tier 1 Light Concept,¡± Louis observed. ¡°Kazuki has the advantage of space awareness thanks to Domain, but his Concept is far less offensive. On paper, he has a shot.¡± The two duelists clashed again, exchanging a flurry of blows before Kazuki retreated, wounded in the stomach by another lightning-fast attack. ¡°... He¡¯s in trouble,¡± Rose murmured. ¡°His opponent studied his fight with the lion, which gives him an initial edge. I bet our friend will analyze his style soon and turn the tables,¡± Louis growled. Priam watched the fight with a grim expression. He had complete faith in his rival¡¯s talent, but his adversary seemed really skilled. The System hadn¡¯t resurrected just anyone. The sun continued its arc across the sky. As the first waves raised by the battle reached the bay to crash against Priam''s runic barriers, worry spread among the spectators. The fight was proving to be difficult. Kazuki was no longer caught off guard by Taishi¡¯s rapid attacks, but his opponent dodged each of his strikes by transforming into a beam of light. Neither could land a decisive blow, their spear skills nearly equal. This was far from good news because while his ancestor was warming up, Kazuki was losing blood. The wounds he had sustained early in the fight weren¡¯t healing. Parrying a vertical strike that would have shattered his head, Kazuki countered with a lightning thrust. Once again, Taishi vanished, eluding his opponent. ¡°Why can¡¯t he hit him?!¡± Rose exclaimed, tears of frustration and anger glistening in her eyes. ¡°Taishi mastered his Concept¡¯s Unity,¡± Priam replied without taking his eyes off the fight. It was his duty to report every detail to the future Kazuki¡ªor rather, the past one. ¡°Spear Mastery could hurt him during his Unity, but Kazuki would have to cut through the light¡­¡± Given that light could travel around the Earth seven times in one second, it was easier said than done. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± ¡°How would you counter him?¡± Louis asked. Priam shrugged. ¡°My mist would diffuse his light without difficulty. If that¡¯s not enough to kill him, I¡¯d infuse it with Conquest Aura. Alternatively, Domain can disrupt Unity, but Kazuki¡¯s sphere of authority is basic. As long as Taishi stays more than a meter away, he¡¯s safe¡ªwhich he¡¯s doing.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Kazuki can¡¯t do that,¡± Blueberry grunted. ¡°He could go underwater; the oceans absorb light at depth.¡± ¡°The hoplites are watching,¡± Hyshana pointed out. She stood tall and proud, but everyone could see her nails digging into her palms. Priam almost growled. The System had crafted a deadly trap. ¡°¡­ Then he should summon his bound mecha. Knightmare could create smoke to absorb his opponent''s light.¡± He raised a hand as some started to object. ¡°The Tribulations target his weaknesses; he overpowered the sixth with brute strength, but that¡¯s not possible here. He has to adapt while convincing his people.¡± ¡­ Or he¡¯ll die. Priam kept the last part to himself, but everyone understood. In silence, they watched the rest of the fight. Flashing in and out, Taishi harassed his opponent, forcing Kazuki to stay on the defensive and lose blood. The combat was dazzling, the exchanges impressive, and yet, the duel was terribly frustrating for the Champion¡¯s friends. In fifteen years of life, Sanada had rarely been this exhausted. After working all day in his father¡¯s mess, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. It wasn¡¯t exactly the career of his dreams, but the nation needed cooks, servers, and dishwashers more than sports commentators. He couldn¡¯t complain when three of his friends had died since the integration, killed in Var Elegis raids. The government regularly announced victories against these homunculi, but the soldiers who ate at the mess told different stories. The Hoplites were losing the war. Sanada was sure that only a hero could save them, and General Ishaka wasn¡¯t that figure. General Kazuki, on the other hand... When his nightmare shifted to his hero battling the father of the nation, Sanada was thrilled. Who could dream of a better duel? Unlike a typical dream, he was merely a spectator. The only action he could take was to raise a slate to confirm the current Hoplite Champion or to consecrate a new one. Hoping not to wake up too soon, Sanada watched the duel with delight. General Kazuki began by defeating a terrifying golden lion before facing Taishi, the most renowned Grandmaster in history. It was clear that both Hoplites were monstrous, their blows tearing through the air, causing showers of sparks and raising waves hundreds of meters below them. A fan of combat sports, Sanada had studied the advancements possible through the System, and these two fighters were far superior to any elite Hoplites known. If his dream hadn¡¯t granted him fantastic perception, the teenager wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow the fight. Grimacing when the Champion took three successive wounds at the beginning, Sanada applauded when General Kazuki parried a hundred strikes in a row. The current hero was starting to understand his opponent¡¯s rapid style, who was now struggling to breach General Kazuki¡¯s guard. However, the Champion couldn¡¯t find a flaw in his opponent¡¯s style. Taishi¡¯s skin was still pristine. Sanada was confident General Kazuki still had a trick up his sleeve, but he needed to hurry. The wounds weren¡¯t healing, and it was clear that fatigue was setting in. His pale face and labored breathing were proof that the fight was nearing its end. Blocking was no longer enough to win; he had to attack. As calm as a misty morning, General Kazuki withstood Taishi¡¯s brutal onslaughts. Sanada already imagined the next part: the duel would culminate in a dramatic exchange, and then the hero would be defeated. After all, no good story ended with the defeat of the father of the Hoplites. The implications would be catastrophic. Too bad for General Kazuki, Sanada thought, enjoying the duel. He was already prepared to raise his gray slate. From the corner of his eye, Kazuki saw numerous gray slates rising in the stands. Executions were rare in his civilization, but every condemned individual had the right to one last duel. If they fought bravely and demonstrated their skills, they were sometimes allowed to serve in a death squadron. Death was still inevitable, but it was better to die by the sword than by the noose. The spectators judged the condemned''s bravery with slates. A majority of red meant the criminal had a chance to shed blood again¡ªof their enemies. Grey meant immediate and dishonorable death. Here, the System had recreated a mock execution, and he was the condemned. The meaning of the slates was clear: gray for death, red to live until the next Tribulation. It was a form of psychological torture, but the Champion refused to be intimidated. Still, the vote of his people couldn¡¯t leave him indifferent. Among the spectators, the specters of the living Hoplites were rather indecisive. The Champion had proven his worth many times, and all understood that the fight wasn¡¯t fair: Taishi had analyzed Kazuki''s style during his battle against the lion. The dead were less forgiving. The current Champion was unknown while Taishi was a monument of their history. Their hero was winning, and that was all that mattered. Many raised their gray slates, confident that their ancestor would save their descendants, preferring the past to the future. It was legitimate, but Kazuki felt his stomach drop with each raised slate. My people are condemning me... Distracted by this thought, he instinctively blocked a quick slash. It was a feint, and the enemy''s spear tip plowed his left arm, reminding him of the reality. The limb fell uselessly against his side. Contrary to his usual habit, Taishi didn¡¯t press his advantage, merely looking around. ¡°About forty-five percent gray, two percent red. It''s time for you to step down as Champion.¡± Kazuki remained silent for a moment before responding. ¡°I accepted this duty so long ago that I couldn¡¯t renounce it.¡± ¡°Duty is the necessity to act out of respect for the law voted by the Hoplites,¡± Taishi replied. ¡°They want you gone.¡± Kazuki shook his head. ¡°My duty is an act befitting what is instituted by honor. I have a duty to my people.¡± ¡°To save them? Your death will be my resurrection, and I swear to do everything to make our race flourish,¡± promised the father of the Hoplites. Kazuki gave a thin smile. ¡°If you had a chance, the System would have integrated our civilization in your time. It chose me as Champion, and I won''t be cowardly enough to refuse this mantle.¡± ¡°Even if your own people reject you?¡± Taishi asked, indicating the billions of gray slates. ¡°A question unworthy of someone who established a stratocracy.¡± Kazuki looked around and accepted the judgment of billions of gray slates. ¡°I will save them, regardless of their feelings. These are your own words.¡± As he spoke these words to both the living and dead Hoplites, Kazuki felt the embryonic Concept he had possessed since the battle in the ruins of Valaryth develop. This was the moment he had waited for since the beginning of the Tribulations. Priam would have adapted, but that wasn¡¯t Kazuki¡¯s way. The Champion wanted to advance. A ray of light blinded him for an instant before the enemy''s spear grazed one of his ribs. Ignoring it, Kazuki counterattacked. His weapon struck as Taishi transformed into light to evade. The Champion¡¯s soul trembled, a massive amount of willpower vanished, and the light slowed. The tip of his spear tore through the electromagnetic wave, shattering it. Taishi reappeared, clutching his cheek. A bloody gash marred his face. ¡°No one escapes their Duty. You shall fight me.¡± The ancestor took a defensive stance, and for the first time in the battle, Kazuki went on the offensive. Their weapons clashed once more. Kazuki¡¯s Duty bound Taishi¡¯s light, and soon the two adversaries lacked the willpower to activate their Concepts. The duel became a contest of pure skill, each pushing their Spear Mastery to the limit and overclocking their bodies. Hundreds of times per second, their weapons clashed, and the two masters advanced, sharpening their proficiencies. A thousand cuts bloomed on Taishi¡¯s body, and he began to retreat before Kazuki¡¯s dominance. The Champion¡¯s talent was too great to be contained by any spearmaster, however legendary. The Hoplite Storm had elevated his spear to cut through the chains and limits imposed by the Tribulations. But he had paid the price for it. The two adversaries separated one last time, catching their breaths and staring each other down. Taishi sighed, seeing the blind gaze of his opponent. The lance virtuoso no longer had enough blood to continue. The next exchange would be the last. Charging at each other one final time, they roared and struck simultaneously. ¡°[Odyssey - Coup de Grace].¡± ¡°[A New Dawn].¡± Kazuki¡¯s Domain perceived his opponent¡¯s skill, and the prodigy read it. With a flick of his wrist, the Champion coiled his spear around his opponent¡¯s, accepting the strike to land his own. A rainbow gleamed on the spray of blood and every spectator held their breath. Taishi looked down at his punctured chest, incredulous. His gaze then rose to Kazuki. The Champion¡¯s upper body had nearly vanished, along with most of his organs. Yet, he still held his spear firmly. His duty unfulfilled, he refused death. Kazuki was no more, his consciousness erased. Only the Champion remained, driven solely by his Concept, observing his opponent take a final breath. The next moment, the stands vibrated, the spectators rejecting the death of the father of their civilization. Taishi¡¯s death meant the death of the Hoplites¡¯ way, and none accepted that. Their prayer called for the ninth Tribulation. Taishi took a deep breath, resurrected by his people''s will. Summoning his spear to resume the fight, he paused upon seeing the previous Champion¡¯s corpse fall toward the ocean. Even a Hero¡¯s duty couldn¡¯t delay death forever. Kazuki Status: DEAD
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 260: From Priam with Hate You receive the following Title: [Champion - Hoplite]. Your future Tribulations will be doubled until you repay your debt of 9 Tribulations. Welcome to the Seven Concepts Universe! The spectral stands dissolved the moment the former Champion¡¯s body hit the water. Taishi let out a sigh as he felt the System retract. If he were cowardly, no one would be brave¡­ and yet, the gaze of an entity capable of creating worlds and upending the fundamental laws of existence made his soul quiver with dread. Fortunately for him, the System seemed to value the principles of free will and equivalent exchange. Just minutes earlier, Taishi had been a lost soul drifting towards a mechanism beyond his comprehension, its sole purpose clear: to recycle his soul. Suddenly, he received an offer: to play a role in the future of his people. Dead an hour earlier after failing to dominate Flash¡¯s Unity, the founder of a young nation was reluctant to fade away and thus agreed. An omnipotent force had torn through the fabric of space-time, hurling him thousands of years into the future before an extraordinary assembly. Seeing a contemporary hoplite Champion, Taishi felt a surge of pride: his philosophy had endured, creating a powerful faction. Cast as the antagonist, Taishi realized the true stakes of his presence. Victory meant integrating into this new universe and guiding his civilization through the treacherous waters it was navigating. The System had done its job well, generating a body identical to his thirty-year-old self, magically enhanced with physical and mental attributes. Yet, despite the knowledge and skills he had amassed during a lifetime of warfare and the Flash¡¯s Unity that had cost him his life, Taishi struggled to dominate the fight. Worse, without the aid of the other Tribulations, his arrogance at the end of the duel would have been fatal, leaving his people leaderless. Ultimately, I won, but it¡¯s weird that I made this rookie mistake. Taishi spent a couple of seconds scanning his body before understanding. The explosive energy boiling within his muscles urged him towards rash decisions. I¡¯ll need to be more cautious going forward¡­ Nodding to himself, Taishi decided to find his people. The only information he had about this new world was what the System deemed important for his role. Which was to say, not much. Looking up, he saw an ocean dotted with islands. One of them held a bay sheltered from the sea and his only lead¡ªa group of hoplites who had arrived with the former Champion. Determined they might provide some answers, Taishi almost leaped towards them before freezing. His new perception allowed him to see a shadow cutting through the water, heading straight for him. It belonged to an alien racing towards him at more than five times the speed of sound. His body was covered in strange tattoos that seemed to repel Taishi¡¯s attention, which was why he hadn¡¯t detected him earlier. These tattoos gave him a demonic and rather unsettling appearance. The stranger was still too far away to gauge his intentions, but feeling his scales tremble, Taishi recognized an instinctive warning. Drawing his spear into a defensive stance, the spearmaster braced himself for battle. If the stranger had hostile intentions after witnessing his duel, he was either incredibly foolish or incredibly strong. Underestimating an opponent was a fool''s game, and Taishi was no fool. Two seconds later, the demon arrived. Taishi presented the shaft of his legendary spear¡ªgifted by the System¡ªto block a vertical strike. When the two weapons clashed, it felt like he had stopped an avalanche. Brutally thrown towards the ocean, Taishi briefly fused with Flash to dissipate the titanic kinetic energy. As soon as the Unity ended, he widened his eyes, feeling his new body on the brink of destruction. The stranger struck with the force of a behemoth. From the corner of his eye, Taishi saw the demon charging again. Taishi flashed out to dodge¡­ or rather, he tried. A crushing aura made him stagger, suffocating his soul and preventing him from connecting with his Concept. He parried a new blow at the last moment and grunted as his shoulder muscles gave way. ¡°Who¡ª¡± The demon didn¡¯t give him time to finish his sentence and began a relentless combo. Despite his injuries, Taishi managed to defend himself with his superior spear mastery. Dodge, parry, thrust, swing, cut, feint, and grapple¡ªthe hoplite warrior used every card at his disposal to withstand the onslaught. A few seconds into the duel, Taishi furrowed his brows. The style of his opponent was close to Kazuki¡¯s, but where the former Champion was a prodigy, the demon was a force of nature. His feints were less ingenious, his moves less refined. However, he compensated with superior strength and speed. Half the time, Taishi couldn¡¯t even see the attack and moved purely on instinct. Internal damage was accumulating, and Micro II could no longer heal him. Refusing to lose to an inept opponent, Taishi decided to use Spear Mastery II to turn the tide. His blade began to glow, and the alien laughed as he parried. His own spear was enveloped in Spear Mastery I and a second strange aura. Before the spearmaster could analyze this new power, the demon opened his mouth. A torrent of flames burst forth, and Taishi swore before using Spear Mastery to slice through the attack. A silver aura enveloped the tip of his spear, cutting through the world before him, splitting the infernal stream in two. In the span of three seconds, Taishi¡¯s mental endurance evaporated to allow Spear Mastery to protect him. Just as his stamina hit rock bottom, the flames vanished, revealing the demon less than five meters away. Ignoring his exhaustion, Taishi thrust. His spear struck the alien¡¯s chest, sliding along a rib to reach his heart. The weapon''s tip sank with difficulty into the flesh, surprising the spearmaster. With Micro II, his physical attributes, and his legendary spear, he should have been able to pierce a steel door. Yet, he struggled to reach the demon¡¯s heart¡­ which seemed unperturbed. ¡°Is that all? I expected more from a ninth Tribulation,¡± said the stranger in contemporary hoplite dialect. ¡°¡­ I was the eighth Tribulation. The ninth was the ability for my people to heal the leader they chose.¡± ¡°I see. How many times?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°It does,¡± said the demon, grasping the spear to pull it out. Taishi was stunned to see his heart and flesh regenerate in less than a second. ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡± The command jolted Taishi back to reality. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s fight,¡± repeated the stranger. ¡°I need more data to analyze your style and relay it to my friend.¡± Taishi scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not a show animal. I refuse¡ª¡± The demon briefly vanished before a titanic uppercut shattered Taishi¡¯s jaw. The hoplite flew a hundred meters before regaining his balance and stopping. He looked up just in time to dodge a dozen javelins thrown at supersonic speed. One exploded mid-flight, releasing a terrible flame that singed the hoplite¡¯s eyebrows and scorched his bald head. Taishi used the little mental endurance he had regenerated to slice through the explosion. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he assessed the situation. He knows too much about me, and I know nothing about him. Retreating would be strategic. Without another word, the hoplite founder merged with a beam of light and¡­ screamed in pain as he reappeared less than a centimeter away. A light fog began to reveal itself around him. The mist had diffracted his light beam, threatening to decompose his body like a prism with white light. ¡°You refuse? I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Taishi almost jumped at the voice behind him. He tried to turn and grimaced in pain as a spear impaled him like a poultry. A raging swing failed to eliminate his opponent but forced him to retreat. Seeing a thin smile on the demon¡¯s lips, Taishi roared with rage. He had buried everyone who had underestimated him, and he would do the same today! Title won! [Champion Killer - Bronze] - You have slain the Champion of a civilization without a designated heir. Life will become complicated for them, but one person¡¯s loss is another¡¯s gain: you receive the racial Talent of the Champion. Note: This Talent takes one of the three free racial Talent slots (2/3 used). This Title is more common than one might think. You are living proof that anyone can become a Champion. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. CHAR +10% [Hoplite Warpath - Gold] - Enhances your talent for physical violence. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Hyshana said, her face dark. Priam turned slightly, and the atmosphere around him blurred. Under the influence of his anger, Pyro heated the air. ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said, staring at the corpse at the end of his spear. ¡°It matters to the living,¡± Hyshana corrected. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can turn back time.¡± ¡°Would you have preferred I did nothing?!¡± Priam¡¯s voice rose before he realized he was addressing the widow. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°You were¡­ are his friend, but you¡¯re not his family. It was my duty to kill Taishi.¡± ¡°He would have won.¡± ¡°I would have died with honor.¡± ¡°Honor makes you do stupid things,¡± Priam spat. ¡°It¡¯s because of it that Kazuki tried to save people who don¡¯t deserve him.¡± The general clenched her fists before looking away. ¡°In this crazy world, my people cling to their traditions. Between the founder of our civilization and the last hero¡­ Their choices were understandable. Yet, I hate them for it,¡± she said before diving. Priam chose not to respond. Lifting his spear, he tipped the body in his direction and plunged his hand inside to grasp its heart and absorb the affinity within. Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 9 META (Chance) +9 Tribulation Affinity detected. Your Soul Tier is too weak to support an increase of your Tribulation Affinity. Decomposing Tribulation into sub-Concepts. Soul Harmonisation: Choose a sub-Concept compatible with your soul:
  • Tier 0:
Ice (25%), Vapor (21%), Iron (34%), Air(42%),... Motion (53%), Light (88%),... Emotion (22%),... Puzzle (24%),... Luck (18%),... Volume (45%),... Measure (33%),... Breath (91%),...
  • Tier 1:
Glacier (12%), Cloud (21%), Steel (22%), Dioxygen (21%),... Kinetic (35%), Heat (56%), Combustion (43%), Shadow (23%),... Love (7%),... Logic (15%),... Stochasticity (11%),... Geometry (19%), Tempo (8%),... Will (25%),... Or increase your current Affinity:
  • Pyro (90%)
The fragment shimmered with instability, and Priam had to make a choice fast. Pyro was a stellar option for quickly reaching the coveted affinity, but he knew he would soon be facing death again, which would only boost that attribute further. If he really needed to crank up his affinity, he still had a Tier 1 Affinity Token stashed away. His add-on highlighted three Concepts. Kinetic could easily serve as a stepping stone to elevate [Kinetic Control] to the ideal legendary rank he coveted, but its current affinity was low. On the other hand, Light and Breath were two Concepts he had an extraordinary natural affinity for. The former could prove useful for evolving Pyro to Tier 2, while the latter¡­ [Breath - Concept] - Natural Affinity +9% (100%). Affinity overflow¡­ Your soul expands slightly. Title won! [Useless Sage - Bronze] - Your soul is so perfectly attuned to a Tier 0 Concept that it would take nothing but a thought to connect. Yet, you reject this power. A wave of esoteric energy from Breath floods your soul, resonating with its very essence. Aether flow became slightly easier to manipulate. Minor increase in the capacity and strength of your lungs. Your breath is strong. Take a gum, please. META (Chance) +10% The new Title did little to satisfy Priam. Kazuki was anything but weak, and yet he was dead. For the first time since the capture of Sphinx, Priam had to face the brutal truth: he wasn¡¯t powerful enough to save his loved ones, and that realization stung. Of course, the time rewind and the information he could pass on to Kazuki might change things, but this situation was anything but typical. If he kept climbing the mountain called Zenith, sooner or later, he would have to bury his friends. The thought twisted like a knife in his gut. He spiraled into dark thoughts until Hyshana¡¯s mech burst through the surface of the water. Cradling Kazuki¡¯s lifeless body, the hoplite removed her helmet and let out a primal scream that pierced the heavens. As her voice cracked, two tears streamed down her face and fell onto her husband¡¯s still features before she pressed her lips against his. ¡°Burn him,¡± she whispered, embracing the corpse. So close to the end, she knew there was no time for a funeral. Priam hesitated for a heartbeat before obeying, overwhelmed by the love and pain radiating from the grieving widow. As the magical flames consumed Kazuki, turning him to ashes, Hyshana held him tightly in her arms. Priam landed on the beach alongside Hyshana. She looked like Anakin after a dip on Mustafar, her scorched face giving her a fierce, otherworldly look. ¡°Hoplites, you received the same news I did: our Champion is dead.¡± The hoplites listened in silence, their eyes gleaming with emotion. ¡°As your Sword General, I command you to trigger your Tribulations in advance, one after another, so our friend Priam can pass on vital information to your future selves and boost your chances of survival. Questions?¡± All fell silent, except for one soul who stepped forward. ¡°Yes, Clark?¡± ¡°Lord Priam killed our Champion. Do we really need to¡ª¡± The hoplite fell silent as a deadly aura emanated from Hyshana. ¡°I¡­ Our founder. He killed our founder,¡± the soldier corrected himself before continuing. ¡°How can we be sure his intentions are pure?¡± Hyshana let out a mirthless laugh. ¡°The weak shouldn¡¯t ask such questions. If Priam wanted us dead, we¡¯d offer only token resistance. Get stronger, and then you can question the motives of the powerful.¡± Under normal circumstances, Priam wouldn¡¯t have backed Hyshana¡¯s words. But today, he was exhausted, heartbroken, and all too aware that more misfortunes awaited before the rewind. Clark saluted and turned to Priam. ¡°I volunteer to trigger my two Tribulations first.¡± It was time to make Valaryth tremble. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 755 Constitution 1 199 Agility 897 Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 673 Memory 875 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 738 (+41) META: Meta-affinity 898 Meta-focus 423 Meta-endurance 719 Meta-perception (A) 433 Meta-chance 308 (+34) Meta-authority 234 Potential: 12 472 (+3) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 488 111 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 13 hours 19 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 261: The Wrath of the System The Tribulations faced by the hoplites unfolded like a twisted tapestry, each thread woven with unique trials. Mental combat, summoned foes, navigating labyrinths, and enduring the forces of nature... each challenge was distinct and often paired with secondary support trials¡ªmemory erasure, an obligation to defend something, or the restriction of speed above a certain threshold. Watching them, Priam realized that the System had no real limits. It tailored the nature of the Tribulations to exploit the weaknesses of those who faced them, offering a perilous but fertile ground for growth. Most would fail to improve to its standard. Just like their leader, the hoplites died. Powerless to change their fates, Priam could only observe their struggles with keen interest. It wasn¡¯t without its rewards; by digesting the styles and trump cards of the hoplites, he leveled up several of his combat skills. His new racial Talent, [Hoplite Warpath], played a crucial role in his latest power surge by boosting his warrior aptitude. Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 12, 13 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 34, 35 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 7, 8 STR +2 AGI +4 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 13, 14 AGI +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 10, 11 AGI +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 20 STR +1 [Parry] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Great Parry - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5 [Spear Parry - Rare] - You specialize in spear parrying. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 [Hoplite Parry - Rare] - Your body and mind have assimilated the Hoplite expertise of the parry. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 You have selected the skill [Hoplite Parry - Rare]. POT -160 [Hoplite Parry] - For millennia, hoplites have refined the Art of War. By studying the best hoplites of this generation as they survive against deadly challenges, you have deepened your expertise. The fruit of these revelations is a defensive skill that uses finesse to deflect strength, slowness to counter speed, and violence to punish feints. Your mother also knows how to use the soft to block the hard¡­ STR +3 ¡°I see that my mother¡¯s reputation is multiversal...¡± Priam muttered. Rose perked up at his remark. ¡°Your mother ?¡± ¡°A spear enthusiast¡­ I was reading a skill description.¡± ¡°Oh. I know you can multitask, but it¡¯s unsettling to see you staring at the fight while you¡¯re instructing me.¡± ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to adapt.¡± He had no intention of slowing his progress to adhere to some politeness code. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s our specialty as humans,¡± the teenager sighed. ¡°An ideal upgrade?¡± ¡°A high upgrade,¡± corrected Priam. ¡°You¡¯re losing your touch.¡± The girl¡¯s teasing rolled off Priam like water off a duck¡¯s back; he was not in the mood. ¡°I know my strengths and weaknesses. Extrapolating from the prerequisites of the skills I¡¯ve already obtained, I¡¯d struggle to achieve an ideal upgrade for this skill¡ªI''m missing a certain spark of genius for the spear.¡± ¡°Your new racial Talent¡ª¡± ¡°Helps, but I¡¯m still far from matching a prodigy like Kazuki. If the tribes have so few ideal upgrades, there¡¯s a reason. Honestly, from my perspective, this new Talent feels more like a curse than a blessing.¡± Rose furrowed her brow, prompting Priam to elaborate. ¡°If killing a Champion grants their racial Talents¡­ I¡¯ve got a massive target painted right on my chest.¡± After all, Homo Elysian [Predation] and [Obsession] were terrifying. ¡°If the tribes haven¡¯t killed you, there must be some limits,¡± Rose reassured him. ¡°I don¡¯t see the System rewarding a Tier 4 for the murder of a Tier 0.¡± That was contrary to the System¡¯s meritocratic policy. ¡°You make a point. Maybe the slayer needs to be of the same Tier as the Champion¡­ Or they¡¯re just waiting for the sheep to fatten up.¡± Priam''s voice turned grim. ¡°Two legendary Talents are tempting, but not as much as two mythical Talents¡­¡± The sands of the beach trembled. In the distance, a hemiplegic hoplite dodged a deluge of flaming meteors summoned by a fire elemental. Priam tensed as the end of Sakura¡¯s Tribulation was drawing near. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. Have you found the trap?¡± Between him and Rose floated a magnified version of a [Dark Vision] sphere he had stolen from the Aelbes. He hoped that studying it would give Rose some ideas for succeeding in her next Tribulation. On the side, she had excellent insights, and her feedback interested Priam. ¡°This rune seems useless here,¡± the teenager said, pointing to one of the sigils. ¡°I guess this is the trap?¡± ¡°You guessed right. As soon as an unregistered aether flow touches it, it sends out an alarm in the form of a burst of aether. Stopping one is simple, but when there are hundreds, it becomes a nightmare.¡± ¡°But you managed it on your first try,¡± Rose noted. ¡°That¡¯s not a very impressive defense.¡± ¡°I have Titles, Merits, attributes, and skills suited for this,¡± Priam reminded her with a faint smile. ¡°Above all, I¡¯m really damn good.¡± He was willing to bet that few Tier 0s in Elysium could disarm that trap on their first attempt¡­ and among them, how many had progressed at his speed? Gryphe, the Aelbes shaman, wasn¡¯t entirely to blame for failing to keep an eye on him. Rose shot him an eloquent look. ¡°Anyway¡­ If I were them, I would have created different types of alarms¡ªsound-based, for example.¡± ¡°Any Tier 1 has enough vivacity to drown out the noise before it reaches the guardian,¡± Priam replied. ¡°A radio wave would be a better way to alert the creator, but that depends on the concepts mastered by the hacker.¡± Rose shook her head. ¡°You think like an individual, but the Aelbes are a clan. A burst of aether is decipherable by any shaman; a radio wave is not. Besides, a radio wave could alert any receptive individual within a large radius. That can be dangerous in Elysium.¡± Priam opened his mouth to respond but widened his eyes instead. In the distance, the fire elemental that Sakura, one of the hoplites, had been fighting had changed elements. The new water elemental used the ocean beneath it to create a terrifying wave that engulfed the young woman. The two humans waited a few minutes before Rose sighed. ¡°Six out of nine.¡± Priam cast a glance toward Hyshana. The general tightened her grip on the spear of her deceased husband as she watched her subordinates fall one by one. The cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me among the hoplites, trained by their Champion, seasoned against the Necromoon hordes, and benefiting from the Sun Shop, faced an early double Tribulation. Yet only three were alive, one of whom still trying to save his reflection. Below the water''s surface, his echo struggled to escape some sort of Pac-Man in an aquatic labyrinth. A second Tribulation muddled his short-term memory, complicating the exercise. Six dead, two alive. Statistically, that was a decent outcome, but Priam knew that behind those numbers lay lives. ¡°The System doesn¡¯t like my hunting skill,¡± he noted as he watched the water elemental disappear beneath the waves, taking the fragment of Tribulation Affinity with it. Since Taishi, no Tribulation had been exploitable, much to Priam¡¯s chagrin. At least I got his legendary spear¡­ The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You didn¡¯t earn those Affinity fragments, and the System doesn¡¯t like cheaters,¡± Rose smiled as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to attempt my Tribulation.¡± ¡°You sure? I recorded a bunch of new runes from the Skull Temple if you want to train more.¡± ¡°Revising the night before a test has never worked in my favor, and time is running out.¡± She shrugged. ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve spent all my Merit Points on [Polyglot] and [Aetherist]. If I still fail despite that and your help, I deserve to.¡± Despite her words, the teenager trembled like a leaf. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine,¡± Priam said as he pulled her close. The young girl instantly calmed down. A few seconds later, she whispered her thanks and gave him one last smile before stepping through the rift. With a pang of emotion, he wished her good luck and then looked around. The other crafters were training in Oasis, and only the warriors remained on this side of the rift. Elaine, the last hoplite, was talking with Hyshana and Louis. The old man would be last to pass, knowing he had little chance of survival. After all, his last Tribulations had been less than two weeks ago. Priam considered joining them but hesitated. He had little to contribute to their conversation, and his mental state was at an all-time low. Oasis was being decimated, Kazuki was gone, and the shadow of his own Tribulations loomed ominously. Elaine''s departure pulled Priam from the depths of his dark thoughts. Her mech soared through the sky for a few minutes before halting. The System''s aura descended like a shroud, and then the trial began. A giant dragonfly materialized a kilometer ahead of the warrior, its massive mandibles spelling doom for the hoplite. At the same time, a storm erupted, unleashing violent winds capable of distorting the path of a bullet. ¡°Hit a highly mobile enemy in extreme conditions. Perfect for testing a glass cannon sniper,¡± Priam observed, watching the ominous black clouds swirl into existence. His Mist Concept could manipulate them, but he knew he couldn¡¯t save Elaine. Any interference on his part would mean being swept away by the Tribulations. Elaine took her shooting stance and froze. Priam guessed she was using the AI of her mecha to calculate the trajectory. Three seconds later, the deafening blast sent a few seagulls screeching away from their refuge in the bay. No animal was foolish enough to linger near the epicenter of the Tribulations. The bullet pierced through the storm and struck the insect, only for it to dissipate into an afterimage. He grimaced. The summoned creature had read the bullet¡¯s initial trajectory and dodged with blinding speed. Elaine would need to use her surroundings to catch her opponent off guard. A distant scream sliced through the air, making Priam curse under his breath. Elaine''s Tribulation storm had stirred up waves. The choppy water prevented the second hoplite from controlling his reflection, which the Pac-Man had just overtaken. The blood of the penultimate warrior stained the water. Another death¡­ and a stupid one at that. "Damn it!" Louis grunted while Hyshana trembled with rage. Priam masked his grimace and, as a second shot rang out, focused on Elaine¡¯s technique. The sniper had grasped the lesson the Tribulation intended to teach her¡ªtaking her environment into account to enhance her shot¡ªand was trying to refine her shooting technique. It was a trick that could also benefit Priam. Using a flow of thoughts and his add-on, he modeled the storm with its winds and pressure differences. A parallel thought began calculating the right angle and optimal window for striking the insect. The fierce winds whipped up terrifying waves across several square miles, while at the heart of the typhoon, Elaine took aim. Her posture, concentration, and breath were all perfect. When her index finger squeezed the trigger and a collection of runes illuminated the surface of her rifle, Priam let out a whistle of appreciation. The bullet launched from the eye of the cyclone, plunging into its violent winds. Buffeted by the gusts, it slightly altered its trajectory ten times before hitting the insect at supersonic speed. The afterimage of the dragonfly vanished, revealing a smug insect a meter away... which exploded in a shower of yellowish liquid. The second bullet, hidden in the shadow of the first, had changed direction at the last moment thanks to a rune etched upon it, hitting the bullseye with deadly accuracy. Well, the dragonfly''s eye. The storm intensified as a second dragonfly, twice as small and twice as fast, appeared. Priam barely glanced at it, confident that Elaine would survive her Tribulation. The trial was dangerous, but the hoplite had elevated her art to a terrifying level. Closing his eyes, Priam replayed the moment in his mind. The sniper had picked a precise moment after calculating the wind trajectories, then fired twice. The first shot had forced her opponent to dodge in the desired direction, allowing the second to seal the deal. It was complex because when the first bullet eclipsed the second in the enemy¡¯s vision, it created a slipstream that altered the second¡¯s speed. This revelation was enough for Priam to level up once again. Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 40 DEXT +3 [Spear Throw] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available. [Olympic Throw - Rare] - You can impart 0.5 MJ of energy to your spear with sheer physical strength. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80 [Spear Gatling - Rare] - You can launch hundreds of spears per second. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 [Spear Railgun - Rare] - You can bestow a speed of 3 500 m/s to your spear, equating to 30 MJ¡ªkinetic energy comparable to that of a small military railgun. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 Two high upgrades¡­ I suppose I¡¯m not far from hitting the ideal upgrade. Priam swiped the notification away, opting to hold off for now. If one of his theories held water, each high upgrade might actually be one of the five prerequisites for an ideal upgrade. Unlike [Parry], he had several ideas for other prerequisites and knew he could count on Elaine¡¯s guidance. The hoplite sniper obliterated the second dragonfly and held her position as a third appeared. This one was the size of a real dragonfly, and Priam strained to catch sight of it from such a distance. Must be the final phase of the Trib¡ªwhat the hell?! As the battle entered its final act, the sea heaved, catching the attention of all spectators. An invisible form rose into the air, only discernible by the water cascading off it. A kilometer up, Elaine didn¡¯t hesitate to leap from her mech, which was promptly consumed by the unseen enemy. A wisp of smoke appeared, signaling the armor''s self-destruction, but the creature seemed unperturbed by the explosion. As Elaine plummeted, attempting to line up her shot on the final dragonfly, Priam sprang to his feet. His eyes widened as he realized the mist partially cloaking the storm couldn¡¯t identify the enemy. Worse yet, the beast was entirely invisible to both his meta perception and his instincts. I have to hold him off until she finishes her Tribulations! Dashing toward the Tribulation to confront the intruder, Priam was taken aback when the unidentified monster grazed the dragonfly while crashing back into the ocean. The System deemed this unacceptable and expressed its displeasure as an aura infinitely heavier than that of a god descended upon the scene. The black clouds trembled once before a column of electricity as wide as a baseball field fell from the sky. A million bolts seemed to coalesce into an abomination capable of shattering worlds. The sea evaporated in all directions like it had been hit by a gamma burst, and Priam screamed. The blinding light scorched his retinas as if he had stared directly into a nuclear explosion without protection. A second later, the heat wave radiating from the superheated plasma singed his eyebrows despite his [Fire Champion Physique] Burning through his lifespan to regenerate, Priam accelerated toward the cataclysm faster than a fighter jet. His vision returned just in time to meet the shockwave created by the father of all lightning, which ruptured his eardrums. Ignoring the pain, he nearly stopped in his tracks, stunned by the spectacle unfolding before him. His gaze naturally pierced through the mist that now enveloped the world, revealing the full extent of the System''s wrath. The lightning pillar had evaporated over a cubic kilometer of water, creating a crater in the ocean floor. At the center of the chasm, a charred creature twitched within a magma lake. It¡¯s still alive?! Swallowing hard, Priam identified it. [Identification] [Charybdis¡¯ descendant - Tier 1 - Prince] - The second ocean¡¯s Terror. [5 hours 51 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 (+27) Constitution 1 199 Agility 915 (+18) Vitality 1 147 Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 (+7) Memory 875 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 738 META: Meta-affinity 898 Meta-focus 423 Meta-endurance 719 Meta-perception (A) 433 Meta-chance 308 Meta-authority 234 Potential: 12 337 (-135) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 488 111 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 11 hours 47 minutes 50 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 262: Blueberry > Truck-kun [Identification] [Charybdis¡¯ descendant - Tier 1 - Prince] - The second ocean¡¯s Terror. ¡°By the System¡¯s balls¡­¡± Priam instinctively recoiled as he read the Terror¡¯s description. A Tier 1 creature that could ascend to the rank of Prince was far more terrifying than a mere Tier 4. Both might wield comparable power, but one was an absolute prodigy, while the other was just a survivor. Mentally, he re-evaluated the threat level of Valaryth. This fragmented world was at least as dangerous as Australia. A sonic wave rippled through his lungs like a bass drop at a heavy metal concert, confirming that the Terror was alive and aware. The pillar of lightning that would have killed Priam a hundred times over had only dragged the creature to death¡¯s door. ¡°A warning shot,¡± Priam mused. The System had intentionally spared the intruder, but it had delivered one hell of a message. The Champion shuddered, grateful for having stayed clear of the Tribulations. Leaving Elaine to finish her fight, he descended to face the Terror. The creature¡¯s body resembled a massive, winged orca, easily weighing over ten tons. Torrents of silver blood flowed from the cracks in its charred hide. Its heart still beat with relentless force, and the streams of ambient aether converging upon it made it clear it had no intention of dying quietly. Priam frowned, noticing that Pyro was losing track of the Terror even as it remained buried beneath the magma. [Identification] [Charybdis¡¯ descendant - Tier 1 - ?] - ? ¡°I was just wondering where I¡¯d find a trophy worthy of anchoring [Revelation Resilience] during my temperance¡­¡± Greed wrestled with fear and won. A grin spread across Priam¡¯s face as he summoned Promesse above the draconic creature¡¯s head. Taking a deep breath and praying he wasn¡¯t about to make a colossal mistake, he channeled the magma¡¯s thermal energy into his weapon. The air tore apart with the force of terrifying acceleration. Ignoring the sonic boom¡ªhis eardrums were still blown out¡ªPriam watched as his bound spear struck the creature¡¯s skull with immense momentum. The Terror¡¯s howl reverberated through the deep ocean floor. Wasting no time, Priam absorbed the shockwave and struck again. His face tightened with concentration as he unleashed a technique he had devised to shatter the bones of the necro Tier 3 he had defeated in the past¡ªa flurry of rapid, recoilless strikes, inspired by the relentless pounding of a jackhammer. Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 11 AGI +3 The spear was falling like Hephaestus''s hammer on a block of divine metal. Priam knew he was taking a risk trying to finish off a foe far stronger than himself, but he also knew he had no chance of defeating it in a fair fight before the next Reunion. His enemy¡¯s mistake was an opportunity he wouldn¡¯t let slip through his fingers. The magma gradually solidified into rock as its energy was consumed in the effort to shatter the Terror¡¯s skull. The creature attempted to swat Priam away, but the System¡¯s strike had taken its toll; it barely managed to move a few centimeters. As the first crack appeared in the skull, Priam¡¯s triumphant smile froze. A wave of aether pulsed from the creature, laying bare his secrets despite [Revelation Resilience]. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 54, 55 MEM +6 META (AFFI) +6 META (AUTH) +6 In the next instant, Priam¡¯s eyes widened as an inhuman mind of grotesque proportions commanded the ambient aether to conjure three massive runes. [Polyglot]¡¯s Merit revealed their meanings: Lock, Focus, Lightning. The creature had analyzed his resistances in a heartbeat, found a weakness, and decided to exploit it. The reputation of a Prince was well-earned. Priam¡¯s admiration for his enemy was quickly replaced by a mix of gravity and anticipation as a titanic amount of energy flooded into Lock. The rune pulsed, and the Champion found himself trapped within his own body. His attempts to merge with his Mist or Pyro failed, forcing him to face the harsh truth: the Terror wasn¡¯t going to let him hide. Focus and Lightning began to charge, and Priam didn¡¯t need his instincts to know things were about to go downhill fast. He considered unlocking [Lightning Resistance] by letting the strike hit him, but now wasn¡¯t the time to die. His vivacity flashed through all his options in a fraction of a second, and Priam finally smiled. Closing his eyes, he reached for his Mist Concept and created a fifty-meter sphere of pure water around himself, an excellent electrical insulator. Leaping a few meters off the ground, Priam finished his preparations just as a blinding light forced his eyes shut. The lightning struck the water bubble, summoned by a creature that recalled the titans of Greek mythology. The Terror had burned an absurd amount of energy to fuel its spells... all for nothing. The electricity simply evaporated the pure water. ¡°Too bad for you, water only conducts electricity when it¡¯s mineralized.¡± With a cocky grin, Priam harnessed the thermal energy released by the lightning to strike again. Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 12 AGI +3 The crack widened, and the Terror roared in fury, shaking the world. [Ideal Aether Perception] detected a veritable deluge of aether as the boss entered its second phase. Before Priam¡¯s eyes, a hundred new runes materialized simultaneously. Fire, ice, light, wind, mind, heat, sound, shadow, despair... hundreds of attacks suddenly erupted. The first volley tore off the arm he had raised to shield his face. Using the pain to drown out the mental assaults, Priam leaped into the air. Flying in a circle, he dodged some projectiles, absorbed others, blocked the energy attacks, and tanked the rest. Overwhelmed by the avalanche of assaults, he let his addon control Promesse. His spear gradually widened the crack, the System bombarded him with notifications, and each second stretched under the torture. His remaining hand vanished, followed by both ears, then his feet, and finally, his legs. The relentless waves of diverse attacks rapidly devoured his body, and Priam fought to buy time. A minute later, he was little more than a bloody head attached to a lacerated torso. Promesse struck again, finally splitting the skull¡¯s thickness. Hope blazed like sunshine in a storm, and Priam seized his chance. Gathering his last reserves of strength, he opened his mouth and activated his draconic lung. The ambient aether began rushing toward him before freezing in place. The Prince¡¯s Domain was powerful enough to freeze the environment, preventing Priam from charging his attack. That didn¡¯t matter. For one second, the runes had stopped attacking, the Terror¡¯s willpower focused on killing the Breath in its cradle. A parallel thought seized the opportunity to summon his fire. Using Promesse as a relay, Priam conjured an infernal flamethrower at the fissure¡¯s entrance. Pyro forced its way through the weakness and flooded the Terror¡¯s skull with a touch of [There is no Heaven]. Priam liked his foes to stay dead. The world seemed to hold its breath, then the runes dissipated along with the will animating them. The Prince¡¯s brain had melted before the hidden Concept. Exhausted and drained of strength, Priam collapsed as the adrenaline fled his system. His mutilated body slowly sank into the viscous magma. Tired, he converted his lifespan into vitality until his most lethal wounds were sealed. Closing his eyes, the Champion allowed the molten rock¡¯s tremors to lull him. The ocean was determined to fill the crater, and a tsunami was approaching. Priam sighed. The thought of drowning bothered him less than the absence of a notification congratulating him on his victory. The System had decided his kill participation wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªwithout the primordial smite, Priam would never have even detected his enemy. Still, it pisses me off... His pragmatic side forced him onward, and Priam used his kinetic mastery to lift himself into the air. Behind him, Pyro parted the lava lake like Moses and the Red Sea, revealing the corpse. As he lifted it, Priam glanced at his latest notifications and squinted. Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 14 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 11 ,12 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 9, 10 CONST +6 Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 11 WILL +18 CHAR +9 Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 5, 6 CONST +4 VIT +2 Lvl Up: [Space Resistance] lvl 3 CONST +9 [Tribulation]: One attribute above 1 200 was detected in Tier 0. A sixth Tribulation is coming. Time: 152 days 11 hours 46 minutes 11 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 Title won! [To Play with Fire - Bronze] - Six Tribulations await you for the second time. Let''s be real: you''re probably going to die. But when you go, you''ll leave behind an explosion that shakes the very foundations of this world. Now that you''re here, why not see it through? One more Tribulation, and you''ll secure your place in legend¡­ Fun Fact: The last time a Tier 0 survived a sextuple Tribulation was twelve years ago. Since then, 140 589 621 257 Tier 0s have perished attempting to replicate that feat. META (Chance) +10% Note: Back in Time would be taken into account by a septuple Tribulation. ¡°Six down... Thanks for the Title, but there''s no way I''ll push my luck that much,¡± Priam muttered, thinking of Back in Time. He checked his status and grimaced. If his vivacity increased any further, it would trigger a seventh Tribulation. According to the note, that would be his death sentence. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Priam used his Potential to seal the attribute and took off, dragging his prize behind him. The loss of level-up was insignificant; within five hours, he would be triggering his Tribulations. Above, the storm was dissipating. Elaine had triumphed. Priam set his newly regenerated left foot on the sand of his bay, arriving mere seconds after the sniper. As he began regenerating his right leg, his gaze fell on Esm¨¦e. The stunning young woman looked exhausted. Seeing her grimoire open, Priam understood. ¡°The Terror grazing the dragonfly, that was you?¡± he asked. ¡°I manipulated the air currents... and the System didn¡¯t appreciate it,¡± the princess panted, unconcerned by his horrifying appearance. She looked ready to drop, but not on the brink of death like the Terror. Strange. ¡°It was the only way to save the hoplite.¡± Priam nodded, realizing his contribution had been even less than he had thought. ¡°Well, the Tribulation lightning nuked it to kingdom come. Thanks, I owe you one.¡± ¡°Actually, I should be thanking you as I earned a nice Achievement when you slew it.¡± Fuck you, System. ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Priam replied, forcing a smile. The princess let out a charming, if tired, laugh. ¡°Now, I have been thinking about your proposal.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I would be honored to join you in bringing down the Fallen.¡± A genuine smile spread across Priam¡¯s face as he shared his quest with his rival. Quest: Fallen Once a God, now a Fallen. Will they who fell by arrogance repeat their mistake? Kill Sumstreh, the Fragmented Rabbit. This is a shared quest. Do you want to share this quest with Esm¨¦e L¨®thandorim? Esm¨¦e¡¯s eyes sparkled as she received the quest, and she immediately started asking questions. Priam laid out his plan to her, and she raised several concerns, each time suggesting solutions or alternatives. Her meticulous, strategic mind impressed him. Priam didn¡¯t consider himself an idiot¡ªhe even had a high opinion of his own intelligence¡ªbut Esm¨¦e was as skilled in planning as Kazuki was with a spear. Both were driven, but unlike the hoplite, the princess wasn¡¯t hindered by honor. She was determined to hit Sumstreh with every weapon at their disposal. In just a few minutes of conversation, she had modified his plan, taking into account so many details that even his addon struggled to keep up. ¡°I have a few preparations to finish,¡± the princess said as their conversation ended. ¡°Can you handle ¨¨ve?¡± ¡°Count on me.¡± Priam smiled as he watched his rival walk away. The weight of Kazuki¡¯s death and the looming Tribulations still pressed on him, but he was determined to cling to the hope that the conclusion of all this would be a positive one. With his rival¡¯s help, that hope was more than just wishful thinking. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want her as an enemy,¡± Blueberry grumbled as he approached. ¡°If she weren¡¯t our ally, she¡¯d be too dangerous to leave alive,¡± Priam grimaced. His right foot was nearly fully regenerated, and the sensation made him want to scratch it furiously. Unfortunately, his shoulders were still just stumps. ¡°You¡¯d really kill such a fine female?¡± ¡°I think with my brain, not my spear.¡± ¡°The opposite of Kazuki,¡± his furry friend replied. Priam suppressed a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re talking about the same thing. To answer your question: even setting aside any attraction I feel, I¡¯d be an idiot not to do everything I can to have her on my team.¡± Esm¨¦e hadn¡¯t mentioned it again, but without her, the second Terror would likely have annihilated the entire Oasis. It had taken her just a second to rid him of an unsolvable problem. ¡°You two complement each other well,¡± the bear agreed, pointing a claw at the levitating cargo behind Priam. ¡°You gonna do anything with that body?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll extract the core and probably devour its heart... If I can get to it.¡± Even charred by the System¡¯s warning strike, the creature¡¯s hide was terrifyingly tough. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll autopsy it to figure out how to beat it more easily next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to handle that.¡± Priam squinted. ¡°You¡¯re a forensic scientist now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a chef, it¡¯s almost the same thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like the exact opposite: they undress their patients, you dress yours,¡± Louis quipped as he approached. ¡°Hyshana¡¯s waiting.¡± Priam sighed, emotionally drained. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t care about the body. Save me the heart and the core.¡± His draconic bloodline wasn¡¯t urging him to devour the organ, likely because his kill participation had been minimal. Nevertheless, Priam secretly hoped that consuming it might purify his bloodline. ¡°Be back in an hour tops for your Tribulations.¡± Blueberry was already ignoring him, busy dragging the carcass toward the forest. Rolling his eyes, Priam turned to Hyshana and Louis. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± Perhaps out of despair or refusing to live in a doomed reality, Hyshana triggered a quadruple Tribulation instead of a triple. Priam didn¡¯t allow himself to judge his friend¡¯s widow and merely recorded her battle. In his opinion, she was close to being able to defeat a triple Tribulation¡­ but the quadruple was a pipe dream. Hyshana definitely deserved a spot on the current podium of her race¡ªa genius superior to ten billion hoplites. With Sword Mastery, Micro, and Domain, complemented by a Light Concept, she was an [Ace] capable of incredible feats. But the quadruple Tribulation crushed her in mere minutes. Using her rewards freely, spending her hard-earned Sun Points, and refusing to back down in the face of death, she fought admirably until her mecha turned on her. The System had turned hoplite technology against its creators. The mechanical armor floated in the sky until Promesse blew it up mid-air. Priam winced as his meridians burned. He had just expended a significant amount of kinetic energy to fire a true missile. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to collect the Tribulation fragment?¡± Louis asked, his honest smile somehow out of place in the grim scene. How the old man could be in such good spirits was beyond understanding. ¡°Her last Tribulation was an intelligent malware,¡± Priam simply replied. His overdeveloped instincts told him he wanted nothing of the sort anywhere near his soul addon. The Tribulation Affinity was tempting, but with the System, there was no such thing as a free lunch. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why the armor turned on Hyshana? We¡¯re warned against using external means to fight...¡± The old man clapped his hands. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn now!¡± ¡°... Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Aside from three lost hoplites, the two men were the last ones left on the beach. The old man¡¯s wrinkled face framed laughing eyes that seemed oblivious to the inevitability of fate. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate old folks. I¡¯ve been to enough friends¡¯ funerals to know how to handle my emotions.¡± ¡°... Aren¡¯t you sad?¡± Louis¡¯s smile widened. ¡°It¡¯s harder for the living than the dead, and I¡¯ll soon be part of that second group.¡± Seeing that his joke didn¡¯t make Priam laugh, he added, ¡°You¡¯re shouldering a lot of responsibility, son. Want some advice? Let go of what¡¯s unnecessary. No one expects you to save us. You¡¯re giving us a chance in Elysium, and that¡¯s enough; let us do the rest.¡± ¡°And if people die?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll drink to their honor like they would¡¯ve to ours.¡± With that, Louis started running across the surface of the ocean like a famous ninja. Not everyone could fly. Five minutes later, Priam watched as a young man who looked strikingly like Louis appeared. The original and his younger version fought for a few minutes before the old man lost, still smiling. The clone waved toward the bay before dissolving into mist. Priam stood in the heart of his internal world, staring down at the contents of the second Terror''s stomach. ¡°I found this inside when I cut it open,¡± Blueberry growled, passing along the findings of his impromptu autopsy. ¡°Probably a local.¡± ¡°Titus, the leader of a local tribe,¡± Priam muttered, studying the half-digested remains of a Rehm warrior. The face was barely recognizable, but the scars matched. ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°He saved my life when I first met the seventh Terror. Must''ve come charging when he heard all the chaos from the Tribulations.¡± With a wave of his hand, Priam ignited the body, reducing it to ashes. ¡°I¡¯ll try to save him after the rewind.¡± Blueberry handed Priam the creature¡¯s heart, an organ the size of a tire and smelling faintly of beef. With a grimace, Priam took a bite, only to spit it out in disgust. ¡°My bloodline¡¯s about as interested in this heart as a bank is in a beggar. It¡¯s all yours.¡± Far from offended, the bear devoured the heart in three bites. ¡°Interesting metallic aftertaste,¡± he remarked. Hiding a smile, Priam gestured toward the beach. ¡°It¡¯s time for your Tribulation.¡± The bear glanced back at the fire cooking a massive fin behind him. He hesitated briefly before nodding. ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. In five minutes, that¡¯ll be overcooked.¡± Anyone who had never witnessed a five-meter-tall berserk bear boxing against Optimus Prime was truly missing out. The System had conjured up a truck capable of transforming into a transformer¡ªa monster straight out of an ursine¡¯s fever dream. The vehicle spewed exhaust like a dragon, threatening to ruin the bear¡¯s meal and suffocate him in the process. This absurd showdown was a triple Tribulation. As a beast, Blueberry¡¯s Tribulations differed from those faced by more civilized species, but it was clear he was smashing the expectations. His strength temporarily multiplied by the bite-sized sausages he kept shoving into his mouth, Oasis¡¯s second mascot was delivering payback for climate change¡ªwith interest. Claws shredded steel, roars drowned out the honking of horns, and fists left craters in the modular robotic lifeform¡¯s frame. Three minutes later, the scent of perfectly cooked meat caught the victor¡¯s attention, and Priam approached the dismantled Autobot. He sensed no trace of Tribulation Affinity but remained cautious. He had read enough light novels to know Truck-kun was no joke. The driver¡¯s side door clattered to the ground, and Priam smiled, certain the vehicle would never isekai anyone again. ¡°Priam!¡± He turned toward the breach and saw Jasmine approaching with a grin. ¡°Mission accomplished.¡± Priam had sent her to rally the rivals willing to take down Sumstreh. ¡°Who¡¯s in?¡± Jasmine¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Everyone.¡± Priam¡¯s hearts sped up. The Fallen was in for a bad time. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 239 (+40) Agility 924 (+9) Vitality 1 150 (+3) Perception 814 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 886 (+11) Willpower 1 193 (+25) Charisma 754 (+16) META: Meta-affinity 905 (+7) Meta-focus 423 Meta-endurance 719 Meta-perception (A) 433 Meta-chance 332 (+24) Meta-authority 240 (+6) Potential: 12 369 (+36) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 488 111 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 11 hours 22 minutes 11 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 263: You like nudes, I like nukes. We are not the same. Stepping through the rift, Priam entered a chamber hewn directly from the rock by the roots of Log-a-rhythm. He took three strides forward, placing his hand on a root snaking along the wall. Secret Passage opened, and Priam stepped through into the clearing. Behind him, the tree¡¯s trunk sealed shut as he lifted his gaze toward the Necromoon. Suspended in the sky, the alien entity triggered a cataclysm with its mere presence. When Priam would travel back in time, everything suggested that the moon would notice the trickery... and ignore it. To the Necromoon, he was nothing. Being overlooked by the stars had never stopped humanity from living, and Priam focused on his mission. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°A hundred meters from here. Seth refuses to enter Oasis,¡± Jasmine replied, her voice a whisper from within her shadowy concealment. ¡°Either he¡¯s paranoid... or the banishment of necro corruption is affecting him,¡± Priam muttered, heading toward Ymir¡¯s shop. He had business to attend to before the final act began. The merchant stood near the Auction Altar and turned as Priam pushed aside the tent flap. ¡°Lord Priam, it is a pleasure to welcome you to my humble shop,¡± Ymir said, fingers interlocked against his chest in a respectful gesture. Priam returned the gesture with a polite smile. ¡°Merchant Ymir, I¡¯m here to retrieve the fulcrum fragment and propose a trade.¡± In his right hand, he held Taishi¡¯s spear. The legendary weapon was objectively superior to Promesse, cutting with greater ease and precision. In a test, Priam had struck both weapons against each other, chipping his own blade. However, Promesse was bound to him, and that made all the difference. According to his phoenix mentor, it would be easier to enhance his weapon by reforging it in a ritual. That was intriguing, but not as appealing as the primary benefit of their bond: synchronizing their strengths. Currently, the weapon enjoyed a small portion of the effects of his Titles and Talents. By improving the [Promesse - Bound Weapon] Talent, the spear could potentially gain their full effects, even Priam¡¯s resistances. In time, he, too, would likely reap certain advantages. Thus, Priam wasn¡¯t planning to switch weapons but found it a shame to let a legendary weapon go to waste. ¡°When I chose Back in Time, I knew I had to exploit this reward to its fullest to make it as valuable as Lord Fifth,¡± he confided to the merchant. ¡°One of the deciding factors was Concepts Archipelago. My internal world is a Gold Talent and therefore part of me. As such, it will likely travel back in time with me... along with all the items within.¡± Ymir nodded slightly, attentive. ¡°I want to duplicate your products,¡± Priam finally proposed. ¡°Particularly the plants you cultivate.¡± Ymir, a half-elf vegetarian with that Title, owned a greenhouse with a rare collection of plants. Priam intended to sacrifice them as samples to Log-a-rhythm, but their price had curbed his ambitions. Even for him, three million Sun points was an astronomical sum. ¡°Your offer is interesting, but what¡¯s in it for me?¡± the merchant asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take the clones of the plants, and you¡¯ll keep the originals. You would get a free copy of every item in your shop.¡± A contrite expression crossed the elf¡¯s face. ¡°My Lord... I don¡¯t doubt your honor and am sure you¡¯re not trying to cheat me. However, and I mean no offense, your reward isn¡¯t a sufficient guarantee for me to take this risk.¡± ¡°You think I might die before triggering Back in Time,¡± Priam realized. Ymir nodded. ¡°Death, a mind break, control or wipe, a soul scar, a time lock... I¡¯m a merchant, not a warrior, but I know your enemies are powerful, and your Tribulations will do everything to stop you from escaping. In the dreadful event that you perish, I would be left with nothing.¡± The merchant¡¯s arguments were sound, and Priam decided to show some goodwill. ¡°I can give you a portion of my current Sun points.¡± Ymir¡¯s smile returned. ¡°That would be a good start.¡± ¡°A good start?¡± ¡°If Miss Jasmine adds her own points, we¡¯d reach just over two million; a reasonable guarantee for the entirety of my stock.¡± Priam¡¯s shadow quivered, revealing Jasmine. ¡°You can detect me?¡± ¡°Merchants have a few interesting perks,¡± Ymir replied. Jasmine narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is this your shop?¡± Ymir merely smiled, and Priam tucked the information away for later. A skilled thief might be able to outwit a merchant, but Jasmine was primarily an assassin. The conversation had drifted, and Priam steered it back on course. ¡°You¡¯re asking for all my Sun points, and... Well, I have to admit I was hoping to keep some to confirm that the Auction was off-limits to me.¡± The phoenix had told him the System wanted to reward him, not provide a platform to scam other users, but he wanted to be sure. ¡°The Auction isn¡¯t off-limits to you,¡± the merchant corrected. ¡°But in practice, you can¡¯t use it. When you purchase an item at the Auction, it takes twenty-four hours to arrive to prevent such exploits. I¡¯m afraid luck isn¡¯t on your side.¡± ¡°I see... In that case, I suppose I¡¯ll settle for your herbs for two million.¡± It was already a million saved, and Priam didn¡¯t want to waste time haggling. He had bigger fish to fry. Ymir led them to his private greenhouse and slid open a wooden partition, revealing a dazzling array of magical plants. ¡°A pleasure doing business with you.¡± With his internal world filled to the brim, Priam departed from the Oasis. Leaping from branch to branch, his mist-laden eyes scanned the terrain, while fiery reflections danced through his hair. A physical manifestation of his Concepts working overtime, struggling to fend off the ambient necro-corruption. The Necromoon hadn¡¯t been around long, but its presence alone was so toxic that only those with a Concept or Supremacy could move freely now. Bad news, but there was nothing he could do about it. Priam forced himself to focus on the present. Mentally, he ran through his plan, reviewing his rewards and Merit Points. The upcoming encounter with his rivals would kick off the final act. The haunted forest ended abruptly, giving way to a clearing. Priam was certain it hadn¡¯t existed yesterday, yet there wasn¡¯t a single stump in sight. When Dishnu asked the trees for a favor, they uprooted themselves to comply. The Homo Elysian landed softly on revitalized grass. Not even the Necromoon¡¯s corrupt light could penetrate Dishnu¡¯s Domain. The Drya stood to Priam¡¯s right, gently caressing the bark of a tree like a mother soothing her child. He had changed since their last meeting¡ªhis bark armor more majestic, his eyes a deeper, more vivid emerald. On the opposite side of the clearing, a terrifying homunculus glared at the Drya with intensity. Arnold NetSky had also transformed. It was hard to tell if he was even wearing clothing; his skin had become armor, shifting rapidly from a mysterious dark blue to a radiant turquoise. Priam suppressed a shiver. Something about the Var Elegis had changed, and the aura he exuded was suffocating. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Priam glanced down at Esm¨¦e, sitting on a nearby stone. She flashed him a weary but enchanting smile. The princess, though she seemed perpetually exhausted, retained a supernatural beauty. Her sun-kissed hair, woven into a long braid, revealed her delicate shoulders. Her golden skin appeared almost sacred in the corrupted surroundings. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°That is not what I meant.¡± Priam saw the worry in her eyes. She was concerned about his mental state. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As the words left his mouth, he realized it was the truth. The deaths had affected him, of course, but with the goal so close, sadness and anger had turned into fuel. His hearts pounded faster as the looming danger sharpened his resolve. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re confident because I¡¯m not,¡± a sharp voice cut in. The crimson light bathing the clearing intensified, revealing Seth. He hovered above the ground, his eyes glowing red and a crimson halo encircling his head, like a biblical depiction of a demon. Dishnu turned toward him, radiating hostility, while Arnold kept a curious eye on the new arrival. ¡°I killed you.¡± If looks could kill, Seth would¡¯ve already murdered Arnold; unfortunately for him, he didn¡¯t have the right ocular skill in his repertoire. ¡°You destroyed my body¡ªthat¡¯s different,¡± Seth spat back. For the first time, Priam detected no hint of madness in the necromancer¡¯s voice¡ªjust a deep, simmering grudge. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that for next time,¡± the Var Elegis said in a perfectly neutral tone. Seeing Seth¡¯s eyes blaze with hatred, Priam raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you waited until after we kill the Fallen to tear each other apart. Even with seven Champions, let¡¯s not count our dragons before they hatch.¡± ¡°Seven?¡± Seth growled. ¡°¨¨ve, if you please.¡± As if a mirage had lifted, a young woman with golden eyes materialized beside him, capturing the attention of all the Champions present. Seth frowned and then turned to Arnold. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You obsessed over killing me when you could¡¯ve taken out an ancient fae?¡± ¡°I tried,¡± the homunculus replied flatly. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that,¡± Priam said through ¨¨ve''s subsystem. ¡°Does it matter?¡± the clone shot back. ¡°You tell me.¡± ¡°¡­I discovered Sumstreh¡¯s lair while fleeing the Terminator. The rest is history.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mad enough to work with a fae?¡± Seth asked Priam. ¡°Why not? I¡¯m mad enough to work with you.¡± ¡°... Your death.¡± Seth shot a venomous look at ¨¨ve before scanning the area. ¡°I don¡¯t sense the hoplite.¡± ¡°Kazuki didn¡¯t survive his Tribulations.¡± Silence fell over the group until the necromancer erupted in laughter. ¡°He really was the weakest of us. I suppose you don¡¯t have his corpse on hand? I could always bring him back if you¡¯d like¡­¡± Before Priam could lose his temper, a voice like rustling leaves cut through the tension. ¡°The dead shouldn¡¯t talk so much.¡± There was something in Dishnu¡¯s voice that carried the weight of a promise, and Seth fell silent. Nature rarely announced its wrath, but only a fool ignored its warnings. Priam shifted the topic. ¡°¨¨ve, when will the Tier 4s from the tribes arrive?¡± ¡°In an hour.¡± ¡°Seth, I think it¡¯s time to start the ritual.¡± The necromancer grumbled. ¡°Barely enough time. The souls are ready?¡± Jasmine¡¯s hand shot out from Priam¡¯s shadow, holding up a diamond¡ªthe soul collector. ¡°Ten million, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go get them.¡± Without waiting for a response, Priam offered Esm¨¦e a hand. She took it, and together they leaped into the air. Drawing on his kinetic reserves, Priam broke the sound barrier, and they flew for three minutes at Mach 5. Spotting a cliff overlooking a valley swarming with corrupted creatures, Priam guided them to a smooth landing. Equidistant from the tribes¡¯ camp and Sumstreh''s lair, it was the perfect spot to kick off the final act. Seth appeared beside him in a beam of light, Dishnu stepped out from the trunk of a nearby tree, and Arnold and ¨¨ve simply materialized. ¡°This should do,¡± Priam mused. He extended his hand, and ¨¨ve handed him a metal sphere the size of a bowling ball. ¡°Hoplite nuclear fission device detected,¡± Arnold intoned. ¡°A nuke,¡± summarized Priam. According to Hyshana, the device in his hands was at least twelve times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It was no thermonuclear weapon, but still devastating. Perfect for obliterating a valley teeming with the undead without vitrifying the island. ¡°You might want to take cover. This is going to be intense,¡± he warned. With a pained expression, Dishnu stepped back, summoning a bark shield adorned with hundreds of glowing runes. He was undoubtedly mourning the imminent death of many trees. Arnold opted to create a carbon half-sphere, a static hum filling the air as a force field shimmered over its surface. Seth¡¯s flesh rippled before Tier 3 bones pierced through, revealing the necromancer as a skeletal figure possessed. Esm¨¦e used a quill to inscribe runes in the air, which rearranged themselves into a spectral, omnidirectional shield. The princess glanced at her shadow, which gave a small salute¡ªJasmine wasn¡¯t as suicidal as her boss. ¡°¨¨ve,¡± Priam said before the clone could take cover. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Remember our contract?¡± ¡°To help you free my original and Sphinx, then die.¡± There was something terrifying in the clone¡¯s detachment. ¡°Still ready?¡± Priam asked. ¡°More than ever. But I¡¯m afraid all your preparations won¡¯t be enough to kill Sumstreh. I don¡¯t know how many centuries they¡¯ve been hiding there, but they had time to turn that cave into a fortress.¡± ¡°And yet, you¡¯re helping me.¡± The sub-system implanted in the clone¡¯s soul couldn¡¯t read her thoughts but monitored her constantly. Priam had witnessed every minute of the clone¡¯s life, and she had never hesitated to follow an order. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t risk the child¡¯s life if you weren¡¯t sure of your chances. I¡¯m confident my original will ride this storm to escape.¡± Priam met the gaze of his unlikely ally and saw the determination in her eyes. This was no time for second thoughts. Making his decision, he extended his closed hand. ¨¨ve took the object hidden within, her eyes widening as she identified it. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°I want Sphinx to get this before we arrive.¡± ¡°... I won¡¯t be able to hide a mythical item from the Fallen for more than a few seconds.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be enough.¡± Priam transmitted a portion of the plan he had devised with Esm¨¦e to ¨¨ve¡¯s sub-system. She reviewed it quickly and nodded. ¡°Sphinx can really do that?¡± ¡°Yes. To be honest, it¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid my original won¡¯t cooperate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll do something stupid.¡± Priam had no intention of rescuing Sphinx from Sumstreh¡¯s clutches only to have her fall prey to ¨¨ve. The two rivals locked eyes until the clone finally smiled. ¡°Even the Var Elegis isn¡¯t as pragmatic as my original.¡± Her smile was so melancholic that Priam¡¯s hearts tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t be late.¡± With that, she vanished. Priam exchanged a glance with Esm¨¦e and gave her a nod before turning toward the valley. His arm snapped forward like a catapult, hurling the bomb into the air. The nuclear device arced gracefully before descending into the valley, landing fifteen hundred meters away from them. According to Hyshana, that would be far enough to avoid being engulfed by the initial plasma sphere. Click. There was something about fire and stars that captivated Priam. Maybe it was the raw, untamed power of nature or the mesmerizing, destructive beauty of these elements. Whatever the reason, he had a similar obsession with explosions. The blinding flash, the fireball, and the shockwave that followed... Priam was smart enough to stay out of harm''s way, but there was something about deflagrations that fascinated him. He had watched countless documentaries on nuclear bombs, and naturally, he was terrified of those engines of death. Yet, as he watched the hoplite sphere activate, Priam realized he was smiling in anticipation. Behind him, his rivals huddled behind shields, but he refused to do the same. Every Champion had their specialty, and he had his. Adaptation, resilience, immortality. Each trial brought him closer to Zenith. The burst of light was so intense it wiped out all shadows and colors. When the blinding whiteness that had conquered the world stole his sight, Priam kept smiling. He was almost surprised to feel his skin charring and his hair igniting, despite his Fire Champion physique. The heat from the explosion reached him almost as quickly as the light, and without his resistance, it would have vaporized him. A statue of coal, he felt his blood vaporize and his organs boil. [Tenacious Spirit] took over when his brain turned to mush, but Priam didn''t restore it immediately. A tremor in the ground and a gut-wrenching twist of fear were the only warnings of what was to come. The atomic blast hit him with unimaginable force. Without his kinetic control, his body would have been blown away. His charred skin flaked off, and despite his high constitution, his organs imploded, and his bones shattered. The terrifying overpressure ruptured his eardrums and ravaged his lungs. According to modern medicine, the detonation had killed him. Once the shockwave passed, Priam used [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Tribulation Wyvern Heart] to restore his brain and draconic heart. Using Pyro, Domain, and [Kinetic Control], Priam absorbed the nearby heat into these two organs. As long as they remained intact, he could regenerate. He deliberately ignored the rest of his body, counting on his [Homo Elysian Obsession] to further develop his resistances. Then came the sound. His ears were useless now, but his Domain felt the sonic wave pass with the ferocity of a thousand thunderclaps. To most, it was the roar of catastrophe. To Priam, it was the herald of his triumph. If he could have, he would have smiled. He had survived. Of course, he wasn''t out of the woods yet¡ªinside the fireball created by the atomic blast, the temperature hovered around six thousand degrees Celsius, comparable to the surface of the sun. That was more than enough to kill him several times over. Still, what hadn''t killed him instantly had little chance of finishing the job as the temperature began to drop and his body adapted. As the initial fireball transformed into a firestorm¡ªthe forest trees made for excellent fuel¡ªPriam focused on the final weapon of this calamity. It was time to acquire radiation resistance. Esm¨¦e gradually managed to calm her racing heart. The explosion had been so violent, so sudden, that she hadn''t even had time to react. The blast and thermal wave were on par with Empyrean strategic weapons, and her shield had nearly given out. She had to team up with the Guardian and the Terminator just to survive. Even then, they had been blasted back hundreds of meters. As soon as possible, she opened her grimoire and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Priam was still alive. ¡°The First faced that technological bane with no protection, and they call me crazy,¡± Seth fumed. ¡°I tried to talk him out of it at least ten times, but he refused every single time,¡± Jasmine chimed in. ¡°The First isn¡¯t like us,¡± Arnold cut in. ¡°What¡¯s dangerous for us is just a game to him,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. As the flames began to die down, she turned to her shadow. ¡°How many?¡± The bombs were items, so they didn¡¯t yield Sun points, but that wasn¡¯t what their rivals were after. ¡°... A little over six million souls.¡± Esm¨¦e grimaced, and Seth grunted. ¡°That¡¯s not gonna be enough.¡± The fire finally faded, revealing a wasteland of ashes. Far ahead, Priam''s silhouette stood out against the cliffside. Nude, his bronzed skin covered powerful muscles. Esm¨¦e''s gaze lingered on the flames that formed a crown around him before drifting down to his muscular buttocks. Her cheeks reddened, and the princess almost looked away before she reminded herself: I can''t lose sight of him... just in case he needs me. Reassured by her excuse, she refocused on the scene before her. The conquering Champion appeared to challenge the atomic mushroom cloud rising in the background. Suddenly, Esm¨¦e¡¯s pupils contracted. Reaching into a portal, Priam pulled out a second sphere. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me,¡± Jasmine groaned. Seth had demanded ten million souls, and her boss would deliver them. With a shout of joy, a nude Priam hurled the second nuke. [4 hours 49 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.]
