A Novel Concept

An Amazon was hidden behind a recess. The young man was careful to move slowly since he had entered the cave. He didn't know what awaited him and didn't want to unnecessarily ruin his infiltration by setting off a trap.

Priam had chosen to enter the cave secretly. He had seen what the Amazons had done to innocent people. If they spotted him, he would have to fight. But he was there to find his family and find answers to his questions. There would be time to punish these killers later. For now, he was most interested in Anne's plans.

The first two guards had been easily evaded. A dense mist covered the entrance to the cave, and Priam had passed between them without them noticing. He had almost laughed at the look of concentration on their faces as they tried to pierce the mist with their eyes. Perhaps they had pretended not to see him before raising the alarm with a skill? If so, he was walking right into a trap. Honestly, they deserve an Oscar if that's the case. I wouldn't even be disappointed if I walked into an ambush. Their acting would have been perfect.

Priam refocused on the Amazon near him. A passive effect of his new skill allowed him to make out the Amazon in the low light. He couldn't see well in the cave, not because of the mist but because of the low luminosity. A few crystals embedded in the rock gave him the light he needed to move. The Amazon must not have been able to see anything and, therefore, could not have positioned herself properly. Half of her body was visible.

His perception had also made him notice a thin wire stretched about ten centimeters from the ground. It must have been connected to an audible alarm, and Priam would have hated himself for falling into such a basic trap. Stepping on a trapped slab at the bottom of a pagan temple to retrieve a crystal skull was acceptable. Tripping over a wire set by a neophyte warrior was not. Still, the wire is well hidden in the mist. She must have read 'Setting a Trap for Dummies.'

Priam stood still for a few seconds to think about what he wanted to do. Despite the books he had read in his youth and the movies he had seen, he had no intention of overpowering, neutralizing, or killing this Amazon. Yet, after the massacre committed by Anne and her cronies, it was not his goodness or morality that held him back. He would have had little remorse in smashing the guard's skull against the cave wall before continuing on his way. He was aware that she had not given the order, but she had carried it out.

World War II had taught everyone that it was hard to disobey orders. But it was also hard to put all the blame on Anne. Perhaps she also had a superior? In any case, people had died, murdered by their allies, which was unacceptable. Am I ready to eliminate all Amazons because they obeyed an order? I don't know... But I guess I won't need to answer that question. Hopefully, the fight will be self-defense. Otherwise... I will see at that time.

At the moment, Priam was annoyed because he wasn't sure he could neutralize the Amazon quietly. His infiltration would be discovered if another Amazon were positioned a few feet away. Considering this was the first infiltration of his life and that he had only progressed about twenty meters into the cave, he didn't want to end his spy career yet.

Priam paused for a moment to observe his surroundings. The Amazon had little chance of detecting him if she had no perception skills. Given that she was currently staring at a wall thirty centimeters from her face with great intensity, Priam would not guess this was the case. Perhaps every Amazon deserved an Oscar for acting, but he doubted it. He was pretty sure the Amazon was blinded between the haze and the low light.

Just as he was about to start walking again, Priam stopped. He had just noticed the Amazon's grimace. The warrior was focused as if she expected to fight in the next few minutes. She seemed to be paying attention to the sounds. She was told that I might be coming. Of course, the global announcement of my solitary victory over Nemea must have alerted Anne!

Priam set out on his way with as little noise as possible. The Amazon's perception must have been high, but he was walking barefoot on stone and breathing softly. When he moved, his clothes made no sound - he had checked before entering the cave. If the warrior had an incredible hearing, she might be able to hear his heartbeat, but he doubted it. Priam had decided to walk past her. The chances of the alarm being raised were lower.

Besides, he had to keep his focus. He was here to get answers. Anne had a plan and information - otherwise, she wouldn't have known so quickly that killing Orthos would create a pathway to the dome. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't trained to ask questions. If he couldn't interrogate the Amazon in a few minutes, he might as well move on. The truth was somewhere ahead. His best chance of getting answers was to spy on Anne. Actions didn't lie, and Priam wanted to get inside the dome, too. As soon as he found the passage to the dome, he wouldn't have to hide anymore. If I'm discovered, it might as well be as late as possible. Then I'll force Anne to choose: tell me the truth or lose her teeth...

