Chapter 230: Sacrifice to Advance

Chapter 230: Sacrifice to Advance

New high upgrade available for [Aether Manipulation - Rare].

[High Aether Manipulation - Epic] - In your hands, aether changes shape and state. Rune weaver, core forger, and probe hunter, you break your chains, refusing mediocrity.

High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

Priam hesitated, his smile vanishing. Despite the phoenix's warnings, he was reluctant to accept anything less than an ideal upgrade for such a fundamental skill.

"Show me," the phoenix demanded, seeing the young man frozen.

"Huh? Oh."

Priam opened his mouth, and a white orb the size of an eye emerged. He caught it in his hand and cleared his throat, feeling as if he’d just coughed up a chicken egg.

"Looks like a core," he noted, rereading the upgrade description. Core forger...

During the first Reunion, most of the monsters he’d killed had this kind of aether orb inside their bodies. Since returning to Elysium, Priam had seen them less frequently.

"I would be kind enough to call it a core prototype," corrected the phoenix. "A core is made of solidified aether, but it’s much more than that. Firstly, all the ‘particles’ of aether that make up a core are organized in specific patterns. Here, you used brute force to make an abomination." Priam smiled, recalling his classes on crystallographic structures. The bird grasped the crystal. "And most importantly, a core contains runes."

"Like the skill runes on my soul or Esmée’s rune that produces light?"Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com

The bird smiled. "Exactly. The System creates these runes in our souls, but it’s an advanced technique; it’s only natural for a few species, such as the dragons or the unique race native to this universe. The rest had to figure out another way..."

Seeing his mentor leave the explanation hanging, Priam tried to fill in the gaps with his knowledge.

"... The monsters and races populating this universe aren’t native. Before this, they didn’t have the System and had to store their skills differently. I assume they used cores?"

The phoenix nodded. "Let me use the phoenixes as an example. Our ancestors created solid aether cores and engraved essential skill and Talent runes on them. As a hatchling grew, their core would give them a huge advantage over other races: in addition to having runes refined over generations, they could cast their skills instantly. That’s one reason we ended up dominating our universe."

"Impressive." Betting on future generations, the phoenixes had become powerful enough to dominate an entire universe. It confirmed that he should steer clear of this warlike race. "If I understand correctly, the System’s advantage is that the user’s runes remain available even if they lose their core or body. The core’s advantage is the ability to transfer skills to others?"

"The System encodes the soul with terrifying precision, allowing it to fix an impressive number of skills. This makes the technique superior," the phoenix acknowledged. "Cores rarely contain more than a few powerful skills or Talents. For example, the core my mother passed on to me contained only one ritual."

Priam nodded. The system was superior for finely encoding tiny runes. It was the difference between nanometer-sized transistors made by machines and the first-ever transistor, which measured a centimeter.

"It must’ve been a powerful ritual."

The flames that made up the phoenix’s feathers flared toward the ceiling as the bird laughed. "If you reach the ninety-fifth wave of the Colosseum, you’ll see it..."

Priam’s hearts raced. "I can’t wait."

For a few moments, the past and present geniuses stared at each other before the phoenix offered a warning.

"Be careful, the two techniques aren’t exclusive. Nowadays, cores are used to amplify a skill already inscribed in the soul. An epic skill is powerful, but when it resonates with its enlarged rune written in an attuned core... The result can surpass even a Legendary skill."

Which explained why some continued to use cores. It made sense, but Priam’s pride pushed him to ask one more question.

"How do monsters create a core? I struggled and think I have quite a few advantages..."

The phoenix lifted one of its wings, counting on its feathers. "Several methods are used: awakening of a bloodline, consuming rare resources, using a System reward, or simply using [Aether Manipulation - Epic]."

"During the first Reunion, I encountered boars with this kind of core, and they didn’t have access to that sort of thing."

"The System gave humanity a fully equipped Moon and a Tutorial. Why wouldn’t monsters be partially tempered to balance the scales?"

Hearing the phoenix's words, Priam's eyes widened. "Tempered?!"

"Oh, you didn’t get it? Tempering a body means transforming it so it can host a fulcrum. Most of these are cores."

Priam stood still for a moment before letting out an amused sigh. "I hadn’t made the connection," he admitted. The next moment, a smile lit up his face. If the phoenix was right, Heavenly Dragon was about to create a mythical fulcrum of draconic nature while also strengthening his body. Let’s beat those Tribulations!

The Necromoon was shining high in the sky as Priam emerged from Log-a-rhythm. The tree’s foliage and the giant runes covering Oasis filtered its light, and Priam smiled, finally seeing natural light. After two days of ultra-intensive training, he needed fresh air to make good decisions.

As he stretched, Priam spotted movement above him. Jasmine danced among the branches, darting in all directions, redirecting her body at the last second with an agility Priam envied. Besides being a stealthy assassin, she was quick enough to escape some Tier 3s. She’s nearing Micro II.

Suddenly, Priam lost sight of her. The next second, he nearly jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder.

