NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49: Watering a god
Priam looked down at his prisoner for a second. He couldn't speak because of his missing jaw. Sphinx sensed his annoyance.
"Do you want me to speak for you?" she asked telepathically. Priam thanked the Concepts for having a friend with this kind of talent. He didn't count sign language among his many talents. "Yes, please." Sphinx nodded and translated.
"Who do you work for?" she asked in an adorable voice as she continued to inspect the weapons on the table.
The man looked up at her, surprise evident on his face. After a few seconds, he finally answered. "For the Alliance."
"You attacked me because of the senator's death? It wasn't me who killed him," thought Priam, raising an eyebrow. Sphinx repeated.
The brute spat on the floor. "I don't give a shit about that guy. I'm working for the future leader of the Alliance, E..."
"I'll stop you right there," Sphinx cut him off. "I don't care about the Alliance's internal problems. You're a tiny faction with no special roots, and the only question I have is: should I kill Alliance members on sight?"
Without waiting for an answer, Priam lifted the man before throwing him to the ground. He crouched and put his knee on the man’s solar plexus to keep him down. The Baron began to apply pressure, and the prisoner struggled to escape.
Priam wasn't unnecessarily cruel, but he knew the man had been trained. He hadn't cracked even when he saw his comrades efficiently killed. Priam wanted to make him talk and to do that, he needed to frighten his opponent.
He also wanted to force his opponent to be polite. Being rude prevented someone from feeling fear or respect. Priam wanted to break the man's resistance.
"Are you ready to answer something intelligent?" Priam shifted his weight slightly as Sphinx asked. It was role-playing on his part, as he had no real intention of torturing the prisoner. Perhaps he should have, but he didn't feel like getting his hands dirty. Besides, torture didn't always provide the truth, and Priam was far from a specialist.
The man took a deep breath before answering through gritted teeth. "You're not protected by the Alliance. We were interested in the Revenants' offer, so we took a chance. That's all," he breathed, looking at Priam and Sphinx.
Priam nodded. "How did you find our position?" asked Sphinx.
The prisoner hesitated momentarily, and Priam slapped him across the face. He didn't want to give him time to think.
"How did you find our position?" repeated Sphinx. There was something comical and chilling about hearing a child's voice questioning an immobilized adult, but Priam forced himself to keep a serious face.
"The Revenants gave us the information."
Priam squinted. They already knew... Either they'd been aware of his movements since his arrival, or he'd triggered an alarm by climbing the cathedral. Priam riveted his gaze on the soldier as he perspired. He looked scared. Does he think the Revenants can torture his soul after his death? If so...
"What about this?" Sphinx asked while Priam pointed to the crates filled with grenades. "How did you get these?"
"... Will you let me live if I tell you?"
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Priam looked away and Sphinx continued. "If you tell me the whole truth and teach me something useful... I won't kill you."
Lvl up: [Manipulation] lvl 4
CHAR +3
The prisoner smiled. He must think I'm weak...
"The Alliance has a lot of ex-military people. We all arrived with a few weapons and asked for more as a reward from the Tutorial. Moreover, there are weapons caches scattered around the Domes. One of our diviners found one - here - filled with grenades,"
Sphinx approached the explosives and Priam stopped her. "Careful! It can explode, and given the number of grenades, it could hurt you."
"Those little things?!" exclaimed Sphinx in thought.
You're not very big either, thought Priam. Sphinx glared at him and the young man looked away as he realized his mistake. He still didn't know how to separate his formulated thoughts from those he sent to Sphinx. He looked back at the prisoner.
"Okay. Now you've got to teach me something useful," Sphinx announced after a moment.
"... The Revenants have a vault too," replied the prisoner after a few seconds of silence.
"We know."
The prisoner shook his head.
"Everyone knows they have a treasure room, they shout it everywhere. But they're not idiots. When their General briefed us about you, we passed before their vault. It was very well protected, they probably wanted to show us they were competent."
"I don't have all day. I want facts." Telling anything to divert the audience's attention to think about something else - a lie, an escape plan, etc - was a well-known technique. Politicians did it all the time, but Priam wasn't about to be fooled. The prisoner cleared his throat.
"I have a talent for detecting valuables. This talent was triggered when I passed the treasure room. However, it was pointing toward the floor. The real vault is below the fake one," the prisoner revealed.
