Chương 164: Chapter 160: Hatched Phoenix

Congratulations, you are dead! Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day. Number of deaths: 17 Synergy detected with your talent [High Human adaptation] and your Titles [Three-Headed Hydra] and [Weathered].

Your body and spirit are rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed them: VIT +6 CONST +8 Lvl Up: [Asphyxia Resistance] lvl 13, 14 VIT +4 META (END) +2 Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 31, 32, 33 VIT +6 CONST +3 Lvl Up: [Light Resistance] lvl 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 CONST +5 [Light Resistance] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available: [Great Light Resistance - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible.

Potential Cost: 5 [LASER Resistance - Rare] - You tanked a Wyvern's Breath. Stupi— Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 [Solar Resistance - Rare] - Sunlight got the best of you before you developed skin cancer. Impressive. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 20 POT -20 You've chosen [Solar Resistance - Rare]. [Solar Resistance] - Life and energy provider, symbol of hope and divinity, humanity has always worshiped the Sun. Its light has many benefits, but don't overdo it.

Like Icarus, you've burned your wings. Your DNA is now fortified against UV radiation. Your cells resist skin tumor growth. Your Domain can absorb part of the received light, transforming it into aether. This skill almost got named Sunscreen. CONST +2 VIT +1 New Concept! [Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept. Destroyer, Creator, Liberator. Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it. Bloodlines: Phoenix - 1% - awakened (T1) NEW. Dragon - <1% - dormant.

Title upgraded: [Infantile Phoenix - Silver] becomes [Hatched Phoenix - Gold]! [Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - The phoenix within you has hatched. Its brilliance shines bright, and its flames are already trying to conquer the world. Burning Yggdrasil, boiling the seas, and replacing the sun, that's the Phoenix's path. You control most T0 fires. Flames naturally temper you. Being on the verge of death has a minor chance of triggering Nirvana. It's time to spread your wings. Will you survive?

(Of course you'll survive, you cheating scoundrel.) VIT +30% [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 35 minutes 38 seconds. [Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 38 minutes 51 seconds. A couple of minutes later, Priam came back to his senses. He was lying near the central pond of his world, under the branches of the young magical birch. Blinking, he leaned against the tree trunk, smiling as he read through his notifications.

He felt invigorated.

"I guess that's normal considering my newfound vitality. I feel like I could lift a mountain." By now, Priam was accustomed to attribute increases, but his vitality had surged by more than ten percent. Such a significant boost made him feel remarkably awake. I haven't felt this way since I discovered coffee in college. Alongside his improved form, Priam experienced a strange sensation. Something in him had changed. This certainty puzzled him.

Closing his eyes again, he focused his perception inward, exploring himself. A myriad of sensations greeted him. He heard the blood pulsing in his veins and the air filling his lungs. He sensed a slight ambient humidity, the precursor to mist. He discerned the currents of aether escaping from the siphon, increasing the ambient density of his world. He felt the faint tremors of the ground caused by Louis's Tribulations. And there, on the verge of his soul, was something new. A white flame was dancing.

As if delighted to finally be noticed, the flame approached his soul, stopping in front of a sphere of mist. His Domain and his first Concept had long been intertwined to protect his soul. It was time to welcome a new Concept. With a thought, Priam attracted the flame, which penetrated the mist sphere. Instantly, the mist smothered it. The two Concepts were not of the same power and didn't quite blend. With a furrowed brow, Priam forced his mist to release the flame.

The liberated spark began orbiting around his soul, pursuing the other satellite—his Assistant. Under the warmth of his fire concept, Priam smiled. The flame illuminated and warmed his soul. Better yet, he now possessed a new sense. A new world opened up to him, similar to the mist but different. It was hard to describe with words, but fire was now a part of him. Priam could now feel temperature gradients in his Domain and the light on his skin. Fire was heat and light.

Its current image was a mere spark, but Priam knew it would one day be a star. With closed eyes, Priam turned his head toward the sun and saw it. Its light was so intense that it pierced through his eyelids. [Solar Resistance]. As if a switch had been pressed, his Domain began absorbing photons, creating a sphere of night. In the heart of darkness, Priam could still make out the sun. Not with his eyes, but with his new sense. The sphere contained flames, and the flames were now Priam's allies.