Priam moved slowly for ten minutes, alert to all possible traps. He suspected the Amazons hadn't had time to dig out booby-trapped slabs, but he didn't want to take any chances. Besides, there were certainly skills to hide traps.

Finally, the monotony of the cave changed. About a kilometer from the cave entrance, Priam approached the entrance to a larger room. Two men were guarding the entrance. Albin's men! Is he in cahoots with Anne?!

Albin and Anne seemed to have played everyone. The fighters had to choose sides between the two leaders without knowing they were working together. But since when? The stratagem seems too well-oiled. Unless they already knew each other before the meeting...

Priam refocused. He was almost invisible in the cave, but everything could change very quickly. He watched the guards. The room was brighter than the cave, so they could watch the entrance. The mist was too thick and the light too dim for the men to see each other, but they just needed to watch half the way each. If Priam went by, he would be spotted for sure.

[Moon Mist]

Priam used his new skill. It was epic in quality and easy to use. At least, creating mist was now rather instinctive for the young man. In a one-meter radius sphere centered on the young man's torso, the aether began to change. To transmute into an aethereal mist. Priam could not yet perceive the fundamental essence of this new universe, but he sensed that the mist did not appear from nowhere. His skill was transmuting the fundamental essence of the world into a mist. If the atmosphere was sufficiently saturated with aether, the cost was free. Otherwise, the skill used Priam's aether. For the first time, he felt that his supply was not unlimited. So far, none of his skills had used his aether. Most of them were passive, and he had lived in an aether-laden environment. So his own resources had never been used.

At least he had never felt it. Honestly, he had never felt that there was a limit to his energy reserves. The density of aether in Elysium had allowed him to forget this detail. He may not have yet unlocked the meta attribute that allowed him to measure his reserves. Or did he have to create a skill to observe his own body? It wasn't as if humans were born with the ability to determine their remaining stamina percentage. But in this new world, perhaps creating a passive skill to know one's physical and aethereal energy limits was a given!

I have so much to learn... I definitely need more information. Maybe there are things I've been doing wrong all along!

[Kinetic Control] had never used his resources either. His primary attack skill converted some of the kinetic energy he received into aether to function. Maybe there's a limit? If I absorb too much energy in a short period, for example... To be tested later.

Other issues were also emerging. He knew that he would not stay in Elysium forever. Partly because he wanted to live with his family and this world was too dangerous, but also because of one of his first quests. Most of the inhabitants of Elysium wanted to invade worlds whenever the opportunity arose. Portals and rifts regularly opened between different locations in the Concept Universe. The more aether and energy there was, the higher the probability of a passage opening. It was one of the questions he had asked in the Tutorial before entering the portal that had led him to Elysium.

Elysium was so violent that its inhabitants tried to flee whenever possible. If resources were on the other side of a portal, Priam knew he would have to use them too. By then, he would have to build up a set of skills that could synergize with each other. The fact that his skills could consume resources had eluded him until now. But while the aether density in Elysium allowed him to do without personal resources, that might not be the case everywhere. I'll probably have to create a skill to regain aether. Perhaps by turning the kinetic energy I store into pure aether? I'm missing so much information to make an informed choice...

As long as Priam remained in an aether-laden environment, all these questions were unnecessary. He would test his limits when he had the chance. However, he noted that [Moon Mist] consumed relatively little aether. Either it was thrifty, or his supply was high. Still more questions to answer.

The mist was beginning to accumulate in the middle of the passage. For the two guards, nothing changed. White wisps continued to snake. But the density of the mist was increasing rapidly. While they thought they could still see as far as they did, in reality the mist was significantly affecting their vision. Priam crossed in front of the two men. Hehe, you fools.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 2

Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 7
AGI +1

Pleased with himself and his camouflage, Priam looked around the room. A dozen Amazons were collecting luminous crystals on the walls. Anne and Albin were positioned in front of a door inlaid in stone and studying it. Priam noted the location of the door. It was undoubtedly the passage to the dome. His title should allow him to use it, but perhaps it should be opened first. Let's leave the opening to them.

Priam continued to scout the area. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a young girl sitting on a rock in the center of the room. Claire! What is she doing there? She must have been captured to get leverage on me.

