Chapter 234: Onsen of the Dead

Chapter 234: Onsen of the Dead

Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 42

MEM +3

META (Affinity) +3

META (Authority) +3

Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 36, 37

DEXT +6

Lvl Up: [Physics - Forces] lvl 6

VIVA +3

The length of a massless projectile didn’t affect its accuracy or aerodynamics; that was one of Priam’s conclusions. Another was that creating spears solely from the Pyro Concept was foolish. Gas lacked a fixed form, making the spear's structure dependent on his willpower. It was a waste of resources when a solid could naturally retain its rigidity.

This idea had prompted Priam to create hybrid ice-fire spears. The result was both deadly and magnificent.

His previous research had culminated in the creation of four forms—teardrop, shell, bullet, and kinetic energy penetrator—that he infused with his Fire Concept. During the initial tests, the flames melted the ice, causing mid-flight explosions.

Despite these failures, Priam persisted, inspired by a comment from the phoenix. According to it, the Symphony bonus of one Concept could be utilized by another. The Symphony of the Mist Concept was particularly intriguing:VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels

Symphony - Your Mist is both present and absent. It’s up to you to decide who can feel it.

As the Fire Champion, Priam tried to tame his flames, not to make them docile but to make them absent. He struggled for several minutes before realizing that mist and fire reacted differently.

Mist was always more or less present as long as there was gas. On humid mornings, the horizon sometimes disappeared into a white blur, without anyone declaring that a haze lingered. Evasive, the mist was as poetic as it was physical.

Flames, however, were different. When a flame was born, it fought fiercely to burn the world before it extinguished. Yet, Priam knew a fire could be rekindled; all it took was a breath. This truth was a breakthrough.

The solution to using the Symphony with his Fire Concept was not to make the flames elusive but to put them to sleep.

Priam created a mist spear, condensed it into liquid, and then solidified it into ice. He then used the spark in his soul space to infuse dormant fire into the projectile. The flames poured into the weapon, giving it a luminescent quality. “Awaken upon impact,” Priam whispered to his Concept.

Firing the projectile at an unlucky enemy, Priam watched the hybrid spear streak across the battlefield, striking a Tier 2 necro. The projectile pierced the thick hide of the hippopotamus-like creature before shattering inside its body. In the next instant, the flames awakened, and an explosion tore the beast apart from within.

“Nice,” Priam grinned.

He briefly regretted not being able to use a hybrid ice-Pyro spear, but since Pyro hadn’t yet reached Symphony, the Concept refused to cooperate.

Over the next few hours, he continued refining his projectiles to maximize their penetration coefficient and reduce air friction losses. He eventually hit a wall where further improvements became negligible. The next step was to enhance his mastery of the Concepts or to engrave runes on the projectiles.

Progress was never-ending, and it was a good thing.

Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 38, 39

DEXT +6

Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 43, 44, 45

MEM +9

META (Affinity) +9

META (Authority) +9

Despite the unyielding presence of the Necromoon in the sky, time flew by. New craters appeared as tens of thousands of undead burned. Gradually, a cloud of smoke created a black roof over the battlefield. Thunder rumbled, drowning out the screams of the necro soldiers. The battle raged on, and the flood of creatures seemed endless.

Seeing his fingers tremble, Priam realized his exhaustion. How long has it been since the start of the Wave?

[11 hours 14 minutes 12 seconds.]

A grimace twisted his lips as Priam looked down. Esmée was writing in her grimoire without uttering a word. Her red eyes and ash-covered hair were the only signs of her fatigue.

In front of her, Jasmine staggered as she gutted some corrupted that weren’t drawn to Priam. After an hour of wrestling and two hours of guerrilla warfare, she had defeated the Tier 2 Earl, earning the title of Duke. Her opponent had been less powerful than the necro legionnaire, but Priam was proud of her.

Now, she no longer had the strength to decapitate a Tier 1.

Realizing he was the last one capable of finishing the Wave, Priam used his attributes boosted by Conquest and transformed into a living gatling gun. Every second, he summoned and fired dozens of explosive ice spears, accelerating some with [Kinetic Control].

He eventually slowed down as a headache split his skull. He had overtaxed his willpower, and using his aether to compensate wasn’t enough anymore.

