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Chapter 157: Final Preparations
Chapter 157: Final Preparations
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.
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"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.
"Thats 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 her 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, dont 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."
"Langage, 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 its 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