“Ready?” Jasmine shouted from the ramparts.
Two towering men stood twenty meters apart, sizing each other up. The younger one had a laid-back vibe. Barefoot, shirtless, and with wild hair, he was facing the world with nothing but a curious gaze and a pair of mist-woven pants. Opposite him stood a colossus with short hair, dressed in the simple but rugged garb of a martial society: plain trousers, a short-sleeved top, and reinforced shoes.
Despite their contrasting appearances, they shared one thing in common: danger radiated from them. Their chiseled muscles and sharp eyes betrayed their warrior nature.
The handful of spectators gathered along the battlements knew full well that brute strength wasn’t their only weapon. The merchant had even insisted that the duel not take place in the Forum—a central square of indestructible stone where his shop was located. Thus, the two combatants squared off under the sprawling branches of a Tal Quercus tree.
The wind rustled through the grass, the crimson light bathed the glistening leaves, and the nearby river murmured in its bed; the world seemed as peaceful as the warriors were focused. Nothing would distract them from victory.
“Three... Two—”
“Go!” Sphinx roared, too impatient to wait for the countdown to finish.
Both men launched themselves forward, pushing the air aside in their wake. They closed the gap in a heartbeat, their spears clashing in a shower of sparks. The collision created a void, revealing the result to all: the point of impact was equidistant from their faces. The first exchange had no victor.
There would be many more.
In the blink of an eye, their weapons met ten more times. On the eleventh, the combatants locked in a final confrontation. With their spears pressed against each other, the duel shifted. Instead of trying to strike without being hit, each warrior now poured all their strength into overpowering the other.
Muscles bulged, and their hearts pounded furiously to fuel their efforts. The ground buckled under their feet, torn apart by the force of two titans. Just as they were about to falter, the exposed roots of the magical tree provided them with solid footing. Adjusting to the new terrain, they unleashed the vast reserves of power within them.
Red-faced, veins throbbing, the two warriors growled as they squeezed every ounce of strength from their bodies. The force between them could have torn apart solid steel, but their cells withstood it. These bodies had long surpassed the limits of mere biology.
Then, the balance tipped. In this impromptu tug-of-war, the mist chosen began to give ground. His opponent was stronger and had an overwhelming advantage with Micro II. It was expected from one of the paths leading to the Zenith.
“Fuck,” Priam muttered, realizing he was losing ground. If his position became too weak, he would topple backward, and the hoplite would seize the upper hand. That was not an option.
Changing tactics, the Homo Elysian locked his joints, using his unique constitution to resist the enemy’s brute strength. His body stopped trembling, becoming as immovable as stone.
The second warrior frowned. His body, taut like a bowstring, couldn’t push his opponent any further. Realizing sheer force alone wouldn’t cut it, he changed tactics and used his head—literally.
A vicious headbutt slammed into the rising star’s nose. As droplets of blood flew, a cry rang out.
The hoplite staggered back, rubbing his forehead. Across from him, his opponent stood unscathed, chuckling softly.
“Did I just fracture my skull on your nose cartilage?” The spearmaster was incredulous, the idea so absurd he needed confirmation.
“I told you, I stood toe-to-toe with a Tier 4. With my constitution and resistances, brute strength alone won’t cut it anymore; you’ll need to tap into your Spear Mastery.”
Channeling his vitality with Micro, the more experienced of the two grimaced. His Tribulations were coming, and he couldn’t afford to waste his mental endurance. A ray of light refracted off his legendary spear’s blade, and he smirked.
“Let’s see about that.”
Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 30, 31
PERC +4
DEXT +2
Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 14, 15
STR +6
Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 36, 37
STR +6
Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 9, 10
STR +2
AGI +4
Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 15, 16
AGI +4
DEXT +2
Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 14, 15
AGI +4
DEXT +2
Lvl Up: [Hoplite Parry] lvl 2
STR +3
Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 13
CONST +3
Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 14
CONST +3
“I gotta get back to work,” Rose said, placing the indignant Sphinx back on the ground. “Call me when you start your Tribulations!”
“In a few hours,” Kazuki smiled as the girl headed toward Log-a-rhythm.
“What are you gonna do until then?” Louis asked.
“Meditate,” Kazuki replied. “But before that, we need to talk about what happened in the other timeline.”
The remaining fighters nodded in agreement.
Sphinx rubbed against Priam’s leg. “You’ll give me a recap, right?”
“Of course. Got something else to do?”
“I want to explore the base! Everything’s changed since I left.”
When Sphinx had been kidnapped, Oasis hadn’t even had a name, and the hoplites had just arrived. The child ran off, eyes wide with curiosity as she examined the new constructions and fresh faces.
Priam smiled and leaned against the rampart. The warriors present settled around him, with Louis even going so far as to unfold a handcrafted garden chair.
“Where to begin... You already know what happened with Kazuki.”
The first thing Priam had done after saving Sphinx was share all the information about Kazuki’s Tribulations through a mental bridge. The rest could wait, but the hoplite needed time to prepare mentally.
“Then, you all triggered your Tribulations in Valaryth. It was a bloodbath...”
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 807 (+25)
Constitution 1 187 (+8)
Agility 948 (+18)
Vitality 1 130
Perception 828 (+5)
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 690 (+6)
Memory 859
Willpower 1 172
Charisma 767
META:
Meta-affinity 923
Meta-focus 444
Meta-endurance 804
Meta-perception 443
Meta-chance 379
Meta-authority 258
Potential: 12 327 (+30)
Tier 0
Sun point: 440 (+47)
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED
Concepts:
Breath (T0): 100% / DormantFire (T0): 100% / UnityPyro (T1): 95% / SymphonyMist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
Phoenix: 1%Dragon: <>
Rewards standing:
Fusion Token - Epic skillEvolution Token - Legendary skillAffinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)Bloodline Purification (+1%)Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 2 hours 5 minutes 6 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200