Chương 410: Chapter 399: Sun versus Pyro

Esmée ceased feeding the runes floating before her, and the ritual collapsed. In the stillness of the night, she touched her lips and realized she was smiling. Speaking with Priam felt like taking flight. With him, she felt free. But the ground came back as soon as he left. It was a lure; true freedom had to come from within. The princess sighed, a knot in her stomach. Stress didn't paralyze her, but she could still feel its weight. The time to take flight would come soon, and this time, she would be alone.

Maybe that is for the best. I cannot depend on someone I barely know! The soft creak of an oiled door made her turn. Aydan stepped into the room with the feigned assurance of a caged monarch and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Rohan snoring on the bed.

"He seeks to consummate the marriage before it's even been announced?"

"Brother." Esmée bowed.

"He came to share a drink, to get to know me better," she added, gesturing to the two bottles of love philter. The mixture had been spiked with alcohol to mask its bitter taste, and the princess now realized that was likely why she had behaved so familiarly with Priam. Had she really told him it was a shame that he covered his manhood? Oh System, he must think I'm a strumpet!

Unaware of the storm raging in his sister's mind, Aydan tapped Rohan's cheek, nodded at the drool on his chin, then sat at the edge of the bed.

"Father said he would conquer Proxima, and now it comes to pass," he said, wringing his hands.

"They say the world bends to the will of Empyreans, but our king... his will is fate. A true deity."

"The Demiurge can bring the dead back to life," Esmée replied.

"Our father is still just a Tier 1." She had spent the past month seeding fear in her brother's mind. It hadn't been difficult. What she hadn't expected was that an even greater fear had already taken root. The fool believed himself of divine blood, and saw their progenitor as invincible.

"I suppose… but he isn't just any Tier 1." Esmée nodded. For all his flaws, their father knew his power rested on three pillars: the nobles' ingrained obedience to the royal family, the favors and tensions that made up the political web, and his own personal strength. The king had never neglected the latter. Less gifted than his daughter, he was nonetheless a seasoned master with over a century of experience.

"True… but he cannot conquer Proxima without the Aelbes you're delivering to him," the princess reminded. Aydan glanced at Rohan.

"A man like him could crush a hundred royal soldiers." Ten thousand, Esmée corrected silently.

"... and your future husband is nothing compared to some Tier 3s." Aydan nodded.

"With an army like that, Father will sweep away all resistance." The prince stared into the distance, lost in thought.

"I wonder if I'll still have any use in his eyes…"

"It's not yet his army."

"…" The princess activated a skill, and the lamp's flame flickered. Its light bounced off a half full glass and into Aydan's eye. The prince noticed the drink and grunted.

"Pour me a drink," he ordered, unwilling to let his lips touch anything tainted by a future brother-in-law he considered a barbarian. Esmée's geas activated, but she didn't bother resisting. She opened a cabinet and retrieved the paranoia potion she had stolen from the Snaherts at the beginning of the tournament. Choosing the finest glass available, she poured in a fifth of the brew and handed it to Aydan. The prince downed it in one gulp, glanced at the glass, and nodded.

"These savages do hold a few surprises. Another." Esmée complied. Over the next ten minutes, her brother drank the entire potion. Not once did he offer her to sip the poison. As alcohol and mistrust took root in his mind, Aydan began to mumble. A month of psychological erosion and an ambitious nature caused seditious thoughts to bloom. His father's threats twisted into certainties, and the prince spiraled into a pit of paranoia. Not once did he grow wary of Esmée.

One may fear their subordinates, but never their weapon. To Aydan, his sister was merely an instrument—unworthy even of suspicion. Priam's smile vanished along with the projection. He finally turned his attention to the boss which, no longer in the presence of a familiar figure, dropped its pet-like demeanor to reveal a monstrous nature.

"ARHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Moonie's so much cuter," Priam muttered, examining the creature. [Heroic Identification] [Sun Wyrm (Mutated) - Tier 1 - Marquess - Holy Guardian IV (T1) - Pre-Protostar] - The Deep Space Terror. Born wingless, this creature manipulates the intense gravitational force of its core to move. Its radiance and aura herald its arrival to all, yet this does not hinder its hunt—no prey escapes its gravitational field. Its life cycle mirrors that of a star, the strongest reaching the stage of supernova.

