NOVEL NEXT Chapter 262: Blueberry > Truck-kun
[Identification]
[Charybdis' descendant - Tier 1 - Prince] - The second ocean's Terror.
"By the System's balls…" Priam instinctively recoiled as he read the Terror's description. A Tier 1 creature that could ascend to the rank of Prince was far more terrifying than a mere Tier 4. Both might wield comparable power, but one was an absolute prodigy, while the other was just a survivor. Mentally, he re-evaluated the threat level of Valaryth. This fragmented world was at least as dangerous as Australia.
A sonic wave rippled through his lungs like a bass drop at a heavy metal concert, confirming that the Terror was alive and aware. The pillar of lightning that would have killed Priam a hundred times over had only dragged the creature to death's door.
"A warning shot," Priam mused. The System had intentionally spared the intruder, but it had delivered one hell of a message. The Champion shuddered, grateful for having stayed clear of the Tribulations. Leaving Elaine to finish her fight, he descended to face the Terror.
The creature's body resembled a massive, winged orca, easily weighing over ten tons. Torrents of silver blood flowed from the cracks in its charred hide. Its heart still beat with relentless force, and the streams of ambient aether converging upon it made it clear it had no intention of dying quietly.
Priam frowned, noticing that Pyro was losing track of the Terror even as it remained buried beneath the magma.
[Identification]
[Charybdis' descendant - Tier 1 - ?] - ?
"I was just wondering where I'd find a trophy worthy of anchoring [Revelation Resilience] during my temperance…"
Greed wrestled with fear and won. A grin spread across Priam's face as he summoned Promesse above the draconic creature's head. Taking a deep breath and praying he wasn't about to make a colossal mistake, he channeled the magma's thermal energy into his weapon.
The air tore apart with the force of terrifying acceleration. Ignoring the sonic boom—his eardrums were still blown out—Priam watched as his bound spear struck the creature's skull with immense momentum. The Terror's howl reverberated through the deep ocean floor.
Wasting no time, Priam absorbed the shockwave and struck again. His face tightened with concentration as he unleashed a technique he had devised to shatter the bones of the necro Tier 3 he had defeated in the past—a flurry of rapid, recoilless strikes, inspired by the relentless pounding of a jackhammer.
Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 11
AGI +3
The spear was falling like Hephaestus's hammer on a block of divine metal. Priam knew he was taking a risk trying to finish off a foe far stronger than himself, but he also knew he had no chance of defeating it in a fair fight before the next Reunion. His enemy's mistake was an opportunity he wouldn't let slip through his fingers.
The magma gradually solidified into rock as its energy was consumed in the effort to shatter the Terror's skull. The creature attempted to swat Priam away, but the System's strike had taken its toll; it barely managed to move a few centimeters.
As the first crack appeared in the skull, Priam's triumphant smile froze. A wave of aether pulsed from the creature, laying bare his secrets despite [Revelation Resilience].
Lvl Up: [Revelation Resilience] lvl 54, 55
MEM +6
META (AFFI) +6
META (AUTH) +6
In the next instant, Priam's eyes widened as an inhuman mind of grotesque proportions commanded the ambient aether to conjure three massive runes. [Polyglot]'s Merit revealed their meanings: Lock, Focus, Lightning.
The creature had analyzed his resistances in a heartbeat, found a weakness, and decided to exploit it. The reputation of a Prince was well-earned.
Priam's admiration for his enemy was quickly replaced by a mix of gravity and anticipation as a titanic amount of energy flooded into Lock. The rune pulsed, and the Champion found himself trapped within his own body. His attempts to merge with his Mist or Pyro failed, forcing him to face the harsh truth: the Terror wasn't going to let him hide.
Focus and Lightning began to charge, and Priam didn't need his instincts to know things were about to go downhill fast. He considered unlocking [Lightning Resistance] by letting the strike hit him, but now wasn't the time to die. His vivacity flashed through all his options in a fraction of a second, and Priam finally smiled.
Closing his eyes, he reached for his Mist Concept and created a fifty-meter sphere of pure water around himself, an excellent electrical insulator. Leaping a few meters off the ground, Priam finished his preparations just as a blinding light forced his eyes shut. The lightning struck the water bubble, summoned by a creature that recalled the titans of Greek mythology. The Terror had burned an absurd amount of energy to fuel its spells... all for nothing. The electricity simply evaporated the pure water.
