Chapter 345: Eureka

Second chapter of the day! Make sure you’ve read chapter 344 before starting this one.

Another all-nighter...

Enjoy!

PS: Priam Character Sheet (you can thanks the Discord guys!)

*

“It looks like a tablet,” Rose observed, inspecting Jasmine’s find.

“It is a tablet.”

“I mean, it looks like a digital tablet, but everything about it is weird. Can I take it apart?”

“No, it’s packed with thousands of hours of movies.”

“Too late,” Rose grinned, cracking the device open.

“The Guardian of Secrets will probably be interested in it,” Kazuki mused.

“I asked him, but he’s not a fan of the adult content,” Jasmine said, eyeing the disassembled tablet with concern. “Apparently, the plots are trash, and the acting is even worse. He knows shit. With the implants some arkanians have, the possibilities are pretty exotic.”

Priam nearly choked on his drink. “You… There’s a lot of porn on that thing?”

“A little over half. Thousands of hours.”

“That’s a lot.”

“You’re not one to talk, son,” Alain said, pouring himself a glass of fresh sap. “When Priam was fifteen, I had to take him to the doctor because—”

“Stop! We are eating, and there are children present,” the Champion protested, face flushing red.

Later, Jasmine mouthed at Alain. The old man gave her a thumbs-up while Priam was grumbling.

“I got it!” Rose suddenly exclaimed, examining what looked like a black panel covered in indecipherable silver symbols. “Behind each pixel, there’s a rune instead of an LED. This is eye-opening.” She turned to Alain. “The possibilities of micro-runes are endless. For example, we could build a computer using them instead of transistors!"

Alain grimaced. “I was born during World War II. I know how to milk cows, but I needed Priam just to open my emails. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“Priam?”

“Well, it sounds incredible, but my expertise is in algorithms. Hardware is beyond my abilities.” Seeing Rose's disappointment, Priam added, “But I promise to help however I can. Oh, and Prometheus’ minions are supposed to be scientists; between them and the hoplites, there’s hope.”

“When are you going to get them out?” Louis asked.

“After Dishnu triggers his Tribs,” Priam replied, setting down his plate. Moonie took the opportunity to nestle under his arm, nudging for affection. Smiling, he began scratching the cold scales of the baby wyrm. “It’s better for their safety. Besides, I had a vision of Log-a-rhythm in flames, so all non-combatants will go to Valaryth during the Tribulations. I guess they could go there too.”

“In flames?!” Lamnas cried. As Oasis’ gardener, the elf was particularly attached to the tree.

“It’ll be fine," Priam reassured. “It’ll make it stronger.”

“And after that?” Kazuki asked. “What’s the plan?”

Priam realized everyone had gone silent, waiting for his answer. At the end of the table, Sphinx had paused her chewing, and Blueberry had just swallowed back a belch. The young man had never sought to assert his authority, yet everyone saw him as the master of Oasis.

“In the short term, there’s the tribal tournament. Jasmine, Kazuki, Arnold, and I will face their elites to earn their respect and confirm our autonomy.”

“And steal their ideal skills,” Jasmine reminded him.

“That too.”

“I’m afraid the event has been postponed for a month,” Ymir interjected. The merchant met Priam’s gaze before continuing. “I received this information just before dinner.”

“Mmh.” Priam narrowed his eyes. “That might be linked to my recent vision of a fight between Arnold and Bastard. Have you seen anything?”

Rose pointed north. “We watched a sunset just before you returned.”

“There’s no more suns in Elysium’s sky.”

“Exactly, so the explosions must have been violent. The ground shook for almost ten minutes before settling. Do you think the tribes will investigate before the tournament?”

“That seems logical. For us, it’s just a dick-measuring contest, but for them, it’s a way to carve up this island among themselves. Since no one wants to move into a Fallen’s territory, they need to find Bastard’s hideout.”

“We could sell them the info,” Jasmine suggested.

“The longer we wait, the more valuable it’ll be. Either way, I like this development: their prospecting gives us more time to consolidate our gains.”

