Priam
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Chapter 303: Rewards and Respect
🕑 Added 2024-11-27 01:45:35 +0000 UTCI ended up splitting the chapter in two. I like this ending, and it's already pretty long. Next chapter: tomorrow! Enjoy!
PS: Priam Character Sheet (you can thanks the Discord guys! Come say hello.)
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Equivalence of a Triple Tribulation—Deluge (High Tribulation - Tier 2)
Account of the Tribulation:
Candidate: Priam Azura, Human Civilization
Special Notes:
Bonus: 137th human to survive a High Tribulation.
Bonus: 3rd human to survive an alien High Tribulation.
Bonus: Factionless.
Special Bonus: Tribulation Tier exceeded candidate's Soul Tier.
Special Bonus: Essence of the High Tribulation obtained.
Malus: Violation of High Tribulation rules (use of soul defensive skills written by the System—Valaryth’s nemesis).
Malus: Incomplete High Tribulation.
Summary:
Tested by an alien High Tribulation.
Performance:
Defeated in under a day.
Ice Path traversed. Air and Water Paths avoided.
Developed an optimal resistance linked to the High Tribulation.
72nd candidate in history to reach the Eye of the Deluge.
System Report (Proposed by Administrator Thaal):
For his second experience with a Tribulation, Priam Azura chose an alien High Tribulation and endured it to the point of absorbing its essence. More impressive still, he walked in blind, unaware of the stakes. Opting for the Ice Path—the one with the highest survival odds—he followed it to the Eye of the Deluge. Cowardly, some might say. Pragmatic, others. I say: as he reads this, he’s already scheming how to endure the remaining two Paths to grind his resistances. A word of advice: hurry. Without its essence, the Deluge’s lifespan is finite.
While his life didn’t hang in the balance, the candidate’s meteoric growth is worth noting. His physical resilience demands respect, though any adversary would be foolish to underestimate his mental tenacity. The next Tribulation will reveal more...
In short, the Juggernaut proves once again that with a bit of willpower—and daily resurrections—anything is possible!
General Rewards:
Achievement - Mythic.
[High Tribulation Abortionist - Gold].
[High Tribulation Thief... Redacted by Administrator Thaal.
(Trust me, you don’t want that one on your karmic profile.)
Customized Rewards:
Triple Tribulation: three rewards selectable from the following list:
Next Tribulation delayed by three months.
Alloy formula for a spear (Gold rarity).
One soul to resurrect.
Time stasis - duration: 23 hours 29 minutes.
POT +7 500.
Access to humanity's knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 300,000 words).
Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline (1%)
Purification of your Dragon Bloodline (1%)
Three drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years].
Free attributes (+75)
Free skill level-ups (+7)
Seed of Experience
Seed of Potential
Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree
Tear of an Elysium Star.
Breath of Serket.
Perfect Tribulation Run Memory.
Evolution Token - Title (Gold)
Evolution Token - Talent (Gold)
Evolution Token - Skill (Epic)
Trophy compass (Hunter - 1 charge)
Race upgrade (Divergent from Homo Elysian)
Achievement - Mythic: As a Tier 0, you have endured an alien High Tribulation (T2). The hardest part was likely finding one.
One universe is not enough for you; your gaze pierces infinity, and you are determined to leave your mark.
Aether watches, recording your Story.
Message for Humanity & Valaryth 84 :
Priam Azura endured an alien High Tribulation (Tier 2) while in Tier 0.
The Seven Concepts congratulate you.
Potential +10 000. 1 000 000 Sun points. Minor skill Epiphany. High Tribulation essence (Tailored).
Title obtained!
[High Tribulation Abortionist - Gold] - The ultimate test of Aether to separate the worthy from the unworthy: High Tribulations. Somehow, you prevented the evaluation from reaching its conclusion. The most obvious way is to kill the candidate, but more exotic methods can achieve the same result. Regardless, it will now be challenging for the aspirant to baptize their soul…
I had a joke about abortion, but I decided not to keep it.
META (Authority) +30%
Administrative action…
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 132 days 19 hours 55 minutes 16 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 6 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
Priam scanned the System’s notifications with a quick mental glance. By the end, his jaw was locked in a triumphant grin. It was everything he had hoped for and more.
