Chương 93: Chapter 91: After the End, a new Beginning

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Priam roared in anger. His scream stopped moments later when his vocal cords almost snapped. Rather than calming him, the pain and pathetic state of his body enraged him all the more. Choose an affinity. His anger boiled over. His vengeance demanded power. How could he take revenge when he was so weak? The System insisted. Choose an affinity. The wyvern trembled, slowly regaining consciousness, and Priam's instincts urged him on. He had to choose quickly.

His Potential continued to drain. Anything will do!... At that moment, a part of himself rebelled. So far, the young man had been preoccupied with survival. Yet his nature was as much that of an explorer as a seeker. The two often went hand in hand. If a mystery existed, Priam wanted to unravel it. If a perfect solution was hidden, he had to find it. Vengeance consumed his intellect, but his profound nature rebelled against a hasty choice. He had to find the best match.

Priam's will began to control the flame of his irrational desire for vengeance. If this emotion came between him and power, it was useless. The vengeance concept began to recede as Priam regained enough lucidity to feel ashamed. Beasts let their instincts guide them, and Priam refused to sink so low. He forced himself to think coldly. He understood that he had to gain time. Activating [Kinetic Control], Priam used the last of his strength to immobilize the beast. Every extra second was precious.

Micro made him forget the pain in his meridians, and Priam looked again at the available affinities. Pride... The wyvern's adaptability had to come from this aspect. Besides, this kind of deadly sin was too compatible with him. Pride was one of his main flaws; he was aware of it. He accepted it because it was also one of his qualities. Without it, he would never have attempted a quadruple Tribulation. Priam mentally crossed out the option. He didn't want to accentuate this trait.

Sun certainly had excellent synergy with Phoenix and the regeneration provided by Hydra. Moreover, as a physicist, Priam had an excellent knowledge of celestial bodies, light, plasmas and stars in general. Regeneration and power: that could be an exceptional choice. Shadow was an affinity with a lot of potential. It would undoubtedly be an affinity that would marry well with his mist, making him a silent assassin and an exceptional thief. Priam hesitated for a moment before crossing out the possibility.

If he had to choose between Sun and Shadow, it would be Sun. Phoenix was an interesting choice. Strengthening his existing assets was a good thing. However, Priam was hesitant. The affinity came from Promesse and, therefore, from him. Chances were, the affinity wouldn't give him anything he didn't already have. But it could strengthen my heart... Priam noted the possibility of modifying his main heart by incorporating his Phoenix bloodline. It would be complicated, but he was confident. To be researched later.

Finally, Priam set eyes on Draconic. His imagination ran wild as he read the name of the latest affinity. Dragons were mythical on Earth. All civilizations had worshipped the legendary creature. Symbol of power, wisdom and prosperity, Dragons were often the equal of a god. Sometimes even more terrifying. Priam's perfect memory reminded him of the wyvern's breath. The terrifying destruction it had caused had a certain beauty. The same terrible beauty evoked by a gamma-ray burst.

Comparing affinities, Priam hesitated. His heart swayed between Draconic and Sun. Rationally, Sun was a no-brainer. But Priam was unearthly awed when he read the word 'Draconic'. Phoenix had no such effect on him. The System respected Dragons, and that mattered. Priam was faced with a dilemma. Sun was an affinity that Priam could advance himself. Maybe even improve it and one day create a black hole? It was hard for Priam to imagine anything more powerful than that without thinking of the Big Bang.

But the thought of creating a Universe... He had confidence in himself, but not that much. Draconic would certainly require treasure and death. Their power was innate. Acquiring it would undoubtedly be a never-ending quest. Would he have to hunt a dragon for it? Could he? Not for a long time, as even a wyvern was complicated right now. But in Elysium, there should be no shortage of them... Torn by the choice, Priam decided to take a step back. There had to be a solution.

As his meridians continued to melt, Priam suddenly forgot the pain. He had an insane idea, the origin of which was simple: Pride's Shadow was based on the sin of pride. Could it be that... A plan was born in his mind in the blink of an eye. Perhaps there was a good answer.