His Fire Concept allowed him to feel the fire, but it was too far away to influence it. As with his mist, Priam had to create the flame to manipulate it. If he didn't own it—if his aether didn't dominate the fire—then he had to use his Domain to take control. Opening his palm, Priam summoned a flame. His Fire Concept created a reddish-orange flame that intensified a moment later. His phoenix bloodline enhanced his mastery. Quickly, the flame turned into pure white, radiating an intense heat.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Flexing his will, Priam sent the fireball towards a mound of earth at the other end of his world. The attack covered fifty meters in a second before hitting the obstacle. Priam felt the heat of the explosion and burst into laughter.

"You're a wizard, Priam," he grinned. How could one claim to be a mage, sorcerer, or wizard without mastering at least one elemental attack? But this new Concept wasn't just for lighting candles. I'll have to modify my fighting style. If the mist allowed him to move and conceal himself, fire would allow him to attack. A thrust augmented by Conquest was powerful, but adding a flame capable of melting metal would be terrifying.

Better yet, if Priam could condense his fireball into the shape of a spear, would the attack benefit from his spear skills? The real question was: could his Concepts synergize? A boiling mist or a blazing fog would certainly be useful for eliminating a horde of weak enemies. Priam's breath quickened at the thought. But before that... With a thought, Priam extinguished the flames dancing in the crater that replaced the mound. Fire was destruction, but also creation and liberation.

At least, that's how the system notification presented it. These last two points were important, for him and the phoenix that had apparently awakened within him. Closing his eyes again, Priam detected no phoenix within him. Fortunately, he was almost certain he could finally get some answers. Stretching his hand toward the sun, Priam connected to the spark that illuminated his soul. The flame trembled, and Priam felt a part of his blood shine. My phoenix bloodline is reacting to the fire concept.

Feeling its call, the star trembled under the power of an eruption. A jet of plasma shot towards Priam. Less than a meter from him, the burning gas transformed into the image of a phoenix. A tiny phoenix with fiery wings and eyes as marvelous as they were terrifying. Is that what they call a hot chick?

"Congratulations on unlocking your Tier 0 bloodline," said the bird, which couldn't have been more than a few centimeters tall.

"Well, thanks. However, aren't you supposed to be dead?" Priam thought he had a monopoly on resurrection.

"And why are you so small?" The legendary bird stared him down.

"Can't you tell the difference between a fragment of the soul of a phoenix prince and a mere copy of its memories?" Upon careful observation, Priam realized the image before him emitted no aura. It was simply the hologram of the phoenix prince in the form of a bird.

"You seem less... imposing."

"It was the quality of my soul that pressured you. Even as a fragment, it remained powerful enough to command respect," boasted the phoenix. He didn't answer the question about his small size. The bird squinted, and Priam decided to change the subject.

"I suppose you're the legacy the Prince left me?"

"You're not one of my offspring, no legacy for you. I'm more like an aid."

"I'm missing a few feathers to pass for your son," Priam smiled. The phoenix looked at him for a moment before shaking its head.

"No, even with feathers, you'd look more like a chicken than a phoenix." I'm going to turn it into a phoenix nugget...

"Anyway," Priam resumed through gritted teeth.

"My phoenix bloodline has awakened, but… I don't feel very different." Priam wasn't foolish enough to tell a phoenix that their bloodline was useless, but he believed it was. The Prince Phoenix nodded.

"The power a bloodline brings depends on two factors: its purity and its stage. Currently, your bloodline is awakened; it's the first stage. Regarding purity, you have barely one percent phoenix blood. The power increase is far from linear, so the effects are limited in your case."

"Are you saying my bloodline is powerless?" The phoenix was supposed to be a creature capable of miracles. Their first king was a legendary bird that had become one of the suns of Elysium. How could Priam accept that one of the advantages he thought he had over his rivals was so disappointing? The phoenix straightened up to its full, tiny height, glaring at Priam.

