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Chapter 191: Jasmine’s Tribulations

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 facethe 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," Eve 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 Eve'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.

"Whats Oasis?" asked Sphinx, feeling the Fallen's attention on her.

"Priam bases 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 gates 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 bondsmeaning 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."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"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 hadnt 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"

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