Priam spat out a little blood. He had tried to laugh, but the pain had called him back to order. Clever, he thought. Two treasure rooms. With the new skills in this universe, who's to say his stash is untraceable or impenetrable? At this point, a decoy with a reward attached is the best defense technique...
"A handy skill for a loser like you. One last question. Where is this general?" asked Sphinx.
"He was protecting the treasure room. There's always one of their generals there. But they take turns, so I don't know if he'll still be there."
Priam nodded. Having a high-ranking officer stationed to protect the vault made sense.
"Can I go now?" the prisoner asked.
Priam looked down. Sphinx had said she wouldn't kill the prisoner, and if Karma was as present in this Universe as Sphinx implied, he intended to make sure she kept that promise. However, Anne, Albin and Claire had taught him never to let an adversary go. One always regretted it.
Priam stood up and turned to Sphinx. "Can I take care of it?" he asked.
Sphinx nodded and Priam recalled his spear. He stood up and before the prisoner could articulate a word, the spear pierced his heart.
Priam gave him a sad look. Sorry. In this new world, mercy is the privilege of the powerful...
Looking away, he indicated the grenades to Sphinx. "Do you have a way of carrying them?"
Sphinx looked at him for a few moments before answering. "If they're really useful, yes..."
"That doesn't seem to enchant you but I have a use for them."
Sphinx began to grow rapidly and Priam stepped back. A second later, Sphinx was almost three meters tall without having regained her true size. The room couldn't have held much more.
The monster headed for the crates of grenades and swallowed them. If Priam still had his lower jaw, it would have fallen off. He was that surprised.
"Spit it out! It's explosive!" he shouted telepathically.
Sphinx finished swallowing the crates in a few seconds, followed by the weapons, before shrinking.
"My skill is sealing my stomach. With no air, no reaction and no aether, I'd be surprised if anything happened. Anyway, with Micro, I'll feel it if it moves."
Sphinx jumped onto Priam's shoulder and he flinched. If she were wrong, the result would be unpleasant. Looking at Sphinx, Priam had an idea. She looked at him quizzically as she saw the young man's face grimace. It was supposed to be a smile, but the wound made it look terrifying. Sphinx shuddered.
With a horrifying cackle, the only laugh he was currently capable of, Priam climbed back up the steps. He had a cult to rob.
The procession was entering the cathedral. Priam counted at least a hundred people. The vault was inside the cathedral, of course, and Priam was waiting for the right moment to enter.
With Sphinx, he was powerful enough to enter the building directly and loot. However, his real aim was to obtain information about the Revenants and Anatole. Even if he knew their true nature, there were still too many gray areas for his liking. The System had created a powerful faction to threaten mankind, but the Cult seemed a little too powerful. No rookie faction had the power to steal all the factions from a dome, even if the super factions had already migrated to the Dome.
From his conversation with Mercury, Priam knew that the Revenants had allied themselves with the Cult of Viracocha. Now all that remained was to hope that this alliance would not have tragic consequences for the poor wretches who came to pray, hoping to resurrect their loved ones.
Besides, the cathedral was titanic and undoubtedly full of secret passages. Priam had no interest in killing hundreds of Revenants if the officers, generals and Anatole fled.
When the last person entered the cathedral, Priam jumped from his hiding place. He landed easily thirty meters below, absorbing the kinetic energy of his fall.
Priam heard a snort and turned to Sphinx. "What's going on?"
Sphinx grimaced and seemed to hesitate.
"Hey Sphinx, I'm your friend. You can talk to me. Something's wrong, right?" "
"Yeah... I just got a quest from the System," she murmured. Her voice was so weak that Priam could barely hear her. Only his inhuman perception allowed him to grasp the girl's words. He crouched down beside her and stroked her head.
"The System doesn’t want you to come with me?"
Sphinx nodded. "It's not forbidden, but the Revenants are humanity's responsibility. My quest requires me to stay away from this cathedral. If I don't, the Lord of this Dome will be warned that I'm here. He will use the dome barrier against me, and you will no longer be able to use it to weaken your tribulations..."
Priam felt his heart clench as he saw his friend all sheepish. "Don't worry," he whispered. "Instead, go and observe the Lord in preparation for our attack. We're friends and we must help each other, but above all, we must respect each other."
Priam pointed to the cathedral. "I've managed all my life. I'm glad to have your assistance, Sphinx, but you must trust me. It’s my fight," he said, rising to his feet.