"Powerless?! This noble blood has bestowed upon you a Gold-tier Title. It has increased your affinity for many concepts. It has granted you unparalleled resistance to flames, light, and heat. It even offers you the opportunity for Nirvana, and you dare find this gift useless?!" Priam felt the temperature rise because of the phoenix's wrath. The air shimmered, and each of its words was punctuated by flames.

"Sorry," Priam apologized.

"I may have taken some exceptional things for granted." The phoenix crossed its wings, which didn't stop it from continuing to levitate.

"It often happens. The purity of your bloodline is low, but it's not a dead end for you."

"How so?" Hope could be heard in Priam's voice. The phoenix shrugged its wings.

"Normally, increasing the purity of our bloodline is challenging. Most phoenixes receive drops of blood from Ancients, get a reward from the System or seek the help of talented geneticists and aetherists. Exceptionally, they survive a Nirvana." The phoenix paused, expecting Priam's obvious question.

"... What is a Nirvana?" Priam asked. On Earth, the word meant the extinction of the fire of passions or liberation from the cycle of reincarnations. Priam suspected there was a connection with dying fires and death.

"A Nirvana is a transcending rebirth. As phoenixes, our greatest pride is the ability to resurrect, a quality even envied by dragons. All phoenixes with at least a noble bloodline can resurrect… Under certain conditions."

"A noble bloodline?" Priam interrupted.

"Don't interrupt me," the phoenix snarled.

"More than fifty percent pure. Upon our death, we can choose to trigger a Nirvana. It's a sort of test of consciousness. If successful, in addition to our resurrection, our soul is elevated, enhanced, and baptized. One of the side effects is increasing the purity of our bloodline." Priam's breath quickened.

"Does this soul elevation make it apocryphal?"

"Of course not; I just told you that the soul is baptized. Although it doesn't involve the Seven Concepts, the Nirvana is a kind of High Tribulation unique to phoenixes. It allows a few chosen ones to possess a soul more powerful than their Tier suggests. That's why we are so feared," explained the phoenix with pride. An idea began to germinate in Priam's mind. The System considered his soul apocryphal. He was almost certain that his repeated resurrections strengthened his soul.

[Soul density since Assistant creation: +3%] This impression was confirmed by his add-on. The problem was that the System perceived this increase in density as an error. For now, Priam wasn't worried, but more deaths could lead to more dramatic consequences. Yet, Priam currently had no desire to reach Tier 1. But Nirvana could solve my problems!

"How do you trigger a Nirvana?" he asked.

"First step: die," the phoenix replied naturally.

"Second step: reduce your body to ashes. Third step: accept the nirvanic judgment." Seeing Priam's lost look, the phoenix added, "You just need to want to attempt a Nirvana. Your bloodline will connect you to the birth world of our Primogenitors, and you will be tested."

"Oh, so you're aliens, too?" Priam asked. The news surprised him.

"There is only one native race in this universe; all others have been imported. But let's stay focused: if you want to increase the purity of your bloodline, Nirvana is the key."

"It sounds simple. What's the catch?" The phoenix blinked for a few seconds before trembling. Finally, it couldn't contain its hilarity and burst into laughter. Priam watched the scene with wide eyes. Where had the majestic presence of the Prince gone? Tumbling through the air, the bird took almost ten seconds before managing to respond.

"The catch is that by accepting a Nirvana, a phoenix gives up a regular resurrection. If we fail, our death is final. You understand why few of us attempt the experience," it chuckled.

"Death doesn't scare me," smiled Priam. The phoenix stayed silent for a moment before sighing.

"That's why my corrupted self would do anything to obtain your power. It's like a cheat."

"I guess this bloodline synergizes well with my Talent."

"Indeed," the bird continued, "Speaking about synergy, would you tell me why you haven't invested your Merit points yet?"

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 420 Constitution 764 (+21) Agility 432 Vitality 645 (+67) Perception 652 MENTAL: Vivacity 359 Dexterity 453 Memory 185 Willpower 706 Charisma 456 META: Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 284 Meta-endurance 210 (+2) Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 219 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 1089 (-3) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 10 hours 27 minutes 17 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 174 days 11 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800