First, the Deluge wasn’t collapsing just yet. Without its essence, its engine had stalled, but its sheer inertia and size would keep it working for a while longer. That was fortunate, considering he still had two Paths to traverse: Air and Water. Opportunities to earn new rewards from Valaryth—and perhaps temper one of his gates.
Relieved that his training grounds would endure, Priam focused on his Titles. A quick extrapolation confirmed what he suspected: blocking, sealing, or outright sabotaging a High Tribulation was possible. The simplest method was to kill the candidate, but other techniques existed. According to Thaal, the Heavenly Dragons were infamous for devouring Tribulation essences, enduring Aether's wrath for their audacity.
Based on his Titles and Achievements, hindering a High Tribulation was possible, but devouring one was… taboo. For that reason, and to conceal the existence of [Tribulation Hunter], one of Priam’s Titles had been redacted. Evidently, there were forces in the universe that wouldn’t tolerate a Tier 0 possessing such… exotic powers. Too bad for them.
Or perhaps Thaal was just jealous. After meeting the eccentric Administrator, Priam couldn’t rule that out.
Slightly annoyed by the loss of a point of Merit, Priam regained his smile as he reviewed the rewards for his Achievement. Extending his closed hand, he accepted the System’s gift and opened his palm. The ambient light shimmered across the surface of a half-sphere. Sumstreh’s shattered core, retrieved by Jasmine after the battle, now resembled a half-pearl of rose quartz. Its subtle hue evoked the pastel tones of dawn. Shaped by a divine power and infused with the essence of a spiritual High Tribulation, the trophy radiated brilliance to his aetheric sight.
“With this, I’m even more confident for my next Tribulations,” Priam murmured, absorbing the gem into his internal world. He now had [Free Will], an ideal Epic resistance, and a trophy as the foundation for his Soul Gate. All he needed was an extreme environment to temper it. “And I already know where to find one.”
Priam then sorted through the rewards equivalent to a Triple Tribulation. Nearly two months earlier, he had received a similar list for surviving a Quadruple Tribulation. He smiled, recalling his decision paralysis back then. At the time, he knew too little to truly understand the value of each choice. Fortunately, the Priam Council had guided him.
Today, things were different. The Champion had accepted his mantle, traveled to another world, survived an alternate timeline, and even outwitted a Fallen. Through relentless reflection, analysis, conversations, and study, Priam was better equipped to make an informed choice. None of the listed rewards were useless, but some intrigued him more than others.
“Let’s approach this logically and keep with the best options: alloy formula for my spear, POT +7,500, access to humanity's knowledge on a topic, purification of my Phoenix Bloodline, seed of Potential, branch of Garoe—the Mist Tree, tear of an Elysium star, breath of Serket, trophy compass... I think that’s everything,” Priam muttered, grimacing. “That’s definitely more than three…”
Turning the options over in his mind, Priam analyzed the short, medium, and long-term benefits of each reward. Some, like the Potential, were straightforward, but he would need a lot of it to downgrade certain skills. Unless I unlock more Achievements... I suppose I can trust myself on that front.
The three items related to his Concepts were tempting, but he set them aside for now. If all went well, he would elevate all three to Unity before long. Moving on, Priam dismissed the trove of humanity’s knowledge. Not because human civilization lacked impressive insights, but because his upcoming visit to Proxima and the second Reunion would likely grant him access to that knowledge. Learning more about the theory behind kinetic energy or combustion was necessary, but not as urgent as other priorities.
Besides, he could likely rely on the hoplites and the Guardian of Secrets for advanced information if needed. With those options eliminated, things became clearer.
“Alloy formula for Promesse, purification of my Phoenix Bloodline, seed of Potential, and trophy compass. Naturally, I’m interested in four, and I can only pick three. Of course, it couldn’t be easy," he groaned. If Thaal wasn’t too busy spying on other nudists, the bastard was probably laughing his ass off watching Priam agonize over the decision.
Upgrading Promesse would be an immediate power boost, especially since an alloy formula would let him handle the process himself. Perhaps due to his intimate bond with the weapon, Priam hesitated to entrust it to a blacksmith. He was convinced that reforging the spear with his own flames and hands would deepen their connection and awaken the nascent spirit within the weapon.