Sphinx knew time was running out. She nodded and took off in the direction of the Ducal Palace. A final message reached Priam.
"Slaughter them for me."
Priam's eyes smiled. I promise. Folding the hood over his head, he entered Anatole's lair following the procession. Part of his mind was already thinking about the best way to destroy the building. He'd read enough books to know that his day would likely end in a bloodbath.
The cathedral's interior was keeping with the theme of its host city: black and red. Stendhal's eponymous novel perhaps gave an interpretation of these colors. The red of blood, war and sacrifice. The black of the clergy, in this case the cult of the Revenants. From the outset, Viracocha was destined to be the city of war and religion. At least, that was Priam's assumption.
Priam threaded his way through the ranks of the faithful. His local suit, on loan from the tailor, enabled him to remain discreet. Taking advantage of the change in light as he entered the building, the young man slipped away to the right.
If the cathedral's exterior was Gothic - albeit futuristic in its choice of materials and gargoyle statues - the interior was quite empty. No chairs or benches for prayer. Large black stone pillars linked the floor and ceiling. In the center of the cathedral was an altar and a statue of a god holding a coffin. This god was depicted as an old man with lightning hair and a foam beard. Viracocha.
The mere sight of the statue filled Priam with terror. His Title [Threat Killer] screamed: this god had no love for mankind. The other worshippers seemed unperturbed by the statue while Priam struggled to breathe. Without his latest progress, he would have collapsed to the ground.
Priam forced himself to breathe in meditation. After a few seconds, he took the time to reflect. Despite the pressure from the statue, he had nothing to worry about. Mercury had explained to him that the Reunion was a System event that concerned humanity alone. Only a Concept had the power to penetrate the event. And if an omnipotent Concept decided to intervene, Priam wasn't going to stop it.
Lvl Up: [Meditation] lvl 11
WILL+3
Thus, the god behind the statue could observe him but could not intervene. The young man wagged his finger at the malevolent statue and surveyed his surroundings again. There was nothing like an iconoclastic action to free oneself from the fear of the gods. His terror subsided a little, and Priam decided that more of the same was in order. That said, Priam had no intention of meeting the real Viracocha. Not before Tier 7, anyway. Or 8? He didn't know what Viracocha's Tier was, but one thing was sure: if [Threat Killer] could provide information about his intentions, Viracocha wasn't a true god.
As the procession reached the hotel, the priest laid down his censer. He turned back to the finally silent crowd.
"My brothers and sisters. I am happy to see so many of you here today. You have seen the truth, felt the power of our god and your prayer is about to be answered. The System is harsh and the Concepts are indifferent! But Viracocha loves you. He believes in you. He believes in your redemption. What the System has taken from you, Viracocha, in his great mercy, will give back to you."
Murmurs and prayers rose from the conquered crowd. Priam could feel the hope rising in the hearts of those present. He was witnessing the climax of the ceremony.
"Some will be reunited with their families today. Others will have to wait a little longer. But don't worry: your turn will come. Viracocha abandons no one!"
The priest now shouted, and the crowd repeated after him.
"Viracocha abandons no one! Viracocha abandons no one! Viracocha abandons no one!"
With that, the priest turned and sang a final hymn. The crowd sang along and the voices grew louder, echoing beneath the cathedral's arches. Thick smoke rose from the censer, numbing the singers and spreading across the cathedral. A few seconds later, just as Priam was wondering whether he should back away from the thick smoke, the priest stopped singing.
Priam could barely distinguish the participants through the smoke screen, but five stepped forward, marked by the smoke. It swirled around their bodies, gently enveloping them. Carefully carrying a small bag, the priest brought the ceremony to a close. The smoke dispersed as the disappointed worshippers returned home, hoping to be chosen at the next rite. The priest opened the bags as the doors closed. Cores. They buy their way to their new world... But to get so many cores, they had to sell all their possessions...
Most of these possessions certainly didn't belong to them and had been lent to them by factions. Selling these possessions to resurrect their family was insane. If the Revenants refused them, they would undoubtedly be executed upon returning from the Reunion.
Satisfied, the priest closed the bags and invited the poor souls to follow him. The coffin held by Viracocha opened and they descended a hidden staircase. A few seconds after the last worshipper had passed, the coffin began to close, threatening to block the entrance.
Priam wondered for half a second before dashing forward. The interior of the cathedral was so empty it was suspicious. Priam hadn't seen a single door. The Revenants' headquarters must be under the cathedral, as Boss had assured him that Anatole and his generals lived there.
