The first nuke had detonated on the ground, carving out a crater three hundred meters in diameter and forty meters deep, reaching the island's unbreakable bedrock. To Priam, the explosion had been mind-blowing, unleashing a level of destruction that eclipsed anything he had ever witnessed—the volcanic eruption hadn’t been very noticeable from his point of view.
All in all, the atomic eruption was spectacular... if less than optimal.
Seeing most of the energy wasted in the ground and the significant number of corrupted that survived along the valley’s edges, Priam realized he could have triggered an even bigger explosion. As the idea of a second nuke started to take root in his mind, Jasmine’s subsystem confirmed that they hadn’t reached their soul-collecting quota, sealing the deal. It’s just a shame that the System thinks I don’t deserve these Sun Points. Next time, I’ll buy them.
Priam burst out laughing as he hurled a new explosive device. He would have found any excuse to set off a second detonation.
The second A-bomb exploded three hundred meters above the ground, nearly killing him. The fireball engulfed the valley, and the blast wave caused the cliff to collapse. As the ground gave way beneath his feet, Priam accepted the fall to escape his rivals’ sight. He didn’t want to give them the idea of exploiting his moment of weakness.
A mangled heap of bones and molten flesh slammed into the rocks below. Despite the intense heat, his blood refused to evaporate, and his hearts kept beating. The damage was catastrophic, pushing him to the brink of no return, but his constitution was formidable, and his body had adapted to the first nuke. Without that... Priam shivered as his nerves melted. The thermal flash and shockwave brought him face to face with Death, but he refused the invitation, burning through his lifespan to fight the hellish heat.
Gamma rays from the nuclear fission, followed by the conflagration, inflicted fourth-degree burns on him. The skin facing the explosion had vaporized, leaving charred muscles and a scorched ribcage to shield his organs.
In the face of such danger, Priam’s mind cleared the euphoric high induced by witnessing the cataclysm and focused on survival. According to Micro and [Diagnostic], even his inhuman regeneration was outpaced.
Though the direct and indirect radiation from the nuclear blast was imperceptible to his senses, the Homo Elysian felt its effects. His cells were dying one by one, most committing suicide as the DNA and proteins within them were critically damaged by the ionizing radiation.
[Humanoid Anatomy] informed him that the various particles were bombarding his cells faster than they could repair themselves or multiply. The second milestone of vitality helped correct genetic errors, but the radiation dose was so massive it was hopeless. In short, Priam’s body was disintegrating faster than it could heal.
That was bad news, but there was worse. The radioactive particles were also affecting the aether, altering the properties and affinities of the primordial energy. The tiny runes etched into his cells were deteriorating, which undermined his resistances and weakened his body. The tainted energy coalesced into grotesque clusters, like magical tumors.
Radiation is a physical and magical blight!
Alerted, Priam scanned his meridians and growled. His resilient pathways were under severe strain, but they were protecting most of his aether. The rest of the energy permeating his body, however, was gradually becoming corrupted, preventing him from using certain skills and scrambling his Domain.
As the mushroom cloud settled into a thick radioactive fog and the temperature became bearable again, Priam began coughing up blood. The dust he had inhaled was destroying him from the inside out. This was the first symptom of the acute radiation syndrome that had gripped him—but it wouldn’t be the last.
Overwhelmed by a wave of fatigue, he collapsed onto all fours. Bringing a hand to his head to massage a splitting headache, he was wracked by a spasm and opened his mouth to vomit. His pupils dilated in shock as a flood of blood poured from his open mouth. Fuck, what’s happening to me?
Swallowing bile, Priam’s eyes widened as he looked at the hand he had braced against the ground for support. It was burnt, covered in red blisters. Struggling to get to his knees, Priam brought his hand closer for inspection. It was trembling, unable to stay still. Neither his dexterity nor Micro could protect him from the onset of ataxia.
"Radiation... My body’s falling apart," Priam murmured. Cellular damage was piling up, and the degradation of his body was accelerating.
His vision began to blur, and Priam swallowed hard. Should he flee? If he didn’t develop a resistance soon, he would die. Even though he was burning through his lifespan, his regeneration was slowing down. His add-on informed him he was digging his own grave: forcing his cells to divide was increasing genetic errors and accelerating the symptoms. His high vitality was fueling the fire even as it healed him.
