Priam
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Chapter 160: Hatched Phoenix
🕑 Added 2023-12-18 04:55:36 +0000 UTCEnjoy!
*
Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day.
Number of deaths: 17
Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered]. Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them:
VIT +6
CONST +8
Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 12,13
VIT +4
META (END) +2
Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 31,32,33
VIT +6
CONST +3
Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 16,17,18,19,20
CONST +5
[Light Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available:
[Great Light Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5
[LASER Resistance - Rare] - You tanked a Wyvern's Breath. Stupi— Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20
[Solar Resistance - Rare] - Sunlight got the best of you before you developed skin cancer. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20
POT -20
You've chosen [Solar Resistance - Rare].
[Solar Resistance] - Life and energy provider, symbol of hope and divinity, humanity has always worshiped the Sun. Its light has many benefits, but don't overdo it. Like Icarus, you've burned your wings.
Your DNA is now fortified against UV radiation. Your cells resist skin tumor growth. Your Domain can absorb part of the received light, transforming it into aether.
This skill almost got named Sunscreen.
CONST +2
VIT +1
New Concept!
[Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept.
Destroyer, Creator, Liberator.
Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it.
Bloodlines:
Phoenix - 1% - awakened (T1) NEW.
Dragon - <1% - dormant.
Title upgraded: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] becomes [Hatched Phoenix - Gold]!
[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - The phoenix within you has hatched. Its brilliance shines bright, and its flames are already trying to conquer the world. Burning Yggdrasil, boiling the seas, and replacing the sun, that's the Phoenix's path.
You control most T0 fires. Flames naturally temper you. Being on the verge of death has a minor chance of triggering Nirvana. It's time to spread your wings. Will you survive?
(Of course you'll survive, you cheating scoundrel.)
VIT +30%
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 35 minutes 38 seconds.
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 174 days 11 hours 38 minutes 51 seconds.
*
A couple of minutes later, Priam came back to his senses. He was lying near the central pond of his world, under the branches of the young magical birch. Blinking, he leaned against the tree trunk, smiling as he read through his notifications. He felt invigorated.
"I guess that's normal considering my newfound vitality. I feel like I could lift a mountain."
By now, Priam was accustomed to attribute increases, but his vitality had surged by more than ten percent. Such a significant boost made him feel remarkably awake. I haven't felt this way since I discovered coffee in college.
Alongside his improved form, Priam experienced a strange sensation. Something in him has changed.
This certainty puzzled him. Closing his eyes again, he focused his perception inward, exploring himself. A myriad of sensations greeted him.
He heard the blood pulsing in his veins and the air filling his lungs. He sensed a slight ambient humidity, the precursor to mist. He discerned the currents of aether escaping from the siphon, increasing the ambient density of his world. He felt the faint tremors of the ground caused by Louis's Tribulations.
And there, on the verge of his soul, was something new. A white flame was dancing.
As if delighted to finally be noticed, the flame approached his soul, stopping in front of a sphere of mist. His Domain and his first Concept had long been intertwined to protect his soul.
It was time to welcome a new Concept.
With a thought, Priam attracted the flame, which penetrated the mist sphere. Instantly, the mist smothered it.
The two Concepts were not of the same power and didn't quite blend. With a furrowed brow, Priam forced his mist to release the flame. The liberated spark began orbiting around his soul, pursuing the other satellite—his Assistant. Under the warmth of his fire concept, Priam smiled. The flame illuminated and warmed his soul. Better yet, he now possessed a new sense.
A new world opened up to him, similar to the mist but different. It was hard to describe with words, but fire was now a part of him.
Priam could now feel temperature gradients in his Domain and the light on his skin. Fire was heat and light. Its current image was a mere spark, but Priam knew it would one day be a star.
With closed eyes, Priam turned his head toward the sun and saw it. Its light was so intense that it pierced through his eyelids. [Solar Resistance]. As if a switch had been pressed, his Domain began absorbing photons, creating a sphere of night.
In the heart of darkness, Priam could still make out the sun. Not with his eyes, but with his new sense. The sphere contained flames, and the flames were now Priam's allies. His Fire Concept allowed him to feel the fire, but it was too far away to manipulate.
As with his mist, Priam had to create the flame to control it. If he didn't own it—if his aether didn't dominate the fire—then he had to use his Domain to control it.
Opening his palm, Priam summoned a flame. His Fire Concept created a reddish-orange flame that intensified a moment later. His phoenix bloodline enhanced his mastery. Quickly, the flame turned into an intense and pure white, strengthening its heat.
With a hand gesture, Priam sent the fireball towards a mound of earth at the other end of his world. The attack covered fifty meters in a second before hitting the obstacle. Priam felt the heat of the explosion and burst into laughter.
"You're a wizard, Priam," he grinned. How could one claim to be a mage, sorcerer, or wizard without mastering at least one elemental attack?
Well, I'll have to modify my fighting style.