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 264: Fallout Boy The first nuke had detonated on the ground, carving out a crater three hundred meters in diameter and forty meters deep, reaching the island''s unbreakable bedrock. To Priam, the explosion had been mind-blowing, unleashing a level of destruction that eclipsed anything he had ever witnessed¡ªthe volcanic eruption hadn¡¯t been very noticeable from his point of view. All in all, the atomic eruption was spectacular¡­ if less than optimal. Seeing most of the energy wasted in the ground and the significant number of corrupted that survived along the valley¡¯s edges, Priam realized he could have triggered an even bigger explosion. As the idea of a second nuke started to take root in his mind, Jasmine¡¯s subsystem confirmed that they hadn¡¯t reached their soul-collecting quota, sealing the deal. It¡¯s just a shame that the System thinks I don¡¯t deserve these Sun Points. Next time, I¡¯ll buy them. Priam burst out laughing as he hurled a new explosive device. He would have found any excuse to set off a second detonation. The second A-bomb exploded three hundred meters above the ground, nearly killing him. The fireball engulfed the valley, and the blast wave caused the cliff to collapse. As the ground gave way beneath his feet, Priam accepted the fall to escape his rivals¡¯ sight. He didn¡¯t want to give them the idea of exploiting his moment of weakness. A mangled heap of bones and molten flesh slammed into the rocks below. Despite the intense heat, his blood refused to evaporate, and his hearts kept beating. The damage was catastrophic, pushing him to the brink of no return, but his constitution was formidable, and his body had adapted to the first nuke. Without that... Priam shivered as his nerves melted. The thermal flash and shockwave brought him face to face with Death, but he refused the invitation, burning through his lifespan to fight the hellish heat. Gamma rays from the nuclear fission, followed by the conflagration, inflicted fourth-degree burns on him. The skin facing the explosion had vaporized, leaving charred muscles and a scorched ribcage to shield his organs. In the face of such danger, Priam¡¯s mind cleared the euphoric high induced by witnessing the cataclysm and focused on survival. According to Micro and [Diagnostic], even his inhuman regeneration was outpaced. Though the direct and indirect radiation from the nuclear blast was imperceptible to his senses, the Homo Elysian felt its effects. His cells were dying one by one, most committing suicide as the DNA and proteins within them were critically damaged by the ionizing radiation. [Humanoid Anatomy] informed him that the various particles were bombarding his cells faster than they could repair themselves or multiply. The second milestone of vitality helped correct genetic errors, but the radiation dose was so massive it was hopeless. In short, Priam¡¯s body was disintegrating faster than it could heal. That was bad news, but there was worse. The radioactive particles were also affecting the aether, altering the properties and affinities of the primordial energy. The tiny runes etched into his cells were deteriorating, which undermined his resistances and weakened his body. The tainted energy coalesced into grotesque clusters, like magical tumors. Radiation is a physical and magical blight! Alerted, Priam scanned his meridians and growled. His resilient pathways were under severe strain, but they were protecting most of his aether. The rest of the energy permeating his body, however, was gradually becoming corrupted, preventing him from using certain skills and scrambling his Domain. As the mushroom cloud settled into a thick radioactive fog and the temperature became bearable again, Priam began coughing up blood. The dust he had inhaled was destroying him from the inside out. This was the first symptom of the acute radiation syndrome that had gripped him¡ªbut it wouldn¡¯t be the last. Overwhelmed by a wave of fatigue, he collapsed onto all fours. Bringing a hand to his head to massage a splitting headache, he was wracked by a spasm and opened his mouth to vomit. His pupils dilated in shock as a flood of blood poured from his open mouth. Fuck, what¡¯s happening to me? Swallowing bile, Priam¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the hand he had braced against the ground for support. It was burnt, covered in red blisters. Struggling to get to his knees, Priam brought his hand closer for inspection. It was trembling, unable to stay still. Neither his dexterity nor Micro could protect him from the onset of ataxia. "Radiation... My body¡¯s falling apart," Priam murmured. Cellular damage was piling up, and the degradation of his body was accelerating. His vision began to blur, and Priam swallowed hard. Should he flee? If he didn¡¯t develop a resistance soon, he would die. Even though he was burning through his lifespan, his regeneration was slowing down. His add-on informed him he was digging his own grave: forcing his cells to divide was increasing genetic errors and accelerating the symptoms. His high vitality was fueling the fire even as it healed him. With blood flooding his lungs, Priam refused to give in to panic or flee. Ignoring the pain, he relied on Micro and his skills to identify the root of the problem. Once I figure that out, I can find a solution. Combined with skills, the Supremacy was perfect for listening to and examining his body. His soul resonated with his organism, attuned to its many pleas. Two things caught his attention; his digestive system had shut down, no longer providing chemical energy to his body, and his damaged bone marrow had stopped producing blood. The very foundation of his regeneration was defective. The list of bad news was getting longer. His cells were dying too quickly to mutate and adapt to the radiation; the radioactive poisoning was too severe, preventing his body from developing resistance. By the time he grasped this, Priam was hit by a seizure that left him powerless, curled up on the ground. I need to do something... His nearly blind eyes turned to the sky as Priam opened his interface and selected a Merit Tree. His body might have been depleted, but neither his mind nor his will was ready to give up. Trees of Merit [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 1: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your race. ACQUIRED Not immediately necessary, but definitely useful. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 2: The closer you are to death, the better your body adapts. ACQUIRED If Priam could have, he would have smiled. The mass of flesh he had become merely trembled. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 3: You can select a resistance and accelerate its rate of progression. ACQUIRED ...In case the first levels of [Radiation Resistance] aren¡¯t enough. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 4: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your Soul Tier. NEW 6 Unused Merit Points. Something changed, though Priam couldn¡¯t quite explain it. Nonetheless, the results were clear, and his cells began to mutate at a rapid pace. With his new Merit, the pathetic state of his body was now a blessing. Seconds ticked by, and his face turned pale as blood poured from his body without being replenished. Driven by a fierce will to live, Priam focused Micro to scan his body. Fuck. Some of his cells were mutating to resist the radiation, but they seemed... alien, as if disconnected from his body. He quickly found the cause: the radiation was desynchronizing his spirit body from his soul. In a way, it was the aether flowing through his meridians and permeating his body that defined the boundaries of his spirit body. By altering his aether signature, the radiation was severing the connection between his cells and his meridians, preventing any communication with his soul. My cells might be mutating to endure the radiation, but without resonance with my soul, the System won¡¯t grant me the resistance. Priam kept his cool as Death¡¯s breath lingered on the back of his neck. Now that he understood the problem, he was confident he could solve it. To buy time, he summoned a dense fog that dimmed the ambient radiation. A parallel thought manipulated his aether to manually combat the radioactive blight. Rather than trying¡ªand failing¡ªto save his entire body, Priam focused on his bone marrow. The stem cells protected by his bones produced new blood cells, and that was what he was missing right now. Aided by his add-on, Priam took control of the aether in his cells, strengthening his hold on them. Every second, a terrifying amount of radiation sought to corrupt his energy, and every second, his dual thought processes fought to refresh his signature. He had to maintain the connection between his cells and his soul to synchronize his future resistance. The task was as thankless as bailing water from a ship with a hole in its hull, the radiation relentlessly gnawing away at his aether. Still, Priam persevered. His pulse slowed, his body entered a state of hibernation to survive as long as possible, and he waited for enough of his cells to mutate so the System would grant him resistance. Priam cracked open a bleary eye, staring into the abyss of absolute darkness. I¡¯m blind¡­ His heartbeat was so faint and sporadic that any doctor would have pronounced him dead. He hadn¡¯t taken a breath in several minutes, and [Tenacious Spirit] had taken over when his brain succumbed to the overwhelming hemorrhage. But that didn¡¯t matter¡ªhe had done it. On the third layer of his soul, a rune glowed brightly, resonating with each of his cells through his meridians. You have acquired the skill: [Radiation Resistance - Epic]. [Radiation Resistance] - Considered forbidden by some factions, radiation is known to corrupt life and disrupt energy flows. These highly energetic particles tend to alter the low Tiers aether. Lethal to many, it''s a resource used by mid Tiers to nourish their internal worlds. Your cell membranes have a high chance of repelling ionizing radiation. Your stem cells are now capable of using radiation to accelerate their production. Your aetheric signature grows stronger. CONST +3 Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. VIT +3 META (Authority) +3 The change was instant. Within seconds, his stem cells rapidly recreated large quantities of blood, bolstered by the irradiated environment. Combined with the use of his lifespan, Priam restored his body, regaining a human appearance. His organs settled back into place, his skin covered his muscles, and his hair began to regrow. Anyone who endures chemo deserves a damn medal, Priam thought, clenching his fist. His muscles flexed, and he marveled at his newfound strength. The radiation-induced weakness had been crippling, and a single resistance had flipped the script. ¡°A tank is the best class, change my mind,¡± Priam challenged, feeling how his aether now withstood the radiation thanks to his second constitution milestone. Bit by bit, he was becoming immune to attacks. Smirking, he opened the blinking red notification icon. Title won! [Fallout Boy - Silver] - Most people hide in bunkers during a nuclear apocalypse. You take the opportunity to sunbathe. You survived a 762 kt TNT nuke explosion from 1 613 meters away. If you don¡¯t die from radiation poisoning in the next few minutes, this will make one hell of a story. Fun fact: Most people think radiation causes hereditary genetic mutations. That¡¯s false. But it sure as hell might make you sterile¡ªnot that any woman would want to have a kid with you. CONST +10% VIT +10% Title upgraded! [Bloodless - Silver] -You survived after losing over 99% of your blood. Your bone marrow now regenerates it more easily, and your hearts infuse it with more aether. The properties of your blood (poison, aether) are enhanced. Few people choose to vaporize themselves with a nuke to unlock this Title. If all roads lead to the Zenith, some are more twisted than others¡­ The blood nourishes the body, and the body nourishes the soul. - Excerpt from ¡®The Three Supreme Bloodlines¡¯. VIT +20% Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 15 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 CONST +10 VIT +5 Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 19, 20, 21, 22 VIT +12 CONST +12 META (Endurance) +12 Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 56 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 13 VIT +3 Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 10, 11, 12 META (Focus) +9 META (Endurance) +18 Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] lvl 19 META (Affinity) +3 META (Perception) +6 Lvl Up: [Diagnostic] lvl 12, 13, 14 PERC +3 Lvl Up: [Humanoid Anatomy] lvl 10 MEM +3 Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 10, 11 META (Affinity) +6 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up: [Radiation Resistance] lvl 2, 3 CONST +6 VIT +6 META (Authority) +6 The Title was a perfect fit for his defensive build, and Priam was already formulating ways to upgrade it¡ªsurviving a fusion bomb or getting closer to the epicenter of a detonation, for example. Lofty goals. For now. ¡°You took your sweet time.¡± Priam ignored Seth¡¯s remark and approached the circle drawn on the ground. Someone¡ªprobably Arnold¡ªhad dug down to the island¡¯s bedrock, inscribing unknown runes on it. Just looking at the ritual gave him a headache, and seeing the glyphs subtly altering the crimson light around them made it clear they were the real deal. ¡°The ritual¡¯s complete?¡± Priam asked the motionless necromancer while his add-on copied and analyzed the creation. ¡°Just waiting for the right astral alignment to activate it.¡± Priam shot him a questioning look but was ignored. Esm¨¦e stepped in to explain. ¡°It¡¯s so far away we can¡¯t see it with the naked eye, but the Necromoon is moving. According to Seth, a proper alignment with Elysium and other invisible astral bodies will reduce the dimensional fabric¡¯s resistance between here and the Necro-verse. The ritual will use low Tier aether to summon a mid Tier entity, so we need every advantage we can get.¡± ¡°I see¡­ How long until the alignment?¡± ¡°About twenty minutes.¡± Priam wasn¡¯t planning on twiddling his thumbs for that long. ¡°Jasmine.¡± ¡°Boss.¡± ¡°Get back to the Oasis and gather data on the crafters¡¯ Tribulations. If some haven¡¯t finished¡­ too bad.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to wait for Sumstreh¡¯s death?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like what my instincts are telling me about Seth¡¯s ritual.¡± Even with the Polyglot¡¯s Merit, Priam couldn¡¯t fully decipher the array, but he could tell it wasn¡¯t just for summoning any Tier 4. Seth was hiding something, and he probably wasn¡¯t the only one with a secret agenda. ¡°On my way!¡± ¡°Godspeed.¡± Esm¨¦e¡¯s shadow wavered as Priam cleared his throat. ¡°Before our new necro friend arrives, I was wondering if any of you wanted to trigger your Tribulations?¡± Before telling them he could provide guidance for their past selves, Priam wanted to gauge where his rivals stood. They all turned to him, and Seth growled, ¡°You want to draw the Fallen¡¯s attention?¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°I refuse to believe they don¡¯t know something¡¯s up¡ªwe just detonated a nuke, the tribes are on the move, and summoning this Tier 4 won¡¯t be subtle. If stealth¡¯s off the table, might as well stir up some chaos to cover our tracks.¡± Esm¨¦e nodded as if she hadn¡¯t heard the plan before. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my Tribulations would cause too much chaos.¡± Seth cackled, watching Priam wait for a response. ¡°Like I¡¯m going to show my weaknesses to my rivals. I¡¯m here for the Fallen¡¯s bones, nothing else.¡± Feeling it was his turn to answer, Arnold blinked. ¡°No Tribulations pending.¡± Except for Dishnu, the others stared at the Var Elegis in shock. They all knew the homunculus had passed a quadruple Tribulation alongside Priam, and it seemed impossible he hadn¡¯t triggered new ones since. Which left only one possibility. ¡°You just finished a new round,¡± Priam translated, now understanding the distress he felt when looking at his rival. The Var Elegis was already operating on another level. ¡°A quintuple,¡± Arnold confirmed. ¡°Like the First.¡± This fucker¡­ Priam offered a grin. ¡°That was before. I¡¯ve got six back-to-back now,¡± he revealed with feigned modesty. No way was he letting the Terminator intimidate him. A stunned silence lingered for a few moments before the rustling of leaves caught their attention. Dishnu was holding a sapling. He quickly planted it in the ash, and runes appeared on the young tree¡¯s bark. Its growth overclocked by a ritual, it reached three meters in moments. ¡°A radiation-resistant ginkgo to revive the forest,¡± explained the Drya before turning to Priam. ¡°I would like to trigger my Tribulations near Log-a-rhythm.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 386 (+147) Agility 924 Vitality 1 336 (+186) Perception 817 (+3) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 (+10) Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 920 (+15) Meta-focus 438 (+15) Meta-endurance 777 (+58) Meta-perception (A) 441 (+8) Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 (+12) Potential: 12 431 (+62) Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 10 hours 18 minutes 55 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 265: The Final Countdown The countdown had begun. In just under fifteen minutes, the summoning ritual would pull a necro Tier 4 into Elysium to aid in the assault against the Fallen. Arnold remained by Seth¡¯s side, both to protect him and to keep a close eye on him. The necromancer hadn''t been thrilled about it, but Priam had insisted, arguing that the chances of another assassination were slim. It was fairly certain that the Var Elegis knew where his priorities lay, and the rewards from the System for killing Sumstreh were far more valuable than finishing off his rival. The Terminator was nothing if not pragmatic. As for Seth, though he despised his killer, it was unlikely he would use the summoned Tier 4 to take him out. Behind the bitterness and hatred, there was fear. The Var Elegis had been raised to the status of a bogeyman. Flying towards Oasis with Esm¨¦e, Priam hoped Seth would be able to control the corrupted summon. A bit of chaos obfuscating the playing field would be useful to save Sphinx, but he didn¡¯t want it to devolve into a free-for-all. At least, not until Sumstreh was dead. That was the key to being rewarded by the System. New Quest: Fallen Once a God, now a Fallen. Will they who fell by arrogance repeat their mistake? Kill Sumstreh, the Fragmented Rabbit. This is a shared quest (8 participants). Reward: Bloodline Purification (+1%) Talent Token - Seraph Rarity Reward (for the executor): Title - Seraph Rarity Difficulty: Seraphic Priam hoped to be the executor, but he knew his chances were slim. Besides his Breath, he didn¡¯t really have any ultimate move. With Sumstreh aware of this trump card, it was unlikely to be enough. What else could he do? Dropping a nuke in Sumstreh¡¯s Domain would be counterproductive; the System didn¡¯t reward its users for that sort of thing¡ªhe had slaughtered over ten million corrupted with two nukes and hadn¡¯t earned a single Sun Point. I guess I should build the bomb from the ground up for it to count... Even without the bonus reward, purifying his draconic bloodline and gaining a Seraphic Talent¡ªtwo tiers above Mythic¡ªwas already incredible. Since all the Champions shared the same quest, Priam was confident they would work together until the Fallen was on death¡¯s door. Then... everyone would want to land the final blow. Priam smirked, considering his rivals'' machinations. No matter their secrets, his hand was stronger. Back in Time would not only reveal their true faces but also their trump cards. Of course, there was another consequence: after the rewind, he would be the sole beneficiary of the rewards. According to Esm¨¦e, this needed to stay under wraps. ¡°If you tell them you can rewind time, why would they help you?¡± she had asked when they reviewed his plan. ¡°For the same reason you¡¯re helping me: I¡¯m willing to share intel about their Tribulations.¡± Esm¨¦e had arched a charming eyebrow. ¡°Why would they trust you? Put yourself in their shoes for a second; you¡¯re asking them to risk their lives to help you take down a Fallen¡ªknowing you¡¯ll be the only one rewarded¡ªshow you their weaknesses, and let you get close when they¡¯re at their most vulnerable. All that with zero guarantees.¡± Priam had grimaced. Presented like that, there was no need to be paranoid to refuse his offer. ¡°So you want me to keep it secret; to exploit them.¡± The idea made Priam slightly uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t have much love for some of his rivals, but Dishnu and Arnold had helped him recently. Well, Arnold did kill me before, so I guess we¡¯re even. ¡°You really want to thank them? Learn from this timeline and optimize the real assault against Bastard. If they figure out you can rewind time... Seth will try to kill you, and he won¡¯t be the only one.¡± So, Priam decided to keep the secret. As the haunted forest whizzed by beneath him, he glanced at Esm¨¦e. Holding his right hand, the princess smiled like a child, clearly happy to be flying. Her hair was so long and lustrous that she looked like Rapunzel. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± he asked bluntly. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Earlier, you said our rivals have no reason to trust me. Kazuki follows me because he¡¯s a friend, and Jasmine is my subordinate, but you... Why?¡± ¡°Because you are cute.¡± Surprised by the out-of-character response, Priam lost control of his skill. The couple dropped about ten meters before he stabilized them. Esm¨¦e shrieked before bursting into laughter, clinging to his hand. ¡°I admit that was a half-lie,¡± she giggled. ¡°The real reason is that it¡¯s statistically improbable you¡¯ll break your promise to me¡ªat least, that¡¯s what my skills tell me.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t trust me, but your abilities,¡± Priam summed up. ¡°Well... I¡¯m learning to trust you,¡± the young woman smiled. Priam returned her smile. Claire had taught him not to trust too quickly, and it was perfectly understandable that Esm¨¦e needed to spend more time with him before she would be ready to entrust him with her life. ¡°So, I¡¯m cute?¡± Esm¨¦e blushed, avoiding his gaze. Now it was Priam¡¯s turn to laugh. For the first time, Esm¨¦e reacted like a young woman and not a princess. Before he could tease her further, the forest beneath them began to change. Under the influence of Log-a-rhythm and the enhancements of Oasis, the trees lost their haunted appearance and regained their leaves. The protective dome of Oasis appeared, and Priam groaned when he saw Dishnu already inside. The drya wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°And here I thought the protective barrier was supposed to keep people out,¡± he said as they landed. ¡°Your security doesn¡¯t account for plants,¡± replied his rival. Assistant, remind me to fix this critical flaw once we rewind time. [Command saved.] Priam turned to the seven Tier 4s waiting and watching Oasis. Most looked impatient, except for Ophis, who was massaging his chest thoughtfully. ¡°How did you get in?¡± Sometimes, a direct question was the best way to get an answer. ¡°I hacked your barrier in six minutes.¡± Gryphe chuckled when Priam grimaced. ¡°You¡¯re lucky; Braato gave me ten before forcing his way in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like waiting,¡± the Gaeserts¡¯ Chief admitted with a shrug. ¡°Neither do I,¡± said a man in his thirties standing behind Gryphe. His eyes resembled those of a tiger, and Priam suppressed a shiver as their gazes met. The stranger¡¯s aura was a notch above the other Tier 4s. ¡°Leo, our Chief,¡± Gryphe introduced. ¡°And the old fart next to him is Felix.¡± ¡°Pleasure,¡± the old man smiled. He had fewer wrinkles than Louis, but Priam would bet he was much older. ¡°Welcome to Oasis,¡± Priam declared. ¡°About the fulcrum¡ª¡± ¡°The shadow girl already gave it to me,¡± Leo interrupted. ¡°Where¡¯s the Fallen hiding, and when will you trigger the diversion?¡± Priam concealed his irritation at the powerhouse¡¯s bluntness. It was understandable since every second here was a chance for the Necromoon forces to ravage his tribe, but he hated being cut off. ¡°Dishnu¡¯s going to trigger a quintuple Tribulation nearby.¡± All the mid Tiers turned to the drya, as if seeing him for the first time. ¡°... Fucking genius,¡± Gryphe spat on the ground. ¡°Not my business, but are you sure you want him triggering a quintuple Tribulation on your Land?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± If his past Tribulations had taught him anything, it was that the System didn¡¯t care about collateral damage. Priam turned to Dishnu. ¡°Why here?¡± The drya pointed at Log-a-rhythm. ¡°I want to temporarily resonate with the Tal Quercus.¡± Priam frowned. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Its wood resists Tribulations.¡± The stump Priam had found when he first arrived in Elysium had been struck by a Tribulation. Its death¡ªor perhaps its resurrection¡ªhad given it an interesting feature, Tribulation Resistance II. It was the material used to build the Tribulation Chamber. ¡°I see.¡± Priam took a moment to think. Refusing now would disrupt his plans, while accepting would give him a clearer picture of the drya¡¯s plans for Log-a-rhythm. ¡°Alright, give me a moment to evacuate my people. I¡¯ll give you the signal to start.¡± Without another word, the Guardian of the Forest headed towards the massive tree. Using Log-a-rhythm¡¯s domain as a relay for their systems, Priam informed Jasmine of the change in plans. ¡°Dishnu¡¯s going to trigger his Tribulations in Oasis. How many crafters have completed theirs?¡± ¡°All of them. I¡¯m gathering their notes now.¡± ¡°Perfect. Get them to Valaryth, finish collecting everything, then come back. It¡¯s almost our turn to step into the fray.¡± Quickly checking ¨¨ve¡¯s clone¡¯s viewpoint, Priam nodded before turning to the Chiefs and shamans. ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen¡­¡± A small, eight-sided glass die clutched in his hand, Priam waited alongside Esm¨¦e. The moment he crushed the object, the Tier 4s stationed a few kilometers from the Fallen¡¯s lair would launch their assault. The chaos from Dishnu¡¯s Tribulations and the summoning of the necro Tier 4 would obscure their advance, but the timing had to be flawless. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. In the distance, a bolt of inverted lightning struck the clouds, and the light of the Necromoon flared. Seth had begun. Priam nodded at Dishnu. A white beam shot toward the drya as he placed his hand on the trunk of Log-a-rhythm. With a thought, Priam halted it. ¡°Moonie, over here!¡± The juvenile Moon Wyrm darted into his arms, baring its teeth at the intruder daring to interact with her tree. She could sense that as soon as he was done, the System¡¯s trials would threaten her lair. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be fine,¡± Priam reassured her. ¡°This might even help Log-a-rhythm in the long run.¡± The words seemed to soothe the draconic creature, who curled up contentedly in his arms. Esm¨¦e stepped closer, and Priam noticed her hesitation. ¡°You want to pet her?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to bother her.¡± ¡°I think she likes the attention,¡± Priam said with a wink. ¡°Oh.¡± Gathering her courage, Esm¨¦e touched the wyrm¡¯s scales with her fingertips, her face lighting up. ¡°She¡¯s warm!¡± ¡°A draconic heart generates a lot of energy,¡± Priam explained while keeping an eye on the underground situation through ¨¨ve¡¯s clone. ¡°Your turn.¡± A light as pure as it was vile cascaded over the summoning array. Even from outside the runic circle, Seth struggled to breathe. The corruption radiating from the Necromoon was so intense that it even silenced his second personality. For the first time in what felt like ages, his mind was his own¡ªnot that he could enjoy the moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Arnold stoically endure the waves of corruption. Fucking monster. A tearing sound caught his attention. The dimensional fabric between Elysium and the Necro-verse was already paper-thin due to the alignment of the stars. When a spirit drill powered by a million souls tried to punch through, the veil didn¡¯t stand a chance. Seth activated another segment of the ritual. The drill drove halfway into the rift before detonating, widening the breach. The operation lacked finesse, but the undead was a necromancer, not a spatial mage. Through the rent in reality, Seth gazed upon an endless expanse of crimson sand, where a terrifying number of the dead wandered aimlessly. Many returned his gaze, but those were not the ones he sought. Wielding his authority as a Necro Envoy, he commanded the low Tiers to stay back. A third part of the ritual triggered, revealing the illusion of a miniature Necromoon at the rift¡¯s exit. The construct emitted a specific frequency of aether, designed to lure mid Tiers. It was only a matter of minutes before one took the bait, and since the rift couldn¡¯t support a Tier 5, Seth knew his target would fit the bill. Then would come the hard part. Binding a Tier 4 with nine million corrupted souls was impossible¡­ for anyone who wasn¡¯t Seth Pharaoh, the ultimate necromancer of his people. But why tryhard when I have fresh souls at my disposal? Seth could feel Arnold¡¯s gaze intensify as he issued a command to the hordes amassed near the tribal camp. ¡°They won¡¯t attack until the Tier 4s are locked in combat with the Fallen.¡± The Var Elegis studied him for a few moments longer before looking away. The homunculus¡¯s pragmatism made him predictable. The ground trembled as a colossal shadow blotted out the portal. Seeing his rival assume a combat stance, Seth couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Your turn.¡± Upon receiving the First¡¯s signal, the clone pushed open the heavy double doors leading to Sumstreh¡¯s Domain and stepped into the lair. As the ancient god¡¯s attention snapped to her, she quickened her pace, deftly dodging the rabhorns frolicking in the surrounding woods. With [Art of Movement]¡ªand the ideal upgrade the clone¡¯s soul had learned back when she was an Aelbe¡ªthis was child¡¯s play. Less than a minute later, she found herself standing before a titanic set of bones, which served as the physical support for a looming specter. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a report today,¡± the Fallen growled. ¡°Still refusing to open your mind to me?¡± Every rival had their strengths, and ¨¨ve¡¯s was memory. While the clone wasn¡¯t nearly as skilled as the original, she had learned to hide her surface thoughts, preventing the god¡¯s divine mark from reading her mind. She kneeled, hoping to placate her tormentor. ¡°Master, I bring news that couldn¡¯t wait.¡± The silence that followed was all the permission she needed to continue. ¡°The new Necro Envoy is summoning a Tier 4.¡± ¡°That explains the disturbance in the aether... Not that it matters. I doubt the Necromancer would dare summon something he can¡¯t control. I¡¯ll soon send you to lure it here; it¡¯ll earn me a few Sun Points.¡± The clone bowed, seizing the opportunity to glance down at the ground. To the right of the Fallen, a cage hovered in the air. Inside, a sphinx watched her with intense eyes. She had expected to see hatred in them, but was surprised to find something else. Anticipation? Turning her gaze away from the First¡¯s friend, the clone stared intently at the rest of the cage. Empty? Could the original have already escaped without my help? If so, should I still follow the First¡¯s plan? A knot of hesitation tightened in her gut. The sudden appearance of a fae dispelled her doubts. The original hadn¡¯t escaped; she was merely reluctant to reveal herself. [Scotomization], the legendary skill that made others forget their presence, was all the more effective because it made no exceptions. By revealing herself to her clone, ¨¨ve was risking Sumstreh remembering her existence and resuming the tortures. ¡°Here are my orders for Priam: if the drya seems to breeze through his Tribulations, he must die. Otherwise, I want him in front of me as soon as possible¡ªunless, of course, he dies.¡± The air stilled, like the calm before a storm. The announcement of the Tribulations wiped the Fallen¡¯s smile from their face. ¡°It begins. We may be witnessing the birth of a myth¡­¡± Ignoring the Fallen, the clone winked her left eye three times. She wanted to establish contact, but even without the Fallen¡¯s interference, her sphere of influence was too small to reach the original. Though they shared the same memory, one had trained for decades while the other had only had eight weeks to catch up. The original frowned but did not hesitate to expand her Domain to envelop the clone. As Sumstreh''s Domain was temporarily pushed back, the link between the original and the clone stabilized for a fraction of a second before it erupted. It was enough. Sphinx¡¯s cage and ¨¨ve were hurled against a tree with brutal force. The tree shattered into splinters, one of which cut the clone¡¯s brow. ¡°Ah, ¨¨ve, I¡¯d almost forgotten about you. Is this a mutiny?¡± The fae struggled to her feet, shaking her tiny head. ¡°My clone was acting strangely. Fearing that her experiences might have altered her objectives, I resynchronized our memories. In my position, I can¡¯t afford to have my only weapon go rogue.¡± With a thought, the Fallen levitated the cage before them and scrutinized their prisoners. Though she was smaller than the god¡¯s eye, the fae didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that erasing and replacing someone¡¯s memories wasn¡¯t the best way to create a trustworthy clone?¡± The monster¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. ¡°People change, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡± ¡°I could permanently synchronize our memories by conferring a fragment of my soul to them.¡± ¡°Fracturing your soul before reaching Tier 5 is a surefire way to die. Even then, all you have to do is look at me to see it¡¯s a terrible idea.¡± The Fallen was nothing more than a soul fragment of a dead Tier 5 known as Sumstreh. ¡°Yet Priam did it,¡± ¨¨ve said, pointing to the clone. ¡°He¡¯s watching us right now through a spiritual connection.¡± The monster¡¯s pupils widened as they turned to the clone. Her divine mark flared, summoning a titanic consciousness into her soul space. The Fallen quickly identified the spy sub-system and devoured it in a fit of rage. The move backfired, as the broken shell released a surge of [There is no Heaven], a skill specifically designed to wound the soul. Sumstreh had just swallowed the spiritual equivalent of a pepper with more than seven zeros on the Scoville scale. What would have killed the clone instead wounded the Fallen, who retreated from her soul with a howl. Their mouth and anus expelled some of the destructive energy, but watching them eat dirt made it clear the aftertaste was plunging them into deep agony. Taking advantage of her opponent''s distraction, Eve opened her hand to reveal a sphere etched with thousands of golden runes. A genuine Mythic Gift, bestowed by the System as a reward for a Mythic Achievement. Priam had entrusted it to the clone, who had used [Memory Slot - Epic] to transform it into a memory, hiding it from the scrutiny of Sumstreh¡¯s Domain. During the memory synchronization, the clone had transferred the memory to her original. Crushing the sphere between her hands, ¨¨ve created a force field around herself and the Sphinx, nullifying the cage¡¯s effects and the Domain¡¯s influence. ¡°You know what to do.¡± ¡°[Join your Pet]!¡± roared Sphinx. ¡°You¡ª!¡± Sumstreh roared as a portal opened before the sphinx. The clone caught a glimpse of a smiling First, glass dust trickling from his hand. ¡°¡ªshall die!¡± In a split second, the Fallen unleashed a combo of terrifying attacks on the Mythic protection. Cracks appeared as Sphinx and ¨¨ve dove into the portal. The clone¡¯s heart clenched as the shield shattered just before the passage closed. If Sumstreh managed to get a single claw through the portal, the original would die. Right at that moment, the fragment of the world trembled as if hit by a magnitude nine earthquake, diverting the Fallen¡¯s attention. Called by Priam, the Tier 4s were attacking. The rift sealed shut, sealing the First¡¯s victory. ¡°BETRAYAL!¡± They couldn¡¯t have been more right. The clone smiled as she extracted one final object from [Memory Slot]. Her belly swelled as if she were pregnant, but the pain didn¡¯t stop her from winking at Sumstreh. The divine mark flared¡­ and then flickered out, cleansed by the memory of [There is no Heaven]. Memory could be a terrifying Concept when wielded by ¨¨ve and her clones. ¡°Do you really think they can escape my wrath?¡± Sumstreh taunted, realizing they couldn¡¯t stop the bomb from exploding. The clone had taken precautions to ensure it would explode upon her death. ¡°Who said they¡¯re running?¡± the clone grinned with schadenfreude, activating the nuke. ¡°The First is coming for you.¡± The next moment, both Sumstreh and the golden-eyed woman were engulfed by atomic wrath. [3 hours 59 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 386 Agility 924 Vitality 1 336 Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 920 Meta-focus 438 Meta-endurance 777 Meta-perception (A) 441 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 Potential: 12 431 Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 9 hours 56 minutes 37 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 266: Finally Reunited ¡°Fracturing your soul before reaching Tier 5 is a surefire way to die. Even then, all you have to do is look at me to see it¡¯s a terrible idea.¡± ¡°Yet Priam did it,¡± the fairy said, pointing to the clone. ¡°He''s watching us right now through a spiritual connection.¡± Through the clone, Priam locked eyes with the Fallen. ¡°Hello, Sumstreh,¡± he said. ¡°Feels good to say your name out loud. Until now, we''ve been calling you Bastard, but that''s an insult to bastards.¡± Even through the clone''s eyes, Priam could feel the Fallen''s fury. A rage just as powerful flared up inside him, but he refused to let it take control. The masks were coming off, but the real game was still ahead. Could the brilliance of his plan outsmart the brute strength of his adversary? There was only one way to find out. Clenching his fist tight enough to shatter the dice into glass dust, Priam signaled the tribes to attack. Crack. His hearts froze as Sumstreh destroyed the clone''s subsystem and the fragment of the soul hidden inside it. The dreaded pain didn¡¯t come, and anxiety took its place. Now, Priam was blind to what was happening in the Fallen¡¯s lair. ¡°Our plan is flawless,¡± Esm¨¦e reassured him, squeezing his hand. ¡°You know what they say about plans meeting battlefields¡­¡± Before Priam¡¯s pessimism could jinx him, a rift opened before them. Sphinx and a sort of fairy leapt onto the grass as, in the background, Sumstreh raged against the mythical shield. Seeing the protection begin to crumble, Priam summoned Promesse. Every attack from the Fallen was terrifying, but he refused to die a coward. He hadn''t done all this just to run away now. The shield shattered, the enemies'' eyes met, and the ground quaked. In the distance, columns of light descended from the heavens. The Tier 4s unleashed their power, attacking the Divine Kingdom through dozens of meters of earth. For a moment, Priam thought the end had come. But then the Fallen turned his attention to the attackers; their pride meant less than their survival. The portal closed. Priam stood still, locking eyes with his friend, unsure of how to act. Sphinx had spent almost three weeks trapped with a monster, and there was a chance her mental state... ¡°PRIAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!¡± Priam barely had time to toss Moonie to Esm¨¦e as his friend launched herself into his arms like a cannonball. The impact knocked the wind out of him. Sphinx might have been the size of a cat, but she was heavy! ¡°Welcome home, Sphinx,¡± Priam smiled, stroking her head. ¡°You came for me!¡± ¡°Did you ever doubt it?¡± ¡°Not for a second!¡± The child buried her face against his chest, her tail wagging, before looking up. She looked like a winged cat with a nearly human face, and anticipation shone in her eyes. ¡°Are we gonna kill them?¡± ¡°Soon. You wanna come?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve whipped up a surprise¡­¡± A feline rarely forgot a wrong done to it, and sphinxes even less so. ¡°Where''s Blueberry?!¡± ¡°In Valaryth, why?¡± ¡°Because I''m hungry!¡± Priam burst out laughing. ¡°I''ll go fetch him. Meanwhile, you''ll stay with Esm¨¦e.¡± Sphinx studied the princess, eyes wide, then whispered in Priam¡¯s ear. ¡°She''s even more beautiful than Helen of Troy!¡± ¡°Isn''t she? And she asked me to marry her,¡± Priam whispered back. Sphinx''s eyes widened while Esm¨¦e blushed. With her sharp perception, she caught every word. The horizon trembled under a quintuple Tribulation. At the heart of Oasis, Dishnu was fighting off two armies and a boss under a literal waterfall of crimson light. The Guardian of the forest had grafted himself onto Log-a-rhythm to create a colossal treant, and the battle had taken on cataclysmic proportions. The sanctuary had become a no man¡¯s land, shockwaves tearing through the earth with violent force. Already, the upgraded ramparts showed signs of weakness. After witnessing what the System did to those who dared to stand in the way of Tribulations, Priam had no desire to get involved¡ªat least not without taking precautions. His instincts had always warned him against flying high in Elysium; the upper altitudes were likely the domain of dangerous predators. Dishnu''s Tribulations temporarily allowed him to bypass this problem. The third Tribulation had piggybacked on the natural light of the Necromoon, intensifying it to affect the plants. Even trees under Dishnu¡¯s influence struggled to regenerate. Thanks to this, no predators hovered over Oasis... except Priam. Sitting astride Promesse, he watched the titanic battle below, trying to discern the drya¡¯s weaknesses. The first was obviously fire, as evidenced by an army of fire elementals advancing slowly toward Oasis. Each tree consumed by the blaze gave birth to a new being of energy that seemed capable of merging with its kin. Relatively weak if stopped in time, the Tribulation had apocalyptic potential if left unchecked. The add-on calculated that the conflagration would have devoured over a hundred square kilometers by the time it reached Dishnu. That was twice the size of Manhattan, representing more than five million trees... ¡°This is gonna get out of hand,¡± Priam muttered, sniffing the air, his nostrils irritated by smoke. ¡°And the others aren¡¯t any better.¡± At the center of the cataclysm, a twenty-meter-tall robotic boss that looked like a cyberpunk axemaster was locked in a duel with Dishnu. As a specialist in close combat, it prevented the challenger from extinguishing the flames ravaging the forest. Despite merging with Log-a-rhythm, the drya couldn''t outmaneuver its opponent. More powerful than Taishi, the Lumberjack was incredibly resistant to any physical or magical attack. Priam studied his rival¡¯s movements, hoping he wasn¡¯t a master of both aether and close-quarters combat. Blocking an axe blow with a reinforced bark shield, Dishnu countered with an uppercut. The strike lifted the Lumberjack, while the plant fist transformed into thousands of branches that began to envelop the axeman¡¯s head. If they found a weakness to exploit, it could spell the end of the duel. With a flick of its robotic hand, the ground exploded, revealing an impressive quantity of iron ore. Under the influence of a powerful magnetic field, the metals arranged themselves into a thousand circular saws. The spinning projectiles embedded themselves in the treant¡¯s arm, reducing it to wood chips in seconds. Dishnu reformed his limb with branches and roots, then headbutted his opponent. The axeman countered with a horizontal slash that didn¡¯t connect¡ªthe treant had leapt over the attack. Oasis shook with a quake when he landed. The two titans backed off, sizing each other up, before crashing into each other again. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. While the Champion was stalled, the fourth Tribulation raged on. Opposite the inferno, a fungus invasion was corrupting the trees. Each infected plant uprooted itself to join the battle¡¯s epicenter. Meanwhile, the parasite drained sap from the trunks, creating a cloud of spores that the wind carried away. Between this outbreak and the inferno, the forest would soon be decimated. My forest¡­ Priam grimaced, ready to bet that a deadly synergy would reveal itself when the corrupted treants met the fire elementals in Oasis. ¡°Still missing the fifth Tribulation¡­¡± he mused. It was his link with Log-a-rhythm that alerted him. Slowly but surely, fungi were appearing on the treant, while some of its leaves turned to ash. The final Tribulation was a symbiotic bond between the Guardian of the Forest and its wards. Any damage inflicted on a plant was mirrored onto the candidate. Previously an ally of the drya, the forest was now a burden. Scary System! [Dishnu¡¯s Quintuple Tribulation: 5) Fire Elementals - destruction of plants 6) Symbiotic bond between the plants and Dishnu-Log-a-rhythm 7) Overclock of the Necromoon¡¯s light 8) Fungus - corruption of plants 9) Boss Lumberjack] ¡°Better him than me¡­¡± Shaking his head, Priam let himself fall into a freefall toward the battlefield. The air whistled past his ears as he ignored the plumes of smoke rising. As he reached less than a hundred meters from the two titans, his instincts went silent, like a frightened animal. The System watched him closely. A grin on his face, Priam sent a reassuring message to his tree before diving headfirst into the grass of the clearing, passing less than a dozen meters from the two dueling giants. A secret passage opened, launching him into the underground chamber that housed the rift to Valaryth. Sphinx¡¯s skill opened a portal, and Priam stepped back through. Behind him, Blueberry, Jasmine, Myuri, and the crafters left Valaryth for a grove far from any battlefield. A temporary ritual partially absorbed the crimson light, creating a deceptively peaceful setting. ¡°Sphinx!¡± Jumping from Esm¨¦e¡¯s lap, Sphinx launched herself at Rose, who hugged her tightly. Next was Alain, who patted her head, then Blueberry, who tossed her into the air like a child. Despite his massive size, the bear was gentle, and Sphinx''s laughter rang out like a bell. Seeing his friend so happy to be the center of attention, Priam couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You did it,¡± Jasmine murmured, flashing him a bright smile. ¡°Did you ever doubt?¡± he asked, taking a seat on a nearby stump. ¡°I didn''t think you¡¯d pull it off without grinding your skills for months first,¡± Jasmine replied, folding her arms with a teasing smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not a damn Pok¨¦mon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that is, but that¡¯s exactly what you usually do,¡± Jasmine retorted. Priam laughed, then admitted, ¡°Yeah, I thought it¡¯d take longer too. I wasn¡¯t about to bet her life on the strength of a shield, but Back in Time sealed the deal. ¡± ¡°Good thing,¡± Jasmine said, manipulating a shadow to decapitate a corrupted creature that was creeping closer, drawn by the noise. ¡°She seems in good spirits for someone who spent three weeks with a psycho.¡± ¡°Most kids can endure a lot of psychological trauma.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t leave scars,¡± Jasmine muttered, teleporting behind Sphinx and covering her eyes with her hands. ¡°Guess who?¡± ¡°Jasmine!¡± Sphinx squealed with delight. ¡°Yeah!¡± The young assassin scooped Sphinx up into her arms, squeezing her tight. ¡°Did you miss me?!¡± ¡°Almost as much as Priam, Blueberry, or Rose!¡± Sphinx exclaimed with the innocence of a child. ¡°What¡­ you like Blueberry better than me?¡± Jasmine asked, pretending to be wounded. ¡°He knows how to cook,¡± Sphinx replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Fair point,¡± Jasmine conceded before playfully pulling on Sphinx¡¯s cheeks in mock revenge. Priam found himself laughing easily. The people he cared about were here, smiling and laughing. Things weren¡¯t perfect¡ªKazuki was still missing¡ªand the future was bound to be full of challenges, but right now, he was happy. ¡°She¡¯s adorable,¡± Esm¨¦e commented, sitting beside him on the stump. The damp wood was sure to stain her white dress, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. Priam thought about the mythological creature that had crushed him with a simple riddle and smiled. ¡°She can be,¡± he confirmed. ¡°Did you two talk while I was gone?¡± ¡°She said if I bought her candy from the Sun Shop, she would help me marry you.¡± ¡°Ready to sell me out for sugar¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked her what her favorite candy was,¡± Esm¨¦e replied with a wink. Her response caught Priam off guard. It wasn¡¯t like the princess to joke like that... But it''s far from unpleasant. ¡°On a more serious note... If your Mythic Gift gets refunded by Back in Time, you could save her the moment you return.¡± ¡°I think it will be. Even if not, Jasmine was willing to offer her own Mythic Gift,¡± Priam said. As he spoke, a wave of relief washed over him. The knot of tension that had been in his stomach since Sphinx''s kidnapping began to loosen. ¡°We¡¯ve won,¡± he realized aloud. Saying it made it feel real. No matter what happened next¡ªwhether Sumstreh died or not¡ªhe now had a quick way to save Sphinx upon his return. The help of his rivals or the Tier 4s wasn¡¯t even necessary. The future seemed bright. ¡°You should be proud of yourself,¡± the princess said, smiling at him. Priam returned her smile. The ground shook as an orb as bright as ten suns rose from the hole above Sumstreh''s lair. To the north, a wave of thick corruption poured through the breach, along with a monstrous Tier 4. To the northwest, an undead army attacked the tribes. To the southeast, Dishnu completed a ritual that tripled the thickness of tree bark across a massive area, making them fireproof. Priam clapped his hands, drawing the group¡¯s attention. ¡°The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind,¡± he quoted, smirking. ¡°While the others wear each other down, how about we grab something to eat?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± the group cheered in unison, rushing to help Blueberry prepare the feast. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The princess nodded, and Priam took her hand. He was smiling. [3 hours 26 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 386 Agility 924 Vitality 1 336 Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 920 Meta-focus 438 Meta-endurance 777 Meta-perception (A) 441 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 Potential: 12 431 Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 9 hours 33 minutes 47 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 267: As Expected of My Rival Sna felt useless. Her expressionless face was hard to read, but a keen observer might have caught the slight droop of her left lip corner, betraying a hint of frustration. Hovering in the air by sheer force of will, the Tier 4 had shed her humanoid appearance to reveal a serpentine body covered in scales and supported by a pair of bat-like wings. Looking at her, it was obvious she was different from the rest of her tribe. Born a serpent, Sna had been captured nearly a millennium ago by a Snahert shaman. The man had raised her for her unique venom, guiding her to Tier 3. After centuries of struggle, she had finally succeeded in altering her physical form. They had then produced offspring to see if her unique trait was hereditary. It wasn¡¯t. Centuries later, when their father died, her children had convinced her to stay with the tribe. She had agreed to become the new shaman of the Snaherts, in part to have easier access to ingredients for longevity elixirs. Without rare spiritual medicine, the soul of a Tier 4 began to collapse after a thousand years, and Sna wasn¡¯t ready to die. That was why she was here today. She and the other crafters were part of this raid, hoping to find more fragments of an internal world¡¯s fulcrum. After all, nothing extended one¡¯s lifespan like a Tier up. So far, her efforts were disappointing. No matter how hard she pushed her Concept, Excess couldn''t penetrate the Fallen''s defenses. Three hundred meters below, the black dome of the Divine Kingdom rippled as a rabhorn emerged. The Tier 3 creature leaped forward, breaking the sound barrier as it tried to escape the cataclysmic battle raging in the Fallen¡¯s lair. Sna flexed her Concept, shifting the concentration of carbon monoxide near the horned rabbit to one hundred percent. The lethal gas replaced the oxygen in its blood, causing it to lose consciousness within seconds. The higher a creature¡¯s physical attributes, the more energy its metabolism required to move. A few seconds later, the Tier 3¡¯s heart stopped. At no point had it detected her presence. There was only one Tier¡¯s difference between Tier 3 and Tier 4, but the chasm between low and mid Tiers was vast. Even a crafter like her could terrorize a fighter. Yet all this power still wasn¡¯t enough to breach the Fallen¡¯s defenses. No matter how much Excess altered the air¡¯s composition to create explosions, the dome showed no signs of weakening. Frustrated, Sna let her anger erupt. In an instant, the concentration of the most toxic molecules in the ground and air spiked. A heartbeat later, there wasn¡¯t a living plant for kilometers. The violent emotion of a Tier 4 had just ravaged millions of trees, turning an entire valley into a wasteland. Such was the horror of the mid Tiers. ¡°An excess of frustration? I expected better from a colleague,¡± Mama Apo grunted as she levitated toward Sna. ¡°Our Concepts change us as we approach Unity,¡± Sna replied flatly. ¡°Civilized people fight those changes. I guess, deep down, you''re still a beast.¡± Sna ignored the jab. The hatred between the Snaherts and the Gaeserts ran deep. ¡°Do you have any idea how to pierce these defenses?¡± Below them, the ink-black dome marked the boundary between the Fallen¡¯s Divine Kingdom and Elysium. The crafters¡¯ role was to shatter it, stripping the enemy of their home-field advantage. The four fighters had chosen to dive inside, realizing brute force wouldn¡¯t be enough. Mama Apo thought for a moment before summoning a snake-shaped scepter. ¡°See if you can corrupt the dimensional veil with this.¡± Intrigued, Sna took the staff, deciphered the complex ritual within, and began channeling its power. The ophidian eyes etched onto the weapon spat two drops of venom at the pseudo Divine Kingdom. Ten meters before contact, a white barrier appeared, blocking the poison. The reaction meant the venom would be effective... if it could reach the dome. ¡°The Fallen must have spent decades charging their defenses,¡± she said after summoning a dozen more drops of venom, which splashed uselessly against the barrier. ¡°Given the strength of these protections, the inside of the Divine Kingdom must be filled with traps. This raid is turning into a siege; it¡¯s time to cut our losses.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Gryphe interjected as she approached. The specialist in formations, arrays, and rituals was studying the barrier with a focused expression. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can hack this, give me a few minutes.¡± ¡°... You¡¯ve got ten minutes before I call back Braato,¡± Mama Apo declared. ¡°Leaving my tribe unsupervised for too long is a recipe for disaster.¡± Ignoring Gryphe¡¯s grumble, Sna watched the massive hole the fighters had carved at the start of the assault. They had been engaged for twenty minutes now, and the whole island trembled under their blows. Even for her, getting too close to the fight would turn her into mush. I just hope Ophis can find an opening... A wave of corruption jolted Sna¡¯s animal instincts awake. Alerted, the three shamans turned to the horizon. A true titan, fifty meters tall, was making its way toward them, crushing everything in its path. Its presence was so vile that it distorted the ambient aether, cutting off all long-distance communication. The three crafters backed off to a safe distance, fully aware they stood no chance against a fighter. The titan stopped at the edge of the pit. On its shoulder, a young man reeking of corruption looked in their direction. Sna hesitated to act before holding back; necromantic creatures were particularly resistant to poisons. After ten seconds of tense standoff, the undead turned away, and the titan leaped. A dozen barriers appeared to stop it, but they all shattered on contact. The tremors ceased for a second before resuming with even greater intensity. ¡°This is our chance,¡± Gryphe said. Sna raised the scepter and began crafting dimensional poison. Priam scratched the belly of Sphinx while watching the end of Dishnu¡¯s Tribulations. Beside him, Jasmine, Esm¨¦e, and Arnold were waiting too. The Var Elegis had come to him shortly after the Necro Titan was summoned and asked what his next move would be. ¡°There is no next move. I just want Sumstreh dead,¡± the Homo Elysian had replied. With less than four hours left before the time rewind, nothing else mattered. Sending Jasmine to search the tribal camps or completing a few more waves in the Colosseum by opening a portal to the Moon was pointless. What mattered most was defeating Sumstreh, watching his companions face their Tribulations, and attempting his own without dying twice. How he planned to do it was a secret, one Arnold wasn¡¯t privy to. BOOM! When the father of all elementals finally collided with the fungus treants'' army, the reaction was¡­ explosive. The convergence of the two Tribulations was a multiplication, not a mere addition. In a split second, a wave of fire shot through millions of flammable fungi, creating a blast that licked the clouds. Pyro absorbed the heat wave before it could reach his allies and focused on Dishnu. His movements were becoming sluggish, the flames transmitted through the symbiotic link consuming much of his body. Despite this, the drya remained unfazed, ignoring the embers on his bark as he physically blocked his opponent¡¯s axe. From time to time, he manipulated the ambient aether to create spells and rituals on the fly. Faster than the eye could see, runes formed to summon clouds that blocked the necro light, banish oxygen to snuff out searing flames, or bind the Lumberjack. Even without the support of the forest, Dishnu seemed capable of facing the Tribulations with just his sublime aether mastery. ¡°Fucking monster,¡± Jasmine muttered. ¡°I¡¯m almost sure he could end this if he really wanted to.¡± The battle felt anticlimactic, with her rival ignoring most of the Tribulations. Watching how little energy the drya expended, Priam wondered what he was scheming. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for the Tribulations to reach their final phase to reap the best rewards,¡± Esm¨¦e explained, pointing at the ground. ¡°At that point, he¡¯ll unleash his magnum opus.¡± Priam frowned before his eyes widened, probing the underground. Far from being passive, Dishnu was using the underground root network to construct a colossal ritual, covering an area Priam couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. Polyglot¡¯s Merit suggested the formation was related to protection, growth, and regeneration. Still, he couldn¡¯t comprehend how the drya could intricately manipulate roots several kilometers away while enduring a quintuple Tribulation. ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Esm¨¦e said. The firestorm calmed, giving way to an elemental nearly a hundred meters tall. The being of energy condensed before being absorbed by the Lumberjack. Three Tribulations had fused into a golden, cyberpunk axeman on steroids. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The first swing of the axe tore off the treant''s arm, and Priam winced. Despite his resistances and constitution, an attack with that much Aura, Axe Mastery, and a Concept behind it would have one-shot him. The gigantism of Log-a-rhythm saved Dishnu, but he had to retreat from the Lumberjack¡¯s fury. Dodging a few attacks, the drya showed commendable martial arts skills. Soon, it wasn¡¯t enough. An axe blow missed Dishnu but split the ground open for hundreds of meters. Unbalanced by the sudden appearance of the artificial canyon, the treant stumbled, sealing his fate. The second arm fell. The Lumberjack then raised its axe high into the sky and activated a skill for the first time in the fight. Its weapon fell like a guillotine. A spectral blade decapitated the treant and continued its path to the horizon, gouging the earth and cleaving through the clouds. Just witnessing the attack made Priam''s eyes sting. Rubbing them, he was surprised to find his fingers bloody. The battle was a showcase of the heights a Tier 0 could reach. The treant¡¯s head hit the ground with a thud, revealing Dishnu grafted inside. Torn between splitting Log-a-rhythm¡¯s trunk in half or finishing off the drya, the axeman focused on the Tribulation candidate. The executioner raised its axe and swung it down like divine judgment. Dishnu shattered like a dry log. ¡°What the¡ª¡± Stunned, Priam''s mouth dropped open. The drya had seemed vast and omniscient. Could he really die so easily?! The ground trembled as the underground ritual activated. In less than a second, the ambient aether and heat were absorbed by the drya¡¯s masterpiece, transformed, and guided through the root network. A wave of energy and vitality shook the world. The charred bark of the trees scorched by the fire fell away, revealing sturdy trunks that began to grow. The plants devastated by the fungus were reduced to ashes, but their seeds, hidden in the soil, sprouted and grew at a furious pace. Before Priam could recover from his shock, a majestic forest had regrown. If Tribulations were destruction incarnated, Dishnu was a creator. The drya had replicated the miracle of life and the vegetation was now resistant to fire, fungus and necro blight. Leaping into the air, Priam rose a hundred meters to admire his rival¡¯s work, and his mouth went dry. The ritual covered over a hundred square kilometers, the size of a large metropolis. I thought I was closing the gap, but... looks like I need to up my game. The second Tribulation, the symbiotic bond between the forest and the Guardian, activated. The treant regenerated and grew until he reached fifty meters. A golden halo encircled his head, his emerald wood accentuating the crimson hue of his leaves. Maybe because it was the fusion of two Guardians, he radiated a regal presence. Almost as if to say it hadn¡¯t lost yet, the Lumberjack wound up for a terrifying axe blow... which barely scratched his opponent¡¯s bark. Dishnu pressed his palm against the giant and demonstrated the quiet strength of nature, crushing the cyber punk against the bedrock. The cascade of crimson light dried up, the System recognizing the victor. Dishnu had won his quintuple Tribulation. Priam approached the ruins of Oasis, sighing. The wall was half-collapsed, the turrets useless, the Forum cracked, and the river bed diverted. Not everything was bad; the biotraps had evolved, the guardian¡¯s domain had expanded significantly, the forest was lush, and Log-a-rhythm had grown. However, neither its new size nor its enhanced features were as important as the emotions Priam could feel budding within him. ¡°It¡¯s sentient,¡± Priam realized, watching his tree take root again. ¡°The second Tribulation helped, giving it the spirituality of millions of trees.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you triggered this ritual?¡± Priam asked, understanding. ¡°You waited for the forest to completely die so the symbiotic bond would elevate it to another level.¡± Dishnu nodded. ¡°...You could have won faster? If you had ignored Log-a-rhythm and the forest.¡± Priam wondered where he stood compared to his ally. ¡°I would have won the Tribulations and lost my heart,¡± replied the Guardian of the Forest. ¡°I see. Will Log-a-rhythm keep its new territory?¡± Oasis''s area had expanded by nearly fifty thousand times, which seemed excessive. The drya shook his head. ¡°Its consciousness is too weak to control an area this vast. Over the next few days, Oasis will shrink, but you could speed up its growth with a compatible Concept,¡± he said, gesturing toward the ground. ¡°You mean Valar¡ª¡± BOOM! The forest shook as birds fled in their direction. ¡°The Fallen¡¯s lair is open,¡± Esm¨¦e announced. Priam turned. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to¡ª¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time to¡ª¡± The remains of the cyberpunk axeman trembled under Arnold¡¯s fingertips. The Var Elegis stepped back, satisfied with the robotic knowledge he had gleaned from his rival¡¯s Tribulation. With this, he could craft a fourth version of his avatar, pushing his limits even further. This would allow him to maintain a slight lead over the Guardian. Sensing a sudden spike in temperature near the robot¡¯s abdomen, Arnold backed away just in time to avoid the explosion. An immense, furious flame shot skyward as the reactor, damaged during the battle, detonated. The fire condensed into a nova that glared down at the rivals. ¡°The fire elemental¡­¡± Priam murmured, sounding just as surprised as Arnold. His sensors hadn¡¯t detected anything until the very last second. Two balls of plasma broke away from the main body, one of them rocketing toward Var Elegis. The Champion raised his hand, absorbing the attack, but immediately regretted it. The heat was so intense that the circuits in his arm partially melted, despite his enhanced constitution and resistances. The energy seemed to have a mind of its own, refusing to be harnessed by his generator. His Domain shattered its resistance at the cost of his own willpower, but the energy yield was abysmal. ¡°Delicious.¡± Arnold turned to his rivals just in time to see the First swallow. His rival seemed unfazed by the plasma, once again showing off his insane resilience. ¡°RAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± The elemental roared in fury, and Arnold braced himself for a tough fight. An energy creature was notoriously difficult to harm, especially in a forest where it could regenerate endlessly. The trees had been reinforced, but that would be little help against a sentient ball of plasma. The homunculus''s processors calculated the best way to exhaust the elemental, and he fired a laser infused with his Aura. Watching the elemental wounded by the Aura but healed by the laser, Var Elegis understood this fight was going to be brutal, the energy creature an especially effective enemy against him. The most optimal plan was to trap the creature in the chasm beneath Log-a-rhythm. Could he convince the First to¡ª ¡°I guess the Fallen takes priority... Fuck off before I decide to devour you,¡± the First said, swapping his cloak of mist for a mantle of flames. The First¡¯s apparent confidence surprised Arnold. A creature born of a Tribulation naturally held a deep-seated hatred for System users. The chances of it fleeing were statistically zero. ¡°Rahh¡­¡± The elemental eyed the First carefully, then vanished, leaving nothing but the streak of a shooting star in its wake. Astonished, Arnold analyzed the situation, trying to understand how a Tribulation could fear someone before remembering one crucial detail. His rival defied all the rules. ¡°As expected of the First.¡± [3 hours 15 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 386 Agility 924 Vitality 1 336 Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 920 Meta-focus 438 Meta-endurance 777 Meta-perception (A) 441 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 Potential: 12 431 Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 9 hours 22 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 268: When Rivals Masks Fall – Part I Amidst the ruins of Oasis, Priam watched the elemental flee with a mix of sadness and frustration. The Dragon within him craved the creature''s power, eager to devour it. Consuming both the Tribulation fragment and a being of flame and plasma would have brought him that much closer to Pyro¡¯s Unity. But it was too dangerous. His allies hadn''t realized the threat, but Priam had sensed the elemental''s true horror. A ball of plasma capable of thought, with more energy than a nuke and freed from all constraints of a Tribulation, was a walking time bomb. Pun intended. A fragment of Tribulation wasn''t worth the lives of his friends, no matter his ability to rewind time. His pragmatic side agreed: if the elemental killed his allies, it would jeopardize his plan to kill Sumstreh. That would be short-sighted. Next time, Priam promised himself, ducking under a plank that fell from Log-a-rhythm''s branches. The Tribulation had spared none of the treehouses his father had built. ¡°Whatever happens, stay inside Log-a-rhythm,¡± Priam ordered the non-combatants. Bertomne, Ymir, and Lamnas quickly obeyed, but the others took longer to accept the situation. ¡°... We''re never gonna see you again, are we?¡± Rose muttered, staring at the ground with clenched fists. Priam turned to Dishnu and Arnold. ¡°Can you guys give us a moment?¡± The two foreigners left, and Priam chose his words carefully. ¡°I¡¯m going to rewind time; we¡¯ll see each other again in just four hours.¡± If I don¡¯t die before I can use Back in Time... ¡°The Rose you find won¡¯t be me. She won¡¯t have watched her friends die or faced her Tribulations.¡± Priam searched for the right response. ¡°You¡¯re right... but our friends will still be alive.¡± ¡°I want them to live too!¡± Rose exclaimed. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to disappear... Maybe we could hide in the Concepts Archipelago?!¡± Her eyes lit up with hope. ¡°That way, if your inner world rewinds with you, we¡¯ll still be there!¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Concepts would allow that. You¡¯re System users, not objects or plants¡­ But even if it worked, Back in Time doesn¡¯t change the past. If you come with me, there will be two Roses. Do you really want to share your identity?¡± This was why Priam refused to keep Sphinx in his inner world. Even if she returned with him, another Sphinx would still be trapped with Sumstreh. He couldn¡¯t bear that. ¡°I¡­¡± Rose bit her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek. The only solution was to kill the past Rose, but she was too kind for that. ¡°I want to see Kazuki, Louis, and the others again. Save them,¡± she whispered, turning to head back into Log-a-rhythm. With a thought, Priam asked Moonie to follow her. Maybe the little wyrm could comfort the girl. ¡°You can¡¯t help her,¡± Alain said, placing a hand on his troubled son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I chose Back in Time to help Sphinx. Now I feel like I¡¯m being selfish with you all,¡± Priam sighed. Alain shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re not selfish... at least not with those you care about. You¡¯re doing the best you can, and no one¡¯s asking for more. Not even Rose. Now stop worrying and focus on the future.¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll save everyone,¡± Priam promised, hugging his father. ¡°You¡¯ll try,¡± his father replied. ¡°And I¡¯m proud of you for that.¡± The valley that once held Sumstreh''s lair lay in ruins. Cresting one of the passes that led there, the group of rivals halted, stunned. The forest was gone. Here and there, half-buried tree trunks jutted from the ground, but the green of vegetation had given way to the gray of ash. Ahead, explosions shook the earth and sent clouds scattering. The spectral form of a giant rabhorn fought both a colossal skeleton and a giant tiger simultaneously. Instead of relying on physical attacks, the Fallen utilized rituals etched into the valley¡¯s rocks to conjure thousands of light spears from the ambient aether. Leo, the leader of the Aelbes, dodged the projectiles before they even appeared, his instincts terrifyingly sharp. In contrast, the necro-colossus summoned by Seth stoically tanked the hits. Just seeing the spears made Priam''s eyes bleed, forcing him to look away. He wasn¡¯t ready to fight there. Arnold must have disagreed, as he took off toward the battle. To his left, the three shamans lay sprawled on the ground, trembling under the assault of invisible forces. Priam sensed around them the same spiritual energy that made up the divine mark still present in his soul. That Sumstreh could enslave three shamans while fighting two powerful Tier 4s was worrying. A bluish smoke descended on a distant peak. The cloud exploded, releasing a missile that homed in on the rivals. Before they could react, the massive figure of a giant slammed into the ground in front of them. The dust cloud cleared to reveal Braato, his face pale and skin slick with blood. ¡°Are any of you a healer?¡± Braato asked, raising his arm to reveal a dagger lodged between two ribs. Priam shook his head as Ophis stopped about fifty feet away. The insane gleam in the Snahert¡¯s eyes and the empty scabbard at his waist told a grim tale. ¡°What¡ª¡± ¡°Ophis screwed up,¡± Braato answered, predicting the obvious question. The Snahert leader grinned, revealing two blood-stained canines. ¡°Ophis made a mistake when he grafted my heart into himself, just like you made a mistake not checking your allies'' condition before the fight.¡± Either the man was speaking in the third person, or the body had a new owner. Fuck. Priam didn¡¯t need to see the Tier 4''s bare chest to know there would be a scar. Ophis had absorbed the heart of the skulc shaman, likely to purify his draconic bloodline. The result? His ego had been replaced. ¡°I didn''t think the System could give me a cursed reward,¡± said Priam. If Ophis hadn¡¯t taken the heart, he would have devoured it himself. By the way, why didn¡¯t he devour it? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°The reward was the help to unlock Micro II; the items obtained are a personal gift,¡± the skulc shaman replied. ¡°Moreover, the System rarely interferes in the affairs of dragons.¡± Seeing the enemy willing to answer questions, Priam tried again. ¡°Why not help us defeat the Fallen? With your power, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s possible.¡± Ophis might be dead, but that didn¡¯t change anything for Priam. The important thing was the death of Sumstreh, not the identity of his temporary allies. The skulc''s smile widened into a crescent moon. ¡°Because their original self was part of a pantheon I wish to join.¡± As Priam opened his mouth to ask more, a chilling notification appeared. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 28 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (Endurance) +1 This fucker¡¯s talking to distract us! Wrapping an arm around Esm¨¦e¡¯s waist, Priam leaped backward. His instincts screamed, and he looked up to see a toxic cloud descending towards them. It took him just a moment to realize this was the end. The attack covered the whole sky and fell at the speed of a meteor. Braato lunged at the possessed, but he would be too late¡­ Suddenly, the skulc sneezed, and the skill froze. Braato¡¯s tackle on its creator dispersed the cloud. Landing a hundred meters away, Priam realized he was drenched in cold sweat. Without the Tier 4¡¯s sneeze, he would be dead. ¡°Herg!¡± Esm¨¦e coughed. Seeing blood trickle from her mouth and nose, Priam feared she was severely poisoned. As Dishnu and Braato dashed forward to engage the enemy, Priam opened the Sun Shop, frantically searching for a detoxifying pill. A hand on his cheek stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s useless; it¡¯s not the poison.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­ I told you, my father forbade me from endangering our civilization,¡± the princess reminded him, a smile on her lips. ¡°I was ordered not to provoke the ire of a Tier 4.¡± The skulc¡¯s sneeze! Esm¨¦e had just saved their lives. Priam glanced at her chest. The absence of a familiar sound struck him. ¡°Your heart¡­¡± ¡°The geas made it burst.¡± The ground trembled under the cataclysmic battles raging kilometers away, but Priam paid no attention. A young woman was dying in his arms, and that was all that mattered. Helplessness hit him hard as he searched desperately for any way to save her. ¡°I can keep your blood circulating with my kinetic control!¡± The princess''s gaze was gentle as she shook her head. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at the same time. It¡¯s pointless as this world is coming to an end.¡± Despite the looming threat of death, Esm¨¦e kept her eyes firmly on their objective. In the distance, Dishnu hit the ground. The Guardian of the Forest, who had conquered a quintuple Tribulation, was completely outmatched by the skulc. He rose painfully, ignoring the poison, and charged back into the fray. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Priam said, staring into the princess¡¯s beautiful eyes. ¡°For what? Thanks to you, I dared to defy my father. More importantly, I proved to myself that my resolve was more important than my life.¡± The princess had taken advantage of the timeline¡¯s end to disregard her orders and give meaning to her sacrifice. A flicker of pride shone in her eyes: even death hadn¡¯t made her back down. A blinding flash made Sphinx roar. Summoning Pyro, Priam absorbed a wave of heat so intense it was turning the valley''s stones to glass. Above them, Arnold was going nuclear. ¡°I¡¯m going to summon my Tribulations,¡± Esm¨¦e murmured, opening her grimoire. Priam watched her frown as the System¡¯s aura descended. ¡°...¡± He stayed silent while the princess explained the contents of her quintuple Tribulation. Despite her words, none manifested, but Priam respected the secrecy of his rival. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t the only one chosen by an entity during their Tutorial. As Sphinx leaped off his shoulder to block an avalanche of rock triggered by the battle, Priam gently wiped away a tear of blood trickling down Esm¨¦e¡¯s cheek. So close to death, her royal aura was dissipating, revealing her youth and vulnerability. Though she was a formidable rival, she was undoubtedly the most fragile. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you get home,¡± Esm¨¦e whispered. Dipping her nail into her own blood, she scribbled a few words in her grimoire before tearing it apart. Priam felt a force envelop him but stayed silent, engraving the beautiful features of the young woman in his memory. When she turned back to him, her pupils were dilated with pain, fear, and hope. Her mouth opened, forming words without sound. Priam moved closer to hear better and was taken aback when she straightened up. Perhaps because she had been crafted to be alluring, the princess¡¯s lips were of indescribable softness. Pressing his hand against her cheek, Priam drew her closer to deepen the kiss. When the two rivals finally pulled away, light shone in their eyes. ¡°Rose told me that in your culture, the woman can kiss first.¡± ¡°It happens when we¡¯re lucky,¡± Priam joked to hide his sadness. Esm¨¦e¡¯s hand caressed his cheek. ¡°... With me, you don¡¯t have to wear a false smile.¡± As the end drew near, the princess removed the mask she had worn all her life, and Priam did the same. The two young people looked at each other, letting their emotions sweep over them and revealing their true feelings. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Esm¨¦e whispered as death approached. Priam¡¯s lips reassured her. [2 hours 33 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 387 (+1) Agility 924 Vitality 1 338 (+2) Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 920 Meta-focus 438 Meta-endurance 779 (+2) Meta-perception (A) 441 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 Potential: 12 433 (+2) Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 8 hours 40 minutes 46 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 269: When Rivals Masks Fall - Part II Priam gently laid the princess''s lifeless body on the ground. Her death, sudden and brutal, stirred a storm of emotions he could hardly digest all at once. One feeling surged above the rest: rage. A deep, burning fury, monstrous and all-consuming. Priam hadn''t known Esm¨¦e well; their paths had only crossed recently. Yet, he felt an overwhelming urge to inflict pain on whoever had condemned her to this fate. With the Empyrean Emperor absent, Priam redirected his wrath towards a closer enemy: Sumstreh. High in the sky, the Fallen effortlessly battled Arnold, Seth, and L¨¦o. Priam''s anger hadn¡¯t blinded him to the point of ignoring the fact that his presence wouldn¡¯t change anything in a direct fight. He could take on some Tier 3s and tank a lot of damage, but a Tier 4 would squash him like a bug. Still, even a bug can be dangerous. His gaze shifted to the tribal shamans, who were trembling, unconscious as the enemy invaded their souls. If nothing was done, three puppets would soon rise. With a single step, Priam rode the mist hanging over the battlefield. Placing a hand on Mama Apo''s forehead, he established a mental bridge. With no defenses to repel him, he accessed her soul space directly. Inside, a massive, brilliant soul was under siege by a grotesque spiritual tentacle. Out of her six soul layers¡ªtwo more than Priam''s¡ªfour had already been breached. [There is no Heaven]. The System had granted him this skill when he earned [Iconoclast] after urinating on a statue of Viracocha. Its ability was straightforward: create an energy capable of damaging a soul. When [There is no Heaven] struck the tentacle, severing it like a hot knife through butter, Sumstreh screamed. The battlefield froze for an instant as the Fallen turned their gaze towards Priam. "You dare?!¡± The volume alone would¡¯ve killed a pre-System human, and the echo triggered landslides. ¡°I dare,¡± Priam grinned cruelly before shouting to his rivals, ¡°Hold them off while I shatter their soul completely!¡± Maybe because they were a Fallen, a fragment of a former Tier 5, Sumstreh possessed a massive but flawed soul. They could tank a nuke head-on but were vulnerable to spiritual attacks. The Fallen dove toward him, but was intercepted in the next instant by the Tier 4 necro. Roaring in rage, Sumstreh unleashed a laser beam that pierced through the corrupted titan, only to be stopped by L¨¦o. As the aerial battle raged on, Priam continued to corrode the Fallen''s spiritual tentacle. It only took a few moments before it was cut in two. The part inside Mama Apo''s soul dissipated, while the rest withdrew from the soul space. Sumstreh was retreating. Priam followed. His Soul Tier was too weak to wield his soul with finesse, but he could latch onto the tentacle, which he did. Lvl Up: [Mind Bridge] lvl 11 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 At the end of a spiritual tunnel, Priam entered a new soul space¡ªSumstreh¡¯s. A vast but fractured soul loomed before him. Instead of a sphere, it resembled an unnatural patchwork sewn together by a child; massive, but grotesque. Nevertheless, the quality of the aether and the spiritual pressure in the Fallen''s soul space was extreme. At the source of it all, an unfathomable ego reigned. The gaze of an ancient god fell upon Priam, making him tremble. A mortal could not withstand the gaze of the divine without consequence. A force as vast as the sky descended upon his soul, and the Champion felt his strength slipping away. Due to their difference in Soul Tier, the mere spiritual gravity of the Fallen¡¯s soul was enough to annihilate his own. Soon, it would dissipate, and he would die¡ªperhaps for good this time. Neither his willpower nor his attributes could change anything, and Priam let out a whimper before recalling his Phoenix mentor¡¯s advice. There was a forbidden way to resist a god¡¯s will. Trees of Merit [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 1: Your soul is proud; it resists external modifications. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 2: Your soul is pure; its flaws erased, its sins forgiven, it resists the apocryphal. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 3: Your soul is sacred; it learns to ignore the authority of other souls. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 4: Your soul is celestial; it actively resists divine influence. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 5: Your soul is sovereign; it influences other souls. NEW 2 Unused Merit Points. More than body and mind, the soul was the core, the foundation of one¡¯s being. Frustration filled Priam as the System granted new qualities to his soul. He was forced to alter the very essence of his being to survive. His soul became clearer to his senses and solidified further. Its shape turned perfectly spherical, and the last traces of Sumstreh¡¯s divine mark vanished. Priam''s soul was being reborn, pristine and sublime. As the pain gave way once more to fury, Priam assessed his situation and pressed his lips together. The last few weeks had been so lenient that he had forgotten one of the Tutorial¡¯s lessons: Adapt or perish. And I''m damn good at adapting. To survive, Priam was willing to kill and suffer, to run and play, to resist and change. As long as he was alive, there was hope. ¡°An [Iconoclast]... You''ve just signed your death warrant. They hunt every celestial soul.¡± When his eyes opened again, Priam flashed a mocking smile at Sumstreh. The hairs on his arms had stood on end the moment the System modified his soul. The Merits of Iconoclast were designed to resist the gods, and he had triggered an alarm. Soon, someone would come to punish him. No matter, Back in Time will cover me. Sumstreh¡¯s spiritual influence over his soul was no longer a violent deluge but a mere summer drizzle. To kill him now, the Fallen would have to descend from his throne and get up close and personal. L¨¦o and his rivals would make sure that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°You should be worried about yourself.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [There is no Heaven] transformed his aether into spiritual poison, and Priam went on the offensive again. This time, he targeted not a tentacle, but the Fallen¡¯s soul itself¡ªspecifically, one of the cracks covering its first layer, the one governing common skills. Sumstreh had likely patched together different soul fragments to recreate his own, and Priam aimed for the seams. Sharpened by [There is no Heaven], his will struck at the Fallen¡¯s weakness like a blade seeking a chink in armor. The enemy¡¯s soul trembled, and the monster howled. If he destabilized it further, the damage would become crippling, and victory would be his. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw Ophis rushing toward him, Dishnu and Braato on his heels. The intruder¡¯s Domain crushed his own and began to bear down on him. Priam grunted, feeling something infiltrate his body, but he managed to stay on his feet. Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 29 CONST +1 VIT +1 META (Endurance) +1 The poison distilled by the Tier 4 was terrifying, but Priam¡¯s resistances and physical attributes guaranteed him at least a minute of survival. From the sound of the Fallen¡¯s screams, that was more than enough. The skulc extended a putrid hand toward him, determined to stop him physically. His shadow quivered, but Priam soothed Jasmine. I got it. Dedicating a parallel thought to handle the intruder, Priam blocked with his arm. His left hand gripped the opponent¡¯s wrist, and his right palm landed on Ophis¡¯s fresh scar. Channeling his kinetic reserves accumulated before the battle, the Champion let them explode through his meridians. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 13, 14 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +12 For an instant, the skulc¡¯s right shoulder held, but then the immense force triumphed. The Tier 4¡¯s pupils quivered as his arm gave way in a spray of blood. Still holding the severed member, Priam watched Ophis¡¯s body get catapulted backward at over a kilometer per second, colliding with Braato¡¯s bent knee with a terrible crack. In his colossal form, Dishnu took over, smashing his fists into the enemy. The Tier 4¡¯s silhouette was swallowed by the earth, and Priam tossed the useless arm into the Tribulation Chamber of Concepts Archipelago. The Snaherts leader¡¯s genome might be useful. A fit of coughing made him spit black blood on the ground. Tired, Priam diagnosed his body. His pathways had burst, but his arteries had taken over thanks to [Bloodless]¡¯s Merit. He ordered Promesse to amputate his poisoned arm and refocused all his attention on his spiritual attack. Under his assault, Sumstreh''s soul was reaching a critical point. His will wielded [There is no Heaven] to deliver the final blow to his adversary. Finally, the spiritual fissure widened, destabilizing the first layer of his soul. With a tremendous mental crash, it exploded, sending spiritual fragments in all directions. Sumstreh''s scream shook the world. Arnold, Seth, and L¨¦o backed away as the enemy began convulsing. Watching the fallen''s Domain violently fluctuate, one could tell how deep the spiritual wound was. ¡°If I have to die, I won¡¯t go alone!¡± they swore. The valley trembled as a titanic amount of energy rose toward the sky to create a basic ritual. Four overlapping runes materialized, so bright and massive that they eclipsed the glow of the Necromoon. Priam¡¯s magical senses told him each contained enough aether to destroy not just the valley, but the entire floating island. Sumstreh¡¯s preparations were profound. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, we¡¯ll die together,¡± threatened the Fallen. The specter struggled to maintain their form, a sign that they were seriously injured. ¡°We just need to destabilize one of these runes to cancel the ritual!¡± Priam shouted, seeing his allies hesitate. ¡°He says that because he can resurrect!¡± roared the former god. ¡°He wants us all dead so he can claim the rewards for himself.¡± Priam cursed, remembering that Sumstreh had partial access to his modified status. ¡°You can resurrect?¡± growled Seth, suspicious. ¡°Only once,¡± Priam admitted. Without knowing his rivals'' skills, lying would be foolish, and his secret would be safe once he went back in time. ¡°But I¡¯m about to trigger a sextuple Tribulation in less than an hour, so I don¡¯t plan on dying now.¡± Priam hoped the truth would sway his rivals; they were so close to victory. ¡°Trust me, together, we can easily destroy one of these runes before the ritual activates. Then, we¡¯ll claim the rewards!¡± He could feel Seth hesitating. If L¨¦o or Arnold agreed to the plan, Priam was sure they could kill Sumstreh. His gaze met Arnold''s, and the homunculus opened his mouth. ¡°A massive corrupted army is attacking your tribes right now,¡± he said, firing a plasma cannon that engulfed Dishnu''s poisoned form. Priam''s eyes widened, as did L¨¦o''s and Braato''s. The chiefs grabbed a cord at their belts and tore it. In the next instant, all the Tier 4s from the tribes had vanished. Seth shot a dark look at the homunculus before ordering his necro-titan to charge after them. Silence stretched for a few moments before Priam sighed. He was more tired than angry. ¡°Why? Victory was within reach.¡± Arnold levitated down to the ground, landing with the grace of an angel. Behind him, Sumstreh descended as well. ¡°Because the First is the number one priority. The only thing more important than being his ally is seeing him dead.¡± Priam loomed so large in Arnold¡¯s mind that the Var Elegis had decided to gamble on Sumstreh¡¯s help and the possibility of a septuple Tribulation to eliminate his greatest rival. The situation was so dire that Priam burst into laughter. ¡°You''re going to pay for this.¡± His shadow quivered as Sphinx settled on his shoulder. It was time to draw the curtain on this timeline. [2 hours 30 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 389 (+2) Agility 924 Vitality 1 340 (+2) Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 680 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 923 (+3) Meta-focus 444 (+6) Meta-endurance 798 (+19) Meta-perception (A) 443 (+2) Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 252 Potential: 12 440 (+7) Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 8 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 270: Sphinx’s final Riddle The Var Elegis attacked, thinking he had a chance to permanently eliminate his rival. Priam wasn''t even surprised¡ªmore annoyed with himself. So focused on Sumstreh and the Tier 4s, he had overlooked a fundamental truth: Arnold was not his friend. The homunculus had executed him without hesitation during their first encounter, and little had changed since. An opportunity had presented itself, and his decisive rival seized it. The only thing that surprised Priam was that the Terminator was willing to forgo a seraphic reward just for a chance to kill him. Was he really that important in Arnold¡¯s mind? ¡°You''re gonna pay for this,¡± Priam vowed. Despite his bravado, he knew the odds were stacked against him. That didn''t stop him from smiling as he activated [In the Zone]. When faced with adversity, there were two types of people: those who panicked and those who rose above. Priam was the latter. As Arnold raised his arm, revealing a glowing point at the center of his palm, Priam rode his mist, reappearing fifty meters away before Sumstreh. Stunned, he crossed his arms defensively, realizing too late that the enemy had likely used his Domain to change his point of arrival. Can they even do that?! A swipe from Sumstreh¡¯s claw sent him flying backward with the force of a freight train. After bouncing a few times on the vitrified ground, Priam finally skidded to a stop in a cloud of dust. Trading his lifespan for accelerated regeneration, he healed his fractured ribs and bruises, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got? I thought a Tier 4 could do better.¡± That kind of taunt only worked on children and the arrogant. Sumstreh was the latter, and the air trembled as they roared with rage. Their Domain swept over Priam''s, pressing down on him like artificial gravity. The Champion hurled Sphinx out of the enemy¡¯s sphere of influence, then shot a defiant glare at the Fallen. A tremendous will descended, and the ambient light vanished. Priam closed his eyes. One of his opponent''s Concepts manipulated light, making it an unreliable sense. His perception of aether was also muddled by the enemy''s Domain, so he activated [Echolocation] to locate them... and was promptly caught off guard when a laser beam struck his chest. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 12 CONST +2 VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 11 CONST +3 Partially absorbed by his mist cloak, Arnold''s attack burned through the enhanced [Light Resistance], searing his skin. Without the boost from [Life is Hard; I''m Harder], it would have punctured his right lung. Grunting, Priam conjured dozens of Pyro-Mist hybrid spears to retaliate. Like a one-man artillery squad, he unleashed a storm of plasma and ice, deploying the four types of projectiles he had crafted for fighting necromantic hordes. Teardrops for slow but numerous salvos, bullets for sniping, shells for devastating AOE attacks, and kinetic penetrators to catch his enemies off guard. Shaped like spears, each projectile benefited from Spear Mastery and [Spear Throw]. The ground trembled as the barrage raged on. Blasts of scorching wind and fragments of stone flew in all directions, sowing chaos without ever touching his enemies. Arnold had retreated to the edge of the valley, where he easily dodged the bombardment while analyzing Priam¡¯s skillset. Sumstreh remained within twenty meters of Priam¡ªa ludicrously small distance at their level of power. Yet, the skeleton seemed untouchable. Their positioning was miraculously perfect, allowing them to effortlessly avoid hundreds of supersonic projectiles. In Priam''s lightless world, the shape reported by [Echolocation] was seemingly gifted with foresight. Priam fired a shell-spear, hoping to catch his foe with the AOE, but groaned as they vanished. Could this guy even be hit? Deciding to go all in, he launched two spears glued together. As the Fallen dodged, one of the spears exploded, altering the trajectory of the second... which disappeared into the background. Sumstreh hadn¡¯t merely dodged; they had corrected their position before the explosion even happened. Priam''s eyes widened before he stopped the bombardment, deciding to conserve his energy. Neither his willpower nor his aether were infinite. [Sumstreh¡¯s Domain Analysis:
  • Capable of dispersing Domains and Concepts of lower Tiers.
  • Capable of manipulating an enemy¡¯s Concept.
  • Capable of predicting the trajectory/intent behind an attack.]
At high levels, Supremacies were terrifying. For the first time, Priam grasped the vast difference between a low Tier and a mid Tier. All his power was useless if his opponent could turn it against him and read his every move. Could a Tier 0 defeat a Tier 4? Maybe. Did Priam stand a chance against the Fallen? Well, I refuse to run without trying! ¡°Finished yet?¡± Sumstreh growled as the dust settled. ¡°I''m just getting started.¡± ¡°Bravado.¡± ¡°Funny, that¡¯s not what you said when I ripped a piece of your soul out,¡± Priam shot back. An emotion rippled through the Domain pressing down on him. Sumstreh was pissed. ¡°You might have the tools to hurt me, but without a proxy, you''ll never reach my soul space.¡± Priam grimaced because the Fallen had a point. He had accessed Sumstreh¡¯s soul through a path the Fallen had created from Mama Apo¡¯s soul space. But with the tribes¡¯ retreat, the shaman had vanished, taking the link to the Fallen''s soul with her. Without a proxy, Priam had no path to attack; the enemy wouldn¡¯t let him breach their mental defenses. ¡°Enough talk. Die.¡± His instincts flared, and Priam dove to his right. A sharp pain exploded under his ribs. He was fast, but light was faster. The attack sent him sprawling backward, his feet gouging trenches in the ground. Priam grimaced as he grasped the solid light spear embedded in his stomach. He yanked it out with a sharp tug, then used his kinetic mastery to staunch the bleeding. His high vitality soon closed the wound, and surprise gave way to amusement. ¡°I''m disappointed; I expected a Tier 4 strike to be¡­ more brutal.¡± The attack should have turned him into minced meat. Priam had seen the blows exchanged between Leo, Seth¡¯s summon, and Sumstreh, each strike as powerful as one of his Breaths. Yet the light spear, a projectile born from Sumstreh¡¯s Concept, had only lightly injured him. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Sumstreh''s voice was laced with shock. ¡°You don¡¯t just have a celestial soul; you¡¯ve got a celestial body too?!¡± Priam''s eyes widened as he understood. One of the [Iconoclast] Merits had transformed his soul, branding it as celestial. [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 4: Your soul is celestial; it actively resists divine influence. With [Homo Elysian Obsession] binding his body and soul, the racial Talent was upgrading his physique, granting him a celestial body. Though he wasn¡¯t sure what ¡°divine influence¡± meant, Priam was willing to bet that the combination of these two celestial abilities had allowed him to withstand the Tier 4¡¯s attack. The divine affinity, the Fallen¡¯s ace, was turning into a disadvantage. Priam remembered something Sumstreh had once said. ¡°An [Iconoclast]... You''ve just signed your death warrant. They hunt every celestial soul.¡± The implication was clear: some gods didn¡¯t take kindly to a System user evolving to resist divine influence. Should Priam expect Tier 5s to hunt him if he kept this Merit? A roar of fury shook the world, snapping Priam back to the present. Before he could worry about gods, he had to survive the next few hours! The Fallen¡¯s sphere of authority quaked under the weight of their violent anger, and the young Champion grimaced as the environment itself seemed to wish him dead. A second spear impaled him, followed by ten more. Priam used his mist cloak to shield himself, weathering the onslaught like an umbrella in a downpour; the first projectiles were easily absorbed, but the intensity of the assault soon put him in a perilous position. With no way to escape or dodge, Priam did what he did best. He endured and adapted. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 13 CONST +2 VIT +1 The first few seconds were terrifying. Sumstreh¡¯s Domain crushed his mist until it dissipated, leaving him bare to endure the barrage. The projectiles tore into his flesh as if the light itself had become solid. Then the spears began to penetrate his body. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The Concept fueling the attack flayed him, chiseling away at his physique like a sculptor carving marble. Most of the aether had a divine affinity, which his body partially ignored, but the remaining energy disintegrated him bit by bit. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 14 CONST +2 VIT +1 The air screamed, shredded by the speed of the projectiles. Each attack jarred Priam''s brain until [Tenacious Spirit] activated to keep him thinking clearly. What could he do? Nothing but endure until Sumstreh¡¯s Concept became ineffective. Grit his teeth and wait for the moment to strike back. Anger drowned out the pain, and Priam focused on his revenge. Each blow would be repaid in kind, a resolve that guided him through the storm. The spears pierced him as if he were embracing a forest of thorns. The omnidirectional barrage pinned him to the ground, but Priam had no intention of fleeing. Every wound was an opportunity, a chance for his cells to evolve. The torture was excruciating, but Priam had long since proven that pain would not make him back down. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 15 CONST +2 VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 12 CONST +3 Burning through his lifespan like a wildfire, the Homo Elysian regenerated, sometimes twisting his body to direct the attacks toward his most resilient parts. All he needed to do was survive long enough to turn the tide. He could feel his body adapting, his very molecules growing more resistant to the luminous energy that infused the spears. Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 12 AGI +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 16 CONST +2 VIT +1 Soon, his regeneration would outpace the damage he was taking and then... ¡°[Armament: Nova].¡± Like a gamma burst tearing through a shroud of darkness, Arnold¡¯s ability shattered Sumstreh¡¯s Concept. Light flooded the void, and this time, his celestial body was of no help. At the epicenter of the nova, Priam spent his penultimate Merit Point. Sumstreh might have been too dull to realize that their opponent was evolution personified, but Arnold wasn¡¯t about to give the enemy any chances. The Var Elegis didn¡¯t truly possess the ability for dual thinking, but their elite¡¯s quantum processor allowed for high-speed calculations. Thus, Arnold could almost simultaneously analyze the First¡¯s reaction to his attack, assess how he had survived the Fallen¡¯s Concept, and plot the latter¡¯s demise. Their alliance was always going to be short-lived. The first and most glaring truth was that their rival was immensely resilient. The adverb didn¡¯t even do him justice. The First was monstrously durable. Could a Tier 0 really endure the onslaught of a Fallen? The answer was yes. The solidified light spears, powered by a Concept, struggled to pierce his scaled skin. The homunculus had personally tanked one projectile and knew that a dozen would be enough to obliterate his current body. The First had withstood over a hundred. Even Arnold''s nova, an epic skill maxed out, was having a hard time burning his flesh and reducing his bones to ash. If Arnold was a master of atomic force, Priam Azura was an undying Juggernaut, capable of surviving the proximity of an artificial star. It was bad enough, but there was something even worse: he had the regeneration of a Hydra. Every cell destroyed was replaced, every organ capable of restoration was restored, all at an absurd speed. As a homunculus, Arnold was hard to shock, but the life force of his rival left him reeling. The mathematical models he was running suggested a vitality close to thirteen thousand¡ªa number inconceivable for a Tier 0. When the First¡¯s head regrew after being obliterated by two light spears, the Var Elegis began to regret his betrayal¡­ [Activation of Voyager¡­ Automatic transfer of soul to new body initiated.] Determined not to die here, Arnold glanced at the sphinx, who was observing the battle while crafting a complex ritual. The target of the karmic cataclysm was the Fallen. Reassured, the homunculus overclocked his skill. In the valley''s heart, the nova continued to expand, devouring his aether to incinerate his rival. Slowly but surely, Priam¡¯s body burned, his blood evaporated, his nerves were consumed, and his muscles charred. Yet, the homunculus felt a gnawing unease deep in his gut. It had nothing to do with the hidden reactor within but rather his newly awakened instinct. Arnold had analyzed the situation a million times, running as many simulations as necessary to ensure that his betrayal was the optimal course of action. Despite this, despite the fact that his efforts and those of the Fallen were incinerating their rival, the Var Elegis regretted his decision. Regret... A novel sensation for him. He had relished freedom, tolerated surprise, but this... he loathed. When the First¡¯s body finally disintegrated into ashes, Arnold canceled his nova and braced for the Shadow¡¯s ambush and his rival¡¯s resurrection. Seconds ticked by as the Var Elegis carefully scanned the environment. Suddenly, one of his sensors detected an explosion of vitality. The First was reborn from his ashes, a smile on his lips. The Juggernaut wasn¡¯t just a Hydra¡ªhe was also a Phoenix. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 17, 18, 19, 20 CONST +8 VIT +4 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 13 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Radiation Resistance] lvl 4, 5 CONST +6 VIT +6 META (Authority) +6 Priam''s ghost watched his enemies, sighing with relief. The pain had finally vanished. Trees of Merit [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 1: Second Breath, Second Wind: restores your body to its most exceptional form possible. ACQUIRED [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 2: Third Breath, life is but a breath; your body harmonizes with your environment. NEW 1 Unused Merit Points. The greedy dragon within Priam had resisted spending his Merit Points for weeks, but in the end, he had used all but one. Worse, there was a good chance he would keep most of them after the rewind. Priam banished these useless thoughts as his [Tenacious Spirit] activated Second Wind to restore his body. In a blink, he appeared before Arnold and Sumstreh, healed and naked. Promesse materialized in his hand, but he ignored his enemies, casting a sorrowful glance at Sphinx. [He Who Eludes Death] was still primed, but both of them knew he needed it for his Tribulations. Triggering it against the Fallen and his rival would be foolish¡ªthey had to get rid of them first. Only Sphinx, and the ritual she¡¯d been crafting since her abduction, made that possible. It tore at his heart, but it was her decision to help, and he respected it. ¡°Sumstreh, a riddle for you,¡± the child called out to her captor. ¡°What begins but has no end, and ends all that begins? You have thirty seconds.¡± Even a Tier 4 knew better than to ignore a sphinx¡¯s riddle. ¡°... A dragon¡¯s wrath?¡± ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s Death.¡± With that, Sphinx triggered a sevenfold Tribulation. Then she slit her own throat and activated her karmic trap. [2 hours 22 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 435 (+46) Agility 927 (+3) Vitality 1 370 (+30) Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 681 (+1) Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 798 Meta-perception (A) 443 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 258 (+6) Potential: 12 472 (+32) Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 7 hours 54 minutes 8 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 271: A septuple Tribulation From a human perspective, Sphinx was a child. From a sphinx¡¯s perspective, she was already a warrior. Though the bloodline flowing through her veins was artificial and therefore imperfect, it exuded a mythological dignity. It spoke of self-assurance and revenge. Spiritually bound by Bastard, Sphinx had been forced to serve him. The tiny cage, the starvation, and the complete lack of privacy¡ªnot even to relieve herself¡ªwould have broken seasoned warriors. Not Sphinx. The pride of her race, the nobility of her birth, and the belief that Priam was coming to free her gave her the strength to fight. That was exactly what she had done, working around Sumstreh¡¯s commands. He had ordered her to sever the karmic ties to their former identity to escape their assassins and debts. Sphinx had done more than that. Officially, her racial Talent had cut those connections with the Fallen¡¯s permission. Off the record, she had used his ignorance to bind their fates together. If anything happened to her, Sumstreh would pay the price. Today, she was turning those karmic links into a weapon. Casting one last glance at Priam, Sphinx unleashed the seal on her attributes and triggered her final Tribulation. The first six could be postponed, but the seventh didn¡¯t wait. A septuple Tribulation descends. A terrifying presence made the world tremble. The gaze of an eternal ego fell on Sphinx, and despite her mythic bloodline, she shuddered. A sevenfold Tribulation was unlike the others. It was the defiant declaration of a being ready to fight for the Eighth Throne. The child stood no chance, but death didn¡¯t scare her. Ever since Priam had confided that this timeline was nearing its end, Sphinx had done everything to accumulate attributes. Squandering her Potential, she had created and leveled up numerous pointless skills. Her initial four Tribulations had swelled to seven, and Sumstreh would endure them. With a sharp claw, Sphinx slit her own throat and activated her racial Talent. Tightening the knot of her life and Sumstreh¡¯s one last time, she smiled as the hidden divine mark within her soul activated. It didn¡¯t matter¡ªone can only die once. Except Priam, she thought as death claimed her. Watching the sky darken, she realized she felt cold. If only someone could pet her¡­ In the sky, the Tribulations froze for a moment. Their original target had vanished, but one of the beings present shared the same fate. A colossal lightning bolt lit up the clouds. The System was out for blood and wouldn¡¯t leave without some.Sumstreh¡¯s shocked expression might have been comical if Priam hadn¡¯t just watched his friend sacrifice herself. Sphinx... Next time, it¡¯ll be me protecting you, he swore silently. The clouds took on a menacing shape, drawing his attention. Sphinx¡¯s weaknesses weren¡¯t the same as Sumstreh¡¯s, and the Tribulations were shifting accordingly. ¡°Damn you all!¡± the Fallen roared, summoning a black dome around him. The structure began to expand, and Priam took to the air to avoid being caught in its spread. Landing on a cliff riddled with cracks, he watched the Divine Kingdom engulf the valley and the storm clouds above. The power of a septuple Tribulation was calibrated for a Tier 0, but seeing the enemy react so seriously, Priam dared to hope it might be enough to kill him. Movement to his right caught his eye. Arnold had just teleported fifty meters away. A miniature nova hovered above the homunculus¡¯ hand, and Priam raised Promesse in response. The two rivals locked eyes until an emerald lightning bolt interrupted them. The world flashed a vivid green, then the light disappeared, taking the dark dome with it. Priam blinked, banishing the spots from his vision, and focused on the center of the valley. The Divine Kingdom had vanished, shattered like a soap bubble. In its place lay Sumstreh¡¯s skeleton, immobile, his ghost convulsing. In a catatonic state, the Fallen muttered an incomprehensible litany. Noticing the absence of a Domain, Priam guessed the enemy was undergoing a mental Tribulation. The System was proving that a mental trial didn¡¯t need much energy to defeat even a Tier 4. Maybe they never passed a Tribulation after their pseudo-resurrection? Their weaknesses must be glaring. For the second time, Priam grasped why the System forced its users to face these deadly challenges. But six more Tribulations remained. Dust swirled at the center of the valley, and a figure emerged. Facing the Tier 4, the ghost of an elven woman strode forward. Standing over two meters tall, she had cruelly exquisite features, more akin to a blood elf than a forest elf. According to [Ideal Aether Perception], the aether within her barely surpassed Priam¡¯s energy reserves, which matched a Tier 0 Tribulation. Yet, a glance with [Tribulation Hunter] revealed the System was playing dirty. The elf bore three Tribulations: an emerald train of ambient aether followed her every movement, two heterochromatic eyes¡ªone gold, the other emerald¡ªseemed to see everything. Impressive, but less so than the two Tribulations that constituted her. The elf wasn¡¯t just a combination of two Tribulations. She was their multiplication. Priam¡¯s eyes widened as he realized that, according to Bechar¡¯s square function, the elven ghost was potentially seventeen hundred times stronger than the first Tribulation of a Tier 0. While he wondered if the System was angry at Sumstreh or if this was simply the norm for a sevenfold Tribulation, the elf tilted her head, dodging an invisible attack that carved a canyon behind her. The Fallen¡¯s automatic defenses were activating, even though their creator was unconscious. The ghost¡¯s expression remained unchanged, evading each projectile with ease. Priam was struck by the elf¡¯s regal bearing. Her royal stride neither quickened nor slowed as she avoided attacks that could obliterate any Tier 0 not resistant to divine influences. Her supernatural grace hinted at a high level of Micro, and her prescience seemed the result of an advanced Domain. Against her, the Fallen¡¯s preparations looked laughable. The ritual capable of annihilating the entire island reappeared, covering the sky. With a casual wave, the elf gathered her emerald train into a sphere and launched it into the air. The orb pierced through the colossal runes, completing them. Like a 3 turning into an 8, the sigils¡¯ form changed their meaning. When the ritual activated, an emerald rain fell, covering the ruined valley in a lush carpet of greenery. Sumstreh''s promised destruction had been turned into creation in a single move. ¡°Holy¡­¡± For the first time since the Tutorial, Priam was face-to-face with a being so far beyond him she was incomprehensible. The elven ghost might have been Tier 0, but she didn¡¯t seem to possess any weaknesses. On paper, her attributes were inferior to Priam¡¯s, but he had no illusions: that thing would have wiped the floor with him. Finally, the elf reached the specter. ¡°I, Ayank Iluva, Empress of Knaya, see the heir of Sumstreh Rbhn,¡± she declared. Priam perked up at the mention of the Empire ruling the Wandering Islands. ¡°The original¡¯s sentence was death. Does the heir have a defense to offer?¡± The mental Tribulation tormenting Sumstreh dissipated, and the Fallen stood. ¡°I acknowledge the Empress¡¯ authority,¡± they said, bowing. ¡°You condemned me once, and your executioner carried out the sentence. Must I pay again for the crimes of the one whose soul fragment I bear?¡± Their voice no longer echoed in the ambient aether, and Priam wondered if the Fallen was showing respect to the Empress'' ghost or if some invisible Tribulation shackled their soul. Priam had only seen six Tribulations, but he was certain the last one lurked in the background. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°That would have been an acceptable defense if you hadn''t used ''me''... or if the System hadn¡¯t summoned me as suzerain. You see yourself as the continuation of Sumstreh Rbhn, and as such, you inherit responsibility for his crimes,¡± the ghost judged. ¡°I therefore renew your death sentence.¡± Her voice thundered, and the world shook as if conscious that the elf''s will would be done. ¡°Any last words?¡± An Empress who is both judge and executioner, Priam grimaced. It was a dangerous combination because it meant she held all the power. Still, even his French side wasn¡¯t dumb enough to rebel against someone who could execute gods. ¡°... I wish to report a crime,¡± Sumstreh said, turning toward Priam. ¡°One of the alien Champions possesses a celestial soul and body.¡± ¡°That son of a bitch,¡± Priam cursed, raising Promesse. The Fallen was trying to drag him down with him! Just before he could fire to silence his enemy¡ªand maybe land the last hit¡ªhis instincts held his hand. Violating royal protocol meant forfeiting his lives. Arnold also stepped back, and the rivals watched the Tribulation carry out the sentence. The ghostly Empress raised her hand. A massive rune appeared, and just looking at it made Priam¡¯s head ache. The sigil was unlike anything he had ever seen, as if it existed naturally on more than three dimensions. [Polyglot] tried to translate it in vain, and then the character dissolved. The world split in two. The Tribulation¡¯s arm was a divine guillotine that sliced the condemned, the air, and the earth. Sumstreh¡¯s skeleton crumbled in two perfect halves, the Fallen not even trying to resist. Completed Quest: Fallen Priam dismissed the notification with a knot in his stomach, the devastation in the valley gnawing at him. The ground trembled as trees toppled in a straight line stretching to the horizon. That alone would have been an impressive attack, but the Empress¡¯ hand had carved a half-circle from sky to earth. High above, the clouds split apart, and Priam stifled a nervous laugh, predicting what was coming next. With a sound like the world ending, the bedrock behind the elf fractured, and the two halves of the valley slowly drifted apart. Soon, the deep blue of the ocean peeked through the gray stone. Kilometers below, the sea rejoined after being cleaved apart. The ghost of the Empress had cut the island in two. ¡°That is not one of my Empire¡¯s laws.¡± Priam spun around, coming face-to-face with the incarnated Tribulation. Her two mesmerizing eyes were studying him. Despite his fear, he realized she was referring to Sumstreh¡¯s accusation. ¡°Your Empire doesn¡¯t hunt those with celestial souls?¡± The Empress shook her head. ¡°Not without the express request of a powerful Pantheon. My original self never chose the path of deification, so she has no reason to enforce that law proactively.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m safe in the Wandering Islands?¡± The Empress frowned. ¡°So many questions, yet so little respect¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­ uh, my respects?¡± Priam attempted, bowing as gracefully as he could. His college courses hadn¡¯t exactly prepared him for an impromptu audience with an Empress, but Esm¨¦e had taught him a few basics. The first rule was simple: stroke the sovereign''s ego. A flicker of amusement passed through the elf''s eyes. ¡°Your alien origin won¡¯t excuse your ignorance forever. To answer your question, the Concepts protect you from the worst as long as you are within their universe.¡± Priam opened his mouth, but a glance from the Empress silenced him. ¡°However, even the most humble believer will be able to sense the celestial quality of your heretical soul and alert their god. Until your [Revelation Resilience] improves, every believer is a threat.¡± That wasn¡¯t what he wanted to hear, but Priam forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± The ghost nodded before gesturing to the Fallen''s skeleton. ¡°Those crushed bones will make excellent fertilizer for the Tal Quercus.¡± ¡°You know the elf who became Log-a-rhythm?¡± The Empress blinked, then shook her head. ¡°That insatiable curiosity will get you killed,¡± she said before disappearing. Priam reflected that his curiosity had already killed him once. Hiding a smirk, he sent Jasmine to gather the bones and any other treasures that had survived the battle. Hopefully, Bastard was rich... ¡°One minute and sixteen seconds.¡± Arnold¡¯s voice snapped Priam out of his thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The Fallen died in under two minutes from a septuple Tribulation meant for a Tier 0. Is it even possible to survive those at Tier 0?¡± He wants to chat? Now that everyone had left, the homunculus seemed to shed his robotic demeanor. Priam could even hear a hint of frustration in his voice. ¡°Not for us. We weren¡¯t born with enough privilege,¡± Priam finally replied. ¡°But through effort and madness, we¡¯ll catch up.¡± Priam was not na?ve enough to think he could surpass his rivals by only taking calculated risks. ¡°As expected from the First,¡± Arnold mused. ¡°Is that your goal for the next Tier?¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°Not necessarily. I like defying the odds, but I¡¯m not suicidal.¡± ¡°But you will do it, right? You¡¯ll rise high enough to challenge the ultimate test of the Concepts?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just another step toward the Zenith.¡± The Zenith¡ªa peak so high that even the masters of this universe hadn¡¯t reached the summit. The mere thought of achieving it was so unbearably arrogant it bordered on insanity. However, humans hadn¡¯t invented the term hubris for nothing. Looking deep within himself, Priam realized that at some point in the past few weeks, he had decided to pursue this path. His passion for magic, his fascination with the arcane nature of aether, the freedom promised by absolute power¡ªthese all fueled his desire to rise. While the mundane world had never truly stirred him, Priam now trembled with anticipation at the thought of conquering a septuple Tribulation. ¡°If you survive today,¡± Arnold added. Priam gave a mocking smile to his rival. ¡°Your last sentences were in the future tense; even your subconscious knows you won¡¯t kill me.¡± A nova flared in response. [2 hours 18 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 435 Agility 927 Vitality 1 370 Perception 817 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 681 Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 798 Meta-perception (A) 443 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 472 Tier 0 Sun point: 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 7 hours 49 minutes 39 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 272: A Gentle Duel: Terminator vs Juggernaut The Terminator was a monster. An inhuman endurance backed by a robotic mind, as precise as it was relentless. His energy attacks obliterated the forest, annihilating any corrupted unlucky enough to stray too close to the battle. Eight novas would have drained any other rival of their aether, but the homunculus unleashed them without limit. Priam''s theory? The Var Elegis had two energy sources: in addition to the aether reserve created by his meta-endurance, a nuclear reactor allowed him to generate a terrifying amount of thermal energy. Against any other opponent, this would have been the end of the fight. Not for Priam. His instincts allowed him to dodge the core of the explosions, and his resistances kept him alive long enough to escape their blast zones. Plus, the fires sparked by the detonations became his emergency teleport points, thanks to his mastery of the Fire Concept. The chase dragged on for minutes. Priam was regenerating his body while bombarding his foe with an absurd number of explosive spears¡­ with underwhelming results. When it became clear neither was gaining a real advantage, Arnold switched tactics. Instead of trying to vaporize Priam outright, he decided to slice him to death with a thousand laser cuts. While Priam could dodge the worst of the novas, he was a sitting duck for this new weapon. Star Wars had lied to him: dodging a beam of light fired by a machine was nearly impossible. The next few minutes were as bloody as they were blinding, with Arnold firing several lasers at once. The beams targeted Priam¡¯s most vulnerable spots. Eventually, the Homo Elysian had to shut his eyes after his opponent managed to recreate a disturbing scene from Final Destination. The battle raged on. Trees collapsed, the forest burned, and the corrupted stumbled over the severed fingers and toes of a hunted rival. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 21 CONST +2 VIT +1 Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 23 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Any spectator would¡¯ve been horrified by the duel, but Priam was far from fazed. Sure, he couldn¡¯t dodge the lasers, but did he really need to? [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] let him evolve, hardening him against the attacks. Most people fought to survive, but Priam? He survived to fight. A fierce glint ignited in his eyes as he activated one of the last Merits he''d earned. [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 3: You can select a resistance and accelerate its rate of progression. Selecting [Solar Resistance], Priam felt something akin to an epiphany spread through his cells. The next round of lasers ripped through his body, searing his muscles, scorching his skin, and stimulating his molecules. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 22 CONST +2 VIT +1 The level-up arrived twice as fast as his add-on had predicted. A split second later, the lasers stopped. Clearly, the Var Elegis could assess his opponent''s attributes¡ªand he was too damn smart to keep helping Priam bolster his resistances. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than me,¡± Priam admitted, breathing hard, one lung punctured. ¡°But you won¡¯t kill me like this.¡± The homunculus nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right... I¡¯ll have to get my hands dirty,¡± he said, leaping with the grace of a tiger. Priam met his rival¡¯s charge with a thrust from Promesse, slicing off Arnold¡¯s ear. In return, a punch folded him in half. The two Champions launched into a savage martial dance, clashing throughout the burning forest. The Var Elegis fought like a monk, using nothing but his body as a weapon. Their Domains canceled each other out, the clash preventing any Concepts from manifesting. It left only two bare-knuckle warriors, fighting savagely, trying to tear each other apart with their fists, feet, and sheer rage. Priam landed an uppercut that could have cracked a slab of granite, only to wince as his joints exploded from the impact against his opponent¡¯s jaw. The Terminator had earned his title. His body didn¡¯t shapeshift, but the metal beneath his skin was so dense that Promesse dulled against it¡ªnot that close-quarters combat gave him many chances to use the spear anyway. Promesse needed an upgrade, and that was possible with the reward he had just earned. Completed Quest: Fallen Once a Fallen, now a dead. Sumstreh died the way he lived: stupidly. The Sphinx''s revenge claimed him. Reward: Bloodline Purification (+1%) Talent Token - Seraph Rarity [Talent Token - Seraph Rarity] - Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it to seraphic rarity. Note: Talents are etched into the soul. Upgrading by multiple rarity levels may negatively impact the user. List: Ultimate Sensory Memory, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity, Hoplite Warpath, Blessing of Viracocha, He Who Eludes Gods. Priam hadn¡¯t delivered the finishing blow to Sumstreh, but he would get a second chance after traveling back in time. For now, he needed to pick a bloodline to purify and a Talent to upgrade. The bloodline was tricky. The draconic was clearly superior, but he could improve it by killing other carriers like the skulcs, certain Snaherts, or the Terrors of Valaryth. His phoenix bloodline, though, was much harder to cultivate, according to his mentor. Choosing a Talent was just as difficult. There was no room for error¡ªlike his bloodline, the seraphic Token wouldn¡¯t be refunded by Back in Time. According to Hyshana, some blacksmith hoplites had enhanced mechas by incorporating new magical metals. Kazuki had also revealed that reaching Spear Mastery II helped awaken wielded weapons. In short, Promesse could be upgraded without wasting a Token. Other Talents tempted him, but Priam still vividly remembered how close to death he came when upgrading [Eidetic Memory]. Rushing could be fatal, even with [He Who Eludes Death] primed. More confusing still was the presence of [He Who Eludes Gods] and [Blessing of Viracocha], two Talents that couldn¡¯t be upgraded previously. Could my celestial soul be a prerequisite for improving them? If so, why is [Knight of the Aether] not on the list? Lost in thought, Priam overlooked his opponent¡¯s double feint. A devastating punch launched him backward. His spine collided with a tree, snapping it in half. With a quick spin, Priam landed on his feet, healing his fractured bones. His face twisted in a grimace as he spat out splinters of wood. Note to self: one parallel thought stream isn¡¯t enough to fight efficiently. ¡°Your regeneration¡¯s finally running dry.¡± Priam frowned at Arnold¡¯s words, then noticed a strand of white hair falling across his eyes. ¡°Oh.¡± Burning through his lifespan to restore his body wasn¡¯t without its consequences¡ªwho would have guessed? His add-on constantly monitored his body using [Diagnostic], and it seemed mimicking a hydra¡¯s regeneration without rest exponentially aged him. Even Second Wind couldn¡¯t fully reverse the trend; his soul remained old despite his body¡¯s youth. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Getting old¡¯s just the mark of experience kicking in,¡± Priam quipped, raising Promesse. ¡°Come on, I feel like I¡¯m getting better.¡± And it was true. There was nothing like a deathmatch against a superior opponent to spur a man¡¯s growth. Seeing his rival hesitate, Priam lunged to impale him. His Spear Mastery grazed the enemy¡¯s chest, only a burst of kinetic energy letting him dodge a devastating elbow at the last second. ¡°You missed!¡± The young warrior landed in a flip, his hearts pounding in his ears and his blood boiling in his veins. Thrusts, swings, cuts, grappling, dodges, feints¡ªhe was honing his skills against the first rival he had encountered in Elysium. Perhaps it was the thrill of the challenge, or maybe the adrenaline flooding his system, but Priam couldn¡¯t help but smile. Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 13 AGI +2 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 28, 29 PERC +4 DEXT +2 The homunculus was right on his tail, and Priam had to use both his thought threads and his add-on just to stay alive. Every attack from the Terminator was meticulously calculated, factoring in the environment to create perfect ideal trajectories that left his opponent with little room to maneuver. The pressure built steadily, forcing Priam into mistakes that were immediately punished. With every misstep, Arnold tore muscles and bones, trying to deplete Priam¡¯s energy reserves. It was as cunning as it was cruel, but Priam had found a countermeasure. The undead falling around the periphery of their duel granted him enough Sun points to buy nutrient pills, which materialized directly in his mouth. That was how the Champion kept up with the energy drain of constant regeneration. As he retreated to dodge a left hook, Priam cursed when his foot caught on a root. He wasn¡¯t used to fighting without the omnidirectional perception granted by his Domain. The homunculus exploited his stumble, sweeping him to the ground, and Priam narrowly avoided decapitation by pulling off a capoeira flip. If Kazuki was a storm, Arnold was a machine. His flawless movements, robotic precision, and mechanical approach to combat were all designed to methodically dismantle his opponent. Without his regeneration, Priam wouldn¡¯t have lasted five minutes. How could he? Arnold had survived more waves in the Colosseum and earned the rewards of a quintuple Tribulation. He was one of the rare rivals with higher stats than Priam. The Var Elegis wasn¡¯t just strong; he was an absolute monster, easily one of the most powerful Tier 0s in all of Elysium. ¡°What was your final ranking in that quintuple Tribulation?¡± Priam asked between dodging deadly punches. The homunculus responded by opening his mouth and firing a laser, which singed off Priam¡¯s eyebrow instead of gouging out his eye. ¡°I wonder if you did better than Dishnu¡­¡± Arnold stayed silent, but his attacks sped up. Priam smirked, noticing the crack in his opponent¡¯s composure. Despite the pressure, he was starting to enjoy resisting the Terminator. While he was slowly losing ground, his add-on was busy analyzing Arnold, building a model he could train against later. Information was the sinews of war, and when the time for revenge came, Priam would be ready. Arnold feinted to the right. His system predicted the perfect trajectory, and Priam braced himself to block the ideal strike that was sure to follow. When the homunculus¡¯s steel-gloved hand pierced between his ribs, Priam¡¯s eyes widened in shock. For the first time in the fight, Arnold had deviated from perfection. ¡°If my enemies expect perfection, I become predictable. Thanks for the lesson.¡± Priam leaped back just as Arnold crushed his human heart. His face twisted in agony as he landed awkwardly on a low tree branch. Stumbling, he shook off a wave of dizziness and straightened up. Instead of pressing his advantage, Arnold paused, observing him, and that was when Priam felt the intense pain radiating from his chest. ¡°You¡¯re not regenerating when I hit you with a spiritual attack. Seems like we share the same weaknesses.¡± ¡°...You got Seth¡¯s racial Talent when you killed him,¡± Priam realized. It was so obvious that he cursed himself for not figuring it out sooner. Just as killing Taishi, the hoplite Champion, had granted him his racial talent, the murder of the necromancer had bestowed [Soul Duality] upon the homunculus. Priam had read about that Talent when he upgraded his own race. [Soul Duality - Gold] - High Duatian''s racial talent. Your soul is linked to your body. The degeneration of your physical envelope leads to that of your soul. [Homo Elysian Obsession] was superior, but the link between his body and soul remained, and it could be a potential vulnerability. ¡°That is right,¡± Arnold admitted. ¡°Without it, I¡¯m not sure I would have been able to analyze your aetheric code. Mixing the races of Champions¡­ what a brilliant idea. As expected of the First.¡± Priam was starting to hate that sentence. Coughing up blood, he understood Arnold had sacrificed part of his own soul, preventing his body from regenerating. Summoning Pyro and disabling his pain sensors, Priam cauterized the wound. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not the only one evolving,¡± he muttered, grimacing. From now on, any injury would be permanent until he found a way to desynchronize his body and soul at will. ¡°You want another lesson?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the homunculus replied with disarming honesty. ¡°Always be aware of your position in a fight,¡± Priam said, retreating further. Pushing through a few stray leaves, he emerged into a clearing. In the background, the tribes'' camp sprawled out. His allies were close. Priam¡¯s grin faded when he saw the sheer number of corpses littering the ground. Most were corrupted, but close to a thousand of them belonged to the tribes. Seth hadn¡¯t shown any mercy. Seeing the carnage, Priam realized the difference between him and some of his rivals. For all his flaws, he still valued life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Osiris, but I don¡¯t think I can share an island with your brother,¡± Priam mused, surveying the aftermath of Seth¡¯s rampage on the tribes. The corpse of the necro titan was visible, half draped over the fortifications. Braato was beside it, methodically dismantling the skeleton, bone by bone. The tribes wouldn¡¯t waste the body of a Tier 4. Braato noticed Priam¡¯s gaze and leaped toward him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± the warrior said, his voice tired, sad, and ashamed. It wasn¡¯t in a Gaesert¡¯s nature to abandon their allies in the heat of battle. ¡°Your clan comes first,¡± Priam said. He would have done the same to save his own family. ¡°Seth¡­?¡± ¡°The shamans are hunting him down to retrieve the souls he stole.¡± Braato¡¯s knuckles turned white from clenching his fists. ¡°When they bring him back, I swear his soul will power our latrine enchantments for the next thousand years.¡± Priam thought to himself that he had no desire for his rival to see him taking a piss. Unless he becomes a god. ¡°They¡¯ll catch him. What about Ophis?¡± ¡°Leo¡¯s trying to stop the monster that¡¯s taken control of him¡­¡± Braato furrowed his brow, then gave Priam a hearty slap on the back. ¡°But why dwell on our losses when we can celebrate a victory? The Fallen is dead! I don¡¯t know how you managed it, but we owe you.¡± Popping his shoulder back into place, Priam grinned. ¡°You can pay that debt right now. See that rival over there? He¡¯s trying to kill me, and I could use a hand putting him in his place.¡± [1 hour 56 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.] Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 445 (+10) Agility 930 (+3) Vitality 1 380 (+10) Perception 822 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 684 (+3) Memory 896 Willpower 1 193 Charisma 754 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 (+6) Meta-perception (A) 443 Meta-chance 332 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 485 (+13) Tier 0 Sun point: 41 (+41) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 7 hours 27 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 273: The End of a Timeline Braato turned to the homunculus with a menacing growl. ¡°I grew up hearing stories of the Champions... It''s not my usual thing to bully a Tier 0, but I suppose I can make an exception for a traitor.¡± Throughout the interaction, Arnold never took his eyes off Priam. ¡°A tank like you can¡¯t defeat me,¡± he said without even glancing at the Tier 4. Frustrated with how the day had gone, Braato bristled at the insult and charged at the homunculus with a roar. His muscles swelled, veins bulging across his forearms. Flesh collided with steel¡ªand won. Arnold stumbled back, clearly outclassed in raw physical strength. He countered with a powerful uppercut that landed squarely on the Tier 4¡¯s chin. The opponent grinned. ¡°My masseur hits harder than that,¡± he said, headbutting the homunculus with a vicious crack. Blow after blow drove Arnold backward, though they failed to bring him down completely, even after a minute. Seeing a Tier 0 hold his ground, Braato growled in frustration, his fists glowing with a brown aura. The next uppercut sent Arnold flying, crashing fifty meters away. A white aura surrounded him, and Priam recognized the signature of Conquest. Braato charged forward as the homunculus teleported, defying even the suppression of a high-level Domain. Arnold reappeared behind Priam, launching a sneak attack. The young warrior dodged and quickly teamed up with Braato, flanking their foe. What began as a three-way brawl soon turned into a full-blown melee as other tribespeople noticed the fight. Within seconds, Arnold found himself outnumbered¡ªfirst ten to one, then fifty to one. The Tier 3s proved resilient, absorbing his physical blows while dealing damage in return. Arnold was soon forced to summon novas and lasers to defend himself. It might have been dangerous if Priam and Braato hadn¡¯t instinctively decided to intercept the energy attacks. The tank couldn¡¯t annihilate the Var Elegis Champion outright, but his skin was tough enough to shrug off the homunculus¡¯s efforts. Finally, Arnold began to retreat. Dodging arrows and blades with a roll, Arnold found himself unwittingly in the path of a spectral boar¡¯s defense. The beast''s tusk impaled him. Before anyone could capitalize on the opening, Arnold teleported to the far edge of the clearing. A gaping hole in his chest, the strongest of the rivals was looking mortal at last. ¡°Since their upgrade, my instincts have been screaming that showing you my true abilities is a bad idea,¡± the homunculus said to Priam, his gaze never leaving his rival. He dismissed the army of Tier 3s with contempt. ¡°If I can¡¯t reveal my skillset, then I have no choice but to rely on numbers.¡± A stone appeared in Arnold¡¯s hand, and Priam¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized a hearthstone. A reward obtained during the Reunion, capable of connecting its user to a specific location. Space collapsed and then stabilized as a portal opened, large enough to allow two elephants to pass through side by side. ¡°Can anyone close that thing?¡± Priam demanded. ¡°One of the shamans or Leo could,¡± Braato replied while barking orders to his subordinates. ¡°Fuck.¡± As if in response to Priam¡¯s frustration, a homunculus stepped through the portal. A dozen followed, and the flood showed no sign of stopping. [Identification] [Fourth-Generation Var Elegis Clone - Soulless] - A soulless clone based on Arnold NetSky, the Champion of the Var Elegis. Its body can tank Tier 2 attacks, and its offensive capabilities are even more formidable. The lack of a soul prevents it from benefiting from the System, but this weakness is partially compensated when it serves as an avatar for a Var Elegis elite. The controller can channel some of their abilities through the clone. Arnold thinks an army will overwhelm you. He¡¯s wrong; it would take far fewer. As the clones¡¯ red eyes turned to match Arnold¡¯s, Priam realized the battle was about to spiral out of control. A Tier 3 fired an arrow at the portal, but a clone stepped in its path, sacrificing itself in an explosion. Immediately, a dozen more raised their hands toward the archer. Before Priam could shout a warning, ten laser beams pierced the tribeswoman. She fell to her knees, her life force barely clinging to her. Growling, she knocked a dozen arrows in an instant and obliterated the homunculi. By the time that exchange ended, a hundred more clones had crossed through. With a roar, the other warriors and huntresses charged into the fray. The ground shook, and shockwaves uprooted the trees at the forest¡¯s edge. Alongside the Aelbes, Snaherts, and Gaeserts, Priam fought fiercely. Every strike of Promesse was lethal, but for every clone that fell, two more took its place. Ten seconds after the portal opened, a thousand clones had emerged. ¡°Braato, the portal!¡± Priam shouted. His voice was drowned out by the chaos. Glancing around, Priam caught sight of the Tier 4 at the edge of his vision. The Gaesert chief was doing what he did best: protecting his people. Transformed into a massive boar, he used his body to shield the camp from the barrage of lasers. Most of the clone army had scattered, targeting the weaker tribe members to occupy Braato. Arnold was playing dirty, determined to win. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam spotted his rival. The homunculus had lost an arm and sported a gaping wound in his solar plexus, but he was winning his gamble. In some areas, the locals were already falling back, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Braato roared as the spirit of a colossal boar materialized before him. The spectral beast charged toward the portal, with hundreds of clones rushing to meet it. They self-destructed in tactical nuclear explosions, eroding the construct. Ravaged by radiation, the spectral invocation crumbled just as it reached the portal. Seeing another column of clones emerging, Priam knew they couldn¡¯t win by staying on the defensive. If that portal led to the Var Elegis homeworld, millions¡ªmaybe billions¡ªof clones were waiting to cross. Braato might survive in those conditions, but no one else would. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± said a voice from his shadow. Priam hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Together.¡± Opening his mouth, Priam began to draw in the ambient aether. Arnold assumed a defensive stance but made no move to stop him. Three seconds later, the Breath was ready. Condensed by his draconic lung, amplified by [Breathless], and empowered by his Breath Concept affinity, the primordial energy focused into a singular, devastating point. The Tier 3s standing in front of Priam stepped aside while the clones assembled into a solid wall. No one dared interrupt him. As much as Arnold knew what was coming, he also knew Priam was inevitable. The Smiling Juggernaut roared. The Breath detonated. The world ignited. Spectral scales covered Priam¡¯s skin as a column of flame shot toward the portal. Everything in its path¡ªair, earth, metal¡ªmelted. Pyro, the flames inherited from a candidate for the Eighth Throne, annihilated the Var Elegis army, incinerating the clones. As if Priam had opened the gates of hell, the world burned. Riding the wave of his own fire, he ignored Arnold¡¯s Domain, overwhelming it with the absurd amount of aether fueling his flames. Appearing before the portal, Priam locked eyes with the Var Elegis before he was swallowed by his own shadow. Free from his rival, he started to systematically wipe out the clones. The connection between Arnold and his army was severed by Jasmine¡¯s shadows. Deprived of their Champion¡¯s abilities, the homunculi were quickly dispatched by the Tier 3s. Sensing an opening, Braato planted himself in front of the portal, slaughtering each clone as it emerged. After ten brutal seconds, Priam collapsed onto a patch of grass that had miraculously survived the devastation. His aether, willpower, endurance, vitality, and lifespan were spent. He downed a potion handed to him by a Tier 3 and lay back to catch his breath. Around him, the warriors and huntresses readied their strongest attacks, prepared to strike down Arnold the moment he emerged from the lingering shadow. Had they finally won? The minutes dragged on, and Priam¡¯s expression darkened. He was receiving no feedback from Jasmine¡¯s sub-system and began to worry. Her mission had been to stall the homunculus for a few seconds¡ªno more. As the warriors began to talk among themselves, the Gaesert chief noticed Priam¡¯s troubled look. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°... Jasmine should have released him by now.¡± ¡°She¡ª¡± The ground erupted in a geyser of shadow. A fraction of a second later, a hundred Tier 4-level attacks converged on Arnold¡¯s silhouette. A white dome appeared, intercepting the projectiles. Craters pockmarked the orb¡¯s surface, giving it the appearance of a moon. That power felt strangely familiar. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Priam¡¯s pupils vanished, and a monochrome sphere materialized without his command. It expanded until it met Arnold¡¯s lunar shield. At the point where the two celestial bodies touched, a window opened, and Arnold stared through it. The rest of the world seemed frozen, as though the two rivals stood in another dimension. ¡°Hecate New Moon,¡± Arnold guessed. ¡°I suppose even among rivals, our relationship is special. As expected¡ª¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Jasmine?¡± Priam cut in. ¡°Dead.¡± Arnold¡¯s lunar pupils gleamed as he offered an explanation. ¡°The Full Moon is the nemesis of shadows.¡± Priam clenched his fists as he locked eyes with his opponent. That bastard had gotten a mythological mutation from the Colosseum''s rewards, too... and he had chosen Hecate Full Moon. Something shot through the air¡ªa lifeless object hurled by the homunculus. Priam caught Jasmine¡¯s dead body. She was beautiful, and if it weren¡¯t for the gaping hole in her chest, she could have been mistaken for sleeping. A surge of spiritual energy flooded Priam¡¯s mind¡ªhis sub-system implanted in her. It allowed him to feel her final emotions. ¡°Jasmine¡­¡± he murmured, sensing her shock as she realized the Terminator could bypass her shadows. Then came the anger¡ªshe had been furious with herself, replaying the promise she made to hold Arnold back, hating her own weakness. Priam dropped to his knees as the pain overwhelmed him. Arnold had tortured her, trying to extract information about the First. It wasn¡¯t just pride that kept her going¡ªit was loyalty. Then, when all hope faded, it was courage that allowed her to trigger the Tribulations that ended her life. Priam¡¯s stomach churned as he felt her loneliness and despair as darkness swallowed her soul. At the final moment, fear gave way to love. As her life ebbed away, one name lit her soul, pushing back the shadows of death one last time. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Priam wiped his eyes, laying Jasmine¡¯s body gently on the ground. ¡°Because I kept pointing a weapon at the soul of a friend. I¡¯m so blind, it¡¯s pathetic.¡± I¡¯ll free you when I return, Priam promised, closing the eyes of the woman who had sacrificed herself for him out of love. Jasmine had been an enemy just hours ago, his subordinate for weeks, and now... he wished she could be his friend. ¡°It¡¯s time to close this chapter,¡± he whispered, deactivating the Moon hidden in his eye. The backlash almost blinded him, but it hardly mattered anymore. Reality snapped back, and Priam walked toward the portal. Arnold didn¡¯t try to stop him, and Braato gave him a strange look as he destroyed yet another trespassing clone. ¡°Thanks for the assist,¡± Priam said. ¡°It was a matter of honor,¡± Braato replied, then added, ¡°Priam?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That fragment of a dead Moon in your eye¡­ My ancestor mentioned something similar in his writings. If you survive, seek [Curse Resistance] and [Chimera].¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Priam answered as he stepped through the portal. With a single step, he had crossed into a new world¡­ and could already feel the Elysian laws digging their claws into him. A metal plain greeted him. As far as the eye could see, rows of homunculi stood waiting. Pyro tore through the front lines to grant him a safe zone. Title won! [Intrepid Explorer - Silver] - There are many ways to earn this Title. You obtained it by being the first to enter the planetary system of a warlike species. The hardest part will be getting out alive. Meta (Chance) +20% Note: This Title was renamed after an overwhelming number of petitioners found [Stupid Explorer] insulting. The first thing Priam did was use his own hearthstone to open a portal back to his Moon, at the exact spot where Arnold¡¯s portal was. A tremor rippled through space before the portals collapsed, sending out a gravitational shockwave that obliterated half of Priam¡¯s body and wiped out most of the clones standing on the Moon¡¯s surface. Lvl Up: [Space Resistance] lvl 4, 5 CONST +18 When his regeneration pulled him back from death¡¯s door, Priam was relieved to see the portal to Elysium had vanished. Now, he was alone, in a place no one had ever explored before¡ªthe home of the Var Elegis. Two stars lit up ten planets, one of which floated directly above him. It resembled Earth, but its oceans were a sickly yellow-brown. ¡°Sulfuric acid¡­¡± Priam muttered. Unlike carbon-based humans, the Var Elegis had silicon-based bodies. The acid oceans made their existence possible. The rest of the planet was heavily constructed, with each world meticulously terraformed. As it was clear from the artificial landscape under Priam¡¯s feet, the Var Elegis appeared uninterested in nature. Upon closer inspection, the metallic plain wasn¡¯t a plain at all. The explosion from the portal had revealed a massive hangar beneath the surface. ¡°An artificial Moon¡­¡± Priam clenched his fists, realizing Arnold wasn¡¯t playing in the same league. The Champion of the Var Elegis controlled at least ten planets, and the number of clones at his command... Priam shuddered, understanding that only the looming threat of the Immortals in Elysium kept the Terminator from wiping out the competition. ¡°And here I thought he was just a scary robot¡­¡± If there had been an atmosphere, the clones would have heard Priam¡¯s bitter laugh. The pain, exhaustion, surprise, and grief from a hellish day finally crashed over him. A cocktail of emotions fueled a welcome dose of cynicism. He had thought he was strong, but he was just a big fish in a small pond. The loneliness, the grim certainty that this timeline was nearing its end, and the knowledge he had gained today all combined to give him perfect clarity. He was glad he had chosen Back in Time as it gave him perspective. Despite all his progress, he was still far from the top¡ªbut... ¡°But that¡¯ll change,¡± he promised himself. The past few hours had shattered his dreams, but they had also ignited within him a fierce desire to reshape reality. All his friends had sacrificed themselves to bring him this far. He had learned a lot, and now he was ready to save them. He would give them the tools they needed to survive their Tribulations and grow stronger. This timeline might be a disaster, but he would change things for them¡­ and for himself. His current weakness frustrated him, but he knew that the steeper the climb, the sweeter the victory. He was ready to put in the effort and endure pain to earn the right to control his own fate. Next time, he would win! A plan was already forming in his mind. Spend his rewards, reforge Promesse, train in Valaryth, temper his body, face the Colosseum, and master his Tribulations to reach the pinnacle of Tier 0. ¡°And then¡­¡± Priam¡¯s gaze drifted to one of the stars. Then, he would climb the next mountain¡ªTier 1. His journey would continue until he reached the Zenith. The Empress had proven that power was everything in this world, and if reaching the top was the only way to be free, then Priam would ascend. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. This timeline had shown him just how weak he truly was, and Priam refused to stay that way. ¡°The next one will be different!¡± he vowed. The Juggernaut never stayed defeatist for long. The Terrors, Sumstreh, his rivals¡ªthey would all fall before him. He would seize every opportunity to rise, proving to the Concepts that his great determination, holistic intelligence, and reckless bravery were worth more than the soulless pragmatism of the Terminator. With his soul at peace and his heart ablaze, Priam opened his system and accepted his Tribulations. Across the void, Ayank watched as the System descended on the Champion. A double mental Tribulation plunged him into a powerful illusion. The Empress couldn¡¯t peer too closely without drawing the wrath of an entity far beyond her, but she knew it concerned the masks Priam had worn throughout his life. A classic Tier 0 trial. Of course, the other Tribulations didn¡¯t wait politely for him to finish. One of them sliced his body in half, cleaving through his soul. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± the spectator murmured, disappointed. She had expected more from a rival of the Golden Generation. The Seven were supposed to be grooming monsters for the next Multiversal War, and what she had just witnessed was¡­ underwhelming. Just as she was about to dismiss her minor clone, Ayank¡¯s eyes widened. At her level, spiritual mechanisms were well understood, which made the sight of Priam Azura¡¯s soul reborn in an ideal form terrifying. It resembled nothing she had ever seen before. Could it be that Soul, one of the Seven, had intervened personally? Ayank focused all her attention on what came next. The young Champion regarded his Tribulations with a calculating expression. ¡°The planets are moving too quickly,¡± he remarked. ¡°The sixth Tribulation is altering the flow of time to force me to finish quickly. I guess the System is punishing me for my greed¡­¡± Priam Azura¡¯s words were strange, but most of the Empress¡¯s consciousness was preoccupied with a far more significant revelation. The Champion didn¡¯t seem fazed by his resurrection! Could it be that he was used to it? If so, he might hold the key to resurrecting the dead. For the first time in millennia, Ayank felt a flicker of hope. Could her quest to reunite with her family be moving forward again? Suppressing a shiver, she glanced at the Tribulations, assessing the System¡¯s fury if she were to kidnap the Champion. Would she have time to drag Priam to another universe before being annihilated? It seemed unlikely, but she couldn¡¯t let him throw his life away against an impossible Tribulation. He was too important! Torn by an immense dilemma, Ayank hesitated so long that the Tier 0 had time to act. ¡°Back in Time,¡± Priam murmured as a Tribulation hurtled toward him. For the first time in centuries, the Empress laughed, her joy shattering the planetary system. The Champion was going to survive! She would soon forget, but as long as he stayed in the Wandering Islands, he would inevitably draw her attention. Especially with the Tal Quercus¡­ All the aether in the universe froze as a Concept near the Zenith manifested. Dimension, one of the Seven, reversed time for a septillion beings. Fewer than a thousand realized what happened. Among them, one bet that Priam Azura would shake up the younger generation within five months. Status... It is up to the user to choose which rewards they wish to keep. Proceed?
