Chapter 36: Ocean’s One

Chapter 36: Ocean’s One

Priam confirmed that no one was on the roof before closing his eyes and focusing on his mist. He didn't want to be noticed. To do so, he had to create the most transparent, least dense mist possible. Wisps of fog slowly swirled around Priam as he focused on his skill. His Title and Merits helped him, and soon a scarf of mist appeared around his neck. The scarf stretched under his impulse. Slowly swirling around his body, passing under his arms to caress his hands, the fog responded to his desires.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 10

PERC +4

CHAR +2

META (AFFI) +3

Priam took a moment to realize a fundamental truth. [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist] were unrelated to the same Concepts. [Kinetic Control] was obviously related to the Concept of Energy. [Moon Mist] was more complicated to associate with one of the Seven Concepts. Chaos? Matter, perhaps?

In any case, the Concepts did not respond similarly, nor did their skills. [Kinetic Control] had to be controlled, calculated, and measured. Priam relied on precise scientific data to use his skill. The more accurate he was in his requests, the closer his data was to reality, the more he visualized the vectors, the better his skill worked. It was a tool for Priam.

[Moon Mist] was different. Taking the time to experiment with his skill for the second time, Priam realized that this skill needed to be understood, almost cajoled. It wasn't alive, but it wasn't wholly neutral either. Its affinity for mist mattered greatly, and the Baron had to put himself in a particular frame of mind to use it properly. It wasn't a matter of fusion but of feeling. He had to be the mist. Or at least that was the ultimate goal. Currently, he was riding it. One day they would be one.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 11

PERC +4

CHAR +2

META (AFFI) +3

Sitting on the Phoenix statue, Priam smiled as his mist took the form of a long tentacle. He manipulated the appendage by projecting his mind into it. Gently, he directed the fog toward a nearby chimney. There was no fire in the Dome, but the System had copied Earth's architecture and thus these now useless conduits.

Priam quickly reached the fireplace hearth, only to realize he had no idea of the room's configuration. The [Brainless] Merits allowed him to transfer his mind into his mist, but not out. He could only feel what the mist touched. He was blind, but any fool could raise the alarm when he saw a cloud appear in a closed room.

Shit! How am I going to get to the Tear room without seeing anything?

Priam opened his eyes. He was still connected to the room below him and decided to teleport into the large chimney shaft. Then he could observe the space and decide what to do next. A day would come when he could rob castles while sipping hot chocolate - Priam didn't like coffee - from a nearby inn. That day was not today.

He concentrated briefly before creating a pocket of mist in the vent. Taking a deep breath, he used [Eidetic Memory] to recall the exact feeling that had come over him when he first rode the mist. Instantly, the feeling reappeared with absolute clarity. This is genuinely a fantastic talent!

Confident, connected with his mist, he stepped forward and rode the fog.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 12

PERC +4

CHAR +2

META (AFFI) +3

The next moment, Priam suddenly reached out to lean against the chimney's walls. He had teleported but kept a filament of mist on the roof to escape at the end of his mission. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt no pain in his body. Apparently, he could use his skills again without eroding his meridians. His body had healed quickly.

With both hands resting on the sides of the conduit, Priam tilted his head down and his feet toward the sky. An observer might have thought he was doing a handstand, but his hands were not on the ground. They were pressed to the sides of the chimney flue. In a gymnast's position, he passed his head quickly to the fireplace's height to observe the room. No one was there.

Priam released his hold on the chimney and flipped in order to land on his feet. Observing the room one last time, he then walked towards the room door. The room he was currently occupying was unused, and he had not come here to sleep. Gently opening the door, Priam glanced down the hallway. No one was on his left, but a staircase led down the hallway to his right. Noise was coming from that direction. Where there is noise, there are Phoenix Tears!

Priam headed for the stairs, spear in hand. He began to drown the hallway in mist. If someone came along, he would quickly knock them out without leaving the person able to identify him.

Descending the stairs, Priam projected large amounts of mist before him. [Identification] worked with one of the five senses; without seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting him, itwould be impossible for the occupants to recognize him. Priam could see through the mist, so he had no interest in not using the skill to its fullest. Being of epic rank, it would protect him from even the vision of a mere Baron. Humanity did not yet have a Viscount, so Priams anonymity was assured.

One floor below, a glance at the corridor informed him of the uselessness of the place. He was apparently on the floor that housed the humans who had sworn loyalty to the Phoenix clan. Priam went downstairs again and stopped. The noise was much louder, and he bent down to look.

He saw a richly decorated hallway with massive wooden doors and smiled. Guards flanked a large entrance in the middle of the hallway. Dressed in red robes embroidered with copper, with swords at their belts, they looked more majestic than dangerous. Priam was not a professional burglar, but he knew that when there were guards, there were things to steal. He would have liked to identify them but remembered that his basic skill would have alerted them.

Priam wasn't planning to knock out everyone in the building, nor was he going to indicate that he had arrived from the roof. The more questions people had, the fewer answers they would have. He concentrated and created a thin wire of mist that he ran between the floor and the baseboards of the wall protecting the Tear Room. The thread of mist was almost transparent, odorless, and moved without sound. It was no more than a centimeter in diameter, so the guards had no chance of seeing it without looking at their feet.

An old man in his sixties stood behind him, smiling. He was dressed in black and had gloved hands. His suit showed a slender but muscular body. Priam put the black box away and tightened his grip on his spear.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Diamond. Thief extraordinaire of the Thieves' Guild. Nice to meet you, Priam," replied Diamond.

"... Nice to meet you too," said Priam after a short pause. "Priam, survivor extraordinaire. Did your parents hate you, or is that a code name?"

Priam checked the surroundings as he answered Diamond. Knowing a thief could be useful, but he did not wish to be ambushed. Underestimating an opponent was always dangerous.

"A code name. I like diamonds, and I'm a good thief," the elder revealed with a wink to Priam.

"I like pizza, and I'm a good eater, but my name isn't Pizza," Priam commented with a shrug. "Still, Diamond is still classier than Pizza so why not. What do you want from me?"

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 86

Constitution 103

Agility 119

Vitality 164

Perception 191

MENTAL:

Vivacity 135

Dexterity 113

Memory 33

Willpower 69

Charisma 90

META:

Meta-affinity 89

Meta-focus 60

Meta-endurance 4

Meta-chance 40

Potential: 221

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 0h 50min 39s.

[Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming.

Time: 53 hours 20 minutes 33 seconds.