A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!

Due to the thick opaque veils draped over it, the tank was shrouded in darkness. Not that anyone would be insane enough to open their eyes in such a hostile environment—but the obscurity came hand in hand with silence. After the initial stings, the insects had calmed down and now simply swarmed at the bottom of the vat, writhing like worms in a bowl.

The viscous fluid lay still, disturbed only by the fading heartbeat of the man submerged within.

Priam had no intention of moving—not when every twitch brought fresh waves of pain. The poison coursing through him was methodically dismantling his body: tearing muscle fibers apart, setting nerves ablaze, corrupting his blood, and weakening his organs to make each passing second stretch longer than the last. A side effect of agony.

However, none of it was enough to stop the evolution of his cells, and that was what truly mattered. Soon, Priam would unlock his ideal epic resistance to poison. And then… Then he would begin planning his revenge against the Snaherts. Armed with weapons crafted by my own enemies. Poetic, really.

As a child, Priam was often accused of being vindictive. In elementary school, when one of his classmates jumped into a puddle and splashed mud all over his brand-new pants, the young Juggernaut boiled with rage. He did what was expected of him and went to the nearest authority figure. His teacher refused to punish the boy, saying it had just been an accident.

Priam didn't see it that way. He didn't own many clothes and cared about the few he had. Worse, he knew his mother would slap him when he came home dirty—whether it was his fault or not.

Those two thoughts brewed a deep grudge, and at the next recess, Priam punched the boy who had jumped in the mud. Each blow was like a bucket of cold water on the vengeful fire burning inside him. The cries of his enemy eventually stirred some pity in him—a final splash that extinguished the flames.

In the principal's office, Priam apologized, pretended it had all been a misunderstanding, and claimed he regretted his actions… a pack of lies. Deep down, he felt relief after getting his revenge. Justice had been served, and he was able to move on. Later, he even became good friends with the boy who loved mud a little too much. Maybe I'm not that vengeful after all. I just need to settle my blood debts with 'an eye for an eye'... Yeah, the Snaherts will pay for breaking my trust and violating our pact.

This thoughtful monologue might have seemed off-topic, but it was actually a mental escape. As long as Priam focused on his own grudge and the vengeance he was plotting against the clan that had tried to assassinate him, he could forget the pain… or at least try to.

Suffering from dizziness, cold sweats, headaches, cramps, and ringing in his ears, he was in awful shape. Who would've thought bathing in poison was a bad idea?

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 37
CONST +1
VIT +1
META (Endurance) +1

The level-up slightly eased his symptoms, and Priam made the mistake of hoping again.

A current brushed against his submerged body. Something was moving below. Before he could react, a needle jabbed into his skin. Another sting. A chill of fatigue shot down his spine as he doubled over. Poison coursed through his veins, triggering horrific symptoms. Feeling pressure rise in his throat, he realized he was about to vomit. Normally, Micro could have suppressed the nausea, but the constant pain made the Supremacy harder to grasp.

Curled at the bottom of the tank, Priam lost control of his body.

In a spasm, his stomach contents spilled out around him. Disgust fought with agony as he tried to clamp his mouth shut. Too late. The toxic fluid rushed in, and he swallowed. A gulp of poison slid into his gut, sending a shiver down his spine. The sensation was both horrible and satisfying. Horrible, because every drop was death in liquid form. Satisfying, because the poison had been engineered to serve as a nutrient bath. The liquid was designed to keep the candidate alive—barely.

Priam felt like a terminally ill patient hooked up to a drip. The Gu trial was killing him as much as it was keeping him alive. The dose makes the poison, Paracelsus had once said. Indeed, the strongest medicines become lethal in large amounts. Here, it was the opposite: the poison stimulated his vitality.

If Priam had the strength, he might have laughed. Instead, he focused on not vomiting a second time.

His hearts pulsed, spreading the toxins throughout his body.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 38
CONST +1
VIT +1
META (Endurance) +1

Priam could almost feel his cells mutating. The skill absorbed the poison, converting it into strength. His body was adapting—his Constitution rising—and soon, the Gu trial would be no more dangerous than a regular bath. At least, I hope so…

A sharp palpitation struck his human heart, and Priam grimaced, clutching his chest. It felt like a heart attack. At the second throb, he forced down the fear and focused on Micro. Although incapable of giving him supernatural control of his body, the Supremacy let him assess his condition.

