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Chapter 168: Down the rabbit hole
Chapter 168: Down the rabbit hole
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 Assistants 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 51,...,55
VIVA +10
DEXT +15
META (FOCUS) +20
Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 13,14
WILL +6
Lvl Up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 14,15,16,17
WILL +12
Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 15,16,17
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (END) +3
Lvl Up: [Solar resistance] lvl 2,3
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: [Priams 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
- 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...
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"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 2s 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 [Priams 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.
"Arent 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. Her friend shrank and ran into Priam's arms. He 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