"Too bad for you, water only conducts electricity when it's mineralized."
With a cocky grin, Priam harnessed the thermal energy released by the lightning to strike again.
Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 12
AGI +3
The crack widened, and the Terror roared in fury, shaking the world. [Ideal Aether Perception] detected a veritable deluge of aether as the boss entered its second phase. Before Priam's eyes, a hundred new runes materialized simultaneously. Fire, ice, light, wind, mind, heat, sound, shadow, despair... hundreds of attacks suddenly erupted.
The first volley tore off the arm he had raised to shield his face. Using the pain to drown out the mental assaults, Priam leaped into the air. Flying in a circle, he dodged some projectiles, absorbed others, blocked the energy attacks, and tanked the rest. Overwhelmed by the avalanche of assaults, he let his addon control Promesse.
His spear gradually widened the crack, the System bombarded him with notifications, and each second stretched under the torture. His remaining hand vanished, followed by both ears, then his feet, and finally, his legs. The relentless waves of diverse attacks rapidly devoured his body, and Priam fought to buy time.
A minute later, he was little more than a bloody head attached to a lacerated torso. Promesse struck again, finally splitting the skull's thickness. Hope blazed like sunshine in a storm, and Priam seized his chance.
Gathering his last reserves of strength, he opened his mouth and activated his draconic lung. The ambient aether began rushing toward him before freezing in place. The Prince's Domain was powerful enough to freeze the environment, preventing Priam from charging his attack.
That didn't matter. For one second, the runes had stopped attacking, the Terror's willpower focused on killing the Breath in its cradle. A parallel thought seized the opportunity to summon his fire. Using Promesse as a relay, Priam conjured an infernal flamethrower at the fissure's entrance. Pyro forced its way through the weakness and flooded the Terror's skull with a touch of [There is no Heaven].
Priam liked his foes to stay dead.
The world seemed to hold its breath, then the runes dissipated along with the will animating them. The Prince's brain had melted before the hidden Concept.
Exhausted and drained of strength, Priam collapsed as the adrenaline fled his system. His mutilated body slowly sank into the viscous magma. Tired, he converted his lifespan into vitality until his most lethal wounds were sealed. Closing his eyes, the Champion allowed the molten rock's tremors to lull him. The ocean was determined to fill the crater, and a tsunami was approaching.
Priam sighed. The thought of drowning bothered him less than the absence of a notification congratulating him on his victory. The System had decided his kill participation wasn't enough. It wasn't wrong—without the primordial smite, Priam would never have even detected his enemy.
Still, it pisses me off...
His pragmatic side forced him onward, and Priam used his kinetic mastery to lift himself into the air. Behind him, Pyro parted the lava lake like Moses and the Red Sea, revealing the corpse. As he lifted it, Priam glanced at his latest notifications and squinted.
Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 14
CONST +6
META (Endurance) +3
Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 11 ,12
CONST +6
Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 9, 10
CONST +6
Lvl Up: [True Will] lvl 11
WILL +18
CHAR +9
Lvl Up: [Solar Resistance] lvl 5, 6
CONST +4
VIT +2
Lvl Up: [Space Resistance] lvl 3
CONST +9
[Tribulation]: One attribute above 1 200 was detected in Tier 0.
Time: 152 days 11 hours 46 minutes 11 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200
Title won!
[To Play with Fire - Bronze] - Six Tribulations await you for the second time. Let's be real: you're probably going to die. But when you go, you'll leave behind an explosion that shakes the very foundations of this world.
Now that you're here, why not see it through? One more Tribulation, and you'll secure your place in legend…
Fun Fact: The last time a Tier 0 survived a sextuple Tribulation was twelve years ago. Since then, 140 589 621 257 Tier 0s have perished attempting to replicate that feat.
META (Chance) +10%
Note: Back in Time would be taken into account by a septuple Tribulation.
"Six down... Thanks for the Title, but there's no way I'll push my luck that much," Priam muttered, thinking of Back in Time. He checked his status and grimaced. If his vivacity increased any further, it would trigger a seventh Tribulation. According to the note, that would be his death sentence.
Priam used his Potential to seal the attribute and took off, dragging his prize behind him. The loss of level-up was insignificant; within five hours, he would be triggering his Tribulations.
Above, the storm was dissipating. Elaine had triumphed.
"The Terror grazing the dragonfly, that was you?" he asked.