His grimace deepened as he analyzed his blood. It was too thin. It couldn't coagulate well. The slightest tear in a vein or artery allowed the blood to escape, causing internal hemorrhaging. Priam turned pale as he noticed pockets of blood beginning to form inside his body. Worse, the punctures on his skin refused to close, and his vital fluid leaked out as if he were a hemophiliac.

Priam had seen enough movies to know that bleeding into a bathtub wasn't great for your life expectancy. Usually, his high vitality would have saved the day, but his poisoned bone marrow wasn't producing new blood. Every milliliter lost was lost for good. In about ten minutes, he would be gone.

Most people would have been terrified by the shadow of death. Not Priam. Suffering and discomfort annoyed him more than his potential demise. That, and the feeling that something wasn't adding up.

When he swallowed poison earlier, his overdeveloped taste buds hadn't detected even the slightest metallic tang. That could mean one of two things: either his senses were dulled by the poison, or the tank hadn't been contaminated by his blood. The second hypothesis was easy to test.

With his Domain blocked by the ambient poison, Priam had no choice but to reach weakly for the nearest wound.

He flinched as his fingers touched something slimy. Pressing down, he felt a reaction—like a slug retreating. Not a slug… A leech?

Though fogged by toxins, Priam's brain finally caught on: the creature was sucking his blood. That was why it hadn't mixed with the tank. Now, does this explain why my wounds won't close?

[Leech saliva causes localized anticoagulation. The thinned blood prevents scab formation, and therefore, proper healing.]

Normally, a leech's effect was limited to the bite site, but these ones might have been affecting his whole body. That would explain the internal hemorrhaging.

Fueled by anger and disgust, Priam managed to rip the creature off. Scanning the rest of his body, he tore off four more before collapsing in exhaustion.

His two hearts pulsed, and blood wisps escaped into the tank.

Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 30
VIT +3

The level-up was welcome, but it wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. Each heartbeat drained him further, and as long as the leech saliva remained in effect…

Priam's first reflex was to use his kinetic mastery to block it. Obeying a prior command, his add-on prevented him—the Gu trial needed to proceed without intervention to be effective.

His fever had stripped him of most rational thought, so Priam didn't understand his sub-system's refusal. Half-panicked, he raised his hands to intercept whatever horror was coming, but his body responded poorly. He was too slow and groaned as he felt a pair of fangs bite into his arm. They injected a new substance, and Priam shivered as it spread through him. The serpent retreated before he could grab it.

One heartbeat.

The wounds on his body closed. His blood finally began to clot. Half-delirious with pain, Priam barely registered the miracle.

A second beat. Slower. A third, sluggish.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 39

CONST +1
VIT +1
META (Endurance) +1

[Certain rattlesnake venoms induce excessive coagulation, capable of clotting blood to the point of heart failure and multi-organ damage.]

The last conscious flicker of Priam's mind recognized a shift—this new toxin was thickening his blood. Without the leech's saliva—and possibly other venoms he had received at the start of the trial—to act as an anticoagulant, it would have congealed into clots, damming his arteries like sludge in a pipe. Beyond the risk of a stroke, his organs—especially his hearts—would have struggled to push the viscous fluid through his veins.

Too thin, then too thick... A skull-splitting headache was cracking through his temples, but even through the haze, two neurons finally sparked. Ah. I get it now.

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The venom and the leech saliva had contradictory hematotoxic effects. Each could have killed him outright, but together, they neutralized one another just enough to become tolerable. That was the true essence of the Snahert legacy: pairs of poisons so lethal they balanced each other out, just enough for a Tier 0 scrub to survive. Of course, theory was one thing, execution was another. Posology, dosage, allergies, and individual reaction times had to be precisely calculated to ensure the ritual was safe.

Given how screwed I feel right now, the damn shaman didn't bother tailoring my vat... and why would she? She wanted me dead.

