From a human perspective, Sphinx was a child. From a sphinx’s perspective, she was already a warrior. Though the bloodline flowing through her veins was artificial and therefore imperfect, it exuded a mythological dignity. It spoke of self-assurance and revenge.
Spiritually bound by Bastard, Sphinx had been forced to serve him. The tiny cage, the starvation, and the complete lack of privacy—not even to relieve herself—would have broken seasoned warriors. Not Sphinx. The pride of her race, the nobility of her birth, and the belief that Priam was coming to free her gave her the strength to fight.
That was exactly what she had done, working around Sumstreh’s commands. He had ordered her to sever the karmic ties to their former identity to escape their assassins and debts. Sphinx had done more than that. Officially, her racial Talent had cut those connections with the Fallen’s permission. Off the record, she had used his ignorance to bind their fates together. If anything happened to her, Sumstreh would pay the price.
Today, she was turning those karmic links into a weapon. Casting one last glance at Priam, Sphinx unleashed the seal on her attributes and triggered her final Tribulation. The first six could be postponed, but the seventh didn’t wait.
A septuple Tribulation descends.
A terrifying presence made the world tremble. The gaze of an eternal ego fell on Sphinx, and despite her mythic bloodline, she shuddered. A sevenfold Tribulation was unlike the others. It was the defiant declaration of a being ready to fight for the Eighth Throne.
The child stood no chance, but death didn’t scare her. Ever since Priam had confided that this timeline was nearing its end, Sphinx had done everything to accumulate attributes. Squandering her Potential, she had created and leveled up numerous pointless skills. Her initial four Tribulations had swelled to seven, and Sumstreh would endure them.
With a sharp claw, Sphinx slit her own throat and activated her racial Talent. Tightening the knot of her life and Sumstreh’s one last time, she smiled as the hidden divine mark within her soul activated. It didn’t matter—one can only die once.
Except Priam, she thought as death claimed her. Watching the sky darken, she realized she felt cold. If only someone could pet her...
In the sky, the Tribulations froze for a moment. Their original target had vanished, but one of the beings present shared the same fate. A colossal lightning bolt lit up the clouds. The System was out for blood and wouldn’t leave without some.
Sumstreh’s shocked expression might have been comical if Priam hadn’t just watched his friend sacrifice herself. Sphinx... Next time, it’ll be me protecting you, he swore silently.
The clouds took on a menacing shape, drawing his attention. Sphinx’s weaknesses weren’t the same as Sumstreh’s, and the Tribulations were shifting accordingly.
“Damn you all!” the Fallen roared, summoning a black dome around him. The structure began to expand, and Priam took to the air to avoid being caught in its spread.
Landing on a cliff riddled with cracks, he watched the Divine Kingdom engulf the valley and the storm clouds above. The power of a septuple Tribulation was calibrated for a Tier 0, but seeing the enemy react so seriously, Priam dared to hope it might be enough to kill him.
Movement to his right caught his eye. Arnold had just teleported fifty meters away. A miniature nova hovered above the homunculus’ hand, and Priam raised Promesse in response. The two rivals locked eyes until an emerald lightning bolt interrupted them.
The world flashed a vivid green, then the light disappeared, taking the dark dome with it. Priam blinked, banishing the spots from his vision, and focused on the center of the valley. The Divine Kingdom had vanished, shattered like a soap bubble. In its place lay Sumstreh’s skeleton, immobile, his ghost convulsing. In a catatonic state, the Fallen muttered an incomprehensible litany. Noticing the absence of a Domain, Priam guessed the enemy was undergoing a mental Tribulation.
The System was proving that a mental trial didn’t need much energy to defeat even a Tier 4. Maybe they never passed a Tribulation after their pseudo-resurrection? Their weaknesses must be glaring. For the second time, Priam grasped why the System forced its users to face these deadly challenges.