"Hey Shadow, can you hear me?" he said in a broken voice. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, he continued.

"I'm going to steal something from you. You can do nothing about it, so let's trade." Lvl Up: [Hemorrhage Resistance] lvl 9 VIT +1 The shadow had devoured all the concepts it had encountered. However, Priam didn't believe it had the power to steal them forever. Otherwise, Metal and Mist would have been among the affinities available in the wyvern's heart. If so, he was willing to lend one of his Concepts in exchange for something far more valuable. The draconic heart turned black, and Priam smiled.

The Tribulation had taken the bait. The colossal heart continued to beat despite [Kinetic Control]. Thanks to Domain, the skill could now stop someone's heart or breathing, but the wyvern was too mighty. And I'm tired… Where Priam had bitten, a trickle of golden blood flowed. Slowly, the stream froze, turning black and changing texture. A murky ink, half liquid and half gas, had replaced the vital fluid. The dark tentacle sniffed the air for a moment before charging toward Priam.

The young Earl did not attempt to dodge. On contact, the world disappeared. Blinking, Priam noticed the change of location. He was now inside [Mirror of the Soul]. The usual landscape had changed with the appearance of the stolen concept fragments. A sheet of mist now covered the pond. In the sky, a cloud of Damocles at Priam's command awaited the order to cause a deluge. A campfire burned dimly beside him. The vengeance fragment had been expelled when Priam regained his lucidity.

Lowering his head, Priam watched his reflection, his gaze penetrating the mist. New chains had appeared, and others had broken. That was not what caught his attention. The black eyes of his reflection were those of a stranger. Inhuman eyes, from the edge of the cosmos. The Tribulation may have lacked a soul, but Priam was ready to swear it was endowed with intelligence. Priam knelt, and the black eyes followed him.

"What an interesting body..." murmured his reflection. Priam didn't bother to reply. The shadow wasn't the only one looking for an opportunity. His hand blurred the calm surface of his soul, gripping the throat of his reflection. It chuckled as Priam winced. The shadow was simply a parasite. Damaging the image of his soul to hurt the shadow was like burning down his house to drive out the rats. Despite the pain, Priam smiled. He could feel the link within his soul.

During Anatole's mental attack, he'd understood that a passageway was two-way. Metaphorically, he seized the connection created by Pride's Shadow and dived in. His body crossed the surface of the water. His consciousness appeared in a strange space. His perception, flooded with contradictory signals, made him wince before he silenced it. Only his Domain seemed able to understand the geometry of the place. Focusing on his Supremacy, Priam spotted a huge heart. The organ possessed a strange duality.

It seemed both virtual and real. Conceptual and draconic. Priam tried to physically touch the object before realizing he no longer possessed a body. He tried the mental equivalent of a shoulder shrug, and failed. Amused, he imagined himself in contact with the organ. A moment later, [Double Heart] was interacting with the draconic heart. [Double Heart - Silver] detects affinities. Choose an affinity. [Sun] [Shadow] [Pride] [Phoenix] [Draconic] [Tribulation] Yeah, that's the one.

Priam smiled as he read the new affinity list. He didn't know what a Tribulation was, but this Concepts weapon was scaring the whole universe. The System had to jealously guard this secret, but Pride's Shadow had helped Priam. After all, if it was the shadow of his own pride, how could it accept the chains of the System? In his chest, the cage of the second heart opened and pulled. The [Tribulation] affinity did not resist for a moment. The draconic heart trembled and expelled Priam's consciousness.

Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 4, 5, 6 META (Chance) +27 Lvl up: [Karmic Consequence Resistance] lvl 9 CHAR +3 META (Chance) +6 Opening his eyes, he watched light flakes leave the wyvern and enter [Double Heart]. The cage created by the System had opened, eager to welcome this extraordinary affinity. Extremely compatible with the System's work, the light flakes were placed in the center of the [Double Heart] frame. The wyvern's heart spasmed and stopped.