Priam anticipated long discussions with his mentor, duels with his friends, and further refining his body tempering. The Tribulations had given him much, but jumping into the next adventure without taking the time to digest his gains would be foolish. Besides the mountain of rewards to transform into power, he felt deep inside that it was time to take a breather. Arnold might be a robot, but the Juggernaut was still a man.

“So, the tribes in the short term,” Jasmine summarized. “Then Valaryth? There are still two Deluge paths left.”

“That, and I need more trophies to continue my body tempering.”

“I need to get started on that too,” Jasmine murmured.

“Kazuki?”

“I’m missing a mythical method,” the warrior admitted. “As a Duke, the Sun Shop only sells legendary items or knowledge.”

“We’d need a Prince to access the best options,” Priam said. “Which brings us back to Valaryth. Defeating the fourth Terror would do the trick.”

“You think you have what it takes to kill it?” Kazuki asked.

“Not yet, but after my martial and magical training…” Priam smiled. “I’m feeling pretty optimistic. Meanwhile, I want to continue my conquest of the Colosseum, loot the tribes, and prepare for my Tier-up.”

“Isn’t that too soon?” Alain asked. “I thought some Titles were only obtainable by Tier 0s.”

“The second Reunion will happen soon, and some opportunities will only be available to Tier 1s.” On this point, both the phoenix prince and Wang Lin agreed. “I’ll discuss it with Béchar after becoming a Prince, but I don’t want to lose sight of the essential. True power doesn’t come from attributes.”

Kazuki, Jasmine, and the natives of Elysium nodded, but the other earthlings and hoplites exchanged confused looks.

“What do you mean?” Rose asked.

“The floating island under our asses… How much strength do you think I’d need to cut it in half with Promesse?”

“I don’t know. A hundred thousand?”

“More like a million!” Sphinx exclaimed.

“It depends on your technique and the weapon,” Hyshana said.

Priam smiled. “Not wrong. Honestly, I doubt even a million in strength would be enough to split an island over a hundred kilometers long in two.” A pause. “A Tier 6 Concept or Supremacy could.”

His words were met with a respectful silence. Louis was looking around, his face bewildered. “If that’s true, then a Tier 5 could devastate a continent.”

Priam shrugged. “Depending on their build and whether they’re an elite or not… yes. Wang Lin, the boss of the Mercenaries, is considered a planetary calamity.”

“Sums—I mean, what about Bastard?”

“He’s the fragment of a shadow of a being who could have ruined us with a thought,” Priam admitted before smiling. “We’ll deal with him before the second Reunion. For now, I just want to say that Tiering up is necessary. During my Tribulation dream, I learned that the two main advantages of Tier 0 are having a malleable soul and access to Bronze Titles.”

In practical terms, if Priam wanted to downgrade certain skills to obtain their ideal version, he had better do it soon.

“We’ll still be able to access the Silver version of the Titles?” Kazuki asked. The warrior had his High Tribulation scheduled in less than two months.

“Yep. I think it’s a way for the System to prevent mid-Tiers from farming Titles too easily. Jumping into a volcano is a feat at Tier 0—not at Tier 4.”

“Makes sense,” Louis said. “But what’s the advantage of being Tier 1?”

“Polishing Concepts and Supremacies is much easier with a soul baptized by aether,” Priam reminded. “I’ve pretty much reached the ceiling of what Tier 0 has to offer me in terms of Concept. Every day that passes is a missed opportunity now.”

Priam was also aware that his talent for Micro and Spear Mastery wasn’t revolutionary. Advancing to Tier 1 would improve this talent and allow him to obtain Ace II in a more acceptable timeframe. The race to the Zenith was a marathon, but the System only sponsored speedrunners.

“Tier 1 unlocks a Mythical skill slot,” Kazuki added. “Given how slow Legendary skills progress, it’s best to get that skill as soon as possible.”

“That too.”

Silence stretched for a few seconds before Jasmine shot Priam a suspicious look. “That’s a lot of plans when you promised me you’d take a break.”

“I haven’t forgotten to catch my breath—I even have a Concept for that!”

The bad pun earned him a cup of sap dumped over his head.

