Priam
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Chapters 301 + 302
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 06:20:35 +0000 UTCBack on Monday! I struggled for a long time to write these chapters, but they’re finally here. Thank you for your patience—now we’re getting back to the usual release schedule. Enjoy!
PS: Priam Character Sheet (you can thanks the Discord guys! Come say hello.)
*
Chapter 301: The Greed in Your Eyes
"What about a quadruple?" The being winked. "Pleasure meeting you in the flesh and soul, Priam. I’m Thaal, the Immortal Gambler, and the System has sent me to strike a deal."
Thaal. The name triggered alarms in Priam’s head, but the extraordinary control afforded by his Micro kept his eyes from widening.
"An honor to meet the Administrator of the Hope Sector," Priam replied, tilting his head slightly. His modern upbringing hadn’t covered etiquette for dealing with galactic overlords, but politeness seemed prudent. "My name is Priam Azura, and I suppose we’re both frustrating Death."
"Ah! An Immortal and an undying. Sounds like the beginning of a joke. Well, please, don’t let the fact that I could annihilate your entire civilization with a mere thought make you uncomfortable. Treat me as a peer... one you admire, of course. That reminds me—" The High Tier rummaged through one of his pockets, pulling out a piece of fabric. "Here, I’ve been meaning to give you this."
Priam unfolded the garment to reveal a red pair of boxers. Embroidered on the right cheek was the phrase "I like to" followed by a multicolored die—identical to the one dangling from the Immortal Gambler's belt.
"I like to... die? Is that a pun?"
"Indeed! It’s my specialty—after gambling. That’s celestial silk, spun from Tier 6 celestial silkworms. Very comfortable, I assure you. In fact, I’m wearing the same pair right now." Thaal tugged down his waistband slightly to reveal an identical underwear.
What. The. Fuck?
For a moment, Priam wondered if this might be an imposter. He had expected an august figure and was facing a clown.
[Identification]
[Thaal, the Immortal Gambler - System’s Admin] - The one and only. Now stop identifying me and feel how soft this silk is. That’s good shit.
Thaal pointed to the tag, where a "2," a die, and a "4" were printed. "It’s a rebus. ‘Two die four.’ Get it? I’ve just launched this luxury underwear brand, and let me tell you—it’s top-tier. No washing required! Just pass it through your Pyro flame daily to burn off any odors. Durable enough to protect your family jewels yet softer than a baby’s cheek."
"... It’s an underwear," Priam reminded him dryly.
"Hmm, true. I’ll have my marketing team brainstorm a pitch that doesn’t appeal exclusively to pedos. Anyway, it has other features." Thaal began stretching the fabric in every direction. "See how elastic it is? You can even use it as a condom. ‘Sorry, Esmée, the boxers stay on during sex.’ Normally, it’s satisfaction guaranteed or your money back, but since you didn’t pay for it..."
Priam stared silently for a moment. He hadn’t expected the admin to be this eccentric. Well, one can’t become an Immortal without a bit of madness…
"What do you think?"
"... Seems like a solid product," Priam replied reluctantly.
"Glad to hear it! I was tired of seeing you running around naked," Thaal said, turning away. "It should be your size."
After a few awkward seconds, Priam realized he was supposed to put the boxers on. Resigned, he complied, reminding himself the garment probably cost more than Promesse. The unnaturally soft silk against his skin did ease some of his irritation.
"Done."
Thaal turned back, scrutinized Priam’s lower half with unnerving intensity, then gave a thumbs-up. "Perfect."
"Ahem." Priam crossed his arms in front of his new underwear. "Back to the deal, the status of a messenger reflects the importance of the message. If the System sent a High Tier, the heart of the Deluge must be incredibly valuable…"
Thaal laughed, a sound as casual as it was unsettling. "The greed in your eyes! No wonder you absorbed that draconic bloodline so well." He raised a hand to stop Priam’s question. "The heart is rare, yes, but not rare enough to drag me to this backwater." With a snap of the High Tier’s fingers, the heart vanished from Priam’s draconic lung to reappear in his hand. "Beautiful thing, though."
Priam wasn't convinced. Of course, the High Tier wouldn’t outright admit the worth of something he wanted.
"Then you’re here for me? To collect on the favor you did by redacting [Tribulation Hunter] from my status?"
