Chapter 29: The Colosseum

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 wasnt 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?"

"Im 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 grew up by the sea. I will surf your waves, Bechar."

The sharp teeth of the changeling appeared again. "I'll look forward to it, Priam."

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 the 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.

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] lvl9

STR + 1

Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 2

AGI + 1

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl5

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