Chapter 77: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 77: The Beginning of the End

Alain looked up at the sky. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and a gigantic ash cloud rose into the atmosphere. Or rather, a column.

"A volcano? But the ash should disperse. Curious..."

"I've seen stranger things," Louis muttered. "Once, one of my students wanted to show me a circus trick. He swallowed alcohol to spit fire... through his nose. His nose hairs burned off."

"... I don't see what this has to do with the volcano," commented Mirscella.

"That's because you didn't see him spitting fire from his nose. He must have had a bit of a blocked nostril, by the way, because..."

"Anyway!" Alain interrupted his friend. "Something strange is happening. Certainly a Tribulation. I don't know why, but I'm thinking about my son..."

"That's normal. He's about to unleash his own."

The three seniors turned to look at the newcomer.

"Juana," greeted Louis and Mirscella. "What did you say?!" exclaimed Alain.

The blind woman came closer, leaning on her cane. Alain stepped forward to help her, annoyed. The Tutorial had somehow cured them of their old age. With her attributes, Juana could do a somersault. Instead, she enjoyed playing the grandmother.

"You're cute, Alain. I'm sorry about Priam, I didn't know before. But you have to believe in him. Maybe he'll be the first man to withstand a Tribulation. To be honest, I can't see much, but that's not a bad sign, you know?"

"What do you mean?" asked Alain with patience. Juana was a hundred years old, as well as the senior of their group. Everyone respected her, not only for her wisdom but also for her Talent. She could see things.

"I don't read the future. I see probabilities, knots, places, or moments that could change history. Your son is a knot heading for another knot..."

There was silence for a second before Louis spoke.

"Am I the only one who understands nothing?..."

Juana laughed.

"I sometimes speak in Delphic ways on purpose."

Louis grunted, and Mirscella clarified. "It means enigmatic."

"Juana, please," pleaded Alain.

"Sorry sorry, you'll have to excuse an old lady's eccentricities. Well, two things can happen. If your son survives, he'll form a giant knot. A kind of star with intense gravity. But of course, his thread can also break..."

A deafening noise rang out, and the air shook. The four elders turned towards the pillar of ash.

Alain turned first and headed for the main building. "Where are you going?" shouted Louis.

"To see my son. I might not be able to do anything but look at him, but I want him to know that his father has his back."

"But you don't even know where he is?!"

"I don't, but this Claire should know."

Alain entered the building, and Louis sighed before looking at Mirscella. "I'll go with him. He can manage, but he's not the best fighter. Maybe well stop some rascals from disrupting his son's Tribulations."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"... No reason," said Louis, moving away.

When he disappeared, Juana laughed.

"You should go too, you know?"

"... To help Alain and his son?"

"For Louis, you stupid girl. Your husband's been dead for half a century, and it's a new world."

Mirscella remained silent. Suddenly, a blow from the cane struck her shin. "Ouch! That hurt!"

"What hurts me is seeing your indecision. I won't see Louis again until the next Reunion, but there's a good chance he'll die without you. The woman who came for Claire and then ran away..."

"Seraphine."

"Maybe she'll kill him."

"We defeated her last time," Mirscella replied scornfully. "She had to flee, and I almost caught her."

"Louis barely had the advantage, and she escaped when she saw that Louis wasn't alone. Besides, you almost caught her."

"... Louis is better than her."

"I'm glad you're standing up for him, but that's only in a fair fight." Juana sighed. "You're too stubborn, Mirscella. It's snack time, so see you."

Mirscella stood alone, watching the ash cloud. The trees shivered in the wind, and one of the world's oldest assassins was hesitating.

Victoria was moving toward the lion to intercept him. The animal was a sight to behold. His fur was totally burnt, and his flesh had been ravaged by the flames. A layer of ash stuck to his skin, which surely made him suffer terribly. By some miracle, he had managed to save one of his eyes. Noble despite his wounds, the Boss headed for the forest.

