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 The sadness from earlier had been replaced by playfulness.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—whatever 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.
“Priam’s got ten of them,” Luc pointed out, leaning against a balcony railing. Below, a sprawling metropolis stretched out—skyscrapers 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—when, as a Tier 5, she could have multiplied the price a thousandfold—warmed 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—afraid 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—anything 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—you’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—back 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—” Luc stopped mid-sentence. Too late.
“Oh? And how do you know that?”
“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.”
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For a brief moment, Priam thought about creating a skill to manipulate fire—Pyro 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.
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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—Tier 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—he 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—his 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—a mesmerizing blend of turquoise and gold—was 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—you 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—no 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—a 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—and possibly a death—you should be able to stimulate its evolution.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Priam said, opening his Merits.
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% / DormantFire (T0): 100% / UnityPyro (T1): 95% / SymphonyMist (T1): 100% / SymphonyBloodlines:
Phoenix: 1%Dragon: <1%Rewards standing:
Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2Evolution 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
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