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 274: Unexpected Benefits Back in Time activated. Rewind: 24 hours. The user must select which gains to retain. Proceed? No light graced the world. Priam shook his head¡ªor at least, he tried. His earlier assumption had been wrong. The problem wasn''t with the world; it was with his eyes: he didn¡¯t have any. That made sense, more or less, since, according to Micro, he no longer had a body. Deprived of his physical senses, Priam relied on his meta-perception to orient himself. The attribute merged with his Domain, flooding him with a torrent of disorienting information. Before his mind could spiral into madness, Priam instinctively turned his thoughts away¡ªthough he let his add-on record the incoming data. He was clearly in a place where time had no meaning, a disturbing yet invaluable experience. Maybe he could gain new mental resistance from it. Or, failing that, he could always hit an enemy with a mental copy of this insane experience and fry their brain through a mind link. Proceed? The System''s request popped up again, proving it was not as patient an entity as Priam had been led to believe during his Tutorial. Perhaps not all the jibes at the end of certain descriptions were written by a bored moderator¡­ Proceed? ¡°Yes!¡± The space around him shifted, transforming into an infinite expanse of white. Two versions of Priam materialized. One had just triggered Back in Time, the other had just received it. ¡°You look exhausted,¡± said the younger Priam. ¡°I¡¯ve had a hell of a day,¡± replied the older version¡ªthe one who had already lived through the now-erased timeline. His white hair framed a worn face, his expression a mix of fatigue and pain from the wounds covering his body. His half-blind eyes scanned the younger version, who stood tall with a relaxed stance, an easy smile, and a sharp gaze. He was charming. ¡°With my charisma and this engineered physique, it¡¯d be weird if I wasn¡¯t,¡± the younger Priam joked. Both Priams benefited from one of the thought trains of his draconic vivacity. The consciousness animating them simultaneously focused on the data transmitted by the System. The first notification was almost familiar. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 24 Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: CONST +4 VIT +4 WILL + 4 [Pyro - Concept] - Natural Affinity +5% (95%). You have gained the skill: [Illusion Resistance - Rare]. [Illusion Resistance] - An illusion is a perception that differs from objective reality. This skill helps detect manipulations of the senses or psyche. The further they stray from objective truth, the less effective physical tricks and mental hallucinations will be¡ªscaling with the sharpness of your instincts. The simulation hypothesis states that the observable reality is an illusion. If true, this skill won¡¯t allow you to escape it. Fun fact: You are the first person in Elysium¡¯s history to get [Space Resistance] and [Radiation Resistance] before [Illusion Resistance]. If you are proud of that, you are an idiot. PERC +1 WILL +1 CHAR +1 ¡°Dying during Tribulations wasn¡¯t a complete waste,¡± the younger Priam grinned, noting that mental illusions were governed by charisma and willpower. ¡°Guess there¡¯s more than one way to break them.¡± Relieved that his next encounter with his Tribulations would be easier, Priam scrolled through the notifications. Every attribute, skill, level-up, Title, Talent, and more earned during the last day was listed. Some changes were positive¡ªhe had gained almost three hundred points in Constitution¡ªothers, not so much. According to the System''s log, he had burned through one hundred and fifty years of his lifespan! His spiritual age was now pushing one hundred and eighty, and he looked like he already had one foot in the grave. It hadn¡¯t impacted his fighting ability yet. The body of a Homo Elysian, a Tier-2 race, resisted senescence well and could live for over two centuries. But his soul? It was starting to show wear and tear. ¡°The true lifespan depends on both a sturdy body and a resilient soul,¡± understood the young Priam. ¡°The race and Soul Tier are the two links in the chain of life. When one breaks, it¡¯s over,¡± the older one translated. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a way to bind your soul to a phylactery like a lich. Then only the soul would matter.¡± ¡°According to Jasmine, [Ageless] helps too. There must be other ways to extend lifespan.¡± The thought intrigued him, but Priam had more pressing issues. The System was waiting for him to decide what to keep from the now-erased timeline. That was the true power of Back in Time: selecting which parts of his progress to retain. Only his Potential and a few rewards were locked. Without hesitation, Priam canceled the ¡°gain¡± of aging, then immersed himself in the sea of options. ¡°Forty grams heavier¡­ I¡¯ll keep that. Probably muscle,¡± the younger Priam mused. ¡°I lost a millimeter in height,¡± the older Priam grumbled. ¡°Guess getting hit in the head isn¡¯t great for the spine.¡± Thirty relative minutes later, both Priams wore matching grimaces. The System¡¯s menu was so detailed it was borderline sadistic. Learning that his affinity for apples had increased by half a percent¡ªprobably because he hadn¡¯t eaten fruit in forever¡ªwas info he could have done without. ¡°My sexual abstinence just went up by 24 hours¡­ No shit, Sherlock! Why can I even choose to keep that?!¡± Priam hesitated for a second before letting his add-on auto-fill the remaining trivial choices. Only the most critical decisions remained. ¡°Attributes, Titles, Merits, skills, and Talents.¡± Priam displayed his status and was almost surprised to see some of his stats exceed a thousand. He literally had the strength of a hundred men. ¡°In ancient times, I¡¯d have been a demigod,¡± the younger Priam said, awed. ¡°Maybe, but today it¡¯s more of a trap,¡± the older Priam growled. Every point had been earned through blood, sweat, and tears, yet the System considered he hadn¡¯t yet paid the price. Like an end-of-year tax, the Tribulations awaited, with no chance of avoiding them. ¡°I can¡¯t handle a sextuple Tribulation.¡± Thanks to Back in Time, Priam had watched his rivals face their own Trials, and only Dishnu had survived. ¡°A quintuple will be tough enough¡­ and I need to face it soon, or I¡¯ll stall my growth.¡± Tribulations were great for long-term gains since they forced him to patch up his weaknesses. In the short term, they prevented him from grinding skills, which was particularly annoying. For this reason, Priam wanted to get through them as fast as possible. He needed to lower some of his attributes. The decision was as difficult as it was inevitable, but Priam refused to let it affect him. ¡°Hell, it¡¯s just another day of farming. With [He Who Eludes Death], the challenge isn¡¯t gaining attributes, it¡¯s proving to the System that I deserve them,¡± the older Priam said. The younger Priam nodded in agreement, already thinking ahead. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. ¡°In a way, this is good? Attributes are quantitative improvements; important, sure, but nothing compared to skills. It¡¯s my resistances that let me jump tiers.¡± Doubling his Constitution wouldn¡¯t let Priam survive the epicenter of a nuclear blast. But upgrading [Fire Champion Physique] and [Radiation Resistance]? That would. Qualitative improvements were the real power. ¡°Skills are usually limited by their related attributes, but here they¡¯re decoupled!¡± the older Priam exclaimed. ¡°I can dump the attribute points but keep the levels.¡± An idea sparked in Priam¡¯s mind. Tribulations'' soft cap prevented Tier 0s from endlessly evolving. Even his quintuple was a barrier to his growth. When he eventually had more Legendary skills¡­ Priam grimaced. At that point, every level would grant him an overload of twenty-seven attribute points¡ªan abundance that would force him to specialize. So why not take advantage of Back in Time to refuse the attributes and keep the levels? ¡°If I do that, I could upgrade [Revelation Resilience] to Legendary before my quintuple Tribulation,¡± the younger Priam calculated. ¡°That¡¯d be perfect to kickstart our temperance,¡± the older Priam agreed. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled: ditch the attributes, keep the levels.¡± Resolved, Priam canceled all of his gains in Constitution, Vitality, Memory, and Willpower while retaining everything else. On his temporary status, his sextuple Tribulation transformed into a quintuple. Gamer to the core, Priam grinned as he dipped back under the desired threshold. A trade of attributes for survival was more than fair. He closed the skills tab without altering anything; Priam kept all his level-ups. Those skills were a part of him¡ªa quantified expression of his experience and mastery. Each level enhanced his abilities qualitatively, and he refused to regress. Next, he examined the Titles earned over his insane day of adventuring: [Runic Hacker], [Champion Killer], [Useless Sage], [To Play with Fire], [Fallout Boy], [Intrepid Explorer], and the upgrade of [Bloodless]. ¡°Keep them all?¡± the older Priam suggested. The younger Priam nodded. These Titles were proof that the last day had happened. However, he had to spend two hundred Potential points to temporarily seal [Bloodless - Silver] and [Fallout Boy - Silver]. It was the only way to keep his Constitution and Vitality under one thousand two hundred¡ªthe threshold for a sixth Tribulation. Finally, Priam turned his attention to Merits. He had spent a lot over the past 24 hours. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Trees of Merit [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity. ACQUIRED (Aether Citizen). [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 3: Evolved Candidate: Choose one of your primitive attributes and evolve it. ACQUIRED (Meta Perception). [Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters. ACQUIRED [Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity. ACQUIRED [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 1: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your race. ACQUIRED [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 2: The closer you are to death, the better your body adapts. ACQUIRED [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 3: You can select a resistance and accelerate its rate of progression. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 0: You''re beginning to feel your soul. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 1: Your soul is proud; it resists external modifications. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 2: Your soul is pure; its flaws erased, its sins forgiven, it resists the apocryphal. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 3: Your soul is sacred; it learns to ignore the authority of other souls. ACQUIRED [Iconoclast - Legendary] - Tier 4: Your soul is celestial; it actively resists divine influence. ACQUIRED [Breathless - Silver] - Tier 1: Second Breath, Second Wind: restores your body to its most exceptional form possible. ACQUIRED 2 Unused Merit Point. Priam¡¯s first decision was to get a refund for Second Breath. The Merit was like an extra life¡ªpriceless for most people, but cheap for Priam. Besides, it only had one charge, and he had already burned it against Sumstreh and Arnold. "Useless," both versions of Priam concluded at once. 3 Unused Merit Points. The next refund was the last Merit from [Iconoclast]. The celestial soul had allowed him to face a Fallen, but Priam had heeded the Empress¡¯s warnings. He was arrogant, not suicidal. At least not often. 4 Unused Merit Points. Priam kept the other Merits of the Title. The changes they made were subtle but crucial. A soul more resistant to change, to the apocryphal, and to other authorities than its own? Priam would sign up for that every day. [Life is hard; I¡¯m Harder] was a Title built around his resistances, and one of Priam¡¯s favorites. He held onto every improvement, even considering buying the next upgrade outright. [Aetherist] was refunded. It was useful for a researcher in peacetime, but Priam knew his quest for the Zenith was steering him away from that path. Research interested him, but peace was a mirage. 5 Unused Merit Points. [Polyglot] stayed. Affinity with runes was like a raw gemstone¡ªeasy to overlook, but with the right time and care, it could shine. The simple fact that it synergized with [Aether Perception] and [Aether Manipulation] made it a no-brainer. Priam hesitated for the first time when it came to the Merits tied to [Ace]. Meta-perception allowed him to see Concepts, but it was limited by the user¡¯s Soul Tier. Sumstreh¡¯s lightless domain had blinded him completely, and their light spears had been perfectly invisible. In short, it was an attribute worth evolving, but not as much as vivacity. On the other hand, [Knight of the Aether] was an incredible Talent. Priam was sure that without it, Sumstreh¡¯s Domain would have drained every drop of aether from his body, nipping any resistance in the bud. It was the kind of Talent you take for granted but is of vital importance. Still, the phoenix had hinted there was a natural way to earn it. Unwilling to waste a Merit Point, Priam refunded the two Merits. 7 Unused Merit Points. ¡°We can¡¯t keep hoarding these points,¡± the older Priam warned. ¡°I agree. [Ace] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] will eat them up soon enough,¡± the younger one replied. ¡°After that, we¡¯ll dip into our rewards.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll show our rivals a quintuple Tribulation is no big deal.¡± The two of them smiled, trembling with excitement. ¡°But first, one more decision¡­¡± Should he keep Concepts Archipelago or discard everything he had amassed in a private timeline? A slight dizziness hit Priam as he found himself back in a physical body. In some ways, he had never left it. ¡°It¡¯s well-guarded,¡± Kazuki said beside him. Priam blinked, spotting the distant encampment of the tribes. As expected, he had returned just before his first contact with the three clans. I can¡¯t wait to swindle three new ideal skills out of them¡­ ¡°Too well guarded just to repel mindless corrupted,¡± Jasmine murmured, eyeing the camp. Hidden by the thick shadows of the forest, the assassin was almost invisible. ¡°They¡¯re noting entries and exits and searching every hunter-gatherer. Someone''s expecting betrayal.¡± A weight lifted from Priam¡¯s chest as he saw his friends alive and well. Knowing they would come back had been a thin comfort when his eidetic memory kept replaying images of their corpses. He clearly remembered the warmth fading from the body of the young woman who had died in his arms, or the tears Hyshana had shed as she cradled her husband. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Kazuki asked, noticing Priam¡¯s demeanor. ¡°No, I just feel like giving you both a hug,¡± Priam smiled. Jasmine raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m down for a threesome. No offense, Kazuki.¡± ¡°None taken. Hyshana doesn¡¯t share.¡± ¡°And here I was, just happy to see you both again,¡± Priam groaned. Kazuki froze, while Jasmine¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the future,¡± Priam confirmed with a mock-modest tone. The hoplite shook his head slightly, not impressed in the least. ¡°Was it good? I mean, will it be good?¡± the young woman grinned. ¡°It was hell, but we¡¯re going to change that.¡± Priam walked into the Oasis with a grin on his face. Hoplites patrolled the rampart, and the forest was no longer a wasteland of ash. At the center of it all, Log-a-Rhythm¡¯s leaves hummed, and the savory scent of something roasting drifted from a campfire. ¡°You seem happy,¡± Blueberry said, turning a fawn on a spit. In the bear¡¯s massive paw, it looked like a mere skewer. ¡°My land isn¡¯t in ruins, and everyone¡¯s alive. Why wouldn¡¯t I be happy?¡± The bear squinted before shrugging. ¡°You¡¯re weird. Weirder than usual.¡± ¡°Says the five-meter-tall talking bear. Anyway, could you go get Rose and start prepping for a feast?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Surprise.¡± The bear squinted again before heading toward the river. ¡°If you steal my meat, I¡¯ll put you on the spit next!¡± Blueberry shouted. ¡°You¡¯ll need more than a campfire to cook me,¡± Priam called back, smiling as he passed through Log-a-Rhythm¡¯s trunk. The sap that illuminated the common room flickered, and Priam smiled as he sat down at a table. ¡°I¡¯ve got gifts for you, too, but those will have to wait.¡± Three bowls of fresh sap descended from the ceiling, and Priam grinned. The bare necessities of life. Less than a minute later, Rose, Alain, and Hyshana joined him. The table expanded to accommodate everyone. ¡°Thanks for coming so quickly,¡± Priam began, looking around the table. He lingered on each of them, and for a moment, it felt like a dream. Seeing them so carefree, so alive... ¡°For you, I recently blew up a volcano, and we¡¯ve just put together a plan to kill Sum¡­ Bastard. At the same time, we need to use Back in Time to find solutions for your Tribulations.¡± ¡°We talked about this an hour ago, didn¡¯t we?¡± Rose asked. ¡°For me, it was twenty-five hours ago,¡± Priam corrected. He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alain asked after a beat. ¡°I¡¯m... better. It was rough. People died.¡± Rose shuddered at the revelation. ¡°Who?¡± the teen asked. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything,¡± Priam promised. ¡°But know this: things will be different. Your old selves died so you could live.¡± The raw emotion in his voice, bolstered by his high charisma, gave his promise an air of undeniable truth. The hoplites nodded solemnly, while the others smiled, reassured. ¡°I suppose now is a good time to talk about Kazuki¡¯s Tribulations,¡± Hyshana said. Her husband took her hand. ¡°There¡¯s something else to do first. Priam chose Back in Time for a reason.¡± ¡°To save Sphinx!¡± exclaimed Rose. Hyshana frowned. ¡°That will take time.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I didn¡¯t rewind time to repeat my mistakes. This time, it¡¯ll only take a few minutes... and with a little luck, I¡¯ll keep my Mythic Gift.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 179 (-291) Agility 930 Vitality 1 130 (-250) Perception 823 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 684 Memory 859 (-37) Willpower 1 168 (-25) Charisma 756 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 291 (-200) Tier 0 Sun point: 278 (+237) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 3 hours 55 minutes 17 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 275: To Gaslight a Fallen Priam blinked. The workshop was stifling, barely lit, and thick with the smell of sap and sweat, making it hard to breathe. Alain had dismissed the idea of digging an air vent, citing a potential security flaw. The underground bunker was designed to be a hidden workspace for secret projects, and even the smallest opening was a risk no one was willing to take. ¡°It reeks,¡± Jasmine grumbled, stepping out of a portal formed by the roots of Log-a-rhythm. It was the only way to access this place, carved directly into the bedrock by one of the tree''s features. ¡°I¡¯m trying to create an array to purify the air, but... it¡¯s complicated,¡± admitted Rose, clapping her hands. A dozen lights flickered to life, revealing prototypes that could one day revolutionize Oasis. Priam moved closer to one of the lamps, a wooden orb etched with rudimentary runic circles, hovering at eye level. It gave off a faint smell of burning. ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress,¡± the teenager blushed. ¡°The design is interesting,¡± Priam complimented her. He could do better, but the competition was rigged. His mental attributes were ten times higher than Rose¡¯s, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, his add-on had copied the runic formations of dozens of objects during his stroll through the tribal camp. ¡°Ambient aether absorption into a storage unit, then converted into light energy upon recognition of a specific sound frequency,¡± he analyzed. ¡°Why not just keep the light on constantly? Ambient aether is abundant.¡± ¡°Constant drain creates energy currents in the room, which could mess with the more sensitive prototype rituals.¡± ¡°There¡¯ll always be some interference.¡± ¡°We are working on an isolation system, but it¡¯s taking time,¡± Alain said, grabbing a carved wooden block and some metal tools. ¡°I have got everything I need; the rest has little value.¡± ¡°Try not to break everything!¡± Rose laughed as she made her way to the exit, her latest project in hand. Priam waited until his father and the teenager left the workshop before sealing the entrance. In the dim light of the makeshift bunker, the three rivals stared at each other. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re planning to trap a dragon,¡± Kazuki remarked, glancing around. Without Log-a-rhythm¡¯s permission, no one could leave this place without tearing through twenty meters of bedrock. Priam¡¯s Breath couldn¡¯t affect that stone, so anything less than a Tier 4 would struggle to escape. ¡°Is there going to be a problem with Sphinx?¡± Priam shook his head. "I guess it''s time for an explanation. Sphinx is being held captive by Bastard in the same cage as one of our rivals, ¨¨ve." ¡°Whose clone you''re controlling with a sub-system.¡± ¡°Exactly. When I freed Sphinx last time, ¨¨ve escaped too. The problem is that her memory manipulation is a notch above her clone¡¯s. She vanished without anyone noticing. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even remember she existed until I rewound time. I was convinced the clone was the original and that she''d died detonating a nuke against the Fallen.¡± ¡°¨¨ve probably ordered the clone to kill herself. The death severed your spiritual connection, erasing the last proof of her existence. Cruel but brilliant,¡± Kazuki admitted. ¡°A hidden enemy is dangerous as hell. What tipped you off?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°After activating Back in Time, the System asked me what to keep from which timeline. When I saw that I¡¯d lost memories despite my eidetic memory, I synchronized them.¡± Priam growled in frustration. Without his reward, he never would have suspected a thing. ¡°The only difference was Eve¡¯s existence. I figured she used Sphinx¡¯s escape as cover to flee.¡± ¡°That bitch!¡± Jasmine spat. ¡°You want to trap her here with us to force her out,¡± Kazuki realized. ¨¨ve hadn¡¯t tried to harm him in the following battles, but that didn¡¯t mean they were allies. After Seth and Arnold¡¯s double betrayal, Priam wasn¡¯t about to leave a third wildcard loose near his family. Back in Time was over, and he couldn¡¯t afford any more mistakes. ¡°That could be dangerous,¡± Jasmine warned. ¡°If she can mess with memories, she could make Kazuki turn on us.¡± The hoplite conjured a spear of wood. ¡°By fusing Spear Mastery II with [Spear Virtuoso], I can temporarily become one with my weapon. In that state, I¡¯m pure instinct. She¡¯ll have a hard time affecting me.¡± Jasmine whistled in admiration, and Priam smiled. Kazuki may have failed his Tribulations, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. Opening a portal in the air, Priam retrieved Taishi¡¯s legendary spear from Concepts Archipelago. He weighed it in his hand before tossing it to his friend. ¡°This¡¯ll do better than a wooden spear.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°From your future self.¡± The hoplite ran his hands over the weapon before executing a few katas. ¡°It¡¯s even better than the one I was planning to buy. It feels like it was made for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the spear you¡¯ll earn: Taishi¡¯s weapon, forged by the System for a ninth Tribulation.¡± The hoplite champion¡¯s eyes widened. His spear arm trembled, a sign that the news rattled him. ¡°... We need to talk.¡± ¡°Once Sphinx is safe,¡± Priam promised. ¡°Very well.¡± Priam turned to Jasmine. ¡°Think you can resist memory manipulation?¡± ¡°No,¡± the assassin answered honestly. ¡°But our souls are linked by your system. She¡¯d have to manipulate both of our memories at once to screw with us, and if I¡¯m hidden deep in your shadow, she¡¯ll have a tough time reaching me.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be my anchor. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Under orders from the one who held her life in his hands, the clone entered Sumstreh¡¯s lair. She passed through a forest teeming with high-Tier rabhorns and arrived at the central clearing. There, Sumstreh¡¯s skeleton waited next to a cage. A fae and a sphinx were trapped inside. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a report today,¡± the Fallen growled. ¡°Still refusing to open your mind to me?¡± ¡°Hand the shield to your original and let me speak.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better save them both,¡± the clone muttered. The assurance that Priam wouldn¡¯t endanger Sphinx pushed the clone to obey him, but the Fallen¡¯s gaze filled her with dread. She glanced at the cage and blinked three times with her left eye, signaling the original to deploy her Domain. ¨¨ve¡¯s sphere of authority briefly repelled Sumstreh¡¯s, allowing her to synchronize her memory with the clone. Using [Memory Slot], a skill that transformed an item into a memory, the clone handed Priam¡¯s mythic shield to ¨¨ve. ¡°Just in case,¡± Priam had said. The spiritual equivalent of a lightning bolt briefly stunned the clone. Sumstreh had flexed their authority, shattering the fae¡¯s Domain and punishing the offenders. ¡°Ah, ¨¨ve, I¡¯d almost forgotten about you. Is this a mutiny?¡± ¡°Indeed, but not on ¨¨ve¡¯s part,¡± the clone¡¯s mouth said, now acting as the First¡¯s proxy. ¡°I, Priam Azura, Lord of Oasis, see the heir of Sumstreh Rbhn.¡± The atmosphere froze, tension so thick you could cut it with a blade. Priam couldn¡¯t help but feel schadenfreude blooming inside him at the sight of his enemy¡¯s stunned expression. Revenge was within reach. ¡°How do you know that name?!¡± The divine mark hidden in the clone¡¯s soul activated. The Fallen was shocked but not so weak as to lose his composure for too long. ¡°A parasitic skill? No, more like a connection doubled with a killswitch. Clever,¡± the Fallen admitted as they probed the clone''s soul space. ¡°Too afraid to face me in person, Priam?¡± A smirk tugged at Priam¡¯s lips. He tapped into the sample of [There is no Heaven] he had embedded into the clone¡¯s sub-system, using it to strike at the divine mark. It exploded, much to its creator¡¯s surprise. As the clone dropped to her knees, her soul space wounded by the blast, Priam followed the connection back to Sumstreh¡¯s soul. Recognizing the immense yet corrupted sphere, he targeted one of its most critical fissures and poked it. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The Fallen shuddered. The message was clear: this Tier 0 could fight back! ¡°I was making puzzles more beautiful than the patchwork you call a soul when I was four,¡± taunted the Champion. ¡°You dare?!¡± The Divine Kingdom trembled under the weight of the Fallen¡¯s wrath. Despite the distance, despite the Necromoon, the divine mark placed on Priam¡¯s soul trembled. ¡°Damn right, I dare, and there¡¯s not a thing you can do about it!¡± he roared, deploying [There is no Heaven] on his own soul. With a surgeon¡¯s precision, Priam attacked the web Sumstreh had spun into his soul. The tired remnants of the divine mark collapsed, releasing toxic energy that found no purchase on Priam¡¯s proud soul. The second Merit of [Iconoclast] revealed its utility. ¡°You¡¯re so predictable,¡± Priam chided, striking again through the connection and delivering a vicious blow to the Fallen¡¯s soul. The specter dropped to their knees, convulsing. When they rose several seconds later, pain radiated from their gaze. They stared at Priam, the tiger it had mistaken for a kitten. ¡°You are playing a dangerous game. [Iconoclast] is a taboo Title.¡± ¡°The Empress did advise me against acquiring a celestial soul,¡± Priam said, his tone casual. ¡°But according to her, the other Merits won¡¯t trigger a Pantheon¡¯s kill order.¡± To wrest Sphinx from Sumstreh¡¯s clutches, Priam had a simple plan: gaslight the enemy. If he could scare the Fallen while hinting at strong backing, he was almost sure the Tier 4 would be cowardly enough to fold. ¡°... The Empress?¡± ¡°Ayank Iluva, Empress of Knaya. The one who condemned your original, remember?¡± Priam¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. The Divine Kingdom trembled again, a telltale sign of the Fallen¡¯s shaken nerves. ¡°H¨CHow?!¡± Controlling the clone¡¯s face, Priam adopted an amused expression. ¡°When your veil of lies is pierced, you¡¯re rather pathetic. Unfortunately for you, I¡¯ve got better things to do than answer your questions.¡± ¡°You, a Tier 0, dare speak to me this way?!¡± Mimicking Priam, the clone raised an eyebrow. ¡°I dare, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡± Priam needed to reverse their roles in Sumstreh¡¯s mind. After a beat of silence, he smiled. ¡°I think you¡¯re starting to get it. I could just summon the Empress¡¯s clone, and your lifespan would be¡­ significantly shortened. Her clone would slice through you and your Domain faster than I could kill a baby rabhorn.¡± ¡°The Empress wouldn¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m no longer the god who broke her law!¡± the Fallen shouted in desperation. ¡°Really? Then you won¡¯t mind if I summon her clone, right?¡± Sumstreh growled. ¡°You want me to believe you can summon a clone of the Empress, a pseudo-Immortal, at will?¡± Priam had been waiting for this question and took great pleasure in responding truthfully. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Well, technically, Sphinx can. The slight tremble in Sumstreh¡¯s spectral form told Priam he had already won. The Fallen had ways to verify a claim, and as a Tier 4, they had enough confidence in their own abilities to believe Priam couldn¡¯t trick them. ¡°... You made contact through the Sun Auctions, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ah, the beauty of an enemy digging their own grave. ¡°Does it matter? All you need to know is that your fate is in my hands.¡± Priam let his words hang for a moment before continuing. ¡°Enough stalling. I want Sphinx, ¨¨ve, one of the three fulcrum fragments you have left, the Tier 3 aetheric core hidden beneath the pond, your enchanted comb, and half of your core reserves.¡± The specter¡¯s face fell with each item Priam listed. ¡°...¡± Priam could practically hear the gears grinding in the Fallen¡¯s mind as they processed it all. What else did the Champion know? It was an unanswerable question, one that would keep Sumstreh up at night for a long time. The answer was simple: Jasmine had scoured the ruins of the Divine Kingdom and pieced together an inventory of whatever hadn¡¯t been obliterated in the fight. A lot of it was beyond identification, but that didn¡¯t matter. Priam¡¯s list was meant to rattle Sumstreh, to make them think he knew many of their secrets and second-guess any thoughts of deception. ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± Sumstreh finally replied after a few moments of tense silence. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating the value of your life,¡± Priam shot back with a grin. The specter stiffened, like a cornered animal ready to lash out. Priam kept smiling, confident in his psychological profile of the Fallen. Sumstreh was a shadow of a god willing to fracture their soul to survive. If there was an escape route, they would take it¡ªthat was their nature. Now, ask me where the way out is. ¡°... What guarantee do I have that you won¡¯t inform the Empire of my survival?¡± Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 11 CHAR +3 Checkmate! Priam nearly burst out laughing. The Fallen needed an excuse to give in, and the Champion was more than happy to oblige. ¡°I¡¯m willing to swear on my Potential that I won¡¯t reveal your existence to anyone for the next five months. During that time, I won¡¯t actively seek to harm you. I¡¯ll add that I¡¯ve yet to reveal anything about you to anyone outside of Oasis, and they¡¯ll make the same vow. Of course, you¡¯ll swear the same oath.¡± ¡°You could betray it.¡± ¡°Not without losing all of my Potential. For someone like me, a collector of ideal skills, that¡¯s unthinkable.¡± The Fallen let the silence stretch, likely torn between pride and cowardice. Priam sighed; he couldn¡¯t wait for his enemy to find a loophole in their conversation. Strike while the iron¡¯s hot. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got nothing but time on your hands, but I don¡¯t. I need an answer.¡± The Fallen growled. ¡°Why not just kill me and loot my corpse? I find it hard to believe you would give me a chance to take revenge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the dumbest question I¡¯ve heard today,¡± Priam scoffed, intentionally aggravating his foe to cloud their thoughts. ¡°The answer¡¯s simple: summoning the Empress¡¯s clone comes with a cost. I¡¯m willing to pay it for Sphinx, but if I can avoid it, why not? Besides, you¡¯re more useful to me alive than dead.¡± Seeing the bewildered expression on Sumstreh¡¯s face, Priam summoned a smile to the clone¡¯s lips. ¡°I know you¡¯ll want to find a new hiding spot; it¡¯s in your nature. Good news: I know the location of a hearthstone. With it, you¡¯ll be almost impossible to catch.¡± Arnold, I hope you¡¯ll enjoy my little gift. Every strength in Priam had a matching flaw. His love for his friends was only rivaled by his grudge against his enemies. ¡°We have a deal,¡± sighed the Fallen, defeated. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 12 CHAR +3 Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 179 Agility 930 Vitality 1 130 Perception 823 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 684 Memory 859 Willpower 1 168 Charisma 767 (+11) META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 295 (+4) Tier 0 Sun point: 326 (+48) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
  • [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 3 hours 28 minutes 49 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 276: ève the Fae A rift tore open in the bunker, and Priam smiled as he caught Sphinx in his arms. ¡°PRIAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!¡± she squealed, her voice filled with excitement. Just as expected, the child was unharmed. A weight lifted from Priam''s heart. "Welcome home, Sphinx," he said, gently stroking her head. "You came for me!" "Did you ever doubt it?" "Not for a second!" Priam¡¯s smile stiffened as an oddly striking woman stepped through the rift. Humanoid in form, her features were unmistakably alien, with rose gold eyes scanning the bunker, alive with curiosity. [Identification] [¨¨ve ? - Tier 0 - Baroness] - Memory of the Fae. She¡¯s the greatest rival, and absolutely didn¡¯t write this herself! Behind her, a clone carried the gifts of Sumstreh, while further back, the Fallen glared at Priam with murderous intent. ¡°It¡¯s not over,¡± the Fallen growled. ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ll settle this in five months.¡± Hearing the authority in Priam¡¯s voice, Sphinx closed the rift with a flick of her hand. ¡°Are we really gonna wait five months to kill him?¡± the child asked. ¡°If Arnold doesn¡¯t get to him first,¡± Priam joked. His quest was active again, but he couldn¡¯t secure a second Token and another promise of bloodline purification. However, Priam wasn¡¯t about to let the ultimate prize slip into his rival¡¯s hands. He gave himself until the second Reunion to deliver the fatal blow to Sumstreh. ¡°Bastard will know about Arnold being a trap,¡± warned Kazuki. ¡°Of course. But it¡¯s a bait too tempting to ignore,¡± ¨¨ve chimed in with a grin. "That''s what I''m counting on. You¡¯re looking well, ¨¨ve." ¡°I can¡¯t complain¡ª¡± ¡°Code Total Recall¡ª¨¨ve!¡± Priam¡¯s heart lurched. Jasmine looked panicked, and her sub-system was desynchronized from his. Was ¨¨ve trying to tamper with his memory? It was ridiculous¡ªthey had been friends since their arrival in Elysium. Yet, the possibility was too serious to ignore. His mist-cloak solidified into an icy shackle around ¨¨ve¡¯s wrist as his add-on scanned for inconsistencies. The fae¡¯s eyes gleamed and.. ¡°ARGH!¡± A woman¡¯s scream cut through the air. Priam blinked as his memory synced back with Jasmine¡¯s. He had lost the last five seconds in a haze. A droplet of blood hit the floor, pulling his attention to the right. Suspended a meter off the ground, impaled by Kazuki¡¯s spear, ¨¨ve coughed up blood. The hoplite¡¯s pupils had transformed into miniature spears. Guided by instinct, he was impervious to the fae''s manipulations. As his add-on copied the hidden memory from Jasmine¡¯s sub-system, Priam remembered everything. ¨¨ve was far from being his friend. ¡°It hurts,¡± ¨¨ve muttered, her golden eyes flaring. A sphere of light erupted from her, violently blasting Kazuki away. Freed from the spear, ¨¨ve fell to the ground, her ghastly wound closing as if it were nothing but a bad memory. The bitch! Priam seethed, recognizing the mythical shield he had entrusted to the clone in case Sumstreh tried using Sphinx as leverage. His hand clenched around Promesse, the weapon humming in sync with his anger. The frosty air that escaped his mouth, though giving him a feral appearance, was mundane. The ambient heat had been absorbed by his skill, cooling the air enough for his breath to condense naturally. Priam stood ready to strike ¨¨ve the moment her shield faltered. ¡°I surrender,¡± she announced, her protective bubble vanishing. In an instant, the tip of Kazuki¡¯s spear was at her throat. ¨¨ve, completely unphased, stuck her tongue out. She¡¯s mad. He clenched his teeth as he saw the hoplite halt his attack. Kazuki¡¯s instincts had decided the Fae wasn¡¯t a threat anymore. It¡¯ll be up to me to finish this. A small but firm paw landed on his hand, stopping him as he raised Promesse. Sphinx didn¡¯t want him to strike. ¡°Why?¡± Priam asked, baffled. ¡°She¡¯s dumb... but she¡¯s my friend.¡± Surprise was quickly overtaken by a storm of rage. Priam looked up, glaring at ¨¨ve, who smiled. ¡°I swear on my Potential that I didn¡¯t alter her memories or force Sphinx to say those words,¡± ¨¨ve said. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to rack up bad karma with a sphinx.¡± The absence of coercion calmed Priam, but confusion flooded back. ¡°Why defend her?¡± he asked Sphinx, ignoring the Fae. ¡°She¡¯s the reason you were locked up!¡± And that I nearly became a mindless slave. Priam kept those words to himself; they felt hollow. Without realizing it, he had purged some of his hatred for the clone after defeating her. His competitive nature struggled to maintain hatred for those he had bested; the emotion quickly lost its intensity. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her fault,¡± Sphinx murmured. ¡°It was the clone¡¯s.¡± Priam¡¯s gaze shifted to the clone, who had set down Sumstreh¡¯s gifts in a corner and now seemed uncertain about what to do next. "...What do you mean?" ¡°I could explain,¡± ¨¨ve offered with a smirk. ¡°But could you lower that pointy stick first?¡± ¡°No.¡± Until he was sure that Sphinx wasn¡¯t affected by Stockholm syndrome, Priam would remain on guard. The fae studied him for a few moments before turning to Sphinx, who merely shrugged. ¡°I told you messing with people''s memories was rude.¡± ¡°I forgot¡­¡± ¨¨ve sighed, then addressed Priam like she was speaking to a child. ¡°You seem to have a partial understanding of how my clones work. I read an unknown individual¡¯s experiences and then synchronize our memories; I have no control over them and don¡¯t always agree with their actions.¡± ¡°Yet you share the same goal.¡± ¡°Experiences shape a person. Their personality gets drowned and reforged by millennia of memories. My Task becomes theirs, but their nature means we can have differing opinions on how to achieve it.¡± The revelation took Priam¡¯s breath away. If ¨¨ve was telling the truth, he was in mortal danger¡ª[He Who Eludes Death] wouldn¡¯t help him restore his ego if it was shattered. His add-on could manipulate his memory, but against an expert like ¨¨ve, that didn¡¯t mean much. Facing a fate worse than death, his hearts raced, and he considered drastic measures. Should he trigger a nuke to eliminate the enemy? That would condemn Kazuki and Sphinx, but he could resurrect them later. ¡°You fear for your ego, not your life,¡± ¨¨ve observed, narrowing her eyes. ¡°I sense you¡¯re about to do something stupid if I don¡¯t calm you down.¡± She raised her hands. ¡°I swear on my Potential I won¡¯t touch your memory or your friends¡¯ memories for the rest of the day¡ªunless you invite me to.¡± Her clone echoed the oath, and Priam exhaled, finally breathing again. ¡°Better?¡± ¨¨ve grinned. Priam found himself wanting to wipe the smile off her face. The clone¡¯s pragmatism grated on him less than the madness of the original. He made an effort to control himself. Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 12 WILL +3 ¡°Memory manipulation¡¯s a sickening crime,¡± Kazuki stated, regaining control of his instincts. ¡°If you mess with my memory again, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all so violent¡­ I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± ¡°You attacked us,¡± Priam growled. ¡°I just tweaked your memories so we could be friends. You attacked me!¡± ¨¨ve huffed, chewing on her nails in mock outrage. Priam¡¯s fists clenched. Her ridiculous antics grated on his nerves. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Not at all! That¡¯s how fae make friends.¡± Priam groaned. The cultural divide was so vast, he didn¡¯t even try to bridge it. ¡°She didn¡¯t mean any harm,¡± Sphinx pleaded. The two seemed to have bonded during their weeks of captivity. ¡°Maybe, but I hate when people mess with my mind... and steal my stuff. That mythical shield wasn¡¯t yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a thief.¡± ¨¨ve tossed something to Priam. He caught it mid-air and was surprised to find a golden cube. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the real shield. I just manifested your memory of it.¡± Her esoteric abilities were unsettling, but there was worse. ¡°You saw my memories from the erased timeline.¡± Priam¡¯s jaw tightened. If she talks to Arnold... ¡°Yup, piece of cake. Your memories are strangely clear compared to most.¡± Priam¡¯s frown deepened. Against someone like ¨¨ve, [Ultimate Sensory Memory] was a security flaw. I need to lock down my memories... If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Added to agenda.] A heavy silence fell until Sphinx¡¯s stomach growled. ¡°...Is it snack time?¡± she asked. ¡°More like breakfast,¡± Priam mused, patting her head. ¡°Can we invite ¨¨ve to eat with us?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but the First doesn¡¯t like me,¡± ¨¨ve pointed out. ¡°Why?¡± Sphinx¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Priam hesitated. He had hated the clone so much that some of his animosity spilled over to the original. Moreover, the fae¡¯s flippant attitude only reinforced his dislike. ¡°I don¡¯t trust people who mess with my memories, and her insolence irritates me.¡± ¡°For a fae, I¡¯m actually pretty well-behaved,¡± ¨¨ve quipped. Priam ignored her, turning instead to Sphinx. ¡°Why do you like her?¡± ¡°She helped me hide from Sumstreh many times. Without her¡­¡± The girl shivered, and Priam pulled her close. ¡°I see. What about the clone?¡± ¡°She can die,¡± Sphinx and ¨¨ve said in unison. Priam blinked, surprised. ¨¨ve just shrugged. ¡°If the death of a clone can appease one of my rivals, it¡¯s worth it. Besides, I¡¯m not very happy with what she did to Sphinx.¡± ¡°She was trying to save you.¡± ¡°It might¡¯ve been good for the Task, but I still don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°A bit hypocritical coming from her creator,¡± Kazuki pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re partly responsible for her actions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m often hypocritical,¡± ¨¨ve smiled, giving a thumbs up. The hoplite didn¡¯t return her smile. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to say while we¡¯re talking about your death?¡± Priam asked the clone, who was busy inspecting her nails. ¡°If my death helps the Task move forward, I¡¯m fine with it. I¡¯m one of the weaker clones anyway. Not that important.¡± Her detachment finally got on Priam¡¯s nerves. Of all people, he knew how terrifying death could be. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± he said after a few seconds of thought. The young Aelbes stumbled into her tent, barely making it to her bed. By the time she woke up, the clone would be gone. Only a confused tribeswoman would remain, her mind free from the alterations ¨¨ve had made. Priam considered severing their spiritual connection but decided to hold off. Sphinx trusted the fae¡¯s word, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Will she get her ego back?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± ¨¨ve yawned. ¡°I erased the memories of the past few weeks, but experiences leave scars on both the soul and the mind.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you fix that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been pretty bad at mind magic.¡± Priam had a thought for the clone who had forced his meeting with Sumstreh. Because of her, he had almost become a slave to the Fallen, and Sphinx had been imprisoned for weeks. He still remembered the terrible anger and the vow of revenge he had made. Today, the clone was dead¡ªone less name on his kill list. If her body wasn''t rotting at the bottom of a pit, her ego had been erased. Better yet, an innocent person had regained her life and freedom. This was a principle dear to Priam, and for this reason, he was happy with the outcome. A golden gaze scrutinized him, reminding Priam that the hardest part was yet to come. Your turn, Eve. Silence settled. As the three rivals observed each other, tension rose. Sphinx squirmed in Priam¡¯s arms, sensing the unease. ¡°May I kill her?¡± Jasmine asked casually. Priam hesitated. ¨¨ve was partially responsible for her clones'' actions, and her magic was monstrous. The real question wasn¡¯t whether she deserved death but if she was a threat to Oasis and its people. And if she was, could they even take her down? ¡°You¡¯ve got other clones, right?¡± he asked bluntly. ¡°Plenty!¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Kazuki asked. None of the others had tried to help the original escape. ¡°They¡¯ve reached other tribes,¡± ¨¨ve revealed, ¡°but the strongest ones headed towards Knaya.¡± ¡°Without you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not essential to the Task.¡± She was willing to die for her cause, Priam mused. That was worrisome because fanatics were always dangerous. ¡°Why Knaya?¡± Kazuki pressed. The fae grinned, flashing sharp canines. ¡°Not everyone can just hack their way through monsters to level up their skills. Besides, I miss civilization.¡± ¡°The road to the Empire is long and deadly,¡± Kazuki pointed out. ¡°With Tyr and Kala, it¡¯s a walk in the park.¡± ¨¨ve smirked at the puzzled looks from her rivals. ¡°The Judge and the Beast.¡± ¡°The two missing rivals...¡± ¡°That explains why we haven¡¯t detected any movement from them,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t tell us what to do with you.¡± ¨¨ve gave a playful bow. ¡°I¡¯ll help you decide: I¡¯m leaving soon. Someone¡¯s remembering me.¡± Her figure began to blur around the edges. The shadow at her feet trembled, but Priam held off giving the execution order. If ¨¨ve could sift through his memory for a mythical shield, she had surely found much worse. He wouldn¡¯t trade his friends¡¯ lives for a rival on the run. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a gift next time. A little thank-you for saving me.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Priam replied coldly. ¡°Best gift you could give is making sure there¡¯s no next time.¡± ¨¨ve burst into laughter. ¡°You¡¯re as mean as a fae!¡± The fae''s silhouette lost its colors. ¡°By the way, you never told us what your Task is.¡± The fae smiled. ¡°You wanna know?¡± Priam saw the ambient aether freeze. Depending on his response, something would happen. Something horrible. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Too bad.¡± ¨¨ve dissolved like a dream at dawn, her eyes vanishing last, taking her madness with them. All that remained was a golden fingernail. ¡°This is amazing! More!¡± Blueberry refilled Sphinx¡¯s bowl, and she immediately started scarfing down the food. Her head practically disappeared into the sauce, forcing her to hold her breath. Not to be outdone, a baby wyrm chirped and leapt into the stew pot. Sphinx was winning the race¡ªshe had already eaten the equivalent of two deer¡ªbut Moonie wasn¡¯t far behind. Priam had no idea how their bodies stored all that food. ¡°Lost in thought, son?¡± Priam glanced up to see his father holding a plate of vegetarian food. ¡°I was wondering when my father changed his diet,¡± he joked. ¡°Ymir says it¡¯s good for digestion, so I¡¯m giving it a shot. But don¡¯t change the subject. What¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°Not much,¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°Sphinx is back, and I kept my promise¡ª¨¨ve¡¯s clone is gone. I¡¯d be perfectly happy if I hadn¡¯t let a fae loose.¡± ¡°A fae?¡± ¡°A weird creature.¡± ¡°Malicious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know,¡± Priam sighed, staring at his hand. [Identification] [Memory of a Fae - Tier 0 - Rare] - Allows the user to glimpse into a fae''s past. This memory contains a lesson on how to protect one''s memory. Smells faintly of feet. The nail was magical and would save Priam a lot of Potential points. Eve was a calamity for those she manipulated, but she had been careful not to antagonize him. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this,¡± Kazuki said, sitting beside him. ¡°¨¨ve would have found another way out with or without you. In some ways, she¡¯s scarier than Arnold.¡± ¡°Still, I wish I had¡­¡± Priam paused. ¡°Killed her?¡± Kazuki finished. ¡°I don''t know. Maybe. She deserves it, right?¡± ¡°She chall diih!¡± Jasmine grumbled through a mouthful of food. ¡°The clone¡¯s family would say yes, and Sphinx would say no,¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°I think we have better things to do than deal with her.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve been wasting time thinking about ¨¨ve while you¡¯re about to face your Tribulations. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Pretty good. The intel you shared through the mental bridge was¡­ enlightening.¡± Kazuki¡¯s gaze became distant, and Priam realized his friend had more pressing concerns than a far-off rival. He needed support. Priam downed his bowl in seconds and got up. ¡°How about some sparring before your Tribulations?¡± he asked, extending a hand to his rival. ¡°If you really try, you might even scratch me.¡± The taunt made Kazuki smile. The hoplite accepted Priam¡¯s hand and grabbed his new spear. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve improved in the last twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°I held my own against a Tier 4,¡± Priam boasted. ¡°By cheating.¡± ¡°Still counts.¡± The two rivals grinned. Their enemies were far away, and for now, they had time to grow. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 782 Constitution 1 179 Agility 930 Vitality 1 130 Perception 823 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 684 Memory 859 Willpower 1 172 (+4) Charisma 767 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 297 (+2) Tier 0 Sun point: 393 (+115) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 2 hours 37 minutes 24 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 277: A Spar Between Friends ¡°Ready?¡± Jasmine shouted from the ramparts. Two towering men stood twenty meters apart, sizing each other up. The younger one had a laid-back vibe. Barefoot, shirtless, and with wild hair, he was facing the world with nothing but a curious gaze and a pair of mist-woven pants. Opposite him stood a colossus with short hair, dressed in the simple but rugged garb of a martial society: plain trousers, a short-sleeved top, and reinforced shoes. Despite their contrasting appearances, they shared one thing in common: danger radiated from them. Their chiseled muscles and sharp eyes betrayed their warrior nature. The handful of spectators gathered along the battlements knew full well that brute strength wasn¡¯t their only weapon. The merchant had even insisted that the duel not take place in the Forum¡ªa central square of indestructible stone where his shop was located. Thus, the two combatants squared off under the sprawling branches of a Tal Quercus tree. The wind rustled through the grass, the crimson light bathed the glistening leaves, and the nearby river murmured in its bed; the world seemed as peaceful as the warriors were focused. Nothing would distract them from victory. ¡°Three... Two¡ª¡± ¡°Go!¡± Sphinx roared, too impatient to wait for the countdown to finish. Both men launched themselves forward, pushing the air aside in their wake. They closed the gap in a heartbeat, their spears clashing in a shower of sparks. The collision created a void, revealing the result to all: the point of impact was equidistant from their faces. The first exchange had no victor. There would be many more. In the blink of an eye, their weapons met ten more times. On the eleventh, the combatants locked in a final confrontation. With their spears pressed against each other, the duel shifted. Instead of trying to strike without being hit, each warrior now poured all their strength into overpowering the other. Muscles bulged, and their hearts pounded furiously to fuel their efforts. The ground buckled under their feet, torn apart by the force of two titans. Just as they were about to falter, the exposed roots of the magical tree provided them with solid footing. Adjusting to the new terrain, they unleashed the vast reserves of power within them. Red-faced, veins throbbing, the two warriors growled as they squeezed every ounce of strength from their bodies. The force between them could have torn apart solid steel, but their cells withstood it. These bodies had long surpassed the limits of mere biology. Then, the balance tipped. In this impromptu tug-of-war, the mist chosen began to give ground. His opponent was stronger and had an overwhelming advantage with Micro II. It was expected from one of the paths leading to the Zenith. ¡°Fuck,¡± Priam muttered, realizing he was losing ground. If his position became too weak, he would topple backward, and the hoplite would seize the upper hand. That was not an option. Changing tactics, the Homo Elysian locked his joints, using his unique constitution to resist the enemy¡¯s brute strength. His body stopped trembling, becoming as immovable as stone. The second warrior frowned. His body, taut like a bowstring, couldn¡¯t push his opponent any further. Realizing sheer force alone wouldn¡¯t cut it, he changed tactics and used his head¡ªliterally. A vicious headbutt slammed into the rising star¡¯s nose. As droplets of blood flew, a cry rang out. The hoplite staggered back, rubbing his forehead. Across from him, his opponent stood unscathed, chuckling softly. ¡°Did I just fracture my skull on your nose cartilage?¡± The spearmaster was incredulous, the idea so absurd he needed confirmation. ¡°I told you, I stood toe-to-toe with a Tier 4. With my constitution and resistances, brute strength alone won¡¯t cut it anymore; you¡¯ll need to tap into your Spear Mastery.¡± Channeling his vitality with Micro, the more experienced of the two grimaced. His Tribulations were coming, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste his mental endurance. A ray of light refracted off his legendary spear¡¯s blade, and he smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s see about that.¡± Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 30, 31 PERC +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 14, 15 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 36, 37 STR +6 Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 9, 10 STR +2 AGI +4 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 15, 16 AGI +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 14, 15 AGI +4 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Parry] lvl 2 STR +3 Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 13 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 14 CONST +3 For the hundredth time, Priam dodged a thrust. Like every other time, the enemy¡¯s spear accelerated at the last moment, adjusting its course. Even with his instincts and add-ons, he could only avoid injury half the time. A legendary blade grazed his cheek, ricocheting off the bone. Ignoring the shallow wound, Priam pressed forward, closing in on Kazuki¡¯s guard. Promesse swept down to take his opponent¡¯s legs, but was pinned to the ground by a foot. Before Priam could free it, an elbow crashed into his temple with enough force to warp titanium. Priam grinned at Kazuki¡¯s grunt. His opponent was suffering more than he was. Constitution is the best stat... Reaching out, Priam slammed his fist into his opponent¡¯s solar plexus. [Kinetic Control] or Pyro could have ended the fight right here, but that wasn¡¯t the spirit of the duel. Arching his back, he drove the blow deeper, sending Kazuki flying. The move freed Promesse, and Priam swung it before his opponent hit the ground. The hoplite blocked, but without proper footing, the counterforce sent him tumbling across the grass. Like a predator, Priam gave chase. Two more attacks were parried by his grounded opponent, but Priam winced when a counterstrike slashed his calf. Even cornered, Kazuki¡¯s martial prowess allowed him to retaliate. Priam decided to flip the script. Grabbing Promesse with both hands, he raised it high. His French side channeled a guillotine finish, but Kazuki valued his head and blocked. Yanking his bound weapon back, Priam slammed the spear¡¯s shaft into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt into the hoplite¡¯s face. His opponent shut his eyes with a pained howl. Now! Priam lunged with a thrust as direct as it was powerful. His opponent braced to block, using his Domain to read Promesse¡¯s trajectory. Few Tier 0s could awaken this Supremacy, but those who did used it to full effect. That was exactly what Priam counted on. Letting out a roar, he unleashed his own sphere of authority, enveloping his opponent¡¯s Domain before crushing it. The hoplite¡¯s Domain shattered under the weight of Priam¡¯s will. Eyes shut, with no Domain to guide him, Kazuki was blind for the first time in a long time. Finally, Promesse pierced flesh. A heavy strike and a spray of blood ended the duel. Priam glanced down, his expression complicated. Ten centimeters of steel had disappeared into his chest; his human heart was no more. ¡°Damn,¡± Priam muttered, stepping back. The bleeding stopped quickly as the evolution of [Heartless] restored his heart. He extended a hand to Kazuki, who accepted it. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That was a good duel,¡± the hoplite smiled, inspecting his own wound. Promesse had pierced deep into his abdomen, but the warrior didn¡¯t seem concerned. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°I shifted my organs at the last second with Micro. It¡¯s just torn muscle, I¡¯ll be fully healed before my Tribulations. Congrats on your win.¡± ¡°My win?¡± Priam laughed. ¡°I lost a heart.¡± ¡°Which you regrew in seconds. Even without that, you still have a second one, and I would have struggled to destroy it. Your bones are too hard to cut through without momentum. On the other hand, you just needed to swing Promesse to cleave me in two.¡± Priam opened his mouth to argue, but Kazuki cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t downplay it just to spare me before my Tribulations. A victor shouldn¡¯t be ashamed of winning.¡± Seeing his friend take defeat with such honor and dignity, Priam understood how Kazuki had become the leader of the hoplite armies. His wisdom commanded respect. ¡°I guess I was the better fighter,¡± Priam admitted with a grin. ¡°You¡¯re just ridiculously tough,¡± Kazuki shot back with a smirk. ¡°Your spear skills are... decent. You have improved, but there''s more to it, isn¡¯t there?¡± Priam nodded. ¡°[Hoplite Warpath]. I got your racial Talent when I killed Taishi.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Kazuki glanced at the hoplites watching from the rampart. ¡°Keep that to yourself. Only a few hoplites in each generation are born with it.¡± ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± Priam swore. ¡°The description says it boosts my talent for physical combat. Did you feel it during the duel?¡± ¡°Absolutely. [Hoplite Warpath] sharpens your instincts and martial abilities to take down opponents, but the trade-off is you neglect your defense. Without it, I doubt you would have been able to wound me... but you definitely would have been better at blocking.¡± ¡°For an immortal like me, that¡¯s a pretty good trade.¡± Kazuki chuckled. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s another perk; your martial skills probably leveled up faster, right?¡± ¡°Fifteen level-ups in a matter of minutes,¡± Priam grinned, checking his notifications. ¡°That¡¯s a side effect that will fade once you have absorbed all the experience the Talent can offer¡ªwhich won¡¯t take long. The real advantage is that [Hoplite Warpath] often satisfies one of the ideal prerequisites when upgrading a martial skill.¡± Lesson over, Kazuki headed toward the spectators, with Priam following behind. [Hoplite Warpath] was definitely a Talent he appreciated. And if I can upgrade it... At the Legendary rank, it might help unlock Spear Mastery II. ¡°How did you break my Domain?¡± Kazuki asked as they walked. ¡°That caught me off guard.¡± Priam smiled. ¡°I took a page out of Bastard¡¯s book: I compressed my Domain around yours, suffocating your authority.¡± ¡°Are you telling me you changed the shape and density of your Domain?¡± Priam paused and closed his eyes. He had grown accustomed to his Supremacy. Perceiving the world through a sphere that was an extension of his will was as incredible as it sounded. Until now, the only time the sphere had grown was when he expanded his soul space. His Patron had warned against dilating his Domain, citing a harder High Tribulation. However, it had never changed shape. This was a first, his instinct guiding his will. He spent several seconds trying to replicate the feat but failed. ¡°I can sense something, but it¡¯s just out of reach,¡± Priam growled. ¡°Yet I managed it earlier...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged,¡± Kazuki said, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°You are starting to push the boundaries of Domain I, that¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°I suppose. By the way, how¡¯d you manage to fight back without your Domain?¡± Priam had thought blinding the hoplite would secure his victory. Kazuki grunted. ¡°A mix of instinct and knowing my opponent. You can be clever in a fight, but when it comes to the final blow, you are always direct. That¡¯s not necessarily a weakness against an enemy you plan to kill right away, but a long-term rival will catch on to your quirks and use them against you.¡± Priam frowned, deep in thought. Kazuki was a monster, able to read his opponent in minutes. Few had that kind of talent, but... That¡¯s the kind of enemy I¡¯ll face. I¡¯ll have to be more careful. ¡°Nice duel,¡± Louis said with a grin, echoed by Rose and Sphinx. Jasmine inspected Priam¡¯s open wound, then smiled, seeing that he had already regrown his heart. The gash was still bleeding heavily, but even without burning through his lifespan, his vitality would heal him. Louis raised an eyebrow at the affectionate interaction, but no one made a comment. Seeing the young woman worried about him, Priam thought back to the erased timeline. Jasmine had sacrificed herself for him, and he hadn¡¯t forgotten. I need to talk to her as soon as possible. ¡°Next time, try moving slower. I couldn¡¯t see a damn thing,¡± joked Rose. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too weak,¡± Sphinx teased, yelping as the teenager rubbed her fur the wrong way. ¡°I gotta get back to work,¡± Rose said, placing the indignant Sphinx back on the ground. ¡°Call me when you start your Tribulations!¡± ¡°In a few hours,¡± Kazuki smiled as the girl headed toward Log-a-rhythm. ¡°What are you gonna do until then?¡± Louis asked. ¡°Meditate,¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°But before that, we need to talk about what happened in the other timeline.¡± The remaining fighters nodded in agreement. Sphinx rubbed against Priam¡¯s leg. ¡°You¡¯ll give me a recap, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Got something else to do?¡± ¡°I want to explore the base! Everything¡¯s changed since I left.¡± When Sphinx had been kidnapped, Oasis hadn¡¯t even had a name, and the hoplites had just arrived. The child ran off, eyes wide with curiosity as she examined the new constructions and fresh faces. Priam smiled and leaned against the rampart. The warriors present settled around him, with Louis even going so far as to unfold a handcrafted garden chair. ¡°Where to begin... You already know what happened with Kazuki.¡± The first thing Priam had done after saving Sphinx was share all the information about Kazuki¡¯s Tribulations through a mental bridge. The rest could wait, but the hoplite needed time to prepare mentally. ¡°Then, you all triggered your Tribulations in Valaryth. It was a bloodbath¡­¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 (+25) Constitution 1 187 (+8) Agility 948 (+18) Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 (+5) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 (+6) Memory 859 Willpower 1 172 Charisma 767 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 327 (+30) Tier 0 Sun point: 440 (+47) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 2 hours 5 minutes 6 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 278: Three Gifts for a Dear Friend Hyshana, Jasmine, Louis, and Kazuki listened attentively as Priam recounted his story. When he finished, a heavy silence hung in the air. The catastrophic end of the erased timeline was a tough pill to swallow. Kazuki was the first to break the silence. ¡°You were afraid ¨¨ve would tap into your memories to summon a nuke,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why you let her go so easily.¡± ¡°A nuke, or worse,¡± Priam sighed. ¡°If she reenacted the final ritual of that Bastard, it would wipe out the entire island.¡± ¡°She can actually do that?¡± Louis¡¯s face went pale as chalk. Knowing gods walked these lands was one thing. Learning that several of their rivals had the power to trigger an apocalypse was another. ¡°No idea. I still don¡¯t fully understand her abilities,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°But none of our rivals should be underestimated. My instincts were screaming that she was a terrible match-up for me¡ªif she had erased my memory after killing Jasmine and the clone, it would¡¯ve been game over.¡± Without his two subsystems, Priam was as vulnerable as anyone to ¨¨ve¡¯s abilities. [He Who Eludes Death] restored his soul, not his memory¡ªas his last death during the Tribulations had proven. It was only thanks to his reward that he had regained his memories. When his draconic instincts whispered that the fae was even more dangerous than Arnold, Priam listened. There were fates worse than death, and he had no desire to experience them firsthand. ¡°I hate those who mess with people¡¯s memories, minds, or egos,¡± Louis spat, disgust clear in his voice. Everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°Knowing the Concepts, we¡¯re bound to cross paths with her again,¡± Jasmine said. ¡°She¡¯s one of our rivals, after all.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be ready next time,¡± Priam swore. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked my add-on to figure out a trap that could disrupt short-term memory using Concepts Archipelago. It¡¯s going to cost a fortune in Sun Points to buy the fragments of the Concepts we need, so I¡¯ll need all of you to pitch in. If it works, we¡¯ll unlock [Memory Manipulation Resistance] for everyone.¡± The cry of a corrupted being crushed by a bio-trap punctuated his statement. With the duel over, the hoplites were busy opening paths through the Oasis barrier to farm undead. Hyshana frowned. ¡°Is this really necessary? We are already struggling with Sun Points to upgrade our defenses, and the new outpost in Valaryth isn¡¯t exactly going to help our finances.¡± ¡°It is necessary,¡± her husband replied. ¡°¨¨ve chose to flee this time, but she could have killed us all¡ªand lobotomized Priam¡ªby sacrificing herself.¡± ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Louis asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t her enemies.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s insane,¡± Jasmine snapped. ¡°It¡¯s hard to grasp unless you meet her, but she¡¯s¡­ pathologically unstable,¡± Priam confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s just her fae nature or the sheer amount of memories and experiences she¡¯s absorbed, but her decisions aren¡¯t always logical.¡± ¡°The point isn¡¯t whether she will attack us; the point is that she can,¡± Kazuki summarized. ¡°And if it¡¯s not her, it¡¯s only a matter of time before someone else targets our memories. Therefore, I support Priam¡¯s suggestion to build these traps and train ourselves in mental resistance.¡± ¡°At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there are far more immediate threats,¡± Hyshana reminded them. ¡°If the Fallen decides to attack or activate his suicide ritual, our current barrier won¡¯t hold. Then there are Dishnu¡¯s Tribulations¡ªI saw the look in your eyes, Priam. You want the best for Log-a-rhythm, but Oasis can¡¯t endure the destruction.¡± Priam had the decency to blush. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we shouldn¡¯t reinforce our defenses.¡± ¡°We are not rich enough to do both. Why not use Potential or Sun Points to unlock these resistances?¡± ¡°Because resistance at level one doesn''t do much, whereas with a permanent trap, we can gain levels,¡± Priam said. ¡°Moreover, it''s not available directly in the Sun Shop and is expensive in Potential. I know we¡¯ve all unlocked several Achievements, but the System¡¯s asking me for nearly a thousand Potential points just for [Memory Manipulation Resistance]¡ªand that¡¯s after several discounts thanks to my build.¡± ¡°Four thousand Potential points for me. I¡¯m too broke to protect myself,¡± Louis mocked, shaking his head. Hyshana read a notification that only she could see, her brow furrowing. ¡°Of all the Oasis residents, only the elite would be able to afford such protection with Potential. That¡¯s not what we want,¡± the general conceded. ¡°I suppose a permanent installation is the best option. Did your add-on give you a quotation?¡± ¡°Around five million Sun Points.¡± Hyshana raised an eyebrow. ¡°Around?¡± ¡°Give or take two million,¡± Priam admitted. His system didn¡¯t have enough data on Concepts Archipelago to be more precise. Jasmine burst into laughter. ¡°What¡¯s a million here or there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°If it were just for me, it¡¯d cost a lot less. But I need to build in fail-safes. The goal is to gain resistance, not lose our memories at the first mistake.¡± In truth, Priam knew the first prototypes would be imperfect. It would take at least five traps before they would be safe for the weakest of their crafters to use, hence the near-prohibitive cost. ¡°I guess safety is important. All in favor of Priam¡¯s idea?¡± Hyshana asked. Everyone raised their hand, and Hyshana nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll organize some expeditions to gather as many Sun Points as possible. Half of everyone¡¯s earnings will go into a pool for the memory trap. Agreed?¡± Hands went up once again, though Louis clenched his fist in thought. ¡°Something just occurred to me¡­ We¡¯re probably all on board with giving the crafters who¡¯ve been here from the start free resistances. But are we going to charge Bertomne, Lamnas, Trap, and whoever else joins us in the future?¡± It was a good question, but to Priam, the answer was obvious. ¡°Without resistance, ¨¨ve could turn them into clones. That¡¯s a security risk we can¡¯t afford. I say we offer a basic resistance set, if only to help them feel like they belong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wise,¡± Hyshana agreed. ¡°In the long run, five million Sun Points is a small price to pay. Better not to skimp on security,¡± Kazuki added. Just like that, Oasis¡¯s safety net was already better than what some pre-Tutorial nations had in place. Other issues still needed addressing, and everyone raised important points. Decisions were made by a show of hands, most of them unanimous. In a community as small and tight-knit as Oasis, democracy was easy. ¡°How are we going to deal with the tribes?¡± Kazuki asked after an hour of discussion. ¡°Slowly,¡± Priam proposed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a month while they organize their tournament. In the meantime, we focus on our Tribulations, purifying our bloodlines, tempering our bodies in Valaryth, and grinding the Colosseum for rewards. If everything goes well, we¡¯ll be strong enough to be taken seriously by the Tier 4s.¡± Surpassing the Tier 4s in a month was impossible. Braato had led his clan for centuries and could probably survive swallowing a nuke. However, Arnold had proven that he wasn¡¯t omnipotent. If provoking the Champions of Oasis came at too high a price, their sanctuary would remain relatively safe. ¡°You still want to enter this tournament?¡± Louis asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. We¡¯re too wealthy.¡± Seeing his companions¡¯ skeptical looks, Priam explained, ¡°Log-a-rhythm, the Skull Temple, the Auctions, Valaryth, and soon our defenses¡ªall of that has value. In this world, strength is everything. And until we show them our muscles¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll treat us like their bitches,¡± Jasmine finished, making a crude gesture. ¡°I would¡¯ve put it more politely, but yeah, that¡¯s the idea.¡± ¡°On paper, it sounds great, but in reality¡­ I don¡¯t feel ready to face my Tribulations in less than a month,¡± Jasmine admitted with a grimace. Priam gave her a wink. ¡°I can help with that.¡± The sun in the sky above Concepts Archipelago flared as Priam entered. It was the nest of a phoenix, which landed gracefully in the grass. Somehow, the ground beneath it didn¡¯t burst into flames. ¡°You finally found time to visit me?¡± the bird asked, its voice laced with dry amusement. ¡°I¡¯ve been kinda busy¡­ you know, surviving,¡± Priam replied with a grin. ¡°If you weren¡¯t my only source of entertainment, I would ignore you entirely. I hope, at least, you got what you were after?¡± Priam nodded. ¡°For the most part, but the debrief will have to wait until I give Jasmine her gifts.¡± The bird, showing rare patience, didn¡¯t push further. ¡°Gifts? Plural?¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice lit up with excitement. The young woman regained a carefree attitude she only adopted when she was alone with him. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Seeing her radiant smile, a stark contrast to her shadowy attire, Priam couldn''t help but think she was the embodiment of lethal beauty. ¡°To be exact, I¡¯ve got three gifts for you.¡± ¡°I love surprises! Can I guess what they are?¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± Priam smiled. Jasmine settled down on the edge of the central pond, her form-fitting outfit shifting into a sleek one-piece swimsuit as she dipped her long legs into the water. The phoenix let out a chirp of amusement. The water came from Priam¡¯s old Talent, [Mirror of the Soul], and was half spiritual in nature. Without realizing it, Jasmine was cleaning her feet in the reflection of his very soul. Some people would pay a high price for such an experience. Let¡¯s hope the System won¡¯t take me for a fetishist. Priam sat beside her and exhaled as he slid his legs into the cool water. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you brought me something from the other timeline?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Clothes? Jewelry?¡± Priam¡¯s eyes widened as he realized she had misunderstood his intent. ¡°I¡­ uh, not that kind of gift.¡± ¡°Oh? Am I not worthy of such luxuries?¡± Her playful tone and the gleam in her eyes made it clear she was teasing, and Priam winked back. ¡°Next time, I promise.¡± Now it was her turn to blush, an adorable shade of pink coloring her cheeks before she coughed awkwardly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s focus. A weapon? No? Hmm¡­ an elixir or maybe a method to strengthen my body?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Priam replied, reaching into the water. His hand emerged holding a drop of blood that refused to blend with the rest of the pond. The liquid spread out in his palm like a small pool of shadows. ¡°A drop of phantom panther¡¯s blood from the Skull Temple. You don¡¯t have a bloodline yet, so I thought¡­¡± Before he could finish, Jasmine flung her arms around his neck. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered into his ear, her voice trembling with sincerity. Her trembling voice held not a trace of teasing. Perhaps for the first time in her life, the young woman received a sincere gift, and judging by the salty liquid Priam felt running down his neck, she was deeply moved. Soon, she pulled away, wiping her eyes, while Priam remained silent. With a wave of her hand, Jasmine absorbed the blood drop into her shadow. ¡°Do you know what properties this bloodline has?¡± Priam shook his head. It was the phoenix who answered. ¡°Stealth, tracking, shadow manipulation, and assassination.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect for me,¡± Jasmine smiled. ¡°It aligns well with your skills,¡± the phoenix agreed. ¡°Is it a powerful bloodline?¡± Priam asked, glancing at the bird. ¡°I mean, compared to something like a dragon¡¯s or phoenix¡¯s?¡± The phoenix gave him a look filled with disdain. ¡°It¡¯s a mid-rank bloodline, and not among the strongest. But,¡± the bird¡¯s gaze softened as it looked at Jasmine, ¡°I know there are pathways to high-rank bloodlines, so you won¡¯t limit your future by grafting it into your aetheric code. Honestly, unless you raid an ancient clan¡¯s vault, you won¡¯t find much better.¡± Priam opened his mouth to ask more, but a look from the phoenix told him that some things they would have to discover on their own. Oaths limited how much his mentor could share. ¡°One last thing,¡± the phoenix warned. ¡°Depending on your compatibility, there is a real risk of atavism. Your body and personality could become¡­ more feline.¡± Jasmine winked at Priam. ¡°I hope you like pu¡ª¡± ¡°No dirty jokes, that¡¯s beneath you.¡± Thanks to her sub-system, Jasmine had mastered English quickly, especially its double entendres. ¡°Fine, fine. I promise I¡¯ll be a good girl to get my second gift.¡± Priam rolled his eyes but reached into the pond again, pulling out a shimmering token. It glowed with a deep crimson light, its aura so intense it was almost suffocating. ¡°[Talent Token - Seraph Rarity],¡± Jasmine read aloud, her eyes widening. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the other you,¡± Priam said. ¡°You helped bring down Bastard, and the System completed your quest. You gave this to me before the timeline ended.¡± Jasmine took the token, her hands trembling. ¡°With this, my Tribulations¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be easier, but still no formality. Check your quest,¡± the phoenix instructed. Jasmine obeyed, her expression souring. ¡°The rewards have changed. The Token is now crossed out. All that¡¯s left is the bloodline purification and the Seraphic Title if I personally finish the Fallen.¡± ¡°Same for me. The System won¡¯t hand out the same rewards twice. Doesn¡¯t matter though; compared to our other rivals, we¡¯re still ahead.¡± Priam had an edge over her too: his bloodline purification awaited him. The phoenix¡¯s breathing quickened as it realized its prot¨¦g¨¦ had received the same token. ¡°Have you used your rewards yet?¡± ¡°No,¡± Priam replied. ¡°I was waiting for your advice¡ªon which Talent to upgrade and which bloodline to purify.¡± The phoenix nodded, its excitement palpable. ¡°Good. Perfect. You cannot afford to waste this reward.¡± It hesitated. ¡°Jasmine, I recommend having a good healer nearby before you use the token.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The phoenix paused for several seconds, searching for the right words. ¡°Talents are deeply engraved into the soul. A sudden, colossal modification to your essence can¡¯t happen without consequences. Fortunately, you Homo Elysian have bound your soul and body together¡­¡± Jasmine shot Priam a confused look. He translated, ¡°Using the Token could be dangerous. If you upgrade a Bronze Talent, you¡¯re skipping six levels of rarity to improve it to Seraphic rank. That¡¯s not gonna be easy.¡± ¡°Six levels? Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legendary, Mythic, and¡­ what comes before Seraphic?¡± Priam glanced at the phoenix, who shrugged. ¡°Use the Token and find out.¡± ¡°Spoilsport,¡± Jasmine grumbled, splashing water at the phoenix. ¡°Ignoramus.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Priam cut in, ¡°as Homo Elysian, our racial Talents give us an edge. If our soul gets damaged, it affects our body¡­ and vice versa.¡± ¡°Oh! Like when Osiris helped me de-age? Even if our souls take a hit from the upgrade, as long as we can heal our bodies, we¡¯ll heal our souls too!¡± Jasmine exclaimed. ¡°In theory,¡± the phoenix confirmed. ¡°In practice, some things¡ªlike losing lifespan¡ªare more complicated. Upgrading a low-Tier Talent to Seraphic rarity will be risky.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide which Talent to upgrade after accepting the bloodline,¡± Jasmine said, pocketing the token, which disappeared into the shadowy outfit that clung to her form. The three of them continued talking for a few more minutes before the phoenix caught on that Priam wanted some time alone with Jasmine. It disappeared into the branches of a nearby maple tree. ¡°Finally alone. Where is my third gift?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Priam cleared his throat. What he was about to say wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure how to address this topic¡­¡± Jasmine raised an eyebrow. ¡°With words?¡± ¡°One more bad joke, no third gift.¡± She stuck her tongue out but stayed silent. Taking a deep breath, Priam continued. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you this, but you died before I activated Back in Time. You lured Arnold into the shadows, which let us block his army of clones. Without you, I might¡¯ve had to rewind before I even triggered my Tribulations. You saved me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help.¡± Priam shook his head, locking eyes with her. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. You¡­ you knew you were going to die. You sacrificed yourself for me.¡± ¡°It was the end of the timeline anyway. No big deal.¡± ¡°No!¡± Priam¡¯s outburst startled Jasmine, causing her to take a step back. He lowered his voice, softer now. ¡°No. It is a big deal. Our contract doesn¡¯t demand you trade your life for mine.¡± Jasmine stared at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about our contract in a long time.¡± ¡°I know¡­ neither have I. Your death made me realize something I¡¯ve known for a while: I don¡¯t see you as my subordinate anymore. You¡­ You are my friend, someone I would risk my life for.¡± Her hands started to tremble, and Priam took them in his own, realizing that his were shaking too. ¡°My third gift to you is this: I¡¯m releasing you from the contract and the sub-system. You are free.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 859 Willpower 1 172 Charisma 767 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 327 Tier 0 Sun point: 523 (+83) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 1 hour 42 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 279: Priams Shadow Jasmine froze like a deer caught in the headlights. A fear so overwhelming it became almost tangible seized her, and Priam grimaced as he felt her slender hands grip his with the force of desperation. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Jasmine¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± She sprang to her feet, her shadow swimsuit shifting into a long cloak, the hood covering her head. Her Concept wrapped around her like a protective shield, warding off the world. Priam stepped closer but hesitated, stopping just short of pulling her into his arms. He didn¡¯t want to force her. ¡°Jasmine,¡± he said gently, his voice soft but firm. ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s what they said too,¡± she whispered. Priam stood silently for a moment, searching for the right words. Seeing his friend so sad was breaking his hearts. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about,¡± he finally said. Priam had always respected Jasmine''s desire to keep her past hidden. ¡°But you''re not in Arcana anymore. You¡¯re no longer a slave. Today, you''re a strong woman, powerful enough to fight against what you hate and chase what you love.¡± Jasmine flinched but said nothing. Priam pressed on. ¡°When I first found you, I had to chain you up because you were my enemy. Now, I want to free a friend.¡± ¡°And what if I don¡¯t want to leave?¡± Jasmine pushed back her hood, and her gray eyes locked onto his. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to be free? What if I want to keep protecting you because I love you? Because for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere?¡± ¡°Then you stay. And no one¡ªnot even me¡ªwill take that away from you. You won¡¯t stay because you have to, but because you choose to.¡± His words calmed her, and Priam moved closer. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. ¡°Do you know what I see when I look at you?¡± Jasmine shook her head, her dark hair brushing against Priam¡¯s hand. ¡°I see a panther that life tried to break.¡± He felt her shudder under his touch. ¡°When I was a kid, I went to a circus and was disgusted to see lions caged. A feline is most majestic when it¡¯s wild. I want to see that panther in you break free.¡± Since he could remember, the concept of freedom had always been sacred to Priam. Experiences like those had fueled his burning desire to live unshackled. ¡°... Let me stay with you,¡± Jasmine whispered, a plea in her eyes that felt out of place on someone as fierce as her. ¡°I want you to stay too,¡± Priam replied honestly. ¡°But I want it to be your choice.¡± ¡°I choose to stay,¡± Jasmine declared, her voice growing stronger. ¡°I will stay.¡± Priam smiled. ¡°Welcome home.¡± It would take time for her to rebuild her confidence, but he knew she was on the right path. "As for the subsystem¡ª" ¡°I want to keep it. It¡¯s a bond between us.¡± ¡°It can be useful,¡± he admitted. Without it, Eve could have messed with his memory far too easily. ¡°We can limit the connection¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Jasmine stepped closer, so near that her breath disturbed the mist that cloaked Priam. ¡°You said I was feline¡­ and it¡¯s true. I love to lounge, tease those I care about, and hunt the rest¡­ but an assassin is more than that. It¡¯s also a shadow. While cultivating that Concept, I¡¯ve realized shadows can¡¯t exist alone.¡± Priam met her gray eyes. The fear was gone, replaced by a lingering unease. ¡°You can tell me anything,¡± he encouraged. ¡°To reach Unity, I had to¡ª¡± Jasmine swallowed. ¡°I chose you. I am your Shadow.¡± Her words were barely above a whisper, but to Priam, they sounded like thunder. The two stared at each other. They were only at the beginning of their journey, but choices had already been made. Now, they had to live with them. Priam¡¯s throat tightened as he grasped the weight of Jasmine¡¯s declaration. ¡°You¡¯ll never be free.¡± He had no idea what else to say. Jasmine¡¯s decision was so far removed from his own desires, it left him reeling. How could anyone willingly give up their freedom? ¡°I knew that long before my training began.¡± Jasmine smiled, as if trying to reassure him. ¡°It never bothered me; few people are truly free anyway. Besides, it¡¯s easier to follow than to lead. This way, the bodies I leave in my wake aren¡¯t really my responsibility. I think that helps me sleep at night.¡± She paused, gathering her courage. When she continued, her gray eyes were clear. ¡°What I¡¯ve always feared isn¡¯t losing my freedom¡ªit¡¯s being alone.¡± Priam swallowed hard. Jasmine was baring her soul to him, explaining the meaning behind her sacrifice. Ironically, the one giving up her life for him was trying to comfort him. Yet her statement was unmistakable: she didn¡¯t share his philosophy. If he accepted her as his Shadow, she would never be free. But it¡¯s her will. Who was he to impose his values on her? To judge or belittle her decisions? She was an adult, with far more life experience than he had. ¡°I¡¯d be honored to have you as my Shadow¡­ and if you ever change your mind, I¡¯ll still be your friend.¡± Jasmine threw herself into his arms, and Priam held her close, gazing at the sun of his world, his mind troubled by the joy that flowed through their bond. According to the phoenix, the method of bloodline absorption varied by species. For the phantom panther, it was as simple as diluting a drop of charged blood into one¡¯s shadow. When Priam had asked what ¡°charged¡± meant, the bird had only said that gathering the blood of a powerful creature wasn¡¯t enough to gain the bloodline. Something had to be given. Yet somehow, his rival¡¯s blood had been enough to upgrade his race. Priam still didn¡¯t quite grasp the difference between a race and a bloodline. I¡¯ll figure it out eventually. Jasmine¡¯s shadow trembled as it merged with the blood, and then she collapsed. ¡°Jasmine!¡± Priam knelt beside her, supporting her head as spasms wracked her body. Before he could question the phoenix, the tremors stopped, and she opened her eyes. Two slitted pupils stared back at him, and she stood up with a grace that was almost supernatural. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Priam asked, still in shock. ¡°Yeah!¡± A huge grin spread across her face as she read her notifications. ¡°I got a Talent and a Title, both Bronze!¡± ¡°As expected from a mid-rank bloodline.¡± The phoenix¡¯s comment sounded casual, but Priam knew it was a roundabout way of giving him more insight into bloodline capabilities. ¡°[Young Phantom Panther - Bronze] is a Talent that helps me erase my presence. You''re gonna have a hard time getting away from me now.¡± Priam smirked back at her. The young assassin was already skilled at slipping into his Domain undetected, thanks to her abilities and mastery of her Shadow Concept. [Young Phantom Panther] was adding wings to a tiger. Well, to a panther. ¡°[Unseen Hunter - Bronze] boosts my agility, and the first Merit¡­ lets me upgrade Agility!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Priam let out a low whistle of appreciation. ¡°That¡¯s strong. In the wiped timeline, you used [Ace] to upgrade your agility. It cut down the time it took for a signal to travel from your brain to your muscles. But maybe [Unseen Hunter]''s upgrade will be even better?¡± Sensing an opportunity to show off, the phoenix puffed up its chest. ¡°[Ace] reduces reaction time to zero. I¡¯m not familiar with [Unseen Hunter], but it might be more interesting.¡± Jasmine raised an eyebrow. ¡°Care to explain?¡± The bird sighed dramatically. ¡°At high levels, Micro does the same thing. It¡¯s not a useless Merit as it helps you understand your body and advance Supremacy. For someone as slow as Priam, it could help break through a mental block.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°For you, it¡¯s less essential,¡± the phoenix continued, ignoring Priam¡¯s protest. ¡°You have got an innate mastery of your body, so you don¡¯t need it to understand Micro.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m just that talented,¡± Jasmine said, a hint of pride coloring her voice. Priam smiled, happy to see his friend feeling confident again. The phoenix wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªJasmine was deliberately pacing herself to avoid rushing into Micro II too quickly. While Kazuki was a prodigy with the spear, the assassin¡¯s brilliance lay in her unparalleled control over her body. ¡°You know the nature of [Unseen Hunter]''s agility upgrade?¡± The phoenix shook its head. ¡°Adult Phantom Panthers usually reach Tier 6. As assassins, they¡¯re monsters capable of wounding a Tier 7, and even my Mother would think twice before entering one¡¯s territory. There aren¡¯t any around Sector Hope, and that¡¯s for the best.¡± Lots of words just to say you don¡¯t know. That was enough to convince Jasmine. A pulse of magic rippled from her body, and in an instant, all the shadows within the inner world gathered around her. Like a cocoon, the darkness enveloped her. Priam and the phoenix waited in silence. Through the bond that now connected them consensually, he could feel that his friend was safe. When the chrysalis split open, it revealed a naked young woman. A second later, shadows clothed her, and she shot Priam a playful wink. Before he could respond, Jasmine¡¯s shadow morphed into her twin and positioned itself beside her. The flesh-and-blood Jasmine and her shadowy double exchanged brief smiles, then the clone launched itself forward. Moving at an impossible speed, it tapped Priam on the forehead. In the blink of an eye, it was Jasmine who was touching him. She had swapped places with her shadow. ¡°Oh,¡± she exhaled softly as her legs gave out. For the second time in mere seconds, her shadows dissipated. Priam caught her just in time, shielding her modesty with a robe of mist. He didn¡¯t need to ask if she was okay; the grin on her face said it all. ¡°My nerves are now made of liquid shadows,¡± she revealed after catching her breath. ¡°I can react almost instantly, but more importantly, I can swap places with my shadow.¡± ¡°You could already do that,¡± Priam noted. Jasmine¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Not while keeping momentum.¡± After several rounds of experimentation, Priam had to admit he was a little jealous of Jasmine¡¯s new ability. If light was one side of the coin, then shadow was the other. As such, she could move at the same speed. In theory, the assassin could order her clone to throw a punch, then swap places at the last moment, allowing her arm to move at the speed of light. One didn¡¯t need to be a genius to realize that the kinetic energy unleashed would be insane. [About 200 000 times the energy released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.] Pulling off an attack like that would kill Jasmine outright. Of course, the chances of that happening were nonexistent, as the cost in aether and stamina was infinitely greater than those reserves. After a few tests, she capped her top speed at three times the speed of sound¡ªabout a kilometer per second. Pushing past that would put her life at serious risk, and not everyone had the luxury of resurrection. Once the tests were done, they sparred. Jasmine manifested two extra arms made of shadow, turning herself into a four-armed warrior. Two of the arms were insubstantial but could accelerate and become flesh at any moment. During their first exchange, Priam blocked a dagger strike but widened his eyes when Jasmine¡¯s palm slammed into his chest. One of her shadow arms had moved too fast for him to register, and the moment of contact had been so brief that he couldn¡¯t fully absorb the kinetic energy. Shadows, having no mass, made it impossible. ¡°Are you even human anymore?¡± Jasmine grumbled, cradling her wrist. The angle between her hand and forearm looked unnatural. ¡°Feels like I just tried to punch a block of steel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult me,¡± Priam shot back, smirking as he walked over to an oak tree to grab some branches for a splint. ¡°I¡¯m tougher than steel.¡± With her vitality, Jasmine would be healed by the end of the day, but the lesson would stick. ¡°That said, the question¡¯s kinda rich coming from someone who¡¯s practically becoming one with shadows.¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m getting stronger,¡± Jasmine shrugged, letting Priam splint her wrist as she thought aloud. ¡°With this new ability, I can strike and dodge faster than most Tier 5s, but I need a weapon I can teleport into my hand right before impact. Maybe a shadow dagger¡­¡± ¡°The bigger the gap in Tier, the less you¡¯ll be able to rely on your Concepts,¡± the phoenix warned. ¡°Micro or Domain will crush them without mercy.¡± ¡°Bastard¡¯s Domain overwhelmed my mist so badly it was dangerous to use,¡± Priam nodded in agreement. ¡°Better to buy a legendary or mythic dagger from the Sun Shop and bind it to yourself.¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. Birdie, any advice on increasing the number of times I can swap places with my shadow while keeping my speed? I burned through almost a fifth of my aether just switching my arm.¡± ¡°Ever think of boosting your aether reserves with meta-endurance?¡± the bird sneered. They all knew it was just a sticking-plaster solution. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy. It¡¯s not a low-Tier ability. For now, just be happy you have got a new trump card.¡± Jasmine growled but didn¡¯t argue further. She began manipulating her shadow, training with it. If there was more to the ability than just speeding up her movements and catching opponents off guard, she would figure it out. ¡°Now it¡¯s our turn,¡± Priam said, sitting cross-legged in the grass. The phoenix settled in front of him. ¡°At last. Which reward are we starting with?¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 859 Willpower 1 172 Charisma 767 META: Meta-affinity 923 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 258 Potential: 12 327 Tier 0 Sun point: 523 (+83) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Epic skill
  • Evolution Token - Legendary skill
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 1 hour 7 minutes 59 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200 Chapter 280: Ciphered Record ¡°Now it¡¯s our turn,¡± Priam said, sitting cross-legged in the grass. The phoenix settled in front of him. ¡°At last. Which reward are we starting with?¡± ¡°You tell me,¡± Priam replied, forcing himself to ignore Jasmine¡¯s acrobatics in the background. ¡°I¡¯ve got a ton of rewards pending, and I think it¡¯s time to map out exactly how I¡¯m progressing until the Tier up.¡± ¡°A wise decision,¡± the phoenix responded, glancing at Priam¡¯s shadow dancing on the ground. As a being of fire, the bird cast none itself. ¡°I assume you have already thought about it? I would rather advise than dictate.¡± Priam organized his thoughts, glancing at the notes in his add-on. ¡°Top priority is surviving my quintuple Tribulation. I can still delay them for five more months, but the longer I wait, the more it strangles my progress.¡± Some of his attributes were already nearing the threshold for triggering a sixth Tribulation. ¡°Waiting beyond necessity is a bad idea. Tribulations are the perfect opportunity to secure prerequisites for ideal upgrades and to harmonize your soul with a Concept. Think of them as a trial to ensure your foundation is strong before moving forward.¡± Priam groaned but nodded. He knew it was good in the long run, but right now, it was just a massive pain. ¡°With Back in Time, I got a glimpse of my Tribulations. The first two are mental. I died too quickly to study them properly, but I remember being trapped in nightmares where the masks I wore on Earth replaced my identity.¡± The phoenix cocked a fiery eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡± Priam winced. ¡°Before the Tutorial, I forced myself to fit in. To be accepted, I wore a mask rather than showing my true self. Not literally, of course, but¡­ I acted how people expected me to. It was easier to blend in without showing my true feelings.¡± ¡°A lot of people do that.¡± ¡°With everyone?¡± Priam countered. The phoenix hesitated before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know humanity well enough to judge, sorry. Have you figured out what the System sees as a weakness?¡± ¡°I wore those masks for so long that I forgot who I was. Maybe I still don¡¯t know.¡± Priam looked at his hands. They had changed since the Tutorial, and now, even his body felt alien to him. ¡°Who am I? The System wants me to find an answer to that question.¡± The phoenix nodded. ¡°Identity is the strongest anchor for an ego. Without it, your personality would dilute as you strive for Unity with a Concept.¡± ¡°It already happened,¡± Priam recalled. He had lost control when he became the incarnation of Fire and nearly killed Sphinx. ¡°So we have identified the reason for your first two Tribulations.¡± Priam let out a hollow laugh. ¡°All I need to do is figure out who I am. Piece of cake!¡± The phoenix gestured toward Jasmine. ¡°Earlier, with your friend... You weren¡¯t wearing a mask. It¡¯s a start.¡± Priam glanced at the young woman. Her distress had moved him, and he had been so caught up in the moment that he hadn¡¯t played any role. ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± he admitted, before sighing. ¡°I¡¯d rather the System stay out of my mental health problems. Just give me an enemy to punch, that¡¯s all I ask!¡± ¡°Ignoring your mental health is dangerous. Letting it fester is like letting emotional wounds rot... until they turn you into a monster.¡± The phoenix paused, and Priam understood he was thinking about the corruption of his original self. ¡°The System is trying to patch that.¡± ¡°By killing those who lose their minds?¡± ¡°A cruel method devised by a merciless machine. I am sure you have got a plan to survive.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ve got a plan. I¡¯m not dying twice from the same shit.¡± Priam glanced at the sky of his world, aware that the System was listening. Was it wise to lay all his cards on the table? As if this thing wasn¡¯t reading my mind 24/7. ¡°I¡¯ve got a mythical shield to tank the physical Tribulations while I deal with the mental ones,¡± Priam revealed. In the erased timeline, Sumstreh had destroyed it, but this time, he managed to keep it. ¡°You realize you can¡¯t punch your nightmares until they go away, right?¡± ¡°No, but I can adapt to them. [True Will] should help, though I¡¯m planning to downgrade it to Epic to get the ideal version.¡± ¡°Are you sure you will check off all five prerequisites?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t live through [Back in Time] for nothing.¡± ¡°I suppose. However, you are still taking a risk as an ideal Epic skill is weaker than its high Legendary version.¡± Priam tapped his temple. ¡°With [He Who Eludes Death], my only weaknesses are my soul, mind, ego, and memory. If I want to secure them as best as possible, I need a flawless foundation. Plus, my gut tells me that tempering my body with ideal resistances is the way to become a Heavenly Dragon.¡± ¡°Your gut or your obsession with perfection?¡± ¡°Both,¡± Priam grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a dragon settling for anything less than perfection.¡± ¡°That does sound like those prideful creatures,¡± the phoenix chuckled. ¡°So, you have chosen a skill for one of the seven gates of your perfect body. Now, you just have to anchor it.¡± ¡°I was planning to use the Tribulation to create the first gate. The method requires using a trophy and undergoing ''vigorous tempering'' to anchor the resistance. All I¡¯m missing is the trophy.¡± The phoenix remained silent for several seconds before smacking his head with a wing. ¡°Sorry, I must have misheard. Did you just suggest using a Tribulation to temper your body?¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad idea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the dumbest idea I have heard since my death. I¡¯m honestly surprised you didn¡¯t get the [Dumbass] Title just for saying it.¡± ¡°... Is that a real Title?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if you know a King, ask them to petition the System to grant it to you!¡± ¡°Will do; I¡¯m not turning down Merit points,¡± Priam grinned. ¡°So, is tempering by Tribulation possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s madness.¡± ¡°Trying to achieve perfection without taking risks¡ªthat¡¯s the real madness.¡± They locked eyes for a moment before the phoenix looked away. ¡°We will talk about it later.¡± There was nothing more to add, so Priam proceeded. Potential - Skill Creation Do you wish to downgrade the rarity of [True Will - Legendary]? Potential required: 4 754 Current potential: 13 451 And here I thought I was rich... Downgrade of [True Will - Legendary]. WILL -198 CHAR -99 Searching for a compatible skill... Prerequisites met:
  • [Homo Elysian Obsession].