The leader of the Alliance knew that, despite his injuries, he remained a dangerous adversary. Victoria had no problem pouncing on the wounded animal. Pity was a fatal weakness in this new world and Victoria knew how to adapt. She wasn't the only one.

On her left, a man was running parallel to her. She had heard of Prometheus, the Divine King. His army was extremely well-trained, and his second-in-command had just become a Viscount. A phenomenal feat.

However, she was confident. A king was only as powerful as his subjects. Victoria was not a Queen but a Leader. That was why she was here. To prove to the Alliance and humanity that men and women could progress. That the human race could win and prosper.

Fifty meters from the Earl, she raised her sword. [Mastery - Sword], [Dash]. Reappearing a meter from the beast, she slashed. Her sword bit into the lion's muzzle, and he seemed almost surprised to see her. The Tribulation appeared to have genuinely exhausted him.

"I'll make this quick..." Victoria stopped before finishing her sentence. A force was pushing her toward the ground. Turning her head slightly, she noticed Prometheus leaning on her shoulder to jump. The king leaped towards the lion, throwing Victoria backward. This bastard!

The man's sword was relatively simple but descended with the fatality of death. The point of the blade was aimed at the lion's glabella, and Victoria gritted her teeth. If Prometheus possessed Mastery, the sword would pierce the lion's brain, and that would be the end.

Suddenly, Victoria's instincts screamed. She brought her shield against her, but she knew it wouldn't be enough. [Statue]. The world went dark for a second. Opening her eyes again, the Alliance leader realized she was over fifty meters high. Her skill had absorbed the instant damage, but the attack had propelled her a long way. Despite his fatigue and injuries, the beast remained monstrously powerful.

Below her, the Earl continued his walk toward the forest. [Redirection]. Her trajectory changed, and Victoria charged toward the lion. Prometheus had disappeared - certainly blown away by the wind attack - and the field was clear. The Title was hers.

Gathering all her Willpower in [Mastery - Sword], Victoria prepared to pierce the beast's skull. Just as she was getting near, the beast looked up at her resignedly. At that exact moment, a notification appeared in Victoria's field of vision.

Announcement to Humanity:

A Moon Earl died by the hand of humankind. Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement.

Zone Announcement:

Congratulations to Priam Azura for finishing a Zone Guardian.

Saghtjp, the Queen Mother, has passed away.

Humanity will receive a bonus at the end of the Reunion for this achievement!

"You humans don't give us a chance, do you?" the Earl said. Averting his gaze, the lion raised his mouth and roared with all his might. Victoria urgently plugged her ears with cotton. She had come prepared. Less than a meter from the lion, she held up her sword to deliver the fatal blow. The Earl made no attempt to defend himself.

Suddenly, the world turned red. Liters of blood and cerebrospinal fluid showered over her body. An instant later, thunder cracked, rattling her eardrums despite the protections. A terrible gust of wind pushed her back for the second time.The origin of this chapter's debut can be traced to N0v3l--B1n.

In the air, Victoria recovered her balance thanks to Micro. The ground was approaching and she rolled to cushion her landing. Quickly wiping her eyes, she observed the carnage. Some thirty meters away, the noble lion had almost disappeared.

Zone Announcement:

Congratulations to Priam Azura for finishing a Zone Guardian.

Safamu, the Noble Lion, has passed away.

Humanity will receive a bonus at the end of the Reunion for this achievement!

The crushed grass was red with the animal's blood. Pieces of bone, skin and organs were scattered over a wide area. The animal's legs were still more or less intact, but far apart. A projectile had gone right through the animal's body. The ground shook and Victoria saw a cloud of dust form in the distance. The shot had hit the ground a few kilometers away.

Despite not being a ballistics expert, Victoria turned in the direction the lion had looked before dying. Her enhanced eyes immediately detected the author of the kill steal.

About a kilometer from her position was a young man who physically matched some of the reports she'd read. Tall, rather muscular, with tanned skin and messy hair, Priam Azura had a striking face. Clearly not the most handsome man Victoria had ever seen, it was undeniable that his face had character. The Champion stood perched on the corpse of some kind of horrible spider. Another Earl...

