Chapter 162: Mechanical Phalanx

Chapter 162: Mechanical Phalanx

In the dark sky of Concepts Archipelago, a figure danced, leaving a fiery trail behind. The glow of the flames cast a supernatural reflection in the Fire Sage's hair. If mist had invaded his eyes, the fire had transformed his hair. Each concept brought forth a physical manifestation.

Behind Priam, a pair of fiery wings vibrated. Each was composed of forty flaming feathers arranged like the petals of a half-lotus. Their size and placement left nothing to chance, exuding a beauty that would have moved any onlooker. Too bad the only one was the hologram of a dead Prince.

Analyzing his wings with his DomainPriam couldn't see them directlythe whole seemed to be the beginning of a geometric series capable of repeating. Natural inspiration and a touch of mathematics had been used to make [Phoenix Wings] a sublime skill.

But that was just the beginning. Forty pairs of feathers were a low number destined to evolve.

Congratulations on creating a new skill: [Phoenix Wings - Rare].

[Phoenix Wings - Rare] - With wings comes the ability to fly. Well, not for the emus, but they managed to conquer the Australians, so their honor is intact.

Associated with freedom, wings symbolize emancipation and represent the dreams of many men and women. Today, you can finally explore the skies.

However, be warned: the higher you soar, the harder you fall.

This skill is the start of a series.

META(FOCUS) +2

META(END) +1

Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 2,3,4

META(FOCUS) +6

META(END) +3

Being of rare rank, the skill was temporary and aether-expensive, but the phoenix had confirmed that one day, these wings would become semi-permanent. The ability to freely summon phoenix wings brought a smile to Priam's focused face.

After another barrel roll, he came to a stop. Levitating fifteen meters above the ground, he focused on his new appendages. His aether permeated the wings, while his Domain fueled them with fire. Attached at his shoulder blades, the wings exchanged Priam's aether for fire. Part of the cost was absorbed by his Fire Concept, reducing his expenses. The heat released into the air was captured by [Kinetic Control] to aid his levitation.

Thanks to his dexterity, Priam quickly took control of his fiery wings, but gaining two new limbs was a strange sensation.

Even stranger was their connection. The skill called upon his Fire Concept to summon and manipulate the wings. The synergy between Domain and Concept allowed potentially perfect mastery of the skill. Now, all he had to do was practice.

Thanks to the Harmonys bonus of his concept, their creation was cost-free. However, flying consumed his aether reserves. Reserves that were not infinite.

[Aether Reserve: 189/235]

With the help of his Assistant, Priam could now gauge his aether levels. He needed two aether units for every minute of levitation. This figure increased when Priam tried to move. His wings would vibrate rather than beat, and his speed would then increase dramatically.

After over two hours of training, Priam realized these wings were not just meant for slow and steady flight. Any rare skill could allow for that. [Phoenix Wings] focused on speed and maneuvering.

A speed that seemed limitless. The more aether he spent, the faster he moved. Killing himself was a real danger if he forgot all caution. Test number two hundred and three.

Priam used [Aether Manipulation], sacrificing twenty aether units to his wings. The air thickened as his speed skyrocketed. Something gave way. He absorbed his speed a fraction of a second later, stopping less than a meter from the edge of his world. From zero to four hundred meters per second instantly, he calculated as his eardrums vibrated from the supersonic boom that just caught up with him. Not bad.

Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 5

META(FOCUS) +2

META(END) +1

On Priam's back, a fifth pair of feathers gained realism, and their flames took on a golden hue. The skill was designed to change aesthetically, reflecting its level. Each level converted an additional pair of feathers. To Priam, it was as classy as it was useless.

"You're a rather vain race, right?" Priam asked as he returned to the center of his world.

"Among other things," the small holographic phoenix agreed with a smug air.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"You criticize a lot for someone who just received a skill with unlimited potential."

Upon hearing the phoenix's words, Priam apologized. The skill was incredible, and the blueprint provided by the phoenix was as complex as that of [Mask - Epic], confirming the generosity of the bird.

"By the way, in this specific case, you misunderstand our vanity," the phoenix said. "The feather color change has a purpose."

"Other than social?" Priam asked while still levitating. The phoenix nodded.

"Legend has it that this skill was created by one of the first phoenixes for their disabled child. The ultimate goal of this skill was to recreate real wings, as perfect as those of a primordial phoenix. At that time, the Seven had not yet captured any of us, so this skill was developed in our original universe."

Priam nodded and waited for the phoenix to continue before furrowing his brow at the phoenix's silence.

"And?" he asked after several seconds of silence.