Those who survive collapsing into a black hole may evolve into dragons. This one is a clone created by the System to protect a Noble's territory. Its growth depends on its bloodline, opportunities, and the ritual binding it to its territory. Immune to the Necromoon curse, it is also resistant to the Necro Concept. Its artificial nature and connection to the System exempt it from Tribulation.

Evolution condition to Tier 2: Sixty months of growth (divided by four thanks to Holy Guardian IV, equaling 15 months) Consuming draconic essence or a compatible Concept fragment accelerates its evolution. Number of available resurrections: 4 Natural affinity: (Sun): 100% (60% (base) + 40%) Maximum potential: Duke (Monarch)"Tier 1 Marquess? Disappointing." With a second roar, the Sun Wyrm summoned a halo of flames around itself, trying to intimidate its foe.

The Juggernaut raised an eyebrow before spreading his wings. Twin limbs of solid fire unfolded, radiating heat intense enough to melt stone. If Unity with Pyro didn't come with immunity to his own flames, Priam would have been incinerated in under a minute. Wreathed in blazing red, the Pyro Sage offered the wyrm a mocking smile. Despite possessing the title of a Tier 1 Marquess—equivalent to a Tier 0 Duke—its nobility stemmed solely from its artificial status as a Holy Guardian.

The power gap between the Juggernaut, forged in the crucible of tribulations, and the sheltered wyrm raised in its gilded cage, was clear. Lvl Up: [Intimidation] lvl 18 CHAR +3 Charisma exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations! Priam's Aura shuddered for the briefest instant, but the battle demanded all his focus. The creature recoiled—then froze. Its role as Holy Guardian and its draconic nature forced it to defend its home and its honor.

Back to the wall, unable to flee or win, its choices were few. Raising its head, the wyrm opened its maw and began drawing in the room's aether. For a moment, Priam thought it was charging a Breath attack, but soon, the wyrm curled in on itself. What had been a serpent—or a scaled worm, depending on who you asked—two meters long, thick as a thigh, and wreathed in flame, coiled into a burning sphere. Priam arched an eyebrow as an omnidirectional aether pulse radiated from the wyrm.

The next second, aether and plasma collapsed into a miniature red sun. The magical gravity of the artificial protostar devoured ambient aether, pulling with such strength that even the rich Elysium environment struggled to keep up. Fascinated, Priam stepped closer to examine the phenomenon. Or rather, the evolution. At the wyrm's core, a crystal of aether was growing, reshaping the draconic flesh and the flames surrounding it. Bit by bit, the plasma shifted from red to orange, then to yellow.

Under normal circumstances, waiting for an enemy to finish transforming was idiotic. Goku versus Cell or Kazuki against Seth were perfect examples of such hubris backfiring. Still, defeating the wyrm at less than its full strength would cheapen the victory. It wouldn't do, as Priam had a feeling the Sun Wyrm would make an excellent trophy for his next tempering. First, its draconic and fiery nature made it the perfect foundation for an Energy Gate. Then, there was the fact that Priam shared a Story with the wyrm.

The creature had been the grand prize in a necro-extermination quest, where he had placed second, earning Moonie instead. Defeating it now would be symbolic of his growth. Proof that he was catching up to his rivals. That he deserved to be First. On a more anecdotal level, the creature served the Empyreans: a rival civilization hellbent on wiping out humanity. Destroying it was part of his job as Champion. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Last but not least, the sun wyrm was hatched by Esmée. Priam didn't know where his attraction to the princess would lead, but whether it ended in romance or tragedy, their story mattered. As he carefully monitored the wyrm's evolution, intending to tailor it to his own needs, Priam noticed the creature's aether absorption slowing down. What had once been a roaring river of energy dwindled into a stream, then a trickle, before vanishing altogether. The evolution was nearly complete.

The protostar pulsed, releasing a wave of raw aether, aura, and searing heat that swept across the chamber, tousling Priam's hair. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips as the Juggernaut watched the wyrm unfurl. Eight meters of sinuous body, a tail lashing the air, scales like molten magma, a draconic beak lined with incandescent teeth, and two golden eyes revealed themselves to the world. The evolution was a success.

