NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Ocean’s One
Priam confirmed that no one was on the roof before closing his eyes and focusing on his mist. He didn't want to be noticed. To do so, he had to create the most transparent, least dense mist possible. Wisps of fog slowly swirled around Priam as he focused on his skill. His Title and Merits helped him, and soon a scarf of mist appeared around his neck. The scarf stretched under his impulse. Slowly swirling around his body, passing under his arms to caress his hands, the fog responded to his desires.
Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 10
PERC +4
CHAR +2
META (AFFI) +3
Priam took a moment to realize a fundamental truth. [Kinetic Control] and [Moon Mist] were unrelated to the same Concepts. [Kinetic Control] was obviously related to the Concept of Energy. [Moon Mist] was more complicated to associate with one of the Seven Concepts. Chaos? Matter, perhaps?
In any case, the Concepts did not respond similarly, nor did their skills. [Kinetic Control] had to be controlled, calculated, and measured. Priam relied on precise scientific data to use his skill. The more accurate he was in his requests, the closer his data was to reality, the more he visualized the vectors, the better his skill worked. It was a tool for Priam.
[Moon Mist] was different. Taking the time to experiment with his skill for the second time, Priam realized that this skill needed to be understood, almost cajoled. It wasn't alive, but it wasn't wholly neutral either. His affinity for mist mattered greatly, and the Baron had to put himself in a particular frame of mind to use it properly. It wasn't a matter of fusion but of feeling. He had to be the mist. Or at least that was the ultimate goal. Currently, he was riding it. One day they would be one.
Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 11
PERC +4
CHAR +2
META (AFFI) +3
Sitting on the Phoenix statue, Priam smiled as his mist took the form of a long tentacle. He manipulated the appendage by projecting his mind into it. Gently, he directed the fog toward a nearby chimney. There was no fire in the Dome, but the System had copied Earth's architecture and thus these now useless conduits.
Priam quickly reached the fireplace hearth, only to realize he had no idea of the room's configuration. The [Brainless] Merits allowed him to transfer his mind into his mist, but not out. He could only feel what the mist touched. He was blind, but any fool could raise the alarm when he saw a cloud appear in a closed room.
Shit! How am I going to get to the Tear room without seeing anything?
Priam opened his eyes. He was still connected to the room below him and decided to teleport into the large chimney shaft. Then he could observe the space and decide what to do next. A day would come when he could rob castles while sipping hot chocolate - Priam didn't like coffee - from a nearby inn. That day was not today.
He concentrated briefly before creating a pocket of mist in the vent. Taking a deep breath, he used [Eidetic Memory] to recall the exact feeling that had come over him when he first rode the mist. Instantly, the feeling reappeared with absolute clarity. This is genuinely a fantastic talent!
Confident, connected with his mist, he stepped forward and rode the fog.
Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 12
PERC +4
CHAR +2
META (AFFI) +3
The next moment, Priam suddenly reached out to lean against the chimney's walls. He had teleported but kept a filament of mist on the roof to escape at the end of his mission. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt no pain in his body. Apparently, he could use his skills again without eroding his meridians. His body had healed quickly.
With both hands resting on the sides of the conduit, Priam tilted his head down and his feet toward the sky. An observer might have thought he was doing a handstand, but his hands were not on the ground. They were pressed to the sides of the chimney flue. In a gymnast's position, he passed his head quickly to the fireplace's height to observe the room. No one was there.
Priam released his hold on the chimney and flipped in order to land on his feet. Observing the room one last time, he then walked towards the room door. The room he was currently occupying was unused, and he had not come here to sleep. Gently opening the door, Priam glanced down the hallway. No one was on his left, but a staircase led down the hallway to his right. Noise was coming from that direction. Where there is noise, there are Phoenix Tears!
Priam headed for the stairs, spear in hand. He began to drown the hallway in mist. If someone came along, he would quickly knock them out without leaving the person able to identify him.
Descending the stairs, Priam projected large amounts of mist before him. [Identification] worked with one of the five senses; without seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting him, it would be impossible for the occupants to recognize him. Priam could see through the mist, so he had no interest in not using the skill to its fullest. Being of epic rank, it would protect him from even the vision of a mere Baron. Humanity did not yet have a Viscount, so Priam’s anonymity was assured.
One floor below, a glance at the corridor informed him of the uselessness of the place. He was apparently on the floor that housed the humans who had sworn loyalty to the Phoenix clan. Priam went downstairs again and stopped. The noise was much louder, and he bent down to look.
He saw a richly decorated hallway with massive wooden doors and smiled. Guards flanked a large entrance in the middle of the hallway. Dressed in red robes embroidered with copper, with swords at their belts, they looked more majestic than dangerous. Priam was not a professional burglar, but he knew that when there were guards, there were things to steal. He would have liked to identify them but remembered that his basic skill would have alerted them.
Priam wasn't planning to knock out everyone in the building, nor was he going to indicate that he had arrived from the roof. The more questions people had, the fewer answers they would have. He concentrated and created a thin wire of mist that he ran between the floor and the baseboards of the wall protecting the Tear Room. The thread of mist was almost transparent, odorless, and moved without sound. It was no more than a centimeter in diameter, so the guards had no chance of seeing it without looking at their feet.
They would eventually notice, but Priam needed only a few seconds to implement his plan.
Priam was used to using large amounts of mist. Handling a wire was more complicated, but his skills made it possible.
Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 15
PERC +1
VIVA +1
DEXT +1
The thin cable of mist passed behind a guard's feet before reaching the door. Priam was not skilled enough to get the thread under the wooden door. There was a narrow passage under the door, but it was only a few millimeters wide. The young man took a few seconds to think about this problem before smiling. He may not have been clever enough, but the mist was invasive, giving him an idea.