  • Presence of a legendary heritage¡ª[True Will].
  • You resisted the assault of a divine consciousness.
  • You survived a mental Tribulation.
  • You survived an amputation of your soul.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Free Will - Epic] - Level 11 - Without free will, the universe would be born, grow, and die at the command of fate. A soul offers the chance to rebel, but few seize it. By shedding the masks you have worn your entire life and defying the world with your true self, you risk failure. By the law of equivalent exchange, you also gain a chance to triumph. Experiences will change you, but as long as you pursue your dreams, this skill will help you maintain your identity and free will. ¡°Man is free at the instant he wants to be.¡± ¡ª Voltaire. WILL +6 (x11) CHAR +3 (x11) Like a runner on the verge of collapse, Priam felt his mind waver. As a passive skill, [True Will] had been supporting him at every moment. Now that the resistance was gone, no longer reinforcing his identity, he felt his mental state weaken. Simultaneously, his ego hardened into a core. The sensation was hard to pin down, maybe because it came from his mind itself, but it was real. What he lost in sheer mental resistance, he gained in raw quality. As long as Priam fought for his freedom, his ego would endure. That resistance was fueled by his determination, and that was all he had ever hoped for. A smile tugged at his lips, but the System wasn¡¯t done surprising him. Achievement - Mythic: As a Tier 0, you have unlocked ten ideal upgrades. As a Wonder seeker wandering the world isn¡¯t enough; you need to understand it. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Message for Humanity, Sector Hope and Wandering Islands: Priam Azura unlocks a tenth Ideal Upgrade. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential + 10 000. 1 000 000 Sun points. Fusion Token - Epic skill. Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic) As if awakened by his latest accomplishment, the world caught fire. He was trending across a thousand networks, no doubt¡ªand some people were already trying to dig up info on him. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 57 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 ¡°The more you spy on me, the less you¡¯ll see,¡± Priam smirked. Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 58 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 His shadow quivered, and Jasmine stepped out of it. ¡°I feel like a ton of people are watching us. I hate it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a feeling.¡± Jasmine groaned while the phoenix furrowed his fiery brows. ¡°Would someone care to explain?¡± ¡°[Free Will] became my tenth Ideal skill, and the System decided that was worthy of an Achievement.¡± Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 59 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 ¡°You could have guessed that. Why didn¡¯t you block the announcement?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m sick of all these assholes constantly watching me. If they want to gift me a legendary resistance, I¡¯ll gladly take it.¡± ¡°So, it has nothing to do with being pissed about your rivals¡¯ progress?¡± Priam burst out laughing. ¡°Of course it does. Time to remind them who¡¯s the First.¡± Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 60 MEM +3 META (Affinity) +3 META (Authority) +3 ¡°Here we go!¡± [Revelation Resilience - Epic] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Prerequisites met:
  • Over a billion people attempted to read your record.
  • Tier 8s failed to read your full record.
  • [Homo Elysian Obsession].
  • Over a billion people have forgotten your record.
  • Parent skill of Ideal quality.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked: [Ciphered Record - Legendary] - As famous as you are incomprehensible, that is how they will see you. Potential Cost: 720 ¡°[Ciphered Record]... That¡¯s got a nice ring to it.¡± You have selected the skill [Ciphered Record - Legendary]. POT -720 [Ciphered Record - Legendary] - Word of your exploits has spread across many sectors and piqued the interest of the powerful. As a rising star, your ascent draws all eyes... but your brilliance blinds them. Inspired by the manipulations of a certain administrator, this skill will encrypt your secrets. Attempting to decrypt your Akashic signature is now futile. Your trails run deep but form a labyrinth for those trying to follow them. Everyone sees you, but none understand. MEM +6 META (AFFI) +6 META (AUTH) +15 Title upgraded: [Upgrader - Silver] becomes [Upgrader - Gold]! [Upgrader - Gold] - You have pushed an epic skill to its limits at Tier 0, then increased its rarity. You must have the System set to easy mode; that¡¯s the only explanation. POT +1 000 With eyes closed, Priam focused on his soul. On the fourth and final layer, a massive rune had just formed. The aether produced by his soul passed through this sigil, gaining an odd affinity. The energy was then distributed throughout his body via his meridians, granting him a peculiar property. His aetheric signature seemed distorted, and [Ideal Aether Perception] sensed a confusing quality to it. That was likely why most of the divination probes hovering around him appeared lost. He could sense millions of them, like butterflies waiting to steal his secrets. Mysteriously, most were circling endlessly, unable to close the final gap. Those that did reach his skin were often destroyed by the more offensive aspects of his resistance. [Ciphered Record] was going above and beyond to kick some asses. One probe, however, caught Priam¡¯s attention with its familiarity, and he used [Divination Interception] to connect with it. The foreign structure responded by striking like a serpent. A connection opened, and Priam felt the distant presence of Sna, the shaman of the Snaherts. ¡°I thought Oasis and the Snaherts had an agreement,¡± he sent. A ripple of surprise passed through the mental bridge. The Tier 4 hadn¡¯t expected him to detect her probe, much less connect with it¡ªand certainly not recognize her. ¡°Indeed. My probe must have... wandered,¡± replied the shaman. ¡°Sure. See you in a month for the tournament.¡± With that, Priam summoned [There Is No Heaven] and severed the connection brutally. It was definitely the psychic equivalent of an insult, but he didn¡¯t care for voyeurs. ¡°Someone woke up today and chose violence,¡± the phoenix commented. ¡°That¡¯s all they understand.¡± Prometheus dismounted the summoned horse, surveying the devastated landscape beyond the camp. What was once a lush forest had been reduced to a broken plain. The monstrous wails echoing from the cracks mingled with cries of despair rising from smoldering craters. Despite the dry air, he heard a sniffle to his right. A young man, barely sporting a beard, was sobbing. Around him, men and women stared at their king, a mix of hope and pride battling against sorrow and fear in their eyes. ¡°The survivors, Your Majesty,¡± Guandi presented. The general-in-chief was pale. ¡°Fifty-four out of ten thousand.¡± Less than one percent. When Mercury had told him about the survival rates of the Tribulations, Prometheus had been shocked. However, this knowledge hadn¡¯t prepared him for the sight before him. When piles of corpses were reduced to statistics, the ink was blood red. ¡°In this cruel new universe, you have taken up arms,¡± Prometheus addressed the survivors. ¡°The trial was harsh, yet your victory has reforged you. Those who have fallen are watching us, and their hopes walk with us. If we are to join them tomorrow, then today must matter. The battle is coming, and I will await you by my side,¡± he roared, raising his sword. ¡°For humanity!¡± ¡°For humanity!¡± the survivors echoed, tears streaming down their faces. The cry reached the camp behind them, and the warriors responded in kind. ¡°FOR HUMANITY!¡± As the ground trembled beneath the roar of the Royal Army, Prometheus felt hope begin to chase away the fear in his heart. Priam proved every day that a human could stand against fate. The King would prove that all of humanity could. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 891 (+32) Willpower 987 (-185) Charisma 648 (-119) META: Meta-affinity 945 (+22) Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 285 (+27) Potential: 17 872 (+5 545) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 000 609 (+1 000 019) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 0 hour 54 minutes 41 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 281: A Conversation About Ideals Priam had no illusions: a mid-Tier divination expert could probably still scry him without him even knowing, let alone stop it. However, even they would now receive far less information than before. ¡°This is weird,¡± came a feminine voice. Opening his eyes, Priam found himself nose to nose with Jasmine. ¡°You¡¯re way too close.¡± The assassin stepped back with a mischievous smile. ¡°Oops.¡± He noticed she had changed clothes. Her sleek, sporty bodysuit had been replaced with a shadowy cocktail dress, dark as night. Made of shadows, it wasn¡¯t restricting her movements in the slightest, but announced a shift in her mood. The sadness from earlier had been replaced by playfulness. ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± asked the part of Priam not constantly analyzing his surroundings. ¡°[Identification] is throwing an error, and my shadows are struggling to detect you.¡± Jasmine frowned. ¡°Even my Domain¡¯s having trouble pinning down your outline. But my eyes can see you, my ears can hear you, and my nose can smell you.¡± ¡°Just say I stink.¡± ¡°No, you smell like... a mix of smoke and nature, maybe?¡± [Ciphered Record] was masking Priam¡¯s Akashic signature¡ªwhatever that meant. It was expected that the resistance would block [Identification], but the fact it could also scramble the senses granted by a Domain or Concept was fantastic news. ¡°A skill truly worthy of its legendary status,¡± Priam smirked, sealing his Memory. Just one level-up of his new resistance, and he would trigger a sixth Tribulation. A stupid way to die. ¡°Think I could get the same resistance?¡± Priam pondered for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°It would definitely help an assassin like you, but I don¡¯t know how to make it happen. Without the Sector Hope administrator''s intervention or ¡®Back in Time,¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have even met the prerequisites for it.¡± As Jasmine pouted, Priam had an idea. ¡°You could declare your Achievements? That would fulfill some requirements.¡± ¡°And ruin others,¡± Jasmine replied, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m an assassin. Some of my skills rely on me staying under the radar. It¡¯s already bad enough being a Champion without drawing more attention. I¡¯ll just wait until I hit other ideal prerequisites. I¡¯m sure there are similar resistances out there for people like me.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t do that if I were you,¡± interjected the phoenix. ¡°Most ideal skill prerequisites involve putting yourself in serious danger,¡± Lasha explained, her sultry voice making every word feel like a secret promise. ¡°If you refuse to level up your abilities and take risks, you¡¯ll eventually die. The only workaround is to downgrade a skill, but that costs a ton of Potential. There¡¯s a reason only one in ten million people has an ideal skill.¡± ¡°Priam¡¯s got ten of them,¡± Luc pointed out, leaning against a balcony railing. Below, a sprawling metropolis stretched out¡ªskyscrapers made of ice stood alongside stone trees. This extravaganza of wonders could have been the capital of a civilization, but it was the exclusive property of Lasha. The young man had almost been impressed until he remembered he would soon be rich enough to buy it all. All it took was for Priam to keep defying the impossible. ¡°Priam¡¯s an anomaly. Most descendants of mythical clans have fewer ideal prerequisites.¡± Luc grimaced. Even with the nearly two million contribution points he had withdrawn, he wasn¡¯t rich enough to ask the Mercenaries to grant him that many ideal skills. Priam was a freak of nature. ¡°I figured some ancient clans would have more than ten ideal skills.¡± Lasha, the manager of the Mercenaries¡¯ Casino, let out a laugh. Luc knew she was teasing him, but her laugh was so charming he let it slide. The fact that she charged him normal rates for their lessons¡ªwhen, as a Tier 5, she could have multiplied the price a thousandfold¡ªwarmed his heart. ¡°You underestimate the jealousy of the nobles and the powerful,¡± the stunning elf finally replied. ¡°Few of them are willing to raise a generation stronger than themselves¡ªafraid they¡¯ll be replaced. Of course, there are exceptions, but those prodigies often meet an untimely end... or live long enough to become monsters themselves.¡± ¡°And us?¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°The Mercenaries.¡± Lasha gave him a surprised look, then playfully mocked him. ¡°You think you¡¯re a prodigy in danger?¡± ¡°Not really; no one would dare mess with your boyfriend.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t won your bet yet,¡± Lasha responded, her hair stirred by a nonexistent breeze. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Her words made Luc¡¯s heart race. ¡°To answer your question, the Mercenaries were founded by people who aim to reach the Zenith. This competitive spirit and our strict rules prevent the slaughter of our geniuses. That¡¯s why we¡¯re one of the most powerful factions in the universe. Plus¡­¡± Her gaze darkened. ¡°A multiversal war is brewing. Now more than ever, our faction is looking to create powerhouses.¡± Luc swore he would be one of them. He would bet on every opportunity until he hit the jackpot. ¡°So, about ideal skills¡ªanything else I need to know before making my choice?¡± he asked eagerly. Lasha raised two fingers. ¡°First, having an ideal skill saves you a prerequisite when upgrading it.¡± ¡°The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.¡± It was true, even for a gambler like Luc. ¡°A universal truth. Second, a legendary ideal upgrade doesn¡¯t require a connection to a Supremacy or a Concept. That means you can get a skill that¡¯s outside your usual build.¡± Luc raised an eyebrow. He already had plenty of skills that had nothing to do with his Luck Concept. ¡°You might not see the appeal now, but think ahead,¡± Lasha advised. ¡°Unless you¡¯re an absolute genius, you¡¯ll only master one Concept at the same Tier as your soul. At Tier 5, you¡¯ll get an evolution of your Luck Concept, and all your skills will center around that. It¡¯ll limit your ability to min-max your stats, but it worsens. Imagine you run into a nemesis who¡¯s resistant to Luck-based tricks¡ªyou¡¯ll be stuck throwing epic-tier fireballs at them. Not sure that¡¯ll cut it. But if you¡¯ve managed to get ideal upgrades, those fireballs will be Legendary, maybe even Mythical. Enough to surprise an enemy who thinks they¡¯ve cornered you.¡± ¡°Just Mythical?¡± ¡°After that, getting prerequisites that don¡¯t align with your Concept is a nightmare.¡± A gong rang, and Lasha clapped her hands together. ¡°Break¡¯s over¡ªback to training.¡± She pulled a coin from her pocket. ¡°If you guess right, you get to choose the next lesson¡¯s focus.¡± With a flick of her thumb, she sent the coin spinning through the air. Luc watched it, aware that with more perception and vivacity, he could simulate its fall and predict the outcome. But that wasn¡¯t his style. ¡°Tails,¡± he called before it hit the ground. When the coin settled on the thick carpet, he smiled. His Luck was progressing fast, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see the world through his Concept¡¯s Unity. ¡°It¡¯s getting too easy for you. We need something harder¡­¡± Lasha grumbled before smirking. ¡°Next time, you¡¯ll have to guess the color of my underwear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing¡ª¡± Luc stopped mid-sentence. Too late. ¡°Oh? And how do you know that?¡± The phoenix¡¯s explanation about ideal skills had cleared things up for Priam, but he had one last question. ¡°One of the tribe shamans hinted that multiple ideal upgrades exist for the same skill. Is that true?¡± ¡°It is,¡± the phoenix confirmed, ¡°but each prerequisite pushes the skill in a specific direction. If you choose an ideal upgrade for [Moon Mist] before uniting with Mist, you will alter its nature.¡± ¡°Why is that a problem?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°It¡¯s kind of redundant with his Concept.¡± ¡°A skill uses aether, while a Concept mainly drains mental endurance,¡± the phoenix reminded her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you see the value in tapping into two different resources. Additionally, [Moon Mist] loses flexibility as it gains power. By combining both, you can create mist three times faster while tapping into two sources. Plus, level-ups grant attributes that strengthen your Concept.¡± For a brief moment, Priam thought about creating a skill to manipulate fire¡ªPyro consumed a lot of mental stamina. A glance at his stats convinced him to drop the idea. Tribulations ensured no one could possess too many powerful skills. ¡°Interesting as all this is,¡± Jasmine yawned dramatically, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve spent a single reward yet.¡± Priam laughed and opened his reward list, eyeing his Tokens. Fusion, Evolution, Affinity, Talent, and Revelation. He would use them all soon, but the most pressing was the one that could upgrade a Talent to seraphic rank. [Talent Token - Seraph Rarity] - Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it to seraphic rarity. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Note: Talents are etched into the soul. Upgrading by multiple rarity levels may negatively impact the user. List: Ultimate Sensory Memory, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity, Hoplite Warpath, Blessing of Viracocha, He Who Eludes Gods. ¡°Since I turned back time, I''ve been wondering which Talent to upgrade to Seraphic rank,¡± Priam said, summoning his bound weapon. The spear gleamed, catching the light from the artificial star glowing overhead. ¡°Promesse could be upgraded with the help of a master blacksmith and some rare metals. Out of my remaining Talents, only [Chimera], [Hoplite Warpath], and [He Who Eludes Gods] interest me. Got any advice?¡± ¡°Read me their descriptions,¡± the phoenix replied. [Chimera - Bronze] - Your body can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological system will adapt to many changes. [Hoplite Warpath - Gold] - Enhances your talent for physical violence. [He Who Eludes Gods - Gold] - Your soul belongs to you. You are now unique. The one and only Priam Azura. Priam finished reading, and the phoenix took a moment before speaking again. ¡°The Token will upgrade one Talent to Seraphic rank. If that rank doesn¡¯t exist for the Talent, the Token will create it. As Hoplites are still a new civilization, [Hoplite Warpath] doesn''t have a Seraphic rarity. It might improve your ability to fight... or give you some negative result.¡± Priam frowned, clearly unimpressed. ¡°Scholar and warrior, sure. Bloodthirsty brute? Hard pass.¡± ¡°A wise choice,¡± the phoenix agreed. ¡°[He Who Eludes Gods] is a powerful option, but by far the most dangerous. I can¡¯t go into details, but I strongly advise against it.¡± The oath of his mentor was sometimes frustrating, especially for someone as curious as Priam. ¡°I would appreciate some context.¡± The phoenix glanced at Jasmine, hesitating. ¡°She¡¯s my Shadow now,¡± Priam reminded him. He didn¡¯t fully understand what that entailed yet, but he was sure she would never betray him. Ever. ¡°I recommend not spreading this knowledge: some have an interest in keeping the masses ignorant...¡± The phoenix paused, his voice dropping. ¡°There weren¡¯t always minor gods¡ªTier 5s like Viracocha. Eons ago, in another universe, a special being used the power of faith to carve his own path to the Zenith.¡± Priam hung on every word. The Zenith was the peak of existence, synonymous with omnipotence and omniscience. Not even the Seven had reached it. ¡°This event altered the laws of aether itself. Since then, He has ruled over His universe, with His pantheon leeching off countless others. Our universe is shielded by the Concepts, but many are not.¡± Sitting cross-legged, his back straight and his muscles keeping him balanced, Priam mulled over the phoenix¡¯s words. The three Supremacies, the Concepts, and now the power of faith¡ªhe now knew five ways to reach the Zenith. According to both the phoenix and the Empress, [He Who Eludes Gods] and celestial souls were tied to the power of faith. Claiming such a Talent would make him a sworn enemy of the gods. ¡°If we piss off the wrong gods or leave this universe, we¡¯ll have High Tiers chasing us down,¡± Jasmine summarized. ¡°That¡¯s not great for our lifespan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s far worse than that,¡± the phoenix added darkly. ¡°If a major god captures you in their Divine Kingdom, not even death will free you. Your soul will be their plaything until they die... which could take a while, since they¡¯re Immortals.¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s avoid what might provoke the wrath of the gods.¡± For now. ¡°What about [Chimera]?¡± ¡°[Chimera]...¡± The phoenix stiffened, almost imperceptibly, but Priam caught it with his supernatural senses. His eidetic memory confirmed it¡ªhis mentor had shuddered. ¡°... is a Talent rarely offered by the Concepts. Nevertheless, it¡¯s both ancient and potent. It will synergize with [Homo Elysian Obsession] and mediate the conflict within your bloodlines.¡± ¡°Which conflict?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could accept two noble bloodlines without consequences, did you? The only reason I let you devour the wyvern¡¯s heart was because of this Talent. Once the purity of those bloodlines increases, they¡¯ll start to clash. [Chimera] is a way to keep the two beasts inside you from tearing you apart." ¡°Then why hesitate? Seems like an obvious choice.¡± Priam extended his hand toward the pool, and a medallion floated out. Its color¡ªa mesmerizing blend of turquoise and gold¡ªwas almost as captivating as its texture. Closing his eyes, he could have sworn he was touching liquid, yet the metal under his fingers was solid. The illusion undoubtedly stemmed from its spiritual properties. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± Priam tore his eyes from the Token and gave his mentor an exasperated look. ¡°I¡¯ve always hated those passive-aggressive remarks. I¡¯m more receptive when people say things directly without trying to humiliate me in the process.¡± The phoenix and his pupil locked eyes until, finally, the bird looked away. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my patience is running thin. We¡¯ll finish this later.¡± ¡°Because of [Chimera]?¡± Priam pressed as the phoenix started to leave. ¡°Keep your secrets,¡± Priam said to the phoenix¡¯s silence. ¡°But if you want me to save your original, maybe you should ensure I don¡¯t die doing something dumb." The phoenix froze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Token?¡± His mentor was clearly wounded by his memories, but Priam wasn¡¯t going to wait for the bird to emerge from his melancholy. He had things to do, and time waited for no one. ¡°The Token isn¡¯t the problem¡ªyou are,¡± the phoenix finally said without turning back. What are you, my ex? Priam recalled the earlier exchange between the bird and Jasmine and groaned. ¡°Jumping six ranks between Bronze and Seraphic would damage my soul, right?¡± ¡°Or worse. Don¡¯t make the same mistake I did.¡± Priam''s mind flashed to his previous upgrade of [Eidetic Memory]. He had almost died trying to handle power beyond his capacity. If even the System felt obliged to include a note to warn him, it was certainly necessary. ¡°So what do I do? Sell the damn Token?¡± ¡°A two-rank jump is already risky. With [He Who Eludes Death], you can try for three¡ªno more. You need to get [Chimera] to Legendary rank before you use that Token.¡± With a raging cry, Priam stood and hurled the Token back into the pool in frustration. ¡°Fuck! What¡¯s the point of giving me a useless reward?¡± The phoenix finally turned to face him. ¡°It was a reward meant for a Champion capable of contributing to the downfall of Bastard. Is that what you did?¡± Priam froze. Only Sphinx¡¯s sacrifice had made Sumstreh¡¯s death possible, and he knew it. His sole achievement had been surviving a few minutes against the Fallen¡¯s blind rage and wounding the first layer of his soul¡ªa minor injury, given Sumstreh¡¯s origins. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this reward.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. The System likely intended for you to face Sumstreh at Tier 1, right before the second Reunion. With several months of preparation, the Token would have been perfectly suited to your progression. You were clever using Back in Time, but you will still have to work a bit to make the most of this reward. At least, you have a bloodline purification.¡± ¡°One of [Ace]¡¯s Merits can boost [Chimera] to Silver,¡± Priam thought aloud. ¡°I need two more ranks... The Colosseum?¡± ¡°Wave seventy-five will get it to Gold,¡± the phoenix confirmed. ¡°As for the Legendary upgrade, starting your body tempering should do the trick. It will purify your draconic bloodline, which will compete with the phoenix one. [Chimera] will react to prevent an internal war, and with some Potential¡ªand possibly a death¡ªyou should be able to stimulate its evolution.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Priam said, opening his Merits. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 891 Willpower 987 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 945 Meta-focus 444 Meta-endurance 804 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 285 Potential: 17 872 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 000 650 (+41) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 95% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 1%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Bloodline Purification (+1%)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 0 hour 44 minutes 14 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 282: The Juggernaut Epic Trees of Merit [Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it. List: Citizen of Aether, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity, Hoplite Warpath. ACQUIRED 6 Unused Merit Points. [Chimera - Silver] - Your body and mind can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological system will adapt to many changes. The addition of mind was a minor change in the description, but Priam could feel its impact almost immediately. [Draconic vivacity: You have multiple (two) streams of thought, each powered by 77% of your vivacity. Base: 72% +5% from Chimera] This was the kind of upgrade that could turn terrifying over time. While Priam was talking with his mentor, one of his parallel thoughts could analyze the situation from a different angle, solve a problem, or even practice manipulating ambient aether to boost his proficiency. A five percent increase in his effective speed of thought was more than welcome. He was eager to begin his tempering and return to the Moon to finish upgrading [Chimera], but Kazuki''s Tribulations would start in a few hours. In the meantime, Priam had decided to use his second reward. At least this one didn''t have any prerequisites. Focused on his Pyro Concept, he was sweating as the flames of a campfire licked the back of his hand. In the center of his palm, a ruby quivered. It was a drop of fossilized blood gifted by the System to purify his phoenix bloodline. The draconic one had been set aside since he only needed to devour his enemies¡¯ hearts to stimulate it. His mentor had revealed that the two most direct ways to purify his phoenix bloodline were to be reborn through Nirvana or absorb the Legacy Blood of a phoenix. The drop simmering in his palm fell into the latter category. "Ow!" Priam glanced over at Jasmine, who had just stuck her hand into the fire. ¡°I wanted to see if it was actually hot,¡± she explained. ¡°You¡¯ve had your hand in there for a while, and it still doesn''t smell like cooked meat.¡± Priam smirked but didn¡¯t bother responding. Between his constitution and his Fire Champion physique, he no longer feared ordinary flames. His friends sometimes forgot just how resilient he was. Heated by mundane fire, the blood droplet finally liquefied and seeped into his skin. It coursed through his veins, mixing with his own blood. A double beat from his two hearts sent the mythical substance pulsing through his body. A second beat tore a scream of pain from him: his blood was boiling! Priam¡¯s senses overloaded, and a wave of dizziness sent him toppling into the campfire. His head fell among the burning coals, but instead of pulling away, he sank into them. The heat embraced him, the crackling whispered in his ears, and the scent of ash filled his nostrils. Then, out of nowhere, two figures appeared, etched on an ember. The soul of the Fire Champion and the blood drop of the phoenix that stimulated his bloodline resonated together to recreate a scene. ¡°Consuming the ashes of our ancestors like a common cannibal... And I thought you had found a revolutionary way to stimulate our bloodline. What a fool I am. You¡¯ve fallen low, Kelt¡ª¡± A branch snapped, drowning out the cursed name. ¡°What was the alternative? Marry my own descendants to prevent our bloodline from diluting further? Our clan is dying, and you know it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for Mother to decide,¡± retorted the visitor. ¡°Being an Immortal does not make her decisions any fairer!¡± The Prince¡¯s shout ignited a shower of sparks. Laughter answered him. ¡°Perhaps, but she has the power to enforce them.¡± ¡°If you would help me¡­¡± The anger had left the voice, replaced by a desperate plea. ¡°Help you?¡± A pause. ¡°Even if I wanted to, these ashes are so charged with soul shards that they would poison any phoenix. I¡¯m shocked you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°I found a way.¡± A loud crack obscured the Prince¡¯s whispered words as the fire collapsed inward. In the chaos, Priam caught only a single word. ¡°Depths.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Priam gasped, breaking the surface. Cold droplets clung to his skin as he inhaled deeply, grateful for a breath. The swim had soothed the fire burning through his veins, and he felt great. Climbing out of the pool, he quickly dried himself with Pyro and marveled at his new connection with the Concept. Reaching two percent purity in his phoenix bloodline had stimulated his affinity with all flames... including Pyro. Title upgraded: [Fire Sage - Bronze] becomes [Pyro Sage - Silver]! [Pyro Sage - Silver] - Your natural affinity for the Pyro Concept (T1) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Pyro is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it. Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity: the Sage''s path leads to the Zenith. Pyro devours matter and needs no fuel to exist. While it¡¯s not the most powerful flame, it is the most fundamental. From it, all others are possible; it¡¯s up to you to dominate them. META (Focus) +10% NEW META (Endurance) +10% The bonus to his meta focus was a welcome boost to the aether flowing through his meridians, but it was the perfect affinity with Pyro that truly excited Priam. He was now just one step away from reaching Unity with the Concept, and he could already sense the path ahead. All he needed was a spark to light the way. "Nice tattoos." A hand touched his back, and Priam allowed Jasmine to trace the invisible lines etched on his skin. Two wings, each with thirty five feathers, were clearly visible to meta perception. All he had to do was infuse them with Pyro, and they would glow in the visible spectrum. With a single thought, he could deploy two tangible flight organs. Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 16,..., 35 META(Focus) +40 META(Endurance) +20 According to his mentor, Priam¡¯s lack of legacy skills was the reason for the massive level-up. The bloodline had flooded his only available ability, imprinting it on his body by reorganizing key meridians. ¡°I like their effect,¡± Priam said, grinning. ¡°This skill should become ideal if I keep purifying my bloodline.¡± He would have to buy the final Merit for [Hatched Phoenix] to make that happen. ¡°Any idea how to do that?¡± ¡°The Colosseum,¡± Priam answered simply as he donned a robe of flames. All signs indicated he would soon visit B¨¦char to fight for a whole stack of new rewards. ¡°You gonna do something about your hair?¡± While Concepts subtly influenced their users, bloodline changes were a lot more noticeable. Ever since becoming a Fire Sage, Priam¡¯s hair had taken on fiery highlights. Now, his mood swings could cause them to shift from coal black to the blazing reds of embers. ¡°Nah, I like it,¡± he finally replied. ¡°Is Kazuki ready for his Tribulations?¡± ¡°Got less than an hour left.¡± ¡°Enough time for you to tell me exactly what happened during the erased timeline,¡± interrupted the phoenix, landing on Priam¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I think you should start recounting your adventures from now on. If you had started with a story, I could have warned you about the Mythic Achievement.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Priam told his adventures to the bird. The monologue was only occasionally interrupted by questions or Jasmine¡¯s quips until, his throat parched, Priam brought it to a close. ¡°There were certainly better things to do, but it was a solid run.¡± Hearing an ancient phoenix use gamer slang was comical, but Priam held his smile. ¡°There is just one problem. You said you unlocked [Radiation Resistance].¡± ¡°Yeah. Rare?¡± ¡°Not rare. Impossible. Not a single being in the entire sector Hope has ever accomplished that feat.¡± Priam shrugged, a smug grin spreading across his face. ¡°That''s a word that''s not in my dictionary.¡± Rather than dismiss him, the phoenix stared at him before nodding. ¡°That might be truer than you think. When I was still an egg, my mother often read me The Origin of the System¡ª¡± ¡°She read to an egg?¡± Jasmine cut in, incredulous. ¡°Without it, I would have died of boredom,¡± the phoenix confessed with a shudder. "Being confined in an egg for a decade is unbearably dull; there¡¯s not much to do except harmonize our soul with the flames.¡± Phoenix parenting habits interested Priam far less than the System. ¡°The Origin of the System¡­¡± ¡°A collection of tales. Probably the most famous book in this universe, partly because the author is a Dragonslayer.¡± ¡°Dragonslayer¡­¡± Priam savored the word. ¡°That¡¯s a special Title, right?¡± Even the sound of it seemed to calm the aether around him. The very world acknowledged the magnitude of such an achievement. ¡°A Zenith rarity Title,¡± the phoenix confirmed, his voice thick with respect. ¡°I¡¯m talking about a true dragon, with an undiluted bloodline. A Tier 9 beast capable of terrorizing galaxy superclusters, each of its scales a supermassive black hole, and a single glance from his eyes can sire offspring.¡± It was undeniably impressive, though Priam found it a shame to settle for just a glance to become a parent. That¡¯s missing out on the fun part. ¡°What happened to the Dragonslayer?¡± ¡°He divorced his wife after she gave birth to a half-dragon¡ªprobably the motive for the kill¡ªand then married the dead dragon¡¯s mother, another Tier 9. He is quite the grudge holder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be horrified or impressed. Maybe a bit of both¡­¡± said Jasmine. The phoenix shrugged his fiery wings. ¡°Back to the tales, my favorite was The Juggernaut¡¯s Epic. That name must ring a bell.¡± ¡°One of the shamans called me that¡ªthe ¡®Smiling Juggernaut.¡¯ What does it mean?¡± ¡°The adjective is premature, but as for the name¡­ It is one of the archetypes of Champions summoned by the System,¡± the phoenix revealed. ¡°I don¡¯t know much more, but the Juggernaut is renowned for defying the impossible. It is the most famous and rarest archetype. That is partly why I picked you to kill my original.¡± ¡°Because thinking a Tier 0 could kill a Tier 6 is impossible?¡± ¡°I hope you will prove me wrong.¡± Priam smirked. ¡°Deal. So, for [Radiation Resistance], I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s hard to obtain because radiation infects the aether of the irradiated?¡± ¡°Radiation corrupts all aether structures. Hypothetically, even if your cells mutate to resist it, the information wouldn¡¯t be able to reach your soul... Receiving radiation prevents you from developing resistance, but it¡¯s the only way to gain it. It¡¯s a vicious circle.¡± The phoenix spat a ball of magma, a sign of deep agitation. ¡°My clan, and others, have spent enough resources to buy a billion civilizations chasing that resistance¡ªand failed!¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t they just buy it with Potential?¡± The phoenix let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Potential is well-named: you need a potential chance of unlocking a Talent or skill to create it. If you don¡¯t meet certain prerequisites, it¡¯s impossible. How did you do it?¡± The bird seemed more rattled than Priam had expected. Even his resurrection ability hadn¡¯t shaken it like this. Then again, it was a phoenix, Priam mused. ¡°[Homo Elysian Obsession] synergized with [Life Is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] and its Merits to let my cells mutate. Then, I burned decades of my lifespan to speed up the mutation process. Out of the trillions of cells created, some adapted. With help from my add-on, draconic vivacity, and my mastery of aether, I protected their connection to my soul. I kind of died in the process, but I made it through.¡± Man and bird stared at each other for a few heartbeats before the phoenix burst out laughing. ¡°A Juggernaut, alright,¡± it finally said, wiping away embers of mirth. ¡°I was right¡ªit is impossible.¡± Priam shrugged again before an idea struck him. One that could make him very rich. ¡°Think I could sell the method to your mother?¡± The phoenix considered it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Aces are rare, and you need one to achieve [Ideal Aether Perception]¡ªwithout that skill, you would never have been able to target the aether of your cells. Your racial Talent is absurdly powerful and helped bind your soul to your body''s cells. So one would have to change a phoenix¡¯s race to Homo Elysian to even attempt the experiment. The cost to purify their bloodline again would be astronomical. Not to mention your draconic vivacity¡ªthe bloodline would cause stability issues with that of a phoenix, and it¡¯s nearly impossible to purge¡ªand your add-on, a double-edged sword. No, you are and will remain the only one with this skill¡­ and my mother will kill you if she finds out.¡± Priam knew he wasn¡¯t the only one in the universe with [Radiation Resistance], but he was clearly part of an elite few. ¡°Charming lady... Though, I was already planning to avoid her. She¡¯s wanted me dead ever since you gifted me her bloodline, remember?¡± Priam quipped. Two flames appeared by the phoenix¡¯s beak, twisting into a cruel smile. ¡°You are mistaken: before, she wanted you dead because of tradition. Now, she wants your head because you have the potential to surpass her.¡± Rather than feeling threatened, Priam¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Phoenixes are known for their flames, but some are too dangerous to cultivate. Because radiations prevent our resurrection, my mother had to wait until Tier 6 before she could cultivate within a star. It took her a thousand years to accept that she wouldn¡¯t reach Unity with it; a facet of stellar power eludes her. You might succeed where she failed. You might master the Star Concept.¡± The phoenix lifted his eyes, and Priam understood that it wasn¡¯t this sky he gazed at, but the one of Elysium. Up there, the king of the phoenixes of this universe had become a sun. A star¡­ Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 891 Willpower 987 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 945 Meta-focus 532 (+88) Meta-endurance 833 (+29) Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 285 Potential: 17 912 (+40) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 000 850 (+200) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 23 hours 7 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 283: The Last Hero of the Hoplites Standing before the raging sea, the hoplite meditated. Eyes closed, he was synchronizing his heart with the waves reaching the shore. A mass of water crashed violently onto the sand. He could feel the tremors deep in his lungs and the foam kissing his feet. The ocean was both harsh and gentle. Opening his eyes, he watched the pattern unfold before him. Every seven seconds, a new wave rose, and before it slammed down, it was easy to dive beneath it¡ªPriam had even mentioned the possibility of surfing it. The lesson Kazuki took from this was that water welcomed those who respected it but crushed fools who dared challenge its power. A gust swept through, carrying the ocean salty spray with it. The jealous wind rose, eager to remind everyone that for all its power, water couldn¡¯t touch it. Kazuki smiled. He didn¡¯t share Priam¡¯s deep love for the sea, but he acknowledged its grandeur. ¡°Sorry for the delay,¡± came a voice from behind. Kazuki turned, surprised. Apart from Jasmine, few could get this close to him without his Concept alerting him. Yet the wind remained silent, as if confused by a rival it couldn¡¯t understand. He has grown stronger. Priam¡¯s fiery hair had changed color, but the shift went deeper. Kazuki¡¯s Domain struggled to scan his friend, and the titan inside him was behaving strangely. Moreover, none of it seemed related to the Achievement he had heard an hour ago. Hyshana thought Priam embodied adaptation, but Kazuki wasn¡¯t so sure. Adaptation was reactive, while his friend was a force of action. Like a juggernaut, Priam was forging his own path. That suited Kazuki just fine. With a rival like Priam, he would never grow complacent. ¡°No worries,¡± Kazuki replied, pushing aside the stray thoughts. He was here to face his Tribulations¡ªeverything else could wait. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Priam¡¯s eyes were so intense that the question felt anything but casual. Kazuki looked inward, then smiled. ¡°Impatient to get it over with.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll win,¡± his friend encouraged, giving a thumbs-up¡ªa human custom. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The History of the Hoplites is written in blood and sweat¡­¡± The mythical lion, Taishi, and the ghostly tribunes were the same as those shown in Priam¡¯s memories. Kazuki¡¯s last doubts faded. A roar drew his attention. The feline was enraged, furious that Kazuki had spared it only a glance. One look was enough to know no blade could pierce or slash that golden fur. In the erased timeline, the Champion, blinded by pride, had struck the beast until its organs burst. He had won, but at a high cost¡ªa Pyrrhic victory. Kazuki had no intention of repeating his mistakes. If his pride and his people''s expectations were too heavy a burden, then he would cast them aside. Nothing was more important than the survival of his civilization. When the lion lunged, Kazuki ignored the desires of his people. He called upon the Name of the Wind, manipulating the air in a wide area. Deprived of oxygen, the Tribulation began to panic. It took less than a minute for the beast to lose consciousness. One quick thrust to its right ear later, its body collapsed onto the sandy shore. Several kilometers from the Valaryth outpost, the area was perfect for a battle without endangering his friends. ¡°The Name of the Wind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Concept I mastered after ending the Greys,¡± Kazuki announced to the hoplite floating in the air. His elevated position likely gave him an air of dominance in the eyes of the spectators. The father of the hoplites wasn¡¯t above theatrics. ¡°An accomplishment worthy of a hoplite hero. I am Taishi.¡± ¡°My name is Kazuki.¡± Taishi waited for a moment before raising an eyebrow. ¡°No title?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have one,¡± the Champion pointed out. ¡°Titles are meant to bind a hero to their myth in the minds of the people. I have no need for that as no one forgets the first.¡± There was definitely a salacious joke to be made, but that wasn¡¯t Kazuki¡¯s style. Instead, he focused on the implication: no one could forget the deeds of the greatest hero. ¡°Your legend is the foundation of our civilization,¡± Kazuki acknowledged. ¡°But if the first hero doesn¡¯t need a title, neither does the last.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to be the first than the last.¡± ¡°The heaviest burden always falls to the strongest. I shall carry it.¡± If Priam had been in his place, he would probably have conjured a river of plasma or a sea of mist to impress the crowd. Kazuki didn¡¯t have flashy tricks like that, but he relied on his sincerity, charisma, and sheer strength to win over his people. A flicker crossed Taishi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Bold words. Arrogance isn¡¯t a virtue.¡± As gray slates rose among the spectators, voting for Taishi to reclaim his title as Champion of the hoplites, Kazuki didn¡¯t flinch. His ancestor was trying to undermine his image with words, but in the end, their people would follow the strongest. ¡°Arrogance is a flaw, but so is false modesty. I¡¯m not ashamed of being the strongest.¡± ¡°Shame doesn¡¯t seem to have much hold on you.¡± Taishi sighed. ¡°I should have expected this from someone who wields the Name of the Wind, the weapon of those cowardly Greys.¡± In the erased timeline, the father of the hoplites had preached the opposite. A shadow passed through Kazuki¡¯s eyes. ¡°A hoplite I respected once said, ¡®A hoplite always pays his debts¡­ but only a slave pays them twice.¡¯ I cleansed the Name¡¯s honor by killing the Greys.¡± ¡°You think quoting me will work in your favor?¡± Taishi¡¯s voice simmered with anger. Kazuki gestured to the tribunes. ¡°I¡¯m not here to win a debate. I¡¯m here to show our people that their founder shifts between sword and spear whenever it suits him.¡± The Champion¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You were born a warrior, but perhaps you died a politician.¡± Coming from him, it was almost an insult. A legendary spear appeared in Taishi¡¯s hand, his features twisted with rage. ¡°Questioning my teachings is rebellion against the hoplite legacy.¡± ¡°I believe in the message, not the messenger.¡± A spear, the twin of the Tribulation, flashed into Kazuki¡¯s hand. ¡°Let our duel settle our differences.¡± Kazuki had learned to walk at six months old, and by his first birthday, his father had put a staff in his hands. He killed for the first time at eight, when a burglar had tried to assault his mother. One strike to disarm the hoplite, another to knock him down, and a final blow to freeze his terrified expression forever. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His father had tried to teach him the value of life and forgiveness, but Kazuki had never been convinced. He saw the terror in his mother¡¯s eyes and knew he never wanted that for himself. Forced to flee at twelve for questioning the pacifist teachings of the Greys, Kazuki wandered for months in the countryside before joining a military academy. There, he quickly embraced the Hoplite code of honor. His interest grew into a passion, and on the day of his coming of age, he decided to enlist in the army. A prodigy, Kazuki rose through the ranks, defeating enemies, commanding ever-larger forces, and excelling in public competitions. Born in the cowardice of the Greys, he had become the paragon of a martial civilization. In his twenty-five-year career, Kazuki hadn¡¯t lost a single one of the thousands of duels he fought. His unyielding nature might have caused trouble if he weren¡¯t such an absolute genius. That was why Hyshana¡¯s family couldn¡¯t oppose their marriage. After he¡¯d killed a hundred suitors, the rest had accepted his humble origins. Appointed Supreme General at forty-one, he had finally reached the pinnacle of the stratocracy, proving to all that their civilization rewarded merit. No one doubted Kazuki was the greatest genius of his generation. But was he the greatest in hoplite history? That was the question on the minds of the billions watching, summoned by the Tribulation. The first clash set the tone for the battle. Kazuki had analyzed his opponent''s techniques through Priam¡¯s memories. Exploiting even the smallest flaw in his adversary¡¯s thrust, the spear virtuoso severed the overextended hand. The severe injury rattled the founder''s defenders. To his credit, Taishi didn¡¯t let the shock bury him. He countered with a kick that was easily blocked. The ancestor grunted as a blade sliced his Achilles tendon. The fight lasted a few seconds longer before Taishi transformed into a beam of light, retreating to a safe distance. He reappeared fifty meters away, pale as a ghost and drenched in sweat. His body was slashed in a dozen places, and without Micro, he would barely be able to stand. ¡°You are one with the spear,¡± Taishi admitted. He himself had taken half a step into Mastery II, with his Flash Concept complementing his spear skills. Yet none of his techniques could even graze his opponent. Kazuki was undoubtedly the better spearmaster, and he had unraveled his foe¡¯s fighting style. There was nothing more to say. Seeing his opponent remain silent and the spectators beginning to doubt, Taishi summoned a thousand light projectiles. Dodging them all would have been tricky, so Kazuki didn¡¯t bother. Every single projectile shattered against his Titan physique. ¡°You will need to try harder than that,¡± Kazuki taunted. ¡°Metallic skin? Are you even still a hoplite?¡± A murmur rippled through the crowd. The hoplites wouldn¡¯t follow an alien. Realizing how tough Kazuki was, Taishi shifted his attacks to question his legitimacy. ¡°I was born a hoplite, and I¡¯ll die a hoplite,¡± Kazuki swore. ¡°Can you say the same? Between running away and flinging insults, I¡¯m starting to wonder where the honor of the father of our civilization has gone.¡± An uproar erupted from the stands, and Taishi understood the people were backing Kazuki¡¯s words. Having cauterized his wounds, he summoned a massive spear of pure light to smite his enemy. The attack descended upon Kazuki like divine judgment, splitting the air and sea like a column of lightning. The atmosphere turned to plasma, and the world rumbled in protest. When the light finally faded, Kazuki stood in the same spot. Spear raised toward the heavens, he looked glorious. Only the red-hot tip of his spear hinted at the titanic blow he had just deflected. Before anyone could react, he hurled his legendary weapon. It swallowed the distance between them in an instant, burying itself in Taishi¡¯s skull. In stunned silence, his body dissolved into a rain of luminous particles. The arena trembled as the System polled the hoplites. Seven heartbeats later, Taishi reappeared in a flash. The Eighth Tribulation would always resurrect the hero chosen by the people. Until Kazuki claimed that title, his Tribulations would never end. Three times, Kazuki defeated his opponent, and three times he was resurrected. Each time, the number of slates raised by the crowd shifted. From one in a hundred hoplites, Kazuki had now won over one in four. The myth of their founder was gradually eroded by the raw power of their last hero. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just quit?¡± Kazuki asked as Taishi resurrected for the fourth time. ¡°You cannot win.¡± Taishi stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°You are strong, no doubt, but strength alone doesn¡¯t lead a people. You lack vision.¡± The honesty in Taishi¡¯s words caught Kazuki off guard. He hesitated as his opponent wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Others will handle that,¡± Kazuki said, thinking of his wife and their eternal rival, Ishaka. ¡°You would leave them that power?¡± ¡°Of course. My duty is to protect my people, not rule them.¡± Taishi nodded, his form shifting into pure light. ¡°Then let¡¯s compare my vision to your duty.¡± The final duel began. As fast as light, Taishi¡¯s spear pierced Kazuki¡¯s side. Even with his enhanced constitution, the spear punched through. There was little blood; most of it had evaporated, and the flesh was seared. Before Kazuki could counter, Taishi had already retrieved his weapon. The next few seconds were a blur of agony, wounds ripping across Kazuki¡¯s body as he struggled to land a hit. Taishi was gambling everything, burning through his mental endurance to overclock his Flash Concept. It was a draining strategy, but it played to his advantage; every resurrection replenished his resources. Moreover, from the audience¡¯s shouts, it made for a spectacular show. As the crowd began to waver again, Kazuki tapped into the Concept he had glimpsed through Priam¡¯s memories. The Tribulations offered him the perfect moment to declare his intention to the world. ¡°I will protect them,¡± Kazuki vowed. It was his Duty. A spear bit into his thigh, drawing Kazuki¡¯s attention. Before it could be withdrawn, the hoplite¡¯s new Concept bent reality, freezing the light itself. A firm hand gripped the spear, immobilizing its wielder as well. Kazuki¡¯s spear sliced through Taishi¡¯s light form, eliciting a pained scream. Unity with a Tier 0 Concept did not protect against Spear Mastery II. Abandoning his spear, Taishi staggered back. Returning to his hoplite form, he clutched his abdomen, trying to keep his intestines from spilling out. Kazuki stepped forward, menacing. The father of the hoplites tried to retreat further, but an invisible chain anchored him in place. No one could escape their duty. Reaching his adversary, Kazuki offered his spear. He would not allow the founder of his civilization to die without dignity. Something shifted in Taishi¡¯s eyes. He accepted the spear and assumed a fighting stance. The end of the duel was magnificent. The two spear masters exchanged a thousand strikes, showcasing and refining their techniques, elevating their martial science to an art form. Swift thrusts, powerful slashes, and exquisite grapples were executed. Dancing a deadly waltz, the two warriors circled each other, the intensity of their attacks soaring until the final, inevitable crescendo. Despite the beauty of the battle, there could only be one victor, and it was clear who that would be. Of the last thousand exchanges, Kazuki hadn¡¯t lost a single one. The Champion¡¯s talent was too vast to be contained by any spearmaster, however legendary. When the sand turned red with Taishi¡¯s blood, the ancestor adopted a well-known stance¡ªthe Tiger¡¯s Bite. It was the first thrust taught to every soldier, the foundation of hoplite martial science. Like a mirror, Kazuki mimicked him. The spectators held their breath. ¡°Ahhh!¡± the two heroes roared as they charged. When the cloud of sand settled, two spears had pierced two hearts. ¡°Why?¡± Taishi asked, seeing that Kazuki had refused to dodge. ¡°I accept the hoplite past,¡± he breathed, his duty forbidding him to die despite the absence of his heart. Taishi was the incarnation of that past. And Kazuki... ¡°¡­,¡± the father of the hoplites sighed, impressed by the devotion of the last hero of his civilization. ¡°The past matters, but we must look to the future.¡± The spectral stands began to dissolve along with Taishi. The hoplites had reelected their Champion, and the Tribulation healed him. He exhaled in relief as his heart regenerated. His instincts had assured him the hoplite Champion¡¯s blessing would apply to him, but it had been a risk¡ªone Hyshana would surely scold him for later. Title won! [Heartless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your heart, one of the vital organs of your species. In the future, you will be able to stay alive for a while without this vital organ. You are starting to be influenced by the unconscious behavior of a certain rival. That¡¯s bad for your life expectancy. VIT +10%
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 284: Putting One’s Affairs in Order Kazuki was welcomed as a hero. His subordinates knelt in solemn respect, honoring their Champion. However, before the atmosphere grew too heavy, they broke rank, rushing toward their leader. Within seconds, Kazuki was hoisted into the air like a rock star, smiling as cheers echoed around him. The sight struck Priam as odd until it clicked: the hoplites revered their general as much as they loved him. A mix of respect and joy, the duality of the ceremony was refreshing to witness. That wasn¡¯t the only thing worth noting. Priam¡¯s draconic instincts stirred, refusing to fully calm whenever Kazuki was around. There was only one reason his bloodline would keep him on edge: the Tribulations and their rewards had vaulted Kazuki back into the ranks of the most dangerous rivals. If he managed to master his new Concept... Priam¡¯s heart raced at the thought of sparring with his friend. The next few hours flew by. Following their leader''s example, the hoplite soldiers triggered their Tribulations in turns. Priam tended to forget this, but these warriors were the best among billions. Trained by Kazuki, hardened by the Necromoon hordes, equipped by the Sun Shop, and armed with knowledge of what awaited them, they passed their trials with flying colors. Only Hyshana chose to wait. The general wanted to bide her time to attempt a quadruple Tribulation. ¡°My talent may not match yours or your rivals'', but even the hardest exam becomes manageable when you know the questions in advance. Thanks to you, that¡¯s exactly my position,¡± she said, nodding at Priam. ¡°There¡¯s truth in that, but it¡¯s still a risk. Think hard before you make that leap,¡± Priam advised. ¡°Without me, my wife would be the heroine of this generation,¡± Kazuki chimed in, beaming with pride. ¡°I have absolute faith in her.¡± There wasn¡¯t much else to say. Leaving the craftsmen to continue building the Valaryth outpost under Myuri¡¯s supervision, the rivals returned to Elysium. As they traveled, Priam noted a few differences from the erased timeline. The second Terror hadn¡¯t shown up, possibly because they had shifted the timing of the Tribulations¡­ or maybe due to the lack of blood in the ocean. Priam could only hope Titus hadn¡¯t crossed its path this time. He had considered going after him but stopped himself: he wasn¡¯t ready to face the Terror. Another difference was Esm¨¦e¡¯s absence. In the other timeline, she had returned to observe the Tribulations. She must have figured out that Priam had used Back in Time and adjusted her plans accordingly. Since her presence wasn¡¯t urgent, Priam decided it was time to visit the Oasis merchant. ¡°Merchant Ymir.¡± ¡°Lord Priam.¡± The half-elf bowed. ¡°Judging by the hoplites¡¯ high spirits, I assume your endeavor was a success.¡± ¡°They made good use of the intel I gave them to pass their Tribulations,¡± Priam confirmed, then furrowed his brow. ¡°Now that I think about it, I never offered to help with yours, did I?¡± His relationship with Ymir was more professional than the ones he shared with Louis or Myuri, but the merchant had been one of the first members of Oasis. Priam hoped they could maintain a good rapport. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We merchants advance by purchasing our upgrades from the System. What costs you Potential, I pay for in cold hard cash or Sun Points. Buying and selling is literally how we progress.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± What was likely obvious to the natives of this universe was news to Priam. Talking further, he learned that Ymir didn¡¯t face Tribulations like Priam. Instead, he had goals to achieve: move large volumes of goods, trade rare items, gather crucial intel, or broker contracts with heroes. The missions were varied and tailored to each merchant. Despite the lack of deadly trials, the profession was challenging due to High Tribulations. The System couldn¡¯t help merchants master Supremacies, and purchasing affinities for commerce-based Concepts was expensive. Outrageously expensive. ¡°Hence why so few merchants Tier up. My kind is naturally cautious, and there comes a point when upgrades are so costly only heirs of massive companies can afford them. This concentrates rare items in major cities and capitals.¡± Priam thought of ¨¨ve and his two remaining rivals making their way to the heart of the Knaya Empire. Was he making a mistake staying in his secluded corner? I¡¯ll have to travel eventually, but for now, the Sun Shop offsets the need for access to civilization. ¡°What kind of power does a wealthy merchant wield?¡± Ymir¡¯s smile turned sharp. ¡°Depending on his expertise, they might connect unique artisans or track down hundreds of needles in one haystack. Some focus on gathering intelligence, but the Grand Guardian of Secrets has a near-monopoly on that market,¡± he said, gesturing to the Menhir of Secrets standing at the Forum¡¯s center. ¡°What should I fear from a shady merchant?¡± ¡°If your willpower or charisma are too low, they could persuade you to buy any trinket at a hundred times its value, trick you into signing predatory contracts, or get you to spill more than you intended.¡± Priam could already imagine the power some crime lords held in a universe where breaking magical contracts could be¡­ final. ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid of getting robbed?¡± Ymir grinned. ¡°Most of us choose a protector with a bright fate to defend us.¡± Looking at the Oasis merchant, Priam realized their relationship would likely become more symbiotic. If he needed rare metals for Promesse, Ymir would find them. In return, Priam would have to protect Ymir so he could do his job in peace. Like a feudal lord and his vassal¡­ ¡°I¡¯m more than just your protector¡ªI¡¯m a resourceful man,¡± Priam said with a smile, opening a portal to Concepts Archipelago. ¡°In the erased timeline, I was able to duplicate all your items.¡± Ymir¡¯s smile widened. The two then began unloading the goods into the merchant¡¯s shop until they reached the plants. ¡°My payment for the duplication,¡± Priam explained, keeping the samples in his internal world. ¡°Naturally. I assume I took a deposit? Allow me to refund you.¡± Priam left the merchant with an extra one million four hundred thousand Sun Points in his pocket. Grinning, he made his way toward Log-a-Rhythm. Before focusing on his training, there was one last thing to do: feed his tree with the plant samples from Ymir. Log-a-rhythm Status Current POT: 1 810 Passive gain: 100 (+250) (+40) POT/day. (+250 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest V) (+40 POT/day: bonus - Natural Growth IV) Measurements Height of the tree crown: 25 meters Depth reached by the roots: 20 meters Interior Area: 68 m2 (57 m2 +20%) (Ceiling Height: 3 meters) Features Abundance - Life III Abundance - Aether II Protection IV Tribulation Resistance II Secret Passage I Land Owner II Protective Barrier VII Camouflage II Guardian of the Forest VII Mighty roots I Necro Purification VII Natural Growth IV Necro Resistance III Rot Resistance II Underground II Age: 56 days since creation As if he had sensed the event coming, an elf stood waiting at the foot of the Tal Quercus. "Lamnas," Priam greeted him with a smile. "My Lord." The title caught Priam off guard. When Ymir used it, it was a sign of respect, much like a server addressing royalty in the twenty-first century. Despite their politeness, there was little chance the waiter considered themselves inferior to the monarch. Lamnas, however, spoke with a deference that made Priam uncomfortable. "You don¡¯t have to call me that, you know." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The botanist started trembling. "Did I do something to displease you, my Lord?" His wide eyes betrayed a flash of panic. "What? No, not at all!" Priam grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to scare his subordinate. "I just meant you can call me by my name if you prefer. My life¡¯s no more valuable than yours." At least, in a general sense. If it came down to him or Lamnas dying, Priam wouldn¡¯t throw himself on the bullet¡¯s path. However, he had the emotional intelligence not to say that out loud. "Please allow me to continue addressing you by your title." The idea of doing otherwise seemed to disturb the young elf. Seeing no reason to insist¡ªit might have been important in Lamnas¡¯ culture¡ªPriam nodded. "As you wish." He gestured toward the enormous tree. "I was about to feed some of Ymir¡¯s plant samples to Log-a-rhythm." A smile lit up Lamnas¡¯ face. Tending to plants came naturally to him. The two of them ascended to the crown of the tree. On a wooden platform overlooking Oasis, they began unpacking the various plant specimens Priam had acquired from Ymir. "A mutant prunus avium!" Lamnas exclaimed joyfully, lifting a small potted shrub of a wild cherry tree. He seemed excited with each new discovery. "Are these rare samples?" Priam asked, noting his gardener¡¯s enthusiasm. "Not really. I had a few in my previous garden." "Yet you seem happy to see them." "It feels like reuniting with old friends¡­ Plus, they¡¯ll be a great help to Lord Log-a-rhythm." Priam decided not to comment on the title. "You think their sacrifice will yield a lot of Potential?" Lamnas'' expression turned to horror. "Sacrifice?! Why would you do something so... unnatural?!" "Log-a-rhythm can siphon the Potential from these plants to fuel its growth," Priam explained. "It¡¯s the privilege of a Tal Quercus, but such a sacrifice isn¡¯t necessary! It¡¯s barbaric." Lamnas turned pale as he realized who he was talking to. "I... I didn¡¯t mean to imply that you¡¯re barbaric, my Lord, I¡ª" "It¡¯s fine," Priam reassured him. "What do you mean by ¡®not necessary¡¯?" "Lord Log-a-rhythm is a tree. It can gain all the benefits of these samples through grafting." It was so obvious that Priam didn¡¯t know what to say. "Oh..." "Besides, it seems to be on the path to becoming a guardian. We could plant some of these samples in its domain to cultivate them. Over time, this will yield far more Potential than a one-time sacrifice." Priam had already considered expanding Oasis to channel more Potential into his tree, and Lamnas'' suggestion¡ªdiversifying the forest¡ªfit perfectly into that plan. Trees were meant to grow long-term, and the cost of some of Log-a-rhythm¡¯s features reflected that reality. "In the past, sacrificing things like redwood seeds or tea bushes unlocked features. Can it be done without sacrifices?" "There are two ways. The first is artificial, via grafting." Lamnas gently took hold of a thin branch. "We implant a bud or fragment from another plant here. It¡¯s similar to organ transplantation. If the graft takes, the two plants merge, retaining their respective qualities. For instance, a weak fruit tree grafted onto a stronger one can produce better fruit while gaining resistance to disease." Priam knew the principle, thanks to some of his family members who worked in viticulture. Most French vineyards had been devastated by an insect pest a hundred and fifty years earlier. Only by grafting authentic vines onto American rootstock had the wine industry survived. "Grafts can fail," he pointed out. "With my skills, I¡¯m confident I can graft any Low Tier plants," Lamnas assured him. "The second method is natural: simply plant a specimen, then wait for its roots to join with the Tal Quercus, and for the plant to accept its authority. This forms a giant organism, like a sort of clonal colony. The fact that there is already a flow of Potential in Oasis proves that Log-a-rhythm is on the right path." Priam nodded. Potential was a personal resource, and the fact that his tree could absorb it from plants within its domain meant their relationship was at least symbiotic. "It¡¯ll take longer, but the gains will be exponential in the long run," Priam summarized. "Exactly." "Alright." Appointing Lamnas as Oasis'' head gardener, Priam tasked him with grafting and planting Ymir¡¯s samples. More than just his home, Log-a-rhythm was a formidable resource¡ªone that would undoubtedly prove vital as the cornerstone of Oasis. "You can start with the grafts right away, but hold off on the planting. In a few days, a rival might use Log-a-rhythm for their Tribulations." "That sounds dangerous..." "It is, but it¡¯s also an opportunity for it." By the time Priam left the platform, Lamnas was already grafting cherry branches onto Log-a-rhythm. Blueberry might soon make magical pies. After passing along all his notes to the various crafters, Priam retreated to his room. The warm wood of Log-a-rhythm and the soft glow of its sap soothed him as he planned for the future. Oasis could now run itself. His friends and family were busy with their own projects and had everything they needed to progress. Rose had asked for his help with some experiments, and his father was crafting traps to boost his resistances, but nothing was ready just yet. For the first time in a long while, Priam had time to himself. "A precious resource to smash through the wall in front of me," he mused. The looming shadow of the quintuple Tribulation weighed on him, but he had options now. He would optimize his stats, fuse his skills, temper his body, and attempt the Colosseum again. With his add-on, Priam created a schedule to maximize his growth while covering all his bases. Mornings would be spent sparring with Louis and the hoplites to hone his martial skills. Kazuki had warned him that the gains would be slower than in life-or-death fights, but sparring had the advantage of exposing weaknesses. Plus, the lessons learned from traditional training were invaluable to deepen the fundamentals. His experience with [Unrelenting Thrust] proved that there were ideal prerequisites to unlock this way. I want them all. While Priam had a gift for gaining ideal resistances, his spear skills didn¡¯t come as easily. He would have to roll up his sleeves and put in the work. If it took swinging his blade a million times to hit the next milestone, he would do it. Afternoons would be dedicated to aether training. His meridians were now reorganized to accommodate seven gates, but each would require active tempering. To reduce the margin of error, Priam needed to increase his aether proficiency. Traps, puzzles, rune hacking, every vicious exercise from the Phoenix prince... Priam was ready. It would be brutal, but he was already grinning at the challenge. "Like I¡¯d ever complain about magical training." He had dreamed too long of this pre-Tutorial to complain now. It made for packed days, but Priam was ready to go further. He refused to waste a third of his days sleeping. His vitality allowed him to stay awake for extended periods, so he would spend two out of every three nights out, farming Sun Points, applying the day¡¯s lessons, and becoming a phantom. Jasmine had offered to teach him, and Priam accepted. From the phoenix, fighters chose an archetype at high levels¡ªwarrior, tank, mage, sniper, assassin... Priam was too greedy to choose; he wanted it all. The Phoenix prince had said it was impossible... but Priam was the juggernaut. He rejected this concept. If all went well, it would take only a few days to secure Oasis against Dishnu¡¯s Tribulations. Then... "It¡¯ll be time for my first tempering." Smiling, Priam let sleep take him. As his mind drifted off, he wondered which resistance to choose for his first gate. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 807 Constitution 1 187 Agility 948 Vitality 1 130 Perception 828 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 690 Memory 891 Willpower 987 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 945 Meta-focus 488 Meta-endurance 833 Meta-perception 443 Meta-chance 379 Meta-authority 285 Potential: 17 912 Tier 0 Sun points: 2 489 003 (+1 488 153) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Dormant
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Symphony
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: <1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 152 days 16 hours 12 minutes 40 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 285: The World Keeps Spinning Under the sinister glow of the Necromoon, Oasis thrived. Log-a-rhythm¡¯s domain expanded as its Lord trained harder with every passing day. Fatigue and pain would have broken most men, but not Priam. The grass of the sanctuary could be soaked with his sweat, sometimes even his blood, but never his tears. He knew the cost of failure, a memory so sharp it was still hurting him. Time slipped by, and the young warrior proved once again why he had been chosen as Death''s Obsession. Neither suffering nor fear could sway him from his goal. He was the Juggernaut. The wall of Tribulations stood tall, but Priam chose discipline to scale it. Competitive by nature, he had always prepared diligently for challenges¡­ but never this hard. He couldn¡¯t take a breath without thinking about his progress, his weaknesses, and how to overcome them. Priam had a goal, and he would do anything to reach it. Unknowingly, his determination spread to the other residents of Oasis. The hoplites didn¡¯t really need it, constantly driven by their generals, but the survival lull had softened the crafters. Tribulations didn¡¯t seem so deadly when no one was dying¡ªonly Louis was still brooding over Mirscella''s departure. The stress of Priam, the immortal Champion capable of impossible feats, reignited their fears. Alain, Rose, and Myuri cut their breaks to the bare minimum their vitality allowed. Even Sphinx seemed affected. The child often followed Moonie on her hunts for the corrupted, claiming she wanted to befriend the wyrm, but Priam had caught her honing her gravity skill against the stronger ones. That turned out to be useful during the fourth Necro wave, which hit Oasis two weeks after Kazuki¡¯s Tribulation. The undead hordes gathered in numbers, yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Jasmine and Kazuki obliterated the two Tier 3 commanders, while Priam defended half the wall alone. Whether it was a thousand or a million, the number of enemies didn¡¯t matter against a Pyro Sage. With no boss to distract him, Priam was a weapon of mass destruction¡ªutterly unstoppable. The ongoing war reshaped the inhabitants of Oasis, forging them anew and strengthening their bonds. Nothing brought people together like a common enemy. A secondary consequence was the massive influx of Sun Points. After purchasing the resources needed for a memory trap, the rest were invested in Oasis'' defenses. Priam had witnessed the devastation caused by the Tribulation of Dishnu, and he would be damned if he let his home get destroyed again. Protective Barrier VI (250 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 25 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a strong Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. ACQUIRED Protective Barrier VII (500 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 50 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a weak Tier 0 Elysian Duke. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual VI (250 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 25 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual VII (500 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 50 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Guardian of the Forest VI (250 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 25 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Guardian of the Forest VII (500 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian''s domain size to 50 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Rampart VI (125 000 points) - Blueprint (half the cost of a straight improvement). ACQUIRED Rampart VII (500 000 points) - Improvement. ACQUIRED [Rampart VII - Legendary - Tier 0] - Created by Alain Azura, Rose Williams, Bertomne Gah¡¯l, Lamnas Foen and improved by the Sun Shop. A fortification a hundred and four meters long, five high, twenty deep, and three wide. The exterior is made of skill-augmented obsidian sand to absorb shockwaves. The heart is built with reinforced Tal Quercus wood, providing some flexibility to the structure. Only the incessant assault of a Tier 0 Elysian Duke could damage this wall. Active Enchantments: Resilience (VII) Solidity (VII) Boundary (VII) Relay - Barrier (VII) With these upgrades, Oasis now covered five hectares, a circle with nearly a hundred and thirty meters of radius. The protective barrier, powered by Log-a-rhythm, stretched across the sky, casting a dim glow over the domain at night. To ensure its optimal functioning, investments were made in the Necro Purification Ritual and the Guardian of the Forest. There was no point expanding if the majority of the land was ravaged by the Necromoon¡¯s curse. The newly protected trees shared their Potential with the Tal Quercus, allowing Priam to purchase Protection IV and Abundance - Aether III. The former reinforced Log-a-rhythm¡¯s wood holistically, which proved useful in strengthening the rampart. The latter was welcome as more ambient energy accelerated everyone¡¯s progress. Thus, the environment was as optimal as possible for training. In a world as perilous as Elysium, Oasis truly lived up to its name. Under the sanguine light of the Necromoon, the forest had become a place of decay. Photosynthesis no longer worked, and the trees shed their leaves, which now formed a thick carpet, hiding fallen branches and corpses beneath them. In a forgotten valley, a young man moved with caution. Every time his feet sank into the debris, he prayed he wouldn¡¯t trigger a trap. Without his Domain to scan the ground, he felt blind. The caw of a crow echoed through the underbrush, and he resumed his path, focusing on the footwork technique his addon had recorded. Priam¡¯s gait was almost hypnotic, each step as slow as it was fluid, his movements cautious yet smooth. There was a cryptic rhythm to it, a natural grace that called to mind a chameleon. Thanks to the raw lizard heart he was gifted by Ophis during the erased timeline, Priam recognized the supernatural aspect of his movements. If runes were patterns that resonated with the aether to alter reality, his current walk was no different. It must have taken the Snaherts centuries to perfect these steps, and now Priam was reaping the benefits for free. Maybe it was for the best¡ªat least Ophis wouldn¡¯t end up possessed by the shaman¡¯s heart in this timeline. Honestly, he should thank me for conning him, Priam smirked. The thought broke his concentration, and a thin branch cracked under his foot. Five hundred meters ahead, his prey froze. The specter unfurled its aura, its nearly blind eyes scanning the woods for any sign of a soul. Rather than stop, Priam continued forward, using his toes to shift a twig that was in his way. He swayed gently, mimicking the motion of a drunk chameleon. The undead Tier 3 turned in his direction. By all rights, Priam should have been spotted, but no explosion disturbed the eerie calm of the haunted forest. The Snaherts¡¯ bizarre walking technique worked. Priam blended into the environment. Sharper eyes might have uncovered the trick, but the specter mainly relied on its spiritual vision. Seeing no soul or Domain, it strained to hear. Priam stopped his hearts, letting [Kinetic Control] pump blood through his veins. Now, he was invisible to all of his adversary¡¯s senses. With an annoyed grunt, the corrupted resumed its patrol. The hunter continued his stalk. After an indeterminate amount of time, Priam was almost within arm¡¯s reach of the specter¡¯s nebulous cloak. The cloth floated despite the absence of any breeze, but Priam had seen stranger things. As he prepared to take another step, a shadowed hand gripped his shoulder. Suppressing his surprise, Priam shifted his body, continuing his strange dance. For the chameleon technique to work, he had to keep moving. ¡°If you step into his Domain, he¡¯ll spot you,¡± whispered a shadow. The hunt was over, now came the execution. Without a word, Priam connected his soul to the last Concept he had unlocked. He had long wondered why he had such an affinity for Breath, and the reason became clear when he accepted the Concept a few days ago. Breath was under the jurisdiction of Soul, one of the Seven Great Concepts. Sphinx, whose System HUD was in ancient Greek, read the word ¦×¦Ô¦Ö? for the Tier 9 Concept. Translated to English, that meant both soul and breath. Thus, Breath was tied to [He Who Eludes Death]. Each of Priam¡¯s deaths had stolen his breath, and each resurrection had returned it. This cycle had cultivated his affinity until he became a sage of a Concept he hadn¡¯t even chosen... until quite recently. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Controlling too many Concepts at Tier 0 was dangerous. They could spontaneously fuse if one weren¡¯t careful¡ªsometimes, all it took was a single moment of insight. The Phoenix Prince didn¡¯t offer much more than a warning, but Priam understood: if he unlocked a Tier 2 Concept too soon, he would be forced to Tier Up prematurely, missing out on the remaining resources at Tier 0. That was a sacrifice he wasn¡¯t willing to make. Because of that, Priam had resisted adding a third Concept to his arsenal for a long time. After all, it would be his last one at Tier 0, as managing four Concepts at once wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°Is there really that big of a difference between controlling two Concepts or three?¡± Jasmine had asked. ¡°Think of it like mixing pairs of colors,¡± Priam explained. ¡°With two colors, you can at most create a third. With three colors, you¡¯ve got three possible pairs, which means three new colors. Four colors? You¡¯re looking at six different pairs or new colors. Each color is a Concept. With my dual trains of thought and my addon, I can handle three Concepts at once, but no more.¡± From what his mentor had told him, it was already impressive. Most people struggled to awaken even one at Tier 0. When it came time to choose his final Concept, Priam had wavered between Light and Breath. In the end, he had gone with Breath, worried that he might one day face an opponent immune to energy-based attacks. Impossible to replace [Useless Sage] with [Breath Sage]. His new Concept was more utilitarian than the first two. Now able to manipulate both his physical and metaphysical breath, Priam had learned to conceal his vitality and soul from the eyes of the corrupted. This had sparked ideas for unlocking the ideal upgrade for [Phantom]. A few days later, he was tracking a corrupted Tier 3 with that very goal in mind. The specter hovered above the fallen leaves when Priam tried a new move. The world around him shifted to monochrome, and within the shades of gray, he spotted a white flame at the specter¡¯s core. Through Breath, Priam wrapped his will around the wisp-like spark, squeezing it with his intent. The Tier 3¡¯s soul quivered before a scream of pure rage shattered the silence. As the forest stirred, Priam simply sighed. His mentor had warned him that snuffing out another being¡¯s vital flame would be next to impossible without fusing Breath and Pyro. Even then, it would take an overwhelming soul or will to crush the enemy¡¯s essence. It was a distant goal, but Priam wasn¡¯t discouraged. This power was too damn cool not to chase. ¡°Priam!¡± The Tier 3 specter frantically searched the surroundings, trying to locate its hidden assailant. Breath and [Ciphered Record] masked Priam¡¯s magical and spiritual signature, but even a creature this blind would eventually catch on to his poor stealth technique. Time to stop playing around. Calling on his Concept again, Priam filled his draconic lungs. He exchanged mental endurance for a quick charge with his new Concept, and his aether for Pyro¡¯s flames, crafting a Dragon¡¯s Breath in the blink of an eye. His golden meridians trembled under the intense energy flow, but held firm. That was the beauty of an ideal epic resistance. The specter turned in his direction, but it was too late. A beam of plasma ripped through the Tier 3 and annihilated the forest behind it. Trees vaporized across a hundred-meter stretch, and the beam pierced straight through a nearby hill. The ambient temperature spiked, and the dead leaves on the ground ignited spontaneously. For a brief moment, night turned into day, the Breath¡¯s light so blinding it seemed like the sun had returned. The destruction matched the resources poured into the attack. The devastation finally ceased when Priam closed his mouth. His mist-like eyes scanned the apocalyptic landscape before a grimace twisted his face. ¡°Fuck, the core¡¯s melted.¡± ¡°What did you expect?¡± Jasmine grumbled, stepping out of the shadows. ¡°A draconic breath backed by two Concepts¡ªone boosted by your phoenix bloodline¡ªand powered by stats that are off the charts? I don¡¯t see how a Tier 0 attack could be stronger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lacking in imagination,¡± Priam shot back with a grin. ¡°Once at Unity with both Pyro and Breath, plus with a completed Heavenly Dragon physique, we¡¯ll be talking. Hell, I could even use [Ace] to mutate my lungs with the Breath Concept¡­¡± ¡°Focus on your ideal upgrade first,¡± Jasmine cut him off, knowing Priam too well. He was brilliant, but he had a habit of chasing too many goals at once. ¡°Did you get it?¡± Priam¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Yup.¡± Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 27, ¡­, 40 AGI +42 Jasmine was an unconventional teacher, but her unorthodox methods worked. For the past two weeks, they had spent every night playing tag in the middle of a haunted forest, and it had paid off. Priam had learned a lot about stealth while having fun. He was almost certain that it sped up his progress. [Phantom - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
  • Temporarily deceive the perception of a Tier 4.
  • Master the Chameleon¡¯s legacy movement technique.
  • Devour a Tier 2 Chameleon¡¯s heart.
  • Absorb the essence of a Tier 4 Ghost.
  • Mask your spiritual breath.
  • Stalk a Noble of a higher rank than yours for an hour.
  • Defeat a Tier 3 with a surprise attack.
Please select five prerequisites for the ideal upgrade. Priam had secured the first three prerequisites thanks to a deal with the Snaherts during the erased timeline. Ophis had tipped him off about the last two, but it was up to Priam to unlock them himself. The sixth one¡ªstalking a Noble of a higher rank for an hour¡ªhad been tricky, until Jasmine remembered that Osiris was now a Prince. Priam was pretty sure he and Seth had figured out a way to kill the Necro Envoy possessing Mirscella. How had they managed it? Should he take precautions? These questions were tricky. Anyway, spying on the teen for an hour checked off the requirement. With Breath unlocked, five prerequisites had been fulfilled and [Phantom] had offered an upgrade. Priam had turned it down. The Snaherts¡¯ method worked, but it would have led to an upgrade focused on chameleon-style camouflage. That might have been perfect for a clan of snakes, but it wasn¡¯t Priam¡¯s path. Inspired by the prerequisites he knew, he had bought the essence of a Tier 4 ghost at the Auctions and devoured it. The stunt had knocked him out for several hours, until [Spirit Resistance] had saved him. It wasn¡¯t the only resistance that had leveled up over the past two weeks. Lvl Up: [Spirit Resistance] lvl 20, 21, 22, 23 WILL +12 Tonight, he had completed the final task: assassinating a Tier 3. As elusive as a ghost, as silent as held breath, and as deadly as a hidden blade¡ªthis was the path Priam had chosen for [Stealth] to evolve. ¡°Too bad about that chameleon movement technique,¡± Jasmine sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come in handy for upgrading [Art of Movement].¡± ¡°No, I meant it was funny watching you walk like that.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± Priam shot back, grinning as he confirmed his choices. [Phantom - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
  • Temporarily deceive the perception of a Tier 4.
  • Absorb the essence of a Tier 4 Ghost.
  • Mask your spiritual breath.
  • Stalk a Noble of a higher rank than yours for one hour.