But six more Tribulations remained. Dust swirled at the center of the valley, and a figure emerged. Facing the Tier 4, the ghost of an elven woman strode forward. Standing over two meters tall, she had cruelly exquisite features, more akin to a blood elf than a forest elf. According to [Ideal Aether Perception], the aether within her barely surpassed Priam’s energy reserves, which matched a Tier 0 Tribulation. Yet, a glance with [Tribulation Hunter] revealed the System was playing dirty.
The elf bore three Tribulations: an emerald train of ambient aether followed her every movement, two heterochromatic eyes—one gold, the other emerald—seemed to see everything. Impressive, but less so than the two Tribulations that constituted her.
The elf wasn’t just a combination of two Tribulations. She was their multiplication. Priam’s eyes widened as he realized that, according to Bechar’s square function, the elven ghost was potentially seventeen hundred times stronger than the first Tribulation of a Tier 0. r
While he wondered if the System was angry at Sumstreh or if this was simply the norm for a sevenfold Tribulation, the elf tilted her head, dodging an invisible attack that carved a canyon behind her. The Fallen’s automatic defenses were activating, even though their creator was unconscious. The ghost’s expression remained unchanged, evading each projectile with ease.
Priam was struck by the elf’s regal bearing. Her royal stride neither quickened nor slowed as she avoided attacks that could obliterate any Tier 0 not resistant to divine influences. Her supernatural grace hinted at a high level of Micro, and her prescience seemed the result of an advanced Domain. Against her, the Fallen’s preparations looked laughable.
The ritual capable of annihilating the entire island reappeared, covering the sky. With a casual wave, the elf gathered her emerald train into a sphere and launched it into the air. The orb pierced through the colossal runes, completing them. Like a 3 turning into an 8, the sigils’ form changed their meaning. When the ritual activated, an emerald rain fell, covering the ruined valley in a lush carpet of greenery. Sumstreh's promised destruction had been turned into creation in a single move.
“Holy...”
For the first time since the Tutorial, Priam was face-to-face with a being so far beyond him she was incomprehensible. The elven ghost might have been Tier 0, but she didn’t seem to possess any weaknesses. On paper, her attributes were inferior to Priam’s, but he had no illusions: that thing would have wiped the floor with him.
Finally, the elf reached the specter.
“I, Ayank Iluva, Empress of Knaya, see the heir of Sumstreh Rbhn,” she declared. Priam perked up at the mention of the Empire ruling the Wandering Islands. “The original’s sentence was death. Does the heir have a defense to offer?”
The mental Tribulation tormenting Sumstreh dissipated, and the Fallen stood.
“I acknowledge the Empress’ authority,” they said, bowing. “You condemned me once, and your executioner carried out the sentence. Must I pay again for the crimes of the one whose soul fragment I bear?”
Their voice no longer echoed in the ambient aether, and Priam wondered if the Fallen was showing respect to the Empress' ghost or if some invisible Tribulation shackled their soul. Priam had only seen six Tribulations, but he was certain the last one lurked in the background.
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“That would have been an acceptable defense if you hadn't used 'me'... or if the System hadn’t summoned me as suzerain. You see yourself as the continuation of Sumstreh Rbhn, and as such, you inherit responsibility for his crimes,” the ghost judged. “I therefore renew your death sentence.” Her voice thundered, and the world shook as if conscious that the elf's will would be done. “Any last words?”
An Empress who is both judge and executioner, Priam grimaced. It was a dangerous combination because it meant she held all the power. Still, even his French side wasn’t dumb enough to rebel against someone who could execute gods.
“If you survive today,” Arnold added.
Priam gave a mocking smile to his rival. “Your last sentences were in the future tense; even your subconscious knows you won’t kill me.”
A nova flared in response.
[2 hours 18 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.]
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 782
Constitution 1 435
Agility 927
Vitality 1 370
Perception 817
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 681
Memory 896
Willpower 1 193
Charisma 754
META:
Meta-affinity 923
Meta-focus 444
Meta-endurance 798
Meta-perception (A) 443
Meta-chance 332
Meta-authority 258
Potential: 12 472
Tier 0
Sun point: 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 7 hours 49 minutes 39 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!
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