Thanks to his eidetic memory, Priam recalled the exact message he had received when [Tribulation Resistance] evolved into [Tribulation Hunter]:
Protocol Eight:
Next notifications hidden from moderators
[Tribulation Hunter] - [Identification] will show [Tribulation Resistance].
Message from administrator Thaal: You owe me one.
Even if he wasn’t certain that possessing the skill was inherently dangerous, Priam knew Thaal’s machinations had paved the way for the prerequisites of [Ciphered Record]. He intended to repay the service.
A gleam flickered in Thaal’s eyes. "I’ve got a feeling holding onto this favor will increase its value."
"I’m a bitcoin?" Priam grimaced.
"That’s what I’m hoping," winked the Immortal Gambler. "So far, you've never disappointed."
"Did you know?" Priam pointed to the Heart of the Deluge. "Did you foresee this when the System gave me [Tribulation Hunter]?"
Thaal shook his head. "There’s a misunderstanding. That alien skill of yours, which lets you interact with the essence of Tribulations, isn’t a gift from my employer. It’s born of [Tribulation Resistance], a System specialty, and your Patron’s Talent. Similar skills exist, but until now, no one was sure you could target the hearts of High Tribulations."
"Not even the Concepts?"
"I wouldn’t know—I don’t work for the Seven," the administrator replied, summoning a tie and tightening it with an air of exaggerated professionalism. "Let’s stay on topic. I’m here as an agent of the System. The fact that I’m vastly overqualified for this interview is simple to explain: I enjoy seeing the chips I’m playing with."
Priam suppressed a flicker of annoyance. "Am I a chip or a pawn?"
The Immortal Gambler smiled, flashing perfectly white teeth. "I’m not your enemy, Priam."
The mere presence of the High Tier was freezing reality, a palpable reminder of the gulf between them. One didn’t need to be an enemy of an ant to crush it underfoot...
Forcing himself to quiet his fear, Priam returned to the matter at hand. "So, why does the System want the Deluge’s heart?"
"Do you want to know its value to haggle better?"
"I want to know its value to decide if I should haggle at all," Priam countered. "My body craves this item as a trophy for a gate, and after the hell I’ve been through to claim it, I’m not about to trade it for the equivalent of a triple Tribulation."
"Your body probably craves a donut, too. Doesn’t mean you should listen to it," Thaal retorted, summoning a glazed donut out of thin air and taking a bite. "The real question is: do you have the option to refuse this deal? Neither I nor the System will force you into anything. But you unsealed your constitution to get here. Right now, six Tribulations are weighing on you. Keeping this heart will kill you."
Priam grinned. "I wouldn’t bet on my death."
The Immortal Gambler grinned back. "I would. The odds are stacked heavily against you."
"..."
"To answer your original question," Thaal continued, "the heart’s value is both immense and insignificant. Without boring you with details, the System collects High Tribulations. Observing those from our universe with the Seven’s help offers a varied library, but it lacks… diversity. My employer seeks that diversity in other universes. As an alien High Tribulation, the Deluge piques their interest."
"I'm not sure I understand," Priam admitted. He knew a High Tribulation baptized the soul, increasing Soul Tier, but that was about it. "Is there any benefit to changing universes to face a High Tribulation?"
The administrator conjured another donut and devoured it. "None whatsoever. High Tribulations are perfectly tailored to the candidate who triggers them. However, a collector like my employer seeks… other flavors. You’ve lived in Bordeaux, yes? Let me use an analogy."
Two stemmed glasses filled with deep crimson liquid appeared in his hands, and he offered one to Priam.
"Thanks," the Champion said, sipping cautiously. It was grape juice.
"You can produce a multitude of wines from the same soil by blending grape varieties, tweaking fermentation methods, or changing storage vessels. Still, despite all these variables, sometimes you need to change the location, the soil, the climate—the terroir, as the French say—to find a particular taste. It’s the same with High Tribulations: shifting universes allows for new flavors. Delicious," Thaal commented, taking a sip from his own glass. "I have a similar analogy starring Jasmine and Esmée, if you’re interested."