"I manipulated the air currents... and the System didn't appreciate it," the princess panted, unconcerned by his horrifying appearance. She looked ready to drop, but not on the brink of death like the Terror. Strange. "It was the only way to save the hoplite."
Priam nodded, realizing his contribution had been even less than he had thought. "Well, the Tribulation lightning nuked it to kingdom come. Thanks, I owe you one."
"Actually, I should be thanking you as I earned a nice Achievement when you slew it."
Fuck you, System.
"Glad to hear it," Priam replied, forcing a smile.
The princess let out a charming, if tired, laugh. "Now, I have been thinking about your proposal."
"And?"
"I would be honored to join you in bringing down the Fallen."
A genuine smile spread across Priam's face as he shared his quest with his rival.
Quest: Fallen
Once a God, now a Fallen.
Will they who fell by arrogance repeat their mistake?
Kill Sumstreh, the Fragmented Rabbit.
This is a shared quest.
Do you want to share this quest with Esmée Lóthandorim?
Esmée's eyes sparkled as she received the quest, and she immediately started asking questions. Priam laid out his plan to her, and she raised several concerns, each time suggesting solutions or alternatives. Her meticulous, strategic mind impressed him. Priam didn't consider himself an idiot—he even had a high opinion of his own intelligence—but Esmée was as skilled in planning as Kazuki was with a spear. Both were driven, but unlike the hoplite, the princess wasn't hindered by honor. She was determined to hit Sumstreh with every weapon at their disposal. In just a few minutes of conversation, she had modified his plan, taking into account so many details that even his addon struggled to keep up.
"I have a few preparations to finish," the princess said as their conversation ended. "Can you handle Ève?"
"Count on me."
Priam smiled as he watched his rival walk away. The weight of Kazuki's death and the looming Tribulations still pressed on him, but he was determined to cling to the hope that the conclusion of all this would be a positive one. With his rival's help, that hope was more than just wishful thinking.
"I wouldn't want her as an enemy," Blueberry grumbled as he approached.
"If she weren't our ally, she'd be too dangerous to leave alive," Priam grimaced. His right foot was nearly fully regenerated, and the sensation made him want to scratch it furiously. Unfortunately, his shoulders were still just stumps.
"You'd really kill such a fine female?"
"I think with my brain, not my spear."
"The opposite of Kazuki," his furry friend replied.
Priam suppressed a smile. "I don't think we're talking about the same thing. To answer your question: even setting aside any attraction I feel, I'd be an idiot not to do everything I can to have her on my team."
Esmée hadn't mentioned it again, but without her, the second Terror would likely have annihilated the entire Oasis. It had taken her just a second to rid him of an unsolvable problem.
"You two complement each other well," the bear agreed, pointing a claw at the levitating cargo behind Priam. "You gonna do anything with that body?"
"I'll extract the core and probably devour its heart... If I can get to it." Even charred by the System's warning strike, the creature's hide was terrifyingly tough. "Then, I'll autopsy it to figure out how to beat it more easily next time."
"I'd be happy to handle that."
Priam squinted. "You're a forensic scientist now?"
"I'm a chef, it's almost the same thing."
"That's more like the exact opposite: they undress their patients, you dress yours," Louis quipped as he approached. "Hyshana's waiting."
Priam sighed, emotionally drained.
"You know what? I don't care about the body. Save me the heart and the core." His draconic bloodline wasn't urging him to devour the organ, likely because his kill participation had been minimal. Nevertheless, Priam secretly hoped that consuming it might purify his bloodline. "Be back in an hour tops for your Tribulations."
Blueberry was already ignoring him, busy dragging the carcass toward the forest. Rolling his eyes, Priam turned to Hyshana and Louis.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
Hyshana definitely deserved a spot on the current podium of her race—a genius superior to ten billion hoplites. With Sword Mastery, Micro, and Domain, complemented by a Light Concept, she was an [Ace] capable of incredible feats.
But the quadruple Tribulation crushed her in mere minutes.
Using her rewards freely, spending her hard-earned Sun Points, and refusing to back down in the face of death, she fought admirably until her mecha turned on her. The System had turned hoplite technology against its creators.
The mechanical armor floated in the sky until Promesse blew it up mid-air. Priam winced as his meridians burned. He had just expended a significant amount of kinetic energy to fire a true missile.