If the mist allowed him to move and conceal himself, fire would allow him to attack. A thrust augmented by Conquest was powerful, but adding a flame capable of melting metal would be terrifying. Better yet, if Priam could condense his fireball into the shape of a spear, would the attack benefit from [Spear Throw]?
There were certainly powerful synergies at his disposal. He could create boiling mist with his flames. Perhaps he could even merge fire and his draconic Breath.
Priam's breath quickened at the thought.
But before that...
With a thought, Priam extinguished the flames dancing in the crater that replaced the mound. Fire was destruction, but also creation and liberation. At least, that's how the system notification presented it. These last two points were important, for him and the phoenix that had apparently awakened within him.
Closing his eyes again, Priam detected no phoenix within him. Fortunately, he was almost certain he could finally get some answers. Stretching his hand toward the sun, Priam connected to the spark that illuminated his soul. The flame trembled, and Priam felt a part of his blood shine. My phoenix bloodline is reacting to the fire concept.
Feeling its call, the star trembled under the power of an eruption. A jet of plasma shot towards Priam. Less than a meter from him, the burning gas transformed into the image of a phoenix. A tiny phoenix with fiery wings and eyes as marvelous as they were terrifying. A hot chick.
"Congratulations on unlocking your Tier 0 bloodline," said the bird, which couldn't have been more than a few centimeters tall.
"Well, thanks. However, aren't you supposed to be dead? And why are you so small?"
The legendary bird stared him down. "Can't you tell the difference between a fragment of the soul of a Phoenix Prince and a mere copy of its memories?"
Upon careful observation, Priam realized the image before him emitted no aura. It was simply the hologram of the Prince Phoenix in the form of a bird.
"You seem less... imposing," he commented.
"It was the quality of my soul that pressured you. Even as a fragment, it remained powerful enough to command respect," boasted the phoenix.
He didn't answer the question about his small size. The bird squinted, and Priam decided to change the subject.
"I suppose you're the legacy the Prince left me?"
"The legacy? You're not one of my offspring. I’m more like an aid."
"I'm missing a few feathers to pass for your son," Priam smiled.
The phoenix looked at him for a moment before shaking its head. "No, even with feathers, you'd look more like a chicken than a phoenix."
I'm going to turn it into a KFC phoenix tender...
"Anyway," Priam resumed through gritted teeth. "My bloodline has awakened, but I don't feel very different."
The Prince Phoenix nodded. "The power a bloodline brings depends on two factors: its purity and its stage. Currently, your bloodline is awakened; it’s the first stage. Regarding purity, you have barely one percent phoenix blood. The power increase is far from linear, so the effects are limited in your case."
"Are you saying your bloodline is useless?" The phoenix was supposed to be a creature capable of miracles. Their first king was a legendary bird that replaced one of the suns of Elysium. How could Priam accept that one of the advantages he thought he had over his rivals was so disappointing?
The phoenix straightened up to its full, tiny height, glaring at Priam. "Useless?! This noble blood has bestowed upon you a Gold-tier Title. It has increased your affinity for many concepts. It has granted you unparalleled resistance to flames, light, and heat. It even offers you the opportunity for Nirvana, and you dare find this gift useless?!"
Priam felt the temperature rise, and the air shimmered under the heat radiating from the bird. Under anger, each of its words was punctuated by flames.
"Sorry," Priam apologized. "I may have taken some exceptional things for granted."
The phoenix crossed its wings, calming down. "It often happens. As I repeat, it could do more, but the purity of your bloodline is low. Fortunately, it's not a dead end for you."
"How so?" Hope could be heard in Priam's voice/
The phoenix shrugged its wings. "Normally, increasing the purity of our bloodline is challenging. Most phoenixes receive drops of blood from Ancients, get a reward from the System or seek the help of talented geneticists and aetherists. Exceptionally, they survive a Nirvana."
The phoenix paused, expecting Priam's obvious reaction.
"... What is a Nirvana?" Priam asked. On Earth, the word meant the extinction of the fire of passions or liberation from the cycle of reincarnations. Priam suspected there was a connection with dying fires and death.
"A Nirvana is a transcending rebirth. As phoenixes, our greatest pride is the ability to resurrect, a quality even envied by dragons. All phoenixes with at least a noble bloodline can resurrect."
"A noble bloodline?" Priam interrupted.
"More than fifty percent pure. Don't interrupt me. Upon our death, we can choose to trigger a Nirvana. It's a sort of test of consciousness. If successful, in addition to our resurrection, our soul is elevated, enhanced, and baptized. One of the side effects is increasing the purity of our bloodline."
Priam's breath quickened. "Does this soul elevation make it apocryphal?"
"Of course not; I just told you that the soul is baptized. Although it doesn't involve the Seven Concepts, the Nirvana is a kind of High Tribulation unique to phoenixes. It allows a few chosen ones to possess a soul more powerful than their Tier suggests. That's why we are so feared," explained the phoenix with pride.
An idea began to germinate in Priam's mind. The System considered his soul apocryphal. He was almost certain that his repeated resurrections strengthened his soul.
[Soul Volume since Assistant creation: +3%]
This impression was confirmed by his add-on. The problem was that the System perceived this increase in volume as an error. For now, Priam wasn't worried, but more deaths could lead to more dramatic consequences. Yet, Priam currently had no desire to reach Tier 1. But Nirvana could solve my problems!
"How do you trigger a Nirvana?" he asked.
"First step: die," the phoenix replied naturally. "Second step: reduce your body to ashes. Third step: accept the nirvanic judgment."
Seeing Priam's lost look, the phoenix added, "You just need to want to attempt a Nirvana. Your bloodline will connect you to the birth world of our Primogenitors, and you will be tested."
"Oh, so you’re aliens, too?" Priam asked. The news surprised him.
"There is only one native race in this universe; all others have been imported. But let's stay focused: if you want to increase the purity of your bloodline, Nirvana is the key."
"It sounds simple. What's the catch?"
The phoenix blinked for a few seconds before trembling. Finally, it couldn't contain its hilarity and burst into laughter. Priam watched the scene with wide eyes. Where had the majestic presence of the Prince gone? Tumbling through the air, the bird took almost thirty seconds before managing to respond.
"The catch is that by accepting a Nirvana, a phoenix gives up a regular resurrection. If we fail, our death is final. You understand why few of us attempt the experience," it chuckled.
"Death doesn't scare me," smiled Priam.
The phoenix stayed silent for a moment before sighing. "You understand why my corrupted self would do anything to obtain your power. It's like a cheat."
“I guess this bloodline synergizes well with my Talent.”
"Indeed," the bird continued, "Speaking about synergy, would you tell me why you haven't invested your Merit points yet?"
*
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 420
Constitution 764 (+21)
Agility 432
Vitality 645 (+67)
Perception 652
MENTAL:
Vivacity 359
Dexterity 453
Memory 185
Willpower 706
Charisma 456
META:
Meta-affinity 408
Meta-focus 284
Meta-endurance 208
Meta-perception 170
Meta-chance 219
Meta-authority 15
Potential: 1074 (-2)
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 27 minutes 17 seconds.
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 174 days 11 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds.
*
Don't worry, the phoenix isn't going to let him get away with nothing...
Comments
John Isaac Mahaffey
" "How so?" Hope could be heard in Priam's voice/ " You've got a slash instead of a period here.
Disclancer
So, given Priam has multiple bloodlines, does this place a cap on the bloodline purity he can have in any one bloodline?
Amazon Shopper
I thought I killed you! “Kills Priam again”… what, how r u still alive?!?!?! Also would b fun to see some Sangha/Buddhist factions. As nirvana is a thing.
Derze
YAY ! next chapter is Title upgrades time huhuhuhuhuhu. He did spend some on occasion, Mr Phoenix is being unfair. Though to be fair, Priam is in a very unique case. Having acquired too many Titles too fast. I would assume most would increase theirs as soon as they gain Merit due to how rare it is for them.
Gabriel
I wonder if his dragon bloodline will be triggered into strengthening itself due to being judged by the phoenixes and it not liking that at all.
Derze
Priam is very efficient for a lowly "mortal" human. Goes to show how meteoric his rise to power is. INSANE.
Gabriel
I’m gonna take another leap and say that unlocking a concept also affects the quality of a single tribulation per concept and that owning seven concepts at tier zero will lead to a tier 1 tribulation experienced as a tier 0. Of course Priam will survive it by the skin of his teeth due to his apocryphal soul and phoenix tempering and the tribulation will give him exponentially compounding benefits for later tiers and for his growth.
AA
I can't believe we are only 17 days in at chapter 160!
LIMBO
Why do I feel like the maximum amount of tribulations is 7 for the seven concepts, and triggering all of them simultaneously and surviving grants a true wish, and the only way to have more than seven is to wish for another 8th tribulation... Yes, author, I am from the future. Another prediction: Priam already has an energy side(aka fire/creation/etc.) from his phoenix side, so his dragon side will focus on the void( aka oblivion/nothing/destruction/etc.), and both will synergize with the primordial chaos, where everything and nothing comes from. But maybe I've been smoking some good shit and should go to sleep.
Andrew
Thank you!
_mori
If the nirvana doesn’t take much time to complete, Priam could try using his next few deaths to trigger it before the necro moon event starts. But this tempers Priam in a different way than heavenly dragon right? Or does it not count as tempering?
BelligerentGnu
I too would like the answer to that question, pheonix. And it looks like fire was the right choice after all.
Baconwargod
Finally someone said it
bcd051
Love this story, I look forward to every chapter, I need more, I'm addicted, like Priam to coffee.