With blood flooding his lungs, Priam refused to give in to panic or flee. Ignoring the pain, he relied on Micro and his skills to identify the root of the problem. Once I figure that out, I can find a solution.
Combined with skills, the Supremacy was perfect for listening to and examining his body. His soul resonated with his organism, attuned to its many pleas. Two things caught his attention; his digestive system had shut down, no longer providing chemical energy to his body, and his damaged bone marrow had stopped producing blood. The very foundation of his regeneration was defective.
The list of bad news was getting longer. His cells were dying too quickly to mutate and adapt to the radiation; the radioactive poisoning was too severe, preventing his body from developing resistance. By the time he grasped this, Priam was hit by a seizure that left him powerless, curled up on the ground.
I need to do something...
His nearly blind eyes turned to the sky as Priam opened his interface and selected a Merit Tree. His body might have been depleted, but neither his mind nor his will was ready to give up.
Trees of Merit
[Life is Hard; I’m Harder - Gold] - Tier 1: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your race. ACQUIRED
Not immediately necessary, but definitely useful.
[Life is Hard; I’m Harder - Gold] - Tier 2: The closer you are to death, the better your body adapts. ACQUIRED
If Priam could have, he would have smiled. The mass of flesh he had become merely trembled.
[Life is Hard; I’m Harder - Gold] - Tier 3: You can select a resistance and accelerate its rate of progression. ACQUIRED
...In case the first levels of [Radiation Resistance] aren’t enough.
[Life is Hard; I’m Harder - Gold] - Tier 4: You can develop resistances normally inaccessible to your Soul Tier. NEW
6 Unused Merit Points.
Something changed, though Priam couldn’t quite explain it. Nonetheless, the results were clear, and his cells began to mutate at a rapid pace. With his new Merit, the pathetic state of his body was now a blessing.
Seconds ticked by, and his face turned pale as blood poured from his body without being replenished. Driven by a fierce will to live, Priam focused Micro to scan his body. Fuck.
Some of his cells were mutating to resist the radiation, but they seemed... alien, as if disconnected from his body. He quickly found the cause: the radiation was desynchronizing his spirit body from his soul. In a way, it was the aether flowing through his meridians and permeating his body that defined the boundaries of his spirit body. By altering his aether signature, the radiation was severing the connection between his cells and his meridians, preventing any communication with his soul.
My cells might be mutating to endure the radiation, but without resonance with my soul, the System won’t grant me the resistance.
Priam kept his cool as Death’s breath lingered on the back of his neck. Now that he understood the problem, he was confident he could solve it. To buy time, he summoned a dense fog that dimmed the ambient radiation. A parallel thought manipulated his aether to manually combat the radioactive blight.
Rather than trying—and failing—to save his entire body, Priam focused on his bone marrow. The stem cells protected by his bones produced new blood cells, and that was what he was missing right now.
Aided by his add-on, Priam took control of the aether in his cells, strengthening his hold on them. Every second, a terrifying amount of radiation sought to corrupt his energy, and every second, his dual thought processes fought to refresh his signature. He had to maintain the connection between his cells and his soul to synchronize his future resistance.
The task was as thankless as bailing water from a ship with a hole in its hull, the radiation relentlessly gnawing away at his aether. Still, Priam persevered. His pulse slowed, his body entered a state of hibernation to survive as long as possible, and he waited for enough of his cells to mutate so the System would grant him resistance.
Priam cracked open a bleary eye, staring into the abyss of absolute darkness. I’m blind...
His heartbeat was so faint and sporadic that any doctor would have pronounced him dead. He hadn’t taken a breath in several minutes, and [Tenacious Spirit] had taken over when his brain succumbed to the overwhelming hemorrhage.
But that didn’t matter—he had done it. On the third layer of his soul, a rune glowed brightly, resonating with each of his cells through his meridians.
You have acquired the skill: [Radiation Resistance - Epic].