Priam gradually relaxed his control over the end of the cable. The mist began to slowly disperse, some of it naturally passing under the door. His mind remained connected to this free mist, and Priam regained control. He stopped the dispersal and focused on the fog that had entered the room.
Priam took a deep breath. Everything was going to happen very quickly. He had no idea what was in the Tear room, but there should be visitors, guards, and mechanical or magical security. He would have to penetrate the defenses quickly, steal the Tear and try not to kill anyone. Priam would defend himself if he had to, but he wanted to avoid slaughtering guards in their home - especially if they had never harmed him.
A second later, he closed his eyes. There was no point in waiting any longer. Priam began to transfer a large amount of mist through the cable. He planned to drown the room in the haze before entering. Using his ability to the fullest, filling a closed chamber was a matter of a second or two.
Two seconds later, he heard screams from the room. The guards turned, and Priam sprang into action. Let's go: [Bullet Time].
With his heart racing, Priam took a step to ride the mist. Nothing happened. The mist was clear, the human was a little restless. He had to be on the same wavelength as the mist. I need to calm down, he thought, controlling his breathing. [Meditation].
A second later, he tried again to ride the mist. This time he was successful.
He reappeared in the room. Pushed by the guards outside, the doors behind him began to open. The effect of [Bullet Time] and his immense Vivacity allowed him to watch them open in slow motion. He closed the doors with a wave of his hand and quickly observed the room.
A dozen people had taken refuge near the walls while three men had approached the central pedestal. The Tear was here, so beautiful it would make one want to cry. Priam had been skeptical when Tjay told him these people charged an entire core for the privilege of simply admiring the Tear. But here and now, having seen it in person, he understood. Priam would have described it as the original drop of water, crystallized and then encased in a wooden casket. A glass pyramid protected it. He quickly identified the Tear before smiling.
[Tear of a Phoenix] - Tear of a Phoenix diluted thousands of times and then crystallized. Despite the dilution, this is not homeopathy: its regenerative properties work. The original tear could have resurrected a dead person. This one can regenerate the entire body of any Tier 0.
The Phoenix does not cry alone. Your enemies despair as the Tear heals you.
It is the Tribulation that will weep!
Priam sped up with [Kinetic Control] and pushed one of the men out of the way. They seemed to move so slowly... I feel like I'm stealing a lollipop from a child.
The man closest to the Tear wore a red and silver robe embroidered with a Phoenix. A step behind him was another man dressed in black, a gun in his belt. He held a beautiful black box in his right hand.
Priam sped up again and reached the protection. He attacked the glass pyramid with his spear. The hoplite weapon met resistance, and Priam had to apply three kinetic charges before passing through the shield. The glass shattered, and Priam grabbed the casket. He closed it and put it back in his pocket before facing the two men now in contact with him.
The man in the robe was looking in his direction, his features distorted by rage. He couldn't distinguish Priam in the thick mist but heard the glass break. Priam clenched his fist. A split second later, he hit the man under the chin, knocking him off the ground. No glass had yet hit the floor, and the guards had not finished opening the door. Not more than a second had passed since he had entered the room.
The man in black slowed down and held his left hand toward him, his palm open. A kind of spectral dart appeared and was propelled toward Priam. The greenish projectile stung his eyes just looking at it. Even with his perception of time slowed by [Bullet Time], the attack was swift. Priam summoned all his remaining kinetic charges and threw himself to the side. He had no desire to be hit. He narrowly dodged, reabsorbed his kinetic energy, and charged at the attacker.
Arriving at melee distance, he grabbed the assailant's left hand and twisted it sharply. The multiple sharp cracks that occurred reassured Priam. The enemy would not throw any more darts until the Reunion was over. Priam then grabbed his other wrist and broke it too. The man dropped the black box he was holding and fell to the ground on his knees, screaming. Priam caught the box before it hit the ground and focused on the mist. Guards were entering the room. It was time to leave.
His mind traveled up the cable, stairs, and chimney before reaching the roof. Closing his eyes, he activated [Meditation] for half a second and stepped forward.
The wind caressed his face. Priam opened his eyes again. The screams were barely audible now, and he was looking at the Dome again. He smiled as he looked at the black box in his hand and felt the Tear casket against his chest. Looking up at the ducal palace, he calculated that he had less than an hour before he would be immortal again.
"Time to kill a Viscount," he muttered.
A neutral voice came from behind him. "I thought you were a thief, not an assassin."
Priam turned abruptly. He was annoyed that, once again, someone had positioned himself behind him without realizing it.
An old man in his sixties stood behind him, smiling. He was dressed in black and had gloved hands. His suit showed a slender but muscular body. Priam put the black box away and tightened his grip on his spear.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Diamond. Thief extraordinaire of the Thieves' Guild. Nice to meet you, Priam," replied Diamond.
"... Nice to meet you too," said Priam after a short pause. "Priam, survivor extraordinaire. Did your parents hate you, or is that a code name?"
Priam checked the surroundings as he answered Diamond. Knowing a thief could be useful, but he did not wish to be ambushed. Underestimating an opponent was always dangerous.
"A code name. I like diamonds, and I'm a good thief," the elder revealed with a wink to Priam.
"I like pizza, and I'm a good eater, but my name isn't Pizza," Priam commented with a shrug. "Still, Diamond is classier than Pizza so why not. What do you want from me?"
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 86
Constitution 103
Agility 119
Vitality 164
Perception 191
MENTAL:
Vivacity 135
Dexterity 113
Memory 33
Willpower 69
Charisma 90
META:
Meta-affinity 89
Meta-focus 60
Meta-endurance 4
Meta-chance 40
Potential: 221
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 0h 50min 39s.
[Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming.
Time: 53 hours 20 minutes 33 seconds.