Reaching the coffin, Priam prevented the lid from closing and, by forcing it, blocked the mechanism. Feeling oppressed, he raised his eyes. The pressure exerted by the statue of Viracocha was terrifying, and Priam could have sworn it was watching him. As drops of sweat began to appear on his forehead, he looked up at the false god.
His body began to tremble and Priam broke out in a cold sweat. Higher Tiers weren't just about accumulating more attributes. Qualitative changes were taking place, and he felt overwhelmed by the divine aura. Spasms soon overcame Priam.
Yet he refused to look down. His ultimate goal, the one he had chased all his life and for which he had selected maximum difficulty in the Tutorial, was to be free. He refused to bow to a false god. In an instant, [Eidetic Memory] showed him all the moments of his life when he had dreamed of his freedom. Priam groaned, gritting his teeth.
Black dots began appearing in his vision field, and Priam staggered. Micro had deactivated itself without him noticing.
A feeling of absence seized him and Priam slapped himself. The pain woke him up. He was now on his knees, still looking at Viracocha. His chest was numb, preventing him from breathing. The statue and the god behind it threatened to break his will. He would never be free. He was only a weak human…
Lvl up: [Manipulation Resistance] lvl 2
WILL +3
Mobilizing all his willpower, Priam slowly stood up and pulled down his pants.
"I'm free."
Priam looked Viracocha in the eye and began to urinate on the statue. The divine aura exploded, and Priam's heart stopped. From the farthest reaches of the Universe, a god was watching him. His attention threatened to destroy Priam. Only the System prevented the god from using his full powers.
Priam felt his body split in two. Micro assured him he was fine, yet it felt like a giant was twisting the two halves of his body in opposite directions. As he felt himself dying, Priam tried to access his Potential. His eyes widened as he felt that his Potential was inaccessible.
Abandoning everything else, he concentrated on Micro and forced his heart to start again. His entire body was paralyzed, and only his slack bladder continued to empty. His breathing was cut off by the horrifying power of Viracocha's aura.
The synergy of his Titles, resistances, and talents, as well as his proximity to death, kept Priam alive, second after second. Each moment seemed to last a thousand years, but he clung to life. It was his life, and he rejected the promise of a gentle death.
Thirty seconds later, Priam finished urinating.
A notification appeared, and Viracocha's pressure became bearable again. It hadn't disappeared, but Priam could move and think again. The god had turned his attention elsewhere, and Priam took a breath of air.
WILL +2
Synergy detected. [Humanity adapts], [Veteran], [Axolotl or Hydra?], and [He Who Eludes Death] have reacted.
Lvl up: [Consequence Resistance] lvl 2,3,4
CHAR +9
META (Chance) +18
Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 19
PERC +1
VIVA +1
DEXT +1
Achievement - Gold: You have defied a god, insulted him and performed an iconoclastic deed before his very eyes. In his wrath, he sought to capture your soul. A fate worse than death.
You fought for your freedom without flinching.
Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement.
Message for Humanity:
Priam Azura refused to obey the tyranny of a minor god.
The Seven Concepts congratulate you.
Willpower + 50. Potential + 500. Title received. Talent received.
[Iconoclast - Gold] - You urinated on the statue of a god, while he was watching you. You risked something worse than death. Was it courage, madness or idiocy? In any case, you survived after desecrating Viracocha. He's not all-powerful. No one is.
You become more resistant to auras.
Your soul begins to crystallize.
Skill received. [There is no Heaven - Epic]
WILL +10%
CHAR +10%
META (Chance) +50
[There is no Heaven - Epic] - You don't like your enemies to be resurrected. When you use this skill on a defenseless enemy, part of their soul is damaged.
This error is recognized by most Wheels of Reincarnation. To avoid errors, damaged souls are often crushed.
The effects of a shattered soul are manyfold.
WILL +9
[He Who Eludes Gods] - Your soul belongs to you. You are now unique. The one and only Priam Azura.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 130
Constitution 197
Agility 146
Vitality 212
Perception 279
MENTAL:
Vivacity 168
Dexterity 153
Memory 38
Willpower 187
Charisma 135
META:
Meta-affinity 118
Meta-focus 85
Meta-endurance 61
Meta-perception 7
Meta-chance 114
Potential: 736
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.
[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.
Time: 24 hours 11 minutes 36 seconds.