Irritated, Priam slid down the inside of the vat's opaque glass wall, letting gravity have its way. So this was the infamous Gu Trial: a twisted cocktail of poisonous nightmares designed to stimulate [Poison Resistance] through negative synergy. Every insect and reptile crawling in the soup had been handpicked, their venom's worst effects dampened by the next sting in line. Had he not been so close to death, Priam might have been impressed by the craftsmanship behind it. Too bad his nausea tempered his admiration.

Time passed. To distract himself from the agony chewing through his mind, Priam tried echolocating the number of creatures skittering along the vat's floor. He counted nine before a seizure hijacked his mind and short-circuited his focus. At least five pairs? For five prerequisites… Or else, are there trios?

His thoughts were becoming longer and clearer, and Priam understood that the effects of the poison were dissipating. Nearly a thousand heartbeats later, something shifted, and his pulses returned to normal.

His body had outlasted the venom.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 40
CONST +1
VIT +1
META (Endurance) +1

Finally.

As he straightened up to get out of the vat, Priam could have cried with joy. His hand rose on its own, reaching for freedom. His primal brain screamed to escape.

At the last second, Priam froze as he read the notification that accompanied the level-up.

[Poison Body] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available:

[Neurotoxin Resilience - Epic] - You have endured the pinnacle of Arkanian neurotoxins. Potential Cost: 80
[Poison Lover - Epic] - Once, there was more poison than blood in your veins. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160
[Venom Proof - Epic] - Your body has developed near-immunity to Tier 1 hemotoxins. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

Each high upgrade was the equivalent of an ideal prerequisite. He had earned the first after Claire's betrayal, the second thanks to the Gu trial. He still needed three more.

Too exhausted to rage, too proud to surrender, Priam let his muscles go slack. Gravity dragged him back to the bottom of the tank's toxic cradle as venom unraveled his cells one by one. In the darkness, alone with his pain, it's possible that Priam's eyes wept. It took nothing away from his struggle.

Refusing to let despair consume him, the Juggernaut focused his hatred on the shaman Snahert. During the briefing, her words had been vague—intentionally so. She had barely outlined the ideal prerequisites, yet she had insisted on one thing: once you left the vat, it was over.

That makes sense if the Gu trial evolves in real-time. Well, I'm not leaving until I've carved the ideal resistance into my soul, he swore.

The liquid stirred. Something moved.

A new ripple disturbed the liquid around him, then a tentacle coiled around his wrist. A moment later, liquid fire pierced his dermis. The jellyfish retreated, leaving Priam to guess which new poison would wreck him next. Three heartbeats later, his arm went numb.

Neuro-muscular disruption... he thought. The toxin was severing the link between nerve and muscle.

Priam curled into a fetal position. Legs tucked against his chest, his good arm hugging his shins, he shivered as the paralysis spread like frostbite. Soon, he would be trapped inside his own body. Anyone who had ever been bedridden knew how fatigue and suffering could break one's spirit. Even the strongest mind could crack when the body failed.

But the Juggernaut knew his limits were still far away.

I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.

Like a prayer to himself, the mantra pushed failure away. It had to.

For the Juggernaut would accept nothing less than an ideal poison resistance. He needed it to get his revenge on the Snaherts.

Kazuki was watching Priam's tank with a sharp eye.

"I'd be disappointed if the First came out in less than an hour. That's the bare minimum for an ideal upgrade," said a smooth voice.

The hoplite Champion didn't spare Ophis a glance.

"Well, it's not very polite to ignore your host, Mr. Arashi," pressed the Transcendent, stepping in front of Kazuki. His smile was so fake that any less-composed hoplite would have challenged him on the spot.

"Step away from Priam's tank."

The smile widened. "Or what?"

Kazuki simply pulled a sphere from his pocket. The device wasn't enchanted against identification, and everyone froze.

"A nuclear device!" Ophis's hand morphed into a claw, but he hesitated. Fear replaced contempt in his eyes. "You know what that is?"

"Something to make you quiet. Permanently."