"Do I have to spoon-feed you all the answers?" the phoenix sighed. "Before the Tutorial, did you have access to the System?"

"No, on Earth we..." Priam widened his eyes in understanding. "Without the System, it's challenging to assess our mastery level of a skill. The coloring of the feathers replaces level-up notifications."

"Exactly."

"Clever," Priam acknowledged. Not as clever as inventing a System, but smart nonetheless. "By the way, you mentioned unlimited potential. Does that mean I can upgrade this skill to the Zenith?"

The phoenix scratched its head. "I learned this skill as a child to better control my own wings. I was so small that I couldn't sign a contract, that's the only reason I could teach you such a powerful skill. For the next levels, you'll have to rely on the System because I've never needed its epic rank."

Priam was disappointed, but it made sense. The skill was rare because it was suitable for newborns. That's why I didn't need to spend Potential to learn it.

"If I meet the right prerequisites, will the System provide me with the next skill evolution?"

"I think so," replied the phoenix. "Now that you have no more questions, you should train. The wings can also defend and attack. During the fledgling stage, juveniles are trained to..."

The phoenix was wrong; Priam's curiosity was far from satisfied. What were the other interesting Merits? How to better manipulate his aura? How to better master his Fire Concept? Questions crowded his mind. Nevertheless, for the sake of his training, he stayed silent and listened.

Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 6,7

META(FOCUS) +4

META(END) +2

"That's in the past now," he replied, not entirely believing it. Thanks to their bond, Priam felt that the assassin was concerned about something.

"Are you doing something to the fire?"

The question surprised Priam. Since the beginning of the meal, he had been practicing manipulating the campfire flames, controlling their intensity, color, and temperature. To avoid disturbing others, Priam decided to make only micro changes. The fact that Jasmine could detect a temperature variation of less than one degree Celsius surprised him.

"Yeah, how did you notice?" If Jasmine could know, then other rivals could too.

"The shadows cast by the flames are different. It's subtle, but if I concentrate, it's quite obvious."

"I see. Since all concepts are linked, if I modify the fire, then the heat, air, light, shadows, and many other parameters change..."

His actions had consequences that his enemies could detect to trace back to him. It was good to know, proving once again that Priam lacked knowledge. It was expected as the System was still new to him, but it was a flaw he needed to fix.

While pondering, he watched Jasmine lean toward the flames to grab another crab piece. Priam's gaze lingered on the slender figure of the young woman. She was really pretty, and her focused look added to her charm. Despite that, he had no intention of trying anything. This would not have been right because she couldn't say no to him.

Even without that, Victoire had left scars in his heart.

"Damn," Jasmine muttered, furrowing her brows.

Priam cracked a smile, understanding that she had set her sights on the biggest crab piece cooking in the heart of the flames. Because of its constitution, the crab's flesh required a very high cooking temperature.

With a thought, Priam canceled the heat transfers from the fire. Jasmine's arm reached out to grab the crab piece before bringing it back to her plate. Blueberry gave her a dirty look, which she ignored superbly.

Feeling Priam's gaze on her, Jasmine turned to him. "Want some?"

"Yeah."

The three suns rose, dispelling the ominous influence of the Necromoon. The entire camp was still asleep, except for Priam. His vitality and frequent resurrections spared him this waste of time.

The young man sat at the center of the campfire. Flames licked his body as he manipulated them. His Concept and Merit had further increased his fire resistance, and burning wood no longer harmed him. Better yet, he found the presence of flames... comforting.

Priam knew that a plunge into the small sun would kill him, but he was relatively sure he could now survive several minutes in the sun's radiation.

He swept these useless considerations from his mind to focus on his concept. Enveloped by the flames, Priam felt their union becoming more intimate. Unity: to become one with fire.

Suddenly, his instinct trembled. Priam turned his head toward the center of the clearing. Twenty meters away, the air shimmered, and space distorted. A rift appeared, growing into a portal.

On the other side, Priam saw a phalanx of mechas.

"What terrible timing," he grimaced.

The hoplites were arriving, and Kazuki was still trapped in his Tribulations.

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

PHYSICAL:

Strength 420

Constitution 773

Agility 432

Vitality 666

Perception 652

MENTAL:

Vivacity 359

Dexterity 453

Memory 185

Willpower 706

Charisma 456

META:

Meta-affinity 408

Meta-focus 298 (+14)

Meta-endurance 239 (+8)

Meta-perception 170

Meta-chance 228 (+9)

Meta-authority 15

Potential: 1120 (+17)

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 173 days 21 hours 40 minutes 58 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800