Running his hand over the shaft of Promesse like a lover, Priam moved on to the purification of his Phoenix bloodline. With Heavenly Dragon strengthening his draconic bloodline, he needed to bolster the Phoenix slumbering within him. Otherwise, Chimera or not, their duel will tear my body apart. Managing the conflict between the two bloodlines required that they be of roughly equal strength—a necessity for his mythical Talent to function.
“A seed of Potential…” Just a few hours ago, Priam had no idea what it did. Now, thanks to a reward from Valaryth, he knew it could grant him an ideal prerequisite for a skill—either one he already had or a new one. If he could choose the targeted skill, it might be the best reward of all. If not, it was still a prerequisite ideal, and as a collector, Priam could never have too many.
Finally, the name trophy compass spoke for itself. If Priam’s hunch was correct, he could select one of his resistances, and the System would point him toward the monster, treasure, or resource needed to create a perfect gate.
Four incredible rewards… and they would likely be available again if he triumphed over his quintuple Tribulation. That left only one question: which of these rewards would be most useful to obtain in duplicate?
The answer was obvious, and Priam made his choice.
*
Seed of Potential and Trophy Compass received.
Lvl up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 37, 38
META(Focus) +4
META(Endurance) +2
When Priam opened his eyes, he felt a liquid lapping at his feet. Looking down, he grimaced at the sight of warm water pooling around him. His blood now burned so hot that his body melted the ice on contact. To anyone with infrared vision, Priam must have looked like a bonfire.
“Bright and hot, that’s me in a nutshell,” he quipped, noticing that his new boxer shorts were completely intact. For a free product, they were surprisingly durable.
His kinetic mastery soon absorbed the heat radiating from his skin, but his blood remained close to boiling. Now at three percent purity, his Phoenix bloodline was too powerful to be fully contained by Chimera and his draconic bloodline. He would need to create a second gate soon. That was already in the plan.
Priam smiled faintly, noting that his meta endurance had surpassed nine hundred. Unsealing the attribute after achieving new thresholds was a relief. Now, he could deploy his wings without risking additional Tribulations. It also meant he could grind his skills again without constantly fearing for his life. The Juggernaut was eager to exploit his synergies to catch up to Arnold and Dishnu.
It wasn’t the only attribute that increased during the High Tribulation. Meta perception and meta chance had both crossed the five-hundred threshold and evolved as well. Like meta focus, the improvement was subtle, a whisper of potential he couldn’t yet define. Unlike other attributes, these three were likely active or reactive rather than passive. Add-on, keep an eye on them.
[Command acknowledged.]
Reviewing his status and running some projections, Priam decided to unseal [Bloodless - Silver] but kept [Fallout Boy - Silver] locked. He had sealed both Titles at the end of Back in Time to avoid triggering a sextuple Tribulation, but now he could afford to let his vitality flourish. His Constitution less so.
The unsealed Title unleashed over a hundred points of vitality, and his blood surged violently. The rush of vigor made him want to drop and do a thousand push-ups, challenge a Terror, or find another outlet for his newfound energy. He barely restrained himself, noticing the strain on his boxer shorts. Knowing some Primordials were potentially watching, it was better to behave.
Using Micro to suppress his body’s urges, Priam reread his notifications one last time, then exhaled in relief. The equivalence of a triple Tribulation had validated three thresholds, and his sextuple Tribulation had been downgraded to a quintuple. He had expected this but was glad his calculations weren’t off. A mistake would have been fatal. Still, that wasn’t a gamble he wanted to make often; he left such pastimes to perverts like Thaal.
With his new thresholds, Priam would face the System’s trial with the attributes of a Champion who had survived a quadruple plus a triple: seven Tribulations! Considering the difficulty of his quintuple scaled quadratically—and with the glimpse Back in Time had given him—Priam was confident.
Where survival had once been his only goal, triumph now beckoned. For the Juggernaut, the Tribulation wasn’t a trial—it was an opportunity. He liked the shift in mindset.
As he prepared to reunite with Jasmine and set course for Proxima, Priam froze. During the purification of his bloodline, his body heat had melted the ice beneath him, revealing the skeleton trapped within. The warrior who had triggered the High Tribulation was freed just as the Deluge faded. In a way, it was poetic.
Priam stood in silence before the bleached bones, feeling a strange connection to the unknown Rhem.