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and their eyes met. For a moment, Victoria's rising anger subsided. His eyes didn't seem arrogant. They were complex, and his lips moved.

Victoria frowned and concentrated. She could read lips but he was far away.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 21,22,23,24,25

PERC +20

CHAR +10

META (AFFI) +15

[Tribulation]: An attribute above 300 was detected in Tier 0.

A Tribulation is coming.

Time: ???

Delayed.

Before its achievement, Priam burst out laughing before stopping in amazement. His perception had undergone a massive change as he exceeded three hundred points. In addition to the enhanced perception of his mist, his senses seemed Better. Sharper. Stronger.

As a result, Priam's body was sending him a deluge of information. The young Earl smiled. He sensed that something was coming. By dint of improving his attributes, his body was being reshaped. At four hundred or five hundred, something would happen...

His sense of smell woke him up. The fragrance of roasted brains coming from the hole in the spider's head was unbearable, but Priam ignored it. He looked up at Safamu and swore. Prometheus had been thrown several hundred meters, but the unknown woman was coming back into the fight.

Priam raised Promesse and mustered almost a tenth of the kinetic energy he had stored inside him - it would be enough. He smiled as he mobilized his strength. At last, he was no longer shackled by the fear of Tribulation. He could go beyond his limits and increase his attributes and skills. The battle ahead would be challenging, but Priam was ready to give his all.

Smiling, he met the Earl's gaze. The lion roared, and Priam roared back.

"[Kinetic Control]!"

Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 24,25

VIVA +4

DEXT +6

META (FOCUS) +8

[Tribulation]: Twelve attributes above 100 were detected in Tier 0.

A Tribulation is coming

Time: ???

Delayed.

The spear disappeared from Priam's hands with the lion's final roar. Promesse, bearer of death, swallowed the distance between the two adversaries. By now, the weapon weighed around twenty kilograms, and its speed reached two kilometers per second. It took half a second for it to hit Safamu. The lion exploded, and Priam grunted in pain. His meridians were burning atrociously, and he took the opportunity to drink from his gourd. The Spring's liquid flowed down his throat, and its freshness soothed Priam.

Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 19

META (END) +3

Update: Predator - Earl

Safamu, the Noble Lion, is dead.

Reward: Potential +500.

Participation: 21%.

Bonus: Potential +60.

Title upgraded! [Moon Earl - Gold]

Congratulations!

[Moon Earl - Gold] - You have participated in the elimination of several Earls. The sum of your participation is greater than 100%. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted to Moon Earl.

You are now one of the most powerful nobles of this Reunion. Be proud of your achievements.

To stop running for a second is to lose the race.

Mist is everywhere you are. You are a representative of the Moon. Its blessing is with you. Can you sense it?

His skill had changed. More than the various rewards, his new proximity to the mist pleased him. Priam could feel it all around him, ready to obey his every command and thought.

At last, Priam sighed as he read the notification. His plan had worked. All he had to do now was survive his Tribulations. He met the young woman's gaze, who seemed angry at not being able to kill the Earl.

"Sorry," he mouthed. "You should run."

Seeing her discomfited expression, he simplified his message. "Flee."

She nodded, and Priam looked up at the dark sky.

The rain began to fall. A whirr of wings approached. A shadow flew through the black clouds. The Tribulations were here.

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

PHYSICAL:

Strength 160 (+1)

Constitution 284

Agility 195 (+1)

Vitality 298

Perception 323 (+24)

MENTAL:

Vivacity 180 (+4)

Dexterity 218 (+16)

Memory 50

Willpower 295

Charisma 161 (+11)

META:

Meta-affinity 163 (+15)

Meta-focus 107 (+8)

Meta-endurance 101 (+3)

Meta-perception 51

Meta-chance 114

Potential: 3761 (+2491)

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming.

Time: ???

Delayed.