Chapter 69: Promesse

Chapter 69: Promesse

"Well?" asked Gloria as Priam rose to his feet.

"Nothing. It's a mass of flesh, muscle and bone. If Anatole merged with this creature, he was dead before my spear touched him," Priam said gloomily.

Gloria nodded. "Too bad. Besides, you're out of aether, aren't you? I was wondering why you didn't attack me," Gloria said mischievously.

Priam remained silent.

Gloria harrumphed. "You're not very talkative. Too bad, I have no desire to confront you either after seeing your attack. I'll be going before you get your aether back, then. Until next time, Priam!"

Gloria waved him off, then moved off toward a tunnel. It wasn't the one Priam had come through and must lead to other revenant camps. The young Viscount turned his attention back to the corpse of the Abomination.

Anatole had run away. Or had never been there. It was the only explanation for the absence of a quest reward. Priam had contracted two quests calling for Anatole's death. Neither of them had been validated.

However, all was not lost. Priam leaned back towards the Abomination and plunged his hand into the vile mass of muscle and putrefied flesh. The smell was unbearable, but his new sense of smell enabled him to ignore it.

After several seconds of searching, his hand found what he had hidden from Gloria. An urn. Priam searched the mist for Gloria. When he found no trace of the young woman, he pulled it out.

It appeared to be made of bronze, but Priam would have bet that his most powerful attack didn't have the power to scratch its surface. The lights from the torches set out by the Revenants reflected off its surface.

Leaving aside the wisps of black smoke that hugged its luminous reflections, the urn looked almost normal. It should also be noted that it was too clean. There were no traces of blood or dirt on it.

[Identification]

[Funerary Urn of the Depths] - A mysterious urn. Contains the soul fragment of an Earl of the Depths.

His skill wasn't powerful enough, and the description was terse. Despite this, a smile appeared on Priam's face. Anatole might have run away, but he had to abandon the Urn.

Update: A Light in the Depths.

You've released part of the consciousness of a Phoenix Prince.

Recover or destroy the Urn of the Depths.

Reward: Your Bound Weapon will be tempered by the grace of the Phoenix

Priam smiled as the notification confirmed his conclusions. His spear appeared in his hand, and Priam felt a question coming from it.

"You can evolve," said Priam. His spear was slowly developing a conscience. He'd realized this during his fights. It was becoming increasingly familiar to him, and he was handling it better. Today, his bound weapon had the possibility of evolving, increasing its power and their compatibility. Priam just hoped the transformation would be completed before his Tribulations.

Out of nowhere, a flame appeared. It seemed immaterial and gave off no heat. Yet it exuded a noble and potent aura.

Winding around itself, the flame transformed, gradually taking on the shape of a Phoenix. The mythical animal took to the air, circling the cavern before coming to rest before Priam.

Quietly flapping his wings, it opened its mouth, and the hoplite spear levitated into it.

The Phoenix opened its copper-colored eyes, and time slowed down. Priam's heart had stopped beating, and only his conscience now observed the spectacle before him. In his mind, a distant star, barely visible, began to shine. His Talent [Bound Weapon] was resonating with the Phoenix.

The legendary bird changed color. Its flames evolved according to the wavelengths of the rainbow. From red, they became yellow, green, blue and then violet. Without stopping, they continued towards the ultraviolet, and Priam's eyes adjusted. He felt a skill building up. Panicking, he connected to his Potential to prevent its creation.

You have gained the skill: [Broad-spectrum v... Delayed.

POT -42

Priam would have sighed with relief if he'd been able to move. In a second, he would have winced. Apparently, blocking the creation of competence was as costly as creating it...

Unmoved by the Viscount's thoughts, the Phoenix continued his transformation. Before long, it became invisible. Priam could still feel its presence. [Aether Perception] was deactivated to save his aether, but his META-Perception attribute enabled him to passively detect aether.

After a time Priam couldn't measure, the Phoenix reappeared. Its feathers were now incandescent white and Priam was blinded by its light. The Phoenix opened its mouth and screamed.

Moments later, the world began to spin again. Priam felt reality reconnect and regained his sight. In front of him, floating a few centimeters above his hands, there was a long spear.

Its shaft, about two meters long, was silvered. Runes resembling phoenix feathers caught the eye. The spear's copper tip seemed capable of piercing any material. Moving closer to admire it, Priam noticed the light playing with the blade, creating flamboyant reflections. After seeing the transformation with his own eyes, the Viscount didn't know what to think. A flame had been imprisoned in his spear, and the weapon seemed blessed by a Phoenix.

Priam stretched out his hand and grasped it. It vibrated between his fingers. He smiled at its natural, firm grip. With this spear, he knew he was capable of incredible feats. Sensing his thoughts, the weapon vibrated, nestling perfectly between his fingers. It couldn't yet communicate with him, but he knew he could count on it. Killing the Earl or surviving his Tribulations were no longer such impossible goals. Smiling, Priam identified it.

[Identification]

[???? - Bound to Priam Azura] - A spear from another world. Bound to its bearer by the Concepts, baptized by battle, blessed by the Phoenix and repeatedly reforged by a mysterious power. Its potential is linked to its wearer. Like the Phoenix, the flames temper it.

As a [Bound Weapon], it benefits from a small portion of its wearer's Titles and Talents.

Improves the effectiveness of spear-based skills.

Would you like to name this weapon?Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

The System was right, his spear needed a name. Priam was neither bad nor good at finding names. But if this weapon was to accompany him throughout his life and grow with him...

Cost: 130 Potential

Absorb the fragment?

Cost: 260 Potential

Priam decided to absorb the fragment. [Mirror of the Soul] was an instrumental talent and he felt he had everything to gain by strengthening it. Without the Concept fragment, improving this Talent would cost him a lot.

At the center of his being, his reserve of Potential split into two parts. The smaller piece created a tunnel to... somewhere else. Like the first time he'd absorbed a fragment, an infinite consciousness descended briefly. The shimmering pool became ethereal before disappearing.

[Mirror of the Soul] shook and Priam connected with it. His mental space had changed. The spring housing his reflection had quadrupled in size. The chains impeding his movements were clearer and their origin more obvious. But above all, the reflection was smiling. If the chains had gained in clarity, he had gained in strength. Priam met his own gaze and smiled.

"Time to raise the curtain."

Seraphine pushed aside a last branch and grumbled. She had finally arrived. Her jaw was clenched due to shame and anger. Despite her best efforts, she had lost track of Priam's father. She and Anatole didn't always see eye to eye, but she wasn't stubborn enough to refuse to listen to a good idea. Finding leverage against the Champion of Humanity was a good idea.

Ahead lay a small village. A dozen roughly-built wooden dwellings. A waste of time when you knew that the next Reunion wouldn't be announced for several months. Moreover, the bravest humans wouldn't ask to spend the Reunion on the Moon. After all, why settle for a satellite when a new planet awaited humanity? And Revenant...

The Revenants' Champion made her way through the village. She might have lost track of Priam's father, but all was not lost. She'd found Claire.

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

PHYSICAL:

Strength 155

Constitution 258

Agility 166

Vitality 284

Perception 299

MENTAL:

Vivacity 176

Dexterity 201

Memory 50

Willpower 288

Charisma 150

META:

Meta-affinity 141

Meta-focus 98

Meta-endurance 90

Meta-perception 32

Meta-chance 114

Potential: 1085

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 6 hours 1 min 21s

[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.

Time: 10 hours 21 minutes 15 seconds.