The extraction of the affinity seemed to have severely damaged it. The monster's body froze, black as night. Despite the boss's wounds, Pride's Shadow prevented the Sun's rays from reaching it. The beast let itself die. Part of his mind was suspicious, but Priam had bigger problems. The [Double Heart] had closed after absorbing the [Tribulation] affinity. Since then, nothing had happened. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wasn't expecting that. Worried, Priam checked his Title.

[Double Heart - Silver] - You now have a hole in your chest and are waiting for a transplant. The potential of this second heart is almost infinite. You have chosen an affinity: [Tribulation]. Error... [Tribulation] is, by nature, a support affinity. No support detected. Without correction, the host architecture will implode. Priam's face lost color. All Tribulations were based on a theme: a monster, a cloud, a fire,... He had to find a support, a new heart to accommodate the affinity.

If his clones had set him on this path, there had to be a way. Perhaps he had to grow the heart himself? I know! Trees of Merit Upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 uses 10 Merit points. Each Title only gives 1 Merit point, thus upgrading a Tree of Merit to Tier 9 condemns 9 other Titles. Spend them wisely. [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 0: Once a day, one heart can restore itself instantly. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

6 Unused Merit Points Priam bought the upgrade and used it immediately. His battle-weary heart instantly recovered. Its powerful beat began to repair his body. Despite this, Priam was not satisfied. His instincts hadn't even suggested creating a second heart. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the rest of the Merit. [Double Heart - Silver] - Tier 1: Your blood modifies your heart. 5 Unused Merit Points The Merit looked interesting. Undoubtedly helpful in transforming one's heart with an affinity.

Totally useless at the moment. Priam connected to his Potential, trying to modify the Merit to create a new heart. Error: Potential insufficient to modify Merit as instructed. Priam paled as he read the notification. There was only one chance left: the Tribulations' rewards For that, he had to finish his Tribulations first. Priam clenched his left fist, concentrated [Kinetic Control] and prepared to destroy the wyvern's heart. Simultaneously, the dark link vibrated.

All this time, the Pride's Shadow had been searching inside him. Now it had found what it was looking for. Priam felt as if his skull had just been split in two. Crumpling to the ground, he screamed, clutching his head. The pain was intense, as if the shadow was trying to tear out part of his soul. The next instant, the boss withdrew, severing the link between him and Priam. Priam gasped, and looked at his latest notification. [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 29 min 54s"Wha..."

The shock made Priam stammer. Inhaling slowly, he forced himself to calm down. The rest of the fight was going to be complicated. Now was not the time to be ruled by his emotions. Change of plan. The wyvern was willingly perishing, refusing to heal its wounds, and Priam decided to back off for the time being. His Tribulations were not over, indicating that the wyvern was still his enemy. Priam analyzed the situation. The boss was going to die.

Without [Tribulation] affinity and once resurrected by an alien Talent, it would be free. Free to leave, or free to try to kill him. If it tried to kill him, Priam would defend himself. If it tried to flee, should he stop it? After a moment's reflection, Priam decided he didn't like the fact that a wyvern dominated by a shadow modeled on him existed. For the same reason he didn't want to be cloned, he didn't want the wyvern to exist. I'm unique and I intend to keep it that way. Let's kill it.

With his mind made up, Priam thought about how to defeat the monster. The coming battle would have no safety net. He'd win incredible rewards, but the System would no longer limit the shadow. If it decided to take his father hostage, for example... Priam's initial plan was messed up. He hadn't anticipated that the shadow would manage to use [He Who Eludes Death]. The Talent was supposed to be protected by its Patrons, but if the System had access to it, so did Tribulations.

Not being able to modify his Talent didn't mean not being able to use it. He sighed as he watched the monster calmly perish. The fight would have to be quick. His kinetic energy reserves were half-filled, but that should be enough. On the other hand, he might receive the System's rewards on the wyvern's first death. Depending on their nature, the fight might be easy. Kidding, I know it's gonna be hell… Preparing for the worst, he activated [Three-Headed Hydra], he regenerated his meridians.