Priam raised an eyebrow. Thaal’s casual and irreverent attitude reminded him of something... "I’ll pass." He glanced down at the sphere in his hand. The Deluge’s essence was in stasis, petrified by the administrator’s mere presence. "The Tribulations triggered by System attribute thresholds… Are they copies of old High Tribulations?"
"High Tribulations are a fundamental law of the aether. Tribulations are an artificial creation, the fruit of a Concept. Despite their surface similarities, they’re very different. Now, it’s possible the System draws inspiration from the former to design the latter, but I wouldn’t call my employer a plagiarist."
"What does it gain from this? I mean, why collect High Tribulations?"
Thaal chuckled softly. "Curious as a child, aren’t you? Well, some theorize it’s a way for the Seven to harvest alien Concepts. Others think it’s an attempt to better understand the fundamental laws of the aether. The scandalmongers claim the System aims to upgrade its Tribulations to challenge the Primordials. There are as many theories as there are ultracrepidarians."
"And what does an administrator think?"
"That he’d better keep his tongue in check. Some secrets are dangerous, even for me," Thaal winked, pressing a finger to his lips in a universal gesture of silence.
Realizing he would get no more answers, Priam shifted back to the primary topic. "Thanks for the insight. From what you’ve said, it seems the essence of an alien High Tribulation is quite valuable to the System..."
...Which increased the value of the Deluge’s heart.
"Nice try," the High Tier said, finishing his glass. To Priam’s surprise, he swallowed it whole. "Crunchy. If the Deluge’s essence were truly critical, the System would’ve absorbed it as soon as it spawned."
"Why didn’t it? Why send an administrator now to retrieve it?"
Thaal locked eyes with Priam. "Why let the Deluge rampage for five centuries alone? For you, of course. Well, you and your rivals," the administrator gestured at the frozen Deluge. "You see, one of the System’s main goals is to foster its users’ progression. This world’s fragment, Valaryth 84th, is a massive sandbox placed in your path. Stripped of its resources, it would’ve lost much of its appeal. That doesn’t mean the System will let you consume them all unchecked—hence my presence."
"That’s…" Priam was speechless. He knew the System paid close attention to Tutorial survivors, but dedicating an entire world to them seemed ludicrous. "A whole world for us?"
"Oh, much more than that," Thaal leaned forward conspiratorially. "You’re not the only Champion who’s stumbled upon a wild rift. Plenty of opportunities await. And perhaps that’s the main reason you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you..."
The implication was clear: if Priam got too greedy, the System might stop favoring him.
"I guess I don’t want that," the warrior growled, tightening his grip on the precious object in his hand. If the administrator had been more forceful or less cooperative, Priam would have refused outright to strike a deal. He despised authority that much. Yet he wasn’t stubborn enough to risk falling out of the System’s good graces. "I’m in a dilemma. I’m willing to trade this High Tribulation heart, but my body craves it."
"I know you’ve got an eidetic memory, but let me repeat myself: just because your body desires this heart doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for you." Thaal straightened, his tone turning serious. "A married man might get hard looking at a woman who isn’t his wife, but there’s a good chance he’d regret an affair. Keep it in your pants, kid."
I feel like I recognize this way of speaking...
*
Chapter 302: A great Gambler never trusts Luck
“Why does my body crave this heart so badly?”
An Eastern dragon appeared above Thaal’s outstretched palm, its sinuous form gliding through a constellation of stars. “Heavenly Dragon... The first of his kind predates our universe. Legend has it that this creature was a prodigy among his species, so exceptional that he survived by devouring the High Tribulation of an enemy.” The holographic image consumed a radiant light, illuminating its scales from within. As the dragon roared in triumph, a thunderbolt powerful enough to vaporize a star struck it. “Having endured the wrath of aether, the progenitor of this draconic branch is said to have evolved to the point of unleashing High Tribulations upon his enemies.”
“The very power the System is so interested in,” Priam remarked.
Thaal smirked, dismissing the dragon’s image with a flick of his fingers. In its place, he summoned a familiar die.
“The survival reward you earned from Kazuki offered you three tempering methods. You selected Heavenly Dragon because you met two prerequisites: a draconic bloodline and a heart capable of housing a Tribulation. Even so, the method is... incomplete. It’s a theory pieced together from legends and other draconic tempering techniques. For that reason, it suggests dragon trophies as ideal catalysts but neglects the potential of High Tribulation essences—though they qualify.”