“I’ve finished what you started,” he murmured before kneeling to gather the remains. Arranging them into the form of a humanoid, he froze the surrounding water and used [Kinetic Control] to craft a tombstone. It seemed obvious to him to pay tribute to the one who had endured their High Tribulation, only to discover that this world had been too weak to baptize him.
Minutes later, he stood, took a deep breath, and stepped back through the curtain separating him from the hell of the Deluge. The cataclysmic storm roared, tearing the air from his lungs and drowning out his cries of pain. Despite his victory, the Deluge’s final zone remained deadly.
Yet, in the eye of the storm, calm reigned. The essence of the High Tribulation had been replaced by an icy stele. Etched at the tip of a spear was the following epitaph:
“Here lie the bones of a warrior.
On the path to the Zenith,
A trial claimed his flesh,
Time stole his name,
But Death could not take his courage.
He stopped along the way,
His memory, we shall relay,
Until our journey’s final day.”
*
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 893
Constitution 1 383
Agility 1 173
Vitality 1 310 (+131)
Perception 858
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 752
Memory 891
Willpower 1 012
Charisma 653
META:
Meta-affinity 999
Meta-focus 559 (+5)
Meta-endurance 902 (+3)
Meta-perception 539
Meta-chance 594 (+5)
Meta-authority 429 (+86)
Potential: 27 603 (+10 004)
Tier 0
Sun points: 1 143 444 (+1 000 000)
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 11 minutes 2 seconds.
Concepts:
Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
Phoenix: 3%
Dragon: 1%
Rewards standing:
Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)
Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
Colosseum VIP Token
Reborn Token - Reset biological lifespan (Legendary)
Minor skill Epiphany
High Tribulation essence (Soul Tailored - Sumstreh’s half core)
Seed of Potential
Trophy Compass
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 132 days 19 hours 40 minutes 15 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
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If you have any suggestions for improving the final epitaph... I can manage in French poetry, but it's more challenging in English!
Comments
Geekdumb
Against his fate did he contest He faltered in a broken test With it defeated he now can rest
Halfcrzy
Are we hoping it comes out today?
M. Kazai
The Primordial Depth Prince Anatole made a deal with still has part of his soul. So if Priam kills that one they could theoretically resurrect him.
PriÀm
Fixed, thanks!
PriÀm
Fixed, thanks!
Pievalley
Honestly the epitaph was great👍 very well done
Pievalley
You forgot lightning resistance
Zaim İpek
Technically yes, but the system could always just get an alternate timeline version that wasn't killed with "There is no heaven." He wouldn't be EXACTLY the same. . . but close enough 🤷♂️
Zaim İpek
"I had a joke about abortion, but I decided not to keep it." 😮🤯😵🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sam
He has to go to Atlantis too right or is that not real?
M. Kazai
Thanks for the chapter. Some skill that could profit from the Water path: Sun Steel Body, Smooth Scales, Asphyxia Resistance, Valaryth Swimming, Glide. Skills that could benefit from the Air path: Wind Resistance ideal unlock, Shear Resistance, Smooth Scales, Glide, Phoenix Wings.
NonuvfOorbiz
Thanks. The first lines in the chapter are missing their starting character.
Derze
Her dad cant be revived, he used [There is No Heaven]
Luciaron
Nice poem.
Shadow Korosu
For some reason, the first letters for his Tribulation Account are missing. The first three "Bonus"es are missing the B, the "Special Bonus" is missing the S, and the two "Penalty"s are missing the P. Aside from that, great chapter and I'm looking forward to the next!
Andrew
Thank you!
pukeofhurl
Sooo now he can get 5 more attributes above 900 and 3 more above 1200 that should be a large increase as well lol
Jared Jobbins
"Now, things were different. He’d embraced his mantle, traveled to another world, survived alternate timelines" and "Today, things were different. The Champion had accepted his mantle, traveled to another world, survived an alternate timeline". You repeat a paragraph by the way. I love this series so much.
Fred
The epitaph turned out great in English
bcd051
He has so many rewards he just has chilling
Zarek21
Didn’t Priam promise rose to bring back her dad once he got a resurrection reward?? Or am I misremembering…
brennon Petersen
Tftc!
Prem Chanumalla
Tftc!!
Custus
Thanks for the chapter!