"Badass," Priam approved.

"Knew a creature with 'Protostar' in its name couldn't disappoint." The wyrm roared again, and this time, even the Tier-3 bedrock beneath them vibrated. [Heroic Identification] [Sun Wyrm (Mutated) - Tier 1 - Duke - Holy Guardian IV (T1) - Protostar]"A Tier 1 Duke," Priam whispered, just as the creature's gaping maw inhaled the ambient aether. This time, a Breath followed. Priam raised his right hand just as a torrent of plasma surged toward him.

As the blazing cone entered his Domain, he threw his meta-authority against the wyrm's. Few Tier 0s could boast attributes higher than those of the Juggernaut, and his stat began eroding the intent animating the flames. By the time they reached his palm, the fire no longer belonged to the wyrm—though its heat and momentum remained. Pyro - Unity. The Juggernaut's will sliced through the fire Breath like an icebreaker through a frozen sea.

The burning torrent split in two, veering around the Sage's hand by mere centimeters. When the inferno struck the wall behind him, it melted the bedrock with explosive violence, threatening to collapse the bunker with everyone in it. Glancing over his shoulder with a frown, Priam raised a single finger. Flexing his will, the wielder of Pyro proved that the Concept ruled over all flames by directing the blast skyward. The ceiling cracked.

A spiderweb of fractures devoured Esmée's constellation before everything collapsed. No stone fell, only cascades of magma. Through the overheated air and the rain of molten rock, Priam addressed the wyrm.

"Let's take this outside." [Kinetic Sovereignty] launched him upward, forming a kinetic bubble that repelled all in his path. The last chunks of bedrock plus ten meters of earth and root systems exploded in all directions as Priam burst free from the island's crust. In the eternal night above, the sudden blaze of the Juggernaut's emergence enraged the corrupted. A million undead scattered across the valley howled in fury at the sight of the Pyro Sage's flaming toga.

Priam ignored them entirely, focused on the incandescent serpent leaving its den. The sun wyrm scanned its new surroundings with curiosity as the rage of the necro-slaves crescendoed. A single flame was blasphemy; two were heresy. The ground trembled as the horde stampeded toward the two draconic beings like bulls charging a red cape. Or moths flying into a bonfire. The nearest undead, zombie-ape, dodged through some trees and lunged toward the collapsed bunker entrance.

Reaching the edge, it leapt with a raised claw, aiming for the wyrm. At the apex of its jump, three meters from its target, it was considered a foe. A burst of plasma erupted from one of the wyrm's fiery scales and struck the attacker. The automated defense disintegrated the ape on contact. A puff of ash scattered from the spontaneous combustion, while a single ember floated to the wyrm. The glowing spark fused into the Holy Guardian's form, which roared with satisfaction. A boost?

Seeing the tidal wave of undead approaching, Priam realized he had to end the fight before it escalated. If the sun wyrm absorbed the life force of a million Tier 0s, even escape might become impossible. His flaming robe transformed into a meteor that plunged earthward. Upon impact, an explosion ignited the forest, and dry wood caught like tinder. The wildfire spread with the speed of a gale. Severed from the Pyro Sage, the fire became mundane, but it was hot enough to char Tier 0s into cinders.

In one move, Priam had just deprived the sun wyrm of 90% of its buffet. The creature bellowed in outrage, and Priam responded by firing Promesse like a missile. The air shrieked after the projectile as it pierced the wyrm… to little effect. Its body was mostly flame, and thus impervious to kinetic energy. Still, Priam noted how the creature had shifted to protect its core from the spear's trajectory. The crystalline heart of solid aether, better known as a core, was a weakness. If I can hit it.

The wyrm's jaws parted, spitting twin fireballs at Priam. He batted them aside with the back of his hand, wincing as blisters formed along his fingers. Fortunately, thanks to [Pyro Champion Physique], the injuries were trivial. Encouraged by the exchange, Priam changed tactics. [Moon Mist]. Mist - Unity. A burst of steam erupted from his Domain as a thick fog rolled over the valley. Summoned by the Mist Sage's call, the cloud enveloped the sun wyrm like a suffocating embrace.