Priam narrowed his eyes. “Is that the only reason? Or was it a way to steer me away from using High Tribulation essences as trophies for my gates?”
“The System doesn’t need to manipulate you to discourage that,” Thaal replied smoothly. “Do you think you could just stumble upon another aborted High Tribulation?”
“Do they need to be aborted?” Priam countered. “Kazuki’s Tier-Up is scheduled for a few weeks from now.”
“You’d consume the essence of your friend’s High Tribulation during his aether baptism, dooming him to remain Tier 0 for life?” For the first time since he had arrived, Thaal looked deadly serious.
“Of course not! But I wouldn’t have the same qualms about doing it to my enemies.”
“Loyal to your friends, ruthless with your foes. How refreshingly original,” Thaal scoffed. “Did you see what happened to the Second Terror when it tried to interfere with a Tribulation in the erased timeline? The System’s punishment was violent enough to bring the Tier 1 Prince to death’s door. The laws of aether don’t grant more clemency.”
Priam nodded before recalling an idea. “What about my own Tribulations? The Phoenix called me an idiot when I told it this was the perfect trial to temper my body.”
“Not only is it an excellent idea, but I did the same thing when I was your age. Don’t listen to advice from an overgrown chicken; I remind you that they’re animals stupid enough to eat fried wings. That said, you won’t be able to use System Tribulation essences as trophies. It has to be a High Tribulation.”
Priam wasn’t disappointed as he had already suspected as much. The Tribulations he had stolen from Taishi or Jasmine’s alternate self hadn’t awakened his body like the Deluge’s heart.
The administrator gestured toward the Deluge’s essence. “If you absorb it, you could create an ideal gate—similar to what you’d achieve with a dragon trophy. It’s likely to awaken an alien Concept like Storm, Cyclone, or Maelstrom. You get the idea. I forecast a spontaneous fusion with Pyro or Mist, and an early Tier-Up. You don’t want that.”
If Thaal was telling the truth, absorbing the core was clearly a bad idea. But was the administrator being entirely honest?
“Almost forgot—there’s also a chance the Deluge essence could mutate part of your body into, say, a tempest organ. A boon for many, but you’ve already got a full plate, don’t you? Even at the Seraphic rank, Chimera will struggle to keep you alive if you stack too many divergent powers.”
Priam glanced at his evolving Talent.
[Chimera - Legendary] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected.
Use 17 403 POT to trigger evolution?
Nice. Last I checked, it needed over twenty thousand.
“So, to summarize, I should trade it,” Priam concluded.
“If my back didn’t hurt, I’d bow in awe at your unmatched deductive reasoning.” The High Tier had clearly elevated his Patronizing Concept to Tier 8.
Priam examined the orb in his hand. A terrifying storm churned within. Despite Thaal’s arguments, Priam was confident he could harness its power. If he waited until Tier 1 to absorb it, he might fuse Mist and Storm into a devastating Tier 2 Concept.
But it would be stupid to risk antagonizing the System for a mere ideal trophy.
“The System covets the Deluge’s heart because it’s alien,” Priam mused aloud. “I could agree to trade it for another High Tribulation essence. If it comes from our universe, it would cost it nothing, right?”
Thaal grinned. “I wouldn’t say that, but I can accept this deal. However, remember you must obtain your trophies yourself to forge a solid foundation for your body tempering.”
That had been one of the warnings of the Heavenly Dragon method. The specter of the Second Terror had inhabited the core Priam used to create the gate for [Ciphered Record]. If Priam hadn’t slain the beast personally, its core would have exploded mid-tempering, killing him outright.
“Can’t the System help?”
“It can create a blank trophy, but that only solves half the problem. Without a story tying you to your trophy, your tempering might be flawless, but forging your Myth later will be far more difficult. Immortality is a long way off, but it’s never too early to plan!”
Priam frowned. He had heard these terms before but didn’t fully grasp their significance.
“What exactly does Myth mean? I’ve seen the word in descriptions but don’t understand it.”
“A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a person and typically involving supernatural beings or events,” Thaal replied in a robotic monotone.
“That’s the dictionary definition.”
“Yeah. If you want more, pay the Guardian of Secrets. I’m not your father.” Thaal squinted. “I just checked—I’m definitely not your father. So, what did you decide?”