  • Defeat a Tier 3 with a surprise attack.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Nature of the Assassin - Epic] - A stealthy apparition, so elusive that your enemies doubt your presence until their last breath. Potential Cost: 320 ¡°I like [Phantom] better,¡± Priam muttered. Mama Apo had told him he could rename his skills, and he saw no reason to change them with every upgrade. Unless the new name was seriously cool. You have selected the skill [Phantom - Epic]. POT -320 [Phantom - Epic] - The child knows which stair step creaks. The thief slips into homes under the cover of night. The anonymous person hides among the crowd. For them, stealth is a shield. For the assassin, it¡¯s a weapon. A hunter without a pulse or breath, your prey has no way of knowing you¡¯re coming. Even if they did, would it make a difference? In many ways, you are a ghost. This skill helps you evade your enemies'' perception until you can strike the first blow. This skill won''t help you ghost your mother. You have twenty-six missed calls. AGI +6 DEXT +3 ¡°Now what?¡± Jasmine asked, decapitating a corrupted creature dumb enough to challenge her. ¡°I think I just figured out a way to temper my first resistance,¡± Priam said, scanning his new skill description. ¡°Time to start dying again.¡± [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 137 days 8 hours 1 minutes 12 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 286: One Fulcrum to Rule Them All Perched on a branch of Log-a-Rhythm, Priam gazed out over Oasis, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. The hoplites were defending the perimeter while the bio traps devoured wave after wave of corrupted. In the battle zone between the rampart and the barrier, a streak of white lightning darted after Sphinx. The kid laughed, using the undead like springboards, leaving behind splatters of gore. Behind her, the juvenile moon wyrm, blessed with Holy Guardian properties, pierced through her enemies with ease. For now, she was adorable¡ªlooking a lot like Dratini from Pok¨¦mon¡ªbut Priam knew she would grow terrifying in adulthood. ¡°She stole another kill from Moonie?¡± Jasmine asked lazily, sprawled out on a nearby branch. ¡°Almost certainly. She¡¯s been gunning for a name change, too.¡± ¡°Moonie?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Because of Sphinx?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± The young sphinx had been deeply moved when Priam told her about her death in the erased timeline. To honor the sacrifice of her alternate self, she vowed to give up her name after her first High Tribulation. If the dead had only their names left, they deserved to own them fully. That had surprised Priam, until the phoenix prince told him Sphinx was following an ancient tradition. ¡°Still seems kinda weird,¡± Jasmine mused. ¡°Surviving a High Tribulation baptizes the soul and ego with aether. Many creatures gain sapience during that time and choose a new name,¡± Priam explained, repeating what he had been taught. ¡°So that¡¯s why they call it a ¡®baptism,¡¯ huh?¡± ¡°... I suppose? In any case, that¡¯s what happened to the first sphinx¡ªwho named herself Sphinx¡ªlong before she founded her bloodline.¡± When Priam had asked if the first phoenix called itself Phoenix, his mentor had shot him a look of pure disdain. ¡°Our young friend is following in her ancestor¡¯s footsteps,¡± summarized Kazuki. The hoplite hovered, held aloft by a powerful updraft. Since completing his Tribulations, he had embraced the Wind Concept¡ª¡°The Name of the Wind,¡± as he liked to call it. ¡°Since she is an orphan, it¡¯s not surprising. She was never going to keep this baby name forever.¡± ¡°Orphan or not, it doesn¡¯t change a thing. According to the prince, mythical beasts¡¯ parents pick a name at birth. It¡¯s expected they¡¯ll rename themselves at Tier 1.¡± Priam found the tradition fascinating. Most beast clans had achieved or surpassed the level of civilization found in sapient races, yet they still honored their primal roots. ¡°Have those two picked names yet?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Sphinx is torn between Rhia and Aida. Moonie¡¯s still too young to choose¡­ though she¡¯ll hit her High Tribulation first.¡± Moonie¡¯s artificial nature gave her a rapid growth rate. She was originally supposed to spend six months at Tier 0, but Holy Guardian IV cut that time to a quarter. ¡°How long until she Tiers up?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Twenty-nine days,¡± Priam calculated. ¡°I just hope she doesn¡¯t grow up too fast. She¡¯s really adorable right now¡­¡± ¡°Hard to believe you almost sacrificed her as a trophy to temper one of your resistances,¡± Jasmine said with dramatic flair. ¡°Shhh!¡± Priam glanced quickly at Moonie, relieved she hadn¡¯t overheard. The little moon wyrm had just caught up with Sphinx, and the two were rolling around in the mud, occasionally vaporizing a corrupted too dense to sense the danger. ¡°I was young and dumb.¡± ¡°That was sixteen days ago,¡± Kazuki pointed out. Jasmine delivered the finishing blow. ¡°Still dumb, though.¡± Priam clutched his chest, feigning a mortal wound. ¡°Betrayal¡­¡± Kazuki ignored his theatrics. ¡°To be fair, a wyrm core would have been perfect for Heavenly Dragon.¡± ¡°Speaking of dragons, what about that arrogant prince, Esm¨¦e¡¯s brother? He¡¯s got a Sun Wyrm, right? Bet its core would do wonders for your [Fire Champion Physique],¡± Jasmine remarked, as a shadow brought her a blueberry granita. Lamnas had managed to graft several different types of berries, one of which tasted remarkably like blackcurrant. When Rose discovered a rune that absorbed ambient heat, she quickly created ice. From there, Priam had the bright idea of mixing the ice with sugar and fruit juice to create an Italian classic. The result would have made a Sicilian cry. Fortunately for Oasis¡¯ residents, Blueberry had taken charge and perfected the recipe. Now, Jasmine was downing five kilos of the stuff daily. ¡°Not gonna lie, I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± Priam admitted, salivating at the thought of a Sun Wyrm core. ¡°But he hasn¡¯t attacked us yet. I¡¯m not about to become the kind of guy who takes out anyone just because they¡¯ve got something I want.¡± If he started doing that, what was the difference between him and Arnold or Anatole? Haven¡¯t thought about him in a while¡­ ¡°Say that to Myuri!¡± the assassin protested. The young empyrean had been sexually assaulted by the prince for years. She never spoke about it, but the way she flinched whenever she heard a man¡¯s voice made it clear her past still haunted her. Priam winced. ¡°Fair point. Guess I¡¯ve got one reason to crack his skull open¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make any hasty decisions,¡± Kazuki warned. ¡°He¡¯s the crown prince of the Empyreans, a rival civilization. His father is king and resides on Proxima, the same planet as the Earth elites. If he learns you killed his heir and seeks revenge, you¡¯ll have to live knowing that thousands, if not millions, of your kind died because of your decision.¡± ¡°So, because he¡¯s powerful, he deserves to live?¡± Priam fumed. ¡°They all deserve to die¡ªthat¡¯s not the point.¡± Kazuki¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°As Champions, our actions have consequences. Don¡¯t forget that it won¡¯t be you who pays the price of a war between your two civilizations: it¡¯ll be your people.¡± Kazuki¡¯s words hit Priam like a cold shower. He was right, of course¡ªhis age and experience gave him a clearer view of the situation. I may not be a hero, but I¡¯ll be damned if I let others die because of my choices. It was the lesson he drew from his previous Tribulations. ¡°Justice and my tempering demand Aydan¡¯s death¡­ but no one can know it was me,¡± Priam summarized. ¡°Maybe I can help Esm¨¦e finish him off.¡± Kazuki¡¯s smile turned wicked. ¡°Now you are thinking.¡± ¡°Unless she¡¯s already taken care of it,¡± Priam continued. ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks since anyone¡¯s seen her.¡± ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Jasmine said, pointing toward the horizon. Esm¨¦e was emerging from the forest. ¡°Need a hand?¡± Priam offered as Esm¨¦e finished scaling Log-a-Rhythm. There was something almost comical about watching the princess hike up her dress with one hand while reaching for handholds with the other. Flexing his biceps, he hoisted his rival up the last meter. ¡°Thanks.¡± She gave him a faint smile. ¡°Something wrong? You seem frustrated.¡± Esm¨¦e settled in beside him, sitting sidesaddle on the branch. ¡°My brother is less of an idiot than I thought.¡± Priam raised an eyebrow as he handed her a slushie. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°I had planned a¡­ prank. It failed.¡± Jasmine snorted. ¡°That sounds like a euphemism for an assassination attempt, right?¡± A shiver ran down the princess¡¯s spine, and Priam clenched his jaw. ¡°Let¡¯s be careful with our words; Esm¨¦e¡¯s geass is trigger-happy. Even thinking about betraying her father is dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jasmine grimaced. ¡°I know how that feels. Sorry.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The princess wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Priam asked. ¡°Aydan contracted a mutated, aggressive form of syphilis. It should have killed him, but with the Sun Shop, my help, and the tribes, he survived long enough to develop [Bacteria Resistance - Epic]. He is recovering¡­¡± Judging by Esm¨¦e¡¯s grimace, she wasn¡¯t pleased. ¡°One of our scientists¡¯ concerns is that Elysium¡¯s bacteria might also be boosted by the ambient aether,¡± Kazuki said with a frown. ¡°Is that the case?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sexually transmitted infection from a bacterium; I¡¯m almost certain it evolved to overcome the natural vitality of the locals. However, it¡¯s true that the shaman caring for my brother mentioned worrying diseases.¡± ¡°Where did he find someone carrying syphilis?¡± Priam asked. Esm¨¦e¡¯s look was answer enough. ¡°I see¡­¡± He shuddered. She¡¯s ruthless! ¡°Lucky for him, he had you to help him,¡± Jasmine remarked with irony. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have made a difference,¡± the princess sighed. ¡°Back in Time messed up my predictions. In the normal timeline, the tribes would have been too busy with the Fallen to help him.¡± The Champions grimaced. Priam¡¯s reward had had unforeseen consequences. ¡°Well, I apologize for missing our rendezvous. Still, I¡¯m glad to see you managed to save your friend,¡± Esm¨¦e said, watching Sphinx play nearby. ¡°It¡¯s partly thanks to you,¡± Priam replied with a smile. ¡°Really? I¡¯m curious to know what I did.¡± Discussions, plans, sacrifice... and a kiss. Memories flooded Priam¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± he answered, aware of Kazuki and Jasmine¡¯s presence. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here, though; we were just talking about heading back to the Moon.¡± That was where his body tempering would begin. The air seemed to fold in on itself, and then the Heartstone portal appeared. Without hesitation, Kazuki, Jasmine, Esm¨¦e, Louis, Sphinx, Priam, and five hoplites stepped through. The rest of Oasis''s defenders saluted before returning to their posts. You have just left Elysium. Location: Moon - Earth¡¯s natural satellite - Sector Hope A fragment of rock orbiting humanity''s cradle. Home of the first Reunion. You cannot leave Elysium indefinitely. Calculation of your conditional freedom time: You have changed sectors. No secure passage opened between this planet and Elysium. No ongoing event. No authority on this planet. Conditional freedom time granted: 1 day. ¡°One day... That limits sightseeing,¡± Priam muttered as he surveyed his surroundings. He stood in Sphinx''s throne room, Ducal¡¯s Palace, where he had left the mark of the Hearthstone. ¡°Elysium is a jealous lover.¡± The warriors spun around in surprise. On Sphinx¡¯s massive throne sat an old man, his wrinkled face paired with oversized muscles that strained his suit. He was grinning. ¡°I thought you would show up sooner.¡± ¡°B¨¦char! I¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s my throne!¡± Sphinx roared. ¡°Oh, pardon me, my dear. I was just keeping it warm for your arrival,¡± B¨¦char deflected, gracefully hopping off the throne. He landed softly and offered a treat to Sphinx, who devoured it, promptly forgetting the insult. Returning to her colossal size, she curled up on her throne, purring. ¡°I would¡¯ve come sooner,¡± Priam continued, shaking B¨¦char¡¯s hand. ¡°But I¡¯ve been pretty busy.¡± ¡°I can imagine,¡± B¨¦char replied, turning to the new arrivals. ¡°I recognize Sphinx and Louis, but your other companions are new.¡± ¡°Allow me to introduce them. Kazuki, my friend and the greatest spear genius in the Sector.¡± The hoplite nodded without contesting the title. ¡°Jasmine, my shadow¡­¡± Through their bond, Jasmine asked him not to elaborate. She was already sizing up the shapeshifter for any weaknesses. ¡°And Esm¨¦e, my rival whose pen is sharper than most swords.¡± The princess performed a flawless bow. ¡°I am B¨¦char, one of the four supervisors of humanity''s Reunion. I mainly handle warriors and the Colosseum.¡± ¡°One of the four supervisors?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think the other professions would be ignored by the System, did you?¡± B¨¦char raised a hand, stopping Priam from asking further questions. ¡°Still so curious. You¡¯ll meet the others during the next Reunion. I assume you¡¯re here for the Colosseum?¡± The warriors nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any time.¡± The door to B¨¦char¡¯s office clicked shut. The other fighters hadn¡¯t wasted a second, eager to make the most of every second to rise as high as possible in the Colosseum. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be able to return for a month¡ªthe time it would take for Priam¡¯s Hearthstone to recharge. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± B¨¦char asked, handing Priam a steaming cup. Priam sank into a leather couch and took a sip. He grimaced. Hot cola? ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, setting the drink down and promising himself not to touch it again. ¡°My mentor told me you couldn¡¯t betray my secrets.¡± B¨¦char nodded. ¡°I¡¯m under contract with the System. Just as I can¡¯t show too much favoritism, I¡¯m bound by professional secrecy to never reveal a human''s information to anyone.¡± ¡°No favoritism?¡± Priam raised an eyebrow, gesturing around the lavish room. ¡°I find it hard to believe every human gets a snack break with you.¡± ¡°Not every human is about to become the First Gladiator; you¡¯ve earned your perks. Enough beating around the bush¡ªwhat do you need?¡± ¡°I want to start my body tempering before my next Tribulations,¡± Priam said. ¡°Another quadruple?¡± ¡°A quintuple.¡± B¨¦char cursed. ¡°I heard rumors, but I didn¡¯t think you were that crazy.¡± The worry in B¨¦char¡¯s eyes betrayed his harsh words, and Priam smirked. ¡°I¡¯d say fearless.¡± ¡°Same thing,¡± B¨¦char grumbled, pouring himself a drink. ¡°Do you have questions about body tempering?¡± Priam nodded. The Phoenix Prince had told him everything he could, but his knowledge was limited by oaths. B¨¦char was the only powerful warrior who could answer his questions without a chance to sell information on him. The Guardian of Secrets might have known more, but the cost was prohibitive. ¡°My tempering method is called Heavenly Dragon. I¡¯m supposed to forge seven gates and a fulcrum, each tied to a specific resistance and trophies, then temper them under extreme conditions¡ªlike, say, bathing in a magma chamber. For weeks, I¡¯ve been wondering which resistances to pick and, more recently, for what purpose.¡± ¡°How so?¡± B¨¦char asked, downing his cup of hot cola in one gulp and sighing in satisfaction. This guy has the taste buds of an animal... ¡°I can get any resistance in its perfect form,¡± Priam said. ¡°Yeah, I think the whole Sector knows that by now,¡± B¨¦char chuckled. ¡°Everyone knows I can¡¯t reveal anything about you, but I¡¯ve received more messages since your departure than in the rest of my life. You¡¯re a rising star.¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°Want an autograph? I¡¯ll sign you one if you can beat me.¡± The shapeshifter leaned forward, his teeth turning into fangs. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that in a few minutes. And make it a hundred, they¡¯ll sell like hotcakes.¡± ¡°You have no shame,¡± Priam laughed. He was looking forward to measuring himself against the supervisor. ¡°Only rich young lords can afford shame; the rest of us don¡¯t have that luxury,¡± B¨¦char smiled before summarizing. ¡°You can get any resistance, and you¡¯re wondering which ones to choose.¡± ¡°Spot on. At first, I thought about focusing on mental and metaphysical resistances. After all, a resurrection would take care of physical damage. However, if someone messes with my karma, mind, memory, or soul¡­ I might as well be dead.¡± B¨¦char narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the best idea.¡± ¡°My mentor said the same thing, without being able to explain why. Can you clarify?¡± B¨¦char hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m strong for a Tier 3, but my education¡¯s lacking; we¡¯ll have to speculate. What I do know is that ascending to the Zenith involves the baptism of the soul, the ennoblement of the mind, and the tempering of the body,¡± he said, raising three fingers. ¡°That sounds like it¡¯s tied to the three Supremacies: Mastery, Domain, and Micro.¡± ¡°I have the same feeling but no proof,¡± B¨¦char shrugged. ¡°In my experience, each path changes you. My Concept shapes me, and it¡¯s the same with tempering.¡± ¡°You tempered your body?¡± B¨¦char grimaced. ¡°With a common method and three rare resistances.¡± In comparison, Heavenly Dragon was of seraphic quality. ¡°What difference does that make?¡± ¡°My fulcrum¡¯s too weak to support the Low Tier tempering,¡± the supervisor shrugged again. ¡°In other words, my foundation¡¯s too fragile, so that path¡¯s closed to me, and I¡¯m blocked from advancing Micro.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use another method to temper your body?¡± B¨¦char gave Priam a complicated look. ¡°A gate is like a secondary core. It¡¯s a half-physical, half-spiritual structure that elevates the resistance it¡¯s built on while anchoring it to a part of your body. Tempering your physique means syncing your soul, meridians, and body while transforming the latter. The resistance becomes part of you; it changes you fundamentally. Purging mine would be like tearing out my organs and meridians.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°I thought nothing was impossible in this universe.¡± ¡°Hah! True, there are ways,¡± B¨¦char gestured to his office. ¡°One hundred years working for the System¡ªthat¡¯s the price of my physical rebirth. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll temper my body with an epic method. That should unlock Micro and open my path.¡± Once Micro was advanced, B¨¦char could attempt a Tier-up, extending his lifespan. It was a solid plan, but Priam focused on something else: a youthful mistake had cost B¨¦char nearly a century. ¡°I hope it works out for you¡­ and I get it now. Focusing on esoteric resistances would put me on too narrow a path.¡± Priam was more than just a mentally resilient tortoise capable of resurrection. ¡°I had a second idea.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°I need to choose seven resistances¡­ What better way to avoid weaknesses than to take inspiration from the best?¡± B¨¦char¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Seven gates for seven Great Concepts.¡± And one fulcrum to rule them all. Priam''s hearts pounded with force. His body would be second to none.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 287: Béchar vs. Priam B¨¦char teetered between awe and disbelief. Priam''s plan was as mad as it was magnificent. Energy, Matter, Dimension, Karma, Soul, Order, and Chaos. Together, these Grand Concepts embodied the entirety of creation. A body constructed upon such foundations could only be flawless. ¡°Brilliant. Just¡­¡± He struggled for a stronger superlative, then gave up. ¡°Brilliant. But I doubt [Energy Resistance] even exists¡ªand if the Concepts allow it, it would be far beyond Legendary quality, incompatible with Tier 0. How do you plan to pull this off?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll select resistances capable of evolving toward these Grand Concepts. By continually refining [Fire Champion Physique], I think I can get closer to something like [Energy Resistance]. Later, I¡¯ll probably have to merge it with other skills to expand its scope, but that¡¯s a problem for future me. Right now, the priority is a perfect foundation.¡± B¨¦char nodded. His own failure had been not having a strong enough base, a mistake he was still paying for. In contrast, Priam was chasing perfection, a pursuit that promised a grueling path ahead but also the power needed to stand a chance at victory. ¡°Have you already chosen your seven resistances?¡± ¡°Not all of them. I¡¯ve got most of the necessary ones, but not all at ideal quality. For example, [Space Resistance] or [Gravity Resistance] would be perfect for Dimension, but right now, they¡¯re just high skills,¡± Priam sighed, glancing down at his snack. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what their prerequisites are,¡± admitted the overseer. He was even wondering how Priam had managed to get such skills before mid-Tier. ¡°But you¡¯re still young; you¡¯ve got time to find them.¡± Priam shot him an annoyed look. ¡°My instincts are screaming at me to Tier up before the next Reunion.¡± ¡°So what? The first body tempering has nothing to do with Soul cultivation. You can always finish it at Tier 1.¡± Seeing Priam¡¯s eyes light up, B¨¦char chuckled. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°I could use a High Tribulation as a tempering method¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± The Colosseum¡¯s sun-warmed sand tickled Priam¡¯s feet. The sound of the massive double doors closing echoed across the stone stands. It was in this empty arena that he had fought through the first fifty-five waves. He intended to beat his record today, but first¡­ ¡°What about your fulcrum?¡± B¨¦char asked, cracking his knuckles. ¡°You need a final resistance to bind the other seven together. What could possibly stand above the Seven?¡± Priam simply smiled. ¡°That was the first thing I thought of." ¡°For someone so curious, you sure do like your secrets,¡± grumbled the overseer. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you beat me.¡± ¡°Is that a wager or a taunt? Ha!¡± A wicked grin spread across the old, muscle-bound man¡¯s face. "I can¡¯t wait to humble you.¡± Like gun duelists from history, the two opponents stood thirty paces apart. When the gong sounded, Priam summoned a dozen hybrid Pyro-ice spears. Propelled by his will, they intercepted the shapeshifter mid-charge. Priam¡¯s lips curled into a grin as Promesse materialized in his hands. The cloud of flames and frost exploded as his opponent emerged. In the next instant, razor-sharp claws clashed against the blade of his bound weapon. A shower of sparks flew as the two fighters recoiled from the impact. ¡°You¡¯ll need to upgrade that spear,¡± B¨¦char noted. Priam frowned at the chipped blade. ¡°It¡¯s on my to-do list.¡± Without another word, B¨¦char leaped again, and Priam greeted him with a slash. His spear narrowly missed taking his opponent¡¯s head, while he jumped to evade a spiked tail lashing out at him. Though the shapeshifter maintained a humanoid form, he allowed himself a few enhancements. The appendage changed directions behind him, and only Priam¡¯s instinct and experience saved him from being skewered. The Domains of both combatants canceled each other out, leaving only their natural senses to guide them, and he didn''t have eyes in the back of his head. Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 16, ¡­, 31 AGI +32 DEXT +16 Priam scrutinized his opponent, searching for any tell. According to Kazuki, a warrior''s intentions were betrayed more by the orientation of their feet, hips, and shoulders than by their gaze. A powerful strike required gathering momentum, and that action was visible. There! B¨¦char''s eyes were fixed on his neck, but his torso was tilted too low. He¡¯s preparing a lateral attack. Priam leaned forward. Spinning Promesse, he parried with the spear¡¯s shaft and siphoned off the kinetic energy to fuel his own counterattack. The blade of Promesse arced toward B¨¦char¡¯s right foot. At the moment of contact, instead of piercing the flesh, it bounced off a plate of bone. If not in the midst of a duel, Priam might have raised an eyebrow. Undeterred by the failed strike, he continued his assault. Planting Promesse¡¯s tip into the ground, he used the spear as a pole. Gathering momentum, he unleashed a spinning kick, planting his foot against B¨¦char¡¯s chest and sending him flying. Priam summoned a dozen explosive projectiles aimed at his airborne opponent. As the haze and smoke obscured his view, Priam analyzed the previous exchange. The strength behind his maxed-out skill and the halo of Spear Mastery should have been enough to damage a Tier 3¡¯s defenses. He hadn¡¯t expected to win easily, but B¨¦char¡¯s bones were unnaturally durable. Constitution over four thousand¡­ plus an evolved [Piercing Resistance]? The wall of flames tore apart, revealing the shapeshifter. His clothes had burned away, exposing an old yet ripped body. Despite the barrage, his torso bore no visible marks; it would take more than that to bring down a Tier 3. Exchanging grins, the two warriors clashed once more, circling each other, searching for an opening. B¨¦char¡¯s claws sometimes moved fast enough to slash at Priam, slowly shredding skin and flesh. The supervisor¡¯s martial skills were superior, as were his attributes. The fight was uneven, but that was just how Priam liked it. He was learning. His shroud of mist extended steadily, blocking his opponent''s vision or concealing his movements, while [Kinetic Control] granted him the speed and power needed to bridge the gap between their physical prowess. His meridians strained under the pressure, absorbing each impact to fuel his own offenses. A normal Tier 0 would have long been dead, but Priam grinned as he felt the immense energy coursing through his body. It seemed to roar, and he was perfectly content to let it rage. Thrust, cut, swing, grapple, feint, dodge, parry¡ªthe young warrior was putting into practice all the knowledge he had accumulated over the past two weeks. As he fought B¨¦char, the experience from thousands of duels synthesized into a unique style. Priam¡¯s style. According to Kazuki, this was the best way to upgrade his spear skills to the ideal quality. "You¡¯ve worked on your fundamentals," B¨¦char acknowledged, leaping forward. Both his opened arms ended in five massive claws, poised to clamp down on Priam like a vise. The Champion jumped back, hurling his mist forward to blind his opponent. The Tier 3 stopped his attack, raising his elbows to protect his face; he was a sitting duck. Priam seized the opportunity, unleashing half of his kinetic reserves through Promesse, bringing his spear down like the wrath of a god. B¨¦char blocked the strike with his forearms, channeling the force into the ground. The stone beneath his feet cracked like a spider¡¯s web. Grinning between two massive claws, he met Priam''s gaze: this duel was far from over. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to play it¡­¡± Priam summoned Pyro, and the entire arena erupted in flames. It was as though a star had ignited at the Colosseum''s center. The shapeshifter grunted, holding his breath. Moments later, the flames had consumed every molecule of oxygen. If Breath couldn¡¯t steal the air from a master of Micro, a more mundane approach would do the trick. Enraged, B¨¦char dashed through the inferno. Priam vaulted over him like a child playing leapfrog, planning to punish the useless charge. Kazuki had repeatedly told him to exploit every single mistake his enemy made. The young warrior hadn¡¯t forgotten that lesson, nor the others. Priam had spent nearly five hours a day honing his weaknesses. The Strength threshold had prevented him from pushing his basic skills further, but the experience was still invaluable. Moreover, he cared less about raw stats and more about achieving an ideal upgrade. The fruits of his two weeks of training were generous indeed. Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 38, 39, 40 STR +9 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 16, ..., 20 STR +15 Lvl Up: [Hoplite Parry] lvl 3, ¡­, 7 STR +15 Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 11, ¡­, 16 STR +6 AGI +12 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 32, ¡­, 38 PERC +7 DEXT +14 Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 17, ¡­, 30 AGI +28 DEXT +14 Dropping back to the ground behind B¨¦char, Priam crouched and swept his leg in a wide arc. His shin smashed violently into his opponent¡¯s leg, and blood sprayed across the sand. At the last moment, the shapeshifter had sprouted a bone spike from his ankle, piercing the Champion¡¯s calf. Bechar¡¯s grimace was even more pronounced than Priam¡¯s, betraying his secret: he had suffered too. Instead of retreating, the young warrior grabbed his opponent¡¯s arm and gathered the fury of Pyro. At last, the enemy¡¯s skin began to soften, melting like hot wax. With a bellow, the overseer slammed his forehead into Priam¡¯s. Thrown back, Priam tucked into a roll before staggering to his feet. He glanced down and assessed the damage to his leg. The muscle was torn¡ªit would take nearly half a day for his vitality to heal it naturally. Fast by any measure, but far from instant. Letting his add-on use his kinetic mastery to stabilize and compensate for the injury, Priam straightened up fully. ¡°The bone thorn was a nice trick,¡± he said through the mind bridge. ¡°Usually ends the fight,¡± Bechar grunted, inspecting his ankle. ¡°You¡¯ve got, what, a quarter of my Constitution? And still managed to fracture my bone.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯ve got ideal resistances.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know shit, kid. The only ones with top-tier resistances like that are heirs from powerful factions, and I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to fight them.¡± Bechar¡¯s crude language was a dead giveaway of his pain. ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Priam taunted, merging with his mist. He reappeared in close proximity to the overseer. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]! A spiraling sheath of aether surrounded the spear¡¯s tip as Promesse slammed into Bechar¡¯s bare chest. The shockwave sent sand flying and shook Priam¡¯s arm down to the bone. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 19, ¡­, 24 STR +6 AGI +6 DEXT +6 ¡°Not bad,¡± Bechar said with a thin smile. Priam¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the spear¡¯s tip struggling to penetrate the wrinkled skin. Beneath the surface, the shapeshifter¡¯s pectoral barely quivered. ¡°What the¡ª¡± An uppercut caught him on the chin. [Kinetic Control] absorbed most of the impact, but the remaining force still launched Priam into the air. Bechar caught him mid-flight and drove a kick into the young warrior¡¯s solar plexus. The blow would have knocked the wind out of anyone else, but Priam was a Breath¡¯s master. He seized the shapeshifter''s foot, locking him in place with his kinetic mastery. He opened his mouth, drawing in the ambient aether... Attacking a servant of the System will result in your expulsion from the Colosseum. Timeout: 1 hour (considering your Title of Nobility) Priam released Bechar and disengaged, dispersing Pyro and Breath back into his draconic lung. ¡°Damn...¡± Bechar panted, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he touched down. ¡°I... Sorry,¡± Priam apologized. The overseer had updated the Colosseum''s parameters at the last moment. Locked by [Kinetic Control], this had been his only way of signaling Priam not to finish the attack. ¡°It¡¯s my bad. I should¡¯ve figured you¡¯d unleash your Breath when Promesse didn¡¯t pierce my defenses,¡± the Tier 3 muttered. ¡°[High Piercing Resistance], [Great Cutting Resistance], and [Blast Resistance]¡ªthat¡¯s how I tempered my body. Served me well in my youth, but nothing that could stop a draconic assault.¡± With a casual gesture, he summoned a pair of linen trousers and a shirt, quickly dressing. ¡°And Pyro?¡± Priam asked. ¡°It didn¡¯t do a thing to you.¡± ¡°N¨¦m¨¦sis lets me nullify an enemy¡¯s Concept.¡± ¡°The hell? That¡¯s cheating!¡± Bechar let out a gravelly chuckle. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an advantage against lower-tier Concepts, but it¡¯s not much help against the heavy hitters.¡± He studied Priam¡¯s gaze for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°I doubt you¡¯d be able to unlock it; you¡¯d have to be willing to sacrifice your life for vengeance. Unless you¡¯re Monte Cristo, don¡¯t even bother. Anyway, I won¡¯t keep you¡ªyou¡¯ve got some rewards to claim.¡± With those words, the overseer vanished from the arena. He¡¯s wounded in his pride, right? Priam himself was far from satisfied with the outcome of the duel. The Tier 3¡¯s body had been so resilient that Promesse had proved useless. He had had to resort to extreme measures to secure victory, and that rankled him. I need to strengthen my offensive capabilities¡­ Determined to work off his frustration on some unfortunate bosses, Priam challenged the Colosseum. There were rewards to be earned. An iron gate clanged open, and a boar charged forward. Bechar predicted a massacre. With a single sweep of his spear, Promesse pierced the beast¡¯s eye and brain. The gong sounded, heralding the start of the second wave. The first hadn¡¯t lasted five seconds. In the minutes that followed, the overseer watched the young Champion cut down beast clone after beast clone, always with his spear. Despite the disparity in attributes, Priam studied each opponent, seeking inspiration or, failing that, the perfect strike. ¡°He seizes every opportunity to improve. With that kind of mindset, no wonder I lost.¡± After a century of battle, Bechar was superior to Priam when it came to martial skills. It brought him no pride, as his experience and superior attributes hadn¡¯t been enough to overcome his opponent. Kinetic mastery and versatile mist had been all the Champion needed to hold his own against a stronger opponent. ¡°And a stupidly resilient body. He barely grimaced when I kicked him.¡± Promesse found a weak spot in Galapagos¡¯ shell, the boss of the twentieth wave, and the massive tortoise collapsed. Watching the result of the young man¡¯s progress over the past two months, Bechar couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he himself had accomplished in the last two centuries. Sure, Priam was a terrifying prodigy, but he was still just a Tier 0. ¡°And he could¡¯ve killed me¡­¡± The naked truth was too ugly to be dressed up; it had to be faced. Bechar shuddered, recalling the moment his instincts had dulled while Breath threatened to obliterate him. Unable to move, he had had to wait for Priam to release him before his animal brain recognized that he had stared death in the face. One of the Champion¡¯s Talents had numbed his caution, and if he hadn¡¯t noticed the signs of a draconic attack, Bechar would have died. ¡°And he¡¯s got the gall to be disappointed he didn¡¯t wipe the floor with me. No respect for your elders!¡± exclaimed the Tier 3 to himself. Through the screen in his chamber, he watched as the arena¡¯s sand coalesced into a massive golem. Five heartbeats later, the boss of the fiftieth wave was vitrified by impossibly hot flames. An Earl stood no chance against a Duke. Priam¡¯s previous record was wave fifty-five. The further he pushed, the more exceptional his rewards would be, possibly earning Achievements that would echo throughout the Sector. If the Champion defied the odds in his Colosseum, Bechar would also reap some rewards. ¡°Now go and set an impossible record, kid. If you become famous enough, I might even brag about losing to you.¡± And Priam granted his wish.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 288: Colosseum VIP The grinding of massive gears reverberated through Priam¡¯s skull, rattling his eardrums. Some unseen mechanism was lifting a heavy iron gate. At least, it looked like iron. Having seen it withstand Pyro, Priam knew it was something else¡ªor perhaps powerful enchantments fortified the gate that concealed his next opponent. The boss of the fifty-fifth wave was an apex Earl. During their first encounter at the Reunion¡¯s end, Priam had needed a Breath attack to finish the fight. He grinned, eager to test just how far he had come since then. As the centaur¡¯s hooves rumbled across the arena¡¯s barren stone, Priam fell into a defensive stance. No war cry heralded the boss¡¯s charge. The young warrior nimbly sidestepped to his right, positioning his spear in the path of the charging beast, which stumbled over it. Riding the mist, Priam reappeared above its head, his weapon wreathed in aether. [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. The energy drill obliterated the creature¡¯s skull. The fight hadn¡¯t lasted more than five seconds. "I¡¯ve come a long way, haven¡¯t I?" Incinerating the gore that had splattered onto him, Priam advanced to the fifty-sixth wave. The boss of the sixtieth wave was a rabid giant rat¡ªthe first Marquess-level opponent. With its bloodshot eyes, filthy fur, and foaming mouth, it was a sight that could haunt nightmares. Priam made a mental note to revisit this fight later to acquire [Bacteria Resistance] or something like that. Unwilling to let such a vile creature touch him, he summoned the full might of Pyro, reducing his adversary to cinders and bone. For his victory, the Colosseum granted him a five percent affinity increase for a Concept¡ªa phenomenal reward for anyone other than Priam. The spoiled child inside him grumbled, his expression only shifting when he noticed that his current Concepts weren¡¯t grayed out. He chose Pyro, a Concept already maxed out, and fell to his knees as his soul left his body, entering a realm of flame. At the heart of this glowing red world, a colossal star awaited. It seemed to be made of countless different flames, each more intense and alien than the last, encompassing life and death, time and space. The Fire Champion marveled at the spectacle until a solar flare hurled him back to reality. "Argh!" Priam spat out a few grains of sand as he regained consciousness. Face down on the ground, he struggled to recall why he was there. The intensity of the spiritual journey had left him disoriented, and the sight of that familiar star had shaken him. He was almost certain it was the same star that burned brightly over Elysium. More than just a celestial body, it was the physical form of the first Phoenix King, creator of Pyro and a candidate who had failed to ascend the Eighth Throne. Turning his palm upward, Priam summoned Pyro and watched the flames dance in his hand. His perfect affinity with the Concept couldn¡¯t fully explain the sense of familiarity that stirred within him. The epiphany had whispered truths to his soul, and he now stood on the brink of Unity. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m already one foot in,¡± he corrected himself, rising to his feet. All it would take was his will to fully merge with Pyro. Remembering the madness that had seized him when he first achieved Unity with Fire, Priam resolved not to repeat that mistake. This time, he would take precautions¡ªbut that could wait, as the gates were opening again. The werebear of wave sixty-five was exceptionally strong and agile. Its martial prowess was terrifying when combined with its massive claws. Yet, it too eventually fell to the devastating synergy of [Kinetic Control] and [Adaptive Golden Meridians]. Priam absorbed most of the kinetic energy from each attack, deflecting the rest. Once the enemy was defeated, the System presented him with a choice. Reward: Tier 0 Token (Legendary).
  • Save (yourself)
  • Resurrection (others)
  • Reborn (reset your biological lifespan)
  • Reborn (reset your spiritual lifespan)
  • Reborn (reset both your biological and spiritual lifespan)
Had he not been advised, Priam might have chosen the last option¡ªa tempting way to be reborn as a memory-less infant, according to the phoenix. Some despicable parents used this Token on children they deemed poorly raised, but among gladiators, it was widely regarded as a trap. Instead, Priam selected the option to reset his biological lifespan; he had a plan. The next wave featured a fire imp, a demonic bat-like creature capable of wielding black flames. [Fire Champion Physique] rendered the subsequent waves trivial until wave seventy. The boss, likely the parent of the earlier imps, hadn¡¯t taken kindly to the massacre of its offspring. Priam wondered whether he was dealing with the father or the mother as he dodged fireballs that could sear him. He had learned this the hard way, taking the boss¡¯s first attack head-on. Why dodge if you¡¯re flameproof? His arrogance nearly cost him the fight. The burn had caught him off guard; he hadn¡¯t expected to feel that kind of pain again until he hugged another nuke. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 24 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 [Homo Elysian Obsession] synergized with [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] and his Merits to adapt his body to the hellfire. The imp¡¯s attacks gradually slowed as it watched its adversary bask in its flames. Being countered so thoroughly broke its spirit, and Priam mercifully ended its suffering. For his efforts, he earned ten skill levels to distribute, which he allocated to [Tribulation Hunter]. The skill was notoriously difficult to level up, but Priam knew it would be pivotal for his future growth. The System won¡¯t alter it, but it can grant it experience, he noted. Lvl Up: [Tribulation Hunter] lvl 10, ¡­, 19 META (Chance) +90 Wave seventy-five featured a water elemental that vexed Priam for two grueling hours. As a being composed of liquid, it could shrug off most physical assaults, and even Spear Mastery and Conquest Aura failed to cause any significant damage. Though the apex Marquess boasted an impressive defense, its offense wasn¡¯t to be underestimated either, launching high-pressure jets of water enhanced by a Concept that carved holes into the arena¡¯s reinforced stone. To overcome it, Priam wielded Pyro to evaporate the water. As steam filled the room, the Marquess and Duke vied for control over the mist. Water and Mist clashed until Priam emerged victorious. Although his Concept wasn¡¯t at Unity like the elemental¡¯s, it was better suited, and his meta-authority was terrifying for a Tier 0. This attribute allowed him to dominate aether and Concepts, and he exploited it relentlessly until the boss was reduced to a puddle. Plunging his hand into the water, [Tribulation Hunter] enabled Priam to extract a Concept fragment, ending the battle. Reward: Upgrade one of the following Talents.
  • Promesse (Bronze)
  • Spectral Familiarity (Bronze)
  • Aether Citizen (Silver)
  • Chimera (Silver)
  • Hoplite Warpath (Gold)
¡°Chimera.¡± Talent upgraded! [Chimera - Gold] - Your body and mind can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological and mental systems will adapt to many changes. The Prince Phoenix hadn¡¯t been able to say much about this upgrade, except that it was highly sought after for its impact on resistances¡­ and body tempering. Priam clenched his fist, thoughtful. Despite the addition of the word ¡°mental,¡± he felt no immediate change. Clearly, the Gold Talent was reactive and adaptation-focused. Without external stimuli, it would be difficult to measure its effects. ¡°Well, as long as it boosts my cockroach build!¡± A trumpet blast snapped him out of his thoughts. Zone Announcement - Moon: Kazuki Arashi has triumphed over the 80th wave of the Colosseum (Tier 0). A legendary feat! ¡°... You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Priam chuckled. Kazuki had limited the announcement of his legendary Achievement to the Moon just to provoke his rivals without alerting the entire Sector. The hoplite was undoubtedly proud to have beaten Priam to the punch, even if his rival had been held up chatting with the overseer. ¡°If I beat him to wave ninety, that ought to shut him up!¡± Fueled by competitive fire, Priam charged into the next wave. Jasmine glanced at the notification and nearly paid for it with her life. A gigantic greatsword was descending on her, packing the kinetic force of a meteor. She rolled out of the way, her shadow-cloak absorbing the shards of stone that flew in all directions. Using Micro to overclock her body, she dashed toward the swordmaster. Her legendary daggers slashed at both Achilles tendons, drawing a roar of rage and pain from the beastman. Tightening her grip on her weapons, Jasmine prepared to capitalize on any weakness. As her opponent¡¯s legs buckled, her instincts screamed at her to retreat. It was a wise move, as the boss used his fall to unleash a whirlwind attack. The tempered steel missed her head by mere centimeters as she landed a few meters away. Without her quick reaction, she would have been dead. Swallowing hard, Jasmine sank back into the shadows. ¡°RAAAARGH!¡± bellowed the warrior, crawling on his knees, sniffing the ground like a bloodhound, trying to catch her scent. Jasmine stayed hidden. The poison on her blades was preventing his wounds from clotting, and the bleeding would eventually take him down. It would be a slow death, but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Some might call it an ugly victory. She couldn¡¯t care less. An assassin had no honor, only a target. Wave eighty was different. Not just because it granted an Achievement to whoever conquered it, but because its boss was a Duke. The last rank of Nobility before royalty marked the chasm separating prodigies from legends. How many geniuses had failed to cross that threshold? The statistics were brutal: according to B¨¦char, no Prince had emerged from Sector Hope in over a century. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Priam was nearly certain he and his rivals would change that. Perhaps we are the Concepts'' answer to a Sector stuck in stagnation... As the gong resonated, a thick fog flooded the arena, swallowing the Colosseum from view. The spectators were no longer welcome; the System protected the secrets of its elites. Priam¡¯s brow furrowed as he realized the gloomy mist did not answer to him. Deprived of his senses, he wondered if he was still on the Moon. ¡°Rrrrrrh¡­¡± A growl drew Priam¡¯s attention. Before him, a whirlwind of smoke revealed a towering giant, four meters tall, wielding a sword as long as he was. Clad in beast hides and ancient leather armor, his head drew all eyes. The beastman had a human body, but his face was that of an ossified ram, crowned with two massive horns. Priam hurled a fireball to test the waters, eyes widening as the flames skated off the creature''s skin like water on oiled cloth. Instantly, he knew this fight would be different. The Duke was a monster. [Identification] [Zelgius the Apocryphal - Tier 0 - Duke] A clone of a great warrior at the beginning of his journey. Abandoned in the woods, Zelgius was raised by a bear. He found Aaion, his bound weapon, on an unmarked grave. The spirit within taught him the art of combat. At eight years old, the future Duke emerged from the forest and returned to his parents¡¯ village. A few hours later, he was orphaned once more. This is his clone at the time of those events. ¡°Apocryphal¡­?¡± Priam murmured, reading the description. An aberrant soul, capable of defying the laws of the world by its mere existence. Such beings were so dangerous that the System crushed them mercilessly, pitting all its users against them. Was the beastman before him a historical figure? If so... Zelgius¡¯s muscles rippled, veins bulging as he raised his greatsword. The weapon sliced through the air, and Priam snapped his focus back to the fight, barely blocking in time with his spear. [Analysis: Effective Strength exceeds 3 000, presence of Greatsword Mastery I, Domain I, and Micro II. Recommendation: Avoid physical contact.] The advice came too late. Priam''s eyes widened as he stared at the two fragments of Promesse in his hands. The Duke''s strike had severed the shaft, leaving him with a bare blade and a splintered pole. His trusted companion since the beginning of his journey lay broken, and he thought he could almost hear a mental wail that clenched his hearts. Zelgius showed no sympathy for his opponent¡¯s despair, swinging his sword in a lateral slash. The air thundered as the blade broke the sound barrier. Priam looked up a fraction of a second before impact. He tried to merge with his mist, but the boss¡¯s eyes glowed with an ominous light. A primal fear paralyzed the Champion. A Concept! By the time Priam¡¯s formidable will pierced through the terror, it was too late to dodge. He braced for the hit, contracting every muscle. [Kinetic Control] absorbed three-quarters of the blow, igniting his golden meridians. Despite the shock, his spiritual pathways held up better than his body. The greatsword shredded his abdominal muscles, tore through his colon and intestines, and was finally halted by his spine. The impact sent Priam flying like a rag doll. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +3 He crashed seventy meters away, the breath knocked out of him for a second. Thanks to his newfound resistance, he was alive. His latest Concept helped him quickly regain his senses, while [Three-Headed Hydra] burned through his lifespan to heal him. It was a shame, but he couldn¡¯t afford to die now. The silence worried him, and Priam glanced skyward. The dark fog seemed strange¡­ The mist was suddenly torn apart as the boss descended upon him like a meteor, greatsword raised high. Suppressing the fear that threatened to seize him again, Priam leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the downward strike. The colossal weapon shook the arena upon impact. A glance at the crater left by the blow told him it would have killed him if it had connected. Wave eighty was deadly. The Duke¡¯s build focused solely on raw power, but beyond a certain threshold, who needed finesse? Overwhelming strength could crush everything in its path. If Priam didn¡¯t get serious, he would die. ¡°As if!¡± His mantle of mist descended, soon covering the arena in a thin sheet of water. Stealing its kinetic energy, Priam quickly transformed the battlefield into an icy expanse. Then, he thickened the surrounding fog and conjured a dozen, then a hundred, then a thousand ice spears. It was time to see if the giant could defend as well as he attacked. The first spear, mere degrees above absolute zero, was fired with the force of a railgun. Blind in the opaque fog, the boss only detected it with his Domain¡ªfar too late. The spear pierced his navel, spraying the arena with black blood. Priam grinned. It was time for a comeback. The beastman collapsed. A less cautious opponent might have approached, but Priam could still hear his breathing. It took two more spears before his new Concept and the gong signaled the end of the battle. Sighing, he dispelled the mist and picked up the two fragments of his spear. ¡°You really need an upgrade, don¡¯t you?¡± Promesse offered no response. Priam grimaced, realizing his bound weapon was now less durable than his bones. He found the fact unsettling, even if he recently acquired an ideal resistance to slashing attacks. [Shear Resistance] was born from the fusion of [Atomos], formerly [Cutting Resistance], and [Kevlar Tissue], formerly [Penetration Resistance]. At some point during the last two weeks, he had used one of his Skill Fusion Tokens to create an ideal resistance. Prerequisites met:
  • You have faced dimensional blades.
  • Your organs have all been pierced by shards of your own bones.
  • [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder].
  • Your soul has been cleaved.
  • You were bisected during a Tribulation.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Blade Nemesis - Rare] - Most sane people fear blades. Blades fear you. Potential Cost: 40. The System¡¯s naming conventions were cool, but Priam opted for something more understated. [Shear Resistance] was minimalist, fitting for a rare skill. You have selected the skill [Shear Resistance - Rare]. POT -40 [Shear Resistance - Rare] - In engineering, stresses represent forces that deform a material. Shear is one of the five physical stresses that can damage an object. Resisting shear means resisting the blade seeking to eviscerate you and the edge trying to slice you apart. The aether and molecules comprising your body and soul now tend to repel objects or skills trying to pierce or cut them. Your tissues gain flexibility, hardness, and resilience. Fun fact: Nearly all possessors of this skill are sheep. As a result, shepherds are a respected profession. CONST +3 A skill that had certainly just saved his life and could have progressed further if his constitution wasn''t so close to the next Tribulation threshold. Priam glanced upward briefly, but no Achievement came to break the arena¡¯s silence. The System awaited his choice of reward. It was likely standard procedure, but the Champion suspected the System was aware of his plan. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Reward: Choose one.
  • Temper your Body.
  • Refine your Meridians.
  • Cleanse your Soul.
¡°Meridians,¡± Priam decided, despite the deep connection between his body and soul. The last reward was redundant with [He Who Eludes Death], and the first paled in comparison to what he was about to achieve. The first step of the Heavenly Dragon technique required reorganizing his meridians. These spiritual pathways allowed aether to flow through the body, connecting this primordial energy to the soul. To temper his physique, their natural arrangement had to be altered to mimic those of a dragon. Kazuki might have hesitated to change his nature, but Priam had no such reservations. If dragons were one of the three supreme races, then he would emulate them. After unlocking [Ideal Aether Perception] and [High Aether Manipulation], Priam had spent several days restructuring his meridians according to his add-on¡¯s instructions. All that was missing was a treasure or a reward to cement his efforts¡ªone he had just earned. The System descended, parting the fog to reveal a divine light. Priam¡¯s body began to levitate, becoming translucent. Had a spectator been present, they would have seen the Champion''s organs, blood vessels, and bones. As his physical form grew immaterial, the spiritual became tangible. A golden network as intricate as his veins and arteries emerged, pulsing with primordial fluid. The light summoned by the System suffused these pathways, infusing them. For a brief moment, the white-gold meridians resembled crystalline roots. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 META (Focus) +15 META (Endurance) +30 Then the light faded, and Priam¡¯s soul roared. A powerful surge coursed through each meridian, setting the accumulated energy in motion. His refined pathways were now ready to accommodate a seraphic tempering method. Everything was in place, and the System reappeared. Achievement - Legendary: As a Tier 0, you have pushed your limits within the Colosseum. Gladiator, continue to spill blood, and the System will continue to reward you. Message for Humanity and Sector Hope: Priam Azura has triumphed over the 80th wave of the Colosseum (Tier 0). The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +5000. Colosseum VIP Token. Instantly, Priam felt a million, then a billion gazes upon him. Many more followed. Without Elysium¡¯s protection, every voyeur and diviner across the Sector believed themselves free to observe him. The Champion wasn¡¯t an exhibitionist, but he grinned as he sensed the attention. It was exactly what he needed. Pausing his Colosseum run, Priam revealed the item he had retrieved from his inner world just before the announcement of his Achievement. A pearl rested in his palm¡ªthe core of the second Terror, a Prince capable of eluding all attempts at divination. It¡¯s now or never. Priam had a draconic trophy, a legendary ideal resistance, and the focus of an entire Sector to fuel the growth of [Ciphered Record]. It was time to forge the first gate of the Heavenly Dragon. With his eyes closed, sitting cross-legged on the stone, Priam began his body tempering. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 137 days 1 hour 44 minutes 58 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 289: The First Gate Entry 3 Sphinx is back, and it no longer feels like the universe will collapse if I don¡¯t push myself at a breakneck pace. For a long time, I was like a car without brakes, barreling down a rutted road flanked by cliffs, shrouded in a dense fog. It felt as though the world was conspiring against me¡ªeverything was a threat, and I had no way of seeing what lay ahead. To survive, I gripped the wheel tightly, embraced the System, and seized every opportunity to improve. It wasn¡¯t the intensity that bothered me; it was the lack of a plan. Now that I can chart my own course, I have to make it count. As I write this, I hear cheers. Sphinx just swiped two skewers from Blueberry while Moonie kept him distracted. The bear grumbles, but I¡¯m pretty sure he anticipated losing a couple of extra skewers. Oasis is a place of celebration, and this festive atmosphere puts my mind at ease. Even if I don¡¯t always have time to join in, it¡¯s enough to know those close to me are happy. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let up. My instincts scream that the System isn¡¯t done with me yet. ¡­ I¡¯m almost surprised to admit it, but I don¡¯t mind. No, it actually excites me. I¡¯d have sold my soul to access the System before the Tutorial, and I¡¯d still do it today. Maybe I need to dance with Death to truly feel alive. Entry 4 Chance, the manipulation of Concepts, and my own choices have left me well-equipped to ascend to the Zenith¡ªor at least, that¡¯s how it seems. Kinetic control, spear, mist, fire, and resistances¡­ those are my cards now. Amassing more won¡¯t help me conquer my Tribulations; I need to strengthen what I already have. The priority is clear: temper my body. The hologram that serves as my mentor has told me everything he can, but I sense his limitations¡ªbound by oaths... and fears. Some topics seem taboo, and I¡¯m nearly certain he projects his own anxieties onto me. Is he afraid that I might choose, as he did, to join the Depths? The lack of spoon-fed information bothered me at first, but I¡¯ve made peace with it. Maybe it¡¯s for the best. Despite his former status, my mentor was only the Prince of a minor branch of a mythical clan. I don¡¯t want faulty guidance to stifle my growth. ¡°He didn¡¯t know it was impossible, so he did it.¡± That phrase makes me want to aim for the sun; worst case, I¡¯ll land among the stars. Last night, while gazing at the firmament, I pondered the best skills to combine with Heavenly Dragon and thought about mimicking the universe. With a physique inspired by the Seven Great Concepts, I¡¯d have no weaknesses. For that, I need seven trophies, seven ideal resistances, and seven brutal trials to temper them¡­ It¡¯s a project of titanic proportions, but I have time to prepare. I feel like a med student before their first operation¡ªI want to know exactly what I¡¯m doing. Entry 5 I¡¯ve been researching the nature of a resistance and how it differs from a typical skill. The first thing I¡¯ve confirmed is that they are passive; I don¡¯t need to activate them or even think about them for them to protect me. By cross-referencing data from [Diagnosis], my genetic knowledge, and various descriptions, I understand why. A resistance alters the body, the genome, and the aetheric code¡ªwhatever that means. Some even affect the mind, the spirit, and potentially the soul. It isn¡¯t just a rune inscribed on one of my soul¡¯s layers, replicated throughout my cells; it¡¯s a mutation of the user. (Added in the margin.) This explains why humanity''s racial Talent is so powerful. By increasing our adaptability, it accelerates positive mutations, and thus, the acquisition of resistances. Thanks to [He Who Eludes Death], I¡¯ve managed to acquire twenty-five resistances. In comparison, Kazuki has only eight. Conversations with the other residents of Oasis helped me develop a theory: a resistance defends the user against an influence perceived as harmful. For the body, that¡¯s straightforward: if a disease kills my cells, only the ones that survive will multiply, eventually creating a resistance with the System¡¯s help. For the mind, it¡¯s more complicated. As a side effect, [Free Will] seems to strengthen my desire for freedom, but is that all? Every experience shapes my ego, but am I comfortable with the idea that the System might do the same? I also learned that the source of a resistance¡¯s creation doesn¡¯t necessarily come from outside. This morning, Myuri revealed that she possesses [Fear Resistance] and [Shame Resistance]. Respectively, these abilities dampened her terror and allowed her to obey degrading orders when she was still under Esm¨¦e¡¯s brother¡¯s control. Despite the rage that rises in me as I write this, I can¡¯t help but wonder. Just how much can one reshape themselves using the System? Entry 6 The first gate of Heavenly Dragon will be founded on [Ciphered Record], an ideal legendary resistance. It will symbolize Order, one of the Seven Great Concepts, as it shrouds my identity¡ªmy place in this reality. The core of the second Terror, a draconic Tier 1 Prince capable of evading any form of identification, will make the perfect trophy, and a sentence from my mentor gave me the idea for a trial capable of tempering it. Waves eighty, ninety, and all from ninety-five onward deserve an Achievement. The residents of Sector Hope are too fearful to watch me in Elysium. However, the Moon isn¡¯t as well-guarded. Millions, perhaps billions, of users ready to scry me are an opportunity too good to pass up. There, I can begin my tempering. Using their voyeuristic tendencies to strengthen my privacy¡­ I relish the irony. ¡ªExcerpt from Priam¡¯s journal. If Memory hadn¡¯t been sealed, Priam was sure [Ciphered Record] would have gained several levels in seconds. After being barred for so long by Elysium¡¯s laws, every seer, prophet, augur, diviner, paparazzo, and spy in Sector Hope was jumping at the chance to glean information about the First Champion of the Golden Generation. An extravagant number of aetheric probes flooded the arena, searching for him. Within his Domain, they swarmed like an infinite number of locusts, eager to devour his secrets. He couldn¡¯t count them all and forced himself to ignore them. Still, a faint smile curved his lips as most evaporated upon contact with him. [Ciphered Record], his resistance to divination, was frustrating billions of intelligence agents. The probes that managed to pierce his skin¡¯s barrier coursed along his meridians to his human heart, then up to his brain. There, a special meridian connected his decision-making organ to his soul. Between these two critical points lay a threshold: the spirit. Since obtaining [Brainless], Priam¡¯s brain functioned largely as a processor and a secondary hard drive. Most of his emotions and decisions originated from his spirit, the home of his mind, a sort of phantom brain composed of the same spiritual material as his meridians. Some probes scanned his brain for information, but the majority of diviners seemed to lack anatomical knowledge and continued onward. It was fascinating to see the different ways one could attempt to gather intel on a target. Half the remaining probes stopped at his spirit, while the others pressed forward into his soul space to observe his essence directly. Based on the data collected, the diviners and oracles could partially reconstruct his status. Unfortunately for them, [Ciphered Record] scrambled Priam¡¯s aetheric signature and encrypted his aether, rendering the gathered data useless. It was already an impressive outcome, but he needed to go further. The legendary skill struggled to intercept all the probes and encrypt his aether quickly enough. Despite his resistance¡¯s efforts, his secrets were slowly being revealed. To change the game, he needed to temper it. ¡°Here we go.¡± Priam¡¯s meridians spread like roots around his head, reaching every corner of his brain. This spiritual network, superimposed on his arteries, veins, and the labyrinth of his neurons, had recently been reorganized according to Heavenly Dragon¡¯s instructions. The pathways no longer occupied random positions but formed a three-dimensional magical pattern. It was a ritual of mind-boggling complexity, infinitely more sophisticated than anything Priam had seen before¡ªa sequence of arcane sigils woven into a formation as mysterious as it was sublime. Worthy of a dragon. Taking a deep breath, Priam activated [In the Zone]. His laser-focused mind harnessed every ounce of his willpower to control [High Aether Manipulation]. The aether circulating through his body froze, then rushed into his brain to fuel the ritual. His cerebral meridians, some as narrow as capillaries, swelled with energy. As the aether thickened within those slender channels, pressure gradually built, condensing the fluid. Soon, only [Adaptive Golden Meridians] and their recent refinements kept the delicate pathways from rupturing. Too concentrated to feel the pain, Priam continued drawing in all the energy he could muster. His human heart generated the aether, his soul purified it, and he guided it into the draconic formation completing itself within his mind. After several tense minutes, a critical threshold was breached, and the ritual ignited. At the center of Priam¡¯s brain, where his primary meridian met his mind and soul, the aether compressed to the point of changing state. A core formed, a tiny grain of solid aether that gradually expanded to the size of a grain of rice before stabilizing. The seed of the gate was ready. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Phase two,¡± Priam murmured while raising the second Terror''s core and pressing it to his forehead. Swallowing hard, he directed the aether to another segment of the ritual. The energy flow eroded the smallest meridians, but most held firm. The second draconic pattern released a pulse that halted upon reaching the core of the second Terror. Heavenly Dragon had detected the trophy that would fertilize the gate¡¯s seed. In the next instant, an irresistible force seized it with tyrannical intensity. Priam screamed as the orb of solid aether¡ªa sphere the size of his fist¡ªfractured his skull and penetrated his brain. Any ordinary human would have died instantly, but Priam was no ordinary man. [Tenacious Spirit] took over, allowing him to maintain control of his body through Micro despite half his head splattering across the arena¡¯s sands. Ignoring the agony once more, Priam focused on the magic working at the center of his skull. The Terror¡¯s core was vaporized by the draconic formation, transformed into a cloud that soon enveloped the gate¡¯s seed. After a moment of suspension, the miracle of creation repeated itself. Drawn in like matter to a newborn star, the nebula condensed and fused with the pseudo-core. Once every particle of aether was absorbed, an orb floated at the heart of the Champion¡¯s brain. The fertilized seed had become the embryo of a gate. Both physical and spiritual, it lay nestled between Priam''s brain and his soul, clogging his primary meridian. The immense energy it contained¡ªequivalent to the reserves of a Tier 1 Prince¡ªgave it a weight and a gravitational pull that disrupted the ambient aether. Suddenly, the embryo trembled, shaken by a quake. With a grimace twisting the unscathed side of his face, Priam unleashed his draconic will against the lingering ghost of the ego hidden within the core. Had he not defeated the Terror himself, the unstable sphere would have detonated, and the tempering¡ªand this life¡ªwould have ended here. But Priam had triumphed fair and square. Acknowledging its defeat, the Prince¡¯s spectral presence dissipated. The Champion took a moment to admire his handiwork. At the center of his half-shattered brain floated the seed of a gate. On the spiritual plane, billions of aetheric probes coursed up a spiritual meridian at that same location. It¡¯s now or never. As [Tenacious Spirit] began to waver, Priam roared and activated the third and final part of the ritual. Channeling his aether into a different segment of the draconic formation, he watched as the embryo grew. The sphere stretched and hollowed out, forming a ring. When the circle¡¯s diameter reached the size of a small pea, Priam used his aether proficiency to etch a rune from the fourth layer of his soul into it. The rune of [Ciphered Record], an ideal legendary skill, was intricate but beautiful. As soon as it was done, he bordered the rune with several mysterious draconic runes. The meticulous work¡ªeach rune only a few microns across¡ªsplit his skull with pain, but Priam was grinning. The gate was almost complete. Satisfied, he restored his head using the daily boon from [Three-Headed Hydra]. If all went well, he wouldn¡¯t lose his head again today. Using his aether mastery once more, the novice aetherist manipulated his primary meridian so its edges would fit snugly inside the ring. The adaptation occurred with a spiritual click, and suddenly, the aether fueled the gate. It began to vibrate as the rune on its surface resonated with the one in his soul. [Ciphered Record] was no longer just a skill; it was now physically anchored within Priam¡¯s body. The tempering could begin. The ring encircled a meridian through which millions of divinatory probes passed at any given moment. For an aetheric gate designed to resist divinations and other espionage attempts, this was an affront. Powered by the aether flowing through it, the rune inscribed on the modified core began filtering the current. A kind of spiritual net formed, but the probes that reached this point often came from Mid Tiers. They tore through the mesh, breaching the gate¡¯s defenses. This was exactly what Priam sought: a trial capable of tempering his creation. After all, there was only one way to cultivate resistance, and that was through pain, fire, and blood¡ªsometimes literally. Fueled by its creator¡¯s aether, the gate reconstructed the torn net over and over. Stimulated by failures and victories alike, the draconic runes on the ring¡¯s surface multiplied, reinforcing the structure and amplifying the effect of the resistance. Focused by Heavenly Dragon, [Ciphered Record] obliterated the divinatory probes while encoding Priam''s aether. The gate¡¯s influence wasn¡¯t just local; it affected his entire body. Time passed, and the tempering continued. Despite the lack of level-ups, the resistance grew stronger, and the gate evolved. Like thorns devouring the corpses of fallen intruders, the sigils spread by consuming the probes halted by the net. Several hours later, when Priam opened his eyes, the gate was complete. The ring was covered with runes so sophisticated and enigmatic that even Gollum might have abandoned the One Ring for it. Half physical, half spiritual, the structure was woven from countless strands of aether. Its mere presence influenced the ambient energy, even while dormant. The Champion rose, ending the Heavenly Dragon ritual. The aether surged out of his brain to flow naturally through his body once more. His human heart pulsed the primordial fluid from the soles of his feet to the depths of his soul, passing through the new gate. A shiver ran down his spine as it fully activated. The tempered resistance spread its wings, filtering his aether, encrypting his signature, and fortifying his Domain to banish all attempts at spying. Thanks to Micro, Priam detected the remnants of billions of probes floating within him. A few survivors still moved, searching for a way out of the hostile, labyrinthine environment. In his influence sphere, the probes drifted like drunk drivers, seeking Priam but failing to find him. As Priam beheld the tyrannical dominion of his resistance, a grin spread across his face. [Ciphered Record] had finally earned its description. ¡°Everyone sees me, but none understand.¡± Then, he sensed a new capability within himself. Through his gate, he could now temporarily overclock his resistance. With a dismissive flick of his hand, he banished the vast majority of the divinatory probes from the arena. No skill below Tier 4 survived the purge. ¡°The power of a single tempered resistance... I wonder what the final form of Heavenly Dragon looks like.¡± Priam grinned. ¡°No, more than that¡ªI wonder what a true dragon is really like.¡± Sitting on his throne, Viracocha opened his eyes. He had spent the last few hours spying on Priam Azura, using the Talent he had granted him at the end of the Reunion. The young human seemed to have had enough and had just metaphorically slammed the door in his face. The minor god waited a few moments before exhaling in relief. Despite the insult, the System hadn¡¯t granted an upgrade to the Champion¡¯s [Iconoclast]. Having someone piss on his statue was humiliating enough, but being unable to observe one of his chosen... Hoping no one would ever learn that he had just been dismissed by a Tier 0, the Tier 5 wondered if he should reconsider his plans for humanity''s second Reunion. The ice shattered in front of FK-13 and FK-14, exploding into a flurry of enchanted shards that skittered harmlessly across them. Even if constitution wasn¡¯t their forte, injuring a Tier 4 was no easy feat. ¡°Those scrying tools don¡¯t come cheap,¡± a voice growled from behind. FK-13 was the first to scramble to his feet, swiftly followed by FK-14, and both bowed before the Slayer, the leader of the Hope Sector branch of the Assassin''s Guild. ¡°Slayer,¡± FK-13 addressed him, his voice laced with the respect due to a Myth. ¡°Murderer FK-13, FK-14.¡± The Tier 6''s gaze swept disdainfully over the dozens of unconscious assistants lying amidst the remnants of shattered ice. None of them would likely rise above the rank of batteries for aetheric tools. ¡°Report.¡± ¡°Target 17 has begun tempering his body after defeating the eightieth wave of the Colosseum,¡± FK-14 began. FK-13 had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. The entire Sector knew that already. A shadow passed over the Slayer¡¯s eyes, and FK-13 realized he wasn¡¯t the only one irritated by the redundant report. Given a Tier 6¡¯s capacity for collateral damage, he hastily added more detail. ¡°The target used the fact that half the Sector was trying to scry him to temper a legendary evolution of [Divination Resistance].¡± The Slayer sneered. ¡°I assume no one thought to deprive him of that opportunity?¡± ¡°Your assumption is correct,¡± FK-14 answered the rhetorical question without hesitation. This fool is going to get us killed! ¡°I suspect the resistance was maxed and at ideal rarity,¡± FK-13 interjected quickly, gesturing to the shattered ice behind him. ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation for why he could wipe out billions of probes with a mere gesture¡­ and why our intel is so scarce.¡± FK-13 felt ashamed to admit it, but even the scant data gathered by his scrying skill was mostly indecipherable. The visual of the target they had managed to capture was also remarkably blurred. ¡°It¡¯s possible his tempering method itself is of mythical rarity,¡± FK-14 added. ¡°During brief fluctuations in his aura, I detected two distinct mythical signatures. One matched the hydras, the other, dragons. He could be trying to purify a bloodline.¡± The Slayer''s eyes narrowed. ¡°The target hasn¡¯t declared any new Tribulations since his quadruple. His profile shows a tendency to boast about his progress. If he¡¯s not hiding any Achievements, it¡¯s impossible for his resistance to be maxed; he would have undergone seven Tribulations by now.¡± FK-13 exchanged a glance with FK-14. ¡°Forgive us, Slayer, but without a maxed skill, even a mythical tempering wouldn¡¯t be enough to elevate a resistance to the point where it could break a Tier 4 scrying tool. It¡¯s likely the target hasn¡¯t disclosed all his Achievements.¡± The Tier 6 bent down to inspect a shard of glass. The blurred image of the target was still faintly visible, captured at the moment of the ice''s explosion. He remained silent for a moment before responding. ¡°No. He¡¯s published everything¡ªI can sense it.¡± ¡°But then¡ª¡± ¡°There are ways to boost the potency of one¡¯s resistances. Did you document his Concepts?¡± ¡°An unknown evolution of Fire, an alien variant of Mist, and Breath. None of them should be able to encrypt his records to this extent.¡± ¡°Then he must be using a Talent or Merit¡­ or perhaps both. Reclassify Target 17 as a Mid Tier threat. At his next Reunion, no novice is allowed to approach or engage him.¡± ¡°But the client insisted on the urgency of the mission. If he makes it past wave ninety-five¡ª" began FK-14. An oppressive aura slammed FK-13 and his colleague to the ground. The Tier 4 lost all sense of his surroundings; his thoughts were obliterated until only primal terror remained, a fear so deep it made him wish for death. An eternity later, FK-13 let out a ragged breath as air filled his lungs once more. A voice drifted to his ears. ¡°If Priam Azura has proven anything, it¡¯s that no Tier 0 in this Sector can stop a Champion. I won¡¯t draw his suspicion with failed assassination attempts. No Low Tier agent is permitted to intercept him. Should he set foot on an unprotected planet, I want every available Mid Tier on him. That includes Tier 5.¡± When FK-13 finally rose to his feet, he sighed at the sight of his rival¡¯s lifeless expression. FK-14 was dead, and now he would have twice the workload until a replacement was found. As he exited the scrying chamber, he wondered idly if Priam knew a Tier 4 had just died because of him. Just a Tier 0, and yet¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± FK-13 let out a joyless laugh. ¡°No, whatever he is, Priam Azura is far more than that.¡± [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 136 days 17 hours 27 minutes 59 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 290: The King and the Tyrant ¡°Everyone sees me, but none understand,¡± Priam said, waving his hand dismissively. Brutally dismissed, the king jolted awake, heart racing. In the dimness of the royal chamber, it took several seconds for Prometheus to catch his breath. Once his pulse calmed, he quietly pushed the covers aside and slid out of bed. The rough weave of the rug under his bare feet muffled his steps. A simple mat, more like a doormat than a royal carpet, but it had been a gift from a couple saved by his army. For the king, it meant more than a Persian rug ever could. It was a symbol: despite everything, men and women kept fighting. Some gave their blood, others their sweat, but all contributed to the war effort. He moved through the room without lighting a lamp, avoiding a broken chair thanks to his Domain. The evening had been¡­ eventful. In three small strides, he reached the wardrobe and pulled on a pair of trousers. His advisors claimed the royal quarters were too small, but Prometheus disagreed. He hadn¡¯t accepted the crown to live in luxury¡ªhe had taken it to save humanity. Dressing in the dark, he smiled, remembering how he had told the architects to focus on building up the capital, not his suite. They had listened. Humanity had always loved grand constructions, and the System only amplified the ambition of the builders. Returning from a three-week campaign, Prometheus found his capital transformed. The humblest worker had a roof over their head, a massive sewer had been carved into the rock, and every road was now paved. Moreover, wells and washhouses were being built in anticipation of providing running water to every home. Prometheus didn¡¯t just want humanity to survive¡ªhe wanted them to thrive. The latest project involved diverting a river six kilometers east of the city. The plan was to connect the capital to the front lines via waterways, sparing the troops needless forced marches. It was an audacious goal, but necessary to push civil engineers and workers beyond their limits. Now dressed, Prometheus returned to the bed, kneeling beside it to gently stroke the cheek of the woman still asleep. She blinked her eyes open, smiling up at him. ¡°Already up? I thought I¡¯d worn you out last night.¡± Prometheus glanced at the chair and sink, both of which hadn¡¯t survived. Inhuman attributes had a way of spicing up certain activities. ¡°You won a round, not the war,¡± he teased, grinning. ¡°Priam woke me.¡± Elo?se sat up quickly, her generous chest coming into view for her lover. ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Not on Proxima, but in the Sector Hope. On our Moon, to be exact.¡± ¡°Well, let him stay there.¡± Prometheus sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not a bad man.¡± ¡°He humiliated you.¡± A dangerous glint passed through the Empyrean¡¯s eyes as a halo materialized over her head¡ªa sign she was ready to act. ¡°He taught me a lesson,¡± the king corrected, recalling his duel with the Champion and his defeat broadcast to all of humanity. ¡°Priam defended his throne out of pride, not to crush me. He¡¯s not your father.¡± The mention of the Empyrean emperor made Elo?se shiver, and Prometheus pulled her into his arms. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Very well, you hold him in high regard, and I trust your judgment.¡± Minutes later, they walked through the palace corridors, flanked by six royal guards. Elo?se walked a step behind Prometheus, subtly reminding everyone that he was the king. Raised within an imperial court, she was strict about etiquette. Many had begun to imitate her. ¡°How did our Champion manage to wake you?¡± Elo?se asked, finishing adjusting her hair. ¡°When he unlocked his Achievement last night, I borrowed a few skills from my paladins to observe him in my dreams. He has begun tempering his body, which let him banish me¡ªand billions of other spies.¡± ¡°What a monster¡­ He anchored a resistance to divination?¡± When Prometheus nodded, Elo?se continued, ¡°Smart. That will stop his enemies from reading him like an open book. You should do the same.¡± Prometheus didn¡¯t respond immediately. Her suggestion was clever, but he had to lead by example. Part of his legitimacy came from fighting on the front lines. The best tempering method he had access to was of rare quality and could only anchor four resistances. If he sacrificed one for divination, that left only three for battle. ¡°It would cut down on assassination attempts,¡± Elo?se pressed. ¡°And it would make my father¡¯s little ¡®accidents¡¯ harder to plan.¡± Prometheus grimaced. The Empyreans preferred manipulation over direct confrontation. Their mages were like Death in Final Destination, always triggering deadly chain reactions from seemingly minor events. A bird dropping shit into a horse¡¯s eye could cause it to bolt, trampling a man in its path. When Prometheus survived multiple assassination attempts, the Empyreans simply changed tactics. Sudden storms had made key letters illegible. Insects had found their way into food stores. Hot ash had been carried far by the wind to start devastating fires. The enemy didn¡¯t need saboteurs¡ªunfortunate coincidences were their weapons. Yet for all the chaos the Empyreans could sow, they were hindered by humanity¡¯s racial Talent. [Humanity Adapts] unlocked [Probability Manipulation Resistance] quickly, and any suspicious level-ups triggered immediate alerts. Rather than targeting individuals, the enemy now used the environment to stage their accidents. ¡°If I become impossible to scry, their generals won¡¯t be able to avoid me,¡± Prometheus mused. ¡°I could even restart punitive expeditions¡­¡± ¡°My king, your safety is the priority,¡± Elo?se frowned. ¡°With an army at my back, I¡¯m invincible. At worst, I will wait for a better tempering method.¡± Leaving the palace, they were escorted by a half-dozen guards as they headed toward the royal laboratory. The night was still deep, but a few workers were still in the streets. Thanks to increased vitality, some bold entrepreneurs were cutting down on sleep. Ambition had always driven humanity, and the System had only fanned that flame. For some, it had flickered out, but in others, it burned brighter than ever. Prometheus surveyed his city with satisfaction. The streets, lit by domesticated mutant fireflies, gave the place an enchanted feel. His subjects could walk alone at any hour¡ªif threatened, all it took was a cry, and the insects would swarm any would-be criminal until the police arrived. Those judged guilty were sent to the front lines. As they passed under a cherry tree, Prometheus reached up and plucked a fruit. He bit into it and grimaced¡ªit was barely ripe. Tossing the pit into a bed of flowers, he picked one of the blooms. Channeling a little aether into the plant as payment, he handed an amaryllis to Elo?se. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°A gift?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s a courting flower,¡± Prometheus said with a smirk. Gesturing toward the tree-lined path, he added, ¡°I know I ordered green streets, but they grew really fast.¡± ¡°The trees were transplanted,¡± Elo?se explained, tucking the flower behind her ear with a smile. ¡°Only a few peripheral streets remain, and the project will be complete. The citizens are pleased. Despite the war, the greenery shows their king is thinking of the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. But I hope the druids and farmers haven¡¯t fallen behind because of it. The priority is still agriculture.¡± Pretty streets were nice, but full plates were essential. ¡°The mushroom caverns are finished, but our mycologists are struggling to find a species that¡¯s both edible and easy to grow. As for the outer fields, the farmers are rotating shifts to speed up the growth of grains, fruits, and vegetables. The menu won¡¯t be varied, but no one will go hungry this month.¡± ¡°Never again if I have any say in it,¡± Prometheus swore as the silhouette of the city¡¯s main market loomed in the distance. The building was the size of a stadium built for fifty thousand, dwarfing even the royal palace. For the king, it was a source of pride. On a planet like Proxima, where nature was dangerous, an abundance of food was a rare gift. ¡°Are the market and shops well-stocked?¡± he asked one of the guards. It was always useful to get a personal perspective. ¡°Better than ever, Your Majesty. My son did the shopping yesterday, and they have some delicious tubers¡ªreminded me of Jerusalem artichokes. I boiled them, and we feasted.¡± Prometheus smiled. Variety in the diet was proof that humanity had crossed a threshold. ¡°Humanity no longer just survives¡ªit lives.¡± ¡°And soon, it will thrive,¡± Elo?se promised. ¡°But first, we still need to settle the matter of the economic model,¡± she reminded him. His smile twisted into a grimace as the king mulled over the matters awaiting him tomorrow. Production was ramping up, but the regulations surrounding it were a nightmare. Should his government intervene in the economy? If so, was its role to set prices or merely regulate them? Should a tax be imposed? How much should a farmer be paid for a kilo of apples? What should the transporter¡¯s cut be? The distributor¡¯s and the seller¡¯s margins? The market¡¯s rent? Raised in a liberal country, Prometheus staunchly believed in individual freedom and private property. However, he understood that, in times of war, one man''s liberty weighed less than the survival of the whole. His anger flared as he recalled the audacity of some speculators. Men and women were dying on the front lines, while scumbags schemed to profit from food shortages. Humanity was beautiful, but some apples were rotten to the core. ¡°Evaluate the morality of our top merchants, and draft a list of those worthy of knighthood,¡± he commanded his advisor. ¡°I need more than just social skills. Economic expertise will be crucial to fortify our kingdom.¡± His power allowed him to borrow the abilities of his paladins, and weren¡¯t limited to war skills. ¡°Understood,¡± Elo?se replied as they arrived at a heavily fortified building. ¡°My king,¡± the security chief greeted him. There was no need for an identity check; an unbreakable bond existed between the monarch and his knights. Prometheus nodded. ¡°Wake all available geneticists. I have hope humanity can rise beyond High Human.¡± As the soldier ran off, Elo?se turned to her king. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Before I was ejected from my vision, I studied Priam. He¡¯s human, but I also recognized the signatures of both the Empyreans and the Arkanians in him. He has elevated his humanity by drawing inspiration from the genomes of rival civilizations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... brilliant,¡± the Empyrean admitted, then added, ¡°But it won¡¯t sit well with everyone.¡± Prometheus looked down at his hands¡ªhands that could tear through steel. Was he still human? Yes. ¡°More than blood or physical appearance, humanity is a quality of the soul. Beautiful values, ideals worth fighting for. If we need to adapt to survive, then we will.¡± He smiled. ¡°We always have.¡± ¡°Some will challenge that.¡± ¡°Let them try telling Priam he is no longer human,¡± the king chuckled darkly. Their Champion had no patience for fools. Arnold NetSky stared intently at the cracks spreading across the screen in front of him. Unlike a technological display, it was organic, composed of chromatophores¡ªpigment cells used by some animals for camouflage. Muscles beneath the surface contracted, shifting the pigment distribution and generating images. For a homunculus far from his own civilization, it was an elegant solution to visualize data. Of course, the Var Elegis didn¡¯t need a screen to access information. Yet, this time he made an exception. The First''s body tempering was something worth watching. The event had him so worked up that he had to activate a skill just to focus. Arnold knew the First possessed a draconic bloodline, but an ideal legendary resistance? The calculations said it should be impossible. It wasn¡¯t the first time the Juggernaut defied the odds, but he never failed to surprise the Tyrant. After all, Arnold wasn¡¯t even sure he could pull off the same feat. Raising a resistance was hard enough, but leveling it up past the epic tier? That was another story. Digging into his memory, the homunculus recalled the sacrifices it had taken to unlock [High Heat Transmission Resistance], his only ideal epic resistance. One hundred and twelve artificial avatars, three magma basins, two megajoule lasers, and three hundred grams of deuterium¡ªit had been a hell of a price to pay. Given the exponential curve of resistance progression, he had to accept that his next upgrade might not be ideal. The fact that his rival possessed a skill like [Ciphered Record] was beyond any of his projections. ¡°... As expected of the First.¡± Arnold knew he was far from matching the Homo Elysian, but he refused to fall further behind. Opening his hand, he gazed at the latest gift from the System. For surviving a month in Elysium, he had earned a Tempering Die. It was time to choose a permanent body, to decide his path forward. The homunculus lifted his gaze toward his last two avatars. A glance was all it took to notice their stark differences. The one on the right was a war machine, suspended on an armor rack. Made from magical alloys and equipped with advanced sensors, it was an unstoppable hunter. Its quantum processors, the product of cutting-edge Hoplite tech, would support rapid cognition during complex tasks. Nuclear fusion reactors, enhanced by a web of nanoscopic runes carved by lasers, supplied it with near-limitless energy, which was necessary to fuel the energy-hungry superconductors channeling the magnetic forces that powered its movement. The result was an armor capable of breaking the sound barrier tenfold in a heartbeat. Piloted remotely, this robotic marvel had gone toe-to-toe with a Duke, holding its own without skills, Talents, or attributes. Once Arnold transferred his System-boosted soul into it, he was certain he could stand up to Princes. The second avatar was the crowning achievement of Var Elegis biotechnology. Before they had been linked by their first AGI, the Var Elegis had been a classical silicon-based race. The opportunities offered by the System and bloodlines had restored their metabolism to its former glory. Suspended in an artificial womb was a genetically modified clone of Arnold. The dark skin was composed of multiple layers of polymer capable of shifting position. Hydrophobic, heat-resistant, and equipped with a vast array of camouflaging abilities¡ªvisual, electrical, thermal, magnetic, and tactile¡ªthe molecules making up the skin were nearly as tough as the metal alloy that formed the bones. The creature moved using muscles woven from graphene and innovative proteins. A revolutionary process powered the biological weapon¡¯s organs: its cells fused deuterium instead of relying on chemical energy from glucose. No need for breathing nor eating. Various genetically engineered glands and sensors allowed it to navigate and communicate in any environment. Sub-brains ensured there were no weaknesses and granted a natural talent for multitasking, while nanobots enhanced its natural regeneration and immune defenses. Finally, its monoatomic-tipped tail, venomous dorsal tentacles, and retractable claws made from enchanted synthetic diamond made it an unrivaled killing machine. Arnold¡¯s twin was a stark reminder that before they had developed their technology, the Var Elegis had been apex predators. The die in his hand grew as heavy as the decision before him. If he didn¡¯t want to fall behind, the champion of the Var Elegis needed to start his body tempering. It was time to pick the avatar that would carry him all the way to Zenith. In his mind, the image of the First watched him intently.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 291: Famous Last Words The fog retreated, but the arena remained concealed, as if the Colosseum itself was reminding Priam that the run wasn¡¯t over. He smirked slightly. ¡°As if I¡¯d leave now.¡± He had eleven hours left to push as far as he could through the waves and wasn¡¯t about to waste another minute on idle chatter. Now that he was shielded from view by his new gate, he could finally play some of his trump cards. Just as he prepared to resume the run, his body started to tremble. Priam frowned. With his dexterity and [Micro], this was impossible. Was this some kind of payback? He had just banished billions of spies and figured some wouldn¡¯t take kindly to it. Feeling blood drip from his nose, Priam searched for an explanation. When he found it, he cursed. His brain was bleeding. Most people would have panicked at the thought of a cerebral hemorrhage, but not Priam. With [He Who Eludes Death] primed, he knew he would survive. Instead of fear, frustration knotted his gut. The lack of response from his resistances signaled that the problem was exotic. This had to be connected to his temperance. Was the issue tied to his new gate? It made no sense¡ªhe had done everything right! He had even overclocked his add-on to ensure he fully understood the instructions from Heavenly Dragon. The gate¡¯s creation had gone flawlessly. If there had been a runic issue, the structure would have exploded. As he fell to his knees, blood now streaming from his ears, Priam tried to figure it out. Was there a conflict between his body and the tempering method? The die he had stolen from Kazuki tailored the process to its user. Since his first trip to Valaryth, Priam had upgraded his race to Homo Elysian. Could Heavenly Dragon¡¯s method be outdated? Or maybe it was a curse from the second Terror? The Prince still existed in this timeline, and its core was the twin of his gate¡¯s trophy. Ideas clashed in his mind until the System offered a clue. [Chimera - Gold] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 10 072 POT to trigger evolution? ¡°...Fuck,¡± he muttered, reading the first part of the message. ¡°FUCK!¡± he barked when he saw the price the Concepts demanded for their assistance. Tourists get fleeced less in souvenir shops. The System was milking him dry. Focus! he scolded himself as his vision blurred. Think! Originally, [Chimera] allowed his body to adapt to opposing elements. As it evolved, this trait had intensified. Thanks to the message, Priam could narrow down the possibilities. His stomach clenched, and he spat blood onto the arena sand. Wiping his mouth, he realized blood was leaking from every orifice. This was bad. Closing his eyes, Priam forced himself to stay calm. Ignoring the spasms wracking his frame, he focused inward. If Domain was a sphere of perception and authority, Micro was the perfect tool to understand his body. Concentrating on the Supremacy, Priam recognized that his body was breaking down. His cells were self-destructing en masse, a raging fever was sapping his strength, and the spasms had become uncontrollable. The pain was sharp, like acid flooding his veins, but that was an old friend by now. Humans could get used to anything¡ªeven agony. What worried him was how fast the phenomenon was spreading. Starting from his head, it was quickly engulfing his entire body. A parallel thought found a possible explanation. His physical tempering had triggered changes in his status. Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
According to Heavenly Dragon, each gate purified his draconic bloodline. Until now, Priam had thought that was a good thing. Then he remembered the phoenix¡¯s warning: starting his physical tempering would accelerate [Chimera]¡¯s evolution. A Talent designed to help my body handle conflicting elements. Bloodlines too? Kneeling, Priam endured a violent convulsion, understanding why most people only cultivated one bloodline at a time. Inside him, a dragon and a phoenix were warring, and he wasn¡¯t strong enough to break them up. [Chimera - Gold] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 8 159 POT to trigger evolution? ¡°Ah.¡± His bloodstained mouth curved into a grin. The System wasn¡¯t offering him any discounts; it was his own body syncing with [Chimera]. Where others needed Potential to bridge reality with a possible future, [Homo Elysian Obsession] was doing it on its own. Priam just had to hold out long enough. Collapsing onto the arena floor, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his body. With any luck, this forced shutdown would teach him something. [Chimera - Gold] is evolving¡­ [Chimera - Legendary] - Your body and mind can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements and bloodlines. Your biological and mental systems will adapt to many changes. Priam cracked open a dull eye. He closed it again when he realized he was blind. It didn¡¯t matter. The destruction of his body had stopped. "...No, it¡¯s just slowed," he rasped. Better than nothing. Especially since I can push [Chimera] to the seraphic level. Wiping the dried blood from his eyes and nose, he reread the updated description of his Talent. The System had highlighted ¡®bloodlines.¡¯ The addition was welcome, but Priam wasn¡¯t fooled for a second. The legendary Talent didn¡¯t let him wield two bloodlines. Not yet, anyway. For now, it just stopped them from tearing him apart. That¡¯s something, at least. Reviewing his status, Priam realized how lucky he was that his phoenix and draconic bloodlines were still so weak. Otherwise, his body would¡¯ve been ripped apart by their conflict. Still, he wasn¡¯t about to leave things as they were. The obvious solution was to improve [Chimera] further, in hopes of reconciling them¡ªor at least suppressing their war. As useful as the legendary upgrade was, it was merely a stepping stone to something truly exceptional. Priam drew out the Seraphic Token he had earned from defeating Sumstreh in the erased timeline. Before he could use it, the System intervened once more. [Chimera - Legendary] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 21 709 POT to trigger evolution? ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Priam laughed, stopping mid-gesture. There was little chance he would get enough Potential to upgrade [Chimera] to seraphic rarity, but if his legendary adaptation could catalyze the Talent¡¯s evolution by itself, he saw no reason to interfere. It would be an interesting event to observe and study, offering insight into his own abilities. That was how he had upgraded [Three-Headed Hydra], and it might just provide the inspiration to replicate that success. Speaking of my Hydra Title¡­ His body was a wreck, and Priam made the call to burn some of his lifespan to heal quickly. One of the Colosseum¡¯s rewards being a Token that could restore his youth, he could afford the expensive healing. A few minutes later, Priam stood, fully regenerated. Despite the bloodlines warring within him, he smiled. [Chimera] had evolved, his resistances¡ªsealed by his Potential to avoid triggering new Tribulations¡ªhad improved, and his draconic bloodline had been purified. Sure, he had suffered, but suffering was par for the course by now. ¡°It¡¯s strange the System hasn¡¯t offered me [Pain Resistance] yet. Either it thinks I¡¯m a masochist, or it considers it redundant with Micro¡­¡± Since the Supremacy only governed physical suffering, the second hypothesis seemed unlikely. Smiling, Priam accepted that he didn¡¯t want to lose his connection to pain. Maybe it was stupid, but the sensation made him feel worthy of the rewards he earned. And if I ever run into someone wielding the Pain Concept, they¡¯ll be in for a nasty surprise¡­ Jasmine Kaldwin (83) asks to spectate you. Kazuki Arashi (83) asks to spectate you. Raising an eyebrow, Priam approved the demands. If Esm¨¦e had made the same request, he would have probably refused, but he had nothing to hide from his two friends. The fog remained dense, and for a moment, he wondered if the spectators could even see what was happening. Shrugging it off, Priam resumed his run. A crack of thunder announced the arrival of the monster. When a massive greatsword sliced through the mist, heading straight for him, Priam realized the Colosseum¡¯s format shifted after wave eighty. The days of small fry softening up the gladiator for the boss were over. From now on, every wave would bring an elite. Better that way. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Priam ducked under the blade, barely avoiding decapitation by a hair¡¯s breadth. At the same time, he summoned an ice spear, launching it at his opponent. It hit hard, though it didn¡¯t seem to cause any damage. Still, it gave Priam the chance to retreat and size up his foe. Standing before him was a colossus¡ªthree times his height, with arms the size of tree trunks and eyes that gleamed blood-red. Its horns, skeletal grimace, and that massive greatsword were disturbingly familiar. [Identification] [Zelgius the Apocryphal - Tier 0 - Duke] - The clone of a great warrior at the start of his journey. The massacre of his village hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed, and Zelgius was hunted by investigators, police, and eventually soldiers. After an entire regiment was lost, the army of his homeworld called in the Mercenary Guild. For the first time, Zelgius faced opponents stronger than him. Mortally wounded, he was left for dead in a reeking ditch. The sun set, but Zelgius clung to life. His desire for revenge burned hotter than death itself. He spent his eighteenth birthday holding his guts inside his belly. This is his clone at the time of those events. ¡°A kindred spirit,¡± Priam smirked. A blink nearly cost him his life. His opponent had seemingly teleported, the greatsword now so close that Priam didn¡¯t have time to dodge. The enemy¡¯s Weapon Mastery promised to slice through even his mist form. Without Promesse to block, Priam had no choice but to rely on his bare hands. The impact rattled his bones, his joints screaming in protest. Shocked that he was still alive, Priam was even more surprised to discover that he had stopped the attack. Neither the sharp blade nor its deadly momentum had cut through his hands. Yet, a similar strike had gutted him only hours earlier, and this Zelgius was no weaker than his younger clone. There could only be one explanation: the spectral scales he had instinctively summoned had saved him. Draconic scales... Ignoring Priam¡¯s musings, the beastman grunted, trying to wrench his weapon free. His massive muscles struggled against Priam¡¯s kinetic control¡ªand failed. The greatsword was stuck in the Champion¡¯s grip. Priam could have ended the fight right then by summoning a thousand ice spears to shred his opponent, but he had another idea. If his scales had grown stronger after his bloodline''s purification, perhaps his other draconic talents had improved as well? Summoning two ice spears, he pinned his opponent¡¯s feet to the ground, then opened his mouth and inhaled. In a split second, the ambient aether rushed into his spiritual lung, compacting. Zelgius roared, throwing a wild hook at Priam¡¯s face. Forewarned by his sharpened instincts, Priam dodged, unleashing his Breath to engulf the beastman. When the blinding flash faded, all that remained of the giant were his feet, still trapped by the ice spears. ¡°That¡¯s just bullshit,¡± Jasmine muttered. ¡°Even a complete moron could become a Duke with that kind of power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh on Priam,¡± Kazuki said, inspecting his spear. Zelgius¡¯s last attack had bent it out of shape. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± The hoplite grinned and pointed at Priam in the center of the arena. Their friend couldn¡¯t see them, likely surrounded by thick fog, but neither Kazuki nor Jasmine had any trouble watching him. ¡°How far do you think he¡¯ll go?¡± Jasmine fell silent for a moment, her gray eyes studying their leader. Despite her admiration for Priam, her training forced her to remain objective. An assassin without critical thinking didn¡¯t last long. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The fifth Zelgius is a real monster. Did you kill him?¡± ¡°No. However, I could have taken him down with Knightmare.¡± ¡°And I could catch Priam off guard if I fought him naked. Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯d be a real victory.¡± Kazuki grunted but didn¡¯t dignify her with a response. Deep down, he knew she was right. If he needed anything other than a spear to win, it wasn¡¯t a clean victory. A whisper urged Priam to lift his leg, and he obeyed. A fraction of a second later, the fist of the wave eighty-two boss slammed into the same spot. His draconic scales buckled but held firm. Beneath them, his flesh compressed painfully, yet [Sun Steel Body] held. Still, he would have a nasty bruise in a few minutes. Goddamn monster. The colossus¡¯s effective strength had to be over five thousand. How it was still Tier 0 was a mystery. That this version of Zelgius was considered a weak Duke made even less sense. Priam leapt backward, dodging the incoming greatsword as it sliced through the air with a shriek. He fired three supersonic ice darts at his opponent, but they shattered against its skin without leaving a mark. The enemy¡¯s hide could have shrugged off missiles. Grimacing, the young warrior began summoning an ice spear, reinforcing it with Spear Mastery. Against such a high-level tank, he realized that, except for his Breath, his offensive abilities were limited. Pyro would normally work, but the beastman¡¯s Fear Concept kept his flames at bay. Darting forward, Priam imagined striking at the beastman¡¯s back. Confused, the colossus glanced behind him, only to earn a slash across his leg for his trouble. Priam¡¯s smile turned wicked. His improved draconic instinct now allowed him to manipulate [Homo Elysian Predation], albeit crudely. He was nowhere near Jasmine¡¯s level but could at least mess with the beastman¡¯s elemental instinct. Staying close to his opponent to limit his movements, Priam began to dance around him. He dodged the giant¡¯s blows with lightning-fast bursts of speed, courtesy of [Kinetic Control], disrupted his instincts whenever possible, and kept drawing blood. Twenty minutes later, the ground trembled. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Priam surveyed his fallen opponent, a thousand cuts marking its defeat. ¡°I really need to upgrade Promesse¡­¡± Against serious foes, his lack of raw offensive power was becoming glaringly obvious. Reforging his bound weapon seemed like the best way to close that gap in the short term. Glancing at his notifications, Priam frowned. The coma from evolving [Chimera] had cost him precious time. Less than an hour remained before he had to return to Elysium. He had achieved his main objectives, but the upcoming rewards were still too tempting to pass up, especially with his Tribulations approaching. Resolving not to waste any more time, Priam annihilated the next version of Zelgius with a single Breath. The gong rang again, introducing the fifth version of the beastman. This one stood silent, as though the fire of youth had left him. His steady grip on his greatsword, however, betrayed the sharpened edge of his martial mastery. [Identification] [Zelgius the Apocryphal - Tier 0 - Duke] - The clone of a great warrior at the zenith of his journey. Wandering the ruins of his world, Zelgius¡¯s rest was only disturbed by the arrival of Mercenaries hunting his bounty. Scarred from countless battles, he tempered his body through combat while honing his Supremacies. Refusing to be baptized by aether, he tormented the Tier 0s of Sector Hope foolish enough to track him. Then, at the zenith of his journey, he ennobled his mind. For the first time since his birth, the rage left his eyes, and vengeance left his heart. Zelgius looked at his bloody hands and wept. At dusk, he cursed the world for his own mistakes. In return, the world cursed him back. This is his clone at the time of those events. The boss of wave eighty-four was undoubtedly the final version of Zelgius before he became an Apocryphal. Priam reread the description several times, his instincts telling him the System was trying to convey something. ¡°Tempered his body, ennobled his mind, baptized his soul¡­ Cursed by the world, he became Apocryphal?¡± ¡°I curse the Concepts, not the world,¡± a gravelly voice said. ¡°You can talk?¡± Priam asked, startled. The beastman raised an eyebrow, and Priam added. ¡°Your other selves weren¡¯t chatty.¡± ¡°En garde,¡± the boss replied simply. ¡°Wait! What does it mean to ennoble one¡¯s mind?¡± The beastman attacked without more warning. Priam almost blocked with his hand, but his instincts screamed at him not to. This was the ultimate Zelgius and a true Duke. Instead, the Champion stepped back, diverting the attack with his ice spear. The beastman¡¯s greatsword sliced clean through the summoned weapon. As Priam glanced at the opponent¡¯s aura, recognition dawned¡ªit was the same as Kazuki''s Spear Mastery II. The Duke in front of him wielded a Supremacy that should have been far beyond a Tier 0. Shit. One hit, and it¡¯s game over. Priam conjured ice plates beneath the Duke¡¯s hooves, hoping to slow him down, but the beastman remained firmly planted, steady as a mountain goat. Even trying to manipulate his opponent¡¯s instincts was a bust. The bastard was unnervingly calm. Forced to retreat, Priam began riding his mist to dodge the beastman¡¯s aggressive lunges, burning through his energy reserves with each evasion. While he dodged, Priam studied his adversary. Zelgius wasn¡¯t just swinging his greatsword like a brute anymore; now he wielded it like a master. His stats were clearly through the roof, and his Concept was canceling out Pyro on contact. Without a weapon, Priam¡¯s options were limited. He conjured dozens of supersonic ice spears, but Zelgius deflected every single one with ease. Gritting his teeth, Priam poured his Spear Mastery into one of the spears, imbuing it with a terrifying amount of kinetic energy. His meridians trembled as the weapon shot forward at hypersonic speed. With a deft flick of his wrist, Zelgius managed to deflect the spear, but a shard nicked his arm, drawing blood. He glanced at the wound in mild surprise, watching the crimson liquid trickle down. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you fight,¡± Zelgius grumbled. ¡°Tough luck,¡± Priam shot back, summoning another spear. His plan hit a snag when Zelgius'' scars began to glow. They formed a series of horrific runes that resonated with something deep within his body. A core? A fulcrum? The ritual engraved on Zelgius¡¯ skin activated, and Priam felt a lock clamp down on his Concepts and aether. His mist responded sluggishly, and Pyro was reduced to a pathetic flicker. The ice spear in his hand began to crack, so Priam tossed it aside in disgust. The ground trembled¡ªZelgius had leapt straight at him. Priam grunted, activating Micro to overclock his muscles, dodging the incoming strike while opening his mouth. He hated to spam this ability, but right now, it was his only shot at victory. A bitter pill to swallow, but Priam couldn¡¯t ignore the truth. His draconic lung expanded, and the air around him shuddered. The aether, momentarily frozen by the ritual, hesitated before being drawn into Priam¡¯s throat. The Duke¡¯s spell shattered, crushed beneath the weight of draconic authority. A fraction of a second later, Priam unleashed his Breath. Light spear, infernal pillar, destructive beam, annihilating laser¡ªthe draconic attack was all of these and so much more. Heralding the apocalypse, the Breath erased everything in its path. The flash of light was blinding, and the shockwave scattered the mist, making Priam¡¯s ears ring. It was as if a nuke had just gone off. When the brightness faded to tolerable levels, the Champion surveyed his opponent. Zelgius, arms flayed and bleeding, was barely standing, using his greatsword as a crutch. The blade itself glowed red and was riddled with cracks. Still, the beastman¡¯s eyes gleamed with pride. ¡°A draconic Breath... I, Zelgius, blocked it!¡± he roared. ¡°Famous last words,¡± Priam smirked before opening his mouth wide again.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 292: Two Eyes for a Win ¡°I¡¯m the one who taught him the double tap,¡± Jasmine boasted as the boss exploded under Priam¡¯s assault. ¡°With the nasty undead plaguing Oasis, you can¡¯t be too careful.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Something wrong?¡± Kazuki watched the aftermath thoughtfully. ¡°Relying on a single attack is dangerous. Especially one so easy to dodge.¡± A Breath was like a tunnel of flame racing at twice to thrice the speed of sound. Priam could guide it with a turn of his head, but it was far from inevitable. ¡°He knows about that weakness.¡± Jasmine was quick to defend her boss. ¡°Besides, even without Promesse, he could¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°During our midnight dates¡ª¡± ¡°Your outings to hunt undead.¡± ¡°¡ªhe showed me an experimental move,¡± she continued, ignoring the interruption. ¡°If he slices his forearm bone at a bevel, the System recognizes it as a spear. Once boosted by his Mastery, Conquest Aura, and kinetic control, it becomes a destructive weapon. After he breaks his opponent¡¯s defenses, a quick strike with [There is No Heaven] finishes the job.¡± Kazuki stared at her. ¡°I lack the words to describe the sheer stupidity of that technique.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a last resort, obviously! But it works¡ªhe one-shotted a Tier 3 with it.¡± ¡°... Let¡¯s assume that Priam is without his Mist Concept. Why not freeze his blood to create a spear?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯d lose out on his constitution. Right now, his bones are tougher than Promesse.¡± Kazuki opened his mouth, then thought better of it. He groaned as he got to his feet. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± ¡°I withdrew from my fight with Zelgius when it became clear winning would be a pyrrhic victory. I don¡¯t regenerate like Priam, so I didn¡¯t want to return to Elysium wounded if we were attacked. But if he is throwing caution to the wind, I won¡¯t hold back, either.¡± ¡°Just admit you don¡¯t want to lose to him!¡± Kazuki pretended not to hear. Jasmine glanced at Priam one last time before standing up herself. She would have to take risks if she didn¡¯t want to get left in the dust. The smile faded from Priam¡¯s face as the beastman¡¯s ashes drifted to the floor. Much as he relished surprising his foes, Zelgius had just shown him that Breath wasn¡¯t all-powerful. While his new Concept, Conquest Aura, and Pyro could supercharge it, these were merely quantitative boosts, not qualitative changes. ¡°If I want real versatility, Promesse and a legendary offensive skill are the clear paths,¡± he mused. Still, there had been progress. The purification of his bloodline had enhanced all his draconic talents. Beyond Breath, his instincts and parallel thoughts were proving invaluable. [Draconic Vivacity: You possess multiple (two) streams of thought, each powered by 88% of your vivacity. Base: 73% +15% from Chimera.] One percent from bloodline purity, and five percent for every upgrade in Chimera. Soon, Priam would double his effective processing speed, capable of simultaneously viewing situations from two perspectives. Maybe that was part of why dragons were so feared¡­ The gong echoed as Priam stretched. Around him, the dark fog receded, revealing a perfectly white, cube-shaped chamber. With its metal walls, rather than padded ones, he was reassured he wasn¡¯t in a psych ward. Every boss has its own environment. The arena, as long as two Olympic pools, had a spherical opening in the ceiling. Through it, a bronze cube descended heavily to the ground. The object unfolded, revealing a kind of humanoid clockwork figure. Standing three meters tall and made of a bronze-like alloy, the boss studied Priam with multiple lenses. Briefly stretching, it used hundreds of gears and cogs to move its body. Steam hissed from its torso, giving it a steampunk aura, though the runes etched across its surface made it clear the machine was also magical. Priam frowned as [Identification] returned an error. ¡°Clock the Cursed, boss of the eighty-fifth wave,¡± his opponent introduced itself in French. Its voice was that of a child, oddly contrasting with its mechanical bulk. ¡°May I know the name of my opponent?¡± Clearly, [Ciphered Record] was working overtime. ¡°Priam Azura. How do you know my language?¡± ¡°I know what the System wants me to know.¡± ¡°... Were you a gladiator once?¡± ¡°As a Duke, I fear my freedom to speak is limited,¡± the boss apologized. ¡°Shall we proceed?¡± ¡°What else could we do?¡± ¡°I have permission to wait until your condition is no longer critical.¡± Priam frowned, inspecting himself. A quick [Diagnostic] assured him he was in peak condition, so why did the boss think he had an issue? ¡°What problem are you talking about?¡± ¡°... Shall we proceed?¡± Was the boss lying to make him doubt himself? Priam wondered momentarily if his opponent was waging psychological warfare, then shrugged. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s begin.¡± The gears in Clock¡¯s right hand shifted, forming a protective violet sphere around it, while its left hand aimed at Priam. Feeling his newly honed draconic instincts screaming, the warrior sprang backward. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid a purple ray piercing his eye. Already resigning himself to the loss of sight, he was caught off guard by a searing agony erupting in his pupils. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The world lost its color as Hecate New Moon stirred awake. The headache of the decade didn¡¯t stop Priam from recovering quickly. He turned directly toward his adversary, and was surprised to see a hundred purple projectiles frozen midair. A second later, they dissipated, erased by the suppression field of the mythic mutation. In the background, Clock watched the scene in silence. Seeing his foe content to wait, Priam placed a hand over his right eye, wincing as he realized the mutation refused to deactivate. A kind of violet magical parasite was forcing his meridians to keep it fueled. Not only was it rebelling, it was draining a terrifying amount of aether to maintain a monochromatic zone that¡­ Priam wasn¡¯t exactly sure what it did. According to [Ideal Aether Perception], the ambient aether was oppressed. Priam had acquired Hecate New Moon as a limited Colosseum reward. While potent, it was difficult to control. Its few activations had cost him his sight, which his regeneration couldn¡¯t restore. Only his resurrections could erase the damage caused by his own ability. As his eyes burned, Priam realized his opponent had forced Hecate New Moon to activate, seeming quite pleased to watch him self-destruct. The mutation would render him blind and drain his aether in moments. [Aether Reserve: 87% 57 seconds until depletion.] Gritting his teeth, Priam sprang into action. One parallel thought attempted to force his aether to bypass his eyes¡ªwith limited success¡ªwhile he conjured a fireball to hurtle toward Clock. The attack vanished after three meters, snuffed out by Hecate New Moon like a candle on a birthday cake. Rolling his jet-black eyes, Priam lunged forward. Though [Kinetic Control] was sluggish, his powerful muscles let him close the distance between himself and Clock. The mechanical boss fired crossbow bolts wreathed in purple energy. The magical part of the attack dissipated in the suppression field, and Priam narrowly dodged the supersonic projectiles. Then, his sharpened instincts screamed, and he raised his elbow in front of his face. BOOM! The room shook as the bolts exploded. ¡°Argh!¡± Priam landed with a roll, grimacing as he felt a weakness in his arm. Hundreds of shrapnel shards were embedded in his flesh, turning gray and violet. [Poison Body] was useless to neutralize the damage: something else was at play. Clock the Cursed, right? Raising his head, Priam noted that his opponent had retreated to the far end of the room. Despite its clockwork appearance, the boss was some sort of curse mage. It wasn¡¯t a resistance Priam owned, which meant that waiting around was playing into his opponent¡¯s hands. [Aether Reserves: 61% Estimated depletion in 40 seconds.] ¡°Fuck,¡± Priam muttered, leaping forward. As Hecate New Moon¡¯s influence encased Clock, faint cracks began to spider across its shield. Judging by their slow crawl, Priam would need to triple his energy reserves to have a shot at breaking through like that. Only one option was left. Close and personal. Unfurling his phoenix wings, Priam dodged two volleys of enchanted bolts, surging ahead at a speed that left the explosions in his wake. The air thundered as he broke the sound barrier, reappearing just in front of his enemy. Flexing Micro and every muscle in his body, Priam delivered a titanic punch against the shimmering violet energy shield. A crack echoed. Priam winced as the impact left his hand numb. While he ducked a blade that whistled dangerously close to his neck, half of his attention was analyzing the fight. Clockwork wasn¡¯t defenseless in close combat. Priam pulled back slightly and summoned an ice spear¡­ which dissolved before it could solidify. His own mutation was crippling him. ¡°The curse in your eyes is terrifying,¡± Clock complimented, a rune glowing on its cheek. A heartbeat later, a violet wave enveloped Priam. Micro detected no physical damage, but a huge chunk of his vitality vanished. The rest felt locked down, and Priam was left gasping, like an asthmatic old man after a marathon. Dropping to one knee, Priam pressed his hand to the shield¡¯s cracks, ready to unleash Pyro. He nearly growled as Clock stepped back. This coward! Come back here! Opening his mouth, Priam began to channel a Breath. The ambient aether resisted, trickling toward him at the speed of a centenarian on the highway. Hecate New Moon¡¯s suppression clashed with his draconic attack. A fact that would be useful in the future but disappointing right now. Out of options, Priam fed his own aether into his dragon lungs. His energy reserves now dangerously low, it was do-or-die. [Aether Reserves: 12% 8 seconds before depletion.] Focusing on Clock, Priam activated his draconic talent when another violet wave rippled across the arena. As though he had lost control of his body, Priam¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Even with Micro¡¯s aid, his jaw refused to budge, the Breath welling up inside him. Priam¡¯s eyes widened, and he swallowed the attack. Letting loose a Breath with a closed mouth was a fast way to blow his head off. As Clock continued its unrelenting analysis, anger surged within Priam. Flexing his formidable willpower, he dissipated the forced command. Still, he didn¡¯t try releasing the Breath directly¡ªno point when the cursed boss could just pull the same trick again. The realization hit him: Clock might actually be stronger than him. It had used Hecate New Moon to turn Priam¡¯s own power against him from the start. The clock was ticking, and all Clock had to do was wait until Priam ran out of aether to finish him off. Its defenses were terrifying, its magic unbeatable for now. Still kneeling, Priam looked down at his hands. They were steady, with no trace of fear. He had faced stronger foes than him from the Tutorial¡¯s outset, and most were dead now. Partly because Priam was hellishly hard to kill and partly because he was willing to do whatever it took to win. There was a reason his Patron had chosen him. Priam rose slowly and grabbed his eyes without sparing a glance for his opponent. Then, with a sickening squelch, he wrenched his eyes from their sockets. Hecate New Moon, deprived of a medium, finally halted¡ªand with it, the siphoning of his aether. ¡°Round two.¡± Without waiting for a response, Priam summoned a thick cloud of mist with the aether he had left. Fog shrouded the chamber, and he spread two liters of his blood into it. Enhanced by [Ciphered Record], the blood would warp his opponent¡¯s perception. A thousand crossbow bolts exploded in every direction, proof Clock was now truly blind. Priam dodged them easily as the mist¡¯s perception was his. Riding his Concept to keep his opponent lost, Priam opened his mouth, reawakening the Breath confined within. [Phantom] and his mist concealed him until the final moment. The aether explosion finally caught the boss¡¯s attention, but it was too late. A tunnel of energy engulfed Clock. As the laser died down, the sound of shattering glass rippled through the fog: the boss¡¯s shield had finally cracked. Without hesitation, Priam teleported into range. Out of aether, with no Promesse, he had only Pyro and [Kinetic Control] to end this. Flames wouldn¡¯t do much against metal in a short while, so he swung a slow punch. His hand struck Clock¡¯s torso, doing nothing. ¡°Futile,¡± Clock remarked as his gears latched onto Priam¡¯s arm. Trapped in the gears, Priam grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. With my resistances and constitution, my bones are tougher than your metal.¡± The gears screeched, straining to shred the reinforced body of the Juggernaut. Before Clock could release him, Priam channeled every ounce of kinetic energy. His trapped hand exploded, sending bone, phalanges, and nail flying like shrapnel at supersonic speed. The flesh grenade tore the clockwork boss apart. Blind and missing a hand, Priam smiled as he heard Clock collapse to the ground. Once again, he had triumphed. Reward: Perfect fight (Clock the Cursed). Select one of the abilities that could have defeated your opponent. Observe how you could have defeated him in the most optimal way.
  • Aether Manipulation
  • Kinetic Control
  • Pyro
  • Spear Mastery
  • Chimera
Chapter 293: Perfect Fight Reward: Perfect fight (Clock the Cursed). Select one of the abilities that could have defeated your opponent. Observe how you could have defeated him in the most optimal way.
  • Aether Manipulation
  • Kinetic Control
  • Pyro
  • Spear Mastery
  • Chimera
Blue letters flashed across his vision, and Priam laughed, dark humor slipping through his exhaustion. He had just torn out his own eyes, yet somehow he could still read the rewards options. Whatever method the System used to project its interface didn¡¯t need eyes as a medium. As the laughter faded, a deep sigh took its place, and Priam settled onto the ground. Despite the death of its creator, Clock¡¯s curse still clung to him, restricting his vitality and some of his resistances. His stump¡ªwhere his hand had once been¡ªbled sluggishly, and his mind, already battered by mental strain, was slow to process. Yet the blue light of the System refused to let him rest. It demanded his choice. Reading over the options again, Priam realized that they allowed him to witness how he could have taken down Clock in an optimal fight. ¡°But what does ¡®optimal¡¯ mean?¡± he muttered. ¡°Quickest victory? Minimal energy? Least risk?¡± The possibilities were endless, and only one way would reveal the answer. However, his instinct whispered that a reward this advanced would be worth it. Odds were, he could shape the meaning of ¡°optimal¡± to his advantage. Among the five options, he first evaluated Pyro. His connection to the Concept was nearing Unity; even if he hadn¡¯t reached the pinnacle yet, it would suffice for now. Plus, his maxed affinity with the Concept allowed him to convert future purification opportunities into proficiency, a trick that had recently brought him to the very threshold of Unity. Eliminated. Then came Spear Mastery. Priam grimaced, thinking of Promesse. Without his bound weapon, this choice held less appeal. And even with Promesse, Priam wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to ignore the truth¡ªhe wasn¡¯t a prodigy with the spear. Sure, it was his best long-range option, and he needed it to level his Mastery, but he would have to specialize elsewhere to truly shine. Gone. If I ever want to see a perfect spear fight, I¡¯ll just watch Kazuki. [Kinetic Control] was a tougher decision. It was his first self-created skill and had been his bread and butter for ages. Even now, he used it daily and barely grasped its full potential. To remedy that, he had devised a training routine over the last two weeks, aiming to incorporate it into every movement, even the smallest ones. It was a challenge, demanding a precise touch; he had to account for the resistance of every part of his body. The goal was for the skill to enhance his physical abilities at any time¡ªmultiplying his strength, absorbing shocks, dispersing forces, and boosting speed without tearing himself apart. The practice offered him insight into his body, his movement skills, and his kinetic mastery. At epic-rank, [Kinetic Control] was capable of beating Tier 3 opponents, which presaged a bright future if he could unlock its ideal upgrade. Two questions remained. By witnessing perfect execution of the skill, could he emulate it to achieve the ideal upgrade? Almost certainly. Should he? No. Clenching his fist, Priam brushed this choice aside. His pride might be a flaw, but he was certain he could master this ability on his own. He understood the physics behind it, and his reinforced meridians could support the strain. The only limitation was his cognitive capacity¡ªperfectly enhancing his body meant focusing on hundreds of muscles, tendons, and bones, each with its own limits and strengths. His dragon-augmented vivacity and add-ons helped, but there was still room for improvement. Even if he witnessed a perfect use, he couldn¡¯t replicate it fully just yet. That left two contenders: [Aether Manipulation] and [Chimera]. One skill with primordial potential and a Talent on the brink of becoming seraphic. Priam weighed the pros and cons. His mythic eye mutation seemed controllable with [Chimera] and might be a weakness against a curse-wielding foe. He used the Talent passively, but the option¡¯s presence suggested that active use was possible¡ªpowerful enough to defeat a Duke. Maybe I haven¡¯t fully grasped the potential of my bloodlines. Then again, mastering aether could take me to the Zenith. Paralyzed by indecision, drained from the curse and blood loss, Priam struggled to think. ¡°Aether is the foundation of everything,¡± he mused. ¡°However, if there¡¯s a chance to tame Hecate New Moon and my bloodlines¡­can I pass it up? No one will teach me better than the System¡­ But then, maybe there are ways to secure an ideal prerequisite for [Aether Manipulation]. It bugs me that this primordial skill is just a high-tier upgrade¡­ And why the hell am I talking to myself?!¡± Groaning, Priam massaged his temples. Magic versus mythos. Both choices were extraordinary, but he could only pick one. Ultimately, a single question settled it. Would he follow a well-worn path with the bloodlines or blaze his own with the infinity of aether? ¡°Clock the Cursed, boss of the eighty-fifth wave. May I know the name of my opponent?¡± Priam blinked. When he opened his eyes again, the System had taken control of his body. His mind was trapped¡ªyet he sensed everything. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Perfect Priam divided his focus using his draconic vivacity. His will dominated the aether within a three-meter radius¡ªan abnormally large Domain for a Tier 0. While Priam would have used his Breath to draw the ambient aether, Perfect Priam employed his meta-attributes, Supremacy, and absurd aether proficiency to achieve the same result. In a heartbeat, the energy condensed before him, forming a solid sphere that he split into two. Increasing the pressure, Perfect Priam created two solid cores that hovered in front of him. ¡°Let the battle commence,¡± Clock declared as it noted its opponent¡¯s silence. Without delay, it summoned a violet shield. Before Clock¡¯s words even faded, Perfect Priam began etching dozens of micro-runes on the surface of the cores. Each sigil was familiar, pulled from Priam¡¯s own memory, revealing that this ultimate version was bound by the original¡¯s knowledge. For the first time in ages, [Runic Language] activated. Priam had encountered these sigils through Rose, the tribes, and Sna¡¯s hacked dungeon, but it was hard to understand their effects when Perfect Priam wielded them in a ritual. Just as one might know individual words, yet fail to grasp a complex sentence, Priam focused on the formations coiling around the cores. Their formations struck him as revolutionary¡ªone defensive, one offensive core. Then, just like in the first fight, a ray of violet light struck him. A parasitic curse wormed its way to the back of his eyes, forcing his aether to fuel Hecate New Moon. Clock intended to exploit the untamed mutation to drain his opponent. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Perfect Priam, however, didn¡¯t gouge his eyes out. Instead, he diverted his aether along alternate meridians. Like a train switching tracks, the energy avoided the mutation, keeping it dormant. Clock froze, visibly thrown off by its failed attack, but Perfect Priam was only getting started. Demonstrating an insane level of aether mastery, he swiftly analyzed the curse in his eye and modified it on the fly. Under Priam¡¯s astonished gaze, his perfect self dismantled the enemy¡¯s aether signature. The purple hue of the spiritual parasite faded as it became ownerless. With surgical precision, Perfect Priam destroyed its stability, nullifying the curse before restoring the aether¡¯s circulation within his eyes. The parasite¡¯s spiritual corpse, Clock¡¯s fragmented curse, flowed into Priam¡¯s soul, where it was filtered and transformed into usable energy. The skirmish lasted barely a blink before the boss regained composure. Clock hurled a violet wave at Perfect Priam, the curse speeding toward him at the speed of sound. Before it reached him, one of the two cores activated. Boundary, control, kinetic, reinforcement, light¡ªdozens of runes flared to life, absorbing energy from the defensive core to form a shield around Perfect Priam. He completed the protection by attuning it with Clock''s energy signature, and the sphere took on a violet hue. Under the boss¡¯s stunned gaze, its attack struck the barrier¡­and ignored it, mistaking it for an allied structure. The curse mage was visibly displeased. Steam hissed from its chest as it prepared a violet fireball. Priam felt his hair stand on end as he watched it hurtle toward him, but Perfect Priam surprised him by opening his shield. When the projectile entered his Domain, he analyzed it, then, flexing his meta authority and aether proficiency, seized it. The cursed fireball morphed into a spear of flame, then shifted direction and charged back toward its creator. Despite its shield, Clock opted to dodge the infernal attack. Its gears clicked as it evaded with shocking speed. The room trembled with the impact of the fiery lance, and the explosion was hot enough to singe Priam¡¯s hair. Both the spectator and the boss came to the same conclusion: all magical attacks were doomed to fail. Changing tactics, Clock unleashed a barrage of explosive bolts. Not a single projectile penetrated the kinetic-energy shield provided by the defensive core. The offensive one began to vibrate, absorbing the kinetic energy of the metallic bolts. Not even the shockwaves were spared. Without using [Kinetic Control], Perfect Priam had successfully reproduced the rune embedded in his soul. After ten seconds of intense bombardment, the boss realized its efforts were futile. A violet aura appeared on its blades, and it leapt forward. Almost disdainfully, Perfect Priam conjured a hundred ¡°boundary¡± runes, scattering them in front of him. In an instant, they activated, dividing the room into thousands of transparent cubes. Clock collided with one of these barriers and bounced off. It observed its cage for a moment before attacking it. Several runes cracked under the impact. These weren¡¯t masterpieces¡ªjust a means to briefly contain the opponent. As Clock prepared to strike again to break free, the offensive core vanished. The air exploded, proving the creation hadn¡¯t teleported but moved at a velocity near-impossible for anything but an aether-crystal fortified and charged with the kinetic energy of thousands of bolts. Trapped by the boundary runes, Clock couldn¡¯t dodge, and the core made contact. Rather than obliterating the boss, the solid aether orb nestled itself within its gears. The clockwork mage froze. With deliberate steps, Perfect Priam closed the distance, bypassing Clock''s shield as if it didn¡¯t exist. The offensive core was draining Clock¡¯s kinetic energy, effectively paralyzing it. More so, it disrupted its aether, blocking any chance of casting curses or skills. With a simple gesture, Perfect Priam modified the core¡¯s aetheric signature to match that of his opponent, and integrated it into the boss¡¯s pathways. The core shifted from white to violet, now considered part of the boss. Priam pondered the purpose of this maneuver before he understood. Clock won¡¯t be able to develop kinetic resistance as its own aether is immobilizing him! If Priam had been in control of his body, he might have shivered. His perfect self had just demonstrated that adaptation wasn¡¯t flawless. As these thoughts passed, Perfect Priam knelt before his ensnared foe. Dominating the unstable core within the boss to prevent a suicide attempt, he began studying the runes covering Clock¡¯s gears. The interlocking sequences and meanings were fascinating, and as he observed his double analyzing the runes¡¯ effects, Priam grasped what an optimal duel meant to him. It was a battle where he could satisfy his curiosity¡ªa crucible for growth. The two Priams learned until the laws of Elysium reclaimed him. Priam awoke with a mild headache, but he was smiling. His perfect self had dissected his opponent to the last gear, cataloging runes, exploring the core, and experimenting with its weird alloy. Incredibly resilient, the material eventually succumbed to light produced and focused by a few runes. The data gathered was enthralling, though less shocking than the power of [Aether Manipulation]. With fewer than a hundred runes at its disposal, a System-enhanced clone had humiliated a Duke. From start to finish, it hadn¡¯t used a single skill other than [Aether Perception] and [Aether Manipulation]. Altering reality using sigils had been enough to secure an overwhelming victory. I¡¯m far from that level, but¡­ maybe I should draw some inspiration from it. It would add incredible versatility to my build, Priam mused. The main insight from the battle was that skills were merely shortcuts for runes and aether manipulation. This revelation opened a new path for Priam. By understanding the runes inscribed on his soul, he might gain better mastery over his skills¡ªand advance faster. Once aware of this, Priam couldn¡¯t sit idle. He created half a dozen kinetic runes on his right index finger and infused them with his aether. As his finger lifted, he burst into laughter. ¡°Sleeping Beauty¡¯s finally up?¡± Surprised, Priam turned to his right. At the edge of his Domain, he detected a faint ripple in the air. One of his Concepts kicked in, revealing it as a breath. Rose stood about five meters away. Analyze all nearby breaths continuously, he instructed his add-on. That should counter quite a few assassins. [Command registered.] ¡°Have I been out long?¡± Priam asked, scanning his surroundings. He was in his bedroom hammock, modesty preserved by a leaf-covered blanket. Something prevented him from opening his eyes. Raising a hand to his head, Priam found a bandage. ¡°Three hours. With your vitality, we were starting to worry. Your eyes... does it hurt?¡± Removing the bandage, Priam touched his empty eye sockets, wincing. His optic nerves burned, and aether leaked from his ocular meridians, but it was less terrifying than blindness. ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s¡­ strange,¡± he said, trying to reassure her. ¡°It¡¯s mostly gross to look at.¡± ¡°I must be a sorry sight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m rolling my eyes.¡± ¡°Okay, you win.¡± Without further hesitation, Priam burned a large amount of lifespan to regenerate his eyes. The high cost surprised him. It was hard to gauge the time sacrificed, but it was nearly a hundredth of his remaining reserves. A year or two of my life? Is it due to the mythical mutation or because the curse restricting my vitality is still active? The question went unanswered, but the familiar feel of eyeballs behind his lids shifted his focus. Priam opened his eyes, grinning as his supernatural vision returned. For some reason, Hecate New Moon hadn¡¯t cursed him with blindness. Yeah, I should thank [Chimera] for that. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Rose asked, while carving runes on a wooden sphere. Even while watching over a patient, she continued working. ¡°I was cursed,¡± Priam admitted, examining his body. His hand had regenerated, though his right arm bore scars where Clock''s shrapnel had lodged. Instead of severing the limb, he split his focus to study the curse. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t developed a resistance to that,¡± Rose joked. ¡°The boss blocked it from forming,¡± a voice chimed in. ¡°May I come in?¡± ¡°Make yourself at home,¡± Priam replied, watching Esm¨¦e pull herself up onto the branch outside his room. She managed to stay elegant even while climbing. ¡°Good morning, Rose.¡± ¡°Good morning, Esm¨¦e.¡± Rose eyed the two of them before excusing herself, wishing Priam a good recovery. He watched her walk away with thoughtful eyes. One of the rewards from the sixty-fifth wave of the Colosseum was a Resurrection Token. It wouldn¡¯t work on someone dead from Tribulation, nor on those whose souls were damaged or trapped, but it could save a Tier 0 loved one in all other cases. The System prevented most Colosseum rewards from being transferred, forcing its users to push their limits. Yet, if Rose took risks, she would have a chance at saving her mother. But if she dies trying to slay that Marquess werebear, I¡¯ll be responsible for setting her on this path. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Esm¨¦e asked. ¡°Not one; many,¡± Priam sighed before cracking a smile at the pretty girl. ¡°You mentioned a way to block resistance formation?¡±
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 294: Can you lend me a hand? You know what, I’ll take the whole arm ¡°You mentioned a way to stop resistances from forming?¡± Priam asked, leaping out of his hammock. A mist pant clothed him in an instant. On a whim, he added a dozen light runes inside the garment. Dimly powered by his aether, they appeared like stars behind a thin cloud. It looked cool, but more importantly, it allowed Priam to work on his aether control. After the battle he had just witnessed, it seemed important. ¡°Penetrating skills, made to hinder resistance formation,¡± Esm¨¦e confirmed. ¡°Knew it!¡± Priam grinned, pulling out a chair for her. Log-a-rhythm conjured a table, and he sat facing Esm¨¦e. ¡°With all the manipulations from Eve and her clone, I figured I should¡¯ve gained a memory resistance sooner. Have you known this for a while?¡± ¡°My family has spent generations ensuring their opponents don¡¯t develop resistance to their probability manipulation,¡± she admitted. ¡°Interesting. So, you can build resistance without the System?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more difficult and rarely as effective, but life finds a way¡­¡± She frowned in thought, and Priam found her expression adorable. ¡°Take poison, for instance. All royal family children drink a little of it regularly to immunize themselves. Maybe that was a thing on your world?¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Priam chuckled, then shivered. ¡°Though they did force me to eat endives¡­¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A bitter vegetable, supposedly good for your health.¡± ¡°Oh. You don¡¯t like bitterness?¡± ¡°I prefer sweetness.¡± Priam smiled as Esm¨¦e blushed. ¡°Back to resistances, taking poison to build up tolerance was a practice back in the day. Supposedly, an ancient king spent his life immunizing himself to poisons until he couldn¡¯t even use them to take his own life when the Romans invaded his kingdom. And there¡¯s also the story of a certain Rasputin. In a way, our vaccines confer resistance to certain diseases, and the more alcohol we drink, the less our nervous system responds to it¡­¡± The more he thought about it, the more Priam realized life didn¡¯t need magic to protect itself. ¡°We can develop resistances without the System, even if they¡¯re less effective,¡± he admitted. ¡°How did your family prevent their enemies from resisting?¡± Esm¨¦e pointed to her temple. ¡°¡°My geas prevents me from explaining their technique. However, the general method is straightforward: you have to find a flaw in the formation process. Threat detection, cell, mind, or spirit mutation, then synchronization with the soul; if something blocks one of these steps, nothing happens.¡± Priam nodded thoughtfully. By simulating the enemy¡¯s aetheric signature, his perfected version had prevented Clock from developing kinetic resistance. Thinking of other approaches, he remembered [Radiation Resistance]. Naturally, radiation disrupted aether, preventing a body¡¯s mutant cells from synchronizing with its soul and thus forming resistance. By the same principle¡­ ¡°Is it possible to reduce mutation probabilities of¡ª¡± He trailed off, seeing Esm¨¦e wince in pain. He was onto something, and her geas deemed it her fault. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Despite her words, her eyes were bloodshot. Helpless to aid her, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm for a drink. The table between the two rivals opened to reveal a glass crafted by Bertomne, filled with fruit juice prepared by Blueberry. Almost feels like civilization¡¯s within reach¡­ ¡°Thanks,¡± Esm¨¦e smiled, taking a sip. Her eyes widened. ¡°This is delicious.¡± ¡°Lamnas grafted a bunch of new fruit onto Log-a-rhythm.¡± Priam let her savor the drink before continuing. ¡°Got any other examples of penetrating skills?¡± ¡°Thanks to our rivals, yes. Seth temporarily separates the soul from the body. Dishnu drains aether from his victims with specific plants. Eve¡­ I theorize she forces her enemies to forget resistance at its onset. I¡¯m not sure if she targets aether, spirit, or soul, but she is incredibly skilled.¡± To slip past Priam¡¯s adaptability with all his synergies, that fae was indeed a monster. ¡°There are as many methods as there are Concepts,¡± Priam mused, then grimaced. ¡°Kazuki, Jasmine, and I are behind in this area.¡± ¡°Do you truly need it?¡± Esm¨¦e raised an eyebrow as Priam looked at her in surprise. ¡°The skills I¡¯m talking about are necessary for those with utility Concepts or who fight prolonged wars. Manipulating or imprisoning an enemy requires preventing rebellion or, at the very least, slowing resistance development. In your case, the worst that could happen is your opponent gaining a level or two in [Fire Resistance].¡± ¡°That could make all the difference,¡± Priam pointed out. The princess laughed softly. ¡°I forgot how much you love to optimize everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s served me well so far.¡± ¡°True,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way to develop a penetrating skill.¡± Half of Priam¡¯s attention was already on the thought. Pyro could burn aether, and [There is no Heaven] affected the soul. These were strong candidates to hinder resistance formation. Remembering his fight against Clock, Priam recalled that his opponent¡¯s attacks had two parts. An initial curse disrupted his aether, preventing resistance formation, while the second part attacked. Clever. The sound of a glass being set on the table snapped him out of his thoughts. Esm¨¦e had finished her drink while he was lost in thought. ¡°Sorry, I was lost in thought.¡± ¡°I noticed.¡± Her voice was neutral, but her eyes sparkled playfully. ¡°A gold for your thoughts?¡± ¡°You mean a nickel?¡± ¡°I meant a gold coin. Princess¡¯ privilege.¡± Priam laughed. ¡°Well, I was wondering if Arnold uses this kind of technique.¡± ¡°The Tyrant annihilates his foes too quickly for them to develop anything. They might as well resist Death.¡± ¡°Can do.¡± The princess laughed. ¡°All Empyreans eat like this?¡± Priam asked after devouring a skewer. With practiced ease, Esm¨¦e used two telekinetic runes to slide a piece of meat along a wooden skewer, dipping it in a vanilla-colored sauce. ¡°Only the royal family,¡± she replied. ¡°On our twelfth birthdays, we are stripped of our cutlery¡ªthey are considered tools for the commoners. Those who master aether can dine with dignity. Boys who fail use their fingers and are mocked; girls are¡­ disowned.¡± It was one of many methods designed to ensure power remained in the hands of an elite. This had never been a problem for Esm¨¦e; she had learned to eat with magic at three years old. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Priam set down his knife and fork. ¡°Blueberry, another skewer, please! Wouldn¡¯t want Esm¨¦e thinking I¡¯m a man of the people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just looking for an excuse to stuff yourself,¡± grumbled the bear. Priam leaned over the table and whispered, ¡°Our cook is smart.¡± Esm¨¦e chuckled as she levitated her piece of meat to her mouth. The perfectly cooked rare bite exploded with flavor, and she smiled. ¡°This is delicious,¡± she complimented the bear turning the spit nearby. ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°Not only smart, but modest too,¡± she whispered to Priam. Priam burst into laughter, a sound that delighted the princess. She knew his high charisma was partly to blame, but there was more to it. When he laughed, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°You mentioned Clock earlier. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go that far in the Colosseum,¡± said Priam, mimicking her telekinesis runes. He began to deftly juggle his utensils, proving himself a natural. ¡°Not that I think you¡¯re weak, but¡­ duels aren¡¯t your forte.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°To be honest, Clock was an easier opponent for me than Zelgius,¡± Esm¨¦e admitted. ¡°I can counter a mage with my aether control, but the beastman¡¯s greatsword nearly killed me several times. Against his final form, I left the arena. Only after conquering my Tribulations could I barely defeat him.¡± The fight had been too close for the princess¡¯s liking. However, while she wasn¡¯t fond of direct combat, she knew it was sometimes necessary. Priam froze. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d triggered your Tribulations.¡± ¡°I thought I mentioned it the first time I asked you to take me to your Moon.¡± ¡°Since you never brought it up again, I assumed¡­¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°Did it go well?¡± Esm¨¦e smiled. ¡°Thanks to the advice from my other-timeline self, it was relatively simple. I almost regret not attempting a sextuple.¡± ¡°Maybe next time,¡± Priam joked, and she shook her head, reaching for another bite of meat. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Maybe because I manipulate probabilities, I prefer them in my favor.¡± Esm¨¦e only played games when her odds of winning were high. ¡°By the way, I wanted to thank you for your help. Without the information from the erased timeline, I wouldn¡¯t have attempted my Tribulations so soon. If there¡¯s anything I can do¡­¡± Priam shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t remember, but you¡¯ve already helped me. Your other self even died for it.¡± His eyes grew somber, and Esm¨¦e felt a need to reassure him. But how? The princess had seen nursemaids cradle babies, yet Priam was too big for that. The romantic novels she had bought from the Guardian of Secrets mentioned embracing the man, but the thought alone stirred an unexpected shyness in her. Unaware of her thoughts, Priam continued. ¡°You owe me nothing.¡± The moment passed, and Esm¨¦e focused on the conversation. A question tormented her. ¡°How did I¡­ how did she die?¡± ¡°... In my arms after breaking her geas to help me.¡± Esm¨¦e felt the spiritual trap tightening around her soul. It was a trick of her mind, of course, but she had to make a conscious effort to push away the fear. ¡°At the end, what was she like?¡± The question might seem strange, but the princess had fantasized about freedom her whole life. In a terrible way, death was an answer. Priam¡¯s misty gaze locked onto hers. ¡°Magnificent, proud, and free.¡± His intensely sad eyes drifted to her lips, and Esm¨¦e understood. In the face of death, unshackled from all constraints, her other self had chosen to follow her heart rather than her reason. I wonder if that counts as my first kiss. Priam watched the princess disappear into the forest with a local. Before leaving, she had asked to summon a flesh sculptor, covering the cost on his behalf. After a few questions, Priam realized the mage could alter someone¡¯s physical appearance. By his claims, he could close an enemy¡¯s mouth and nostrils. Thinking of Osiris, Priam decided he would visit this mage sooner rather than later to gain resistance to that power. That wasn¡¯t the reason Esm¨¦e had summoned him, though. Her brother Aydan bore the marks of the mutated syphilis he had recently contracted, and the flesh mage might be able to help. Knowing the princess, her gift was likely poisoned. Must be exhausting, not being able to kill your enemies outright¡­ Priam had hesitated to offer his help to his rival, but he knew she wouldn¡¯t accept. If he wanted to aid her, she couldn¡¯t know about it. ¡°I could take care of Aydan,¡± Jasmine said, arriving at his side. The assassin had her arm in a sling and was limping badly, one eye blind and a fresh scar tracing across her lips. ¡°I just woke up and took a pill to dispel the curse,¡± she said, noticing his gaze. ¡°Clock?¡± ¡°Clock.¡± She grimaced. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll win next time. As for Aydan... Not yet. Esm¨¦e implied that he communicates frequently with their father. I don¡¯t want his death to be traced back to us and end up giving the Empyreans a reason to wage war on humanity.¡± ¡°I could stoke certain fires¡­ Others would do the job for us.¡± Priam narrowed his eyes, then nodded. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t rush it. I¡¯m debating whether to merge or upgrade [Fire Champion Physique] before forming the Energy Gate. In the meantime, if Aydan wants to raise his wyrm, I won¡¯t stop him. Its core will make a fine trophy.¡± ¡°He takes care of it?¡± ¡°According to Esm¨¦e, he spends half of his Sun Points on it. He must really love it.¡± ¡°Bah.¡± Jasmine spat. ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of powerful men prefer their dogs over their wives or children. They loved the unconditional loyalty an animal gives them.¡± A deep voice spoke behind them. ¡°Those who fail to earn the respect of their subordinates often turn to beasts. They¡¯re poor leaders, though not as bad as those who despise even animals.¡± ¡°Kazuki,¡± Priam smiled before noticing his friend¡¯s condition. He was missing his left forearm. ¡°Clock?¡± ¡°Mostly Zelgius. Clock¡¯s first instance was fairly straightforward; my Spear Mastery cut through all its directed curses.¡± ¡°Directed?¡± ¡°His direct attacks. When it invoked curses using my name or blood, I couldn¡¯t avoid their effects.¡± ¡°Fortunately, those weren¡¯t that powerful.¡± Seeing Priam¡¯s puzzled expression, Jasmine added, ¡°You have no idea what we¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I¡¯m guessing [Ciphered Record] blocked that kind of attack.¡± ¡°Cheater,¡± she muttered. ¡°Winner,¡± Priam corrected. ¡°You gonna be alright?¡± he asked, nodding to the stump where his friend¡¯s left elbow used to be. ¡°I took a few overpriced elixirs; it should be healed within a few days.¡± Kazuki absentmindedly scratched the scar. ¡°Sometimes, I envy your regeneration ability.¡± ¡°You could have it too.¡± Kazuki and Jasmine both raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Priam said. Opening his interface, he searched for one of his earliest notifications. ¡°[Axolotl or Hydra - Bronze] - You have regenerated your arms, legs, organs, and even your heart! Your vitality now allows you to restore any body part as long as you have the time and energy. Vitality +10%. It was one of my first titles, and it¡¯d be useful for you both.¡± His two rivals exchanged a worried glance. ¡°Just to be clear¡­ you want us to chop off our limbs and then blow out our organs?¡± Jasmine asked. She¡¯s so dramatic. ¡°Put that way, it sounds stupid.¡± Priam ignored his friends¡¯ nods. ¡°But with Hydra Pills, elixirs, and hoplite mecha¡¯s artificial organs, you could unlock the Title. Its evolution lets me restore any limb or organ once per day, which could come in handy for you.¡± ¡°I must admit the reward is tempting,¡± Kazuki conceded. ¡°But the way to achieve it¡­¡± ¡°No pain, no gain.¡± The three friends discussed further until they devised a method to unlock [Axolotl or Hydra]. Tier 0 was known as the fundamental Tier, the prime time to unlock Titles, Talents, and skills. This might be Kazuki and Jasmine¡¯s only shot at a Title like this, and they decided to seize it. Priam laid the two pieces of Promesse before his father and Gallad. ¡°Split in two by a Duke.¡± Damn Zelgius. ¡°I wanted to know if you could reforge it.¡± The old man and the hoplite leaned over the weapon, examining it. Priam smiled, watching his father use a sort of magical magnifying glass to get a better look. Though his eyesight was better than any human, it hadn¡¯t reached supernatural levels. ¡°A flexible blade core encased in a hard outer layer¡­ a nearly supple metal shaft¡­ These dimensions and forging techniques¡­ This is a hoplite weapon,¡± Gallad declared. ¡°Kazuki¡¯s old spear,¡± Priam confirmed. The sword-master looked up briefly but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°I¡¯m out of my depth,¡± Alain admitted after a few minutes. ¡°I¡¯m an architect and a decent tinkerer, not a blacksmith. Can¡¯t you summon one like you did with Lamnas or Bertomne?¡± Priam grimaced. ¡°I can, but of the six currently available, none are suitable. Esm¨¦e scried them, and they''re all problematic.¡± The princess had assured him that with the destruction of new tribes, more candidates would be available soon, but Priam wanted his spear ready before his Tribulations. Since he planned to initiate them within a week, time was tight. ¡°There¡¯s someone among the Gaeserts, but it¡¯s not yet time to meet their tribes.¡± His father nodded, then fell silent, letting the hoplite finish his inspection. ¡°I should be able to restore it,¡± Gallad announced after a few minutes. ¡°I¡¯m an engineer, not a blacksmith, but our mechas are equipped for emergency repairs, and I have documentation.¡± Priam ran a hand over his weapon, smiling. Though it wasn¡¯t his trump card, he missed its presence. ¡°Is reforging it possible? My enemies won¡¯t be getting any weaker, and I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll just break again.¡± It was time to upgrade his bound weapon. Its Bronze quality was becoming a liability. Gallad furrowed his brow, looking at the spear. ¡°It¡¯s far from simple. First, we would need to heat it to a very high temperature, and its coppery sheen makes me think of a phoenix. I assume its flame resistance is significant?¡± ¡°Very, but I can help,¡± Priam promised. ¡°With Pyro, it should be easy to melt down.¡± Gallad turned to Alain. ¡°Even so, we lack a crucible, a bloomery, and¡­¡± The two scientists launched into a technical debate, periodically turning to Priam for input. Without a powerful, modern industry behind them, the task was complicated, but the young man reassured them. By using runes during the various forging stages, they could bypass many issues. Gallad eventually nodded, a glint of determination in his eye. ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises, but I see a way forward. However, improving it hinges on one critical factor: we need an alloy superior to the current weapon¡¯s¡­¡± Grinning, Priam opened a portal to the Concept Archipelago, reaching through to pull out a heavy sack, which he dropped onto the ground with a thud. ¡°Already covered! With my resistances and constitution, my bones are incredibly tough, and the same goes for Kazuki. Did you know his Titan bloodline made his bones metallic? So, I found the perfect excuse to get him to, uh, part with a few limbs. With such impressive materials, I¡¯m sure we can upgrade Promesse to Silver or Gold rank!¡± Alain and Gallad stared at him in astonishment before looking back at the bag. Once the initial shock wore off, they both leaped back in unison.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 295: The Rebirth of Promesse A gust of wind tossed a strand of Priam¡¯s hair across his eyes. Part of him noted that he hadn¡¯t had a haircut in ages, and its current length was starting to get annoying. According to his ex-girlfriends, a buzz cut didn¡¯t suit his face, but he wasn¡¯t a fan of hair that practically veiled his vision either. ¡°Know how to cut hair?¡± he asked. ¡°Once killed a man posing as his barber¡­ But all the customers who left that shop alive left a great review.¡± After a quick threat with your dagger? Priam preferred not to ask. ¡°I''ll need you to trim my hair.¡± Jasmine glanced over at him. ¡°Short hair wouldn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s falling into my eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a trim¡­ as soon as my arms grow back,¡± said the assassin, closing her eyes to stimulate her vitality... or perhaps just relaxing in her warm, regenerating sap bath. Without arms or legs, she didn¡¯t have many other options. ¡°Thanks,¡± Priam replied, turning to look outside. Lounging on the windowsill of Jasmine¡¯s cabin, he might have seemed idle. However, appearances could be deceiving. His gaze surveyed Oasis, watching the games of Sphinx and Moonie, Trap the goblin setting traps, and the hoplites training. Closer by, Alain and Gallad were building furnaces and molds to reforge Promesse, while right below him, Lamnas was gathering Log-a-rhythm¡¯s fruits with Blueberry. Priam smirked, noticing his furry friend was eating one out of every two. Satisfied that everything was in order, Priam turned his attention to his parallel thought. Since Elysium¡¯s laws had brought him back from the Colosseum, he had allocated part of his focus to studying Clock¡¯s runes. Etched on the metallic body of the clockwork mage, they could be toggled on or off by hidden switches beneath the surface, allowing the automaton to summon a shield or unleash curses at will. It was a design that used the body rather than the soul as the medium for the runes. In a Systemless universe, it was certainly a viable combat method. Briefly, Priam wondered if his opponent had ever had a soul, then returned his focus to a side project: unlocking [Curse Resistance]. Until Promesse could be reforged, this filled his free time. Unlocking resistances had become second nature to Priam. Usually, all it took was enduring a hostile environment or fighting a powerful foe. For the past fifteen days, he had been doing just that by asking Jasmine to pull him into her shadow. After a few lewd jokes about coming inside her, she had invited him to discover the dark side of the light. Instead of battling against solid shadows, Priam chose to meditate in the hidden dimension within his friend¡¯s shadow. The lack of immediate damage had slowed his progress, but after hours in the darkness, his adaptability had conquered a new element. You have gained the skill: [Shadow Resistance - Rare]. [Shadow Resistance] - When a body intercepts light, it casts a relative darkness. The color and shape of the object become less important than its contours. Far from being just a consequence, Shadow is a complex Concept, refined by the shades language adds. Your mind and body have acclimated to light¡¯s alter ego. It is now your ally. The brighter your feats, the larger your shadow. Facing the Zenith, you hardly notice those you eclipse. META (Endurance) +2 META (Authority) +1 An intriguing resistance, not only because it granted meta attributes but also because it allowed him to easily reinforce related skills. In fact, all Priam had to do was crouch briefly in a shadow to gain three levels in [Phantom], the evolution of [Stealth]. Trying to spot Jasmine in the shadows also earned him five levels in [Ideal Dark Vision]. Lvl Up: [Ideal Dark Vision] lvl 7, 8, 9 ,10 ,11 PERC +15 Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 2, 3, 4 AGI +18 DEXT +9 From this, Priam learned that resistances induced changes in their users that went beyond targeted resilience. Familiarity with a Concept and genetic, mental, or aetheric modifications promoted the development of related skills. Obvious, perhaps, but this was the first time Priam had put words to what his subconscious had already guessed. After this realization, he quickly reviewed his other skills for easy level-ups. Among those unsealed, several responded: [Trap Detection] paired with [Illusion Resistance] and [Ideal Dark Vision], [Valaryth Swimming] with [Smooth Scales], and [Divination Interception] with [Ciphered Record]. Lvl Up: [Trap Detection] lvl 9, 10, 11 PERC +3 Lvl Up: [Valaryth Swimming] lvl 3, 4, 5 STR +6 AGI +3 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 16,..., 29 META (Affinity) +28 META (Perception) +14 The dividends from his resistances strengthened Priam¡¯s conviction to continue focusing on his defenses. Besides a mental predisposition to ignore pain, he had several talents that synergized to promote resistance growth. If they then catalyzed other skill evolutions, it would create a virtuous cycle that would one day transform him into an unstoppable Juggernaut. For this reason, to progress in the Colosseum and mitigate the damage from Hecate''s New Moon, Priam was trying to unlock [Curse Resistance]. With no opponent or hostile environment to assist him, he decided to use the runes stolen from Clock. [Runic Language] had decoded most of the boss¡¯s sigils, and after some tests and tweaking, Priam isolated three curses and inflicted them on himself. Vitality drain, mental fatigue, and terror¡ªthe triple torture dragged on for six hours to no avail. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long that you¡¯ve been enduring them,¡± Jasmine reassured him, seeing his frustration. ¡°It¡¯s normal if nothing¡¯s shown up yet.¡± ¡°I compared notes with Kazuki¡ªI develop resistances roughly a hundred times faster than him at equal vitality. Something else is going on,¡± Priam replied, distracted. ¡°You¡¯ve sealed your Constitution. If that¡¯s preventing some of your skills from progressing, maybe it¡¯s blocking the resistance formation?¡± The attributes sealed by his Potential were the reason he hadn¡¯t unlocked [Wind Resistance] yet, despite Kazuki¡¯s help. ¡°Nope. The spiritual seal prevents resistance sync with my soul, but that¡¯s blocked before it even gets to that stage.¡± Jasmine frowned. ¡°Not many possibilities left¡­ Esm¨¦e mentioned that Clock disrupted resistance creation in his enemies. Maybe its influence is still hiding in there.¡± Priam shook his head again. ¡°That¡¯s just a delay, not a deadlock. No, something¡¯s off¡­ It¡¯s as if my aether can¡¯t adopt a structure capable of resisting this curse. I¡¯m no further now than I was six hours ago.¡± [Curse Resistance Creation via Potential: null. Creation impossible.] ¡°Oh.¡± Priam sighed, reading the notification from his add-on. ¡°Turns out you can think quickly, but if you¡¯re not thinking about the right thing, it¡¯s a waste.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you figure out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the potential to unlock [Curse Resistance].¡± ¡°Are you talking about potential or Potential?¡± Jasmine emphasized the capital P. ¡°Same difference: Potential is a bridge between a possible reality and ours. If the System doesn¡¯t even deign to give me a number, it means there¡¯s no world where I can unlock this resistance. It must be incompatible with a Soul at Tier 0.¡± Maybe his soul needed a qualitative change to handle [Curse Resistance]. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal; I¡¯ve got a workaround,¡± Priam smiled, accessing his interface. Trees of Merit [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder - Gold] - Tier 4: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your Soul Tier. 6 Unused Merit Points. Give it to me! ¡­ Error. Aether clearance is too low. Please, ennoble your mind. ¡°Oh, fuck you!¡± Priam growled as he stood up. ¡°Problem?¡± Jasmine asked, an eyebrow raised. ¡°Apparently, my mind isn¡¯t ¡®noble¡¯ enough.¡± He punctuated the word with a grimace. ¡°The System doesn¡¯t know how dangerous it is to say that to a Frenchman.¡± Her eyebrow arched higher, and that was all the encouragement Priam needed to launch into a quick history lesson. ¡°We chopped the heads off nobles who thought they were better than the people¡­ and a lot of innocent folks too, but that¡¯s beside the point. What matters is, revolution is practically our national sport¡ªright after striking.¡± ¡°...But you¡¯re a Duke yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You either die a Hero or live long enough to see yourself become the Villain,¡± Priam quoted, stretching. ¡°I¡¯m off; get some rest.¡± ¡°You got more important things to do than keep me company?¡± ¡°Got to help reforge Promesse. Judging by my father¡¯s grin, they¡¯ve finished preparing everything.¡± Jasmine groaned, her face twisting in discomfort. ¡°Priam?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Before you go, could you scratch my nose? It¡¯s been itching, and I can¡¯t exactly reach it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve still got your shadows,¡± he teased. She shot him a dangerous look, and Priam realized she wasn¡¯t looking for a logical solution to her problem. With a sigh, he scratched his friend¡¯s nose. Priam looked at the two pieces of Promesse lying in the center of the crucible and stifled his irritation. Alain and Gallad were clearly underestimating the temperature it would take to melt his bound spear. As a Bronze weapon, it didn¡¯t benefit from its wielder¡¯s resistances, but it had been tempered by his phoenix bloodline and his resurrections. Despite its low rank, their bond made it superior to many Silver spears. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That should be enough,¡± Alain muttered, sweat trickling down his brow. Fuelled by charcoal, a mundane fire blazed hot in the furnace. It resembled a makeshift chimney of vitrified sand, with a hoplite crystal pot¡ªthe crucible¡ªpositioned at its core to collect the metal in liquid form. Wood fire couldn¡¯t exceed a thousand degrees Celsius, so Promesse wouldn¡¯t melt without some magical help. ¡°Priam, your turn.¡± The Fire Champion summoned a ribbon of Pyro, threading it through the furnace to envelop the spear remnants. The metal began to glow before a sudden crack filled the air¡ªthe Concept¡¯s heat shattered the crucible, along with any hope in the onlookers¡¯ eyes. The furnace walls started to splinter, and Alain cursed. Before his spear could get buried in the collapsing structure, Priam moved in. ¡°Priam!¡± ¡°It takes more than this to burn me.¡± Ignoring the scorching atmosphere, the Fire Champion wrapped his weapon in his Domain. His kinetic mastery lifted the fragments while absorbing the ambient heat. The low furnace finally stopped protesting. ¡°All good in there?¡± his father called from outside. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll finish the fusion myself. Prepare the mold.¡± Floating in the air, the two halves of Promesse were soon struck by a deluge of flames. Pyro roared as fiercely as a star¡¯s core, bathing the mysterious metal in blistering plasma. With a foot in Unity, Priam¡¯s Concept could melt tungsten, yet Promesse, blessed by his phoenix bloodline, held strong. After a brief but intense struggle, the Juggernaut prevailed. Soon, nothing was left of Promesse but a pool of molten metal. Despite this victory, Priam¡¯s work was far from over. Multitasking, he directed half his focus to maintaining Pyro¡¯s heat to prevent the metal from solidifying while a parallel thought manipulated it kinetically to keep it from spilling onto the ground. Finally, his add-on absorbed the heat given off by the molten metal. Of all Oasis¡¯s inhabitants, he was the only one fireproof. Emerging from the furnace, Priam found Gallad with his mecha, holding seven bones in his hands. ¡°These are all the fusion materials for the spear?¡± ¡°Yeah. Two of my femurs, for their durability and their bond with them. And two of Kazuki¡¯s metallic femurs, infused with his Titan bloodline.¡± ¡°Why femurs?¡± Alain asked. ¡°They¡¯re the sturdiest bones in both our species.¡± His father looked at the other bones. ¡°Why not only use femurs?¡± ¡°Of the last three bones, two don¡¯t come from humanoid creatures,¡± Gallad explained. Priam nodded. ¡°The humerus comes from an arm I tore from Ophis in the erased timeline. I selected it for its draconic bloodline.¡± In his final clash with Sumstreh, he had ripped the arm from the possessed Tier 4. The bone was strong, and Priam had no qualms about recycling his enemies¡¯ remains. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of the arm?¡± Alain asked. ¡°In a metal box. The toxic blood will be great for advancing [Poison Body], and the genetic data will help me improve my race to Tier 3.¡± Priam took recycling seriously. Despite the materials¡¯ quality, the final two bones were in a league of their own. One was a fragment of the second Terror''s skull. The other was half of Sumstreh''s horn, after being split by Ayank Iluva, Empress of Knaya, whose clone was summoned by the sevenfold Tribulation of Sphinx. Jasmine had retrieved it while Priam battled Arnold. Keeping Promesse in liquid form, Priam inspected the bones one last time, then nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Focusing entirely on Promesse, he instructed his add-on to create an oxygen-free sphere a meter off the ground. The presence of this gas would cause the bones to burn, where the blacksmiths wanted to melt them. Once his add-on gave the all-clear, he placed the bones into the levitating sphere, and unleashed Pyro. A fantastically bright fireball forced Alain and Gallad to avert their eyes. Seconds later, the once-solid bones had become another pool of liquid. Priam combined the two pools, blending Promesse¡¯s unknown metal with the molten bones. After achieving a homogeneous alloy, he transferred it to the obsidian mold. Enhanced by Bertomne''s skills and enchanted by Rose''s runes, the matrix was meant to withstand Pyro¡¯s heat. The molten alloy flowed, shaping itself into the new spear. Its proportions matched the old Promesse, its dimensions slightly larger. As the metal cooled into a solid state, a crude spear form took shape. Gallad drew out his mecha¡¯s hydraulic hammers and went to work. Priam was swept along for the ride, following Gallad¡¯s instructions¡ªlifting, heating, cooling the spear¡ªwithout fully grasping the engineer¡¯s intricate techniques. The hoplite envisioned a two-layer weapon: a hard outer edge for slicing through defenses with a softer core to absorb great impact without shattering. The forging process was further complicated by the metal''s uniqueness, its properties unknown to the amateur blacksmiths. After hours of stretching, tapering, and beveling the alien steel, Priam reheated the spear, using his kinetic control for uniform temperature adjustments before quenching it. When the work was almost finished, Gallad broke his tools trying to grind it. Priam took over, polished it, sharpened it, and engraved a few runes on it. ¡°... I think that¡¯s it.¡± The hoplite¡¯s voice shook. He had wielded hammers and tools for over a day, shaping his magnum opus. ¡°Agreed,¡± Priam whispered. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sublime.¡± The fruit of their labor was a true masterpiece¡ªa spear three meters long, forged from silvery metal streaked with copper hues. It took a blink to lose sight of it, making the runes nearly impossible to decipher. ¡°A true work of art. Go ahead, son,¡± Alain said. With trembling hands, Priam touched his bound weapon. It felt heavier than its former self. The physical contact made the spear vibrate: the link was restored, and the System updated its description. [Promesse - Bronze] becomes [Promesse - Silver]! [Promesse - Bound to Priam Azura - Silver] - A spear from another universe. Bound to its wielder through Concepts, baptized in battle, blessed by resurrections, and reforged with mysterious bones, its potential is linked to its wielder. Forged from a unique alloy of extreme resilience, it is tempered by flame and light. Stealthy, it holds a minor adaptive capacity and will learn to resist anything that doesn¡¯t break it. An embryonic spirit is detectable within. As a [Bound Weapon], it benefits from a portion of its wielder''s Titles and Talents and a small portion of its resistances. Improves the effectiveness of spear-based skills and aether-infused strikes. Despite its Silver rank¡ªtied to the development of its spirit¡ªits constitution surpasses many Gold-ranked weapons. When benefiting from its wielder¡¯s status, even a Legendary weapon would struggle to scratch it. Meaning Promise in French, Promesse turns its wielder¡¯s threats into reality. A weapon worthy of the Juggernaut. ¡°I can''t identify it,¡± Gallad observed. ¡°Silver in name, Gold in practice,¡± Priam grinned. ¡°It absorbed the qualities of the bones and¡­ I feel our bond is stronger. That¡¯s what matters most.¡± Caressing his spear, Priam felt the many engraved runes under his fingers. He had collaborated with Rose to craft a ritual that would guide aether along its blade. This allowed [Tribulation Piercing Spear] to become a viable finisher once more. Absorbing Promesse into the mist of his clothes, Priam gave Gallad a nod. ¡°You have breathed new life into it. Thank you,¡± he said with a bow. Gallad bowed in return. ¡°Thank you for letting me work on this marvel. The System awarded me a Title for it. I hope I¡¯ll soon have the chance to measure its potential in a duel?¡± Priam burst into laughter. A hoplite was always a hoplite. ¡°Now, if you want.¡± The Juggernaut rarely refused a duel. A few minutes later, Gallad¡¯s saber shattered. The two warriors spent the rest of the day reforging it. ¡°I heard you have got yourself a spear worthy of you,¡± Kazuki smiled. The Champion hovered a meter off the ground, buoyed by his mastery over wind. Priam¡¯s superhuman eyes caught the faint traces of earth beneath Kazuki''s chin, hinting that the hoplite hadn¡¯t always been so poised. The stubs of Kazuki¡¯s regrowing arms and legs were a further blow to his charisma. ¡°Your old spear,¡± Priam confirmed, summoning Promesse. He looked at his weapon the way a newlywed gazes at their spouse. Jasmine found it creepy. ¡°You never mentioned it again. Doesn¡¯t it bother you that I took it?¡± ¡°You earned it by defeating me. It¡¯s yours.¡± The good thing about Kazuki was that his words were final. There was no hidden resentment, and Priam smiled as he sheathed his bound weapon. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Valaryth,¡± he announced. ¡°My attribute thresholds are capping my progress. Time for the big leap.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted Jasmine and me to make sure no one would take advantage of a moment of weakness to target you during your Tribulations?¡± Kazuki¡¯s gaze unfocused, consulting his customized AGI. ¡°I still need at least two more days to recover.¡± ¡°I still want to¡­ for the real ones. Two days is just enough time for a little visit to Valaryth¡¯s alien Tribulation.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t five enough for you?¡± Priam laughed. ¡°I see it as a warm-up. If I endure them back to back, I¡¯m hoping deep down it¡¯ll count as a sextuple. If not, there¡¯s always the quest reward.¡± Valaryth Quest: Invasion I Endure an alien Tribulation. Reward: Variable. Difficulty: Mythic Priam wouldn¡¯t let himself go rusty while his friends recovered. ¡°Be careful,¡± Kazuki said, knowing Priam wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°See you in two days?¡± ¡°For my real Tribulations. Tell Hyshana to prep her Hearthstone.¡± To avoid drawing any Terrors or worse, Priam had decided to start his quintuple Tribulation outside of Valaryth or Elysium. Hyshana had suggested the Hoplite base. It was located on a planet called Proxima. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 (+86) SEALED Constitution 1 199 (+12) SEALED Agility 1 169 (+221) Vitality 1 136 (+6) Perception 858 (+30) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 (+62) Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 004 (+17) Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 980 (+35) Meta-focus 549 (+61) Meta-endurance 885 (+52) Meta-perception 461 (+18) Meta-chance 523 (+144) Meta-authority 286 (+1) Potential: 17 823 (-89) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 133 days 17 hours 10 minutes 7 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 296: Flat Earth or Discworld You have left the Concepts Universe. Location: Valaryth - fragment 84. A fragment of a world destroyed in a war won by the Seven Grand Concepts. ¡°What¡¯s a fragment of a world?¡± murmured Priam. A simple string of words describing something almost impossible to imagine. High above the blue expanse of Valaryth, the Juggernaut fought his fiercest enemy¡ªhis own curiosity. The secrets of the aether, the origins of the System, the mysteries of the Zenith¡­ Priam sought answers to it all, for his own sake and for the sheer power that knowledge promised. Here, understanding Valaryth was essential¡ªnot just to survive, but to conquer it, as his Duke¡¯s quest demanded. With his enhanced vision and high perception, Priam gazed over a world that stretched infinitely in every direction. The absence of any curvature told him one thing: Valaryth wasn¡¯t a sphere. Despite the sun in the sky and stars shimmering above, this was no planet. Priam¡¯s scientific mind sparked, formulating theories one after another. First hypothesis¡ªhe was on a flat world. An ocean resting atop a bed of rock floating in a void. Ancient scholars once imagined Earth the same way, certain that a ship could sail off the edge of the world into the abyss. Terry Pratchett had taken that concept with Discworld and added four elephants and a turtle. Other scholars had used mathematics to break down the flat Earth theory. Applied to Valaryth, Priam didn¡¯t yet have enough data to confirm or deny it. Despite his enhanced vision, a faint mist cloaked the world fragment. Practically invisible to the average human eye, the atmospheric haze created a white veil a hundred kilometers out, obscuring most details beyond a thousand. If there were borders to this world, he couldn¡¯t see them. What Priam did know had come from the locals. The tribe that had saved him from the Seventh Terror had hinted that the void was nibbling away at pieces of their world. Their chief Titus was even searching for a way to escape Valaryth. I owe them for saving my life. Now that I have a stronghold and a portal, I¡¯ll have to find them again. After one last scan of his surroundings, Priam noted a distant storm brewing in the north and descended back to the ground. Nestled on a beach between the forest and sea, the Oasis outpost awaited him. The fort, a vitrified sandcastle, was adorned with runes that strengthened its structure. Spanning about the size of a tennis court, it had a ten-meter-high tower. Its top floor, a terrace bordered by small crenelated walls, offered a panoramic view of the surroundings. Landing atop the outpost, Priam smiled as he took in the paradise-like cove before him. Two rocky promontories framed a natural harbor where turquoise waters lapped gently at the shore. It wasn¡¯t unusual to see a few Oasis members swimming or sunbathing on the beach. Despite the purification rituals and the comforting presence of Log-a-rhythm in Elysium, the eerie light of the Necromoon wore on everyone¡¯s nerves, and the bone-chilling howls of the corrupted didn¡¯t help anyone get a good night¡¯s sleep¡­ ¡°Lord Priam.¡± Turning, Priam saw Myuri. The Empyrean was slightly out of breath, having evidently hurried up the stairs to join him. ¡°Myuri! Everything alright?¡± The supervisor inclined her head¡ªPriam had long given up trying to stop her¡ªand replied, ¡°The main building¡¯s structure is nearly finished. Miss Rose has a few more runes to inscribe, but I haven¡¯t seen her today.¡± Noting the faint concern in her voice, Priam reassured her. ¡°She started her first Tribulation a few hours ago.¡± Unlike warriors, crafters could trigger their Tribulations at will. When they felt ready to face the System¡¯s test, they only needed to ask. Failure carried consequences, but it wasn¡¯t fatal. ¡°Oh.¡± Myuri cracked her knuckles, then stopped as she realized the nervous habit. She took a deep breath. ¡°I''m sure she¡¯ll succeed!¡± ¡°She¡¯s overqualified,¡± Priam confirmed. ¡°In terms of rune knowledge, she¡¯s my equal.¡± A stranger wouldn¡¯t have appreciated the achievement; after all, Priam was not just a talented aetherist but a powerful warrior. Yet it was crucial to remember that Rose had a fraction of his mental attributes and no add-on, bloodline, Talent, or [Ideal Aether Perception] to help her understand. To match him in rune studies, she relied only on her eidetic memory, innate intelligence, and every waking moment she could spare. In short, Anatole¡¯s daughter had a monstrous potential comparable to her father¡¯s or Osiris¡¯. ¡°The basement is still being excavated with periodic help from the hoplites,¡± Myuri continued. ¡°Right now, we¡¯re focusing on the first level of defense: a perimeter wall.¡± Priam turned his gaze outward, admiring the beginnings of a beige rampart encircling the outpost. The wall was a blemish on the landscape, but Myuri had sacrificed aesthetics for security. ¡°It¡¯s modeled after the Oasis rampart,¡± he noted. ¡°Managed to find a solution for the lack of the Sun Shop?¡± The biggest difference between Oasis and Valaryth was that the Sun Shop didn¡¯t function here. Summoning fortifications and other structures by spending hard-earned Sun Points was impossible. Maybe the local laws conflicted with the System¡¯s attempts to alter reality so forcefully? Myuri shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we found a solution, exactly¡­ more like a workaround. After studying the original wall and the blueprints for each upgrade, your father, Miss Rose, and Messrs. Bertomne and Lamnas began construction. Log-a-rhythm¡¯s wooden stakes provide a stable foundation and the rest of the structure is enchanted sand, sung into shape. Reinforced metal panels, bought from the Elysium Auction, form the outer layer. It should serve as a reasonably durable protection.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± The Oasis wall was Legendary-grade with Rank VII enchantments. The engraved runes and the quality of its materials could indefinitely withstand a powerful Tier 0 Duke. In practical terms, Priam had to unleash his Breath, augmented by Pyro, Breath, and Conquest Aura, just to punch a basketball-sized hole in it¡ªa result that didn¡¯t meet his expectations. His disappointment had only lasted until Jasmine and Kazuki had made fools of themselves trying. The hoplite had even torn a muscle trying to leave a mark on the wall. ¡°Gold-grade, with a series of Rank V enchantments. Should hold off a relentless assault from an Elysian Marquess.¡± ¡°Not bad. No, let¡¯s not be stingy¡ªit''s damn impressive! I¡¯m floored by your progress.¡± Myuri blushed. ¡°Our achievement is minor. The Sun Shop¡¯s presence and nearly limitless funds help a lot.¡± ¡°Of course, but that would be useless without your talent and hard work.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s doing their best just to survive another day.¡± Her gaze darkened. ¡°However, even this fortification won¡¯t hold off a Terror.¡± Priam cast a grim glance at the serene waters of the cove. ¡°With the power of the Second Terror, even a Mythic-grade wall would be reduced to dust.¡± Forcing a smile, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t stress too much about those monsters. Just focus on fortifying the outpost; I¡¯ll handle the Terrors.¡± The relieved look on her face weighed on Priam¡¯s shoulders like a heavy mantle. Myuri knew she couldn¡¯t withstand an apocalypse, but she had no doubt that Priam could save them all. His father and most of the crafters were like that. The responsibility was daunting. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Any plans after this?¡± he asked, shifting the topic. Myuri pointed toward the bay. ¡°Securing the ocean access in front and the forest behind, and then installing aerial defenses.¡± An ambitious project. Valaryth¡¯s supervisor sought to fortify dozens of hectares on three fronts. Ambitious but also necessary if they were to avoid a Terror raid before they had the means to evacuate. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw her crack her knuckles again. The weight of her responsibilities was as clear as her desire to do a good job. ¡°Your work¡­ It¡¯s everything I hoped for and more,¡± he smiled, watching the tension in her shoulders ease. ¡°Just, try not to destroy the view. For many, Valaryth is a place to unwind, and I wouldn¡¯t want an ugly fortress spoiling the panorama.¡± Myuri nodded enthusiastically. ¡°As you wish!¡± Priam opened his mouth to correct her overly formal attitude but reconsidered. Her extreme professionalism was a kind of social armor. Who am I to take that from her? I bet she¡¯ll relax with time¡­ Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 36 META(Focus) +2 META(Endurance) +1 With a lazy beat of his wings, Priam surged nearly three hundred meters forward, leaving a fiery trail in his wake. On Earth, countless fantasy novels and mythologies had described the powers and abilities of phoenixes. Yet Priam couldn¡¯t recall a single mention of their speed. In his opinion, it was a serious oversight. If a rare skill like [Phoenix Wings] could break the sound barrier, who could say what an adult phoenix was capable of? [[Phoenix Wings] synergizes with Fire/Pyro Concept and [Golden Adaptive Meridians] to propel the user to supersonic speeds. The minimal air resistance achieved through [Glide], [Smooth Scales], and [Kinetic Control] also plays a significant role in the final speed.] His add-on¡¯s objective assessment made sense, and Priam accepted the correction gracefully. Phoenixes were fast, but it was his own synergies that allowed him to break the sound barrier. ¡°I''m just that good,¡± he joked, though the words were warped by the rush of wind that filled his mouth. In the end, it sounded like the muffled groans of someone at the dentist. A few minutes later, Priam adjusted his wings to slow down. Looming ahead was a wall of storm clouds, nearly black in hue. From the surface of the ocean to dozens of kilometers into the sky, the cloud formation obscured everything in its path. A sudden flash of lightning eclipsed the sunlight, and Priam narrowed his eyes. He had just witnessed the father of all thunderbolts, and his instincts warned him that his constitution would be severely tested to survive it. ¡°This must be it.¡± Priam moved closer until he was within arm¡¯s reach of the furious cumulonimbus. Strangely enough, there was a kind of invisible boundary separating the storm from the surrounding area. Not even a meter from the tempest¡¯s edge, Priam felt no wind or rain on his skin. And yet, just centimeters away, hell was raging. The cyclone was contained either by powerful magic¡­ or by the world¡¯s laws, if the Rehm tribespeople were to be believed. During his first visit to Valaryth, Urr, a member of a local tribe, had told him about these tempests. ¡°Legend has it that almost five centuries ago, one of the last Tier Twos tried to level up. The world¡¯s laws summoned a High Tribulation, but there wasn¡¯t enough aether to complete it. The warrior¡¯s soul couldn¡¯t be blessed, and the Tribulation never reached its final phase. Since then, the sky has poured down rain without end. Those who brave this torrent get rewarded. The longer you withstand it, the greater the prize.¡± Priam was willing to bet this so-called torrent was the alien Tribulation his quest had mentioned. From there, he reached an obvious conclusion. The storm before him wasn¡¯t natural but rather the remnants of an aborted High Tribulation. Enduring it would earn him rewards from both Valaryth¡¯s laws and the System. That was all he needed to make up his mind. ¡°A High Tribulation¡­ I wonder how it differs from a regular one.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 199 SEALED Agility 1 169 Vitality 1 136 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 004 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 980 Meta-focus 551 (+2) Meta-endurance 887 (+2) Meta-perception 461 Meta-chance 523 Meta-authority 286 Potential: 17 825 (+2) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 133 days 15 hours 40 minutes 19 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 297: Best Birthday Gift Ever! Priam closed his eyes, summoning every sense to scan the typhoon looming ahead. His Mist Concept painted a picture of a torrential rain descending like a storm of bullets, each drop laced with danger, a brutal reminder of his first Tribulation. He pushed deeper, before grimacing as [Ideal Aether Perception] failed to pierce the wall of clouds before him. The ambient aether density was too high. Should I go straight in? Priam wasn¡¯t a coward, but he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to take unnecessary risks. Taking a step back, he assessed the towering steam monolith before him, craning his neck skyward until it almost strained¡ªif that were even possible with his agility. The cloud seemed to rise endlessly. Time to gain some altitude. Unfurling his wings, he propelled himself upward with kinetic mastery, soaring for nearly a full minute before reaching the apex of the colossal, mutated cumulonimbus. The vaporous mass stretched nearly thirty kilometers high, twice the height of any Earthly counterpart. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Priam was impressed by what he saw... and a little terrified. The dark gray, almost black cloud top was saturated with aether in maddening quantities. Massive currents surged toward its core with an apocalyptic fury. Lightning as wide as skyscrapers crackled through the monstrous cyclone multiple times per second. The chaos above was way worse than at sea level. As Priam felt curiosity tugging him closer, his instincts screamed a warning. Storms had always both awed and terrified him. To him, they were nature¡¯s raw power and majesty made manifest, a natural purge born of special conditions, resetting the balance. He saw them as nature¡¯s righteous anger¡ªnot against any one person, but against something deeply out of sync. But this deluge was different; it wasn¡¯t here to restore climate balance. It was here to destroy. The sight alone set every hair on his body on end. Something¡¯s wrong¡­ Priam looked higher, frowning. At this altitude, the sky should have faded from blue to black, the air thinning as he reached the edge of space. But no. He wasn¡¯t on a planet, yet the laws of physics here were warped, too different to be untouched by magic. ¡°There¡¯s something off about this fragment of the world,¡± he murmured, flapping his wings harder. Propelled into the air, he kept rising, determined to test the limits of this fragment¡¯s physics. Moments later, the deluge was a rumbling, dark mass beneath him. Aether continued pouring into it, a tangible flow Priam could see with his meta-perception. The energy arched in the air, like a siphon drawing in the world¡¯s essence, feeding the tempest. Another kilometer up, Priam noticed himself slowing. He was still flying at supersonic speed, yet the cloud below seemed no further away. Eventually, he stalled mid-air. Confused, he poured more aether into his ascent, hoping brute force would overcome the spatial block. To his surprise, it worked. Rising another meter, he understood he was leveraging [Space Resistance]. His body possessed a unique dimensional identity that allowed him to partially ignore the quicksand-like pull of space. Collecting resistances had its advantages. If his constitution had been unsealed, his skill would have progressed quickly, letting him push further. But reality didn¡¯t deal in ¡°ifs,¡± and neither did Priam. Just centimeters from his face, he could see the aether rushing toward the typhoon below. Then¡ªnothing. As if energy simply ceased to exist beyond it; as if reality itself had abandoned that space. This was at odds with the bright blue sky he could still see above. The truth dawned on him: he was facing an illusion, a realistic painting on a dimensional ceiling. Priam extended his hand, touching the edge of Valaryth¡¯s realm. Title won! [¡°To the Ends of the World!¡± - Silver] - A fragment of the world, depending on its rules, can take many forms. While the depths of Valaryth 84 seem nearly limitless, and its ocean¡¯s surface appears endless due to its non-Euclidean geometry, its sky is capped. At the level of a void vortex, it is exactly thirty kilometers high. You have reached the edge of a world. Now, all that remains is to gain the means to pierce a dimensional bubble¡­ and perhaps obliterate Valaryth 84 in the process; a small price for the satisfaction of your boundless curiosity. META (Chance) +10% META (Authority) +10% Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Ideal Aether Perception] x5; Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] Lvl 20,..., 24 META (AFFI) +15 META (PERC) +30 ¡°Ah!¡± Priam grinned as he read his new Title and rewards. Like corrective lenses or a hearing aid, the five level-ups sharpened his aether perception. His sight, hearing, and even smell sharpened, allowing him to differentiate energy currents with a precision he had only dreamed of. It was like gazing into a river and seeing not just the broad flow but every micro-current, every whirlpool, with hints at the chaotic phenomena yet to come. Further mastery would eventually let him anticipate the effects of his own skills. With his hand pressed against the dimensional boundary of Valaryth, he could tell it was solid. That reassured him; Priam didn¡¯t need the Title description to realize that breaching it would unleash catastrophic consequences. A single flaw would pop the protection like a soap bubble, plunging this world fragment into a devastating spatial storm. There was only one thing left to do. Priam descended toward the ocean, diving beneath the surface to confirm the presence of a colossal siphon. The vortex swallowed seawater, which vanished into the depths with a fury that could pulverize any submarine. A lazy school of fish swam around him, skirting the deadly currents yet never crossing them. Occasionally, blood, shredded flesh, and broken bones spewed from the whirlpool, quickly devoured by the local fauna. The rule was clear to all: venturing into the vortex meant death, but beyond that boundary lay safety. Air or sea, this storm was lethal. Best to face it on the surface. Decision made, Priam hovered just above the water, advancing until he reached the invisible border. The calm around him stood in stark contrast to the chaos awaiting within. He moved forward. The typhoon was a literal hell of water. As his hand breached the storm, rain assaulted him, pelting his skin like needles. With his constitution, even bullets couldn¡¯t harm him, and the rain fared no better. A grin spread across Priam¡¯s face as he took a step forward, letting the deadly deluge wash over him. His misty garments disintegrated under the vengeful tempest, and he opened his eyes. All around, millions of raindrops cascaded from the sky, each capable of tearing through a rhino''s hide¡ªyet they couldn¡¯t even scratch his eyes. With [Shear Resistance] and [Sun Steel Body] as his defense, it was as expected. Truth be told, Priam found the storm¡¯s intensity almost relaxing. Deadly to a human, this onslaught felt like a vigorous massage to him. Even the thunderous sound of raindrops slamming against the ocean was comforting. A nostalgic memory of nights spent listening to the rain¡¯s lullaby against his skylight rose within him. He glanced at the tranquility outside, then at the water¡¯s surface, churning and distorted by the storm, masking the destructive vortex beneath. Letting go of his kinetic energy platforms would have pulled him under in seconds. His instincts and aether perception whispered that the Tribulation¡¯s secret lay in the deluge¡¯s heart, and Priam moved forward without hurry. Five kilometers later, he came upon another wall of rain, as dark as a stormy sea, and passed through it without pause. First zone of the Deluge cleared. Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Shear Resistance] x5¡­ Seal detected. Progression delayed. The rain intensified, each drop hitting like a bullet. Forget harming an animal; this storm could wear down tank armor in minutes. If only his constitution weren¡¯t sealed, his resistances would be skyrocketing by now. Priam glanced skyward, as if daring the deluge itself. Show me your worst. The storm responded with an avalanche of water, forcing him to summon every ounce of strength just to stay upright. Yet his grin didn¡¯t waver. Despite the storm¡¯s fury, his skin remained untouched, unchanging. His physical attributes and resistances were sufficient that he didn¡¯t even need to defend himself actively. Truly a Juggernaut. Round two hadn¡¯t come close to breaking him, and with that, Priam moved forward. Second zone of the Deluge cleared. Valaryth''s Ocean¡¯s reward: Level up [Shear Resistance] x10¡­ Seal detected. Progression delayed. The third zone was a deadly mix of wind and rain. The clouds churned overhead, whipping up gales that raged at speeds of over five hundred kilometers an hour¡ªthree times faster than what was needed to tear an unanchored man from the ground. His eidetic memory whispered that this storm was as violent as those on Jupiter or Saturn. The trial was so grueling Priam figured he could temper his Matter gate in it. All he had to do now was decide which resistance to focus on. Smiling, he strode into the third zone and braced himself, as if stepping into a cosmic blender. Gusts clawed at his skin, and the wind stole the air from his lungs before he could breathe it in. He could break the world record for holding his breath if he had to, but didn¡¯t see much point. For the first time since stepping into the deluge, he activated [Kinetic Control]. Instantly, his Domain became a sanctuary, a bubble of calm where only the faintest breeze existed. Rain rolled off the edges of his authority¡¯s boundary, unable to touch him. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Priam frowned as he realized he had physically fought the typhoon for nothing. With his kinetic mastery, he had little to fear¡ª The deluge roared in anger, and in the next second, a lightning bolt crashed down on him with the wrath of divine judgment. The world faded as he fell unconscious. ¡°The Terrors are waking, one after the other,¡± Gooru grumbled. ¡°Killing the seventh was beyond reckless.¡± ¡°You know that wasn¡¯t my call,¡± Titus muttered. ¡°And could you let me get back to report without all the stalling?¡± ¡°The gates of Atlantis only open twice a day, and your bad mood won¡¯t change that.¡± ¡°I was planning to use the military entrance¡­¡± ¡°Ha! Retired or not, you¡¯re dreaming if you think that¡ª¡± A flash lit the sky on their right. Even through the thick curtain of rain, they saw a distinct column of electricity strike somewhere in the third zone of the Deluge. The two Rhems shared a glance. Someone had entered the trial and used magic to shield themselves. ¡°What fool¡ª?!¡± growled Gooru. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, we need to move!¡± ¡°They¡¯re dead, and you know it.¡± Anger and sorrow mixed in the soldier¡¯s voice. Rhems were few and far between; he couldn¡¯t fathom one of their warriors throwing their life away. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, the vortex will take the body. Would you deny them proper rites? Would you deny their tribe a body to grieve?¡± Titus shot back. Without another word, the Rhem leader leaped from the ship, running across the water toward the Deluge. Swearing under his breath, Gooru followed. Priam opened blind eyes to the world. His sight and hearing hadn¡¯t survived the strike, but ironically, his sense of smell remained, and he could catch the sharp scent of charred meat. The warrior rarely lost consciousness¡ªit took a severe shock to both spirit and brain for it to happen¡ªbut the lightning had done just that. ¡°When you¡¯re done napping, you mind getting up? My shadows won¡¯t hold out much longer.¡± ¡°Jasmine?!¡± He regenerated his vision thanks to [Three-Headed Hydra]¡¯s daily heal and found himself within a cocoon of shadows. ¡°You followed me?¡± He wasn¡¯t angry, just irked he hadn¡¯t noticed his shadow was occupied. ¡°Let¡¯s just say hanging around in Oasis without limbs gets boring fast. If I hadn¡¯t been here, you¡¯d be swept away by the underwater vortex. A little thank you wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± No sooner had he uttered it than the shadows dispersed, exposing him once again to the pelting deluge. He cursed as the raindrops battered his raw flesh. The lightning hadn¡¯t been kind, and his skin was closer to charcoal than dermis. Ignoring the pain, he triggered his rapid regeneration by burning lifespan. Once his tanned skin was regenerated, he let the storm massage his battered body. ¡°Was I out for long?¡± he asked, noting he was back in the second zone, where the wind was relatively tame. Just enough to uproot a tree or two. ¡°Long enough for me to start worrying about my willpower; the shadow cocoon isn¡¯t cheap. A minute more and I¡¯d have had to drag you out of there. What happened?¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°I think this Tribulation doesn¡¯t allow skills.¡± ¡°You¡¯re using [Kinetic Control] right now just to float.¡± ¡°Defensive abilities,¡± he clarified, remembering the lightning strike. The fact that rules existed for the Tribulation was surprising, but less so than the serious damage he had just taken. Priam¡¯s constitution neared that of a Tier 2, the same Tier as the warrior responsible for this High Tribulation. Consequently, the lightning bolt could have killed the candidate caught ¡®cheating¡¯ with a defensive skill. The zap wasn¡¯t a warning; it was a punishment, and if not for his heat resistance, he would have been reduced to ash. [Fire Champion Physique] had saved his life, but it wasn¡¯t resistance to electricity, so the damage was still severe. In fact, without one of his latest evolutions, his hearts might have seized from the electric surge¡ªa surefire way to die, even for him. Electrocution either burned vital organs or paralyzed the heart and lungs, and he was lucky his body was resistant to both. [Fire Champion Physique] had made him resilient to burns, and his recent agility upgrade had bolstered him against electrical paralysis. Agility exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! The progression of [Phantom] had allowed him to cross this critical threshold, and his attribute had evolved accordingly. Instead of transmitting information through electrical impulses via nerves, his brain now used aether. The primordial fluid replaced electricity in his nervous system, making it immune to rogue electric signals that could lock up his muscles. If that¡¯s not a perfect prerequisite for [Electricity Resistance], I¡¯ll eat my hat. Reflecting, Priam realized that even without the specific resistance, he was fairly durable against lightning. If his constitution weren¡¯t sealed, this storm would be the perfect training ground to unlock [Lightning Resistance]. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you survived that thunderbolt. If I hadn¡¯t hidden so deep in your shadow, I¡¯d be dead.¡± The comment sent a chill down his spine. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got five holes in my stomach, but I¡¯ll live,¡± she replied, her tone overly dramatic. ¡°I made the mistake of peeking out to see the Deluge myself and caught five drops. FIVE. I don¡¯t get how you can stand there under this death deluge and shrug it off.¡± Priam glanced up at the sky. The downpour hammered down like a deadly waterfall while the howling wind seemed determined to scalp him. ¡°Because I¡¯ve got four times your constitution and ideal resistances. Too bad I can¡¯t push them any further¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. The System just upgraded the quest. Whatever its origin, enduring a Tribulation counts for our record.¡± He skimmed his interface for a second to find the update. Valaryth Quest: Invasion I - Pseudo Alien Tribulation. Retrieve the heart of the Tier 2 High Tribulation ¡®Deluge¡¯ for the System. Reward: Reward of a Triple Tribulation, validation of the following thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1,200 Difficulty: Mythic Priam read the reward twice before accepting that it wasn¡¯t a mistake. The System was offering him a dangerous but wildly lucrative opportunity. A grin spread across his face. He had never backed down from adversity. ¡°Best birthday gift ever!¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 199 SEALED Agility 1 169 Vitality 1 136 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 004 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 999 (+19) Meta-focus 551 Meta-endurance 887 Meta-perception 502 (+41) Meta-chance 556 (+33) Meta-authority 315 (+29) Potential: 17 840 (+15) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 133 days 15 hours 22 minutes 22 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 298: Man Proposes, System Disposes Valaryth Quest: Invasion I - Pseudo Alien Tribulation. Retrieve the heart of the Tier 2 High Tribulation ¡®Deluge¡¯ for the System. Reward: Rewards of a Triple Tribulation, plus validation of the following thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1,200 Difficulty: Mythic ¡°Best damn birthday gift ever!¡± Priam exclaimed. This reward would allow him to push his attributes even further before his next quintuple Tribulation. He would face them with the stats of a candidate who had completed seven Tribulations, not just four. His shadow flinched. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday?!¡± ¡°Just like every year.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have a gift!¡± ¡°No big deal.¡± ¡°Rose told me you give gifts to the people you love. I love you and want to give you a gift.¡± The declaration was so sincere it took Priam off guard. ¡°Well¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I think of something. But why didn¡¯t you tell us? Alain didn¡¯t say anything, either¡­¡± Priam laughed. ¡°He always forgets. But he¡¯s a great dad the rest of the year, so I let it slide. As for me¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t see the point.¡± ¡°You mean, apart from throwing a party?¡± ¡°With all the dangers that threaten us, it¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Jasmine huffed, unimpressed. ¡°That sounds like the kind of hyper-pragmatic logic I¡¯d expect from Arnold, not you. If life can stop at any second, we should live it to the fullest!¡± Priam respected her enthusiasm but followed a different creed. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯d hate to die because my enemies were training while I was out partying.¡± Despite [He Who Eludes Death], Priam knew he wasn¡¯t immortal. Any High Tier could snuff him out like a candle. If death was a possibility, his pride prevented him from accepting it without a fight. ¡°Not dying is surviving; a commendable goal, but very different from living.¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for semantics.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but I¡¯m not letting you brush this off,¡± Jasmine pressed. ¡°Do you even like the life you¡¯re living?¡± Her concern was genuine, and Priam didn¡¯t want to shut her down. He gave the question real thought, scanning his surroundings. The storm howled in his ears, its lethal drops falling harmlessly on his skin. Here he was, facing nature¡¯s fury, standing on equal footing. A faint smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Yeah, I love it.¡± ¡°I''m sure it sounds metal in your head,¡± Jasmine shot back. ¡°But don¡¯t burn yourself out. When the warning signs show up, it¡¯s already too late.¡± The advice reminded Priam of his dark adolescence, and he took it seriously. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll take a break once my Tribulations are done,¡± he promised. ¡°Mhm¡­ I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± A distant thunderclap sounded, and Priam focused on the trial ahead. Stretching out his body, he set off again. Two thin kinetic platforms hovered under his feet, letting him step through the sheet of rain into the third zone. The deadly downpour lashed at him uselessly, while the wind¡¯s force multiplied, a crushing weight bearing down as if to drag him into the whirlpool below. But Priam bore the storm¡¯s wrath with brute endurance, striding almost serenely toward the center of the Deluge. The tempest raged around him. Heavy raindrops hitting the water¡¯s surface created splashes, sending up clouds of mist at shoulder height. The sheer volume clouded his vision, but thanks to his Mist Concept, Priam could partially pierce the chaos. At his tenth step, the wind shifted. Instead of pushing him down like a giant¡¯s hand, it suddenly pulled him upward. Instantly, Priam used his kinetic mastery to anchor himself to the churning sea surface. Without it, he would have been swept up, carried by the gusts to hundreds of meters high, toward a grim fate. The use of his kinetic skill displeased the Tribulation. The air charged with electrons, and Priam¡¯s instincts screamed. In a flash, he rode the mist, reappearing about twenty meters away. The thick, alien ambient aether limited his range. Behind him, a lightning column struck the ocean. Priam only caught it out of the corner of his eye, but it was enough for the flash¡¯s image to be imprinted on his retina. A vision of death. Then came the sound. The thunder shook his eardrums like the death knell, confronting Priam with his own mortality. He was at the heart of the unholy fusion of a hurricane and a maelstrom of catastrophic proportions. Beneath him, a vortex capable of sucking an aircraft carrier into the depths, and above, a storm cloud ready to unleash bolts the size of skyscrapers. Yet, Priam wore an uncontrollable smile. Without his constitution, resistances, accelerated regeneration from [Three-headed Hydra], kinetic mastery, and Mist Concept, he would have been dead long ago. The only reason the calamity hadn''t devoured him yet was that this Tribulation targeted his strengths rather than his weaknesses. Any other Tier 0 would have been vaporized by now, and if he didn¡¯t respect this trial, Priam would join the wrong side of the statistics. ¡°You okay?¡± Jasmine¡¯s worried voice broke through. ¡°Yeah.¡± Turning back toward his goal, a focused Priam pressed forward. The cyclone¡¯s pattern soon became apparent. Every ten steps, the wind direction changed to destabilize the Tribulation candidate. Instead of brute-forcing through, Priam summoned his spectral scales. [Smooth Scales] provided friction resistance, forcing the air to slide over him. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it bought him enough time to hop through the mist a few times, reaching parts of the zone where the wind pinned him toward the ocean. Here, he was relatively safe. After several minutes resting to restore his willpower¡ªthe resource that fueled his Concepts¡ªPriam set off again. He moved from one safe zone to another, and after an hour, he reached a fourth wall of swirling blue and white. In this new zone, water and ice mingled to crush those not discouraged by the last trial. Deadly rain was now joined by hail, a storm capable of eroding a cliff in minutes. Priam was harder than rock and pushed onward. Third zone of the Deluge cleared. Valaryth¡¯s Ocean¡¯s reward: [Shear Resistance] x15¡­ Seal detected. Progression delayed. Before he could survey his new surroundings, a hailstone the size of his head smashed into his shoulder with cannonball force. He was catapulted backward, flung from the fourth zone to the third, where a gust of wind hurled him skyward before he could react. The jaws of the Deluge had seized him and wouldn¡¯t let go. White of the lightning, gray of the rain, black of the storm, then white again. Colors spun before Priam¡¯s eyes like a kaleidoscope, further blurring his bearings. Swallowed by the opaque cloud and tossed in every direction by the furious winds, he lost all sense of up and down. His speed prevented him from sensing his surroundings through his Mist Concept. As nausea climbed, he realized he couldn¡¯t even rely on his kinetic mastery to get out of this one. Lost in the storm¡¯s heart, he doubted he could dodge lightning without seeing it. All he could do was wait. So, like a garment in a hellish washing machine, Priam waited. Titus stepped into the second zone, his face set in a grim expression. His Storm Dominion kept the deadly rain from shredding him. ¡°You feel anything?¡± Gooru asked from his right. The old warrior faced the raindrops stoically as they crashed against his body. Between Valaryth¡¯s rewards and Micro, his tempered physique was able to withstand the downpour head-on. On the other hand, his harmony with Storm was so low that he couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°The storm¡¯s whispers are strange,¡± Titus muttered, frowning. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t tasted blood today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Unless the intruder survived the lightning.¡± Gooru looked up at the sky. ¡°I tempered my body with the lightning in the second zone¡ªI know how destructive it is. There aren¡¯t more than a hundred Rhems who¡¯d survive a direct hit. He must¡¯ve dodged it.¡± ¡°How may someone avoid lightning?¡± ¡°I have no idea!¡± the grumpy warrior shouted. If the gates of Atlantis weren¡¯t closed and the Deluge wasn¡¯t sacred to their race, he would suspect an Elder decided to stretch their legs. ¡°You have his location?¡± Titus pointed toward the third zone. ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°...Shit.¡± Even for two veterans teetering on Tier 1, the third zone was dangerous. Curled up, tossed around by winds miles high, Priam waited patiently for the chaos to tire of shaking him. At last, his Mist perception detected a cloudless space, followed by his Domain sensing the waves. The next instant, he collided with the ocean''s surface at twice the speed of a bullet train. He felt his bones crack and his lungs fill with water. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 36 AGI +3 A wave covered him as he barely regained his senses. Feeling a powerful suction dragging him into the depths, Priam realized an underwater vortex had him in its grip. Fuck! If he let himself get dragged kilometers beneath the surface by that overpowering current, he was as good as dead. Analyzing his options in a split second, Priam chose to fight back. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 20 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6 His meridians trembled as he unleashed all his kinetic reserves in one burst. An omnidirectional shockwave erupted, blasting the water away like a mini-nuke. For a brief moment, calm reigned in a twenty-meter radius around Priam. He stood at the center of an ephemeral crater of water. ¡°Note to self: never get caught by the winds again,¡± he muttered, spitting out the water he had swallowed. High above, the storm roared back. The Deluge would not tolerate the use of active skills as a means of defense. Raising his hand, Priam focused all his aether proficiency to hastily trace a massive rune, boundary, inspired by his perfect fight with Clock. A heartbeat later, lightning struck his shield. The aether-imbued barrier held off the assault for a heartbeat. Then the lightning shattered the bubble and drenched Priam. He screamed as the energy surge boiled his blood. The vital fluid escaped his body, partly turning into vapor. Nearly driven mad by the agony, Priam had enough presence of mind to realize the lightning wasn''t dissipating. The Deluge was channeling a continuous strike to reduce him to ashes. Worse still, the attack was burning his aether, preventing him from using his skills. He could barely keep himself airborne. Fuck! Confronted with death, Priam quickly assessed his quest and made a radical decision. Disabling attribute seal: Constitution. His own Potential stopped blocking his progress, and all his recent experiences caught up to him. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 3,..., 34 CONST +96 Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 14 VIT +3 [Tribulation]: An attribute above 1 200 was detected in Tier 0. A Tribulation is coming. [To Play with Fire - Bronze] becomes [To Play with Pyro - Silver] ! [To Play with Pyro - Silver] - Six Tribulations await you for the third time, and yet, you haven¡¯t passed any of them yet. Either you like playing with the rules, or you are completely stupid. Probably a bit of both. Take your upgrade and go die somewhere else. META (Chance) +20% In mere moments, ambient aether poured into Priam¡¯s body and soul, energizing his skills¡¯ runes. His cells mutated at a frenzied pace, transforming to support his evolution. His constitution surged, allowing the warrior to survive a second longer under the relentless electric flood. As a cascade of notifications appeared, [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder] rallied to help Priam''s body adapt. The essence of the Juggernaut squared off with the Deluge. Would he develop [Lightning Resistance] before the lightning consumed him? Bets were open. Millions of spontaneous mutations erupted within his body, some effective, others less so. The suboptimal changes vanished as the Tribulation¡¯s punishment smote them. Amidst the ruin that was Priam¡¯s body, beneficial alterations persisted. As if reenacting the theory of evolution in fast-forward, his surviving cells multiplied, communicating with one another, mutating to survive. Priam''s physique fought to survive as his lifespan burned to sustain his boosted vitality. While his vital fluid evaporated, his bone marrow produced fresh blood to keep him alive a few seconds longer. Backed by the force of a High Tribulation, the electric javelin faced off with the Juggernaut¡¯s body. The ultimate strike against the supreme cockroach. As scars were spreading across the battlefield that was his body, Priam screamed at the top of his lungs. His bodily fluids were boiling, and his overheated fat was frying him from the inside out. His nociceptors¡ªpain sensors¡ªblazed as high-voltage currents coursed through them. Though his nerves had recently become aether-sensitive thanks to his agility¡¯s evolution, they weren¡¯t yet immune to electric shocks. Many words to express a single reality: Priam was suffering torment. Yet, as a rune materialized on the second layer of his soul, he wouldn¡¯t have traded places with anyone. Defying the world¡¯s order and the very forces of nature, the Juggernaut was right where he belonged. His blind eyes turned to the sky, he laughed as he felt his soul gain a new rune. You have gained the skill: [Lightning Resistance - Rare]. [Lightning Resistance] - Electricity is part of a broader phenomenon: electromagnetism. If you have never heard of Maxwell¡¯s equations... consider yourself lucky. Ignorance is often bliss. If you are seeing this description, you have probably gotten a bit too close to a transformer or a storm. This skill will help you survive the next time you try tightrope walking on a high-voltage wire. Your body passively absorbs some of the excess electricity, converting it into aether. Your girlfriend calls you Lightning as you are too fast. My wife calls me Lightning because my rod is shocking. We are not the same. CONST +2 VIT +1 ¡°About damn time,¡± Priam muttered as his cells began converting electric energy into aether. After going through hell, his new resistance gave him back control of his skills. Ignoring the pain, Priam kinetically manipulated the water beneath him to form a protective dome. Saltwater, being conductive, absorbed the lightning, which finally dissipated after a few seconds. The Deluge seemed unwilling to exhaust itself by vaporizing the entire ocean. ¡°You¡¯re smokin¡¯ hot. Literally,¡± Jasmine teased. Priam quickly examined himself with Micro. He looked more like a slab of overcooked meat than a human. His regeneration tugged him back from death¡¯s grip within seconds, for the modest cost of a few months of his lifespan. Opening his eyes, Priam saw he was on a kinetic platform. He could hear the waves crashing a few meters below him. His add-on had saved his ass by preventing him from falling into the vortex. ¡°Fuck the Deluge and damn the System.¡± ¡°Something wrong?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°Another skill description cracking jokes about my sexual performances. I swear I live rent-free in the mind of whoever writes this shit.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think it has to do with you always walking around naked?¡± Priam glanced down and realized his mist-woven clothes hadn¡¯t survived the wrath of the lightning. His assets swung freely in the breeze. Jasmine might have a point. But if I put clothes on, then the System wins. Refusing to lose any battle, Priam decided to stay nude until his quest was over. As he stood up, Priam noticed he barely felt the raindrops running down his face. Each held the kinetic energy of a bullet, yet his resistance and constitution were now so high they were harmless. ¡°One step closer on the Path of the ultimate Tank. If the Deluge¡¯s got nothing left, I think I¡¯ve got this quest in the bag,¡± he grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it. Plus, I thought most of your resistances¡¯ progress was limited by your Tribulations?¡± Jasmine asked. ¡°I unlocked the seal on my constitution,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°WHAT?!¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°You already weren¡¯t sure you¡¯d survive a quintuple Tribulation! A sextuple would kill you!¡± Priam winced. ¡°I¡¯m not planning to face a sextuple if I can avoid it.¡± ¡°Explain. Now.¡± ¡°Read the quest description.¡± ¡°... Rewards of a Triple Tribulation, plus validation of the following three thresholds: 12 attributes > 300 / 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 1 200.¡± Jasmine¡¯s thresholds were different from Priam¡¯s, as their builds weren¡¯t the same. ¡°I don¡¯t see where it says you can cancel your sixth Tribulation.¡± ¡°Yet that¡¯s what I¡¯m reading: the thresholds are targeted, and I think that¡¯s a clue. Now that I¡¯ve surpassed one of these thresholds, what happens if I complete the quest?¡± Priam asked. ¡°The threshold you just passed will be ¡®validated.¡¯¡± Jasmine paused. ¡°You think it could retroactively affect the new Tribulation?¡± ¡°If the threshold that triggered the Tribulation no longer counts, then neither does the Tribulation.¡± It was an elegant solution on the System¡¯s part to give Priam the means to claim the heart of the Deluge. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Priam mentally cleared his throat. ¡°Nope. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have waited to unseal my constitution. Still, I¡¯m certain the System would have phrased things differently if it didn¡¯t want me to consider this.¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s setting you up.¡± Priam shrugged, turning back toward the fourth zone. ¡°Man proposes, System disposes.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 326 (+127) Agility 1 173 (+4) Vitality 1 143 (+7) Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 004 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 554 (+3) Meta-endurance 896 (+9) Meta-perception 502 Meta-chance 589 (+33) Meta-authority 315 Potential: 17 913 (+73) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 133 days 14 hours 42 minutes 55 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 299: The White Desert Deadly rain, tearing winds, and a hailstorm fierce enough to pulverize bone¡ªthis was the cocktail awaiting in the Deluge¡¯s fourth zone. A brutal symphony that had nearly killed Priam less than an hour before. When he entered it a second time, he was ready and on guard. Among the flood of sensory data pouring in from his Mist Concept, the trajectory of an approaching object alerted him. A chunk of ice, the size of his fist, was hurtling toward him. Just minutes ago, this very type of hailstone had slammed him back into the third zone, flinging him into roaring updrafts. But since then, Priam had changed. Instead of dodging, Priam planted his feet and lowered his stance, then met the attack with a brutal headbutt. The collision between his forehead and the hailstone was explosive¡­for the projectile. It shattered into a cloud of glistening frost. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a nasty bump,¡± Jasmine warned. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°That was stupid.¡± ¡°Not at all. I just showed the Deluge I¡¯m ready to face it like a warrior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a storm. You¡¯re trying to impress a storm? Ugh, boys¡­¡± Priam shook his head. If Jasmine didn¡¯t understand the thrill of smashing ice chunks with his skull for the price of a minor bump, that was her loss. The rest of the fourth zone was relatively calm. After the boost that came with unsealing his constitution, neither the rain nor the wind were able to slow him, and only the occasional hailstones tossed by the storm posed a threat. Most simply bounced off his skin, discharging their kinetic energy in a futile attempt to shove him into the tumultuous waters below. The only real challenge was dodging the larger chunks of ice, but thanks to his Mist Concept, he saw them coming well in advance. An hour later, Priam spotted a massive white shape through the rain and hail. Pressing forward, he soon stood before a colossal iceberg. It called for a Captain Obvious moment, which he dutifully delivered. ¡°The ocean¡¯s frozen over.¡± Despite his near immunity, the storm was far from a pleasant environment, and Priam eagerly continued his journey. Lighting a small flame beneath each of his fingers, he carved his own holds and scaled the ice sheet with the ease of an arctic primate. The opaque sky remained silent, not a rumble announcing punishment. Just like Mist, Pyro was permitted. Fifty meters up, at the top of the icy cliff, Priam discovered a white curtain¡ªa realm where the rain gave way to snow. The cold radiating from this new zone was so intense it disrupted his kinetic platforms. From here on out, he would have to rely on his own legs. Fourth zone of the Deluge cleared. Valaryth¡¯s Ocean¡¯s reward: Myth Fragment. Integrating with System¡­ Title won! [The One Who Braved the Deluge - Silver] - The wrath of the heavens provoked the fury of the oceans, a force that trembled the earth. From the smallest lizard to the largest bird, all creatures knew fear, sensing the end had begun. While all fled the torrential downpour, a hero walked against the flow. He wanted to see the heart of the cataclysm with his own eyes. For his courage, his tale is told. META (Perception) +10% META (Authority) +10% As frost clawed at his bare feet and the blizzard roared before him, Priam understood: the Deluge was taking the gloves off. ¡°If you want to bail, now¡¯s the time,¡± he cautioned Jasmine as he glanced up at the piercing light breaking through the white clouds above them. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°If I die in there, I doubt you¡¯ll be able to escape.¡± By slipping into the storm¡¯s shadow, Jasmine could navigate the first three zones without trouble. In contrast, the ambient brightness of the fourth zone was her nemesis¡ªas light scattering off the snow, each falling flake disrupting her shadows. To an assassin, it was a shifting maze with no beginning or end, whose alleys constantly rearranged. ¡°Then don¡¯t die,¡± was her only answer. ¡°It¡¯s kind of my specialty.¡± With those words, Priam ventured into the snowstorm. The first thing to hit him was the searing cold. The second was a spinning ice disk. The ambush struck his left collarbone with the force of a guillotine. Without his impossible constitution and an ideal slashing resistance, Priam would have lost his arm¡ªand his human heart. Instead, the icy blade shattered into a hundred fragments that were sucked back into the storm, leaving only a slight cut as evidence of its existence. ¡°I told you not to die,¡± Jasmine reminded him. ¡°I sensed it too late. My Mist sense isn¡¯t working in this snowstorm.¡± Without mist, his perception was severely compromised. The sub-freezing temperature ruled out any fog, and Domain became his sole reliable source of information¡ªa three-meter sphere to spot every danger lurking in an ocean of ice. While half his attention monitored the blizzard, the other half focused on his collarbone wound. Instead of healing, it was freezing, offering a breach for the cold to seep deeper into his body. Priam felt the essence of winter invading his body, slowing his pulse and even the flow of his aether. There¡¯s a Concept at work here¡­ With the tip of his finger, he touched the frozen blood and called upon Pyro. A feeble flame flickered to life, struggling against the winter chill. Still, it managed to thaw his blood until it began to flow again. The vital liquid stimulated his regeneration, sealing the wound until the cut vanished. Nodding to himself, Priam trudged on through the powdery snow. The fresh drifts reached up to his thighs, turning each step into a battle. He tried several times to fashion kinetic skis to speed up, but the enchanted cold eroded any fine creations. As he pondered a solution, a projectile darted into his Domain, and Priam ducked just in time to dodge another ice blade. ¡°I swear, the System¡¯s screwing with me,¡± he muttered as he watched a lock of his hair get swept away by the wind. ¡°Hm?¡± Priam kept slogging through the snow, advancing one painful step at a time. ¡°I have a Domain three times the radius of a typical Tier 0¡ªand we¡¯re talking about a genius who managed to gain this Supremacy before Tier 1. Yet, these icy guillotines carried by the wind are so damn fast that I can barely dodge them once detected¡­ and you know I have high agility for Tier 0.¡± ¡°Your stats may be sky-high, but your dodging skills are trash,¡± the assassin pointed out. ¡°Fair point. Still, with an average Domain, it¡¯d take agility over a thousand and an ideal epic dodging skill to survive these ice blades¡­ not to mention the cold that¡¯s literally freezing my balls off despite my insane constitution.¡± To protect his family jewels and his future offspring, Priam summoned a flame boxer. He scowled, picturing the author of his descriptions chuckling at the sight of him shielding his manhood. ¡°This place is hellish, but I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re getting at,¡± Jasmine admitted. ¡°I¡¯m saying it takes nearly impossible stats for a Tier 0 just to survive here. The Cold Concept¡ªor its local cousin¡ªis affecting me despite my insane physique. I¡¯d bet even an elite Tier 1 would struggle in this blizzard. The System¡¯s difficulty level is complete bullshit. This isn¡¯t just a Mythical quest.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not. To me, it¡¯s Seraphic.¡± A flurry of icy guillotines cut the conversation short. The theory was confirmed: the difficulty of a quest was calculated based on the abilities of its user¡­ or users, for a shared quest. Jasmine might struggle to reach the heart of the Deluge, hence a more extreme rating? It¡¯s also possible that she¡¯d have trouble securing the core, whereas I have [Tribulation Hunter]¡­ Despite these musings, Priam remained vigilant. Crossing a vast field of snow while dodging ice blades was no easy feat, especially as his body was growing numb, battered by the biting cold. He paused briefly to inspect his feet and grimaced. His toes were an almost fluorescent white¡ªthe telltale signs of frostbite. Cold could burn as dangerously as flames. It was worrying, given that his high vitality was supposed to protect him. If his body suffered despite this¡­ The Concept behind this cold surpasses my physical resilience. In a way, it almost makes me feel human. Never thought I¡¯d be chattering my teeth again... Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The warrior briefly considered summoning a full Pyro armor but held off. Hypothermia was still a ways off thanks to his high vitality, and he could survive the loss of some extremities if need be. Moreover, if his flames melted the snow, he would soon be several meters below the surface¡ªa sure way to dig his own frozen grave. ¡°Bored,¡± Jasmine yawned. ¡°Get out of my shadow; you¡¯ll be less bored.¡± ¡°I hate the cold. Winter nights on Arkana¡¯s streets rank among my worst memories.¡± ¡°...Want to talk about it?¡± ¡°Not much to say. I ran away once, thinking winter would be less bad than people. I was wrong¡ªyou can work people, but the cold doesn¡¯t care about words.¡± ¡°They find you?¡± ¡°I went back when I started getting frostbite; didn¡¯t want to lose my fingers. Yours, by the way, worry me.¡± Hearing her, Priam looked at his blistered hands and blew on them. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a resistance for this?¡± ¡°Not anymore. [Heat Resistance] was the first resistance I unlocked after the Tutorial,¡± Priam recalled. ¡°Initially, it countered high temperatures, but I could¡¯ve adapted it to cold. Never had the chance since my phoenix bloodline forced a spontaneous fusion with [Thermal Resistance]. Later, it evolved into [Fire Champion Physique], which suited me fine. After all, cold has limits; heat doesn''t.¡± A strong enough constitution could allow one to survive near-absolute zero as a body loses heat relatively slowly by radiation. Conduction accelerated the process in a fluid, but Priam had no desire to plunge into a bath of liquid nitrogen. Until now. The reverse wasn¡¯t true: diving into a star''s core was a quick way to die. ¡°We know now that some Concepts can speed up the spread of cold.¡± ¡°And slow the development of a resistance,¡± Priam added, recalling his recent conversation with Esm¨¦e about penetrating skills. He observed his hands, frostbitten and battered. His fingers were so numb he barely felt them when he clenched his fist. The initial pain from the cold¡¯s bite had gradually given way to numbness. ¡°Cell mutation¡¯s slowed down, but I feel like I¡¯m close to getting another resistance,¡± he smiled. Three hours later, Priam¡¯s smile had faded. The wind howled in his ears as he struggled to orient himself in a white world. No two ice crystals were the same, but nothing looked more like a snowflake than another snowflake. ¡°Feels like you veered left,¡± Jasmine said. ¡°According to my add-on, I¡¯m going straight.¡± His subsystem was studying atmospheric aether for navigation. ¡°Did you know that without landmarks, people tend to walk in circles?¡± ¡°People often die that way in the desert,¡± Priam replied, closing an eyelid. For the thousandth time in an hour, a flake tried to kamikaze into his retina. It seemed trivial, but over time, an average human would likely have lost an eye. The wind shifted, and Priam became alert. Straining his ears, he focused on his Domain. A second later, he ducked, avoiding an ice blade, then leaped to evade another. His left knee throbbed upon landing. Half an hour earlier, an attack had sliced through one of his ligaments, and the cold hampered his regeneration. Priam turned to see the path he¡¯d carved slowly vanishing under the falling snow. In a few minutes, there would be no trace of his passage, and with night approaching, navigating would soon be impossible. I need to rest. As if answering his prayer, the white desert soon revealed a snowdrift. Approaching the wind-carved landmark, he melted a bit of snow and settled at the base of the mound. Sheltered from the worst of the blizzard, Priam sighed. This miserable weather reminded him of a mountain trip. When he was fourteen, he and his mother had ventured out in a snowstorm to pick up supplies. Foolish idea, but he hadn¡¯t had a choice. Ten minutes later, his mother had started to panic. Faced with death, her stern mask had cracked, and Priam had glimpsed the human beneath. He had guided her back to their chalet, though the return journey had taken almost half an hour. In a blizzard, familiar landmarks vanished. One could easily get lost, and in extreme cold, the danger was lethal. It was true then, and it was true now. Priam looked at his frostbitten hands and cursed as he noted the worsening damage. His veins and arteries, constricted by the cold, were blocking proper blood flow to his tissues. Swelling spread across his frozen body, particularly beneath his fingernails. At a microscopic level, it was even worse. The blizzard forced micro-crystals of ice to form around and inside his cells, causing them to rupture. ¡°You should make a fire. You¡¯re freezing to death.¡± Priam shook his head. ¡°Pyro¡¯s suppressed by the Deluge Concept. It¡¯s a hundred times harder to summon it here, and I don¡¯t have unlimited willpower. If I push too hard, I¡¯ll exhaust myself and fall asleep¡ªfor good.¡± Of course, he would revive, but there was no guarantee that this zone was the last stage of the stalled High Tribulation. ¡°At least replenish your strength¡­¡± Priam nodded. His constitution and vitality held back the worst of the climate, but at a cost. He needed fuel to power the powerful machine that was his body. Extending a frost-rimmed hand, he summoned Concepts Archipelago. On Blueberry¡¯s advice, he had stashed a decent amount of food. Reality remained intact before his hand. ¡°¡­and nothing¡¯s happening,¡± Jasmine observed. The Tribulation blocked his access to his inner world. Or maybe it was something else? That didn¡¯t matter as much as the next question: what was he going to eat? Priam felt the strain on his body, knowing that this extraordinary physique needed a substantial amount of energy to function. Was he really going to die of hypothermia, lost in a snowy wasteland? The thought sent a surge of fury through him, and he roared his defiance. ¡°FUCK!¡± ¡°RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± replied the snowdrift. The white mound rose, revealing the twisted cross between a yeti and a polar bear. [Identification] [Enraged Chenoo - Tier 2 - Viscount] - A rare creature, sharing ancestry with Wendigos. The Chenoo is a dormant bloodline in many humanoid creatures and occasionally awakens in cannibals. Banished to the Deluge''s ice plains, this monster prowls in search of prey. Its bloodline prevents it from starving to death, though the lack of nutrients drives it mad. The souls of its victims are trapped within its flesh. The only way to free them is to digest them yourself. The dead will thank you for it. Priam blinked, then grinned. ¡°Looks like we just found dinner!¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 326 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 143 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 004 Charisma 648 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 554 Meta-endurance 896 Meta-perception 539 (+37) Meta-chance 589 Meta-authority 343 (+28) Potential: 17 913 Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 133 days 9 hours 51 minutes 4 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 300: The Heart of the Deluge With every turn of the spit, the meat browned a little more, sizzling in a dance with the flames. Not a minute went by without Priam''s stomach growling from the delicious aromas tickling his nostrils. Honest with himself, the amateur cook admitted that the scent of smoke was stronger than that of the meat. Using a strip of Chenoo fur as fuel, a crackling fire roasted a few choice cuts from the beast¡¯s chest. The gaseous combustion product, mostly carbon dioxide, rose lazily toward the igloo¡¯s ceiling, drifting through a crude opening Priam generously called a "chimney." He had miscalculated the position and size of the vent but relied on [Poison Body] and [Asphyxia Resistance] to endure the impure air in his shelter. As he kept a close eye on his meal, a droplet fell onto his hair, prompting him to cast a wary glance upward before refocusing on the roasting meat. An Inuit might have had a thing or two to say about his ice shelter¡¯s questionable design, but the dome was solid enough to cut the wind, which was all Priam needed for now. When the smell of the meat finally became too tempting, he carved a thick fillet with Promesse and wolfed it down. Knowing the meat contained the souls of the Chenoo''s victims, Priam had been hesitant about eating it. Those concerns vanished with the burst of flavor that shook his taste buds as he started chewing. The surprisingly tender texture caressed his palate, revealing a delicate taste, akin to wild boar. A warmth spread from his stomach like a cozy blanket, wrapping him in comfort. Either this meat had anti-freezing properties, or the gratitude of the dead was palpable. ¡°Did you even read the description?¡± Jasmine¡¯s disgusted voice echoed. ¡°You¡¯re eating a local humanoid.¡± ¡°That thing was way past being a Rhem.¡± Priam was hungry, but not enough to eat a sentient being. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a quest that lets me earn the racial Talents and Concepts of the locals if I kill enough of them, and it didn¡¯t upgrade.¡± ¡°All that proves is that Chenoos aren¡¯t native to this universe but ours. One of this creature¡¯s ancestors was infected by that bloodline and had descendants with a Valaryth native. In the transformation, it must¡¯ve lost any Racial Talent or Concept tied to the Rhems¡ªif it even had one¡ªand adopted the Chenoo''s traits.¡± Priam paused mid-bite. Jasmine¡¯s theory was plausible. According to Titus, there had been a war between their universes ages ago. It was entirely possible that some Rhems had had descendants with an invader. Willingly or not¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible, but its bloodline turned it into a mindless beast. I saw it in its eyes; that thing was as smart as a rock¡ªactually, I¡¯m almost sure coral is smarter.¡± Priam took another bite, feeling a warmth spread through him again. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m freeing souls with every bite, so I¡¯d say my karma¡¯s in the clear.¡± ¡°... Do they taste good?¡± Priam carved another chunk before answering. ¡°The souls? Like booze¡ªburns a bit going down. But the meat itself? Excellent.¡± A shadow dancing along the wall stretched out, and a hand emerged. ¡°Gimme.¡± The young woman¡¯s principles faded in the face of her stomach¡¯s call. Smirking, Priam offered her another piece. Her hand vanished back into the shadows, prize in tow. Even in the igloo, the temperature was biting. After gorging on several kilos of yeti meat¡ªPriam¡¯s stomach was strangely elastic¡ªhe turned back to the Chenoo¡¯s corpse. He had made a clean incision at the belly to remove the entrails and retrieve his meal. Pulling at the skin, the warrior opened it like a sack and smiled as steam emerged. The monster had mutated to resist the cold, and its body was warm inside. Nodding, Priam slid inside. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Keeping warm,¡± Priam grinned. Bear Grylls would be proud. With that, he drifted off, lulled by the crackling of the fire. Jasmine didn¡¯t speak to him until he melted some snow to wash up. She insisted she could still smell his stench despite ordering Micro to block her olfactory sensors. For revenge, Priam created a tiny hot spring inside the igloo as a bath. Apart from annoying her, the pause let him recharge mentally. At dawn, Priam continued his journey, trudging through snow for nearly eight hours and sparing two more yetis he encountered. His father had taught him not to waste good food. With a glance from the apex predator, the creatures bolted without looking back. The freezing atmosphere soon returned to bite at him, and despite his efforts, Priam still couldn¡¯t acquire [Cold Resistance]. His adaptation was hindered by the Deluge and its Concept, his cell mutation incredibly slow. His instincts told him it wasn¡¯t impossible, but Priam had to give his body time. When the light began to fade again, the warrior started to believe he wouldn¡¯t unlock the resistance before finding the exit. Yet, just as Priam began to question his sense of direction, a gray-and-white column appeared on the horizon. It covered only a small area, barely the size of a baseball field. Seeing the small dimensions of the zone, Priam understood that this would be the last. The quest¡¯s objective, the heart of the Deluge, was within reach. The Juggernaut took a few more steps before stopping and turning to his shadow. ¡°¡­ Head back to the igloo.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going¡ª¡± ¡°Please.¡± There was no arguing with Priam¡¯s tone, and Jasmine understood. He wasn¡¯t sending her back to guard his secrets but because she would be a liability. Priam was ready to risk his life to finish this quest¡ªbut not his friend¡¯s. After a moment, his shadow split in two, and half of it receded. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting¡­¡± Alone again, Priam approached the curtain and touched it with his fingertips. Fifth zone of the Deluge cleared. Valaryth¡¯s Ocean¡¯s reward: Seed of Potential - Cold. System integration¡­ Ideal prerequisites for [Cold Resistance] recorded. The mutation of Priam¡¯s cells sped up as a white aether orb appeared near his soul. The seed gradually dissipated, infusing its energy into his second soul layer. Soon, he could make out the outlines of a rune. Prerequisites met:
  • [Homo Elysian Obsession]
  • [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]
  • You witnessed the cold of space.
