NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: He Who Rose From The Ashes
Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day.
Number of deaths: 10
Ten deaths detected. Message from your patron:
You're progressing too slowly. You must put aside your fears and abuse this power. Don't forget your promise.
A seal breaks.
Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Title [Axolotl or Hydra ?]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:
VIT +5
CONST +7
WILL +3
META (END) +10
[Tribulation]: Three characteristics above 200 were detected in Tier 0.
A quadruple Tribulation is coming.
Time: 22 hours 43 minutes 49 seconds.
Synergy detected with [Veteran].
Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 2,...,8
CONST +14
VIT +14
WILL +35
Lvl Up: [Erosion Resistance] lvl 16,17
META (END) +6
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 15,16,17
VIT +3
Lvl Up : [Thermal Resistance] lvl 5,6,7,8
CONST +4
Lvl Up: [Blunt Resistance] lvl 18,19,20
CONST +3
[Blunt Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available.
[Blunt Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5
[Armored - Rare] - You have tanked a large-caliber bullet. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10
[Star Iron Body - Rare] - You've endured the fall of a million tons. You survived the impact of a meteor. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20
You have selected the skill [Star Iron Body - Rare].
POT -20
[Star Iron Body - Rare] - Your flesh is transformed. Your body has taken its first steps on a mythical path. Star Iron is a cosmic metal, naturally forged in the heart of a Tier 1 star. The high aether density and terrible physical conditions under which it was created make this metal extremely resistant. Increase the level of this skill and temper your body to complete your Star Iron Body.
Your enemies will despair facing your constitution.
You are pushing back the Tier 0 limits of tempering.
CONST +3
You have selected the skill [Spear Throw - Rare].
POT -15
[Spear Throw - Rare] - You specialize in throwing. Leaving behind other weapons and projectiles, you become more familiar with your Bound Weapon. Together, you can make your enemies tremble.
Your bound spear will always find its target.
DEXT+3
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds
[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.
Time: 22 hours 43 minutes 49 seconds.
Priam opened his eyes. The room was still shrouded in mist as he began to get his bearings. His body - or rather, the pieces of it - must have been thrown to the back of the vault. That was where he had been resurrected.
A glance allowed Priam to pinpoint its original location. Where the meteor had struck was now a huge hole. His mist was slightly disturbed as it approached the crater. A draft... It must be the real vault.
Priam noted the information in his head while rubbing his nose mechanically. It tickled. The tiny white flakes floating in the air were undoubtedly the cause. They were the residues of the cores stored in the room that had shattered in the explosion. Nothing remained of the shelves and racks that had previously occupied the room. The cores had been shattered and the air was saturated with aether.
Lvl Up: [Osmosis] lvl 4
PHY +1
META (AFFI) +4
Without wasting time, Priam spotted his enemies. Gamma had been destroyed. Pieces of flesh and splinters of bone were scattered around the room. Some must have belonged to the Revenants. Among them, only the body of Mathis, their General, was more or less intact - meaning in one piece. The corpse was so charred that Priam only recognized it thanks to [Identification].
The last two Abominations had been... Priam widened his eyes and straightened up. They were healing at full speed. Or rather, Alpha was regenerating by absorbing Beta. The explosion and shockwave had heavily damaged it. Alpha had always been more imposing, and Beta's wounds made it impossible for it to resist. That's why they stayed away from each other...
Alpha absorbed Beta very quickly, and Priam gritted his teeth. He was far more resistant than a few seconds earlier, but the Abomination was growing stronger and more polluting by the second. Moreover, its resistance to kinetic absorption had increased as Priam immobilized it. His flagship skill was now less useful. Priam wasn't the only one to come out of the fight stronger.
"Damn it," he muttered. Now he'd have to deal with a quadruple Tribulation and a Viscount-rank Abomination whose power kept increasing.
Speaking of Viscount... Priam had notifications, which he opened.
Special conditions met:
Title upgraded! [Moon Viscount - Silver]
Congratulations!
[Moon Viscount - Silver] - Alone, you slayed a Viscount. For this outstanding performance in the Reunion, you are promoted. A Viscount is a powerful Title of Nobility for a new civilization. Enhance this Title to have the right to actively participate in decisions concerning the future of your species.
The Earl is getting impatient. He summons you to his court. If you don't find him soon, he'll turn hostile.
Wherever you are, the Moon Mist is. You can make your mist undetectable, invisible, odorless, and untouchable. Additionally, it would be concealed from the ethereal senses.
Achievement - Silver: You are the first human to eliminate a Viscount without help.
You lead the way, and your species admires you.
Message for humanity:
Priam Azura single-handedly eliminated a Viscount.