“I’ve got half of Sumstreh’s core. Is it possible to infuse it with the essence of a High Tribulation related to [Free Will]? It must be something pertaining to Soul.”
Priam had a plan to temper that resistance but lacked a suitable trophy. The only memorable opponent who wielded a sub-Concept of Soul was Sumstreh. Though powerful at Tier 4, its core wasn’t considered an ideal trophy—the Fallen wasn’t a dragon.
This would change if the System empowered it with a High Tribulation’s essence.
Thaal reached into the air, and when he opened his fist, half of Sumstreh's core was in it. He had effortlessly breached the Archipelago’s Concept defenses.
“It’s possible. Your story with Sumstreh is intense enough to make it a strong trophy, but it didn’t die by your hand—that weakens your story.”
“What if I kill him after forging the gate?”
The timing of Priam’s next tempering event wouldn’t allow him to kill Sumstreh first.
The administrator nodded. “The timeline doesn’t matter, as long as the story is told. You don’t even have to kill him.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Why brutalize its ego with death when you could simply ask for permission to use its core? Instead of building your Myth on a bloody victory, consider love—a wild night of passion could add a romantic twist to your tale.”
Priam and Thaal stared at each other for a long moment before the warrior looked away. “... I think I’d rather rip his head off with my bare hands.”
“So much violence in you.” Thaal laughed heartily.
“The System taught me everything.”
Priam clutched the alien High Tribulation essence in his hand. Whatever happened, he had struck a good deal. An ideal trophy, tailored from a custom High Tribulation. It was exceptional, but he could do even better.
“Shall we proceed with the trade?” Thaal asked.
Priam shook his head. “To the System, the Deluge’s heart holds more value than a mere local High Tribulation essence. In addition to the custom heart, I want the equivalent of five Tribulations.”
“Three, like the original quest.”
“Four.”
Thaal chuckled. “Greedy Priam... One of this universe’s fundamental forces is Karma. That’s why the System values fairness and makes equivalent exchange the heart of its dealings. With a triple Tribulation’s worth and an ideal trophy imbued with a High Tribulation essence tailored to your chosen resistance, you’re nearing the best deal possible.”
“I don’t want to ‘near’ it. I want to reach it.”
“Then you’re down to a minor reward or a trivial question.”
“Hm.”
Priam took a moment to skim through the notes stored in his add-on. Every question he had asked himself since the beginning of the Tutorial was there.
[What is a Story, and how does it connect to the tiering process?
What is a Myth?
What does ennobling the mind mean?
How can I evolve stats without a bloodline or a Merit?
How can I build my soul without turning it apocryphal?
How might someone complete a septuple Tribulation?
How are bloodlines created, and what’s their connection to race? What do their different rarities signify? What are the three supreme bloodlines?
How can I free the phoenix from its oaths?
…]
Should he ask Thaal one of these questions to wrap the deal? Or would it be better to request a more tangible reward?
“I was wondering—do Merit points fall under the definition of a minor reward?”
“Ah!” Thaal burst out laughing, his mirth echoing for five full seconds before he composed himself. “Absolutely not.”
“Purifying my bloodlines—”
“Nope.”
“One of the prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Manipulation]?”
“I don’t know what you’re smoking, but I want some.”
“A list of resistances I could unlock?”
“Three alien essences wouldn’t be enough for that.”
Undeterred, Priam carefully framed his next question.
“If there are multiple ways to ennoble the mind, I’d like to know the one that best complements my foundation.”
“Your mentor didn’t teach you that? These phoenixes and their ridiculous oaths…” Thaal sighed, shaking his head. “Become a Prince, and the System will handle the rest. Fine, I’ll give you one more question or reward because you’re starting to tug at my heartstrings.”
“Well, I’d like help unlocking [Probability Manipulation Resistance].”
“Oh.”
At that, the room fell silent for nearly a full minute. Facing a High Tier, such a pause stretched into an eternity, but Priam held firm. Finally, Thaal smiled.
“I assume you want the ideal version.”
“Of course.”
“Sorry, but an ideal resistance far exceeds the value of the Deluge’s heart.”