Without them, the next fight wouldn't even be a fight. He felt invisible cables twisting inside him, reconnecting and repairing. A second later, Priam looked up and ordered the dome barrier to release its treasures. Now was the perfect time to use his consumables. The second mantis destroyed the protection, but the runic architecture remained. Several kilometers up, a purse appeared, falling towards the Colosseum. Priam stepped back, concentrating on the wyvern. It was about to breathe its last.

Suddenly, the world froze. The wind stopped, sounds disappeared and colors faded. In a world of shades of gray, the inhuman attention of the System descended. End of a Quadruple Tribulation. Account of the Tribulation: Priam Azura, belonging to the human civilization. Special notes: Bonus: Civilization newly introduced to the Concept Universe and System. Bonus: Third human to trigger a Tribulation. Bonus: First human to survive. Bonus: Factionless. Bonus: Tribulation triggered in advance. Bonus: First Tribulation.

Malus: Heavy use of Potential. Neutral: Use of one instance of [He Who Eludes Death], alien Talent. Summary: User tested by a quadruple Tribulation. Performance: First Tribulation: Damocles' Tears Defeated in less than four hours. Concept fragment absorbed by the user. Development of a concept related to the Tribulation. Performance in the top 5% of the sector - among survivors - this year. Second Tribulation: Locusts Plague Defeated in less than twenty-four hours. Concept fragment absorbed by the user.

Performance in the top 10% of the sector - among survivors - this year. Third Tribulation: Pride's Shadow Defeat in less than twenty-four hours. Tribulation's essence stolen. Top 5 in the sector - among survivors - this year. Top 1, 000, 000 in the Universe - among survivors - this year. Fourth Tribulation: Heaven Wyvern Defeated in less than twenty-four hours. Tribulation essence stolen. Top 3 in the sector - among survivors - this year. Top 100, 000 in the Universe - among survivors - this year.

System report, proposed by Administrator Thaal: For his first Tribulation, without any special knowledge, Priam Azura survived a quadruple Tribulation. His chances of survival were minimal, but his victory owed nothing to luck. Unlocking a Supremacy and a Concept during the ordeal, Priam Azura faced adversity head-on. Triumphing in a unique way over the last two Tribulations, the user's keen mind is to be applauded. The use of elements external to the Concept has been kept to a minimum.

Some break under the pressure of the Tribulations; you shine. An exceptional performance. Noteworthy remark: REDACTED. Taking into account the various bonuses and penalties...

Ranking - Tier 0 Tribulations: Sector - year: 1 Sector - decade: 7 Sector - century: 56 Sector - eon: 2, 589, 143 Sector - All time: 2 589 143 Universe - year: 10 459 General awards: Achievement - Legendary Title - [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] Rewards - customized: Quadruple Tribulation: four rewards selectable from the following list: Next Tribulation delayed by six months. Return of 'Promesse'. New opportunity for [Double Heart] absorption. One soul to resurrect.

Time stasis - duration: 23 hours 29 minutes. POT +10, 000. Access to humanity's knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 500, 000 words). Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline (1%) Four drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years]. Free attributes (+100) Free skill level-ups (+10) Seed of experience Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree Perfect Tribulation Run Memories Evolution Token - Title Evolution Token - Talent Evolution Token - Legendary skill Racial Upgrade - Human Priam's laughter echoed through the frozen ruins.

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0) PHYSICAL: Strength 173 Constitution 347 Agility 228 Vitality 340 (+1) Perception 426 MENTAL: Vivacity 201 Dexterity 289 Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 222 (+3) META: Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 155 Meta-endurance 119 Meta-perception 71 Meta-chance 198 (+33) Potential: 998 (-6) Tier 0 [He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 26 min 47s [Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming. Time:??? Delayed.