Chapter 180: The End Justifies the Means

It's good to be able to write in the evening!
Next chap: wednesday! 

Enjoy!

*

"Did you really lose to that?"

The skull remained silent as Priam ascended into the sky. He had hesitated about finishing his opponent, but this one was a native.

[Identification]
[Vyphers - Tier 0 - Baron] - A warrior from the local Snahert tribe. Half humanoid, half serpent, the tribe's elites cultivate a draconic bloodline.

Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 11
MEM +1

A victory would strengthen his bloodline and increase the compatibility between Priam and his heart. However, Vyphers possessed a draconic bloodline, marking him as an elite of his tribe. He was too weak to have earned that distinction. There was only one explanation: he was someone powerful's son.

Therefore, killing him for immediate gain seemed foolish. Priam had other ways to purify his bloodline. Sighing at the missed opportunity, he began flying toward the island's interior. His primary goal was to return Seth's skull to his brother.

As he left the crater, his draconic instinct roared.

All bow before the Dragon.

The high human abruptly stopped. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Vyphers getting back up. Despite the distance between them, Priam recognized the defiant gaze of the warrior. He refused to admit defeat.

"Damn it," Priam swore, summoning Promesse once again.

"What are you doing?" The gravelly voice in Priam's head could only come from the skull he held.

"You decide to speak now?"

Priam aimed while preparing a terrifying kinetic charge. In his Domain, the air temperature dropped to minus two hundred degrees Celsius. The gazes of the two warriors met as Priam shot Promesse. The sudden acceleration made it invisible.

"That idiot is trying to buy time until an officer arrives!"

The spectral image of a giant serpent appeared around the Tier 0. Promesse shattered the defense before causing a significant explosion. The dust obscured Priam's view, but he grimaced, listening to his instinct. The other dragon candidate was still able to fight.

"What's the power of the one who defeated you?" asked Priam.

The skull began to levitate before attempting to flee. Priam's Domain immobilized it in a fraction of a second.

"Do you want us both to die?!" Seth mentally yelled.

"You’re wasting our time." Priam linked his conquering aura to his Domain, and the light in the skull's eyes began to tremble.

"Stop this!"

Priam canceled his aura before it dissipated the necromancer's spirit. He had made a promise to Osiris and intended to keep it.

"... It was a Tier 3. We need to flee!"

"If I don't beat this kid, my bloodline will regress. That's not happening."

That's what his instinct whispered. In a battle between two dragons, there had to be a winner and a loser.

"... Screw it. Beat him quickly."

Priam didn't bother to reply. Refusing to store Seth in his internal world for obvious reasons, Priam firmly grasped the skull and invoked [Phoenix Wings].

Drawing from his kinetic resources and aether, Priam accelerated. His wings vibrated as the air exploded.

In a second, Priam accelerated to three times the speed of sound. His arrival caused a gust that cleared the dust, revealing a giant serpent. After his metamorphosis, the warrior measured nearly fifteen meters in length. Promesse pinned his tail to the ground.

The enemy was terrifying, but Priam was no longer a mere human. Death had forced him to grow up fast. 

The monster's head quickly lunged to bite. Swift as lightning, Priam dodged to the left. With the help of his wings and kinetic skill, he was over ten times faster than his opponent.

A sharp fang cut through the air a few centimeters to his right. Priam seized it before kinetically immobilizing his opponent. His right hand released Seth’s skull before closing into a tight fist. Micro overclocked his muscles, [Kinetic Control] accelerated his speed, and Priam struck.

The first blow landed on the serpent's snoot, shattering his scales. Priam had released his kinetic domination just before his blow impacted the enemy. A second followed, splashing the ground with cold blood. The third pierced the reptile's right eye.

The serpent trembled in pain and rage. Priam felt his opponent resisting the kinetic freeze. His scaly skin became transparent, as if trying to shed to escape the grip of the epic skill.

A cold smile appeared on Priam's lips as a fourth blow shattered one of the serpent's bones. His Conquest aura merged with [Kinetic Control], strengthening it. Priam's charisma crushed the enemy's resistance as META (focus) tightened the kinetic grip.

Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 59
VIVA +2
DEXT +3
META(FOCUS) +4

The fifth blow sent the serpent backward. The fang Priam held burst, releasing a stream of venom. Instead of falling to the ground, the toxin lunged at Priam. His mist coat partially froze, blocking and imprisoning the poison.

Priam collected a few drops of venom and blood, storing them in his internal world before landing next to the wounded serpent.

Promesse appeared in his hand, and Priam plunged it into the salivary glands of his opponent. That's where the venom was produced. The liquid spread rapidly into the Snahert's wounds.

Roaring in pain, the pseudo-serpent turned to look at Priam with his valid eye. It began to glow, and Priam felt his body instantly stiffen. A draconic Talent!

Paralyzed, Priam could distinguish nothing but a golden and inhuman eye. The basilisk's Talent prevented him from moving physically or even using [Kinetic Control]. Fusion with one of his Concepts was impossible, and even summoning a mist wall to block the enemy's vision had no effect. When the basilisk locked its gaze on prey, it didn't let go.