Beneath him, the waves of corrupted began to wane. Low on resources, Priam flew up to the cloud hovering over the battlefield and took control of it with Mist Concept. He injected his entire Conquest Aura into it and guided it to the ground. The last thousands of undead were silently dissolved.

Event: Necromoon

Third wave:

Victory!

You defended your home against a horde of corrupted!

Reward:

300 Sun points

24 hours of respite

Priam found Esmée and Jasmine by the edge of the cenote. The two young women sat a few meters apart, trying to catch their breath.

“You guys okay?” Priam asked.

Esmée coughed. “I have got ash in my throat, my lungs, my eyes, my hair, and even under my clothes,” she said, shaking the sleeves of her robe. This action released another cloud of ash, causing her to cough again. “I am most displeased.”

Priam smirked at Esmée’s formal language.

“You mean, ‘fuck this shit,’” Jasmine mocked, pulling a piece of bone out of her hair. “You’ve just got ash. I don’t even want to imagine what I’m covered in.”

The assassin had been in close contact with the undead and was therefore coated in various semi-coagulated fluids, ash, bone dust, and charcoal.

“It is nothing personal, but you make me feel like vomiting,” Esmée said, inching further away. The physical distance between the two rivals wasn’t just a matter of affinity.

“Yeah, me too. I have to use Micro to cut off my sense of smell and focus on my future bath.”

Esmée looked sadly towards the cenote. “I saw at least a hundred corpses fall in there...”

“I’m covered in shit, blood, and rotting flesh because I went with you,” Jasmine said to Priam. “Can I have a hot spring as a reward?”

Esmée’s eyes lit up with hope.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea...”

“Is there a problem?” the princess asked, noticing Priam’s gaze.

“None. This leather-like outfit suits you.”

“...Thanks,” she blushed.

“See you later,” Priam smiled, reaching the base of his tree.

Log-a-rhythm opened a portal, and Priam stepped through. The passage led to the heart of the magical oak’s foliage, and Priam took a deep, satisfied breath. The air, saturated with life aether, made his cells vibrate with joy. He could almost feel his lifespan lengthening.

“Did you get the rift?”

Kazuki landed on a branch without making it crack. It was a testament to the tree’s strength, as the hoplite warrior wasn’t light.

“I did, and I’m considering installing it here. What do you think?”

Priam could already imagine his tree containing rifts to other worlds, like a fantastic Yggdrasil.

“Could there be an invasion from the other side?”

“Hard to say,” Priam replied. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know enough about the Rehms to be sure.”

Kazuki nodded. “Then it’s better to err on the side of caution. A rift here would be hard to defend since we can’t establish an omnidirectional fortification.”

“I wanted Log-a-rhythm to benefit from the Concept leaking from Valaryth,” Priam grimaced. “It could help it grow. Can we install the rift inside it?”

The hoplite was the defense expert, and Priam would defer to his judgment, but he wanted to ensure they got the best solution.

Kazuki hesitated before shaking his head. “I have another idea,” he said, pointing downward. “Underground.”

"What do you mean by that?"

“The bedrock is almost indestructible, but Log-a-rhythm can pierce it with its Underground features. With the rift under it, its roots would benefit from Valaryth's special aether. Moreover, if an invasion occurs, the enemies would find themselves in an underground bunker with no exit.”

Underground was part of the first generation of upgrades offered to Log-a-rhythm. Priam had never purchased it before, but the idea of a subterranean bunker appealed to him. The only way to leave would be to ask the tree to open a passage between its roots and trunk.

“With the Sun Shop and some enchantments, we could even isolate it from the outside world: we could hide the rift from the tribes,” Priam thought aloud. “That’s a great idea!”

“Glad you like it,” Kazuki smiled. “Any other good news for me?”

“Well, I’ve unlocked several quests I can share with my army. How would you like to explore a new world?”

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 707

Constitution 1 105

Agility 614

Vitality 1 040

Perception 760

MENTAL:

Vivacity (D) 570 (+4)

Dexterity 652 (+12)

Memory 824 (+21)

Willpower 1 134

Charisma 661

META:

Meta-affinity 780 (+15)

Meta-focus 403

Meta-endurance 608

Meta-perception 339

Meta-chance 274

Meta-authority 207 (+12)

Potential: 13 517 (+22)

Tier 0

Sun points: 1 979 223 (+1 081 412)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 156 days 18 hours 33 minutes 59 seconds.

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