"You bastard… Apprentice Thyvael, Kazuki Arashi is carrying a weapon capable of radioactive pollution. According to Imperial law, he must be executed immediately! If the High Marshall could—"

"The High Marshall will do nothing," interrupted the elf, eyes fixed on the nuke. "The contract between our Empress and the Seven is crystal clear about Champions' rights." Ignoring Ophis, he turned to Kazuki. "Warrior, I'd appreciate it if you put that away. It's making us all nervous."

Kazuki pointed at Ophis. "Tell him to back off."

"If you think that—"

"Ophis, back off," ordered the shaman. "The dice are already cast. Don't screw this up."

The Transcendent frowned but stepped away. "You'll pay for—"

The sound of shattering glass cut him off. The eleventh tank had just exploded, spewing a massive wave of poison across the room. Caught off guard, even the Transcendents couldn't react in time.

Summoning his spear, Kazuki sliced through the flying debris headed for himself and Blueberry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Aelbe representative and the elf doing the same. The Snaherts chose to endure the poison. As for Esmée… by some absurd luck, no glass shard or droplet touched her.

"What the—?"

The nearest guard's surprise was short-lived. A hand punched through his throat, stealing his words—and his life. Briefly frozen by the blow, the killer revealed itself to the audience.

Kazuki identified the figure: a tall biped with skin ravaged by burns. Most notably, a collection of insects, reptiles, and jellyfish had fused with parts of his body, creating an abomination. One that had just emerged from one of the two Empyreans' tanks.

[Multi-Analysis]
[Alexandre Lóthandorim - Tier 0] - Corrupted by the Necromoon, the Empyrean general's body and part of his Gu trial have fused.

The Gu trial couldn't be a trap. The Snaherts would be annihilated by the Demiurge if it were proven they had colluded with the Necromoon. Perhaps even proof wasn't necessary. So how had the Empyrean…

"To survive an assassination attempt, my uncle swallowed a capsule of corrupted blood. The evidence is still in the tank."

Guessing the source of the mental voice, Kazuki looked at the shattered remains of the vat. A piece of debris shifted, revealing a scorpion.

[Multi-Analysis]
[Infernal Gu Tamulus - Tier 3] - It kills by infusing its venom with its Plasma Concept to transform the victim's plasma (blood) into plasma (fire). Its venom glands are currently nearly depleted.
Code Red.

"Its sting is a prerequisite for the mythical ideal version of [Poison Resistance]. Priam wants it. I may distract the others for about three-quarters of a second."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes. What Esmée implied was dangerous—but he recognized Priam's hand behind it. The scorpion's toxin could kill Kazuki a hundred times over, but his friend was different… and fireproof.

Rereading the description, Kazuki guessed Priam might even upgrade one of his current Titles if he managed to get his hands on that scorpion. An arachnid the Snaherts would surely want to eliminate before any awkward investigation began…

Chaos reigned in the chamber. Amid the rising cries of confusion and terror—no one was immune to the Necromoon—Kazuki met Esmée's eyes. One quick nod later, he vaulted toward the shattered tank just as Alexandre—or the horror wearing his body—launched an attack, drawing every eye in the room.

Kazuki landed on a glass shard balanced precariously. The fragment tipped, launching the scorpion that had been climbing it across the room… straight into the opening at the top of Priam's tank.

Hope I'm not wrong about this… Good luck, my friend.

Status: (before timeskip)

PHYSICAL:
Strength 1 245 (955)
Constitution 2 002 (1 744)
Agility 1 631 (1 389)
Vitality 2 039 (1 791)
Perception 988 (922)

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 664 (642)
Dexterity 891 (816)
Memory 1 150 (1 033)
Willpower 1 281 (1 250)
Charisma 976 (912)

META:
Meta-affinity (O) 1 394 (1 169)
Meta-focus 880 (722)
Meta-endurance 1 530 (1 216)
Meta-perception 842 (681)
Meta-chance 1 089 (1 020)
Meta-authority 709 (627)

Potential: 34 998 (+10)
Tier 0

Sun points: 371 333 (-328 598)

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 2 months 12 days 23 hours 14 minutes 57 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 800 / 1 attribute > 2 100

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