Humanity will be rewarded for this achievement.
The Seven Concepts congratulate you.
Potential + 300. Personalized message for humanity. Tailored reward.
...
Tailored reward: A third Achievement has been detected at Tier 0. You are the first of your kind to achieve this feat. The Concepts are watching and deliberating... Chance of death during your quadruple Tribulation: 96%. Choose one reward to increase your chances of survival.
Back in Time: Allows you to return 24 hours in the past, at any time, and with all your earnings. One use only.
5 seconds of Glory: Allows you to summon a hypothetical version of yourself, a year older... For 5 seconds.
Survivor tips: You can ask twenty questions to an assembly over the next twenty-four hours. This council is formed by an infinite number of hypothetical Priams who have just survived their Tribulations. These questions must concern your survival. Each answer will consist of a single short sentence.
Memoir of a Survivor: A survivor's memoir of his quadruple Tribulation.
Lord Fourth: One, two, three, four, four, four... Whatever your attributes, the Tribulation coming will be a quadruple Tribulation.
Priam looked up at Alpha. The Abomination had finished absorbing Beta and was now devouring the scattered pieces of Gamma and the Revenants. It would soon arrive for him. The monster was titanic and horrible. For Priam, it was a symbol of his difficulties.
Yet it was nothing. 96% chance of dying... Statistically, Priam was a walking corpse. He trusted himself, of course, and knew there was a chance of survival. He'd always survived.
However, that wasn't enough for him. He was like a man jumping off a building. Before impact, it was easy to say, "so far, so good". But he wouldn’t lie to himself.
The Concepts, quasi-omniscient entities, had little hope for his survival. Despite all his advantages, despite all the challenges he'd met, despite all the pain he'd experienced... It wasn't enough. For a few moments, Priam's confidence cracked, and his eyes moistened. His half-length hair fell over his face, unable to hide his tears. He was tired. He was doing his best, but it was never enough. Suddenly, he saw himself as a kid and remembered his mother. Despite all his efforts, she had never praised him...
Priam sighed and brushed aside his gloomy thoughts. As usual, he would take it in his stride. One day, when it would be over, he'd allow himself to break down and cry. But right now, he had to concentrate on the moment and enjoy it. This new world might be relentless and brutal, but it was also incomparably beautiful and magical.
Alpha was still advancing, now swallowing the corpses of the Revenants. They had given everything they possessed to stay alive. To manipulate magic. They were dead, and their death was ugly. Absorbed by an undead monstrosity to grow it. Priam didn't want to die like that.
"I don't want to die," he murmured.
Priam closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his features had become hard. The rules were against him - he was close to a quintuple Tribulation - but he had a chance. His reward could get him through.
Priam took a moment to think it over. He didn't want to make any more mistakes. There were five choices, and only one would allow him to emerge strong enough to live. Priam had never really trusted others. But he trusted himself. If he gave it his all, he'd survive. He had to believe that.
Deciding to proceed by elimination, Priam crossed out the last opportunity, Lord Fourth. Increasing his attributes could be helpful, but it wouldn't be a few dozen points that would drastically change his survival percentage.
Back in Time... Priam crossed it out too. He'd read enough novels to know that repetition was an excellent way to improve and learn. Unfortunately, one more chance wasn't enough. If I could go back a month to be woken up by my little sister, maybe I would select it...
Memoir of a Survivor looked interesting on paper. He could see examples of Tribulations and how to counter them. Plus, someone who had survived four Tribulations had to be an absolute monster or a genius aided by a super faction. The skills and techniques used during the Tribulations could help him better understand the possibilities offered by the System. Maybe he'd even gain a terrifying skill.
"There's no way I'd choose that," Priam grinned.
If Priam trusted anyone, it was himself. The last two awards allowed him to capitalize on that confidence. Only one elimination was left, and Priam didn't hesitate for a second. 5 seconds of Glory was discarded.
Priam wouldn't risk letting a future Priam materialize. He didn't know how the future would change him, but he knew his survival would almost always be his priority. It would also be the priority of a Priam created by the System. The chances of the Priam of the future trying to take possession of his body were high.
"I know myself well enough to know when not to trust me," laughed Priam.
Survivor Tips: You can ask twenty questions to an assembly over the next twenty-four hours. This council is formed by an infinite number of hypothetical Priams who have just survived their Tribulations. These questions must concern your survival. Each answer will consist of a single short sentence.
Priam smiled as he selected his reward. If an assembly of an infinite number of surviving Priams could answer his questions, then he would have an excellent chance of survival. If he died anyway, it would be his fault.
The trick now was to ask the right questions and understand the limits of the answers. The first question seemed obvious.