[Radiation Resistance] - Considered forbidden by some factions, radiation is known to corrupt life and disrupt energy flows. These highly energetic particles tend to alter the low Tiers aether. Lethal to many, it's a resource used by mid Tiers to nourish their internal worlds.
Your cell membranes have a high chance of repelling ionizing radiation.
Your stem cells are now capable of using radiation to accelerate their production.
Your aetheric signature grows stronger.
CONST +3
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VIT +3
META (Authority) +3
The change was instant. Within seconds, his stem cells rapidly recreated large quantities of blood, bolstered by the irradiated environment. Combined with the use of his lifespan, Priam restored his body, regaining a human appearance. His organs settled back into place, his skin covered his muscles, and his hair began to regrow.
Anyone who endures chemo deserves a damn medal, Priam thought, clenching his fist. His muscles flexed, and he marveled at his newfound strength. The radiation-induced weakness had been crippling, and a single resistance had flipped the script.
“A tank is the best class, change my mind,” Priam challenged, feeling how his aether now withstood the radiation thanks to his second constitution milestone. Bit by bit, he was becoming immune to attacks. Smirking, he opened the blinking red notification icon.
Title won!
Priam wasn’t planning on twiddling his thumbs for that long.
“Jasmine.”
“Boss.”
“Get back to the Oasis and gather data on the crafters’ Tribulations. If some haven’t finished... too bad.”
“Weren’t we supposed to wait for Sumstreh’s death?”
“... I don’t like what my instincts are telling me about Seth’s ritual.”
Even with the Polyglot’s Merit, Priam couldn’t fully decipher the array, but he could tell it wasn’t just for summoning any Tier 4. Seth was hiding something, and he probably wasn’t the only one with a secret agenda.
“On my way!”
“Godspeed.”
Esmée’s shadow wavered as Priam cleared his throat.
“Before our new necro friend arrives, I was wondering if any of you wanted to trigger your Tribulations?”
Before telling them he could provide guidance for their past selves, Priam wanted to gauge where his rivals stood.
They all turned to him, and Seth growled, “You want to draw the Fallen’s attention?”
Priam shrugged. “I refuse to believe they don’t know something’s up—we just detonated a nuke, the tribes are on the move, and summoning this Tier 4 won’t be subtle. If stealth’s off the table, might as well stir up some chaos to cover our tracks.”
Esmée nodded as if she hadn’t heard the plan before. “I’m afraid my Tribulations would cause too much chaos.”
Seth cackled, watching Priam wait for a response. “Like I’m going to show my weaknesses to my rivals. I’m here for the Fallen’s bones, nothing else.”
Feeling it was his turn to answer, Arnold blinked. “No Tribulations pending.”
Except for Dishnu, the others stared at the Var Elegis in shock. They all knew the homunculus had passed a quadruple Tribulation alongside Priam, and it seemed impossible he hadn’t triggered new ones since. Which left only one possibility.
“You just finished a new round,” Priam translated, now understanding the distress he felt when looking at his rival. The Var Elegis was already operating on another level.
“A quintuple,” Arnold confirmed. “Like the First.”
This fucker...
Priam offered a grin. “That was before. I’ve got six back-to-back now,” he revealed with feigned modesty. No way was he letting the Terminator intimidate him.
A stunned silence lingered for a few moments before the rustling of leaves caught their attention. Dishnu was holding a sapling. He quickly planted it in the ash, and runes appeared on the young tree’s bark. Its growth overclocked by a ritual, it reached three meters in moments.
“A radiation-resistant ginkgo to revive the forest,” explained the Drya before turning to Priam. “I would like to trigger my Tribulations near Log-a-rhythm.”
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 782
Constitution 1 386 (+147)
Agility 924
Vitality 1 336 (+186)
Perception 817 (+3)
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 680
Memory 896 (+10)
Willpower 1 193
Charisma 754
META:
Meta-affinity 920 (+15)
Meta-focus 438 (+15)
Meta-endurance 777 (+58)
Meta-perception (A) 441 (+8)
Meta-chance 332
Meta-authority 252 (+12)
Potential: 12 431 (+62)
Tier 0
Sun point: 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 10 hours 18 minutes 55 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
This arc is already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next!
/ANovelConcept