Chapter 41: In the end, I win
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Chapter 41: In the end, I win
"Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra? You've got thirty seconds."
Priam's body came to a complete stop and the debris covering Sphinx stopped shaking. Sphinx's power worked both ways. Seconds began to tick away as Sphinx searched for the solution to the riddle.
Before the apocalypse, Priam had succeeded in solving the riddle. The trick was to create a picture. For example, the Norwegian lived in the first house, next to the blue house. Hence, the second house was blue. Writing down the answers as you went along made it easy to find the solution.
However, Priam was betting that Sphinx would be paralyzed and, therefore, unable to use a table. The mythological creature's physical capabilities were titanic, so logically, her mental abilities, such as Vivacity and Memory, must have been relatively weak. Finally, the riddle was designed to take a long time to solve - thirty seconds wasnt enough.
"The Norwegian drinks water and the Japanese owns the Zebra," announced Sphinx.
Priam opened his eyes wide, mouth agape. It couldn't be! No more than six seconds had passed.
Sphinx smiled as she saw Priam's face.
"Riddles are my specialty. Even so, it took me almost seven seconds to solve it. It's an excellent riddle and I'm glad I heard it," she says.
Priam's body began to tremble. The price of defeat showed: an invisible vise was closing in on him. Sphinx continued.
"You're going to die, Priam, but I want to thank you. That masterful fight made me realize I shouldn't underestimate my opponents. Concluding on a riddle is very pleasant. I'll remember my promise. May we become friends in the next life." Sphinx said before pausing. "Any last words?"
The vise stopped crushing Priam. Despair disappeared along with it. He had lost and this news almost soothed him. After all the pressure he'd built up over the last few days, he'd still lost. There was a kind of relief in defeat. He no longer had to be perfect - he never was.
He remembered a phrase his Dad repeated when he was a little boy."The important thing is not to win, son. The important thing is never to give up and always to progress." He would do better tomorrow than today. He had to survive to do that, which was undoubtedly his specialty.
The ball of stress he had been harboring in the pit of his stomach since the start of the Reunion disappeared. Priam decided he would do his best. His family wouldn't ask any more of him.
"I don't have much to say, Sphinx. You've learned from this fight and so have I. You underestimated me and I made the mistake of underestimating you too. I knew it was a trap, but I believed modern knowledge would be enough to defeat you. You specialize in riddles, and I was a fool to fight on your turf. It's a good lesson..." declared Priam. His brain was already thinking about what to do next. After a defeat, it was better to get up quickly. For him, death wasnt the end. "I hope you keep your promise. I could use a friend like you in my next lives."
Sphinx nodded and returned Priam's smile. Now that the fight was over and he was going to die, there was no need for her to be so solemn. The majestic veneer was gone and her honest smile was bright. "Wise words, Priam. A creature like me is not meant to have friends in this world, but I'll be happy to be yours in the next. May your next life be epic," she wished. Priam nodded.
The vise tightened again as Priam closed his eyes. The pain was coming fast, but he refused to scream. Sphinx's friendship could be crucial in the next few days, and every friendship had a dose of respect. If there was a noble way to die, Priam wanted to find it.
The pain increased slowly but surely. Priam's bones ached, his muscles compressed and his eyes squeezed back into their sockets. Soon, his eardrums burst, then his brain began to be compressed. His various organs were oppressed and his heart struggled to beat.
Priam tried to think of something else to keep from screaming, but death was never more pleasant the ninth time than the eight times before. I really need to find gentle ways to die...
Without [Brainless], Priam would already have lost consciousness; for once, he wouldn't have minded as the pain was unbearable. The force pressing down on him seemed omnidirectional. It brought every cell in his body closer to its barycenter as if a black hole had appeared in his abdomen.
You have gained the skill: [Gravity Resistance - Rare].
[Gravity Resistance] - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. That's probably why your massive ego attracts so much trouble. Stop triggering Tribulation.
The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of strong gravity. Your body becomes more elastic.
Be careful, too much gravity may lead to the grave.
CONST +3
New Title: [Veteran - Bronze].
[Veteran - Bronze] - You have acquired ten different types of resistance. You've fought many enemies. The elements, weapons, magic and even the laws of the universe have left their mark on you. You have bled and hardened. Your path is full of suffering, but you persevere.
Your resistances now increase in levels more rapidly. You can acquire new resistances more easily.
CONST +10%
The notification was the last thing Priam saw before his mind sank into darkness.
Congratulations, you are dead!
Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day
Number of deaths: 9
Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Title [Axolotl or Hydra ?]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:
VIT +10
"You're right!" declared Sphinx. Having a purpose seemed to have boosted her. She tried to stand up, but her body collapsed again. Priam raised his hand to reassure her.
"There's no hurry," he lied. "I've got to go and talk to a man to maybe find my family, but I'll be back soon. Until then, try to heal."
Sphinx pouted. "But I don't want to stay here alone. You said friends should help each other, and here I'm useless..."
"You're not. I need you to be fit enough to talk with me. While you're waiting for me, you can try to think of how to get me to withstand my next triple Tribulation. I'll be back in less than an hour, I promise," Priam reassured her as he turned to leave. Sphinx looked like a cat, but he had a feeling that sometimes she'd be as clingy as a dog...
"Oh, I've got it! It's a pretty simple riddle," Sphinx replied with a yawn.
"What?! How?" It was Priam's turn to be surprised. Sphinx laughed.
"You had a good idea coming to kill me. The Titles would have strengthened you, and the Palace facilities are perfect for training. But the icing on the cake is that the Lord of a Dome can use the barrier to block part of a Tribulation," Sphinx explained.