*

As the last embers of the fire faded, Priam stood up. Leaving Sphinx babbling on Blueberry’s belly, who was snoring loudly enough to shake the ground, he headed toward Log-a-rhythm. Placing a hand on the tree’s solid bark, he sent a reassuring thought and smiled upon receiving a surprised response. For the tree, only a single day had passed since their separation—a ridiculous span of time for a magical oak.

Climbing the trunk with preternatural agility, Priam soon reached the lower branches and continued up into the heart of the foliage. Jasmine was there, her legs dangling in the air.

“Hey. You going to sleep?”

“I’m… mentally exhausted,” Priam admitted. “It’ll do me good.”

“I guess it’s late. Rest well.” Nibbling on her lip, she looked unsure. “I’m here if you need to talk about your Tribs and… you know what.”

“Thanks,” smiled Priam.

With those words, he climbed up the branch to a treehouse his father had built for him. Inside, a relatively uncomfortable bed awaited.

“I should’ve taken some furniture from the Arkanians…” he thought, dismissing his clothes. Keeping only his red boxer, he sat on the bed. “It’s been so long since I last slept, I wonder if I still know how…”

The moment his head hit the pillow, sleep took him.

*

Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 20
META (Affinity) +3
META (Focus) +3
META (Endurance) +3
Lvl Up: [Ideal Aether Perception] Lvl 25
META (AFFI) +3
META (PERC) +6

Priam blinked before a slow smile spread across his face. The harrowing images from the day before—his Tribulations, his son, the dead, the crying Arkanians—they were still there, but something in him had settled. His mind had made peace with most of it. Outside his window, the laughter of Moonie and Sphinx drifted in, light and carefree. 

“Today is going to be a damn good day!”

Jumping out of bed, Priam went down for breakfast, exchanged a few words with his friends, Myuri and Ymir, then decided it was time to check in with his mentor. Dishnu could wait a few hours. 

“Myuri, I’m letting a few people out of my internal world. Can you show them around Oasis while I handle something?”

“It would be an honor,” the young woman said with a small bow.

Priam nearly stopped her, then hesitated. Physical contact, even well-meaning, could be misinterpreted by the former slave.

Opening a passage to the Concepts Archipelago, he released Prometheus’ subordinates, quickly bringing them up to speed. They would get a proper briefing in the evening.

“Get your bearings, and watch out for the gravity.”

A few minutes later, he was alone in his internal world, feet submerged in the spiritual pond at its center. The sun above flashed as a firebird emerged in a burst of heat and embers.

“Did they say anything?”

“Nothing of note,” his mentor replied. “I suspect they were well aware that you could eavesdrop on their conversations so long as they remained within your domain.”

“Mmh. Too bad. Anyway, I made it out alive.”

“So I see. Now, tell me of your gains.”

“Tempered my Soul Gate with [Free Will], evolved [Chimera], snagged a few rewards and Titles, got a crash course in aether manipulation, and evolved my meta-affinity."

“Oh? And which affinity, pray tell?”

“Oneiric.”

The phoenix remained silent for a few moments before inclining his head. “Well, I daresay the System seeks to groom you into some manner of artificial dragon.”

“Not quite the same. Dragons develop their Concepts in their dreams; I refine my mastery of aether.”

His mentor visibly shuddered—a rare sight indeed. “By the feathers of my forebears... Have you tested the efficacy of this evolution?”

“I slept last night and woke up with a level-up in both of my primal aetheric skills.”

The phoenix winced. “That is all? What knowledge did you glean?”

“No idea. I barely remember my dreams unless I wake up in the middle of one.”

“How vexing.”

“Do dragons remember theirs?”

“I believe so... and I am fairly certain they can exert control over them,” the phoenix revealed.

“Lucid dreaming, huh? It happens to me, but not often.”

“Mmh…” The phoenix absently dug at the ground with his talons. “Do you recall the very first exercise your princess instructed you in?”

“Creating an orb of light using increasingly smaller runes?”

“Then do so.”

Priam obeyed. A small glow appeared in his palm, then another. Soon, a dozen orbs orbited around him. “Feels easier than yesterday. Like I developed a kind of muscle memory, or maybe mental memory?”

“Too many uncertainties. This may well be your most formidable asset after your resurrection, and you must cultivate it diligently.”