Each water droplet evaporated on contact with the flames—but where one failed, a billion succeeded to cool it. The creature's incandescent white hue dimmed to a blazing yellow as the mist robbed it of heat. The grip of a storm could be fatal. Furious, the creature whipped the air, decapitating a nearby tree and ten undead. Still, the cloud reformed.

"ARHHHHHHHH!" The sun wyrm began to shine, proving it was worthy of its name. Despite the smothering cumulonimbus, a star rose over the valley. Priam squinted, first by reflex, then from pain. Instead of illuminating the whole world, the wyrm focused its radiance on him. Even his mist cloak wasn't enough to shield him. Each ray refracted off droplets, converging on his location like beams of wrath. Within a heartbeat, he had to shut his eyes.

By the third, his cracked lips twisted into a grimace and he rode his mist to hide behind a tree. A fraction of a second later, the light found him, then bent around the trunk to burn him again. Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 26 CONST +2 VIT +1"Fuck," Priam cursed, slamming his mouth shut as the light boiled his tongue. Has to be a Concept. One I can't outrun. Summoning more mist, the Champion condensed a cloud around himself—so dense it heralded a flood.

When he opened his eyes, he should have been in pitch-black darkness. He wasn't. The sun wyrm's light pierced even the gloom. Not enough, however, to overwhelm his constitution and resistance. Peering through the fog thanks to Harmony, Priam spotted his enemy keeping its distance while farming undead. The Holy Guardian glowed brighter by the second, and [Priam's System] confirmed the increasing energy output.

"If Fire is strong as a Concept, Light is busted," Priam muttered, summoning his phoenix wings. Waiting meant dying. He had to strike. Overloading the skill with his aether, Priam dashed toward the wyrm. In the sliver of time it took to close the distance, the Juggernaut took a full solar blast to the face. The kind of sunburn that might give him cancer in sixty years. Not that the fight would last nearly that long.

Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 27 CONST +2 VIT +1 As he closed to within six meters of the wyrm, Priam felt their Domains collide. He kept advancing. The light was so intense that even shut eyelids no longer shielded his eyes. Now blind, Priam sensed his sphere of authority warping as it superimposed upon the wyrm's. When one Supremacy was stronger than another, it crushed it. When they were equal, they canceled each other out.

Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 28 CONST +2 VIT +1 Robbed of his vision and Domain perception, Priam resonated with Pyro. If the sun wyrm was cloaked in fire, then he could find it. Something moved. Through his Concept, the Juggernaut perceived a scale unfurl into a whip. Like a solar flare, the attack lashed out to rip his face off. Trusting his instincts, Priam raised his hand. If Pyro was the sovereign of flame, and the fifth Merit of [Fledged Phoenix] allowed him to render fire solid…

then logic dictated he should be able to grab any flame. Which he did. Grasping the plasma whip, Priam grinned through the searing agony. Despite feeling like clutching a molten iron rod, he finally had a hold on his opponent. The Sun Wyrm wouldn't flee. Opening an empty socket, the only remnant of a vaporized left eye, Priam invoked Hecate's New Moon. The curse hesitated, then coalesced into a sphere of midnight that nested where his eye had once been.

A sinister power surged into the world, unleashed with renewed fury. A dark wave exploded in every direction, freezing aether and devouring light until only black and white remained. In a monochromatic world, the sun wyrm's Concept flickered, then died. After burning through a chunk of his lifespan to regenerate his second eye, Priam met the wyrm's astonished gaze. Had someone just grabbed its flame? Banished its light?

"Yes," the Juggernaut confirmed, lifting his fist. If he could grab fire, then he could punch it too. Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 1 253 Constitution 2 190 (+9) Agility 1 652 Vitality 2 138 (+6) Perception 994 MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 666 Dexterity 985 Memory 1 208 Willpower 1 298 Charisma 1 004 (+6) META: Meta-affinity (O) 1 446 Meta-focus 889 Meta-endurance 1 625 Meta-perception 871 Meta-chance 1 089 Meta-authority 927 Potential: 33 797 (+8) Tier 0 [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 1 200 / 3 attributes > 1 800 / 1 attribute > 2 400 Next arc already complete on Patreon (50+ chaps ahead) if you want to find out what happens next! https: //www. patreon. com/ANovelConcept