"What must I do to be as ready as possible for my Tribulations?"
Answer: Get closer to Mathis and Cry over the Abominable Essence.
Ten words and a credible sentence. That was the Concepts' definition of a short sentence. The sentence could have been shorter, but Priam's assembly had wanted to show their limits. The sentence also had a meaning, even if Priam didn't necessarily understand it. He hated cryptic prophecies. In a novel, it was mostly a way for the author to muddy the waters. Unnecessary mystery. If a real God needed to spell an incomprehensible message, he'd have to choose a hero other than Priam.
The Concepts had set limits on advice, and Priam had to play with them by understanding himself. Ten words were too short to convey several messages directly. But by playing with capitalization and Priam's knowledge, the advice became understandable.
Without missing a beat, Priam teleported to Mathis's side. He didn't know why he needed to get closer to the Revenant, but he trusted his own advice. The Abomination was only a few meters away from the poor General. Mentally summoning his spear, it appeared in his hand, gleaming. Priam pierced the Revenant's heart in one swift movement. The General looked dead, but it cost Priam nothing to make sure.
A split second later, he grabbed the corrupted Tear and swallowed it. With his other hand, he clutched the Abomination Essence he'd received as a quest reward for killing the first Baron rank Abomination. Corruption was triggered directly, and Priam massaged his heart. The pollution of the Depths burned him from within, and the pain was unbearable. Where chimera spittle was terrible, it was still created by a Viscount. The Tear had been created by a Phoenix of the Depths.
[Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths] - The Depths is a terrible place, containing the cataclysms to come. Long ago, an evil god locked up a child Phoenix there. Lost, abandoned, and tortured, the Depths won him over. His distress made him cry one last time. Here is his diluted tear.
This Tear tainted by the Depths allows influencing the consciousness of a Phoenix. Its consumption promises a rebirth.
Beware: when consumed, the influence of the Depths will arise to corrupt the surrounding environment.
Priam concentrated on staying awake despite the pain and almost missed the fateful moment. As Alpha raised a colossal arm to attack, Mathis opened his mouth, and Priam's perception caught his words.
"My heart's on the right, you idiot. It will be your last mistake... After me, the Deluge."
Priam's sixth sense screamed out, and for the second time that day, the world turned white. In the final instant, Priam realized the room had been booby-trapped all along. Hundreds of explosives of all kinds had been hidden in the vault by Mathis. Mathis's skill - or perhaps his talent - triggered an explosion the likes of which Priam had never seen.
First Quest: Soon to be reunited? Updated.
Revenant General - Mathis the suicidal is dead.
Keep up the good work!
The world's colors coalesced as Priam's body was blown to the ceiling by the explosion. The horizon shook and the howl of the fiery flowers was deafening. Yet Priam felt no pain.
The destruction around him released an insane amount of energy, which was transmitted to Priam. His body was reduced to ash, nothing more than a shadow on a wall.
The corrupted Tear shattered.
A miracle occurred.
A Phoenix rose from the ashes.
[Tear of a Phoenix of the Depths - Mythical] acts as a catalyst: [Pseudo Phoenix] evolves.
Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Titles [Axolotl or Hydra ?] and [Veteran].
Lvl Up: [Depths Resistance] lvl 9,10
CONST +4
VIT +4
WILL +10
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 18,19,20
VIT +3
[Heat Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available.
Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 2
CONST +3
Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 22
VIVA +2
DEXT +3
META (FOCUS) +4
The blast and the heat were absorbed by Priam. His body recreated itself, transforming destructive energy into creative forces. Already, his bones were reforming, stronger, and more resistant to the heat. His muscles reappeared, more supple and vibrant with potential. His skin came to clothe Priam in a coppery color as if it had imprisoned the fire. Priam opened his eyes and revealed to the world the reflection of the flame within. The flame that now burned within him.
In the depths of his irises, a deflagration danced, playing with the mist.
Lvl Up: [Star Iron Body] lvl 3
CONST +3
The first beat of his heart sounded like the roar of a monster. Neither Phoenix nor Human. Priam was a Survivor.
Congratulations! Improved title: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver].
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 147 (+2)
Constitution 245 (+48)
Agility 152 (+1)
Vitality 254 (+39)
Perception 286 (+2)
MENTAL:
Vivacity 172 (+2)
Dexterity 167 (+6)
Memory 39
Willpower 251 (+58)
Charisma 138
META:
Meta-affinity 126 (+4)
Meta-focus 94 (+4)
Meta-endurance 80 (+16)
Meta-perception 26
Meta-chance 114
Potential: 1089 (+358)(-39)
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 18 hours 20 min 55s
[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.
Time: 22 hours 40 minutes 49 seconds.