  • You survived the Deluge¡¯s blizzard.
  • Valaryth¡¯s seed of Potential - Cold detected.
You have gained the ideal skill: [Cold Resistance - Rare]. [Cold Resistance] - What is cold but the absence of heat? Microscopically, particles slow; on a human scale, your body fails, and hypothermia sets in. You shiver, your teeth chatter, and you¡¯re numb as your body temperature drops. The cold progresses further, and you now experience frostbite, lack of coordination, and impaired judgment. Then the shivers stop, your body becomes pale, and finally comes death. This skill turns your skin into an effective insulator, preserving your warmth. The rest of your tissues are now better irrigated by your blood to prevent frostbite. You used to be hot and cold. Now, you¡¯re just hot. CONST +1 VIT +2 Priam couldn¡¯t help but smile at his new resistance. Another ideal skill for his collection! Lvl Up: [Cold Resistance] lvl 2 CONST +1 VIT +2 Despite the frostbite and fatigue, conquering the blizzard had been worth it. Valaryth¡¯s reward allowed the one who braved the Deluge to surpass the block created by the Tribulation. Better still, the aether seed poured its energy into the resistance, accelerating its growth. Lvl Up: [Cold Resistance] lvl 3 CONST +1 VIT +2 Over the next few minutes, Priam¡¯s body translated his survival experience into progress, quickly leveling up the skill. When the rush slowed, the ambient cold was still biting but less deadly. Lvl Up: [Cold Resistance] lvl 4, 5 CONST +2 VIT +4 A snowflake drifted onto his palm, and Priam examined it closely. Despite the cold, it should have melted from absorbing his body heat. Instead, the snowflake stayed solid. This clear demonstration of his new resistance kindled a fire of excitement in Priam. In mere minutes, his body had adapted to a fundamental force of the universe. Now, that¡¯s what I call magic¡­ Releasing the snowflake back to the wind, Priam contemplated enduring the snowstorm until he gained immunity, but he quickly reconsidered. Kazuki and Hyshana were waiting to travel with him to Proxima, where he would initiate his own Tribulations. This was not the time for training but for action. With his decision made, the warrior took a deep breath and stepped into the new zone. The fury of the Tribulation hit the instant he crossed the threshold. In this final zone, rain, snow, and hail coexisted in an environment worthy of hell. Yet the wind didn¡¯t try to push him back¡ªhe was free to move forward. Priam caught a glimpse of a lightning bolt before his retinas were scratched a thousand times over by microscopic ice crystals. His eyes slammed shut, his pained growl devoured by the tempest. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 35 CONST +3 He might have retreated if not for the pulse of his draconic heart. The Tribulation sensed kin. Shielding his head with his arms, the warrior took another step. The wind intensified, its roar shattering Priam¡¯s eardrums with its power. Anyone who had never heard the scream of a tornado couldn¡¯t understand the monstrosity of the sound that the air produced as it tore itself apart. It was as if reality itself were crying out, and the consequences were always destructive. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 36 CONST +3 With the third step, Priam felt his skin being torn away. Dust and hail powder whipped against his body like the world¡¯s most powerful sandblaster. Layer by layer, the tempest eroded his dermis. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 37 CONST +3 Reaching for his Mist Concept, Priam attempted to ride the fog, one of the elements of the storm. His Concept remained silent. Undeterred, and while advancing another step, he tried to harness the ambient aether to conjure a protective rune. The fluid slipped from his grasp, whisked away by the magical maelstrom. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 38 CONST +3 Then came [Kinetic Control]. A kinetic pulse blasted out from his body in all directions, creating a bubble of calm. Another step. Before Priam could weave a protective ritual, the Deluge¡¯s fury manifested as an apocalyptic lightning pillar. Lvl Up: [Lightning Resistance] lvl 2, 3, 4 This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. CONST +6 VIT +3 Priam¡¯s pain receptors drowned in agony before the cyclone closed in on him. Priam¡¯s resolve wavered on the sixth step. As the flesh of his hands was torn away by the wind, he refused to continue training his resistances in this way. His will was strong, and he was ready to endure torture to secure his freedom, but even he couldn¡¯t remain indifferent in a walking grinder. The progressive, inevitable destruction of his body rippled through his linked soul, giving rise to a primal fear impossible to master. Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 39 CONST +3 The wind grew so vicious that it cut off his breath despite his Concept. Ripping the air from his lungs, the tempest drained the warrior¡¯s remaining strength. Priam stopped, wanting to turn back. Nothing prevented him from grinding his skills for a few days before returning. All he had to do was leave, and the torture would stop. Thanks to Micro, he was feeling every gram of his flesh leaving his body, torn away by the Tribulation. He didn¡¯t have to endure this. Nothing was worth such suffering. Except my freedom. And in this world, power is the prerequisite. Pain and death were forces that couldn¡¯t stop him. Not yesterday, and not today. Shedding tears of blood, Priam took another step toward the Zenith, driven by his obsession. Lvl Up: [Free Will] lvl 12 WILL +6 CHAR +3 Another step, and his soul¡¯s state no longer allowed for coherent thought. His instincts took over, forcing his body to continue. They knew that sometimes, fleeing was more dangerous than advancing. This philosophy resonated with his battered soul, pushing him another step forward. As his muscles were worn by the crystal storm, as the wind¡¯s pressure exploded his lungs, as his soul was too damaged for his skills to progress, Priam smiled. In his blind eyes, an Immortal would have read no fear. Reduced to a few muscles on a skeleton, the Juggernaut took one final step. Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 25 Synergy detected with your talent [Homo Elysian Obsession] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: ¡­ Attribute potential redirected to skills per user request. Lvl Up: [Cold Resistance] lvl 6, 7 CONST +2 VIT +4 Lvl Up: [Lightning Resistance] lvl 5, 6, 7 CONST +6 VIT +3 Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 40 CONST +3 [Shear Resistance] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
  • You have faced dimensional blades.
  • Your soul has been cleaved.
  • You were bisected during a Tribulation.
  • Traces of Valaryth¡¯s Laws detected.
  • Your body has been eroded by billions of ice crystals.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked : [Blades¡¯ Arch-enemy - Epic] - Most sane people fear blades. Blades fear you. Potential Cost: 360. Let¡¯s stay classical. You have selected the ideal skill [Shear Resistance - Epic]. POT -360 [Shear Resistance - Epic] - Shear is one of the five physical forces that can damage an object. Not you. Small or large, you ignore blades that seek to cut you. Sharpened or rusty, you disdain tips that seek to pierce you. This skill enhances cellular cohesion, resisting separation by external force. Your cell membranes become capable of absorbing a small portion of an attack''s kinetic energy. Multiplied by their number, the result is significant. Some masters have spent a lifetime honing swordsmanship; this skill spits in their face. CONST +7 META (Endurance) +2 As Priam regained consciousness, he braced himself for the storm¡¯s return. It never came. After a few seconds, he noticed something else missing: the fury of the wind. Opening his eyes, the warrior understood: he stood in the cyclone¡¯s eye. Valaryth Quest: Invasion I - Fragment 84¡¯s Map. Discovered unique landmark: Heart of the Deluge. Reward: Your property title ¡°Valaryth¡¯s rift¡± is extended by one year. ¡°Looks like I made it,¡± Priam smiled as he rose and stretched. Like after each of his resurrections, he felt in Olympic form. While warming up¡ªthe temperature was cold enough for his breath to form clouds¡ªhe surveyed his surroundings. Within a three-meter radius, peace reigned. Just beyond, winds strong enough to uproot Yggdrasil raged. The contrast was striking. The only thing Priam felt was a breath on his skin, the effect of an aether current so dense it restricted his Domain. Looking up, Priam glimpsed the stars. Few ever thought to check above, often falling to basic traps. Although he sensed no immediate threat, he remained wary; disrespecting the Deluge was a sure way to die. Feeling somewhat reassured, he gazed down at the ice beneath him. Just a few centimeters below the surface lay a skeleton, likely that of a Tier 2 warrior who had triggered and then failed this aborted High Tribulation. Nodding respectfully, Priam refrained from disturbing its rest. After paying his respects, the warrior extended his hand to the cyclone¡¯s exact center. Nothing seemed to be there, but [Tribulation Hunter] sensed something hidden. A unique evolution of [Tribulation Resistance], it allowed him to detect the weaknesses of a Tribulation. Closing his eyes, Priam connected the skill with his Domain. As if an illusion lifted, an object appeared in his palm. It was an organ, a pearl, an orb, a star¡­ The heart shifted constantly, devouring the ambient aether to produce something. Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t succeed. The operation released filtered energy that surged toward the sky to fuel the Deluge cloud and down into the ocean to power the vortex. The cyclone and siphon then returned the aether to the heart, creating an unending cycle, a vicious circle doomed never to birth the aether capable of baptizing a Tier 2 soul. Priam closed his hand, plucking the organ like a divine fruit. The instant his skin made direct contact with the Tribulation¡¯s nucleus, his body jolted awake. The Champion gasped, momentarily overwhelmed by the ravenous hunger of his draconic heart. The Deluge core was ideal for his body tempering. Heavenly Dragon had mentioned a draconic trophy for his fulcrum, but now, every instinct in Priam craved the object in his hand. Valaryth Quest: Invasion I - Pseudo Alien Tribulation. Retrieve the heart of the Tier 2 High Tribulation ¡®Deluge¡¯ for the System. Reward: Rewards of a Triple Tribulation, plus validation of the following thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1,200 Difficulty: Mythic ¡°Yeah, nope. That¡¯s mine.¡± A divine power descended to claim its prize, but Priam tightened his grip, instinctively rejecting the quest. The equivalent of a triple Tribulation was an incredible reward, but it wasn¡¯t as valuable as the intact heart of a High Tribulation. The opportunity to go beyond perfection with Heavenly Dragon was too tempting to let slip away. This was a chance to become unique, to harness for himself the power of a fundamental law of aether. For a split second, the omnipotent will of the System hesitated. Then it resumed, and reality itself bent around Priam¡¯s hand, folding like origami, prepared to stash the heart away. Without a second thought, Priam yanked the prize toward him and swallowed it whole. The physique of a Homo Elysian was not designed to contain an unreal object, but the lung of a dragon could manage. Priam grimaced as he felt the heart settle in his spiritual organ, but satisfaction settled over him. He knew he couldn¡¯t resist the System, but his action proved his commitment to rejecting both the quest and its reward. The Tutorial had spelled out only one rule for the System: it respected the will of its users. Time to put that principle to the test. For seven heartbeats, nothing happened. Then a pulse froze reality itself. Time halted as the dimensional fabric peeled back to reveal an incomprehensible creature. Priam blinked, and the monstrous form shifted into a humanoid silhouette. His skin and clothing were so deeply black they could shame a black hole. Only a few golden jewels, a red ribbon, and a rainbow-colored die contrasted with the absence of color. Instinctively, the Juggernaut felt he was absolutely outclassed. That didn¡¯t stop him from summoning Promesse. With a bit of luck, he would upgrade [Iconoclast] before dying. The entity smiled, and Priam¡¯s fear dissolved, swept away by an impossible charisma. ¡°I knew you¡¯d refuse the rewards¡ªhad a bet on it, actually.¡± ¡°¡­ I prefer the Tribulation¡¯s heart over a free triple Tribulation.¡± ¡°What about a quadruple?¡± the being winked. ¡°Pleasure meeting you in the flesh and soul, Priam. I¡¯m called Thaal, the Immortal Gambler, and the System has sent me to strike a deal.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 383 (+56) Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 179 (+36) Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 012 (+8) Charisma 653 (+5) META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 554 Meta-endurance 899 (+3) SEALED Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 589 SEALED Meta-authority 343 Potential: 17 597 (-316) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF/ Reloaded in 19 hours 41 minutes 16 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 20 hours 14 minutes 29 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 301: The Greed in Your Eyes "What about a quadruple?" The being winked. "Pleasure meeting you in the flesh and soul, Priam. I¡¯m Thaal, the Immortal Gambler, and the System has sent me to strike a deal." Thaal. The name triggered alarms in Priam¡¯s head, but the extraordinary control afforded by his Micro kept his eyes from widening. "An honor to meet the Administrator of the Hope Sector," Priam replied, tilting his head slightly. His modern upbringing hadn¡¯t covered etiquette for dealing with galactic overlords, but politeness seemed prudent. "My name is Priam Azura, and I suppose we¡¯re both frustrating Death." "Ah! An Immortal and an undying. Sounds like the beginning of a joke. Well, please, don¡¯t let the fact that I could annihilate your entire civilization with a mere thought make you uncomfortable. Treat me as a peer... one you admire, of course. That reminds me¡ª" The High Tier rummaged through one of his pockets, pulling out a piece of fabric. "Here, I¡¯ve been meaning to give you this." Priam unfolded the garment to reveal a red pair of boxers. Embroidered on the right cheek was the phrase "I like to" followed by a multicolored die¡ªidentical to the one dangling from the Immortal Gambler''s belt. "I like to... die? Is that a pun?" "Indeed! It¡¯s my specialty¡ªafter gambling. That¡¯s celestial silk, spun from Tier 6 celestial silkworms. Very comfortable, I assure you. In fact, I¡¯m wearing the same pair right now." Thaal tugged down his waistband slightly to reveal an identical underwear. What. The. Fuck? For a moment, Priam wondered if this might be an imposter. He had expected an august figure and was facing a clown. [Identification] [Thaal, the Immortal Gambler - System¡¯s Admin] - The one and only. Now stop identifying me and feel how soft this silk is. That¡¯s good shit. Thaal pointed to the tag, where a "2," a die, and a "4" were printed. "It¡¯s a rebus. ¡®Two die four.¡¯ Get it? I¡¯ve just launched this luxury underwear brand, and let me tell you¡ªit¡¯s top-tier. No washing required! Just pass it through your Pyro flame daily to burn off any odors. Durable enough to protect your family jewels yet softer than a baby¡¯s cheek." "... It¡¯s an underwear," Priam reminded him dryly. "Hmm, true. I¡¯ll have my marketing team brainstorm a pitch that doesn¡¯t appeal exclusively to pedos. Anyway, it has other features." Thaal began stretching the fabric in every direction. "See how elastic it is? You can even use it as a condom. ¡®Sorry, Esm¨¦e, the boxers stay on during sex.¡¯ Normally, it¡¯s satisfaction guaranteed or your money back, but since you didn¡¯t pay for it..." Priam stared silently for a moment. He hadn¡¯t expected the admin to be this eccentric. Well, one can¡¯t become an Immortal without a bit of madness¡­ "What do you think?" "... Seems like a solid product," Priam replied reluctantly. "Glad to hear it! I was tired of seeing you running around naked," Thaal said, turning away. "It should be your size." After a few awkward seconds, Priam realized he was supposed to put the boxers on. Resigned, he complied, reminding himself the garment probably cost more than Promesse. The unnaturally soft silk against his skin did ease some of his irritation. "Done." Thaal turned back, scrutinized Priam¡¯s lower half with unnerving intensity, then gave a thumbs-up. "Perfect." "Ahem." Priam crossed his arms in front of his new underwear. "Back to the deal, the status of a messenger reflects the importance of the message. If the System sent a High Tier, the heart of the Deluge must be incredibly valuable¡­" Thaal laughed, a sound as casual as it was unsettling. "The greed in your eyes! No wonder you absorbed that draconic bloodline so well." He raised a hand to stop Priam¡¯s question. "The heart is rare, yes, but not rare enough to drag me to this backwater." With a snap of the High Tier¡¯s fingers, the heart vanished from Priam¡¯s draconic lung to reappear in his hand. "Beautiful thing, though." Priam wasn''t convinced. Of course, the High Tier wouldn¡¯t outright admit the worth of something he wanted. "Then you¡¯re here for me? To collect on the favor you did by redacting [Tribulation Hunter] from my status?" Thanks to his eidetic memory, Priam recalled the exact message he had received when [Tribulation Resistance] evolved into [Tribulation Hunter]: Protocol Eight: Next notifications hidden from moderators [Tribulation Hunter] - [Identification] will show [Tribulation Resistance]. Message from administrator Thaal: You owe me one. Even if he wasn¡¯t certain that possessing the skill was inherently dangerous, Priam knew Thaal¡¯s machinations had paved the way for the prerequisites of [Ciphered Record]. He intended to repay the service. A gleam flickered in Thaal¡¯s eyes. "I¡¯ve got a feeling holding onto this favor will increase its value." "I¡¯m a bitcoin?" Priam grimaced. "That¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping," winked the Immortal Gambler. "So far, you''ve never disappointed." "Did you know?" Priam pointed to the Heart of the Deluge. "Did you foresee this when the System gave me [Tribulation Hunter]?" Thaal shook his head. "There¡¯s a misunderstanding. That alien skill of yours, which lets you interact with the essence of Tribulations, isn¡¯t a gift from my employer. It¡¯s born of [Tribulation Resistance], a System specialty, and your Patron¡¯s Talent. Similar skills exist, but until now, no one was sure you could target the hearts of High Tribulations." "Not even the Concepts?" "I wouldn¡¯t know¡ªI don¡¯t work for the Seven," the administrator replied, summoning a tie and tightening it with an air of exaggerated professionalism. "Let¡¯s stay on topic. I¡¯m here as an agent of the System. The fact that I¡¯m vastly overqualified for this interview is simple to explain: I enjoy seeing the chips I¡¯m playing with." Priam suppressed a flicker of annoyance. "Am I a chip or a pawn?" The Immortal Gambler smiled, flashing perfectly white teeth. "I¡¯m not your enemy, Priam." The mere presence of the High Tier was freezing reality, a palpable reminder of the gulf between them. One didn¡¯t need to be an enemy of an ant to crush it underfoot... Forcing himself to quiet his fear, Priam returned to the matter at hand. "So, why does the System want the Deluge¡¯s heart?" "Do you want to know its value to haggle better?" "I want to know its value to decide if I should haggle at all," Priam countered. "My body craves this item as a trophy for a gate, and after the hell I¡¯ve been through to claim it, I¡¯m not about to trade it for the equivalent of a triple Tribulation." "Your body probably craves a donut, too. Doesn¡¯t mean you should listen to it," Thaal retorted, summoning a glazed donut out of thin air and taking a bite. "The real question is: do you have the option to refuse this deal? Neither I nor the System will force you into anything. But you unsealed your constitution to get here. Right now, six Tribulations are weighing on you. Keeping this heart will kill you." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Priam grinned. "I wouldn¡¯t bet on my death." The Immortal Gambler grinned back. "I would. The odds are stacked heavily against you." "..." "To answer your original question," Thaal continued, "the heart¡¯s value is both immense and insignificant. Without boring you with details, the System collects High Tribulations. Observing those from our universe with the Seven¡¯s help offers a varied library, but it lacks¡­ diversity. My employer seeks that diversity in other universes. As an alien High Tribulation, the Deluge piques their interest." "I''m not sure I understand," Priam admitted. He knew a High Tribulation baptized the soul, increasing Soul Tier, but that was about it. "Is there any benefit to changing universes to face a High Tribulation?" The administrator conjured another donut and devoured it. "None whatsoever. High Tribulations are perfectly tailored to the candidate who triggers them. However, a collector like my employer seeks¡­ other flavors. You¡¯ve lived in Bordeaux, yes? Let me use an analogy." Two stemmed glasses filled with deep crimson liquid appeared in his hands, and he offered one to Priam. "Thanks," the Champion said, sipping cautiously. It was grape juice. "You can produce a multitude of wines from the same soil by blending grape varieties, tweaking fermentation methods, or changing storage vessels. Still, despite all these variables, sometimes you need to change the location, the soil, the climate¡ªthe terroir, as the French say¡ªto find a particular taste. It¡¯s the same with High Tribulations: shifting universes allows for new flavors. Delicious," Thaal commented, taking a sip from his own glass. "I have a similar analogy starring Jasmine and Esm¨¦e, if you¡¯re interested." Priam raised an eyebrow. Thaal¡¯s casual and irreverent attitude reminded him of something... "I¡¯ll pass." He glanced down at the sphere in his hand. The Deluge¡¯s essence was in stasis, petrified by the administrator¡¯s mere presence. "The Tribulations triggered by System attribute thresholds¡­ Are they copies of old High Tribulations?" "High Tribulations are a fundamental law of the aether. Tribulations are an artificial creation, the fruit of a Concept. Despite their surface similarities, they¡¯re very different. Now, it¡¯s possible the System draws inspiration from the former to design the latter, but I wouldn¡¯t call my employer a plagiarist." "What does it gain from this? I mean, why collect High Tribulations?" Thaal chuckled softly. "Curious as a child, aren¡¯t you? Well, some theorize it¡¯s a way for the Seven to harvest alien Concepts. Others think it¡¯s an attempt to better understand the fundamental laws of the aether. The scandalmongers claim the System aims to upgrade its Tribulations to challenge the Primordials. There are as many theories as there are ultracrepidarians." "And what does an administrator think?" "That he¡¯d better keep his tongue in check. Some secrets are dangerous, even for me," Thaal winked, pressing a finger to his lips in a universal gesture of silence. Realizing he would get no more answers, Priam shifted back to the primary topic. "Thanks for the insight. From what you¡¯ve said, it seems the essence of an alien High Tribulation is quite valuable to the System..." ...Which increased the value of the Deluge¡¯s heart. "Nice try," the High Tier said, finishing his glass. To Priam¡¯s surprise, he swallowed it whole. "Crunchy. If the Deluge¡¯s essence were truly critical, the System would¡¯ve absorbed it as soon as it spawned." "Why didn¡¯t it? Why send an administrator now to retrieve it?" Thaal locked eyes with Priam. "Why let the Deluge rampage for five centuries alone? For you, of course. Well, you and your rivals," the administrator gestured at the frozen Deluge. "You see, one of the System¡¯s main goals is to foster its users¡¯ progression. This world¡¯s fragment, Valaryth 84th, is a massive sandbox placed in your path. Stripped of its resources, it would¡¯ve lost much of its appeal. That doesn¡¯t mean the System will let you consume them all unchecked¡ªhence my presence." "That¡¯s¡­" Priam was speechless. He knew the System paid close attention to Tutorial survivors, but dedicating an entire world to them seemed ludicrous. "A whole world for us?" "Oh, much more than that," Thaal leaned forward conspiratorially. "You¡¯re not the only Champion who¡¯s stumbled upon a wild rift. Plenty of opportunities await. And perhaps that¡¯s the main reason you shouldn¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you..." The implication was clear: if Priam got too greedy, the System might stop favoring him. "I guess I don¡¯t want that," the warrior growled, tightening his grip on the precious object in his hand. If the administrator had been more forceful or less cooperative, Priam would have refused outright to strike a deal. He despised authority that much. Yet he wasn¡¯t stubborn enough to risk falling out of the System¡¯s good graces. "I¡¯m in a dilemma. I¡¯m willing to trade this High Tribulation heart, but my body craves it." "I know you¡¯ve got an eidetic memory, but let me repeat myself: just because your body desires this heart doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the best thing for you." Thaal straightened, his tone turning serious. "A married man might get hard looking at a woman who isn¡¯t his wife, but there¡¯s a good chance he¡¯d regret an affair. Keep it in your pants, kid." I feel like I recognize this way of speaking... Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 SEALED Constitution 1 383 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 179 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 SEALED Dexterity 752 Memory 891 SEALED Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 554 Meta-endurance 899 SEALED Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 589 SEALED Meta-authority 343 Potential: 17 597 Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF/ Reloaded in 19 hours 36 minutes 7 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 20 hours 5 minutes 20 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 302: A great Gambler never trusts Luck ¡°Why does my body crave this heart so badly?¡± An Eastern dragon appeared above Thaal¡¯s outstretched palm, its sinuous form gliding through a constellation of stars. ¡°Heavenly Dragon... The first of his kind predates our universe. Legend has it that this creature was a prodigy among his species, so exceptional that he survived by devouring the High Tribulation of an enemy.¡± The holographic image consumed a radiant light, illuminating its scales from within. As the dragon roared in triumph, a thunderbolt powerful enough to vaporize a star struck it. ¡°Having endured the wrath of aether, the progenitor of this draconic branch is said to have evolved to the point of unleashing High Tribulations upon his enemies.¡± ¡°The very power the System is so interested in,¡± Priam remarked. Thaal smirked, dismissing the dragon¡¯s image with a flick of his fingers. In its place, he summoned a familiar die. ¡°The survival reward you earned from Kazuki offered you three tempering methods. You selected Heavenly Dragon because you met two prerequisites: a draconic bloodline and a heart capable of housing a Tribulation. Even so, the method is... incomplete. It¡¯s a theory pieced together from legends and other draconic tempering techniques. For that reason, it suggests dragon trophies as ideal catalysts but neglects the potential of High Tribulation essences¡ªthough they qualify.¡± Priam narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that the only reason? Or was it a way to steer me away from using High Tribulation essences as trophies for my gates?¡± ¡°The System doesn¡¯t need to manipulate you to discourage that,¡± Thaal replied smoothly. ¡°Do you think you could just stumble upon another aborted High Tribulation?¡± ¡°Do they need to be aborted?¡± Priam countered. ¡°Kazuki¡¯s Tier-Up is scheduled for a few weeks from now.¡± ¡°You¡¯d consume the essence of your friend¡¯s High Tribulation during his aether baptism, dooming him to remain Tier 0 for life?¡± For the first time since he had arrived, Thaal looked deadly serious. ¡°Of course not! But I wouldn¡¯t have the same qualms about doing it to my enemies.¡± ¡°Loyal to your friends, ruthless with your foes. How refreshingly original,¡± Thaal scoffed. ¡°Did you see what happened to the Second Terror when it tried to interfere with a Tribulation in the erased timeline? The System¡¯s punishment was violent enough to bring the Tier 1 Prince to death¡¯s door. The laws of aether don¡¯t grant more clemency.¡± Priam nodded before recalling an idea. ¡°What about my own Tribulations? The Phoenix called me an idiot when I told it this was the perfect trial to temper my body.¡± ¡°Not only is it an excellent idea, but I did the same thing when I was your age. Don¡¯t listen to advice from an overgrown chicken; I remind you that they¡¯re animals stupid enough to eat fried wings. That said, you won¡¯t be able to use System Tribulation essences as trophies. It has to be a High Tribulation.¡± Priam wasn¡¯t disappointed as he had already suspected as much. The Tribulations he had stolen from Taishi or Jasmine¡¯s alternate self hadn¡¯t awakened his body like the Deluge¡¯s heart. The administrator gestured toward the Deluge¡¯s essence. ¡°If you absorb it, you could create an ideal gate¡ªsimilar to what you¡¯d achieve with a dragon trophy. It¡¯s likely to awaken an alien Concept like Storm, Cyclone, or Maelstrom. You get the idea. I forecast a spontaneous fusion with Pyro or Mist, and an early Tier-Up. You don¡¯t want that.¡± If Thaal was telling the truth, absorbing the core was clearly a bad idea. But was the administrator being entirely honest? ¡°Almost forgot¡ªthere¡¯s also a chance the Deluge essence could mutate part of your body into, say, a tempest organ. A boon for many, but you¡¯ve already got a full plate, don¡¯t you? Even at the Seraphic rank, Chimera will struggle to keep you alive if you stack too many divergent powers.¡± Priam glanced at his evolving Talent. [Chimera - Legendary] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected. Use 17 403 POT to trigger evolution? Nice. Last I checked, it needed over twenty thousand. ¡°So, to summarize, I should trade it,¡± Priam concluded. ¡°If my back didn¡¯t hurt, I¡¯d bow in awe at your unmatched deductive reasoning.¡± The High Tier had clearly elevated his Patronizing Concept to Tier 8. Priam examined the orb in his hand. A terrifying storm churned within. Despite Thaal¡¯s arguments, Priam was confident he could harness its power. If he waited until Tier 1 to absorb it, he might fuse Mist and Storm into a devastating Tier 2 Concept. But it would be stupid to risk antagonizing the System for a mere ideal trophy. ¡°The System covets the Deluge¡¯s heart because it¡¯s alien,¡± Priam mused aloud. ¡°I could agree to trade it for another High Tribulation essence. If it comes from our universe, it would cost it nothing, right?¡± Thaal grinned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but I can accept this deal. However, remember you must obtain your trophies yourself to forge a solid foundation for your body tempering.¡± That had been one of the warnings of the Heavenly Dragon method. The specter of the Second Terror had inhabited the core Priam used to create the gate for [Ciphered Record]. If Priam hadn¡¯t slain the beast personally, its core would have exploded mid-tempering, killing him outright. ¡°Can¡¯t the System help?¡± ¡°It can create a blank trophy, but that only solves half the problem. Without a story tying you to your trophy, your tempering might be flawless, but forging your Myth later will be far more difficult. Immortality is a long way off, but it¡¯s never too early to plan!¡± Priam frowned. He had heard these terms before but didn¡¯t fully grasp their significance. ¡°What exactly does Myth mean? I¡¯ve seen the word in descriptions but don¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a person and typically involving supernatural beings or events,¡± Thaal replied in a robotic monotone. ¡°That¡¯s the dictionary definition.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you want more, pay the Guardian of Secrets. I¡¯m not your father.¡± Thaal squinted. ¡°I just checked¡ªI¡¯m definitely not your father. So, what did you decide?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got half of Sumstreh¡¯s core. Is it possible to infuse it with the essence of a High Tribulation related to [Free Will]? It must be something pertaining to Soul.¡± Priam had a plan to temper that resistance but lacked a suitable trophy. The only memorable opponent who wielded a sub-Concept of Soul was Sumstreh. Though powerful at Tier 4, its core wasn¡¯t considered an ideal trophy¡ªthe Fallen wasn¡¯t a dragon. This would change if the System empowered it with a High Tribulation¡¯s essence. Thaal reached into the air, and when he opened his fist, half of Sumstreh''s core was in it. He had effortlessly breached the Archipelago¡¯s Concept defenses. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Your story with Sumstreh is intense enough to make it a strong trophy, but it didn¡¯t die by your hand¡ªthat weakens your story.¡± ¡°What if I kill him after forging the gate?¡± The timing of Priam¡¯s next tempering event wouldn¡¯t allow him to kill Sumstreh first. The administrator nodded. ¡°The timeline doesn¡¯t matter, as long as the story is told. You don¡¯t even have to kill him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Why brutalize its ego with death when you could simply ask for permission to use its core? Instead of building your Myth on a bloody victory, consider love¡ªa wild night of passion could add a romantic twist to your tale.¡± Priam and Thaal stared at each other for a long moment before the warrior looked away. ¡°... I think I¡¯d rather rip his head off with my bare hands.¡± ¡°So much violence in you.¡± Thaal laughed heartily. ¡°The System taught me everything.¡± Priam clutched the alien High Tribulation essence in his hand. Whatever happened, he had struck a good deal. An ideal trophy, tailored from a custom High Tribulation. It was exceptional, but he could do even better. ¡°Shall we proceed with the trade?¡± Thaal asked. Priam shook his head. ¡°To the System, the Deluge¡¯s heart holds more value than a mere local High Tribulation essence. In addition to the custom heart, I want a quintuple Tribulations equivalence¡ªrewards, thresholds, everything.¡± ¡°Three, like the original quest.¡± ¡°Four.¡± Thaal chuckled. ¡°Greedy Priam... One of this universe¡¯s fundamental forces is Karma. That¡¯s why the System values fairness and makes equivalent exchange the heart of its dealings. With a triple Tribulation¡¯s worth and an ideal trophy imbued with a High Tribulation essence tailored to your chosen resistance, you¡¯re nearing the best deal possible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ¡®near¡¯ it. I want to reach it.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re down to a minor reward or a trivial question.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Priam took a moment to skim through the notes stored in his add-on. Every question he had asked himself since the beginning of the Tutorial was there. [What is a Story, and how does it connect to the tiering process? What is a Myth? This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. What does ennobling the mind mean? How can I evolve stats without a bloodline or a Merit? How can I build my soul without turning it apocryphal? How might someone complete a septuple Tribulation? How are bloodlines created, and what¡¯s their connection to race? What do their different rarities signify? What are the three supreme bloodlines? How can I free the phoenix from its oaths? ¡­] Should he ask Thaal one of these questions to wrap the deal? Or would it be better to request a more tangible reward? ¡°I was wondering¡ªdo Merit points fall under the definition of a minor reward?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Thaal burst out laughing, his mirth echoing for five full seconds before he composed himself. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Purifying my bloodlines¡ª¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°One of the prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Manipulation]?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re smoking, but I want some.¡± ¡°A list of resistances I could unlock?¡± ¡°Three alien essences wouldn¡¯t be enough for that.¡± Undeterred, Priam carefully framed his next question. ¡°If there are multiple ways to ennoble the mind, I¡¯d like to know the one that best complements my foundation.¡± ¡°Your mentor didn¡¯t teach you that? These phoenixes and their ridiculous oaths¡­¡± Thaal sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Become a Prince, and the System will handle the rest. Fine, I¡¯ll give you one more question or reward because you¡¯re starting to tug at my heartstrings.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like help unlocking [Probability Manipulation Resistance].¡± ¡°Oh.¡± At that, the room fell silent for nearly a full minute. Facing a High Tier, such a pause stretched into an eternity, but Priam held firm. Finally, Thaal smiled. ¡°I assume you want the ideal version.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Sorry, but an ideal resistance far exceeds the value of the Deluge¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I already meet three of the five prerequisites.¡± Priam was thinking about [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder], along with the probability manipulations he had endured from Esm¨¦e before the first Reunion. His timing during that initial death in Elysium had been no coincidence. ¡°Make that four out of five. Even so, it¡¯s too much for the System.¡± For the System... Priam smiled, parsing Thaal¡¯s careful phrasing. ¡°In that case, how about a wager?¡± The Immortal Gambler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Go on.¡± Mist coalesced in Priam¡¯s hand, forming into an icy coin. ¡°I bet it¡¯ll land heads.¡± Without waiting, he flipped it. Priam now had enough ideal skills to better understand their prerequisites, and he was sure that winning a bet against the Immortal Gambler would do the trick. The coin spun through the air before gravity began pulling it back down. All the while, Priam¡¯s eyes remained locked on Thaal¡¯s. The Tier 8 Administrator had said plenty during their conversation, leaving Priam no way to discern truth from lies. However, actions never lied. Priam was certain the Immortal Gambler could rig any bet against a Tier 0. The only question was: would he? Whether he won or lost, Priam would learn something about Thaal. Dissipating his clone, Thaal opened his eyes in the audience chamber. Before him, a Tier 5 was petitioning for his Tribulations to be postponed. The Administrator¡¯s laughter abruptly cut the suppliant off mid-argument. ¡°Your Honor?¡± asked Saliik, the moderator-scribe. Turning to the tribunal, he announced the session adjourned. By the time the court had cleared, Thaal¡¯s laughter had subsided to occasional chuckles. ¡°I take it this Viracocha¡¯s request wasn¡¯t the source of your amusement,¡± Saliik remarked, packing up his materials. ¡°Sharp. I just met one of the new Champions, Priam from Humanity. He wanted to consume the essence of an alien High Tribulation.¡± ¡°Presumptuous.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say ambitious. He had the means to do it.¡± Saliik frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t received any alerts from the System.¡± ¡°There weren¡¯t any. I think our employer is trying to create a hunter capable of tracking down High Tribulation essences across other universes.¡± Despite his title, Thaal rarely knew the System¡¯s true objectives. That didn¡¯t stop him from speculating. If only it could bring an end to these Multiversal Wars... ¡°I doubt the boy can manage it,¡± Saliik countered. ¡°Only a heavenly dragon could survive the aether¡¯s wrath after stealing a High Tribulation¡¯s essence.¡± For the second time that day, Thaal burst out laughing. Prerequisites met:
  • [Homo Elysian Obsession]
  • [Life is Hard; I¡¯m Harder]
  • Your time of death was accelerated by probability manipulation.
  • Billions of people have bet on your actions.
  • You have won a wager recognized by the Immortal Gambler.
You have gained the ideal skill: [Probability Manipulation Resistance - Rare]. [Probability Manipulation Resistance] - Every event has a certain chance of occurring. For example, given enough coin flips in a controlled environment, heads and tails will balance out. However, the universe¡¯s inherent chaos distorts those odds. The placement of your fingers, air currents, the surface texture¡­ until now, your enemies could exploit these factors to influence the outcome of your coin toss. From now on, they¡¯ll have a harder time. This skill, bolstered by the interest of billions of gamblers, grants inertia to your actions. It synergizes with Micro to block external probabilistic manipulations within your body. A good gambler backs the best horse. A great gambler never trusts luck. XOXO META (Chance) +3 ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Priam exclaimed upon reading the final line. Looking up, he saw Thaal had already vanished. Around him, the cyclone¡¯s dance resumed. According to the phoenix, skill descriptions were written by the first person to unlock them¡ªexcept for unique skills. Yet the end of each description was personalized. Priam now knew exactly who authored his. Grumbling, he bent to retrieve the icy coin from the ground. Heads, just as he had predicted. The Administrator had chosen to help him. Just as Priam prepared to dissipate the coin, he flipped it over and froze. Heads again. Both sides were heads! Yet he was sure he had designed one to be tails. ¡°A great gambler never trusts luck,¡± Priam mused. The Juggernaut would remember this lesson. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 383 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 179 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 554 Meta-endurance 899 Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 (+5) Meta-authority 343 Potential: 17 599 (+2) Tier 0 Sun points: 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF/ Reloaded in 19 hours 26 minutes 3 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 2%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 19 hours 55 minutes 16 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 303: Rewards and Respect Equivalence of a Triple Tribulation¡ªDeluge (High Tribulation - Tier 2) Account of the Tribulation Candidate: Priam Azura, Human Civilization Special Notes:
  • Bonus:
    • 137th human to survive a High Tribulation.
    • 3rd human to survive an alien High Tribulation.
    • Factionless.
  • Special Bonus:
    • Tribulation Tier exceeded candidate''s Soul Tier.
    • Essence of the High Tribulation obtained.
  • Malus:
    • Violation of High Tribulation rules (use of soul defensive skills written by the System¡ªValaryth¡¯s nemesis).
    • Incomplete High Tribulation.
Summary:
  • Tested by an alien High Tribulation.
  • Performance:
    • Defeated in under a day.
    • Ice Path traversed. Air and Water Paths avoided.
    • User patched originating weakness of the Tribulation by developing ideal resistances.
    • 72nd candidate in history to reach the Eye of the Deluge.
System Report (Proposed by Administrator Thaal) For his second experience with a Tribulation, Priam Azura chose an alien High Tribulation and endured it to the point of absorbing its essence. More impressive still, he walked in blind, unaware of the stakes. Opting for the Ice Path¡ªthe one with the highest survival odds¡ªhe followed it to the Eye of the Deluge. Cowardly, some might say. Pragmatic, others. I say: as he reads this, he¡¯s already scheming how to endure the remaining two Paths to grind his resistances. A word of advice: hurry. Without its essence, the Deluge¡¯s lifespan is finite. While his life didn¡¯t hang in the balance, the candidate¡¯s meteoric growth is worth noting. His physical resilience demands respect, though any adversary would be foolish to underestimate his mental tenacity. The next Tribulation will reveal more... In short, the Juggernaut proves once again that with a bit of willpower¡ªand daily resurrections¡ªanything is possible! General Rewards Achievement - Mythic. [High Tribulation Abortionist - Gold]. [High Tribulation Thief... Redacted by Administrator Thaal. (Trust me, you don¡¯t want that one on your karmic profile.) Customized Rewards Triple Tribulation: three rewards selectable from the following list: Next Tribulation delayed by three months. Alloy formula for a spear (Gold rarity). One soul to resurrect. Time stasis - duration: 23 hours 29 minutes. POT +7 500. Access to humanity''s knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 300,000 words). Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline (1%) Purification of your Dragon Bloodline (1%) Three drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years]. Free attributes (+75) Free skill level-ups (+7) Seed of Experience Seed of Potential Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree Tear of an Elysium Star. Breath of Serket. Perfect Tribulation Run Memory. Evolution Token - Title (Gold) Evolution Token - Talent (Gold) Evolution Token - Skill (Epic) Trophy compass (Hunter - 1 charge) Race upgrade (Divergent from Homo Elysian) Achievement - Mythic: As a Tier 0, you have endured an alien High Tribulation (T2). The hardest part was likely finding one. One universe is not enough for you; your gaze pierces infinity, and you are determined to leave your mark. Aether watches, recording your Story. Message for Humanity & Valaryth 84 : Priam Azura endured an alien High Tribulation (Tier 2) while in Tier 0. The Seven Concepts congratulate you. Potential +10 000. 1 000 000 Sun points. Minor skill Epiphany. High Tribulation essence (Tailored). New Title! [High Tribulation Abortionist - Gold] - The ultimate test of Aether to separate the worthy from the unworthy: High Tribulations. Somehow, you prevented the evaluation from reaching its conclusion. The most obvious way is to kill the candidate, but more exotic methods can achieve the same result. Regardless, it will now be challenging for the aspirant to baptize their soul¡­ I had a joke about abortion, but I decided not to keep it. META (Authority) +30% Administrative action¡­ [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 19 hours 55 minutes 16 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500 Priam scanned the System¡¯s notifications with a quick mental glance. By the end, his jaw was locked in a triumphant grin. It was everything he had hoped for and more. First, the Deluge wasn¡¯t collapsing just yet. Without its essence, its engine had stalled, but its sheer inertia and size would keep it working for a while longer. That was fortunate, considering he still had two Paths to traverse: Air and Water. Opportunities to earn new rewards from Valaryth¡ªand perhaps temper one of his gates. Relieved that his training grounds would endure, Priam focused on his Titles. A quick extrapolation confirmed what he suspected: blocking, sealing, or outright sabotaging a High Tribulation was possible. The simplest method was to kill the candidate, but other techniques existed. According to Thaal, the Heavenly Dragons were infamous for devouring Tribulation essences, enduring Aether''s wrath for their audacity. Based on his Titles and Achievements, hindering a High Tribulation was possible, but devouring one was¡­ taboo. For that reason, and to conceal the existence of [Tribulation Hunter], one of Priam¡¯s Titles had been redacted. Evidently, there were forces in the universe that wouldn¡¯t tolerate a Tier 0 possessing such¡­ exotic powers. Too bad for them. Or perhaps Thaal was just jealous. After meeting the eccentric Administrator, Priam couldn¡¯t rule that out. Slightly annoyed by the loss of a point of Merit, Priam regained his smile as he reviewed the rewards for his Achievement. Extending his closed hand, he accepted the System¡¯s gift and opened his palm. The ambient light shimmered across the surface of a half-sphere. Sumstreh¡¯s shattered core, retrieved by Jasmine after the battle, now resembled a half-pearl of rose quartz. Its subtle hue evoked the pastel tones of dawn. Shaped by a divine power and infused with the essence of a spiritual High Tribulation, the trophy radiated brilliance to his aetheric sight. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°With this, I¡¯m even more confident for my next Tribulations,¡± Priam murmured, absorbing the gem into his internal world. He now had [Free Will], an ideal Epic resistance, and a trophy as the foundation for his Soul Gate. All he needed was an extreme environment to temper it. ¡°And I already know where to find one.¡± Priam then sorted through the rewards equivalent to a Triple Tribulation. Nearly two months earlier, he had received a similar list for surviving a Quadruple Tribulation. He smiled, recalling his decision paralysis back then. At the time, he knew too little to truly understand the value of each choice. Fortunately, the Priam Council had guided him. Today, things were different. The Champion had accepted his mantle, traveled to another world, survived an alternate timeline, and even outwitted a Fallen. Through relentless reflection, analysis, conversations, and study, Priam was better equipped to make an informed choice. None of the listed rewards were useless, but some intrigued him more than others. ¡°Let¡¯s approach this logically and keep with the best options: alloy formula for my spear, POT +7,500, access to humanity''s knowledge on a topic, purification of my Phoenix Bloodline, seed of Potential, branch of Garoe¡ªthe Mist Tree, tear of an Elysium star, breath of Serket, trophy compass... I think that¡¯s everything,¡± Priam muttered, grimacing. ¡°That¡¯s definitely more than three¡­¡± Turning the options over in his mind, Priam analyzed the short, medium, and long-term benefits of each reward. Some, like the Potential, were straightforward, but he would need a lot of it to downgrade certain skills. Unless I unlock more Achievements... I suppose I can trust myself on that front. The three items related to his Concepts were tempting, but he set them aside for now. If all went well, he would elevate all three to Unity before long. Moving on, Priam dismissed the trove of humanity¡¯s knowledge. Not because human civilization lacked impressive insights, but because his upcoming visit to Proxima and the second Reunion would likely grant him access to that knowledge. Learning more about the theory behind kinetic energy or combustion was necessary, but not as urgent as other priorities. Besides, he could likely rely on the hoplites and the Guardian of Secrets for advanced information if needed. With those options eliminated, things became clearer. ¡°Alloy formula for Promesse, purification of my Phoenix Bloodline, seed of Potential, and trophy compass. Naturally, I¡¯m interested in four, and I can only pick three. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be easy," he groaned. If Thaal wasn¡¯t too busy spying on other nudists, the bastard was probably laughing his ass off watching Priam agonize over the decision. Upgrading Promesse would be an immediate power boost, especially since an alloy formula would let him handle the process himself. Perhaps due to his intimate bond with the weapon, Priam hesitated to entrust it to a blacksmith. He was convinced that reforging the spear with his own flames and hands would deepen their connection and awaken the nascent spirit within the weapon. Running his hand over the shaft of Promesse like a lover, Priam moved on to the purification of his Phoenix bloodline. With Heavenly Dragon strengthening his draconic bloodline, he needed to bolster the Phoenix slumbering within him. Otherwise, Chimera or not, their duel will tear my body apart. Managing the conflict between the two bloodlines required that they be of roughly equal strength¡ªa necessity for his legendary Talent to function. ¡°A seed of Potential¡­¡± Just a few hours ago, Priam had no idea what it did. Now, thanks to a reward from Valaryth, he knew it could grant him an ideal prerequisite for a skill¡ªeither one he already had or a new one. If he could choose the targeted skill, it might be the best reward of all. If not, it was still an ideal prerequisite, and as a collector, Priam could never have too many. Finally, the name trophy compass spoke for itself. If Priam¡¯s hunch was correct, he could select one of his resistances, and the System would point him toward the monster, treasure, or resource needed to create a perfect gate. Four incredible rewards¡­ and they would likely be available again if he triumphed over his quintuple Tribulation. That left only one question: which of these rewards would be most useful to obtain in duplicate? The answer was obvious, and Priam made his choice. Seed of Potential and Trophy Compass received. Lvl up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 37, 38 META(Focus) +4 META(Endurance) +2 When Priam opened his eyes, he felt a liquid lapping at his feet. Looking down, he grimaced at the sight of warm water pooling around him. His blood now burned so hot that his body melted the ice on contact. To anyone with infrared vision, Priam must have looked like a bonfire. ¡°Bright and hot, that¡¯s me in a nutshell,¡± he quipped, noticing that his new boxer shorts were completely intact. For a free product, they were surprisingly durable. His kinetic mastery soon absorbed the heat radiating from his skin, but his blood remained close to boiling. Now at three percent purity, his Phoenix bloodline was too powerful to be fully contained by Chimera and his draconic bloodline. He would need to create a second gate soon. That was already in the plan. Priam smiled faintly, noting that his meta endurance had surpassed nine hundred. Unsealing the attribute after achieving new thresholds was a relief. Now, he could deploy his wings without risking additional Tribulations. It also meant he could grind his skills again without constantly fearing for his life. The Juggernaut was eager to exploit his synergies to catch up to Arnold and Dishnu. It wasn¡¯t the only attribute that increased during the High Tribulation. Meta perception and meta chance had both crossed the five-hundred threshold and reached their first threshold. Like meta focus, the improvement was subtle, a whisper of potential he couldn¡¯t yet define. Unlike other attributes, these three were likely active or reactive rather than passive. Add-on, keep an eye on them. [Command acknowledged.] Reviewing his status and running some projections, Priam decided to unseal [Bloodless - Silver] but kept [Fallout Boy - Silver] locked. He had sealed both Titles at the end of Back in Time to avoid triggering a sextuple Tribulation, but now he could afford to let his vitality flourish. His constitution less so. The unsealed Title unleashed over a hundred points of vitality, and his blood surged violently. The rush of vigor made him want to drop and do a thousand push-ups, challenge a Terror, or find another outlet for his newfound energy. He barely restrained himself, noticing the strain on his boxer shorts. Knowing some Primordials were potentially watching, it was better to behave. Using Micro to suppress his body¡¯s urges, Priam reread his notifications one last time, then exhaled in relief. The equivalence of a triple Tribulation had validated three thresholds, and his sextuple Tribulation had been downgraded to a quintuple. He had expected this but was glad his calculations weren¡¯t off. A mistake would have been fatal. Still, that wasn¡¯t a gamble he wanted to make often; he left such pastimes to perverts like Thaal. With his new thresholds, Priam would face the System¡¯s trial with the attributes of a Champion who had survived a quadruple plus a triple: seven Tribulations! Considering the difficulty of his quintuple scaled quadratically¡ªand with the glimpse Back in Time had given him¡ªPriam was confident. Where survival had once been his only goal, triumph now beckoned. For the Juggernaut, the Tribulation wasn¡¯t a trial¡ªit was an opportunity. He liked the shift in mindset. As he prepared to reunite with Jasmine and set course for Proxima, Priam froze. During the purification of his bloodline, his body heat had melted the ice beneath him, revealing the skeleton trapped within. The warrior who had triggered the High Tribulation was freed just as the Deluge faded. In a way, it was poetic. Priam stood in silence before the bleached bones, feeling a strange connection to the unknown Rhem. ¡°I¡¯ve finished what you started,¡± he murmured before kneeling to gather the remains. Arranging them into the form of a humanoid, he froze the surrounding water and used [Kinetic Control] to craft a tombstone. It seemed obvious to him to pay tribute to the one who had endured their High Tribulation, only to discover that this world had been too weak to baptize him. Minutes later, he stood, took a deep breath, and stepped back through the curtain separating him from the hell of the Deluge. The cataclysmic storm roared, tearing the air from his lungs and drowning out his cries of pain. Despite his victory, the Deluge¡¯s final zone remained deadly. Yet, in the eye of the storm, calm reigned. The essence of the High Tribulation had been replaced by an icy stele. Etched at the tip of a spear was the following epitaph: ¡°Here lie the bones of a warrior. On the path to the Zenith, A trial claimed his flesh, Time stole his name, But Death could not take his courage. He stopped along the way, His memory, we shall relay, Until our journey¡¯s final day.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 383 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 310 (+131) Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 559 (+5) Meta-endurance 902 (+3) Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 (+5) Meta-authority 429 (+86) Potential: 27 603 (+10 004) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 (+1 000 000) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 11 minutes 2 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 19 hours 40 minutes 15 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 304: Last Stop Before Proxima Jasmine was mumbling in her sleep when Priam entered the igloo. ¡°More chicken... No, no vegetables, I don¡¯t like them...¡± ¡°Nice to see not everyone¡¯s fighting the same battles,¡± Priam chuckled. He closed the shelter behind him and shivered. Maybe it was the purification of his Phoenix bloodline, but the cold always grated on him. With his constitution and [Cold Resistance], it wasn¡¯t a threat¡ªjust a nuisance. The chill had a way of sneaking past his defenses. ¡°Jasmine,¡± he whispered, crouching beside her. From her shadow quilt, pale arms and legs poked out. She had probably just finished regenerating them. If everything had gone according to plan, he was no longer the only one with [Axolotl or Hydra]. ¡°Wake up.¡± ¡°Mmh?¡± Her messy hair framed a single drowsy eye as she yawned and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Good. Let me sleep a bit longer... It¡¯s still dark outside.¡± ¡°The storm outside¡¯s blocking the sun, remember?¡± Priam glanced at the timer for [He Who Eludes Death] before adding, ¡°Dawn¡¯s near.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still tired,¡± she mumbled, yawning again. ¡°I waited for your Achievement before crashing.¡± ¡°Why so long?¡± ¡°Stress chased sleep away,¡± she murmured, a trace of drool on the corner of her mouth. ¡°...¡± She hadn¡¯t slept until she was sure Priam was safe. Worry had outweighed exhaustion. ¡°Go back to sleep,¡± he said, brushing her hair gently. ¡°I¡¯ll make something to eat.¡± A contented smile graced her lips as she nestled her head onto his lap. Moments later, her breathing evened out, soft and steady. It took Priam five minutes to extricate himself from her grasp without waking her. ¡°Did you find a lingerie store in the eye of the cyclone?¡± A few hours later, Jasmine was fully awake, raising an eyebrow at him. Draped in a shadow-woven dress that clung to her curves like a second skin, she radiated her usual lethal charm. ¡°Nah. I ran into a System Administrator,¡± Priam explained, flipping a slab of meat on the makeshift grill. Usually a fan of French breakfasts¡ªhot chocolate or coffee with a pastry¡ªhe was broadening his horizons today by sampling what amounted to yeti bacon. ¡°Unless he gave you that boxer, I¡¯m not seeing the connection.¡± ¡°He did give me this boxer,¡± Priam groaned. ¡°I think he was angling for free advertising for his brand. Every mid-Tier who divines me will get an eyeful.¡± ¡°Would you prefer they saw your junk instead?¡± Priam¡¯s only response was a grunt. ¡°This Administrator... I¡¯m starting to think he keeps tabs on me. He even spices up the descriptions of my skills and Titles for his own amusement.¡± He recalled the quirky annotations in his skill logs and wondered just how much Thaal knew about him. Some of the details predated the Tutorial. Had the System been keeping files on all its prospective users even before integration? ¡°So he¡¯s watching you like The Truman Show?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wait¡ªhow do you know about that?¡± Hearing pop culture references from Jasmine threw him off. ¡°Rose told me,¡± Jasmine laughed before adding, ¡°Though I gotta admit, it¡¯s hilarious that a Tier 8 got so fed up with you strutting around naked he crossed worlds just to gift you underwear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason he came!¡± A shadow of doubt crept into Priam¡¯s mind. Thaal had claimed the matter was beneath him. ¡°At least, I hope not...¡± ¡°Well, at least he has taste¡ªit suits you. Give us a spin?¡± Without quite knowing why, Priam complied. ¡°Yup, makes your butt look great,¡± Jasmine declared. ¡°Though it¡¯s gonna make practicing [True Sight] harder for me...¡± ¡°That¡¯s your skill to pierce illusions, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it works against all kinds of visual barriers¡ªshadows, mist, flames. Super handy when my targets try to disguise themselves.¡± Priam stayed silent, cheeks flushed, focusing on the sizzling meat. All this time, she¡¯d been able to see¡­ Hail pelted Priam¡¯s skin without leaving a mark. The weather in the second zone could level cities, but it wasn¡¯t enough to faze him anymore. Recent level-ups had made the storm¡¯s outskirts a mere inconvenience. Lvl Up: [Cold Resistance] lvl 8, 9, 10 CONST +3 VIT +6 Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 2, 3, 4 CONST +21 META (Endurance) +6 Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 16 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3 ¡°You got so many rewards, and I got nothing!¡± Jasmine grumbled. ¡°You didn¡¯t even make it to the eye of the Deluge,¡± Priam pointed out, floating above the icy water. ¡°In fact, you hitched a ride with me to get to the fourth zone. Objectively speaking, you don¡¯t even deserve Valaryth¡¯s rewards.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s got their own travel style. You like trudging through snow; I prefer lounging in your shadow. Same destination, different means.¡± Despite missing the System¡¯s quest, the lazy woman had still reaped Valaryth¡¯s gifts. Not bad for a few hours hidden in Priam¡¯s shadow. ¡°By the way, why¡¯d you ask to enchant Sumstreh¡¯s core with [Free Will]? Wouldn¡¯t the seventh Terror¡¯s core have worked just as well? It had a strong mind affinity, perfect for bolstering your resistance.¡± Thaal¡ªor rather the System¡ªhad agreed to infuse Sumstreh¡¯s core with the essence of a compatible High Tribulation for a Soul gate. Still, Priam already had an ideal trophy worthy of [Free Will]: the seventh Terror¡¯s core. The reason he hadn¡¯t chosen the essence of another gate as his reward was simple. ¡°Honestly, I thought about it¡ªit was the easy option. Our chat made me reconsider. Thaal might be eccentric, the words of a Tier 8 carry weight. He seemed to emphasize the concept of Story, implying a connection between Myth creation and immortality. I think he was referring to Tier 7.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early to worry about that?¡± ¡°The farther ahead you plan, the fewer dead ends you hit,¡± Priam replied, braving the gale-force winds. ¡°I¡¯d rather prep for Tier 7 now than discover later that a shortcut I took closed crucial doors.¡± ¡°Fair point. Still not seeing how that ties to Sumstreh¡¯s core.¡± Priam grinned. ¡°Let me recap my history with the seventh Terror for you: it hunted me while I was playing fish, Titus saved my ass, and a few weeks later, I blew up a volcano to crack its lair before killing it with ease.¡± ¡°Barring the volcano, that¡¯s... surprisingly mundane,¡± Jasmine conceded. ¡°Even the volcano was more because I like explosions than anything else. On the other hand, Sumstreh nearly enslaved me, took my friend, and forced me to live for weeks in fear of saying its name. I had to rewind time to reach it, and its shadow still looms over my path!¡± By the end of his rant, Priam was practically shouting. He calmed down before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s even because of Sumstreh that I chose [True Will], the ancestor of [Free Will]. That bastard made me fight for my freedom, and its core is the natural choice. The only thing stopping me from selecting its core as a trophy was that it wasn¡¯t draconic. Now that both are ideal, there¡¯s no doubt: my story with Sumstreh eclipses that of the seventh Terror.¡± If Priam wasn¡¯t a perfectionist, no one was. Taking strength from his enemies to build his foundation appealed to him, but he wanted the best. Whether in terms of Tier, danger, Story, or affinity with [Free Will], the Fallen who had tried to strip him of his freedom was the obvious choice. ¡°It was just a casual question, no need for a lecture.¡± ¡°You¡ª!¡± The veil of hail, rain, and wind finally parted. Priam blinked as sunlight warmed him again. He took another step, leaving the Deluge behind, and shook himself like a dog. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Finally out of there. Not looking forward to going back.¡± As he said it, Priam realized it was a lie. While the weather had been hellish, the skill experience was great. Was he a masochist to want to endure such hell to grow stronger? ¡°YOU!¡± The ocean a hundred meters ahead exploded in a massive geyser. A man¡ªa Rhem, Priam corrected himself¡ªlanded with the force of a bomb, creating a crater of water around him. With a powerful kick, the stranger launched himself toward Priam. The Homo Elysian raised Promesse to make the man stop before colliding with him. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± he asked in Rhem, the language of the sea. ¡°Who are you, invader?¡± demanded the stranger, unaware that a shadow blade hovered less than a centimeter from his jugular. ¡°Priam of Elysium.¡± ¡°A spawn of the System,¡± spat the Rhem. ¡°What are you doing in this sacred place?! Is the storm raging because of you?! Don¡¯t lie¡ªI heard the thunder.¡± ¡°That was me,¡± Priam confirmed. Before the Rhem could respond, a second warrior arrived, surfing the waves as though he commanded them. Scarred from head to toe, the newcomer was familiar. ¡°Titus.¡± ¡°Priam? You¡¯ve returned¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°If you mean Valaryth, I¡¯m training. If you mean the Deluge, I wanted to test it,¡± Priam replied, gesturing toward the colossal storm swirling in the distance. ¡°The rewards are just as impressive as I was told.¡± ¡°Test the¡ª Is he mocking us?¡± the first Rhem asked Titus, his tone brimming with disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not sure? Isn¡¯t he your friend?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Titus and Priam answered in unison. The young man elaborated, ¡°But I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d question my word. The System¡¯s Achievement is undeniable proof.¡± ¡°Yeah, as if I¡¯d trust that monster whispering in my ear.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Priam tilted his head, intrigued. ¡°We Rhems reject your System,¡± Titus explained, noticing Priam¡¯s gesture. ¡°Oh?¡± Interesting¡­ ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize the Deluge was sacred to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only sacred to a few stubborn warriors,¡± Titus dismissed with a wave of his hand. ¡°To most of us, it¡¯s just a massive storm that kills those who confuse courage with arrogance. Its only merit is imprisoning our enemy.¡± A knot tightened in Priam¡¯s stomach. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Rhem business. It doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± spat the first warrior. Priam frowned, his gaze shifting to Titus. ¡°Gooru¡¯s rude, but he¡¯s right,¡± Titus admitted. ¡°My instincts say otherwise. It does concern me: you¡¯re talking about a Terror.¡± The Rhems fell silent, their expressions unreadable. Priam reached into his inner world through a portal, retrieving the core of the Seventh Terror. ¡°Recognize this?¡± ¡°That draconic affinity¡­¡± Gooru¡¯s voice faltered. ¡°So it was you¡ªthe volcano,¡± Titus realized. ¡°I searched everywhere for the culprit.¡± ¡°I like explosions,¡± Priam confessed. ¡°You¡­ You want to doom us all?!¡± Gooru shouted, his anger unrestrained. Priam frowned at the Rhem¡¯s outburst. ¡°I thought they were your enemies?¡± Titus raised a hand to calm his companion, then explained. ¡°We don¡¯t kill the four weak Terrors to avoid provoking the strong three. Even though the eldest sister is indisposed, the other two are dangerous.¡± ¡°The death of the Seventh will enrage them, and there will be casualties,¡± Gooru predicted darkly. ¡°Because of you. The Atlantis Council will demand your presence.¡± Priam winced as he realized the ripple effects of his actions would harm others. It was a bitter truth, but something far worse loomed. ¡°When you say the First Terror is indisposed¡­ Is she imprisoned beneath the Deluge?¡± The silence that followed spoke louder than words. Shit. Priam departed after assuring Titus he would return soon. Meeting Valaryth¡¯s leaders was necessary, but not before completing his quintuple Tribulation. For now, his personal power was paramount to his survival. If the second Terror is a Tier 1 Prince, what about the first? Without its essence, the Deluge would eventually dissipate, and Priam suspected he would soon have his answer. Until then, he needed to grow stronger. As for the rest¡­ I could inform the Rhems of the passage between Valaryth and Elysium. It¡¯s the least I can do after unleashing a titan on them. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them the Deluge would disappear,¡± Jasmine pointed out as the outpost came into view. ¡°What¡¯s the point? The storm won¡¯t vanish immediately, and I don¡¯t want to become their enemy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really your fault; you couldn¡¯t have known.¡± ¡°People who lose everything will still look for someone to blame.¡± ¡°Why not the System? It gave you this quest.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll want a scapegoat they can punish,¡± Priam clarified. ¡°It¡¯s pointless, but cathartic.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re determined to find someone, they¡¯ll pick you anyway. You¡¯re an invader, after all¡­¡± ¡°Not if I give them someone else first,¡± Priam mused, landing lightly on the roof of his outpost. He greeted Myuri and the artisans before stepping through the portal. In Oasis, the situation was relatively calm. Corrupted attacks were dangerous, but everyone had grown accustomed to them. His father and Rose were still embroiled in their respective Tribulations, so Priam sought out Kazuki. The hoplite stood in the clearing, organizing the departure. Each mech present hauled a wooden crate filled with samples of Elysium¡¯s flora and fauna¡ªa request from the hoplite scientists. ¡°Congratulations on your High Tribulation,¡± Kazuki greeted him, the wind whispering Priam¡¯s arrival. ¡°Thanks. Congrats on regrowing your arms and legs. Did you unlock [Axolotl or Hydra]?¡± ¡°Indeed. Now, my wife will stop feeding me with a spoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heartbroken I missed that.¡± Kazuki¡¯s lips twitched into a faint smile before he asked the inevitable. ¡°So, it¡¯s decided? You¡¯re triggering your quintuple on Proxima?¡± ¡°I trust our civilizations more than I trust the Terrors¡ªor our rivals,¡± Priam confirmed. At least, I can beat the shit out of them if they try something funny. ¡°Very well.¡± Kazuki turned to the convoy. ¡°We have been waiting for you. Anything you need to pack?¡± ¡°Just my boxers, Promesse, and my inner world,¡± Priam grinned. ¡°I travel light.¡± ¡°Cheater,¡± his shadow muttered. Kazuki nodded and signaled Hyshana to activate the Hearthstone. A portal opened before her. ¡°Proxima¡ªbattlefield of civilizations.¡± With those words, she stepped through, followed by half her subordinates and Kazuki. Ready to face his Tribulations, Priam left Elysium. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 422 (+39) Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 322 (+12) Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 559 Meta-endurance 915 (+13) Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 Meta-authority 429 Potential: 27 621 (+18) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 15 hours 48 minutes 50 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 16 hours 18 minutes 3 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 305: Belligerent Var Elegis Oasis, a few minutes earlier. ¡°Yesterday was Priam¡¯s birthday,¡± Jasmine announced. ¡°WHAT?!¡± ¡°MOOOOOO!¡± The simultaneous exclamations of Sphinx and Moonie echoed in reply. While the first was clearly shocked, the second was simply mimicking the reaction, likely without understanding the concept of a birthday. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± Jasmine continued. ¡°We¡¯re leaving for Proxima in a few minutes. I¡¯d like your help to plan a party for when we get back.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Mooo?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we do for birthdays,¡± Sphinx explained. ¡°We celebrate with food, drinks, games, and feasts!¡± ¡°Mooo!¡± the little wyrm exclaimed, chasing after her own tail to express her excitement. Like Sphinx and her master, she was very invested in matters of the stomach. ¡°Out of four items, two involve eating,¡± Jasmine pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s the most important part.¡± ¡°Wise words,¡± the young woman acknowledged. ¡°But you¡¯re forgetting something¡­¡± Sphinx tilted her head in thought before her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, right! Do you have it?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± ¡°Mooo!¡± The little wyrm headbutted Sphinx lightly, expressing her frustration at being left out of the loop. With an air of mystical authority befitting her species, Sphinx spoke. ¡°You hide it from people even though you know someday you¡¯ll give it away forever. You won¡¯t be sad when it''s gone, even though you went out of your way to make it perfect... A gift!¡± Jasmine nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have time to handle this myself, and Rose and Alain are busy with their Tribulations. Of everyone left, Blueberry is the only one close enough to Priam to contribute, but he¡¯s already handling the food. That leaves only you two for this mission... if you accept.¡± ¡°We accept!¡± Sphinx cried, her eyes shining. ¡°Mooo!¡± A few seconds later, Jasmine reentered Priam¡¯s shadow, leaving Moonie and Sphinx alone. ¡°We need an amazing gift,¡± Sphinx decided, and Moonie squealed her agreement. ¡°But what¡¯s the best gift?¡± The child frowned, recognizing a riddle to which she didn¡¯t yet have an answer. The two children brainstormed for hours¡ªor rather, Sphinx thought aloud while Moonie chirped and chimed in enthusiastically. The session ended when Louis approached, holding two fish. ¡°Freshly caught,¡± he grinned, tossing his two catches. The wyrm and the sphinx pounced, devouring scales, bones, and all in a flurry of gluttony. The aquatic prey lacked the nutrients of corrupted beasts but tasted far better¡ªespecially once gutted. ¡°You two scheming something? It¡¯s been two hours since you¡¯ve caused any trouble,¡± Louis teased, his tone light. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, old man?¡± Sphinx narrowed her eyes. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look. I know that behind that cute exterior lies a little feline mischief. I¡¯ve had cats, you know?¡± Seeing Sphinx bristle at the comparison, he quickly changed the subject. ¡°So, what are you up to?¡± ¡°Moooooooooooooooooo.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for a gift for Priam¡¯s birthday,¡± Sphinx translated. ¡°But we can¡¯t think of anything good... Do you think he likes fish?¡± ¡°Mermaids, maybe¡ªI¡¯ve seen the way he looks at that princess,¡± Louis chuckled. ¡°Oh! Can you catch those?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit too old,¡± laughed Louis. ¡°How about drawing him something? That¡¯s what kids usually do.¡± Sphinx flexed her claws, and Moonie flicked her tail. Art was not their forte. ¡°Yeah, that complicates things,¡± Louis admitted. ¡°Besides, most drawings are ugly. Parents say it¡¯s pretty to be nice, but if an adult made the same thing, we¡¯d lock them up in an asylum.¡± He scratched his beard thoughtfully. ¡°You could always put on a performance.¡± ¡°...I think I¡¯d prefer something material,¡± Sphinx mused. ¡°What do people usually give men?¡± Louis shrugged. ¡°Shirts or pants? But given Priam¡¯s exhibitionist tendencies, we can scratch that. Perfumes or watches might work, but without a mall nearby, good luck. Actually, let¡¯s generalize that.¡± The old man gestured to the forest around them. ¡°Here, aside from dragon hearts, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll find the perfect gift.¡± Sphinx¡¯s eyes lit up with a mix of mischief and excitement. ¡°Moonie, follow me!¡± ¡°Mooo?¡± ¡°To find a gift, no time like the present! With your bloodline and my karmic powers, we¡¯ll pull this off!¡± As the two bounded off, Louis felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Still, he made no move to stop them. When kids were set on getting into trouble, they would find a way eventually. In a hangar five stories high, Ishaka stood waiting. Around him, his guards patrolled with precision, securing the perimeter for the arrival of the other two Generals. A hundred meters beneath the surface and at the heart of the Hoplite Empire¡¯s military power, their vigilance might seem excessive. Anyone who thought so was a fool: when facing the Var Elegis, no defensive measure was too drastic. As the metallic clang of exoskeleton boots echoed in the building, reality itself tore apart. A circular portal appeared, flooding the hangar with crimson light. Ishaka shivered as he felt an alien power attempt to influence his mind. It vanished quickly, leaving in its place one of his compatriots. With hair as black as midnight and scales as white as sea foam, Hyshana Akashi emerged from the portal, returning from her mission. ¡°General Hyshana, welcome!¡± the Hoplites roared in unison. Hyshana stepped into the hangar, pausing briefly. Ishaka noticed her gaze momentarily lost in the void¡ªa telltale sign of someone reading a notification. The pause lasted only a heartbeat before she resumed her stride. Her gaze swept the room, landing on Ishaka for a fleeting moment before flicking away without acknowledgment. The Hoplite within him sighed. The one he loved disdained him¡ªor rather, she despised his ideals. The warrior within Ishaka suppressed all emotions to focus on the unfolding events. Behind Hyshana, mechs piloted by an elite unit followed. One by one, they passed through the portal, dragging various containers. At the very least, the scientific mission was a success. When the last mech cleared the threshold, Ishaka¡¯s attention sharpened. A giant stepped through. Towering a head above the average Hoplite, he moved with preternatural grace. His scales glinted gray, his piercing eyes radiated authority, and his presence exuded an air of sovereignty. The hero had returned. ¡°Champion Kazuki, welcome!¡± the Hoplites thundered, slamming their fists against their chests in a deafening salute. Ishaka observed his warriors stand a little straighter than before. Regardless of their personal loyalties, the recent shared dream had shifted their opinion. Despite his absence, Kazuki was now regarded as a living legend, and even Ishaka felt a surge of pride as he watched the warrior before him. The two generals rarely agreed, but Ishaka still respected the Champion¡¯s talents. It took much to defeat the clone of their founder. ¡°Glad to be back,¡± Kazuki declared. Stepping aside, he allowed the portal to shimmer one last time. He stepped through. Ishaka¡¯s pupils contracted as primal fear clawed at him. The general had fought numerous wars to rise to his rank, and now he felt as if he stood at the center of a battlefield. Yet neither his guards, the mechs, the automated turrets, nor even the nuke hidden in his exoskeleton provided him any comfort. The portal closed, and Ishaka¡¯s experience and instincts whispered that he was facing an apex predator. The man before him¡ªthe Homo Elysian, he corrected¡ªwas far more than Tier 0. This was a machine of destruction that would obliterate any opposition. His mental attributes allowed Ishaka to remain upright until he met the newcomer¡¯s gaze. Then, for the first time since the Tutorial, despair engulfed him. New Quest: Proxima - Defense A Champion of a rival civilization has invaded your territory. Eliminate him. Reward: Teleportation of one million Hoplites to Proxima. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Reward (last hit): Acquisition of the target¡¯s racial Talent(s). Difficulty: Mythic Despite Micro¡¯s control over his body, Ishaka¡¯s eyes widened as he read the quest. The harsh breathing of some of his elite guards confirmed that he wasn¡¯t the only one seeing it. A second later, a hundred and fifty-nine urgent messages from various high-ranking officers flooded his inbox, all demanding orders. His answer was short. ¡°To all units: Abort quest.¡± Just like that, the general avoided a cataclysm for his race. You have just left Elysium. Location: Proxima - Sector Hope A battlefield for nine newly integrated civilizations. You cannot leave Elysium indefinitely. Calculation of your conditional freedom time: You have changed sectors. No secure passage opened between this planet and Elysium. No ongoing event. No authority on this planet. Conditional freedom time granted: 1 day. One day. It wasn¡¯t much, but it should suffice for his Tribulations¡­ and the rest. Based on Hyshana¡¯s previous description, Proxima was a unique planet, a war world hosting all of the rivals¡¯ races. Priam frowned, noticing only nine civilizations listed out of his ten rivals. A discrepancy? If the System hasn¡¯t lost track of one, then¡­ The silence greeting his arrival pulled him from his thoughts. Thanks to his high vivacity, only moments had passed, and Priam chose to observe his surroundings. He stood in a massive hangar capable of accommodating four or five commercial planes. The structure was entirely metallic, a feat considering this world had been a pristine wilderness two months ago. Some Hoplites had managed to bring their mechs into the Tutorial, kickstarting their industry, but it was evident Kazuki¡¯s civilization was one or two centuries more advanced than his own. That was one of the reasons for his presence here. He didn¡¯t want the Hoplites and humanity to become enemies. Priam shifted his focus to the soldiers, whose intense scrutiny was almost unsettling. He felt like a steak in a vegetarian buffet¡ªthe center of attention, but not in a way he appreciated. Fixating on the uncovered faces among them, Priam saw a mix of emotions in their eyes. Fear, yes¡­ but also greed. ¡°Kazu?¡± ¡°Mmh?¡± ¡°Your warriors are staring at me pretty intensely. Makes me glad I remembered to put on boxers today.¡± His friend disguised a laugh with a grunt. After Kazuki dispelled the tense atmosphere, Hyshana, Priam, and he were escorted out of the hangar. They walked through a maze of corridors, first metallic, then gradually covered in stone. Unlike the slabs of a medieval castle, these were painted. ¡°Each color represents a hoplite value,¡± Hyshana explained, noticing Priam observing the architecture. ¡°White for loyalty, red for courage, blue for intelligence¡­ These colors also correspond to the different hoplite paths: justice, war, research, and so on.¡± ¡°Makes it easier to find your way around,¡± Priam remarked, glancing at the volcanic stone under his feet. ¡°What does black stand for?¡± ¡°Honor. A value linked to Justice, the domain of our host.¡± Priam''s gaze fell on the broad back of Ishaka. He was the political rival of Kazuki and Hyshana, the third head of the hoplite triumvirate. Each of the three generals was responsible for a significant sector of society, as well as minor ministries. For example, in addition to research, Hyshana oversaw education and finance. Only a hoplite could consider money a minor concern. Loyal to his friends, Priam didn¡¯t like the general in charge of the forces on Proxima, but neither did he distrust him. According to Kazuki, Ishaka was a political adversary who worked for the good of his people. Despite their differing opinions, the three hoplites respected one another. During their brief introduction, the general had been cordial, though distant. He hadn¡¯t even batted an eye at Promesse, whereas Priam was certain a human leader would have tried to confiscate the weapon. It was a different mindset, but also proved Ishaka wasn¡¯t a fool. The procession eventually stopped before a large door that opened in front of them. Priam was the last to enter, stepping into a large office. Its most striking feature was an enormous window dominating the far wall. The young man stepped closer to take in the view. The first thing he noticed was the stars in the sky. The constellations were different from those visible from Elysium or the Moon. It took this realization for Priam to fully grasp that he was on another world. I wonder if one of those stars is our new sun. The question would remain unanswered for now, and he lowered his gaze. A city stretched out before him. It wasn¡¯t a sprawling megalopolis, but its lights, the bustle in the streets despite the late hour, and the sheer number of buildings marked it as a thriving metropolis. ¡°How many inhabitants?¡± Kazuki asked as he joined him. The hoplite appeared calm, but Priam¡¯s superhuman senses detected a tremor in his voice. After being separated from his people for so long, the reunion stirred deep emotions in the Champion. ¡°Is it wise to discuss this in front of our guest?¡± Ishaka interjected, gesturing toward Priam. The young man shrugged. ¡°I can leave if you want. Just point me in humanity¡¯s direction, and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Hyshana nodded, and Ishaka pressed a button. ¡°We¡¯re preparing the data.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Kazuki repeated, his eyes still fixed on the city. ¡°One million eight hundred thousand,¡± Ishaka finally replied. ¡°When I left, projections estimated two million,¡± Hyshana pointed out. ¡°The projections didn¡¯t account for our belligerent neighbors. Lately, the Var Elegis have turned all their armies against us.¡± Priam wasn¡¯t the only one to clench his fists at the mention of Arnold¡¯s civilization. The hegemonic ambitions of the Champion and its race ran deep. ¡°I thought the Duatians were holding half their forces in check?¡± Hyshana frowned. Priam recognized the civilization of Seth and Osiris. ¡°That¡¯s no longer the case. They¡¯re all dead.¡± Just like their Champion, the Var Elegis had begun annihilating the competition. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 422 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 322 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 559 Meta-endurance 915 Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 Meta-authority 429 Potential: 27 621 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 15 hours 33 minutes 30 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 16 hours 2 minutes 43 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 306: [Infertility Resistance] ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± The announcement hit like a thunderclap, silencing the room. The oppressive quiet stretched until Priam broke it in style. ¡°By the System¡¯s balls!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Kazuki asked. ¡°Yeah, the first rule of a massacre is that there are always survivors,¡± said Priam. The second rule being that those survivors would inevitably seek revenge. ¡°The Var Elegis annihilated every Duatian settlement,¡± Ishaka explained. ¡°A few stragglers remain in the wild, but in small groups and without resources, their presence on Proxima is now a mere footnote.¡± The general consulted a document on his desk. ¡°A little over ten thousand scattered across an immense territory. Out of half a million, it¡¯s not much.¡± Priam felt his stomach tighten at the grim news. He held no particular fondness for the Duatians, having only encountered Osiris and Seth¡ªone a bright and endearing child, the other a psychopath of the worst kind. Yet, hearing that the core of an entire civilization could be crushed so swiftly was deeply unsettling. For the first time since the initial Reunion, a question gnawed at him: Was humanity in danger? ¡°What are we going to do about it?¡± Kazuki asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Ishaka replied. ¡°Our analysts predict that most of the remaining Duatian will perish soon. Some are attempting to flee this continent, but the gigafauna that dominate the oceans and skies render such hopes futile. There¡¯s no need to exterminate them¡ªthe Var Elegis and nature will finish the job.¡± Priam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Exterminate them? You want to finish what the Var Elegis started?¡± At a certain power level, a powerhouse¡¯s anger became a palpable force. The synergy between Priam¡¯s charisma and his Domain settled like a crushing weight on Ishaka¡¯s shoulders. Even so, the general stood firm. ¡°Has Hyshana explained the purpose of Proxima to you?¡± ¡°I have not.¡± Seeing his friend¡¯s wife avert her gaze, Priam felt a twinge of unease. He knew he wouldn¡¯t like what was coming next. ¡°Hoplites, Var Elegis, Duatians, Humans¡­ Our ten civilizations come from the same universe,¡± Ishaka began. At least, the System said so in the Tutorial. ¡°But after comparing data¡ªvisible constellations, the universe¡¯s age¡ªagainst the accounts of captured Var Elegis, our scientists confirmed we hail from different galaxies and, in some cases, different epochs. They are far older than us, captured by the Concepts before the cradle of our civilization orbited our sun.¡± The news didn¡¯t surprise Priam. The Concepts only captured a planet at the perfect moment, when its Champion piqued their interest. If all civilizations weren¡¯t synchronized, they could simply place them in stasis until the last one was ready. ¡°Following the Tutorial, most of our civilizations were scattered across thousands of worlds in the youngest sector of this universe: Hope. Some planets received large numbers of refugees; others, very few. The logic behind this distribution remains a mystery. What we do know is that a bit over one percent of the top one percent¡ªthose who excelled in the Tutorial¡ªwere sent to Proxima. Roughly three in ten thousand.¡± Ishaka clapped, and a hologram of a massive planet materialized above his desk. Translated into Earth terms, its dimensions suggested a radius twice that of Earth¡¯s, equating to four times the surface area. Four mega-continents were visible, each about five times the size of Eurasia. One was displayed in high detail, its mountains and rivers intricately rendered, while the other three appeared as little more than brown smudges surrounded by oceans. ¡°That¡¯s colossal,¡± Priam murmured. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the theoretical limits of a terrestrial planet,¡± Ishaka confirmed. ¡°Three supercontinents, each seeded with three civilizations. We find ourselves facing the Var Elegis, an enemy I wouldn¡¯t wish on anyone. If their civilization hadn¡¯t been ill-suited to understanding aether, they¡¯d already be grinding our bones to dust.¡± Priam nodded, recalling Arnold. The Var Elegis Champion was a monster, but his focus lay more on technology than magic. If he had possessed the aetheric expertise of someone like Dishnu or Esm¨¦e, resistance would have been futile. ¡°Technology is a civilizational path; aether is a personal one,¡± Hyshana said. ¡°Until recently, the Var Elegis were a sort of hive mind, poorly equipped to pursue Concepts or Supremacies.¡± Until recently? Ishaka pressed on before Priam could dig deeper. ¡°There¡¯s one last continent, currently beyond our reach. Storms and maelstroms obscure what is likely a no-go zone for Tier 0s.¡± A gleam lit Priam¡¯s eyes. If the System was bothering to restrict access to an area, it wasn¡¯t without reason. Having survived the Deluge, Priam doubted Proxima¡¯s storms could stop him. Too bad I only have twenty-four hours; exploration will have to wait¡­ ¡°Three times three makes nine civilizations,¡± Kazuki observed. ¡°Yet we are ten rivals.¡± Ishaka shrugged. ¡°Upon our post-Tutorial arrival, the System message mentioned only nine civilizations. With the Duatians¡¯ decline, I suppose that now makes eight.¡± ¡°We¡¯re straying from the main issue: I don¡¯t see how the massacre of a people is good news,¡± Priam pointed out. Ishaka exchanged a glance with Hyshana before answering. ¡°Because the System announced that Proxima would become the headquarters of the civilization that conquers it.¡± ¡°And that justifies wiping out an entire race?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m some kind of sadist?!¡± Ishaka slammed his fist on the desk, cracking its surface. For the first time, Priam saw the hoplite behind the mask. ¡°Our martial culture pushed our youth to attempt Tutorials beyond their means. On Integration Day, we lost thirty percent of our population¡ªnearly three billion lives!¡± Priam¡¯s eyes widened as the sheer scale of the loss hit him. If some malevolent god wanted to pile those corpses high, the resulting mass grave would rival ten Great Pyramids of Giza. ¡°When I understood that, I reflected,¡± the general continued, his tone softening as he collapsed into his chair. ¡°Our elites are here, while the majority of our citizens are at the mercy of factions exploiting them with predatory contracts. Prostitution, organ trafficking, genome extraction, forced labor in mines¡ªmany of my brothers and sisters are suffering as we speak.¡± Ishaka locked eyes with Kazuki. ¡°If I can pacify this planet, the System will teleport them here, and we can rebuild our civilization. It¡¯s our duty to make that happen.¡± That speech wasn¡¯t meant for Priam. As Ishaka¡¯s final words faded, the Hoplite Champion clenched his fists. For his part, Priam understood that after the Duatians and the Var Elegis, humanity would be next. And yet, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate or condemn Ishaka. He swore to protect his people and is willing to overlook collateral damage to do it. If it came to that, what would I do? To his left, Kazuki let out a loud sigh but remained silent. There was nothing to say. ¡°There must be other ways to save your people without killing innocents,¡± Priam said softly. ¡°A way to protect both our civilizations without turning on each other. The System always leaves a path open.¡± Ishaka met his gaze. ¡°If you find it, the Hoplites will stand with you.¡± Otherwise¡­ The general said nothing more, but the unspoken words were clear. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± ¡°No,¡± Hyshana interjected. ¡°We¡¯ll find this solution together. Our nation''s history is written in the blood of soldiers, not civilians.¡± She turned to Ishaka. ¡°Don¡¯t forget our government is a triumvirate. You may have forgotten, but you¡¯re not alone in command.¡± ¡°And yet, I¡¯m the only one bleeding alongside those soldiers.¡± Hyshana recoiled as if struck. As Kazuki¡¯s expression darkened, a knock at the door interrupted. At Ishaka¡¯s gesture, it opened to reveal a female Hoplite. ¡°The information on humanity has been compiled.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hina. Escort our guest into his room and answer his questions.¡± It was clear the three generals had things to discuss in private. Priam nodded to Kazuki before leaving. Hina led him through several corridors, always maintaining a one-meter lead. Unlike the skintight combat suits worn by warriors, the secretary wore a tailored dress cinched at the waist, subtly accentuating her figure. As her hips swayed with a deliberate rhythm, Priam squinted, noting the exaggerated motion. He wasn¡¯t familiar enough with Hoplite culture to be certain, but it seemed likely Ishaka was attempting a honey trap. I¡¯ve seen undead more subtle than this¡­ His gaze traveled to the nape of Hina¡¯s neck, occasionally obscured by the movement of her braid. If Hoplite skin was covered in scales, they were so fine as to be imperceptible without a magnifying glass. Shoulders as broad as an Olympic swimmer¡¯s and corresponding musculature marked the main differences from a human. With her comparatively slender build for a Hoplite, golden hair, and hourglass figure, Priam was certain Hina could captivate many men and women. However, he hadn¡¯t turned down Jasmine¡¯s advances just to bed an alien spy¡ªno matter how attractive. The image of a certain princess surfaced in his mind, banishing all temptations of the flesh. ¡°Am I dreaming, or is that slut trying to charm you?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°She¡¯s rather pretty,¡± Jasmine observed. ¡°Think her anatomy¡¯s... the same down there?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Well, between their scales and enhanced musculature, those hoplites remind me of amphibians. Makes me wonder if she has the same sexual organ as me.¡± Halfway up the stairs, Priam missed a step in sheer surprise. ¡°You¡¯re fucking weird sometimes!¡± He caught himself thanks to his high dexterity, resuming his ascent as though nothing had happened. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about amphibian genitalia, and I don¡¯t want to know!¡± ¡°I¡¯d be worried if you did, but I¡¯m talking about Hina¡¯s and the potential for copulation between you two. Besides, you already know what¡¯s under her dress¡ªshe doesn¡¯t have a Domain to block yours.¡± ¡°As a gentleman, I try to focus on other things,¡± Priam muttered mentally. Jasmine was right, of course. With no interference, his Domain gave him an uncannily detailed perception of his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s my add-on that processes stuff like that. I¡¯m not spying on everyone I meet.¡± In an ideal world, Priam wouldn¡¯t allow his Supremacy to analyze every new acquaintance, but he was in neutral territory. If Hina had a blade strapped to her thigh¡ªand she did¡ªhe needed to know. Dying out of misplaced prudery would have been downright idiotic. ¡°From what my Domain can tell, she has a normal vagina down there,¡± Jasmine revealed after a beat of silence. ¡°And if you¡¯re wondering why her dress doesn¡¯t wrinkle, it¡¯s because she¡¯s not wearing underwear. Classic slut move.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t wearing any either?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out¡­ Regardless, I¡¯d advise against sleeping with her. I¡¯m almost certain our racial Talent would find a way to adapt your sperm to impregnate her.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end this conversation. Please.¡± Inter-species reproduction was rarely feasible, but Jasmine wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. If there were a [Infertility Resistance], Priam was confident he could unlock it thanks to [Homo Elysian Obsession]. Just imagining the prerequisites for that resistance was giving him nightmares. It probably involves sleeping with some truly grotesque things¡­ Thankfully, their guide interrupted his grim thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Hina announced, opening a door. Priam stepped into a spacious room furnished with a plush couch, a low table, and a thick carpet. He and his guide sat side by side as a hologram materialized above the table. ¡°We have limited knowledge about the continent humanity now inhabits,¡± Hina began. ¡°The few satellites we launched were destroyed by the titans ruling the skies. Most of our information comes from divinatory skills and a human expedition.¡± ¡°A human expedition?¡± Hina nodded. ¡°Led by Guandi, one of King Prometheus¡¯s generals. He and his men used a portal to transport themselves here in search of the Duatians.¡± Why does Prometheus need the Duatians? ¡°Did you attack them?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not your enemies,¡± Hina replied with a diplomacy unusual for a hoplite. ¡°We have enough trouble with the Var Elegis without seeking new foes. We helped Guandi and his team reach Duatian territory, hoping it would pave the way for an alliance with your king.¡± Prometheus wasn¡¯t Priam¡¯s king, but the Champion refrained from sharing this information with Ishaka¡¯s subordinate. ¡°I suppose Ishaka wants allies to soften up the other continents before conquering them. Or maybe he knows he can¡¯t beat the Var Elegis alone¡­¡± Hina¡¯s smile faltered, but Priam wasn¡¯t moved by the sight of a seemingly vulnerable young woman. His charisma screamed that her tearful eyes and hesitant posture were tools of manipulation. ¡°If she keeps batting those doe eyes at you, I¡¯m stabbing her,¡± Jasmine warned. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll review all this. Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°I could stay to translate¡ª¡± Hina began, leaning closer to Priam. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, if there¡¯s any way I can assist you¡­¡± Hina offered a coy smile. ¡°Thanks. I could use a compilation of your research on kinetic and thermal energy, as well as the nature of aether.¡± It was time to upgrade one of his offensive skills to legendary rank. Judging by her expression, the guide hadn¡¯t expected that answer. ¡°Of course. Is that all?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also take blood samples from the Var Elegis and the Duatians¡­ and add some books and videos about the spear.¡± ¡°... Anything else?¡± ¡°Food would be nice.¡± ¡°...