“I’m pretty sure I already meet three of the five prerequisites.” Priam was thinking about [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [Life is Hard; I’m Harder], along with the probability manipulations he had endured from Esmée before the first Reunion. His timing during that initial death in Elysium had been no coincidence.
“Make that four out of five. Even so, it’s too much for the System.”
For the System... Priam smiled, parsing Thaal’s careful phrasing.
“In that case, how about a wager?”
The Immortal Gambler raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
Mist coalesced in Priam’s hand, forming into an icy coin.
“I bet it’ll land heads.”
Without waiting, he flipped it. Priam now had enough ideal skills to better understand their prerequisites, and he was sure that winning a bet against the Immortal Gambler would do the trick.
The coin spun through the air before gravity began pulling it back down. All the while, Priam’s eyes remained locked on Thaal’s. The Tier 8 Administrator had said plenty during their conversation, leaving Priam no way to discern truth from lies. However, actions never lied. Priam was certain the Immortal Gambler could rig any bet against a Tier 0. The only question was: would he?
Whether he won or lost, Priam would learn something about Thaal.
*
Dissipating his clone, Thaal opened his eyes in the audience chamber. Before him, a Tier 5 was petitioning for his Tribulations to be postponed. The Administrator’s laughter abruptly cut the suppliant off mid-argument.
“Your Honor?” asked Saliik, the moderator-scribe. Turning to the tribunal, he announced the session adjourned. By the time the court had cleared, Thaal’s laughter had subsided to occasional chuckles.
“I take it this Viracocha’s request wasn’t the source of your amusement,” Saliik remarked, packing up his materials.
“Sharp. I just met one of the new Champions, Priam from Humanity. He wanted to consume the essence of an alien High Tribulation.”
“Presumptuous.”
“I’d say ambitious. He had the means to do it.”
Saliik frowned. “I haven’t received any alerts from the System.”
“There weren’t any. I think our employer is trying to create a hunter capable of tracking down High Tribulation essences across other universes.”
Despite his title, Thaal rarely knew the System’s true objectives. That didn’t stop him from speculating. If only it could bring an end to these Multiversal Wars...
“I doubt the boy can manage it,” Saliik countered. “Only a heavenly dragon could survive the aether’s wrath after stealing a High Tribulation’s essence.”
For the second time that day, Thaal burst out laughing.
*
Prerequisites met:
[Homo Elysian Obsession]
[Life is Hard; I’m Harder]
Your time of death was accelerated by probability manipulation.
Billions of people have bet on your actions.
You have won a wager recognized by the Immortal Gambler.
You have gained the ideal skill: [Probability Manipulation Resistance - Rare].
[Probability Manipulation Resistance] - Every event has a certain chance of occurring. For example, given enough coin flips in a controlled environment, heads and tails will balance out. However, the universe’s inherent chaos distorts those odds. The placement of your fingers, air currents, the surface texture… until now, your enemies could exploit these factors to influence the outcome of your coin toss. From now on, they’ll have a harder time.
This skill, bolstered by the interest of billions of gamblers, grants inertia to your actions. It synergizes with Micro to block external probabilistic manipulations within your body.
A good gambler backs the best horse. A great gambler never trusts luck. XOXO
META (Chance) +3
“It’s him!” Priam exclaimed upon reading the final line. Looking up, he saw Thaal had already vanished. Around him, the cyclone’s dance resumed.
According to the phoenix, skill descriptions were written by the first person to unlock them—except for unique skills. Yet the end of each description was personalized. Priam now knew exactly who authored his.
Grumbling, he bent to retrieve the icy coin from the ground. Heads, just as he had predicted. The Administrator had chosen to help him.
Just as Priam prepared to dissipate the coin, he flipped it over and froze. Heads again. Both sides were heads! Yet he was sure he had designed one to be tails.
“A great gambler never trusts luck,” Priam mused.
The Juggernaut would remember this lesson.
*
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 893
Constitution 1 383
Agility 1 173
Vitality 1 179
Perception 858
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 752
Memory 891
Willpower 1 012
Charisma 653
META:
Meta-affinity 999
Meta-focus 554
Meta-endurance 899
Meta-perception 539
Meta-chance 594 (+5)
Meta-authority 343
Potential: 17 599 (+2)
Tier 0
Sun points: 143 444
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF/ Reloaded in 19 hours 26 minutes 3 seconds.