Initially upset, Priam was then relieved to see her. Nemea had committed a massacre at the ambush site, and he had been afraid for her. Going back to the scene to find her corpse would have been useless. Either she had survived, and he would find nothing, or she was dead, and he could not help her. Either way, finding Anne and stopping her plans was his priority. His family came before Claire, but he was still glad to see her healthy. Ironically, Anne had probably saved her by kidnapping her.

Claire was not Priam's best friend. In fact, they had only known each other for one day. He would have been hard-pressed to describe her. A friend? Maybe not. An acquaintance? The word was a bit weak. In any case, she was the first person he had spoken to since the Tutorial. If it was possible, he wasn't going to leave her here.

The young man used his skill [Moon Mist] again and increased the density of the mist around him. Confident in his camouflage, he moved closer to the young woman. Fortunately, no Amazons were lurking near her. She was isolated, and it seemed that no one thought she could escape.

When he got within a few feet of her, hidden in the light, Priam noticed she had thoughtful eyes. She didn't seem too worried, but she didn't know anything about her captors. Priam knew that Anne and Albin were killers.

Priam noted that she had not noticed him. Apparently, her perception didn't allow her to spot the young man. Probably a skill she needs to activate. She didn't think she would find me here, so she didn't notice me. I guess she has to mark me to spot me next. Interesting...

"Claire," he whispered.

"Mmh?" The girl instantly raised her head in the direction of the young man. "Priam?"

"The one and only. Don't answer, you'll make noise. We'll have to get out of here. I'm sure you've realized Anne and Albin weren't as friendly as you'd think, but this is worse. I defeated Orthos, but not all the dead fighters there were killed by the Boss."

The young woman bit her lip. She looked in the direction of Anne and Albin.

"What do you plan to do next?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure. As you might have noticed, I'm not in law enforcement, and justice is a variable geometry principle in this new world. Anyway, I wasn't and still am not a judge or a lawyer. I'm pretty sure they killed some fighters, but I wasn't there. Maybe it was someone else, but I don't care much about the benefit of the doubt. What I'm interested in is the dome," Priam announced, pointing to the sealed door. He noticed that Claire was looking at his hand and not at where he was pointing. She sees me, but that's it. Her skill should only apply to living things...

Priam continued. "I'll wait to see how these idiots plan to open the door. Then I'll ask them a few questions about the dome, the 'threat', their motives and plans... Either they answer, or they attack. Frankly, I have no problem with self-defense," Priam smiled. His smile did not reach his eyes. They were glowing with a cruel gleam. He didn't like being betrayed, nor Claire being captured. He understood being attacked, but not those closest to him. If it had been my family instead of Claire... I would have painted this cave scarlet by now.

Priam refocused. "Are you ready to follow me? I'm going to get you out of this before it gets bad. I'll come back for you after, don't worry. We have to go now. They're stupid, but if we keep talking in the middle of the cave, they'll notice us eventually."

Claire was silent for a few seconds before nodding her head. "Okay. I'm ready."

Priam grabbed the young woman's hand and guided her out. He didn't want her to get hurt in a fight.

They walked a few feet to the entrance when Claire stumbled. Unfortunately for Priam, her knee hit the ground right next to the two guards. The young woman let out a small cry of pain. Instantly the guards moved into a fighting stance. One drew a sword from a museum while the other armed a crossbow. Despite the comical situation seen repeatedly in every work of fiction Priam had ever devoured, he did not laugh. He wasn't sure he could dodge a crossbow bolt from this close, and he was sure Claire wouldn't avoid it. Shit...

"Who goes there?!" Albin and Anne were running. Priam's career as a spy had lasted less than twenty minutes. He bent down to help Claire to her feet. "Sorry," she whispered. "It's nothing. Stay close to me."

"It's me," he answered loudly. "My friends call me Priam. You...you can call me Baron Priam I guess. Oh, and another thing: you're under arrest. You haven’t the right to remain silent."

Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:
Strength 78

MENTAL:
Vivacity 92
Dexterity 77
Memory 31
Willpower 48
Charisma 44

META:
Meta-affinity 44
Meta-focus 44

Potential: 203
Tier 0