Chapter 182: Obsession and Predation

Chapter 182: Obsession and Predation

A seismic jolt rattled the aether galaxy. In his luminous wisp form, Priam marveled as the foundations of the universe trembled after the baptism's end, integrating a new nuance into the laws of the Universe.

A new race had emerged.

As the quake's intensity waned, Priam's consciousness felt the pull of reality. His awareness was plucked from the pure and infinite world of aether to return to the safety of his soul.

Micro, Domain, and his Concepts reconnected, allowing Priam to regain his senses. The Primogenitor opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings.

His body was lying on the ground at the center of unlit runes. Log-a-rhythm's sap gently illuminated the room, and the hoplite mecha was waiting in a corner. Nothing had changed.

"Except me," murmured Priam. For a moment, he didn't recognize his own voice. His vocal cords now had access to a broader frequency range, and his auditory system captured sounds more finely.

Examining his body, he noticed he had grown a few centimeters taller. His lean silhouette resembled that of a predator, with elegant muscles poised to pounce at his will.

While stretching, Priam marveled at the fluidity of his movements. His new nervous system allowed him finer control over his body. But genetic changes weren't the only factor explaining his condition. Priam reread one of the latest notifications.

Dexterity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations!

A new attribute threshold had been crossed. The last one, Charisma, had allowed him to merge his Aura with his Concepts. I wonder what Dexterity does.

To find out, there was only one way. Priam recalled the katas practiced by Kazuki during his training. The hoplite's exercises seemed simple, but Priam had never been able to imitate them, partly due to anatomical differences but mainly because the hoplite had sublime control over his body.

[Shadow Boxing] summoned Kazuki's image, and Priam began to mimic him. Guided by Micro, his body took one step, then another. A fascinating dance began, with seemingly impossible positions executed effortlessly. The speed of kata execution gradually increased, testing his new limits. His physique felt more familiar, now capable of using small overclocks naturally.

Starting a new series of particularly challenging katas, Priam widened his eyes as a bad feeling invaded him. Could it be? Halting the exercise, he attempted a quadruple somersault. The next moment, the room shook as Priam's head collided with the floor. Far from being saddened, the Champion was smiling.

After sitting cross-legged, Priam closed his eyes and imagined a very high jump. Even before starting, he knew he would fail. Dexterity now allowed him to sense when a feat was beyond his body's capability. The attribute went further by showing him a solution. A quadruple somersault was possible with a second overclock but would tear his quadriceps.

The upgrade seemed trivial, but Priam knew that being aware of his limits was paramount. Most battles between two opponents of similar levels were won by exploiting a mistake. [He Who Eludes Death] granted him a second chance, not a third.

Priam stood up, smiling, in excellent spirits. Dexterity's upgrade was good but far from the most important.

Without waiting, he opened his list of merits.

Trees of Merit

[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 4: Draconic atavism manifests. Your spirit is covered in runic tattoos. Dragon scales provide the ultimate defense.

[Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title.

[Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening.

Updated from n0velbIn.(c)o/m

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Hardly Hatched, already a Fire Champion. As such, you know how restricted Fire is. The Seven Concepts have imprisoned its potential in a shell. Let it hatch.

[Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated.

[Hermes' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium.

[Upgrader - Silver] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills

[Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity's standing.

[To the Moon - Bronze] - Tier 0: Time stops for one second within a ten-meter radius when you are in mortal danger.

[Admirer of Atlas - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength.

[Weathered - Silver] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective.

[Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people's hostile thoughts toward you.

[Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You're beginning to feel your soul.

[Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths.

[Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic.

[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System's Local Network.

[Primogenitor - Legendary] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade.

[Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It's hard to run away from a Conqueror.

[Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy.

[The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth.

[Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race's Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%.

[Doctor - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your skills and Supremacies don't need to overcome your patient's passive resistance if they consent to the operation.

[Spiritless - Bronze] - Tier 0: The regeneration of your spirit leaves no natural scars.

[Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - Tier 0: Allows your lungs to absorb oxygen present in water.

[Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity.

[Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters.

[Fire Sage - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Fire Concept spark that warms your soul comes to life as a fire elemental of absolute loyalty. Evolves with your Concept.

[Elysium Marquess - Legendary] - Tier 0: Creates one invasion portal.

10 Unused Merit Points.

"Not this one," murmured Priam before considering the next option. "[MKX Flair] would adapt my instincts against my adversaries. It's powerful in theory, but any foe I can't overcome without it will find a workaround. That leaves [Soul Duality]..."

Osiris had shared details about his racial Talent. According to the child, it allowed one to sense their soul. For someone incapable of resurrection, it was an excellent means to acquire and enhance Domain.

Some consequences might seem negative at first glance, but it was all a matter of perspective. Body damage reflected on the soul, and vice versa.

Cultivating the body equaled cultivating the soul.

Moreover, the term 'physical envelope' was broad. Seth had transferred his soul to a Tier 3 skull using necromancy. Priam and Kazuki had thought that death was driving him mad, but it wasn't true. The exceptional constitution of the skull reinforced his soul, enabling him to resist the influence of the Necromoon.

For someone incapable of aging and with a body that regenerated daily, the Talent was exceptional, not to mention its synergy with Priam's first racial Talent.

Fusion of [High Human Adaptation] and [Soul Duality]...

First racial Talent unlocked!

[Homo Elysian Obsession - Legendary] - The body and soul of the Homo Elysian are closely entwined. From this intimate connection arises a primal desire: survival.

In trials and suffering, you grow, transcending your limits.

Legend has it that a Homo Elysian can even adapt to death...

Fusion of [Royal Path] and [MKX Flair]...

Second racial Talent unlocked!

[Homo Elysian Predation - Legendary] - Your will manipulates the instincts of your enemies to facilitate your designs. Your instinct has a minor chance of hearing the whispers of the aether.

The world hunts alongside the Homo Elysian.

Priam felt his soul gleam before pulsing. The connection between the material and the spiritual had strengthened. The sensation filled him with joy, as if he had just rediscovered something precious that had been denied to him all along. The boundary between mortal and immortal had just crumbled. His memory flashed with an image of a famous painting, "The Creation of Adam," where God and the first man reached out to each other.

Right now, his soul embraced his body.

Priam felt his draconic heart throbbing forcefully, sending torrents of energy into his arteries, nurturing both physical and spiritual form.

His Domain detected changes. His human heart was now adorned with a silver halo, representing his obsession. Meanwhile, his draconic heart was surrounded by a golden halo symbolizing his predation.

The Homo Elysian was ready. All that remained was to choose the attribute to evolve and to advance his Concepts. For that, nothing beats a good old-fashioned battle.

The System seemed to concur.

Event:Necromoon

Champions of the Sun.

Earn the maximum Sun points.

Timer: 1 hour.

Reward (Tier 0):

First place: Blueprint - Holy Guardian (Sun Wyrm Egg)

Second place: Blueprint - Holy Guardian (Moon Wyrm Egg)

Third place: Automatic Resurrection (Body&Soul)

Priam flashed a smile as he observed the infinite horde of revenants swarming in the distance.

"I hope you'll join in, too, Arnold"

A pair of fiery wings emerged from his back, and Priam took flight.

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 464

Constitution 827

Agility 470

Vitality 749

Perception 683

MENTAL:

Vivacity 416

Dexterity 508

Memory 313

Willpower 858

Charisma 554

META:

Meta-affinity 415

Meta-focus 342

Meta-endurance 262

Meta-perception 201

Meta-chance 230

Meta-authority 24

Potential: 2246

Tier 0

Sun points: 4010

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 166 days 16 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds.

Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 1 attribute > 900