¡± Perhaps fearing another request, Hina left without making further advances. Alone at last, Priam began examining the hoplites¡¯ data. It was undoubtedly sanitized of conclusions, but he wanted to gauge what to expect. After all, the cooldown for [He Who Eludes Death] still had over fifteen hours remaining. Plenty of time to tour humanity¡¯s new home before tackling his Tribulations. I wonder if Prometheus will be happy to see me¡­ In Ishaka¡¯s office, Priam¡¯s departure hadn¡¯t eased the tension. ¡°Why did you invite that calamity into the heart of our base?¡± Ishaka demanded. ¡°He¡¯s a friend,¡± replied Kazuki. ¡°He needed help for his Tribulations, and I¡¯m glad to provide it.¡± ¡°For his Tribulations¡­ Do you think¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even go there,¡± Kazuki interrupted, his voice laced with steel. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before you lay a hand on him.¡± The threat wiped Ishaka¡¯s faux smile clean off his face. ¡°Are you naive enough to think the System won¡¯t force you to fight him?¡± ¡°The System or a xenophobic general?¡± Kazuki shot back. Before the argument could escalate, Hyshana cleared her throat. ¡°Are you done? We have twenty-four hours before returning to Elysium.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Kazuki asked. ¡°It seems the laws of Elysium have naturalized me.¡± She turned to Ishaka. ¡°If you have questions about Priam, ask them now, and let¡¯s move on. The Var Elegis worry me.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Kazuki began, but a look from her silenced him. ¡°I know Priam is your friend, but as long as Ishaka speaks as a general, I¡¯ll listen. It¡¯s his role to be wary of potential threats.¡± Kazuki grumbled something under his breath, sinking into a nearby chair. The seat groaned under his weight. ¡°How dangerous is he?¡± Ishaka finally asked. ¡°Code BLACK,¡± Hyshana stated, sitting down herself. ¡°You couldn¡¯t kill him without leveling this city, and I strongly advise against antagonizing him. He¡¯s not the most powerful rival, but he has the potential to become so.¡± ¡°A special talent?¡± Hyshana shook her head. ¡°Even if I disliked Priam, I wouldn¡¯t risk exposing his secrets now. Just know that, in a way, all rivals have infinite potential.¡± Ishaka¡¯s gaze fell on Kazuki, who gave him a predatory smile. ¡°The difference is that Priam¡¯s willing to defy the odds to take one more step toward the Zenith.¡± Kazuki grinned. ¡°It¡¯s more than that. Priam seeks to challenge the impossible. That drive to test the limits is what makes him even more dangerous than Arnold.¡± Ishaka frowned before declaring, "With any luck, he¡¯ll die before becoming a problem." Hyshana and Kazuki exchanged a look before bursting into laughter. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 422 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 322 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 559 Meta-endurance 915 Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 Meta-authority 429 Potential: 27 621 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 14 hours 53 minutes 4 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 15 hours 22 minutes 17 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 307: When the Mighty Clash, the Weak Perish [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 14 hours 53 minutes 4 seconds. ¡°Tell the three generals I¡¯m leaving the continent.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Hina replied with a slight bow. Descending the steps of the Hoplite stronghold, Priam slipped into the bustling crowd. His elevated charisma made it easy to either draw attention or blend into obscurity. No one batted an eye at the alien draped in mist, with fiery hair. I could assassinate someone in broad daylight, and they''d never notice. This new world was a stage of possibilities, audacious or unsettling. Brushing aside the intrusive thought, Priam focused instead on the vivid surroundings. Weaving through the crowd, he found himself smiling. The cacophony, exotic smells, and kaleidoscopic garb painted the picture of a foreign land. Everything was new and waiting to be discovered. Taking in the spectacle, Priam strolled up the main street. J¨­kamachi was a newborn city, its foundations laid less than two months ago. Despite advanced mechas, the System''s miracles, and an abundance of resources, it still bore the hallmarks of a rushed development. Compromises were evident everywhere. While the military compound was stone, the rest of the buildings were humble wood. Colorful but basic banners and flags dotted the landscape, advertising markets, shops, or public baths. The dirt roads were pressed flat by the passage of carts and exoskeletons. Still, the diversity of the pedestrians was striking. ¡°Some people are practically naked, and others look like they¡¯re wearing five layers,¡± Jasmine observed. ¡°That guy¡¯s got a better sense of style than me, but that one? A blind man would dress better.¡± ¡°Surprised? A civilization can encompass many cultures.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Priam was surprised as Jasmine¡¯s question was genuine. ¡°Well, back on Earth, there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of traditional outfits depending on the region. Same with food and art¡ªjust as diverse.¡± ¡°Really? On Arkania, they taught us that social uniformity prevents hatred.¡± ¡°Sounds pretty dystopian to me. I¡¯ll grant you this: standardizing science is useful¡ªscrew the imperial system¡ªbut diversity can be important.¡± Priam chuckled. ¡°Sure, differences cause conflicts, but maybe the looming threat of extinction will help us get our act together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Prometheus¡¯ problem, not yours. Ooh, that stand smells amazing!¡± ¡°You just devoured two steaks half an hour ago.¡± ¡°I have a fast metabolism,¡± Jasmine shot back. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they¡¯re selling.¡± The pair approached a street vendor hawking what resembled a hot dog. A rolled flatbread replaced the bun, the sausage¡¯s meat was unidentifiable, and the sauce was a suspicious green. Yet, the smell awakened his appetite. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± he asked. ¡°Not sure, but it¡¯s three contribution points if you want to try it,¡± the young Hoplite said. He couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen. Priam grimaced. ¡°Forgot to bring any currency.¡± His Tier-6 silk boxers were probably worth more than the entire planet, yet he couldn¡¯t afford street food. What a life... ¡°Figured as much. Your ocular implant isn¡¯t even active. Move along; free samples are only for pretty girls.¡± Priam rolled his eyes and turned away. ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± Jasmine said, munching on something in his shadow. ¡°Did you just steal that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not stealing. He said it was free for pretty girls.¡± ¡°And that has what to do with you?¡± Priam teased. ¡°It¡¯d be more convincing if you hadn¡¯t popped a boner the last time you saw me naked.¡± Priam wisely chose to let the jab slide, shifting his attention back to the intricacies of Hoplite society. Dematerialized currency and discreet ocular implants coexisted with martial culture and vibrant traditions. While Hoplite society sometimes felt like a blend of feudal Japan and Sparta, the technological sophistication reminded him how advanced this civilization truly was. Stomach still growling, Priam reflected on the knowledge he had gained from the Hoplite database. New perspectives on thermal energy, groundbreaking theories on massive object kinetics, and a detailed genome map of the Hoplites had all enriched his scientific repertoire. Most thrilling, however, was a holistic compendium on spearcraft¡ªits science and application among humanoids. The true gem, though, had been the conversation with the military AI. It sparked the idea to request access to cutting-edge research on artificial intelligence. Two centuries ahead of humanity, the Hoplites had danced close to creating a true AGI. While the integration had erased it, its foundations remained meticulously documented. With this new knowledge, Priam felt more capable of understanding¡ªand perhaps advancing¡ªhis add-on. His mentor¡¯s warning still echoed: [Priam¡¯s System] is a boon until someone turns it into a bane. Grinning, Priam eventually took to the sky, heading toward humanity¡¯s new capital. Plains, forests, deserts¡ªevery biome was dotted with the scars of war. Priam passed by Var Elegis strongholds without engaging. Despite his bond with Kazuki, he wasn¡¯t aligned with the Hoplites. In exchange for their knowledge, he was willing to assist them, but provoking the Var Elegis risked retaliation from Arnold in Elysium. An open war was premature. The memory of his battle against the Homunculus Tyrant made his jaw clench. After my quintuple Tribulation, I wonder if he¡¯ll remain the strongest... The upcoming duels against the tribes would settle that question. Flying a hundred meters above the ground¡ªthe maximum altitude to avoid angering the sovereigns of the sky, winged titans capable of massacring Hoplites and Var Elegis alike¡ªPriam crossed a significant portion of the continent in under two hours. More than abstract numbers, this long journey gave him a sense of the planet¡¯s vastness. His fiery wings and kinetic mastery propelled him at Mach 3 with minimal energy expenditure, yet the journey still dragged on. At last, the coast appeared. Priam didn¡¯t slow, breezing past a Var Elegis defensive line. He absorbed a few bullets, shifted into mist to evade laser fire, and left the continent behind. The ocean sprawled endlessly, its vastness echoing Valaryth¡¯s. Ten minutes later, Priam encountered a storm capable of swallowing entire fleets. Tempered by the Deluge, he soared through unscathed, laughing as the elements battered him in vain. Nature¡¯s fury was wasted on the Juggernaut. Eventually, calm returned, broken only by glimpses of leviathans lurking in the waves or shadows of sky colossi above. Priam theorized that as long as he stayed a bit above water, he was relatively safe. That assumption faltered when a massive shark leaped, aiming to devour him. Priam sidestepped midair, brushing his hand against its rough hide as it arced past. [Identification] [Mega Squatina Proxima - Tier 1] - A titan of the deep, a hybrid of three shark species from the homeworlds of the Hoplites, Terrans, and ?sir. Its gigantism has altered its perception of its environment, and it now sees small humanoids like you as food. Hunger, not malice, drives it. For a human, the distinction is irrelevant. ¡°Even here sharks are misunderstood,¡± Priam muttered as he activated [Kinetic Control]. His meridians protested, but the colossal shark froze mid-leap. He nearly laughed aloud at the feat. In a few months, he had gone from a regular human to a Champion capable of immobilizing a titan. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m here, let¡¯s test this gigafauna.¡± Hoplite reports suggested the System had scattered the nine civilizations across three continents to stave off immediate, catastrophic war. The oceans separating these lands teemed with nightmares meant to deter naval expeditions. Priam was curious about just how formidable these guardians were supposed to be. Raising his right hand, he summoned a fireball the size of a car and hurled it into the shark¡¯s gills. The resulting shockwave and searing heat injured but didn¡¯t kill the beast. ¡°Resilient¡­¡± Though still Tier 0, Priam knew the strength of his attacks. Even a mundane Pyroball could incinerate a Tier 0 Earl. Lowering his hand, he reached for the mist, summoning Promesse. [Unrelenting Thrust]. His favorite spear skidded across the shark¡¯s slick hide before finally sinking in. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Bulletproof.¡± The study of the shark''s strengths and weaknesses dragged on for a few minutes more before Priam finished the beast with [Tribulation Piercing Spear]. Promesse tore through the monster like a meteor before vanishing into a cloud. ¡°No threat to us, but I can¡¯t see anyone normal taking this thing down,¡± Jasmine summarized, nestled in the shadow of his neck. ¡°This thing¡¯s as tough as a top-tier Tier 1 tank. And considering it¡¯s a marine creature, even a Tier 2 would struggle to kill it. Perfectly engineered to isolate continents before the second Reunion,¡± Priam concluded, his tone clinical. ¡°And after?¡± ¡°After? It¡¯s going to be a massacre¡­¡± Relaxing his kinetic control, Priam released the prey that had thought itself a hunter. The corpse hit the water¡¯s surface with a resounding crash. ¡°With any luck, it¡¯ll serve as a warning to the next ones¡­¡± Four hours later, the System interrupted Priam¡¯s study of his new knowledge. New Quest: Proxima - Domination A territorial war pits humans, Arkanians, and Empyreans against each other. Eliminate a crowned enemy leader. Reward: Teleportation of one million humans to Proxima. Reward (last hit): A?c?q?u?i?s?i?t?i?o?n? ?o?f? ?t?h?e? ?t?a?r?g?e?t?¡¯?s? ?r?a?c?i?a?l? ?T?a?l?e?n?t?(?s?)?. Understanding of associated Talent (Homo Elysian Predation). Difficulty: Mythic Fifty additional sub-quests available. Expand? Narrowing his eyes at the notification, Priam finally spotted the coastline. The new home shared by humanity, the Arkanians, and the Empyreans lay just ahead. ¡°About damn time¡­ All this water is unnatural.¡± Priam chuckled at Jasmine''s exasperated sigh. ¡°You remind me of a cat. Most of them hate being wet.¡± ¡°Oh, I love being wet. I just hate the ocean.¡± Priam was spared from replying to her provocation by the sight of a skirmish on the beach. A hundred humans clashed against twice as many Arkanians. Swearing under his breath, the Champion surged forward. Markus stifled a sob as he dragged himself through the sand. Behind him, the screams of his company filled the air, haunting cries that would haunt him until his death¡ªwhich seemed imminent. The thought sent another wave of panic crashing through him. His lungs seized, each breath a battle. Desperate, he dug his nails into his thigh, biting the inside of his cheek to jolt himself back into focus. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Move or you¡¯re dead! He wanted to curse his weak body and his weaker mind. A movement to his left caught his attention, and he turned his head. Carmen was running¡ªfleeing the carnage. Sweet, radiant Carmen. A rookie teacher who had confided in him that she chose ¡°Hard¡± mode during the Tutorial to follow one of her students¡ªa choice the autistic child had made without understanding the consequences. The boy had died at the end of the trial, but Carmen had survived. At least physically. She wasn¡¯t a fighter, but her love gave her the strength to protect the weak. When Prometheus had raised an army to rescue humans scattered across the continent, she had joined to honor the boy she couldn¡¯t save. She wasn¡¯t a warrior. For that reason¡ªand because he had fallen in love with her¡ªMarkus had followed her. If a teacher could fight, so could a bus driver. This was their last mission before leave. They had just completed a reconnaissance mission at the Arkanian border. When they returned, he planned to propose. The ring was in his pocket. ¡°My love,¡± he whispered. Carmen stopped, hearing him despite the noise. Her gaze swept over his bloodied leg, and she understood. Markus wouldn¡¯t make it alone. She could have run. Should have run. Instead, his future fianc¨¦e decided to come back for him. Markus knew it was a terrible idea, but it filled his heart with joy. Carmen took a single step toward him, and then her chest exploded. A projectile struck her left breast, obliterating the heart behind it. Markus¡¯s eyes widened in horror before he screamed. Blinded by tears, he began crawling toward her. Through the explosions and chaos, he moved for what felt like an eternity, fueled by rage, despair, and a love that refused to die. Yet, Carmen remained far away. When the cries began to subside, he couldn¡¯t help but glance back. A wave of dizziness overtook him as he saw a figure approaching, framed by fire, blood, and grief. The man had a tattooed face and a cybernetic hand, gripping a chainsaw-like weapon. He wasn¡¯t human. He was the enemy. ¡°Please,¡± Markus begged, raising his left hand to plead. ¡°I just want to hold her. Let us be together in death.¡± Life had become unbearable. Maybe death would be kinder. A snicker answered him. The Arkanian moved, and pain blossomed. It surprised Markus less than the object that fell beside his head. Half-buried in the sand, his severed hand seemed to wave at him. Horror gripped him so tightly he didn¡¯t even try to fight back as the monster crouched to bring its face closer to his. ¡°Ah... You pain? Don¡¯t cry. Soon no pain,¡± the Arkanian mocked in broken speech. The chainsaw roared, edging closer to Markus¡¯s face, and he scrambled backward. The sand scraping against his stump tore a scream from his throat, but the agony helped him move. Carmen was within arm¡¯s reach when a boot pressed him down, pinning him against the sand. Markus looked up as the Arkanian raised his weapon. In that instant, the enemy became the embodiment of all the world¡¯s evil. A part of his mind caught a fiery streak in the sky behind the enemy. Hope flickered in Markus¡¯s eyes. My king? As the chainsaw decapitated him, he was still hoping. His head rolled to rest beside Carmen''s body. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 422 Agility 1 173 Vitality 1 322 Perception 858 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 891 Willpower 1 012 Charisma 653 META: Meta-affinity 999 Meta-focus 559 Meta-endurance 915 Meta-perception 539 Meta-chance 594 Meta-authority 429 Potential: 27 621 Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 8 hours 43 minutes 18 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 308: The End of Innocence [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloads in 8 hours 43 minutes 18 seconds. ¡°NO!¡± Priam slammed into the sand at Mach 5, the impact shaking the beach like a minor earthquake. Flashing out of the crater, he backhanded a punk who had a chainsaw grafted in place of his forearm. The Arkanian¡¯s body detonated under the force of the blow, shards of bone and brain matter scattering across the beach. Ignoring the geyser of blood, Priam dropped to one knee beside a decapitated corpse. Gently, he lifted the severed head lying nearby, studying the lifeless features of a young man roughly his own age. Dark brown hair, green eyes, lightly tanned skin, the dead man could have been his brother. Priam froze, staring into the face of death. Terrible memories assaulted him. Back in Time, the Reunion, and the Tutorial. Violence, blood, and screams filled his mind. He had grown desensitized to his own death but not that of others. Plop, plop, plop¡­ Priam looked down. Red liquid flowed from the severed neck, tracing down his forearms, pooling at his elbows before dripping onto the thirsty sand. This was the lifeblood of someone who had dreamed, hoped, and loved. In the grimace of horror etched onto the face before him, Priam read a reproach. If you had been faster, I wouldn¡¯t be dead. The young Champion gently laid the head back where he had found it, then wiped the innocent blood from his hands. Rising, he turned toward the battlefield. A chilling silence blanketed the combatants, his explosive entrance having stunned everyone. ¡°C-Can you save us?¡± asked a young woman. ¡°No.¡± Priam could still feel the lifeless gaze of the severed head boring into him. ¡°But I can kill them,¡± replied the Juggernaut. As a sniper adjusted his aim, Priam roared, unleashing the full weight of his charisma and Conquest Aura. The air itself seemed to buckle, and most of his enemies dropped to their knees, crushed under the oppressive force of his presence. Refusing to sully Promesse with impure blood, Priam surged forward unarmed. A brutal acceleration brought him to the enemy front line. His first punch shattered an Arkanian¡¯s ribcage, reducing bones, lung, and heart to pulp. Before life had even left the man¡¯s eyes, Priam was already moving. Four meters further, his elbow obliterated a machete, a cheekbone, and the brain behind it in a single motion. Drawing on Micro¡¯s control, Priam weaved through his allies, delivering death to every Arkanian in his path. Jabs, uppercuts, and kicks moved too fast for the Tier 0s to track, and no flesh could withstand the force of his blows. A shield blocked his view. Priam struck, deforming the metal with a single blow. The warrior behind the shield grunted but remained standing as runes absorbed much of the impact. Humanity was losing because their equipment was inferior. Furious, Priam dropped low and swept the legs from beneath his opponent. His tibia smashed through steel boots and flesh alike. Pushing off the ground with his hands, the Champion sprang up, ripped the shield from his dying opponent''s hands, and hurled it like a frisbee. The makeshift weapon decapitated five Arkanian fighters before embedding itself in a cyberpunk-styled tank. Raising his left foot, Priam brought it down on the shield-bearer¡¯s skull. The sensation of brain matter oozing between his toes made him want to vomit. ¡°Watch out.¡± Jasmine¡¯s warning rang out an instant before the tank¡¯s cannon glowed orange. Priam summoned his wings and overclocked his legs, launching himself out of harm¡¯s way as the cannon fired. A glowing projectile shot past, scorching the air. Summoning a sphere of ice in his hand, Priam hurled it into the tank¡¯s barrel. When the weapon fired again, its cannon ruptured. Despite this, the tank remained a threat. Flashing directly onto its hull, Priam plunged his Conquest Aura-shrouded hands into the armor. Against his overwhelming force and the silvery halo, the steel parted like water, and his arms disappeared up to his shoulders. Feeling air through his fingertips, Priam summoned Pyro, igniting a fireball inside the cockpit. Pressure built instantly, and he rode his mist as the tank detonated. Cheers erupted from the human defenders. With Humanity¡¯s Spear, they found hope once more. Priam reappeared in front of a young Arkanian woman. The ferocity of her facial tattoos clashed with the fear in her eyes. He hesitated for a heartbeat, and a shadow blade slit her throat before he could act. ¡°Before you showed up, she was killing with just as much savagery as the others. I saw it,¡± Jasmine said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight them.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s an Arkanian? Screw that. I was born on the same planet as them, but I chose to be your Shadow.¡± There was nothing more to say. Priam turned to his next target and executed him with a crushing headbutt. He had witnessed Arkanian cruelty firsthand. There would be no prisoners today. The two Champions spread death without anyone able to stop them. [Observation] You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [The Juggernaut - ?] - ? Leopol dal Sallan¡¯s hands trembled as he watched the slaughter through his binoculars. Three kilometers away, his forces were being annihilated. The comet from the horizon had turned out to be a monster¡ªa living engine of destruction obliterating his subordinates and artillery with bare hands. Flames and shadows occasionally added to the carnage, crushing any resistance. The Tier 0s and 1s stood no chance. ¡°Young master, I recommend we retreat.¡± Leopol turned to his bodyguard. ¡°If I abandon my troops, my father will¡ª¡± ¡°They¡¯re already lost.¡± Leopol turned back to the battlefield and grimaced. Of the thousand men and women he had brought, fewer than a third were still standing. In moments, none would remain, and nothing could change that. Unless... ¡°Gerald, could you stop him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my role.¡± ¡°Your role is to protect me. If I draw his attention, he¡¯ll come. Can you defeat him?¡± Gerald¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. The System restricted the movement of powerhouses, but his bodyguard had arrived on Proxima as a Tier 1. His recent, local ascension bypassed those rules¡ªa trump card Arkana¡¯s nobles sought to hide from Prometheus. If the Divine King learned of their existence, he¡¯d take troublesome measures. But if every human dies, he won¡¯t find out! ¡°Hard to say,¡± Gerald answered after considering. ¡°His raw agility and strength match mine, but the deceleration during his arrival would have shattered my legs. His unarmed combat is crude, but his earlier roar worries me¡ªit felt like a mental attack.¡± ¡°A fear spell?¡± Leopol shuddered, thinking about the primal roar. Had he been closer, he might have lost control of his bladder. ¡°Possible.¡± ¡°And his scorching fire? His evanescent shadow? He wields those Concepts masterfully.¡± Gerald nodded. ¡°Despite their qualities, they aren¡¯t Tier 2; my Tenacity would shield me. What bothers me is his high resistance to observation. He had to possess a legendary item to block such scrutiny. I might be able to take him, but it would be hard to ensure your safety at the same time.¡± Leopol clenched his fists, watching his last soldier fall. This expedition was a catastrophe. Would his father forgive him if he returned with the Champion¡¯s head? Should he risk his life to avoid punishment? A blinding flash erupted before a shockwave knocked him to the ground. As the dust cleared, Leopol¡¯s breath caught. The slayer was only meters away. Up close, the figure was imposing. Towering, muscled, and wreathed in flame, he seemed more force of nature than man as his misty eyes were judging Leopol. His wings shimmered with heat, lifting him just above the ground like a demigod refusing to dirty himself with the world. Leopol wanted to swallow, but the Juggernaut''s presence was so oppressive that he was paralyzed. His rage was palpable, suffocating the young noble. The Juggernaut was power incarnate. To Leopol''s shame, he lost control of his bladder. Time resumed, and Gerald stepped between them. The sight of his protector reassured Leopol, but Gerald had taken several seconds to recover. Even the Tier 2¡¯s experience hadn¡¯t shielded him from the Juggernaut¡¯s overwhelming aura. The monster opened his mouth, and a cascade of incomprehensible sounds poured forth. Leopol grimaced. He had long since abandoned any hope of learning the language of these savages after discovering they spoke in thousands of conflicting dialects. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he admitted when it became clear Gerald wouldn¡¯t respond. You¡¯re going to pay for this. I¡¯ll tell Father! ¡°I¡¯ll translate.¡± A feminine voice startled him, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. ¡°My boss says you look like an aristocrat. Is that true?¡± ¡°I¡­ I am a dal Sallan,¡± Leopol stammered, swallowing hard. ¡°Ah, yes. Charls¡¯ son, right?¡± Leopol¡¯s eyes widened in shock. No identification skill he knew of could pinpoint someone¡¯s lineage. Is this some kind of setup? He began to sweat. Did my fianc¨¦e use the war as an excuse to get rid of me? ¡°You¡¯ll do nicely.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to contact your father and let him know the Champion of Humanity will be visiting your capital in a few hours.¡± Leopol¡¯s eyes widened as he grasped the weight of the statement. If she wasn¡¯t lying, he was facing the Champion. ¡°V-very well.¡± Images of his father screaming at him filled his mind, and he mustered enough courage to ask, ¡°May I ask why?¡± The Champion¡¯s presence shifted, and Leopol nearly burst into tears. The woman¡¯s voice erupted into laughter, musical but utterly devoid of comfort. ¡°Why else? To gather you all in one place, of course. It¡¯ll be easier for Priam to annihilate your army if it¡¯s all in one spot.¡± It was the response of a madman. Had he not been so terrified, Leopol might have laughed. But this might be my chance. Despite the fear gripping him, Leopol felt a surge of hope. If Gerald could defeat the Champion of Humanity, the war would be won, and the dal Sallan family would reap many rewards. The young noble had witnessed what Priam was capable of, but the Champion was still just Tier 0. With a two-Tier advantage, his bodyguard stood a real chance. Greed eclipsed fear as Leopol gave a signal. Somewhere deep in Gerald¡¯s body, a hidden capsule shattered, flooding his system with a berserker elixir. The air detonated. Leopol was thrown like a ragdoll as the two warriors launched themselves at each other. In the blink of an eye, a hundred blows were exchanged¡ªcut, uppercut, slash, kick. The earth quaked under their assaults, shockwaves ripping through the air. Both combatants had overclocked their bodies past their limits, elevating the clash to a Tier 3 level. As abruptly as it had started, the fight ceased. Dust settled, revealing the outcome. Gerald¡¯s blade had penetrated a few centimeters into the Juggernaut¡¯s neck, while Priam¡¯s hand rested lightly against his opponent¡¯s chest. Just as Leopol began to smile, he noticed his subordinate¡¯s flushed face. Despite straining every muscle, the man stood frozen, completely paralyzed. ¡°History will remember him as a level in [Shear Resistance],¡± the feminine voice whispered in Leopol¡¯s ear. The Juggernaut brushed the blade aside, and his flesh began to knit itself together in seconds. He stepped forward, placed a hand on Gerald¡¯s skull, and clenched. Leopol nearly vomited as a drop of blood splattered into his right eye. He wiped it away with his hand before realizing he was now alone. The Champion had vanished, likely to rally his people. ¡°See you in a few hours.¡± Leopol could have sworn his shadow just winked at him. Chapter 309: The Perfect Gift Maxime L¨®thandorim listened to his generals'' reports with a distracted air, most of his focus locked on the hologram hovering at the center of the war chamber. A lifelike projection of the supercontinent sprawled across the display, updated in real-time by hundreds of scryers. Every soldier, resource, and structure, whether ally or enemy, was marked with precision. To the King of the Empyreans, this was his faction¡¯s true strength: mastery over information. ¡°Prometheus has recalled his main army, Your Majesty,¡± repeated a tall man with platinum-white hair and a sharp, aquiline nose¡ªfeatures that betrayed his kinship to the king. ¡°The Arkanians aren¡¯t pursuing; they can afford to play the long game. The emerging stalemate poses a dangerous threat to us.¡± ¡°What do you recommend?¡± asked a minister. ¡°I suggest assassinating some of humanity¡¯s elites and framing the Arkanians. If the humans demand vengeance, their king will have no choice but to heed them and resume the attacks. Then, we need only wait for the two beasts to weaken each other before we strike!¡± Two ministers nodded in approval, supporting the plan of the fool. Were his cousin not marginally useful, Maxime would have executed him long ago. As it stood, Alexandre served as the perfect bait to entrap those plotting a coup¡ªpowerful enough to be a pretender to the throne, but too stupid to have a real chance. ¡°An original plan, General Alexandre. I¡¯m sure Prometheus would never see that coming,¡± mocked a man of slight stature, the only one in the room who didn¡¯t look like a sculpted demigod. ¡°Care to share some constructive criticism, jester?¡± retorted the ridiculed general. ¡°On the strategy, perhaps. On the strategist? I fear that¡¯s a lost cause.¡± Alexandre took a menacing step forward. ¡°The law forbids me from killing you, not from emasculating you. One day, you¡¯ll dine with the women and the livestock.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll break bread with your mother and father.¡± The unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn rang out. Before the jester¡¯s blood could stain the floor, the king intervened. ¡°Enough.¡± With a single word, a heavy silence descended over the room. Maxime¡¯s piercing gaze swept over the military council before he spoke again. ¡°Prometheus has used his Talent on all key members of his government. Even if an assassination succeeded¡ªwhich I doubt, given his fortress-like palace¡ªhe would recognize our signature. As for his people¡¯s opinion... While he has shown reluctance to manipulate it, his ministers are less scrupulous.¡± ¡°Though young, humanity has a startling mastery of propaganda,¡± a sycophant chimed in. ¡°So, what do we do?¡± demanded Alexandre. ¡°If we wait for the second Reunion to play out, the Arkanians will become unstoppable with their Tier 3s.¡± Maxime dismissed the argument. ¡°Tier 3s who have spent most of their lives without the System should not concern us. With the ambient aether density, it will take them years to develop a Mythical skill¡ªif they even survive their Tribulations. Their Concepts and Supremacies make them dangerous, but most are not warriors. We will focus on what we do best: guerrilla warfare. With our information, surgical strikes are possible,¡± the king declared, pointing to the map at the center of the room. ¡°Speaking of surgical strikes, the Arkanians seem to be on the operating table,¡± quipped the jester. Maxime followed his gaze to a beach on the southern edge of the continent. Far from the Empyrean capital, deep within Arkanian territory, a group of warriors was being annihilated. Every second, several red dots disappeared, each marking a life extinguished. ¡°Strange, no paladin of Prometheus is supposed to be in this region,¡± observed a general. With a wave of his hand, Maxime displayed a detailed list of the combatants. The main contributor to the slaughter appeared at the top. [The Juggernaut - ?]. ¡°Unless his mother named him ¡®The,¡¯ this is rather enigmatic,¡± the jester remarked. Maxime frowned. Following a direct order, a dozen scryers were likely working to identify the enemy. Each was a distant member of the royal family, second- or third-degree cousins, trained and bioengineered for divination affinity. The individual¡¯s name, rank, status, and even favorite color should have been displayed. Instead, all they had was a title. ¡°Has Prometheus managed to counter our intelligence network?¡± A general¡¯s murmured question reached the king¡¯s ears, and he stood abruptly. ¡°Impossible!¡± Anger, astonishment, and concern roiled within him. If it were true, the war was lost. Striding to the table beneath the map, Maxime placed a hand on its surface. The empire¡¯s foremost scryer opened his personal grimoire and activated [Imperial Order: Revelation]. The Legendary skill connected to the map, then to the ritual prepared by the scryers. It traced the karmic threads back to the anonymous warrior who had single handedly obliterated an Arkanian company. A terrifying resistance, beyond Legendary but shy of Mythical, pushed back against the probe. Maxime bore down, sharpening his will. Decades of experience, his Concept, the ritual, and the rank of his skill finally found a weak point. Exploiting the breach, he began siphoning information. A figure appeared above the central hologram. The shadow of a muscular young man was discernible, but the resistance prevented a clear image¡­ save for one notable detail: a pair of red boxers adorned with a die. The generals exchanged puzzled glances. Why fixate on the enemy¡¯s underwear instead of his physique? A vein pulsed on Maxime¡¯s forehead. Did he really have to lower himself to dispel this misunderstanding? After a few seconds, one of his divination probes reported an attempted countermeasure; the enemy had detected the scry and was retaliating. Maxime dismissed [Imperial Order: Revelation]. He hadn¡¯t gleaned the full status he had hoped for, but what he had was enough. ¡°Priam Azura is here¡­ I¡¯m declaring a state of emergency,¡± he announced to his council. ¡°Activate all defensive protocols at maximum level. He can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Priam had not yet shown any hostility towards the Empyreans, but it could change. ¡°Your Majesty, must we truly cower here? This is an unprecedented chance to bring humanity to its knees in one strike!¡± protested Alexandre, greed glinting in his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t attack a target without understanding its capabilities,¡± the king rebuffed. ¡°Let the Arkanians reveal them for us.¡± ¡°But¡­ what if they kill him?¡± ¡°Then one of them will gain his racial Talents and a Title. It¡¯s irrelevant.¡± If the Empyreans were to take down Priam, it would be with a long-range cannon. The king wasn¡¯t foolish enough to come within ten kilometers of that calamity. If he couldn¡¯t claim the rewards, better they fall to his enemies. He didn¡¯t need a hero in his army; he would end up eyeing his throne. With a gesture, Maxime displayed the full portion of the status he had acquired: [Priam Azura - Tier 0 - Duke] - Champion of Humanity, Duke of Elysium¡¯s Court, Duke of Valaryth, Lord of Oasis, Primogenitor of the Homo Elysian, Face of 2 Die 4, Death¡¯s Obsession. A Juggernaut who has defied the impossible time and time again to rise. [Ciphered] Physique ~1,100, Mental ~750, Meta ~650. Most of the information was unreadable, but the essentials were clear. ¡°Focusing on our defenses mustn¡¯t stop us from preparing countermeasures for a possible attack. If anyone has relevant remarks based on this information, speak now.¡± Silence was short-lived, broken by the jester¡¯s laughter. ¡°I just counted: this Priam guy has more titles than Your Majesty.¡± Perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, a human with fiery hair meditated, striving to quell the violent emotions that had seized him earlier. The sadism of certain enemy soldiers and his helplessness in saving an innocent had filled him with rage. Lvl Up: [Frozen Meditation] lvl 39 PERC +1 WILL +2 As his anger began to ebb, he turned his focus to his recent notifications. Lvl Up: [Ciphered Record] lvl 2 MEM +6 META (Affinity) +6 META (Authority) +15 Lvl Up: [Divination Interception] lvl 30 META (Affinity) +2 META (Perception) +1 Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 5 CONST +7 META (Endurance) +2 Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 13, 14, 15 CHAR +9 META (Affinity) exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! ¡°I just gained three levels in [Intimidation],¡± Priam muttered, his gaze shifting to the beach below. Survivors were busy tending to their wounded comrades, while a few gathered futuristic weapons left behind by the Arkanians. ¡°Figures. That kid pissed himself,¡± his shadow quipped with a grimace. ¡°Wonder if that counts as an ideal prerequisite...¡± Priam growled. Leopol was their age but seemed utterly detached from reality. ¡°He acted like his life was more valuable than everyone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°You know I love you, but you¡¯re really not the best person to say that.¡± Priam smirked. ¡°I value my life more because it¡¯s mine. Him¡­ Did you see the way he looked at the carnage? He thought himself superior¡ªnot just to humans but to his own soldiers.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Jasmine fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°Classic Arkanian noble. I¡¯m honestly surprised he didn¡¯t complain about breathing the same air as the plebs.¡± Her disdain for her world¡¯s ruling class was palpable. Priam wondered how much of it was justified hatred and how much was personal bias. He shrugged, deciding the truth would surface soon enough. ¡°This isn¡¯t as interesting as the fight. You wrapped that up quick.¡± Priam winced. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that easy. His stats were slightly better than mine. I baited him by opening my guard¡ªa shot to the neck in exchange for a hit to his torso. He fell for it. Without that, it could¡¯ve dragged on.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°But you would¡¯ve won.¡± Priam snorted. ¡°Of course.¡± Laughter rang out beside him. ¡°You¡¯re so damn cocky. Oh, by the way, my shadows froze up near Gerald. Did you feel the same?¡± ¡°I experienced a similar phenomenon with Pyro,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t summon my flames in his presence. His Domain was weak, but backed by a strong soul, its sphere of authority prevented me from expressing my Concepts. I suppose a Tier 2 soul should have some advantages over ours.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never felt that against the Necro elites.¡± ¡°The System, Elysium¡¯s laws, or the Seven keep them in check¡ªbut we both know those shackles weaken every day. That said, I¡¯ve experienced similar soul suppression fighting Sumstreh.¡± ¡°And here I thought I could assassinate Tier 2s and 3s with impunity,¡± Jasmine grumbled. ¡°Guess Tiering up has its perks.¡± Priam chuckled, then noticed several fingers pointing his way. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve spotted us. Let¡¯s go say hi.¡± With that, he leapt. ¡°Thanks for saving us. I¡¯m Sergeant Francis.¡± ¡°Are you the leader of this group?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m the highest-ranking officer still alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. I¡¯m Priam.¡± Francis nodded before freezing mid-motion. His eyes widened as recognition dawned. ¡°The Priam?¡± ¡°The one spamming your notifications with Achievements,¡± Priam confirmed with a grin. His attempt to break the ice fell flat. Francis opened his mouth, then shut it. He repeated the motion a few times before Priam intervened. ¡°If you could just point me toward humanity¡¯s capital¡­¡± The sergeant, still gaping, raised an arm and gestured vaguely in one direction. Then he shut his mouth again. ¡°Thanks.¡± The journey was uneventful, with temperate biomes blending together like a patchwork of parks and nature reserves. The scenery was lovely, but Priam had no time for sightseeing. Twice, he encountered some kind of low-altitude surveillance balloons. One resembled a cyberpunk airship, which he promptly stored in the Concepts Archipelago. The continent was so vast it took him nearly three hours to reach his destination. One hundred eighty minutes of strategizing for his next Tribulation and honing his aether manipulation. Lvl Up: [Smooth Scales] lvl 37 AGI +3 Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 39 META(Focus) +2 META(Endurance) +1 Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 12, 13 META (Affinity) +6 META (Focus) +6 META (Endurance) +6 As the silhouette of a slumbering city came into view, Priam exhaled. ¡°Finally. I need a teleportation skill¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯d be handy. We¡¯re late, though¡ªthe gates are closed. I guess we¡¯re not waiting for tomorrow?¡± Priam grinned, accelerating further. He flew over the city walls, zigzagged through lit streets at Mach 4, and didn¡¯t slow until he landed in front of the castle¡¯s double doors. The ground cracked beneath his feet, the shockwave sending the six guards sprawling. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m here to see Prometheus.¡± ¡°¡­The king is asleep. State your name!¡± barked the bravest of the guards, his weapon leveled at a man whose skin was harder than the steel of his spear. ¡°I¡¯m Priam Azura.¡± The reaction was not what he had expected. ¡°You¡¯re the fourth person today to claim that name,¡± one guard said. ¡°To be fair, you¡¯re the most convincing. The others walked here,¡± added another. ¡°Either way, the king is asleep,¡± the first insisted. ¡°Come back tomorrow.¡± Considering Elysium¡¯s laws would summon him before dawn, Priam decided to press the matter. His invisible mist had already seeped beneath the castle doors, homing in on a familiar aether signature. Priam took a step forward and vanished under the guards¡¯ astonished gaze. The alarm blared seconds later as he rounded a corner. Down the hall, two knights stood guard outside a door. ¡°That¡¯s either the treasure room or the king¡¯s chambers.¡± ¡°Hopefully the treasure room,¡± his shadow replied. ¡°Feel free to search for it, but don¡¯t steal anything.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°I want an inventory. It¡¯ll give us insight into Prometheus¡¯s character,¡± Priam explained. ¡°... Fine. You¡¯re the boss.¡± His shadow vanished as Priam approached the knights. Swords drawn, they seemed ready to give their lives to stop him. ¡°Stop right there and state your business!¡± Priam¡¯s Domain crushed theirs, and [Kinetic Control] froze them like helpless children. ¡°Sorry guys, I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Priam apologized, pushing the door open. The king turned as he pulled on a pair of pants. Behind him, an Empyrean woman was slipping into a flowing dress. Prometheus, Priam, and Elo?se exchanged a dumbfounded glance before the Champion cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the hallway,¡± Priam said, shutting the door behind him. Outside, he met the furious gaze of one irate knight. Shrugging, he offered a nonchalant smile. ¡°Yeah, I probably should¡¯ve knocked.¡± Sphinx¡¯s true form was colossal. Her sheer mass crushed the corrupted underfoot as she sauntered toward the lair of one of Priam¡¯s rivals. The journey was relatively uneventful as only Tier 2 undead could pierce her fur. For now, they were still rare, and the dead were known to be terrible at riddles. Humming cheerfully, Sphinx padded through the Osiris Forest until she reached an ancient, vine-covered temple. ¡°SETH!¡± she bellowed, her voice echoing like thunder through the ruins. Silence. After waiting a generous four seconds, Sphinx grew bored. Lifting a paw, she pressed down against the old structure. The stone groaned in protest. She pressed harder, and the main door collapsed in a satisfying crash. With an innocent tilt of her head, the feline channeled every ounce of her inner childlike charm. She was the picture of blamelessness. ¡°Who did this?!¡± roared a voice from within. Moments later, its owner appeared, brushing aside a curtain of vines. His fiery red eyes narrowed as he surveyed the damage. Sphinx pointed east with a paw. ¡°A cerberus. I saw it run that way.¡± ¡°It was you!¡± She shrugged. ¡°You have no proof. Anyway, I¡¯m here for Priam¡¯s birthday.¡± The declaration caught the necromancer off guard. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need your help with a gift. I¡¯ve got a special core and want you to use it as a fulcrum to create a necro-wyvern. A drake will do, but it needs to be at least Tier 2.¡± The dead man¡¯s laughter echoed through the ruins, low and mocking. ¡°And why, pray tell, would I do that?¡± Sphinx lazily licked a paw, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. ¡°Because I weigh fifteen tons, and you weigh seventy kilos?¡± ¡°Bah! The last time we met, I beat you¡ªeven when you had the hoplite with you. Alone, do you really think you stand a chance?¡± Rather than respond, Sphinx activated her karmic talent, reinforcing the connection between the necromancer and the Necromoon. For a moment, the undead rival¡¯s free will vanished, swallowed by an apex entity. The conduit between the lich and its master was a critical weakness. As the raw fury of the blight overtook Seth¡¯s crimson gaze, Sphinx deftly loosened the bond. The necromancer collapsed, panting as he regained control over his body. ¡°Well?¡± she purred. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this,¡± Seth spat, his pride wounded. Sphinx shrugged again. She knew he would obsess over fortifying that weakness, but after weeks tinkering with the karma of Sumstreh, she wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°So, will you help?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± she chirped, tossing him a radiant core and a few shimmering drops of blood. ¡°Holy wyrm¡¯s blood and the core of a courageous sphinx. She died protecting her friends, so treat it with respect!¡± The child had made the ultimate sacrifice in an erased timeline, Jasmine had retrieved the evidence of the feat, and Priam had brought it back. Now, Sphinx had chosen to turn it into something useful. It needed draconic influence to qualify as an ideal trophy for body tempering, and Seth would provide that. ¡°This aura¡­¡± the necromancer murmured, examining the items with interest. ¡°What? You¡¯re too weak for the job?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll create a dragon powerful enough to kill Priam,¡± Seth swore, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he inspected the core. ¡°It feels like it holds the echo of a System Tribulation.¡± ¡°Oh, it does,¡± Sphinx replied with a yawn. ¡°Before its owner died, she summoned a septuple Tribulation. A remnant of it remains.¡± Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 893 Constitution 1 431 (+9) Agility 1 178 (+5) Vitality 1 322 Perception 859 (+1) MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 599 Dexterity 752 Memory 902 (+11) Willpower 1 015 (+3) Charisma 670 (+17) META: Meta-affinity 1 016 (+17) Meta-focus 568 (+9) Meta-endurance 929 (+14) Meta-perception 541 (+2) Meta-chance 594 Meta-authority 452 (+23) Potential: 27 648 (+27) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 143 444 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 5 hours 31 minutes 14 seconds. Concepts:
  • Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
  • Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
  • Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
  • Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
  • Phoenix: 3%
  • Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
  • Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
  • Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
  • Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
  • Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
  • Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
  • Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
  • Colosseum VIP Token
  • Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
  • Minor skill Epiphany
  • High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh¡¯s half core)
  • Seed of Potential
  • Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 132 days 6 hours 0 minute 27 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 310: Have you ever heard of Priam Azura? ¡°Priam,¡± said Prometheus, extending his hand. The Champion shook it with a grin. ¡°Apologies for the interruption. I¡¯m a bit pressed for time.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse breaking into a public building, attacking the guards, and violating your king¡¯s privacy," a sharp voice interjected as a woman stepped out of the royal chamber. Her platinum-white hair and preternaturally perfect features marked her as an Empyrean of royal blood. Priam guessed she was either a sister or cousin of Esm¨¦e. ¡°I¡¯m aware, and I extend my apologies,¡± Priam replied, inclining his head slightly. ¡°Though, I¡¯d like to point out that Prometheus isn¡¯t my king.¡± Prometheus, the Empyrean woman, and the squad of knights arriving to secure the hallway all wore the same expression of surprise. Priam grimaced at their collective astonishment. ¡°Either I have a terrible reputation, or you¡¯re used to dealing with elites who think they¡¯re above the law.¡± ¡°The latter,¡± Prometheus sighed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how many fools I¡¯ve had to execute for thinking that might makes right.¡± ¡°Power does tend to go to some people¡¯s heads.¡± ¡°Glad that¡¯s not your case. I have a feeling executing you would be... challenging.¡± Priam smirked. In a fight against the entirety of humanity''s elite, he would bet on himself. Although surrounded by his knights, Prometheus must be a nightmare to fight. The Champion¡¯s expression told the king everything he needed to know and he cast a glance at the leader of the knights. Without a word, the man stepped aside, standing at attention, and his squad followed suit. ¡°We¡¯ll have a better discussion in the meeting room than in this hallway.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Prometheus moved through the newly cleared passage, and Priam followed. The group navigated a series of stone corridors reminiscent of a medieval castle. Priam immediately noticed the minimalistic decor¡ªjust a few banners serving as tapestries and intricate engravings carved into the very walls to brighten the otherwise stark military structure. A notification from his add-on drew his attention. Scanning the engravings, he was surprised to realize they weren¡¯t merely decorative¡ªthey were components of a massive ritual. ¡°A revelation array?¡± he murmured. Prometheus must have had keen perception because he responded. ¡°Correct. The architect¡¯s intention was to create a defensive barrier, but I believe that if this building is ever besieged, defeat would be inevitable. This revelation array detects spies and thieves, which I find more practical.¡± Priam gave the king a complicated look. Prometheus didn¡¯t know it, but Jasmine was currently visiting his vault. ¡°There¡¯s a secondary array,¡± Priam noted, deftly steering the conversation. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were an expert on runes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m something of a polymath myself,¡± Priam replied with a sly grin. Prometheus laughed. It must have been rare, as Elo?se and the knights exchanged surprised glances. A king must feel lonely, too powerful to have friends¡­ The presence of Priam, a Champion capable of opposing him, was undoubtedly refreshing. ¡°There is indeed a second array, designed to trigger an alert when it detects intrusions. You¡¯ve just demonstrated its limitations¡ªmy guards had to sound the alarm manually.¡± Priam studied the walls for a moment before explaining. ¡°Judging by this section, it identifies individuals and cross-references them against a whitelist. I¡¯m¡­ difficult to identify.¡± He left it at that, keeping the details of his [Ciphered Record] to himself. Unable to classify him, the array had effectively ignored him. If Priam hadn¡¯t deliberately alerted the guards at the castle gates, he could have infiltrated unnoticed. ¡°Elo?se,¡± Prometheus prompted. ¡°I¡¯ll have the architects revise the detection method,¡± the Empyrean noted. Priam stayed silent. His resistance encrypted his information, making whitelist comparisons nearly impossible. It was possible to address this by configuring the alarm to trigger whenever it encountered an unknown entity, but such a trigger-happy defense posed other challenges. The Champion shrugged. At the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t his problem. The procession stopped before a set of double stone doors that opened to reveal a familiar sight. ¡°¡­ The Round Table? Really?¡± ¡°I want my advisors to feel free to voice their opinions,¡± Prometheus said. ¡°Sometimes, our legends can be inspiring.¡± ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s a dangerous tale for a king. You know what they say about Guinevere and Lancelot.¡± In some versions, the queen preferred Aroundight to Excalibur¡­ Prometheus chuckled. ¡°My knights cannot betray me.¡± ¡°Convenient,¡± Priam smiled, entering the room. Two people were already waiting inside. The Champion moved to the only chair without a banner. Several knights bristled at his breach of etiquette, but by sitting before the king, Priam conveyed a message: I am not a subject of Prometheus. The king sat without comment, and Elo?se took the chair to his left. The two early arrivals also sat, leaving several chairs empty as the doors closed. ¡°Cecilia, Mistress of the Arcane, whom you¡¯ve met before,¡± Prometheus introduced. The young woman who had once opened a portal for Priam to the Moon inclined her head. ¡°Markus, our Minister of Health.¡± ¡°A pompous title for a simple doctor,¡± the man replied with a sharp gaze and an easy smile. ¡°Elo?se, my chief advisor and¡­¡± Prometheus hesitated, searching for the right words. Priam didn¡¯t bother hiding his amusement. ¡°And lover. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? The king of humanity and its Champion both falling for an Empyrean princess,¡± Priam teased. At Elo?se¡¯s outraged look, he quickly clarified, ¡°In my case, I meant Princess Esm¨¦e.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Elo?se visibly relaxed, relieved not to be the next Helen of Troy. Humanity didn¡¯t need its two heroes fighting over the same woman. ¡°How is my dear sister?¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Priam hesitated. How was the princess? It was a complicated question. His rival rarely shared her feelings, but Priam knew the geas placed her under immense pressure. Constantly monitored, her freedom compromised, her very thoughts scrutinized¡ªher life must be unbearable. For the hundredth time, Priam asked himself the same question: Should I do something? Her geas prevented her from asking for help, but someone as clever as her would have found a way if she truly wanted it. Yet, even at the end of Back in Time, she had said nothing. Uncertainty gnawed at Priam. Esm¨¦e had her plans, and he didn¡¯t want to disrupt them by intervening unilaterally. ¡°So, even the family genius hasn¡¯t freed herself from the geas,¡± Elo?se concluded from the Champion¡¯s silence. ¡°Indeed. Your phrasing implies you¡¯ve succeeded,¡± Priam noted, curious. Elo?se turned to Prometheus, who nodded. ¡°All Empyrean princesses are monitored. By accepting me into his service, my new king freed me from my father¡¯s control.¡± Priam narrowed his eyes. He knew Prometheus could claim the loyalty of certain humans, making it difficult for them to leave his service. At the first Reunion, Priam had even forced criminals to swear allegiance to the king. Why fill prisons when soldiers were needed? This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Still, Elo?se¡¯s explanation hinted at something more significant. ¡°Your knights automatically sever their old allegiances,¡± Priam observed. ¡°You can break magical contracts, right?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Prometheus admitted. ¡°As a reward for the Impossible Tutorial, the System granted me the perfect tool for my mission.¡± There was much to unpack in that revelation, but Priam focused on the future. ¡°I hope for your sake that there are limits to your power. Otherwise, high Tiers will descend to execute you.¡± Mentored by a phoenix Prince, Priam knew the vast universe held countless prodigies targeted by predatory contracts. Some factions weren¡¯t above enslaving lower Tiers before helping them ascend to new heights. The System occasionally offered a way out to the worthy, but such opportunities were rare. Wielded well, Prometheus¡¯ Talent was far more dangerous for the Hope sector than [He Who Eludes Death]. The king grimaced. ¡°There are limits, of course¡­ but they don¡¯t concern you. Unless you want me to break Esm¨¦e¡¯s chains?¡± ¡°Everyone has their secrets,¡± Priam shrugged. ¡°Regarding Esm¨¦e, could you accept her allegiance to free her from the geas, then release her afterward?¡± ¡°Impossible. A knight can only regain their freedom upon their master¡¯s death or after accomplishing an extraordinary feat in their service.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± The Talent was less broken than Priam had hoped, but reality rarely cared about his desires. Esm¨¦e would refuse to trade one master for another, and Priam didn¡¯t trust Prometheus enough to give him too much leverage. ¡°Now that introductions are done, perhaps you¡¯ll tell us why you¡¯re here?¡± the king prompted. Priam nodded and laid out the reasons for his visit. The possibility for Champions to access the Hope sector, the temporary constraints imposed by Elysium¡¯s laws, his friendships with a few hoplites, his idea to endure his Tribulations in a relatively safe location, and his fury upon discovering the casual killing of humans. ¡°The boy you¡¯re describing was named Markus,¡± Prometheus sighed. ¡°A bus driver who thought becoming a fighter would be cool. Reality hit him hard during the Tutorial, but by then, it was too late. That mission was supposed to be his last before leaving the army.¡± The king¡¯s expression darkened with sorrow. ¡°He was one of your knights?¡± ¡°No, but I make it a point to talk to my soldiers. Knowing the names of those who fight by my side matters.¡± Priam¡¯s respect for the king skyrocketed. ¡°For Markus and the others, I plan to face my Tribulations near the Arkanian capital. They¡¯ll pay for what they¡¯ve done to us.¡± Prometheus furrowed his brow. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but I don¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°Because of the innocents?¡± Priam wasn¡¯t oblivious. Men, women, and children had died during his first Tribulations¡ªcollateral damage from the locusts and the deadly rain. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. I¡¯ll target their army.¡± ¡°Bah, the Arkanians aren¡¯t my people. You could go full nuclear on their capital, and I¡¯d still sleep fine. However, they have a role to play. Tell me, what do you think humanity needs to survive the next few years?¡± ¡°Run.¡± The slave gasped for air, his mouth wide open as he struggled to breathe. His bulging eyes darted around, searching desperately for more oxygen. He looked like a fish suffocating out of water. Minutes later, the test subject began slipping backward on the treadmill. His pace slowed. After two grueling hours of running, his blood was too depleted of oxygen and glucose to power his failing muscles. ¡°Run.¡± The subject forced his legs to move again, clawing for the last sparks of energy in his battered body to obey the command. Veins bulged beneath his flushed skin. For eighty-four agonizing seconds, he impressed the spectators. When he slowed again, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. ¡°Run.¡± The Arkanian tried but failed. His heart limited him, striving to keep him alive. Survival instinct rebelled against the command. The body, driven by great willpower, was capable of miracles, but reality always had the final say. ¡°RUN!¡± The man¡¯s feet slammed against the treadmill as he set a new personal speed record. Twenty-three seconds later, he stumbled and collapsed. His body was dragged by the treadmill until it fell to the ground. In the ensuing silence, a doctor approached, placed two fingers on the man¡¯s neck, then shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s dead, sir.¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± ¡°Shall we fetch another prisoner?¡± ¡°That will be enough for today. I got what I wanted,¡± replied the voice that had condemned the man. It belonged to a tall, gaunt figure whose skeletal frame betrayed no hint of physical strength. Despite this, his overwhelming presence and authoritative gaze commanded respect from all. Baron Charls dal Sallan¡¯s piercing gray eyes were currently staring blankly into space, reading a System prompt visible only to him. Lvl Up: [Aristocratic Mandate] lvl 57 WILL +3 CHAR +6 ¡°This System accelerates my growth in ways I never imagined,¡± he mused, turning away. A servant opened the elevator door as Charls exited, leaving the corpse to be removed and the room cleaned. By the time he returned tomorrow, the Baron knew everything would be spotless, with a new slave waiting for him to break their will and train his skills. A young lift attendant pressed a button, and the elevator began its ascent. If Charls had been alone, he might have sighed. Unlike most of his peers, he understood the value of a sapient life. Unfortunately, it was worth less than a level in [Aristocratic Mandate]. He found this method of progression degrading, but what choice did he have? The System rewarded feats, and overcoming a sapient being¡¯s survival instinct was considered one. When his spies had reported that Baron dal Cal was torturing homeless men for level-ups, Charls had been forced to follow suit. In this savage world, refusing to play the game meant ending up on the treadmill yourself, running to your death. No, not savage. Animals rarely display such cruelty. Civilization elevates people as easily as it degrades them. A soft chime marked the elevator¡¯s arrival at the top floor of the dal Sallan family¡¯s private tower. The System had transported the entire structure to Proxima as a reward for his Perilous Tutorial. Charls entered his opulent apartment, heading straight for the bathroom. In his imagination, the sweat of the unfortunate man he had just executed was clinging to his skin. His butler waited at the main corridor. Andrey had served his family for forty years. If he was visible, he had important news to deliver. ¡°Andrey?¡± Charls slipped on a pair of slippers, unwilling to dirty the marble floors. ¡°Sir, a communication from your son.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Charls rinsed his face at the sink, wiping it dry with a towel. ¡°Did the skirmish go well?¡± ¡°There seems to have been a complication.¡± ¡°Of course." Charls repressed a growl. ¡°What has Leopol bungled this time?¡± The butler handed him a crimson envelope, and Charls froze. His son might be a coward, but he wasn¡¯t a fool. Crimson signified mortal danger to the family. The use of an encrypted letter instead of a digital message hinted at a rare level of paranoia. Charls locked himself in his study, activated anti-surveillance wards, and tore open the envelope. His eyes scanned the letter before he swore under his breath. Losing Gerald was painful. A newly ascended Tier 2 was unimpressive¡ªCharls himself was Tier 3¡ªbut Gerald¡¯s mobility had been invaluable. The ability to leave the Arkanian capital was a vital asset ahead of the Second Reunion. That news was almost trivial compared to the bombshell Leopol had dropped. The Champion of Humanity was on Proxima¡ªand he was coming to visit the capital. Charls opened the attached video, and his heart sank as he watched the monster toy with his soldiers. Then came the final battle. The camera hadn''t been able to capture the high-level duel, but the conclusion was clear: Gerald''s final attack, nearing Tier 3 power, had failed to decapitate the enemy. Most conventional weapons would therefore be useless. Against that man, our numerous army will be irrelevant. Destroying the letter, the distressed noble swiveled his chair. Behind his desk, an immense window offered a breathtaking view of the city below. From the two-hundredth floor of his tower, the panorama was rarely obstructed by another building. The noble observed the traffic far below. Rather than discouraging outings, the late hour had the opposite effect. Arkanians cherished their nightlife, and the streets teemed with revelers. Cyberpunk-styled vehicles sped through the city, weaving between glittering skyscrapers. Exclusive clubs, upscale restaurants, and dazzling theaters awaited the elite who had flocked to Proxima. Their needs would be serviced by robots replacing lower-tier servants dispatched by the System throughout the sector. ¡°They think we¡¯ll win because of our Tier 3s¡­ I thought so too,¡± Charls muttered. However, if the Champions decided to shake things up on Proxima, the game would change. The Arkanians¡¯ Champion was missing, making it hard to predict the strength of their rivals. Nevertheless, some were famous thanks to their Achievement announcements. Among them, Priam Azura was a star. ¡°I can¡¯t stall this juggernaut alone,¡± the noble sighed, activating a communication device. Charls refused to become part of the Champion¡¯s next Achievement. Priam had already killed one Tier 3; he could do it again. Seconds later, nine faces appeared in holographic form above his desk. Each represented a Baron, one of the pillars of their civilization. ¡°Charls? The next council meeting isn¡¯t for three days. This better be urgent,¡± said a fake teen. Enigma had been old when Charls¡¯ mother had given birth to him, but the Pharmacist hadn¡¯t earned her title for nothing. Medicine had extended her life, and the System granted her a new youth. ¡°I have dire news. A terrible enemy has turned his attention to our city.¡± ¡°You always were one for theatrics,¡± Ugo dal Cal sneered. ¡°What bogeyman has you trembling this time?" ¡°The monster that terrifies monsters. Have you ever heard of Priam Azura?¡± Despite their carefully composed faces, Charls saw the blood drain from his rivals¡¯ expressions.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 311: Humanity’s Whetstone "Tell me, what do you think humanity needs to survive the next few years?" asked Prometheus. Priam took a moment to consider the question before answering. ¡°Cohesion. We¡¯re scattered across a sector larger than a galaxy. Most people are left to fend for themselves, selling their freedom just to survive.¡± Prometheus and his advisors winced. ¡°True, but we have no way to change that. The System entrusted us with a few million humans to carry the torch of our civilization, and I plan to focus on Proxima. For now.¡± ¡®Entrusted us?¡¯ This guy thinks he¡¯s the protagonist¡ªor a king. Priam decided to keep his thoughts to himself. If Prometheus had the charisma, the vision, and the shoulders broad enough to bear humanity¡¯s burden, Priam was content to let him carry it. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about Proxima alone, then you need to give people a chance to thrive. Humanity can adapt to anything, but it needs resources¡ªand time.¡± His brow furrowed. ¡°To survive the next few years, they need time. It¡¯s a vicious cycle.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Prometheus slammed his palm against the table, sending a tremor through the stone slab. From that, Priam estimated the king¡¯s strength to be between five and six hundred. ¡°The System provides resources, but humanity needs time to turn them into weapons and knowledge. The Industrial and Digital Revolutions may have been quick by historical standards, but they still took decades. Arkanians and Empyreans won¡¯t wait for us to initiate a Magical Revolution.¡± ¡°So far, I agree. I assume you¡¯re telling me this because you have an idea to ensure humanity¡¯s survival?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a silver bullet,¡± Prometheus admitted, ¡°only two partial¡ªand complementary¡ªsolutions. The first is to cultivate an elite group here on Proxima, then scatter them across the sector. A few hundred humans to keep our flame alive.¡± Despite the myth tied to his name, Prometheus didn¡¯t seem satisfied. ¡°It only takes one of them reaching Tier 5 to create a secure inner world. From there, humanity would survive through their descendants. Who knows? You might end up as the ancestor of the next generation.¡± Priam grimaced. For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to live thousands of years. Over time, his direct family would inevitably grow too large for him to know everyone. The thought pained him. If the death of one of my descendants ever leaves me indifferent, I¡¯ll know I¡¯ve turned into a heartless bastard. ¡°With a birthrate above three children per woman and monogamous couples, thirty generations could be enough to exceed a million people,¡± Elo?se interjected. ¡°So humanity¡¯s survivors would split into clans, each backed by a mid-Tier,¡± Priam analyzed. ¡°Rivalries between patriarchs and matriarchs would lead to tensions, then schisms. It wouldn¡¯t be our civilization anymore.¡± He frowned. ¡°And that¡¯s ignoring the issue of genetic diversity.¡± Markus nodded in agreement. ¡°Even if the System or technology mitigates the dangers of inbreeding, we¡¯d lose most of humanity¡¯s genetic material.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°Millions of traditions, works, oeuvres, and dreams would vanish without a functioning society.¡± ¡°Social and societal progress, technological advancements, the history of our civilization¡ªeverything humanity has built would be lost,¡± Prometheus said, his voice intense enough to surprise Priam. Either he¡¯s the best actor in the universe, or he genuinely believes it¡¯s a tragedy. ¡°A solution that preserves embers but fails to ignite a new fire. Humanity would survive in name only, its identity irreparably altered,¡± Priam summarized. ¡°I hope the second solution is more palatable.¡± Prometheus nodded. ¡°It involves elevating all humans on Proxima at once¡­ even if it means reforging them in fire.¡± Priam narrowed his eyes. ¡°The phrasing is poetic, but I¡¯m afraid I understand your intent.¡± The king remained silent for a few seconds before explaining. ¡°I won¡¯t settle for a handful of humans tending the grave of our civilization. I want a united civilization, proud of its history and ready to fight for its future!¡± His gaze locked onto Priam¡¯s, his voice vibrating with conviction. ¡°Tutorial, Reunions, Proxima¡­ The System is preparing terrible events, but there¡¯s a chance to use them as catalysts to evolve, to withstand the test of time, and spread our wings. Priam felt a chill run through him as he realized the truth. ¡°You don¡¯t want to avoid conflict with the Arkanians. That¡¯s why you¡¯re against me using my Tribulations to cripple their army. You want a war,¡± he accused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you became who you are today by avoiding your enemies,¡± the king countered. ¡°Conflict has accelerated my growth, sure, but¡ª¡± Priam hesitated. He could dodge death once a day. Most people didn¡¯t have that luxury. ¡°There will be casualties,¡± he finished. Prometheus let the silence hang before responding. ¡°There are always casualties. I see no other path.¡± The three advisors looked down at the table under the Champion¡¯s scrutiny, but the king didn¡¯t avert his gaze. He¡¯s serious. Priam swallowed hard. What could he say? He had chosen not to meddle in humanity¡¯s politics. Some called him crazy for being willing to mutilate himself for progress, but that was a personal choice. Deciding the fate of humanity, of millions of lives, was infinitely harder¡ªat least for someone with a shred of empathy. ¡°Do your army and the inhabitants of this city share your vision?¡± he asked after nearly a minute of silence. ¡°Are they ready to use the Arkanians as a whetstone, knowing death will always loom?¡± ¡°The majority of them do.¡± Prometheus¡¯s gaze was steady. Priam resolved to visit the city and verify, but for now, he would give the king the benefit of the doubt. ¡°With the exception of criminals, no one here was conscripted. Every soldier knows what they¡¯ve signed up for. Remember, everyone here chose at least a Hard Tutorial. They are humanity¡¯s elite, determined to take their destiny into their own hands. On Proxima, no one needs a savior. You can be a figurehead¡ªlike me¡ªbut you must let them climb the mountain themselves. If you carry them now, they¡¯ll crumble once you¡¯re gone.¡± Prometheus¡¯s words gave Priam pause. Was he right? If his help wasn¡¯t wanted, was it worth forcing? Since the Tutorial began, I¡¯ve taken countless reckless risks. If someone had tried to stop me, thinking they knew better, I¡¯d have been furious. On the other hand, rival civilizations won¡¯t play nice. If I stand by and humanity¡¯s elite falls, the rest is doomed. Despite his Champion Title, Priam didn¡¯t see himself as humanity¡¯s savior. That didn¡¯t mean he was ready to ignore its demise. ¡°You¡¯re hesitating,¡± Markus observed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to undermine the free will of the men and women here, but this concerns all of humanity. I¡¯m questioning whether war is truly the answer.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°I swore the Hippocratic Oath. I will never take a life willingly, nor do I encourage it. However, I wouldn¡¯t counsel Prometheus if I thought he was a monster. The Arkanians have chosen to exterminate us. If we don¡¯t respond today, if we rely on your help, then you¡¯ll have to help us tomorrow and the day after. The day will come when you¡¯re absent, and humanity will perish. I hate this violence, but I recognize it as inevitable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary for our civilization¡¯s growth,¡± Cecilia added. ¡°Even without the System rewarding risk and territorial wars, history shows conflict drives progress. Many everyday items have military origins: microwaves, freeze-dried products, canned goods, GPS¡­ Other discoveries were accelerated by war, such as advancements in surgery, radiology, the space program, and atomic energy.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°War may be fertile ground,¡± Priam acknowledged, ¡°but it¡¯s watered with blood.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s saying otherwise,¡± Prometheus said with a heavy sigh. ¡°But we can¡¯t avoid it. Hard times are coming, and only those hardened by them will survive. Before we face the rest of this universe, humanity must adapt. My army includes engineers, doctors, drivers, workers, merchants, and students. To become warriors, they need the Arkanians. Ending this war for them would steal their chance to adapt to this new reality.¡± There were still a little over four months left before the second Reunion, and Priam decided to postpone his decision. If Prometheus and his army started losing the war, he could always return to Proxima to tip the scales with Breaths and orbital bombardment. ¡°You''re going to have to find a place to trigger your Tribulations.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s hard as I¡¯d like to kill two birds with this stone¡­¡± ¡°Are you still planning to visit the Arkanians?¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice trembled, but Priam couldn¡¯t tell if it was from excitement or fear. ¡°Yeah. I want the reward tied to the quest for executing a leader.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± replied the assassin, slipping back into his shadow while transmitting the complete inventory of the king¡¯s vault. Rather than stay cooped up in the royal palace, Priam asked the king to show him around his city. The Champion wanted to ensure he hadn¡¯t been deceived about the sincerity of Prometheus¡¯s intentions. Thus, in the dead of night, Prometheus and his advisors found themselves accompanying Priam and his shadow. ¡°Cecilia mentioned the System rewards these territorial wars,¡± said Priam, absorbing the sound waves of the conversation with [Kinetic Control]. He didn¡¯t want to wake the residents. ¡°Indeed. When enemies attack, the System triggers a special event: a Wave. Defenders are often rewarded with Potential when they repel invaders. It allows them to get a high upgrade for their skills.¡± ¡°Not ideal?¡± The king rolled his eyes. ¡°Even my knights don¡¯t have ideal skills. Only a few scientists and paladins possess one.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Not telling.¡± ¡°I bet you have less than me.¡± ¡°...¡± Smiling, Priam turned his attention to his surroundings. The buildings closest to the palace were made of stone or metal, while those farther out were crafted from wood. Each district bore distinct influences¡ªWestern-style quarters gave way to Oriental or Oceanian blocks. Altogether, it created an exotic cityscape full of diversity and wonder. Clearly, the city had been built with the help of multiple skills and in record time. Priam was particularly impressed by the architect''s overall vision behind the project. The streets were clean, wide, tree-lined, and perpendicular, while the districts were easily recognizable. Merchants lined the main road, artisans worked just behind them, followed by residential zones, then fields, vegetable gardens, and orchards. Multiple defensive walls encircled the city, though Priam suspected they served more to reassure the populace than to hold off an invasion. If an army reached this far, all would be lost. ¡°Well-designed,¡± Priam admitted as they passed a small park. ¡°I can¡¯t take the credit,¡± Prometheus said. ¡°Some of humanity¡¯s best architects are here. They drew inspiration from modern cities to plan the infrastructure and public spaces. Cecilia and Elo?se oversaw it all.¡± ¡°Still, building all this in two months is impressive,¡± Priam said. ¡°It¡¯s a lot less chaotic than Paris.¡± Prometheus burst out laughing. ¡°You can¡¯t compare a centuries-old city where people built whatever they wanted¡ªsometimes without permits¡ªto a place where everything was planned from the start.¡± ¡°There are Parisian influences, though,¡± Cecilia interjected. ¡°The stone buildings have Haussmannian facades¡ªnamed after the man who transformed the City of Light into the Paris everyone knew. Moreover, our fortifications are inspired by Vauban, one of history¡¯s most influential military architects.¡± Priam nodded. He remembered learning about Vauban, the 17th-century engineer who had perfected French defenses in his time. ¡°I know he designed star-shaped fortifications, but isn¡¯t that... a little outdated?¡± Cecilia shook her head. ¡°Modern wars relied on explosives too powerful for most fortifications to matter¡ªhence their abandonment. Magic, however, changes the game. With enchanted materials, reinforced by skills and supported by runic formations, defense becomes viable again. As a history professor, I collaborated with engineers and architects to recreate impenetrable strongholds.¡± The pride gleaming in Cecilia¡¯s eyes made Priam itch to test those defenses. I wonder if they could withstand a Conquest Pyro Breath... ¡°No,¡± Prometheus said flatly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I recognize that look, and the answer is no. Either you¡¯ll fail, and enemy spies will report it to their masters, or you¡¯ll succeed, and my workers will spend sleepless nights rebuilding whatever you destroyed.¡± Priam shrugged but pricked his ears at the faint sound of music in the distance. Curious, he decided to investigate. ¡°Speaking of spies, are there really people willing to betray humanity by siding with the Arkanians or the Empyreans?¡± ¡°They¡¯re rare,¡± Prometheus said, his tone hardening, ¡°but a few warlords refuse to submit to my authority.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d united humanity on Proxima.¡± ¡°Almost,¡± the king replied, his voice carrying a warning for his rivals. ¡°The holdouts are funded by our enemies to maintain their independence. Their days are numbered.¡± Nodding absentmindedly, Priam followed the music to its source. Between a tattoo parlor and a place of worship stood a lively bar. "People tattoo runes onto their skin," explained Prometheus. "It¡¯s far from matching the System and its soul runes, but any edge is worth taking." Priam nodded again. Jasmine did something similar, covering her skin with shifting shadows. The advantage was that her tattoos were temporary and could change instantly. Most importantly, a scar wouldn¡¯t ruin everything. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see a place of worship here.¡± ¡°We have temples for every religion,¡± replied Prometheus. ¡°The existence of genocidal aliens makes it easier for people to set aside old quarrels.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that clash with the whole myth surrounding you? I mean, you are the ¡®King by Divine Right,¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the name of my Talent,¡± Prometheus admitted, ¡°but you¡¯ve got it wrong. For many, the integration by the Seven Concepts represents the end of the world foretold in their scriptures. My mission doesn¡¯t contradict their eschatology or beliefs; some even see me as a prophet after using [Identification] on me.¡± [Identification] [Prometheus - Tier 0 - Marquess] - A man who swore to protect humanity above all else. His desire was so pure that he received a blessing to aid his mission. In this ruthless world, the King by Divine Right stands as a beacon for those willing to fight. ¡°... Who gave you that Talent?¡± Priam asked. ¡°I know very well who sponsored Earth¡¯s Tutorial, and this blessing doesn¡¯t match their Concept.¡± Priam¡¯s patron governed death¡ªor at least an adjacent Concept. If Prometheus had survived an Impossible Tutorial, as he claimed, his reward should have been related to [He Who Eludes Death]. The minor wish made in the Colosseum confirmed that the king and the Champion did not share the same patron. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± smiled the man who had renamed himself Prometheus. ¡°Maybe God took pity on us? Or perhaps the System simply wanted to restore balance after the Depths cheated by saving Anatole? The Impossible Tutorial isn¡¯t supposed to have more than one victor. Your triumph should¡¯ve been our death.¡± ¡°...¡± Priam didn¡¯t know what to say. It seemed obvious he was far from qualified to obtain certain answers. ¡°You wanted to see how I treat my subjects, right? Let¡¯s not waste more time,¡± Prometheus said, pushing the bar door open. With Elo?se on his arm, the king mingled with the crowd. Smoke, swing music, and joyful shouts filled the air. Priam grabbed a drink at the bar, chatted with a few groups of young people, and was eventually pulled onto the dance floor by a young woman wearing a shadow mask. He forgot about the terror of the Tribulations, the existence of his rivals, humanity¡¯s plight, and the Zenith road. For a fleeting instant, Priam was just a young man in his twenties, swept away by the rhythm of the party. [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 47 minutes 12 seconds.
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next! https://www.patreon.com/ANovelConcept Chapter 312: The Juggernaut That Shattered His Allies’ Certainties ¡°Is the aether density of the Wandering Islands really that high?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s almost like breathing underwater. You get used to it eventually, and it¡¯s great for leveling up quickly, but the enemies there are absolute monsters. Honestly, I¡¯m a lightweight in Elysium,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing it,¡± Prometheus replied, pulling a pipe seemingly out of nowhere. The Shield of Humanity stood beside the Spear, leaning against a balcony railing at the bar. The two men enjoyed the night view and a rare moment of quiet. Below them, Jasmine was still lighting up the dance floor. The king¡¯s royal escort was conspicuously absent. ¡°Planning to leave Proxima?¡± Priam asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have to. The aether density and quality here won¡¯t let me surpass Tier 4.¡± Make me think about Valaryth, except the ceiling is even lower there. ¡°Will you be able to return here after outgrowing Proxima?¡± ¡°If I¡¯ve properly ennobled my mind,¡± the king replied, offering Priam yet another piece of a fundamental puzzle. While the importance of tempering one¡¯s body and baptizing one¡¯s soul was obvious, the ennobling of the mind remained an elusive concept. ¡°But if I have the choice, I¡¯d rather find a way to uplift the entire planet.¡± Priam whistled. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°If the inner world of a Tier 5 can be upgraded, why not a planet?¡± Prometheus countered. ¡°Our merchant friend Mercury has heard legends, and there¡¯s no smoke without fire. Still, it¡¯s a distant problem, one that¡¯ll require colossal resources.¡± The king smiled, took a puff from his pipe, and turned to Priam. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯d like to send a few of my people to Elysium. They¡¯re progressing quickly here, but if you¡¯re right, it¡¯s nothing compared to what¡¯s possible in the spearhead world.¡± ¡°If Elysium¡¯s laws naturalize them, they won¡¯t be able to return,¡± Priam warned. No one could leave the spearhead world for long, except to invade another universe. ¡°At least, not for long. It would cripple your army.¡± ¡°My knights are part of my kingdom; I won¡¯t accept them becoming citizens of another world,¡± the king declared. Priam froze for a moment. ¡°You think your Talent will allow your knights to bypass Elysium¡¯s laws? If you¡¯re right, your power is seriously broken... But I doubt it. That world is special.¡± When Priam first arrived in Elysium, he had received a quest with a simple goal: survive. Once [He Who Eludes Death] activated, the quest had adapted to account for this unique Talent. Even if Prometheus¡¯ gift came from a powerhouse on par with Priam¡¯s patron, Elysium¡¯s laws weren¡¯t so easily twisted. ¡°You know this world better than I do,¡± Prometheus admitted. ¡°But I¡¯d like to give it a shot. If you¡¯ll help me smuggle them in, they¡¯ll be under your command for the duration of their mission.¡± With Concepts Archipelago, sneaking a few knights into Oasis would be child¡¯s play for Priam. ¡°For that crate of seeds you¡¯re hoarding in your vault, I can take three people.¡± The king took a contemplative puff from his pipe before exhaling. He managed to create a perfect eight with smoke, leaving Priam to wonder if it was a skill or a System skill. ¡°What about five? In exchange, you can pick three professions, and I¡¯ll make sure my subordinates have the corresponding expertise.¡± Had the king guessed that Priam needed specific artisans to develop Oasis? It wasn¡¯t impossible; Prometheus seemed to have many contingency plans. When Jasmine spotted a crate labeled Seeds for Priam in his vault, she was astonished. ¡°Deal. Five it is,¡± Priam said, extending his hand. The king clasped it with a smile. ¡°Your body¡­ I can tell you¡¯ve started your tempering. Mythic grade?¡± ¡°Seraphic.¡± Prometheus roared with laughter. ¡°You really are the System¡¯s sugar baby.¡± Priam thought about a certain gambler and shuddered. Prometheus continued without noticing. ¡°Could you provide high-quality tempering methods for humanity? Name your price.¡± He punctuated his sentence with a wink, and Priam grimaced. ¡°Request number one: never give me a sexy wink again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who called it sexy,¡± Prometheus grinned, taking another puff. Priam ignored him. ¡°As for tempering methods, I¡¯ve seen some at the Sun Auctions. I¡¯ll try to get my hands on them. In exchange... seeds and the prerequisites for ideal Skills will suffice.¡± He could have demanded more, but Priam was willing to work at cost to elevate humanity. This time, at least. ¡°Thanks. One last thing: I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d donate a drop of blood to our scientists. We¡¯ve cracked the code for High Humans, but Homo Elysian remains a mystery. Even with Duatian, Arkanian, human, and Empyrean blood samples, my researchers are stuck.¡± ¡°Not surprising.¡± Priam wasn¡¯t shocked that Prometheus had become a High Human. With the System¡¯s help, geneticists could easily isolate the best features of the human genome. Homo Elysian was an entirely different mountain to climb. ¡°I had to use hoplite tech and a quantum computer to sequence all the necessary genomes. Even then, I might not have succeeded without Osiris¡ªthe brother of the Duatian Champion.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t talk much about your rivals. Are they strong?¡± Priam laughed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Osiris could turn me into a giant tumor with just a touch. His brother, Seth¡­ well, he might become a problem with the current Necromoon event. Generally, you¡¯d do well to avoid Champions. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got contingencies for a powerhouse visit, but trust me, they¡¯d be useless.¡± Not to mention monsters like Eve, humanity currently couldn¡¯t even stop a trickless warrior like Kazuki. The king nodded without elaborating on his plans. The two men didn¡¯t trust each other enough to share their secrets. ¡°Is that why you want to trigger your Tribulations here? So none of your rivals can take advantage of them to attack you?¡± ¡°That, or other monsters even worse.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m almost insulted that you consider Proxima safe¡­ But if you¡¯re wrong and die, it would be a shame to have lost the secret to Homo Elysian.¡± ¡°You never miss a beat,¡± Priam muttered, biting his thumb to extract a drop of blood. His wound healed quickly. ¡°Here, try analyzing this.¡± Prometheus stared at the crimson bead, then frowned. ¡°[Analysis], [Identification], [Inspection], [Observation]... None of my Skills are working.¡± [Ciphered Record] was working overtime. Priam frowned before shrugging. ¡°I can¡¯t disable my resistances yet, sorry.¡± Jasmine¡¯s blood would have worked too, but he wasn¡¯t about to hand over a medium that could harm his Shadow. ¡°There is a more natural way to create Homo Elysian, though.¡± Prometheus scrutinized him for a moment before nodding. ¡°I imagine volunteers won¡¯t be hard to find. You¡¯re more pretty than rugged, but hey, lots of women loved DiCaprio in Titanic.¡± Priam rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m too young to be a father. By ¡®natural way,¡¯ I meant I can transform people into Homo Elysian. Primogenitor¡¯s privilege.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Prometheus laughed. ¡°That¡¯ll speed things up. Is it that easy?¡± ¡°After upgrading your genome, every cell in your body will have to be replaced, much like the Ship of Theseus. To survive the ritual, you''ll need near-instantaneous regeneration. Ideally, you¡¯d take a Hydra pill, but some Titles or Merits can fulfill the same purpose.¡± [Three-Headed Hydra], for example, could regenerate an organ or limb once a day. Prometheus took a final drag on his pipe before stowing it away. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ll have me, I¡¯ll be your first partner.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Really dude, I like women.¡± Twenty minutes later, Priam sat cross-legged before the king in a vast chamber hewn from solid rock. The laboratory''s lowest level had been chosen deliberately¡ªif the Champion decided to kill Prometheus instead of helping him, escaping would mean fighting through an army. A part of the Juggernaut found the prospect tempting. ¡°Your Majesty, the ritual should stimulate your vitality. Do you feel it?¡± Markus stood a few meters away, just beyond the crude yet essential formation surrounding them. ¡°I do,¡± Prometheus replied. In his faster heartbeats, in his warmer blood, and within his hyperactive bone marrow, Priam felt it too. His stomach growled as his body rapidly consumed every available nutrient. Taken to the extreme, this vitality overclocking could be weaponized, he thought, watching the preparations being made by the king¡¯s team. All around them, dozens of scientists and healers had gathered¡ªeither to study the racial Tier-up process or to assist in case of complications. Further back, a contingent of thirty giants, men and women covered in scars, stood silently waiting. Each of these knights was a tank, ready to lend their skills to their king to ensure his survival through the racial change. ¡°Excellent,¡± Markus said. ¡°Our chefs have prepared three highly nutritious bars¡ªthey¡¯re on the tray beside you, Your Majesty. Please consume them as soon as your body begins to falter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of that?¡± Priam asked. Markus gave him a surprised look. ¡°This formation and the tanks¡¯ abilities will accelerate our king¡¯s natural regeneration. Thanks to certain... advantages, His Majesty can recover from the loss of vital organs and even regrow limbs. However, the energy and matter required for such regeneration don¡¯t come out of thin air.¡± ¡°That makes sense, but I know for a fact that I¡¯ve regenerated some of my organs without consuming nutrients.¡± Delving into details would have revealed certain secrets, but Priam had regenerated one of his hearts even when the rest of his body was little more than a bag of bones. A smile tugged at Markus''s lips. ¡°Ah, but you¡¯re talking about restoration, not regeneration.¡± Priam opened his interface, scrolling to the description of one of his Merits. [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - First Merit : Once a day, one heart can restore itself instantly. ¡°It took us quite some time to realize the difference,¡± Markus continued. ¡°Restoration draws on ambient aether, while regeneration uses the body¡¯s energy. Since this discovery, our scientists unanimously agree that the System chooses its words carefully¡ªespecially when it comes to the effects of Titles, Talents, Merits, and skills. I¡¯m almost certain that¡¯s why it rewards learning multiple languages. Some concepts and ideas are impossible to express with a single English word, leading to misinterpretations. I¡¯ve even petitioned the king to fund a College of Languages that¡ª¡± ¡°Markus,¡± Prometheus interjected. ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty. We¡¯re ready to begin. Champion Priam?¡± With a nod, Priam extended his hand to Prometheus, closed his eyes and triggered the ability of his Title. A moment later, both men were standing in a mental space. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance to tweak your physical appearance,¡± Priam explained. ¡°The racial Tier-up will rewrite your genetic code, so you might as well fix any flaws. Got one leg shorter than the other?¡± ¡°Sounds like one of those ads to increase your penis size.¡± ¡°Except this time, it¡¯s not a scam.¡± ¡°Seriously? Did you try¡ª¡± Priam¡¯s eyes snapped open as Prometheus''s body began to bleed from every pore. When his brain liquefied, his Domain vanished, allowing Priam¡¯s authority sphere to scan the king¡¯s body. His cells were mutating at a terrifying speed, drawing on both aether and the nutrients in his blood to fuel their evolution. ¡°The king¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Markus barked. The horrified onlookers watched as their king fought to ascend into an Homo Elysian. Fifty seconds after his brain¡¯s destruction, the organ reformed in an explosion of aether. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam noticed one of the tanks falter. Interesting. ¡°Now!¡± Markus shouted. At his command, the healers cast their spells, aiding the king¡¯s recovery. Twenty seconds later, three nutritional bars floated toward Prometheus¡¯s mouth. He swallowed them, and what remained of his digestive system got to work. Soon, his surging vitality began to pull him back from death¡¯s edge. Aided by his add-on, Priam calculated that Prometheus¡¯ regeneration was at least three times faster than his own, despite the vast attribute difference. Borrowing skills from multiple tanks was excellent for health. There had to be weaknesses to this ability, but the possibilities were immense. If he manages to build an army of elites, he could rival a Champion. But without his companions, he loses most of his strength. The thought might have worried Priam, but it didn¡¯t. On the contrary, he was reassured by the knowledge that Prometheus had a vested interest in humanity''s growth. The image of a noble king, solely devoted to his civilization''s survival, was too perfect to be entirely believable. ¡°These racial talents¡­ Incredible.¡± ¡°I did a pretty good job,¡± Priam admitted with a grin. Prometheus nodded as his own blood was collected by the medics. Without the Hydra pill, the Primogenitor ritual was too dangerous for Priam to test on anyone else. Humanity¡¯s geneticists would need to find another way to propagate this race. ¡°It¡¯s very altruistic of you to share your race with us,¡± Prometheus said. Priam shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t cost me anything.¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯d like to offer you a gift.¡± The king handed Priam four crystals. Their bluish hue and the intricate runes etched within made them instantly recognizable. ¡°Skill crystals?¡± He had already consumed one to learn [Mask], a skill that later fused with his add-on to shield it from Sumstreh''s attention. ¡°Four high rare identification skills. If you fuse them after upgrading [Identification] to Rare rank, you should get an ideal upgrade.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... a lot,¡± Priam said, pocketing the crystals. Whatever the catch, he had no intention of parting with these treasures. [Identification] was one of the hardest skills to level, and an ideal upgrade was too rare to ignore. ¡°Why such generosity?¡± ¡°Because of karma,¡± Prometheus replied. ¡°My Concept makes me acutely aware of it. Human, High Human, and now Homo Elysian¡­ There¡¯s a connection between you and me, and the proxy is my race. You have authority over it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°My charisma doubles when interacting with members of a race I¡¯ve founded,¡± Priam admitted. ¡°Some of the associated Merits are¡­ sickening. I don¡¯t plan to invest any points in them.¡± The first Merit allowed him to siphon a bit of Potential from direct descendants. He didn¡¯t know what the next were, but one might grant him some measure of control over his race. This wasn''t Priam''s style. ¡°I suspected as much. Without questioning your character, I can¡¯t let humanity become overly dependent on one man¡ªeven its Champion. This gift establishes a karmic link between us. If you ever misuse your authority to harm our civilization, I¡¯ll have the means to intervene. Knowing this, do you accept those crystals?¡± ¡°I accept.¡± ¡°Do humanity proud. Your brothers and sisters await your return.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Prometheus'' knights saluted sharply before stepping into the Archipelago of Concepts. In the throne room, Priam closed the portal to his internal world and turned to Prometheus. ¡°Well then, I''m off.¡± ¡°You still plan to visit the Arkanian capital?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have some business there.¡± A particular quest had caught Priam¡¯s interest, but it wasn¡¯t the only reason. Through their bond, he could feel Jasmine¡¯s impatience and fear. Despite her progress, the young woman remained haunted by her former masters. Priam wasn¡¯t about to let that stand. ¡°Very well. C¨¦cilia will open a portal near their capital. It¡¯ll save you some time.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± As the Mistress of Arcana gathered a group of mages to create a rift, Priam voiced a question that had been gnawing at him for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your subordinates, walked your city, and spoken with your people. What you¡¯re doing here¡­ It¡¯s a bit extreme, but desperate times call for radical measures. That said, I¡¯ve got one last question: if the day comes when you unite this entire continent, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll turn my attention to the rest of Proxima. No threat will be allowed to endanger our civilization,¡± the king replied without hesitation. Priam nodded thoughtfully before offering his perspective. ¡°In a universe this vast, eradicating every threat is impossible. Even if it weren¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t be wise. It¡¯s the sun, not fire, that should warm a civilization, and water, not blood, that should nourish it. War stimulates humans because they dream of the peace that follows. You, who have devoted your life to humanity, beware of diverting it from what makes it strong.¡± As his warning hung in the air, Priam turned to the ritual C¨¦cilia had begun constructing. With a sweep of his Domain, he seized control, imbuing the runes with aether. The air before him shimmered as reality¡¯s fabric tore, bridging two places that should never have been connected. Through a tiny rift, Pyro found a small flame that was both near and far. My instinct tells me that this spark will soon become a conflagration. Arkana, here I come. Priam rode the fire, vanishing from the throne room. In his wake, he left behind awe and doubt. The Juggernaut had destroyed nothing, but he had shaken the convictions of some. [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 55 minutes 41 seconds.
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