Concepts:
Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
Pyro (T1): 100% / Half-step Unity
Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
Phoenix: 2%
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)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 132 days 19 hours 55 minutes 16 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500
*
With these new thresholds and trophy, Priam is ready for his quintuple Tribulation!
Comments
Zaim İpek
I love that idea that the boxers are the equivalent of an unskippable YouTube advertisement to people spying on Priam. But it's more likely they actually need to break through his protection. These are tier 6 underwear. It's pointless advertising to people who can't even get past the divination defense of a tier-0, even if that defense is completely maxed out. The people wealthy enough to afford these are also probably powerful enough to get past Ciphered Record.
_mori
I wouldn’t be surprised if the boxers imposes an ‘unskippable ad’ for any divination, notifying everyone that their target is wearing this one piece of clothing, regardless of whether they’re able to break through Ciphered Record or not.
_mori
It isn’t in this chapter. It’s in the first volume, around or just before the start of Priam’s tribulations. One of the merits for heartless was the option to choose a heart affinity from a limited list. Priam sourced one of himself in his trade with Pride’s Shadow, which ended up being tribulation. This didn’t happen over a single chapter btw
PriÀm
Yup!
PriÀm
Fixed! We'll see the rewards next chap
Dungeonborn
What’s that about heart affinity? I can’t find it in the chapter 😅
Zaim İpek
I like that Thaal is a smart business owner. Having Priam wear his branded clothing as his ONLY garment is a significant statement. And Priam is quickly becoming a celebrity, especially among the higher tiers as it becomes more difficult to observe him. The only ones left who can reliably spy on Priam are those who might actually be able to afford his premium underwear. It's a statement piece that feels exclusive because you have to have a minimum level of power to even know about them. The marketing is brilliant. They are probably very expensive for paying customers.
bcd051
Those were awesome chapters!
Zaim İpek
Thaal is great. He is hilarious. I always look forward to the little bits at the end of system messages. It's one of my favorite things in this story. The more obnoxious and silly, the better.
Baconwargod
Phenomenal chapters all around.
Derze
Thaal jumped straight into my heart. What a fun character. Love him already. Chapter was everything and more. Really nice. Thanks
_mori
I noticed there distinctions made between the Seven and the System several times in the chapters. For one, Thaal claims to not work for the seven and instead the System. And they don’t seem to have the same goal? The Seven’s goal is obviously t10, via an 8th throne, somehow. But it was made to sound like the System itself isn’t just a means to an end. And it also sounds sapient? I could imagine that some really ancient and high tier artifact could possibly become self-aware or sapient, effectively becoming its own kind of entity. And the system seems to have goals that overlap with exploring/exploiting the multiverse? And Priam’s obtaining the tribulation heart/affinity may not have been left to chance as much as he’d thought. The exact thing that led him to using picking tribulation as a heart affinity was a system reward. The fact that the system/Thaal had even been speculating on whether his heart would be able to manipulate genuine high tribulations make seem a bit like an experiment. Though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Over billions(?) of years, and potentially thousands of generations of champions, it only makes sense that the system will try to figure out what might or might not work. Priam should ask what a heart affinity is next time he has this kind of opportunity or what is so special about a heart that an affinity placed in it can become central to his future growth. Probably related to why/how he’s somehow able to process tribulation affinity at all, despite its Seraph tier.
_mori
Heavenly Dragon sounds really OP. A dragon that can summon and steal even high tribulations, sealing off a being’s ability to ascend at will. Can’t imagine what other branch of the dragon’s bloodline to compare. But somehow there’s others.
Luciaron
World hopping hunter of alien tribulations sounds awesome
Diremccane
The double heads was the most godlike thing I have read in a long time.
Prem Chanumalla
Tftc! Did Thaal make the tails into a heads?
Andrew
Thank you!
Andrew
He probably has to accept the reward
_mori
I enjoyed seeing Priam getting his senses triggered anytime Thaal made a joke. Only for him to realize why they sounded familiar after the guy left.
James Faulkner
Holy shit this chapter was awesome lol
_mori
His status says 6 tribulations pending with the same thresholds.
_mori
I’m confused. Did Priam not get the 3 thresholds waived?
Custus
Thanks for the chapters!