A smile spread across his face as he turned to find Jasmine behind him, her cat-like eyes gleaming with amusement. Neither Domain nor [Ideal Aether Perception] had detected her.

“Not bad,” Priam complimented. “Without our link, I wouldn’t have sensed your presence. How’d you do it?”

He could’ve asked the sub-system implanted in her soul space, but that would’ve been disrespectful. Jasmine had gradually earned his trust.

“I passed through your shadow. My Concept bypasses your Domain and camouflages my aether. [Homo Elysian Predation] dulls your instinct, and here I am!”

Priam nodded. He appreciated Obsession more, despite its flaws, but the second racial Talent of Homo Elysians was terrifying in combat.

“Finished your training?” Jasmine asked.

“Never,” Priam laughed. There were always new things to learn and perfect. “I needed to ponder some things. I’ve unlocked a possible upgrade for [High Aether Manipulation] but... I’m hesitant.”

“Want to talk it over while we grab a bite?”

Priam’s eyes drifted to her hips. How could she be so slim while eating so much? Noticing the sheen of sweat covering her body, he understood. I’m not the only one training hard.

“Sure. Want to rinse off first?”

“With your mist? How kind of you to offer,” Jasmine smiled.

Priam rolled his eyes, amused. With a thought, he summoned a cloud around Jasmine and condensed its heart to create a swirl of clear water around her body.

As his mist penetrated her clothes to outline her figure, he felt his cheeks flush. Like him, Jasmine dressed with her own Concept! Imitation was flattering, but Priam shared the sensory feedback of his mist. He had gotten used to muting the sensory input from his Domain when near the women of Oasis, but his mist revealed everything about Jasmine.

Trying not to think too much about his subordinate’s naked body, Priam dried her by retracting his mist along with the sweat it had absorbed. Fire Concept briefly warmed Jasmine, and then he dispersed the cloud that had somewhat protected her modesty.

“That’s really handy!” Jasmine exclaimed, now changed. She looked stunning, dressed in a shadow corset and a skirt that reached mid-thigh.

“Talking about my misty shower or your shadow clothes?” Priam raised an eyebrow. The young woman knew exactly what she was doing.

“Both. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about the benefits of nudism at first, but yesterday a Tier 2 necro exploded in my face, sending bone shards everywhere.” Jasmine smiled at Priam’s worried expression. “Don’t worry, the outfit Hyshana gave me stopped some of it, and with a Sun pill and some regenerative sap, I’m back on my feet. Anyway, after some tests, I realized my Shadow Heart can give my Concept a certain physicality. My new shadow clothes are tougher, better looking, and provide extra security if my Domain doesn’t detect an enemy.”

When the horizon released the sky, Priam shivered before checking the cooldown of his Tribulations. Not even a second had passed between the arrival and departure of the Grand Concepts. His own system hadn’t detected anything, and Priam shook his head. The power of the entities at the top of this universe was beyond comprehension.

“Well?” Jasmine asked while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Rather than explaining, Priam decided to demonstrate his new abilities. He extended his hand, and a rune of light appeared. Formed by his aether, it was the size of a marble and transformed the ambient energy into light. Flexing his new power, Priam concentrated his aether and organized it. The fluid solidified as each particle bonded with its neighbors.

A few moments later, the rune had become crystalline. Priam surrounded it with a protective sphere and attached two wings so thin they were translucent. Inscribing two kinetic runes he had found on Rose’s turrets, the young aetherist studied his creation before handing it to Jasmine.

The young woman received the gift as if it were a treasure. In her cupped hands, a winged sphere reminiscent of a Golden Snitch projected light, joyfully flitting through the air. Its glow cast soft shadows on the young woman's face.

“A pretty shining butterfly...”

“For you.”

“For me?”

Priam smiled, hearing the tremor in her voice.

“Yeah. It might light up your cabin at night.”

Thanks to Log-a-rhythm, Priam had noticed Jasmine often slept near the campfire. At first, he thought she was sensitive to the cold, but then he realized the assassin just liked falling asleep with a bit of light. I don't think I'm the right person to comfort you at night, but I hope this gift will help...

“Thank you,” Jasmine murmured, standing cautiously. “I'll set it up...”

Priam stayed behind, gazing at the sky, proud of himself. With his new skill, he felt capable of wonders with aether. The description had talked about reforging Creation and it had barely exaggerated.

But before changing the world, he could change himself. It was time to temper his body.

Priam’s draconic heart quickened.

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 707

Constitution 1 105

Agility 614

Vitality 1 040

Perception 760

MENTAL:

Vivacity (D) 552

Dexterity 622

Memory 781

Willpower 1 134

Charisma 661

META:

Meta-affinity 728 (+4)

Meta-focus 394 (+3)

Meta-endurance 594 (+4)

Meta-perception 319

Meta-chance 274

Meta-authority 183

Potential: 13 451 (-157)

Tier 0

Sun points: 681 475 (+549)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 157 days 16 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200