Fuck! Let's see if your Talent bypasses even the laws of physics.

Instead of succumbing to panic, Priam decided to heat the air in front of him. In seconds, the thermal agitation of air molecules in his Domain created a mirage effect. Like in a desert, the rays of light were deflected. The golden eye disappeared from Priam's mind, and he roared in turn.

Eyes closed, the high human struck, knocking the snake to the ground. Unleashing his Fire Concept, Priam set his enemy on fire.

A part of him was horrified by the prospect of burning a humanoid enemy alive. Another part only saw the serpent that had tried to kill him. Blinded by a draconic anger, Priam roared.

Uttering a final cry of pain, the flaming monster transformed back into a humanoid. Curled on the ground, the tribesman trembled. Priam observed the defeated opponent's gaze before summoning a cold mist avalanche. Before long, the tribesman was encased in an ice coffin.

It’s over.

Priam's instinct roared as the dragon awoke in him, claiming its due. The veins of the defeated warrior trembled as a drop of golden blood gathered in one of his empty eye sockets. It went through the ice coffin before plunging into Priam's chest.

A warmth enveloped him, starting from his draconic heart before spreading throughout his body.

Consumption of a fragment of draconic bloodline...

Your draconic heart becomes more compatible with your body (+8%).
New compatibility assessed at 100%.
Enter sleep for heart integration?

... Evolution temporarily postponed.

"Now we can go," declared Priam without a last glance at the loser. In his hand lay a skull.

"About time," grumbled Seth.

*

Eleha sighed upon discovering the block of ice. Vyphers was alive but in a terrible state. His face, half swollen and half burned, revealed deep cuts. His eyes had been gouged out, and his spasms indicated brain damage. Yet, none of this mattered before his lost bloodline. The serpent no longer resembled a dragon.

The young fool had been mentally defeated, and his bloodline had been harvested. It would have been better for him if he were dead.

His father, Ophis, would be extremely annoyed by the disappearance of a drop of draconic essence. It came from the Tier 4 Python defeated jointly by the three tribes. Once distilled, a portion of the obtained blood had acquired draconic properties capable of awakening a bloodline.

"And you lost everything," Eleha murmured. Her gaze turned inland. One of the champions possessed a draconic bloodline. He had taken care to defeat the son of the Snahert Chief without killing him, probably hoping not to break off any chance of negotiation.

Knowing Ophis, it was a lost cause.

"Should we pursue the culprit?" Broli asked. The young Gaesert was the last member of the trio. A bit simple, he was still serious and diligent. Eleha preferred him to Vyphers.

The huntress hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

"Ophis is not my leader. Vyphers volunteered and failed, too bad for him."

"Do we leave him here?"

Eleha looked at the pathetic warrior at her feet. "... You carry him."

*

Priam touched down near the temple of Osiris and Seth.

"How do you know this place?"

"Osiris sent me to save your ass. Do you think I'd have helped you otherwise?"

"If you've harmed my brother, I—"

"Unlike you, I don't harm the innocent," Priam said, pushing aside the curtain of vines that shielded the entrance to Osiris's chamber. A substance clung to his fingers, and Micro shook as it partially lost control of the body.

"I'm an idiot," Priam grimaced, seeing his fingers stiffen.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 18
CONST +1
VIT +1
META (END) +1

The rapid increase in resistance indicated a potent poison.

"You could have warned me about the deadly vines," he told Seth. "Osiris must have modified their poison, right?"

"Keep my brother's name out of your mouth."

"What an arrogant talking skull," Priam taunted, eyeing the vines. They could be useful to farm his resistances after enhancing his race. Using his Domain, he seized the vines and pulled. The vine tore from the wall, and Priam grabbed it barehanded while his arm went numb.

Lvl Up: [Poison Body] lvl 19
CONST +1
VIT +1
META (END) +1

Opening a passage to his internal world, Priam tossed the vine inside. Struck by a sudden idea, he closed the portal while his arm was still inside. The portal vanished, severing his arm at shoulder height.

Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 5,6
CONST +6
Lvl Up: [Space Resistance] lvl 2
CONST +9

A new way to attack my enemies.

Priam smiled, invoking the power of [Three-headed Hydra]. His Title reconstructed his arm instantly as the high human entered the cellar. It was a drastic method to rid himself of poison, but Priam could afford it.

"... What kind of monster are you?" Seth said. Watching his rival casually amputate himself before recreating the limb had disturbed the necromancer.

"The kind that just saved your life. Osiris, I've got a package for you!" Priam shouted.

The little boy turned at the sound of the voice. His gaze immediately fixed on the skull, and he jumped for joy.

Priam threw Seth's head to him with a smile. The necromancer was a massive jerk, but his brother was pure.

"Seth, you idiot! Where's the rest of your body?" Osiris worried.

"... We'll talk about it when the First is gone."

"Be polite, Seth. I asked him for help." Osiris turned to Priam and bowed. "Thank you, Priam. I've completed the ritual, and I've prepared a drop of my blood for you."

The child placed Seth's skull on a small column and grabbed a seed, bringing it to Priam. "The drop is inside. The ribs correspond to the ritual. This rune is for..."

In the following minutes, Osiris explained to Priam the utility of different runes and their functions.

"Thank you, Osiris. It'll greatly help me."

"If you're done, tell him to leave," grumbled Seth.

Osiris rolled his eyes before giving a sheepish smile to Priam, who returned a frank one.

"One last thing," Priam said, turning to the skull inhabited by the spirit of his corrupted rival. "Why did Esmée attack you?"

"... Will you leave if I tell you?"

"Without even saying goodbye."

"A Necro Herald detected the presence of divine aether in the vicinity. Probably a monster preparing for Tier 5. All the local Necro Nobles received orders to investigate."

Priam was almost sure he knew who the Herald was referring to. A certain fallen god had something to worry about.

"What’s the connection with Esmée?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"I tried to corrupt her as her power would be useful to summon an Envoy. It's a kind of Boss that could destroy the enemy. Don't worry, with the arrival of the locals, I have other fish to fry."

Priam shook his head. "There's a misunderstanding: I could help."

Reading the expression of a skull was not an easy task, but Seth looked perplexed. "You would take the side of the Necromoon?"

"Not really. Let's just say that once the winner of the fight is weakened... It's an opportunity to seize, right?" Priam winked.

Using his draconic instinct, Priam conjured a false greedy gleam in the depths of his eyes. He had no intention of revealing to Seth that he had other reasons to desire Sumstreh's death.

The skull burst into a diabolical laughter. "I guess you're not the First for nothing. Maybe we could get along. I suppose you won't want to kill the Princess?"

"For my loved ones to have asteroids raining down on them? Not really. There must be other solutions."

Seth nodded. "Harvesting souls. For a Tier 3 Envoy, the ritual needs a hundred thousand."

"And for a Tier 4?"

"At least a million."

"Prepare the ritual."

Wait for me, Sphinx.

*

Priam collected hundreds of Sun points again as he returned to his base. The number of buried skeletons should have been limited, yet the forest was teeming with enemies. One million was a ridiculous number, but the supplies were there.

Arriving at his base, Priam noticed the hoplites and their mechas starting to terraform the terrain. Hyshana and Alain stood side by side, overseeing the work. Priam greeted them before reaching the center of the clearing, where Kazuki and Jasmine were training in close combat.

For the past week, the hoplite had progressed at a terrifying speed. Micro II granted him absolute control over his body. Meticulously overclocking his muscles and enhancing his instinct and perception, the Supremacy was turning him into a monster. The evolution of his physique allowed him to deepen his martial skills. Watching the hoplite fight was like witnessing an artistic performance.

Against him, Jasmine was technically outclassed, but the assassin used shadows to disrupt her opponent's rhythm. Her own shadow attacked Kazuki's in a surprising two-dimensional battle. Each blow to her shadow unsettled the warrior, preventing him from unleashing all his abilities. The assassin's attacks were precise and decisive.

Where Kazuki fought to win, Jasmine struck to kill. The hoplite had the advantage, but any lapse on his part would be fatal.

A few minutes later, Jasmine disappeared into the shadows before reappearing outside the duel's boundaries.

"Out of aether," she explained, breathless.

Kazuki nodded before furrowing his brows. "When are your Tribulations?"

"... In a week."

"Then go train." The role of martial instructor suited the hoplite.

Jasmine nodded towards Priam before vanishing. Kazuki summoned a mini-tornado to dry his sweat before greeting his rival.

"You seem satisfied," he remarked.

"It's time to enhance my race."

"Are you sure you don't need my blood?"

Priam shook his head. "Despite our physical resemblances, our genetic heritage is quite different. Maybe for Tier 3."

"Hmm. Have you found Seth?"

"And his brother. An incredible little guy. I made a pact with them to summon a Necro Tier 4."

"... Can we trust them?"

"Of course not, but it's one of the only ways to save her."

Kazuki nodded. "We won't abandon her."

The two warriors fell silent, thinking about Sphinx.

"You said one of the only ways?" Kazuki finally asked.

"... There are new players. I met a local."

"Have you established good relations?"

Priam blushed.

"I tried to be friendly!"

*

Status:

PHYSICAL:
Strength 449
Constitution 815 (+21)
Agility 455
Vitality 687 (+3)
Perception 667

MENTAL:
Vivacity 392 (+2)
Dexterity 498 (+3)
Memory 230 (+1)
Willpower 836
Charisma 506

META:
Meta-affinity 415
Meta-focus 342 (+4)
Meta-endurance 262 (+2)
Meta-perception 201
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 21

Potential: 3324 (+15)
Tier 0

Sun points: 4010 (+317)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 169 days 22 hours 25 minutes 34 seconds.