"You didn't want to collect the Tribulation fragment?" Louis asked, his honest smile somehow out of place in the grim scene. How the old man could be in such good spirits was beyond understanding.
"Her last Tribulation was an intelligent malware," Priam simply replied. His overdeveloped instincts told him he wanted nothing of the sort anywhere near his soul addon. The Tribulation Affinity was tempting, but with the System, there was no such thing as a free lunch.
"Oh, that's why the armor turned on Hyshana? We're warned against using external means to fight..." The old man clapped his hands. "Well, I guess it's my turn now!"
"... Are you sure you're okay?"
Aside from three lost hoplites, the two men were the last ones left on the beach. The old man's wrinkled face framed laughing eyes that seemed oblivious to the inevitability of fate.
"Don't underestimate old folks. I've been to enough friends' funerals to know how to handle my emotions."
"... Aren't you sad?"
Louis's smile widened. "It's harder for the living than the dead, and I'll soon be part of that second group." Seeing that his joke didn't make Priam laugh, he added, "You're shouldering a lot of responsibility, son. Want some advice? Let go of what's unnecessary. No one expects you to save us. You're giving us a chance in Elysium, and that's enough; let us do the rest."
"And if people die?"
"We'll drink to their honor like they would've to ours."
With that, Louis started running across the surface of the ocean like a famous ninja. Not everyone could fly.
Five minutes later, Priam watched as a young man who looked strikingly like Louis appeared. The original and his younger version fought for a few minutes before the old man lost, still smiling. The clone waved toward the bay before dissolving into mist.
"I found this inside when I cut it open," Blueberry growled, passing along the findings of his impromptu autopsy. "Probably a local."
"Titus, the leader of a local tribe," Priam muttered, studying the half-digested remains of a Rehm warrior. The face was barely recognizable, but the scars matched.
"A friend?"
"He saved my life when I first met the seventh Terror. Must've come charging when he heard all the chaos from the Tribulations." With a wave of his hand, Priam ignited the body, reducing it to ashes. "I'll try to save him after the rewind."
Blueberry handed Priam the creature's heart, an organ the size of a tire and smelling faintly of beef. With a grimace, Priam took a bite, only to spit it out in disgust.
"My bloodline's about as interested in this heart as a bank is in a beggar. It's all yours."
Far from offended, the bear devoured the heart in three bites. "Interesting metallic aftertaste," he remarked.
Hiding a smile, Priam gestured toward the beach. "It's time for your Tribulation."
The bear glanced back at the fire cooking a massive fin behind him. He hesitated briefly before nodding. "Let's make it quick. In five minutes, that'll be overcooked."
The System had conjured up a truck capable of transforming into a transformer—a monster straight out of an ursine's fever dream. The vehicle spewed exhaust like a dragon, threatening to ruin the bear's meal and suffocate him in the process.
This absurd showdown was a triple Tribulation.
As a beast, Blueberry's Tribulations differed from those faced by more civilized species, but it was clear he was smashing the expectations. His strength temporarily multiplied by the bite-sized sausages he kept shoving into his mouth, Oasis's second mascot was delivering payback for climate change—with interest.
Claws shredded steel, roars drowned out the honking of horns, and fists left craters in the modular robotic lifeform's frame. Three minutes later, the scent of perfectly cooked meat caught the victor's attention, and Priam approached the dismantled Autobot.
He sensed no trace of Tribulation Affinity but remained cautious. He had read enough light novels to know Truck-kun was no joke. The driver's side door clattered to the ground, and Priam smiled, certain the vehicle would never isekai anyone again.
"Priam!"
He turned toward the breach and saw Jasmine approaching with a grin.
"Mission accomplished."
Priam had sent her to rally the rivals willing to take down Sumstreh.
"Who's in?"
Jasmine's smile widened. "Everyone."
Priam's hearts sped up. The Fallen was in for a bad time.
PHYSICAL:
Strength 782
Constitution 1 239 (+40)
Agility 924 (+9)
Vitality 1 150 (+3)
Perception 814
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 680
Memory 886 (+11)
Willpower 1 193 (+25)
Charisma 754 (+16)
META:
Meta-affinity 905 (+7)
Meta-focus 423
Meta-endurance 719
Meta-perception (A) 433
Meta-chance 332 (+24)
Meta-authority 240 (+6)
Potential: 12 369 (+36)
Tier 0
Sun points: 1 488 111
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 11 hours 22 minutes 11 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200
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