Chapter 45: Heading for Viracocha

Chapter 45: Heading for Viracocha

When the bubble had closed over him again, Priam had concentrated. All his strength, emotions, and will had been condensed and refined into a blade of will. Unfortunately, a minute later, his thoughts were wandering again. As is often the case, a man's will was weak in the face of his nature.

Priam had very much hoped to receive a letter from Hogwarts when he entered thesixth grade, but it had never arrived. His Vivacity was twice as powerful as his Willpower, and this fact could not be changed. As his thoughts wandered again, Priam realized he had to use all his strengths. He had initially triggered [Meditation] to focus his thoughts, and it had worked.

However, [Meditation] required a certain amount of diligence. Before the Tutorial, monks could spend tens of thousands of hours meditating to control their bodies and minds. Priam lacked experience, and his skill was only level 4. His concentration had slipped again and Priam had become irritated. In a fraction of a second, he had devised solutions to keep his attention. He had even been tempted to stab himself in the thigh with a knife - or some other barbaric means of inflicting pain. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

Priam then mentally brushed the idea aside. He was in this bubble to concentrate on his sensations and find a way to reach Micro. Hurting himself and adding unnecessary painful signals would not increase his chances of pinpointing his primal instinct. He concentrated again, forgetting his anger.

Lvl Up : [Meditation] lvl 5

WILL+3

One minute. As his thoughts escaped him again and his lungs burned, Priam had an idea. He invoked [Mirror of the Soul] and looked at his reflection in the pool he had absorbed. A fragment of the concept of purity had dissolved there.

Priam plunged his eyes into those of his reflection and contemplated a new chain that was binding him. A metal crown encircled his head, passed through his forehead, and connected to his hand. Metaphorically, Priam held himself back by his choices, impatience, and fear of defeat. By trying so hard to keep failure out of his thoughts, he was inviting it in. Focusing on the negative reinforced his fears.

Smiling inwardly, Priam accepted his emotions. He now knew his problem.

In the mental space of [Mirror of the Soul], Priam stood up before letting himself fall into the water. The liquid took over his body and began to purify his thoughts. Instinctively, Priam realized that the price he had to pay was the depletion of his fragment of purity, but he was prepared to make the sacrifice.

Floating on the water's surface, he could feel the chains binding him. The pool was losing power, but Priam could finally understand what was blocking him. They were personal chains, due mainly to his fears. His Dexterity also informed him of millions of tiny chains, which seemed to be blocking his meridians, his muscles and his organs... Later, he thought. He now knew his lesson: it was dangerous to spread yourself too thin.

Two minutes. His body was still sitting cross-legged and deprived of air. His mind was now cut off from the outside world, concentrated in his mental space. His spiritual body floated on the surface of the hot spring transformed by the Concepts. With another thought, Priam altered the environment. The water became denser and the light disappeared.

Priam was floating in a pure pool, without light, sound or external stimuli, as in a sensory isolation chamber. Aided by the purity of the water, [Meditation] reactivated, and the aethereal environment of the training room increased his learning speed.

Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 6

WILL+3

Soothed, Priam gradually reconnected with his body. First to his lungs, which were screaming, then to his heart, beating hard to keep him alive. The rest of his body gradually took shape in his mind and he threw all his Vivacity and Dexterity into observing his bodily reactions.

The oxygen level in his body was dropping and his instincts were screaming at him to take a breath. Priam stared coldly at the animal part of his brain. Mentally floating on the pool's surface that existed only in his mind, he no longer felt any pain. In fact, he felt nothing except the din caused by his instincts.

Three minutes. Priams Dexterity informed him that while his Constitution allowed him to conserve a large reserve of oxygen in his lungs, his Vitality consumed an enormous amount of resources. His impressive Vitality allowed him to heal himself of almost any injury, but his body consumed tremendous energy in the process. His resurrections replenished his stocks and he had only reached his limits once - when Claire betrayed him. If he were to run out of calories - or oxygen - his body would be miserable.

That was precisely what was happening right now. If three minutes of apnea wasn't an impressive amount of time on Earth, Priam's body couldn't take much more. He couldn't measure his body's consumption exactly, but he knew it used almost five times as much oxygen as an average human to operate naturally.

Lvl Up : [Poison Body] lvl 2

CONST +1

VIT +1

META (END) +1

Shit. Carbon dioxide! [Poison Body] manages to transform it into a beneficial substance, but if its level rises any further, I'm going to end up with a fourth Tribulation!

For the first time, Priam faced a danger well-known to System users. Tribulations were bound to happen because stagnation was often impossible. The System was constantly pushing its users toward the Zenith.

The seconds continued to tick by as Priam's body weakened. The concentration of carbon dioxide in his blood increased, but [Poison Body] prevented him from suffering too much. Unfortunately, although his body was getting used to it, the lack of oxygen was still lethal. His brain continued to weaken and the tips of his fingers and lips turned blue. His heart began to increase in frequency to compensate for the lack of oxygen.

Tachycardia - an increase in heart rate above one hundred beats per minute - was the brain's response to the lack of oxygen. His brain was panicking, his instincts were trying to force him to breathe and Priam was concentrating harder than ever. His time was coming.

Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 7

WILL+3

Four minutes. The situation was becoming critical and Priam didn't want to damage his brain. If he didn't manage to detect Micro after five minutes, he would have to end his attempt prematurely. Priam wanted to get it right on his first try. Each failure brought experience but each victory strengthened his momentum.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 3

CONST +1

VIT +1

META (END) +1

His lungs contracted. Isolated in his mental space, Priam knew this reflex was not his making. His instincts were now begging to live. His Vitality was trying to heal his body but was only making things worse. With no resources to repair his heart, his cells efforts were increasing their oxygen consumption.

Synergies detected.

You have gained the skill: [Asphyxia Resistance - Rare].

[Asphyxia Resistance] - Your body needs oxygen and calories. Without oxygen, your cells can't convert the nutrients you absorb into energy. This resistance fundamentally alters your cells. They begin to use the ambient aether to transform these nutrients into energy.

Are you still human?

VIT +2

META (END) +1

Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Priams body began to shake and his mouth opened. Now! [Bullet Time].

It all happened in a split second. Excitement canceled out his meditation. His lungs expanded to breathe fresh air, and his mouth and windpipe opened naturally. However, his mind was no longer concerned with his body.

From the pool of [Mirror of the Soul], Priam was using all his concentration, Vivacity and Dexterity to get his primal instincts. Now it was his Willpower that was being deployed to master that instinct. He didn't want to kill it, just take control of it. This primal part had been with him since birth. It was as much a part of him as his hands or his memory.

Priam's conscious will touched his primal instincts. There was a deep connection, a return to his roots. Priam could feel his body as new and unfamiliar sensations appeared. His instincts naturally gave way and Priam found himself in charge, without explanation or help.

You received an Achievement," Bechar smiled. "I blocked it as the Supervisor of the Coliseum because you didn't show me respect."

"What?!"

"That's the excuse I gave," Bechar shrugs. "With your rewards, you would have triggered a fourth Tribulation. As soon as your Tribulations arrive, you may collect your reward and face the Tribulations at the height of your power. Until then, I've blocked it and your Constitution. Three more points and you're dead kid. Be careful not to evade death, my technique will be deactivated then," warned Bechar.

"... Thank you," said Priam. He meant it. The changeling surely wanted to see the beginning of a new legend and had undoubtedly saved his life. "How do I unlock this seal?"

"By dying. Don't worry, the Tribulations will help you," Bechar quipped. Sphinx chuckled and Priam sighed. His two companions werent betting on his victory.

"What are you going to do?" asked Bechar.

"I need to practice Micro. Thanks to heavy water and Potential, I've pushed back my limits. If I want to master Micro even better, I need a real situation. I've got a few trinkets to steal, and then it's off to Viracocha with Sphinx."

Bechar nodded. "I can't wait to see you in action. By the way, don't kill the Viscount under the Dome. The Title will cause a Tribulation."

Bechar stared into Priam's eyes. The changeling looked like an old man, sometimes wise, sometimes a little crazy. "The Champion of Humanity versus the Revenants... I wonder who'll win," Bechar sneered.

Priam squinted. If, after seeing his progress and Status, Bechar was still questioning his victory, then there was only one explanation. The Revenants were more dangerous than they appeared. However, Priam was sure of one thing.

"It will be me. Death is in my wake," he announced.

The Grand Master of the Cult, Anatole Aely'Samael, watched the portal of Viracocha from the top of his tower. The Ducal Palace had the tallest towers in the city, but the Cathedral of the Cult was a close second. His own tower was extraordinarily high and overlooked Viracocha. With 360 windows, his room - which also served as a laboratory - was the ideal place to keep an eye on his sheep.

Anatole smiled as he stroked the urn of the depths. He always smiled, even when the news was terrible, but his smile was almost sincere today. The Reunion had been going on for two and a half days and the Revenants had done an excellent job. They had forged alliances with the most problematic factions. They had bought the neutrality of the most powerful factions. They had planned the downfall of humanity in order to rebuild a better society. Finally, they had acquired the power necessary for their plan. Only a few variables were left, and the most symbolic of them had just arrived.

Anatole was looking at the portal leading to the other Domes. A distinguished guest had set foot in Viracocha. Priam Azura, the Champion of Humanity, had even brought a Dome Lord with him. Anatole's advisors had laughed when they heard the level of danger proposed by Claire, but Anatole had been interested. He knew that Priam would be dangerous.

Perhaps he would be powerful enough to reveal the Revenants' plan. Maybe he would destroy Viracocha. Possibly he would kill Anatole. But the Grand Master was not afraid. One man was no match for an idea.

"That's the problem with any genocide. There is always a Champion who rises against the new order. All you have to do is crush him to annihilate the resistance. Don't keep me waiting Priam," muttered Anatole.

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

PHYSICAL:

Strength 119

Constitution 197

Agility 132

Vitality 212

Perception 235

MENTAL:

Vivacity 162

Dexterity 142

Memory 36

Willpower 98

Charisma 101

META:

Meta-affinity 99

Meta-focus 80

Meta-endurance 58

Meta-chance 46

Potential: 151

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.

Time: 28 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds.