Chương 256: Chapter 248: To Spare or to Play

Helming the rudder, Titus watched the stormy sea beyond the prow. Waves taller than his own sailboat surged toward him. Flexing his Concept, the Rehm parted each crashing wave, making way for his passage. What required no effort for him was arduous for others; one of the reasons he had entrusted his tribe to another leader. Some daring young tribespeople had wanted to accompany him, but he refused. The epicenter of the cataclysm lay at the lair of the seventh Terror, and Titus didn't believe in coincidences.

As the chief, it was his duty to investigate the origin of the calamity that had shaken the ocean an hour earlier. Gladius had offered to accompany him, but Titus declined; someone needed to protect their tribes in case it was a trap. The Rehms were a dwindling people, and every individual was precious. So, here stood the old warrior, defying the wrath of the ocean at the helm of his catamaran. Ahead, two waves moving in different directions collided to form a hill of water.

Titus' soul called upon his Concept, and a supernatural wind filled his sails, magically accelerating his boat. A moment later, the vessel climbed the water wall before taking off into the air. The sailboat flew almost three hundred meters before landing on the crest of a wave. Titus laughed as the foam from the landing splashed him. It had been a decade since he had sailed the seas alone, and he had forgotten the pleasure of navigating solo.

Suddenly, an ash cloud appeared on the horizon, and the old sea dog squinted. The seismic activity of their world fragment was too weak to cause an eruption. Someone or something had forced nature's hand.

"To ruin the status quo? Who would be stupid enough for that…" Heart tight with worry, Titus accelerated again. Disoriented by the flames, poisoned by toxic gasses, and drowned by molten rock, the seventh Terror of the oceans convulsed as it turned towards Priam. Despite the magma between them, he felt its gaze on him. It has a way of tracking me, he noted. Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy was the key to victory… Pretty sure I heard that in a Dark Souls let's play.

The creature roared, and the sound wave traveled through the viscous liquid to hit him. It would have been enough to kill an ordinary human, but Priam just smiled. Opening your mouth in a magma lake was a bad idea. Judging by the retchings that shook the creature, the molten rock was burning its throat. Despite its terrifying power, the Terror wasn't that smart. Or rage is clouding its mind. That wasn't impossible.

After all, from the abomination's point of view, Priam was an insect it had almost killed less than a month ago. Now, he had returned, awakened a volcano beneath its home, and shattered its lair with a style Jack Nicholson from The Shining wouldn't have disdained. It had reasons to be angry. Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 18 VIT +3 CONST +3 META (Endurance) +3 Wiping the grin off his face, Priam remembered that while the environment was in his favor, it remained perilous.

The magma was devouring his body, and only his rapid regeneration kept him alive. A costly ability: every second of it consumed hours of his lifespan. I need to finish this quickly. His training helped him focus on the resonance between his soul and Pyro. The two percent affinity granted by his new Title allowed him to better understand the Concept's perception and command it more easily. At the cost of his mental endurance, Pyro took control of the nearby lava and shaped it like a giant hand.

His creation closed like a fist around the Terror and began to squeeze. The creature trembled, trying to free itself from its viscous bonds... to no avail. Gravely injured by the eruption, it seemed unable to escape the lake of molten rock. Priam only had to wait a few minutes for nature to finish the job for him. It's on its last legs! Suddenly, a mental pressure struck him full force. The Charybdis' descendant's mind weighed down on his. The sensation was both strange and horrible.

The screeching sound of nails on a chalkboard, an abominable migraine, a terrible hangover, vertigo, nausea, and extreme fatigue... all multiplied by a hundred. Seized by spasms, Priam momentarily lost control of his aether. His add-on took over as his body was carried away by the magma currents, distancing him from his adversary. The intensity of the attack diminished, allowing Priam to regain his senses. His rolling eyes focused before being burned by the heat and then restored by his accelerated regeneration.

Fuck. Reconnecting with Pyro, the warrior sensed the Terror struggling to swim upwards, trying to escape the apocalyptic environment. Priam growled as he resumed control of Pyro. Reforming the titanic hand, he grabbed his opponent and dragged it back toward the volcanic conduit, where the magma was hottest. The Terror retaliated with a new mental attack. Priam winced, and his mastery of the Concept wavered before his will stabilized it.

The headache increased, eliciting a growl from the warrior, but without reaching its previous intensity. Having understood that distance diminished the Terror's capabilities, Priam positioned himself as far away as possible, just at the edge of Pyro's reach. The liquid flame hand squeezed while the draconic creature tried to blow apart his mind. Despite [True Will], a legendary resistance, and his high willpower, an excruciating pain split his head.

Tasting something metallic in his mouth, Priam understood his enemy was trying to drag him to the grave. Soon, the heat vanished, and Priam shivered with cold. His brain was falling apart. It's killing me! I need to disrupt the attack or defend myself actively. Half his attention redoubled efforts to crush and suffocate his adversary while a parallel thought connected to his Potential to detect the mental attack. POT -25 There!

Boosted by the divine resource, [Ideal Aether Perception] spotted a transparent mental bridge in his Domain. Its construction was exquisite: three threads braided together, allowing aether to flow between him and his adversary. Each bore a dozen runes repeating. Five of the runes were known to Priam; he had stolen them from the Necro Envoy and used them in his version of the [Mental Bridge].

After his add-on recorded the foreign runes, Priam employed [High Aether Manipulation] to strike the link with the subtlety of a meteorite. The connection's robustness was directly linked to its creator's aether proficiency and some meta attributes. If Affinity governed precision, brute strength was proportional to Focus. The meta attribute struck the structure and cracked it. The warrior struck again but faced surprising resistance. The abomination was actively reinforcing its creation.

Worse, the cracks were already beginning to heal. A mental counterattack assaulted Priam, who felt blood flowing from his orifices before being vaporized by the ambient temperature. Suppressing a cry of rage, he attacked again and again. Backed by meta Focus, [High Aether Manipulation] repeatedly hit the mental bridge, without breaking it. The vast differences in attributes and Soul Tier between the combatants became evident.

Even his Domain, a Supremacy that ensured a defensive advantage, couldn't give him the upper hand against the enemy's aether. Damn! Pain crushed his skull, and Priam felt his instinct roar with primal force. Defeat didn't just mean death; it would slow him down, prevent him from obtaining a powerful trophy, and weaken his body's tempering. Worse, it would reduce his chances of surviving his next Tribulations, impacting his friends, family, and Sphinx. That was out of the question. Priam refused to accept defeat!

Gritting his teeth hard enough to nearly break them, he threw all his strength into the battle. Opening the floodgates of his Potential, he let his add-on strike the aether structure and used one of his two flows of draconic vivacity to command Pyro, directing the volcano's wrath against the Terror. The magical front might be too hard, but he could win the physical. I'll cook you! POT -72 His second parallel thought activated [Mental Bridge] to tap directly into the enemy's connection.

The nature of the mental attack changed. A flood of thoughts, confusion, pain, and curses hit him with force, but Priam held firm. On this third front, his weapon was his will. His grit faced off briefly against the enemy creature's and was repelled. The Terror was ancient, its soul and attributes were superior, and its experiences surpassed almost everything Priam had known. Almost. Priam delved into his memory and, thanks to his memory Talent, sent lifelike flashbacks to the creature.

The helplessness against Sumstreh's divine mark made his enemy hesitate. The descent of his quadruple Tribulation made it retreat. His first death at the end of the Tutorial instilled fear in the abomination and his Patron tearing him from the Concepts' authority nearly broke the connection. Taking advantage of his enemy's hesitation, Priam flexed his will to tighten the Pyro fist as his add-on cracked the mental bridge. He could fight on three fronts simultaneously; his adversary could not.

A second strike nearly shattered the connection before the Terror stabilized it. The next moment, a flood of disordered memories struck him in return. A rift a thousand times more imposing than the one beneath Log-a-rhythm, allowing an invasion from another Universe. An infinite army with divine officers and Immortal generals. A titanic clash between two Primordials, tearing a piece of the world apart. Someone screamed, and Priam couldn't tell if it was him or not.

The Charybdis' descendant, the youngest of its siblings, terrified, clinging to them for survival. Centuries passed. They mostly hibernated, patiently waiting for a new rift to open or an officer to come for them. The flood of memories cut off before they could rewrite his personality. His add-on had found a way to absorb them before they reached him. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Lvl Up: [Priam's System] lvl 14 VIVA +3 MEM +3 META(Authority) + 3 For a moment, Priam stood still in the middle of the molten lake. The illusion of condensed centuries of waiting had exhausted him. His mental stamina was drained, urging him to sleep. Priam growled in defiance. His competitive spirit wouldn't allow him to lose. He had already been defeated by the Terror once; a second defeat was unthinkable. Move. Move! MOVE YOU STUPID FUCKER!

Releasing his grip on Micro, Priam used the searing pain of his burning skin to wake himself up. He had a duel to win. His nerves saturated with agony, Priam studied his adversary. The Terror was dying. Horribly burned, its spasms growing weaker, it seemed at its end as Pyro forced the magma to suffocate it. The battle was nearing its conclusion. If something was going to happen, it had to be now. His instincts whispered that victory was near but precarious. Unless I exploit a weakness.

An idea crossed his mind, and Priam decided to act on it. With his add-on acting as a firewall, he sent an image of the rift leading to Elysium through the mental bridge. The creature froze, understanding the message.

"A path to Elysium, to your home, exists. If you kill me, it will disappear." A long second passed before the dying abomination turned to Priam.

"I could have sacrificed my mind to break yours. You live, but my siblings will avenge me. Then they will be free to find our Ancestor." Without even truly seeing each other, the two adversaries faced off. Priam remained silent as the creature took its final breath. In a corner of his mind, a spiritual cooldown that never left him was primed. He had never needed to be spared. The creature relaxed as a new eruption shook the underwater lake.

Quest Completed: Charybdis' enemy The goddess birthed many children during her war campaigns. Cleanse this world of the offspring that attacked you. The seventh Terror is dead. Reward: Potential +500. Stolen Concept Fragment. Priam broke the ocean's surface, gulping down a lungful of air. He had chosen to resurface in one swift move rather than create a new passage to his inner world. The reason was obvious: he feared the eruption he had caused had harmed Esmée.

A few seconds later, he turned to his right, alerted by his [Echolocation]. The young woman was approaching, riding a dolphin. The sight of the princess riding the animal with the grace of a drunken monkey made him smile. At least, there were things even his rivals didn't excel at.

"I'll get better," Esmée muttered, patting the dolphin's head lightly before releasing it.

"It was the only way to get away from the eruption quickly…" Her tone was neutral, but Priam thought he detected a hint of reprimand.

"Uh…" Priam coughed, blushing with embarrassment.

"I didn't really have a choice."

"Let's not dwell on it. Did you get what you wanted?" Priam grinned, raising his hand. Nestled in his palm was a core the size of a walnut. Its amethyst hue reflected the sunlight like the world's most flawless diamond. [Core - Tier 1 - Earl] - The core of the seventh Terror of the ocean. Contains draconic and mental affinities. Your skill level does not allow you to assess the runes within. The pressure of the ocean depths compressed a drop of draconic blood and a large volume of aether into a unique gem.

Add-on note: Detection of an ideal-quality trophy. Creating a gate using this trophy is highly recommended.

"It's magnificent," Esmée murmured.

"Is it from the seventh Terror?"

"It was," the warrior corrected.

"I found it inside its brain." The heart had been devoured, boosting the level of [Mental Bridge]. The enhancement came with knowledge and certain tricks, including the translation of runes stolen by Priam. Lvl Up: [Mental Bridge] Lvl 6,..., 10 META (Affinity) +10 META (Perception) +5"Cores are distributed based on their abilities. Did its owner have mental talents?"

"Yep," Priam replied, levitating out of the water.

"Let's head back. Blueberry must have finished preparing the banquet."

"To good health!" Louis exclaimed, raising his mug. The inhabitants of Oasis echoed him before draining their mugs, and the hum of conversation rose. Satisfied, Priam helped himself to a piece of meat. The knife in his hand resembled a dagger, which was typical for an item bought in the Sun Shop.

"So, that Terror?" Kazuki asked.

"Terrifying," Priam admitted, popping a piece of amphiptere into his mouth. He widened his eyes as he chewed.

"Blueberry, this is delicious!"

"I know," the bear grumbled, helping himself to a third slice. The meal had just begun, but he seemed determined not to let anyone else get fat, even if it meant finishing the multi-ton winged snake on his own.

"I'm the best cook."

"Watch out, you'll choke on your arrogance," Jasmine teased.

"And you won't choke on the snacks I used to make for you."

"No!" shouted Jasmine before leaning towards Rose, faking some tears. While the teenager consoled her, the assassin stole her food. Amused by his friends' antics, Priam turned to Kazuki.

"As I was saying, the Terror was terrifying. I had to blow up a volcano under its lair to get it out, then drown it in molten rock for several minutes to finish it off. Even then, it nearly fried my brain." An awed silence followed his statement before Blueberry interrupted it.

"I wonder if I can make a marinade using magma," mused the bear. Kazuki was the second to find his voice.

"I would like to say I'm surprised, but that would be a lie. I felt the vibrations from the outpost and knew it had to be you. Did you get a Title for that?" Priam winked.

"A silver one, and I have an idea on how to improve it."

"How?" Jasmine asked, clearly interested.

"By entering the magma chamber itself. If I can survive a few minutes at the heart of the volcano, that should do the trick. But I'll wait until I have the right trophy to temper my body."

"… You're mad."

"That's what makes me charming," Priam grinned while continuing to eat. He felt a small bone in his mouth and decided to crunch it rather than spit it out.

"Careful, there are bones."

"There are no bones," Blueberry replied.

"Yet I just bit into something hard," Priam said, pulling the object from his mouth to show the bear.

"It's one of my hairs. My high constitution makes them crunchy, but it's rare for me to lose any. Bad luck for you."

"Yeah, really unlucky," Esmée smiled innocently.

"That's low," Priam growled. The princess winked at him. After this episode and at Jasmine's request, Kazuki recounted his own battle against the sentinels guarding the biggest building of the ruins near the outpost. The hoplite volunteered to handle the problem alone, and Priam had no objections. The stone guardians contained artificial cores that were useless for Heavenly Dragon.

"When are you going to use the core you just obtained?" Jasmine asked Priam.

"My meridians are reorganized, so I can start anytime…"

"You look thoughtful," Esmée observed. Priam just smiled. According to his add-on, the core of the seventh Terror was perfect for tempering mental resistance. While [True Will] was legendary, it wasn't ideal. Having survived an ancient god's assault, Priam hesitated to downgrade the rarity of his resistance. He would lose effectiveness in the short term but strengthen his future. I suppose I should talk to the Phoenix first. It took the group only an hour to devour the entire creature.

Everyone complimented Blueberry, eventually eliciting a toothy grin from the grumpy bear.

"You'll get used to the compliments," Priam joked, leaning towards the bear on his left.

"You guys will have a hard time finding new compliments as I keep improving," his friend retorted.

"You seem happy."

"... I am. I followed you and Sphinx, but I lacked a purpose. Today, I've found it." Priam tensed at the mention of Sphinx, then nodded.

"I'm glad for you."

"And you?"

"Me?"

"You seem tired. Not physically, but mentally," Blueberry whispered. Despite his immense size, he spoke so softly that Priam had to strain to hear him.

"I faced a monster that played with my memories." Blueberry turned to lock his brown eyes with Priam's.

"It's not just today. It's been since Sphinx disappeared."

"You—""I'm not stupid, and by now, everyone knows. I mean, a quintuple Tribulation so soon is dumb and I know you aren't dumb. Since she vanished, you seem to be in a rush, as if you were the only one who could change things.

""Maybe I am," Priam sighed. As he said it, he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"Remember, we're counting on you, but you can count on us too. We're friends." Before Priam could respond, the System manifested. Congratulations, you have survived a week in Elysium!

Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 726 Constitution 1 179 (+4) Agility 897 Vitality 1 130 (+5) Perception 767 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 595 (+3) Dexterity 658 Memory 859 (+6) Willpower 1 168 Charisma 692 META: Meta-affinity 825 (+12) Meta-focus 415 Meta-endurance 708 (+4) Meta-perception 346 (+6) Meta-chance 274 Meta-authority 225 (+3) Potential: 14 137 (+419) Tier 0 Sun points: 1 482 612 (+409) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 153 days 4 hours 17 minutes 9 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200