“Agreed.”

“Very well. Now, present your rewards in detail.”

Minutes later, the two were deep in discussion, debating the best way to allocate Priam's gains. Eventually, they settled on [Ultimate Sensory Memory].

Memory exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations!

Synergy with [Ultimate Sensory Memory - Silver] detected…

Would you like to evolve the Talent?

“Nope.”

The cooldown on [He Who Eludes Death] would reset in an hour, and Priam wanted that safety net before evolving his Talent. The last time he had done so, he had nearly perished in the process. While his attributes had increased, the leap in rarity from Silver to Gold was no trifling matter. Before pressing the button, the Champion wanted to ensure he would not meet his end.

“And if I could actually control the direction this Talent takes, that would be nice,” he mused, rereading the description.

[Ultimate Sensory Memory - Silver] - Your eidetic memory is no longer limited to sight and hearing: you remember all sensory stimuli with absolute precision.

This Talent is a tool that supports and complements your Memory attribute. Thus, its storage capacity is limited by your attribute and your cerebral organ.
Note: Only your mundane senses are affected by this Talent (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, balance, proprioception, thermoception, nociception, chronoception,...).

“A supportive Talent, yet a most useful one,” the phoenix summarized.

“It saved my ass against Bastard when he messed with my memories… and against Ève too.”

Indeed, should an illusion or false memory fail to affect all his senses holistically—altering, for instance, his five primary senses but neglecting balance or pain—Priam could discern the deception. By constantly recording his experiences, the Talent also allowed his add-on to generate realistic combat simulations and analyze enemy fighting styles.

“Shame it can’t record magical skills…”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, in a world of magic, [Ultimate Sensory Memory] is kinda disappointing. It’s still stuck in the mundane. The next upgrade might fix that… or take it in a different direction entirely.”

“Then you must not permit it a choice. Allowing one’s build to develop at random is a surefire path to ruin.”

“My evolutions need to adapt to me, not the other way around,” Priam declared as he perused his status. “I am sitting atop a veritable mountain of Potential…” Thanks to [Chimera], Priam felt the hoarding dragon within him growl in protest, but his contrarian streak kicked in. “Sorry, buddy, but it’s time to put my resources to use!”

This thought ignited his imagination, and soon a flood of ideas filled his mind. “I could add magical senses to my perfect memory. Record aether, Concepts, even Supremacies.”

“At the Gold rank, you shall be permitted but one choice,” the phoenix cautioned.

“A difficult decision. Alternatively, I could double down on the physical and target muscle memory.”

“Such an approach would provide exceptional synergy with Micro, Spear Mastery, and Promesse,” analyzed the Prince’s projection. “You are no martial prodigy, so you require every advantage available lest your lack of talent hinder you.”

“Appreciate the vote of confidence,” Priam grumbled.

Paralyzed by too many good choices, he hesitated. The decision was too momentous for his mentor to do more than offer counsel, and time slipped by. The cooldown of [He Who Eludes Death] had long since reset when Priam’s stomach let out a protesting growl.

“You are not compelled to decide at this very moment, you know?”

“That kind of mindset is why I keep hoarding rewards instead of using them,” Priam growled. “I just need a new perspective. There’s gotta be an optimal choice.”

The young man rose and began to pace. Given the limited size of his domain, he quickly completed a circuit before lying down in the grass. Before he realized it, his mind began to drift, and a yawn escaped him.

The next second, his eyes snapped open, and he burst out laughing. 

“Eureka!”

*

Status: 

PHYSICAL:
Strength 854
Constitution 1 653
Agility 1 256
Vitality 1 709
Perception 888 

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 634
Dexterity 787
Memory 1 006
Willpower 1 221
Charisma 894 

META:
Meta-affinity (O) 1 128 (+8)
Meta-focus 694 (+4)
Meta-endurance 1 149 (+4)
Meta-perception 647 (+10)
Meta-chance 1 020
Meta-authority 603 

Potential: 36 764 (+6) 

[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 29 days 17 hours 53 minutes 8 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 6 attributes > 1 200 / 3 attributes > 1 500  / 1 attribute > 1 800