"Even a triple Tribulation?" asked Priam hopefully. If the Dome's barrier could block the appearance of a Tribulation outside it, then he had a chance. Of course, it all depended on the nature of the Tribulation. Priam had no intention of making friends with every Dome Lord. Maybe by going to Viracocha, I could kill two birds with one stone...
Sphinx burst out laughing.
"Of course not. But the barrier will buy you time to avoid facing all three Tribulations simultaneously. With several lives, powerful Titles, and following my training, you'll have a chance," she encouraged him.
"Several lives? I only have two," Priam clarified.
Sphinx paused. "... I'll take good care of your family if you die," she promised.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 106
Constitution 194
Agility 131
Vitality 203
Perception 217
MENTAL:
Vivacity 148
Dexterity 132
Memory 36
Willpower 76
Charisma 101
META:
Meta-affinity 92
Meta-focus 80
Meta-endurance 55
Meta-chance 46
Potential: 278
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21h 21 minutes 46 seconds.
[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.
Time: 49 hours 51 minutes 40 seconds.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 41: In the end, I win
"Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra? You've got thirty seconds."
Priam's body came to a complete stop and the debris covering Sphinx stopped shaking. Sphinx's power worked both ways. Seconds began to tick away as Sphinx searched for the solution to the riddle.
Before the apocalypse, Priam had succeeded in solving the riddle. The trick was to create a picture. For example, the Norwegian lived in the first house, next to the blue house. Hence, the second house was blue. Writing down the answers as you went along made it easy to find the solution.
However, Priam was betting that Sphinx would be paralyzed and, therefore, unable to use a table. The mythological creature's physical capabilities were titanic, so logically, her mental abilities, such as Vivacity and Memory, must have been relatively weak. Finally, the riddle was designed to take a long time to solve - thirty seconds wasnt enough.
"The Norwegian drinks water and the Japanese owns the Zebra," announced Sphinx.
Priam opened his eyes wide, mouth agape. It couldn't be! No more than six seconds had passed.
Sphinx smiled as she saw Priam's face.
"Riddles are my specialty. Even so, it took me almost seven seconds to solve it. It's an excellent riddle and I'm glad I heard it," she says.
Priam's body began to tremble. The price of defeat showed: an invisible vise was closing in on him. Sphinx continued.
"You're going to die, Priam, but I want to thank you. That masterful fight made me realize I shouldn't underestimate my opponents. Concluding on a riddle is very pleasant. I'll remember my promise. May we become friends in the next life." Sphinx said before pausing. "Any last words?"
The vise stopped crushing Priam. Despair disappeared along with it. He had lost and this news almost soothed him. After all the pressure he'd built up over the last few days, he'd still lost. There was a kind of relief in defeat. He no longer had to be perfect - he never was.
He remembered a phrase his Dad repeated when he was a little boy."The important thing is not to win, son. The important thing is never to give up and always to progress." He would do better tomorrow than today. He had to survive to do that, which was undoubtedly his specialty.
The ball of stress he had been harboring in the pit of his stomach since the start of the Reunion disappeared. Priam decided he would do his best. His family wouldn't ask any more of him.
"I don't have much to say, Sphinx. You've learned from this fight and so have I. You underestimated me and I made the mistake of underestimating you too. I knew it was a trap, but I believed modern knowledge would be enough to defeat you. You specialize in riddles, and I was a fool to fight on your turf. It's a good lesson..." declared Priam. His brain was already thinking about what to do next. After a defeat, it was better to get up quickly. For him, death wasnt the end. "I hope you keep your promise. I could use a friend like you in my next lives."
Sphinx nodded and returned Priam's smile. Now that the fight was over and he was going to die, there was no need for her to be so solemn. The majestic veneer was gone and her honest smile was bright. "Wise words, Priam. A creature like me is not meant to have friends in this world, but I'll be happy to be yours in the next. May your next life be epic," she wished. Priam nodded.
The vise tightened again as Priam closed his eyes. The pain was coming fast, but he refused to scream. Sphinx's friendship could be crucial in the next few days, and every friendship had a dose of respect. If there was a noble way to die, Priam wanted to find it.
The pain increased slowly but surely. Priam's bones ached, his muscles compressed and his eyes squeezed back into their sockets. Soon, his eardrums burst, then his brain began to be compressed. His various organs were oppressed and his heart struggled to beat.
Priam tried to think of something else to keep from screaming, but death was never more pleasant the ninth time than the eight times before. I really need to find gentle ways to die...
Without [Brainless], Priam would already have lost consciousness; for once, he wouldn't have minded as the pain was unbearable. The force pressing down on him seemed omnidirectional. It brought every cell in his body closer to its barycenter as if a black hole had appeared in his abdomen.
You have gained the skill: [Gravity Resistance - Rare].
[Gravity Resistance] - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. That's probably why your massive ego attracts so much trouble. Stop triggering Tribulation.
The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of strong gravity. Your body becomes more elastic.
Be careful, too much gravity may lead to the grave.
CONST +3
New Title: [Veteran - Bronze].
[Veteran - Bronze] - You have acquired ten different types of resistance. You've fought many enemies. The elements, weapons, magic and even the laws of the universe have left their mark on you. You have bled and hardened. Your path is full of suffering, but you persevere.
Your resistances now increase in levels more rapidly. You can acquire new resistances more easily.
CONST +10%
The notification was the last thing Priam saw before his mind sank into darkness.
Congratulations, you are dead!
Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day
Number of deaths: 9
Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts] and your Title [Axolotl or Hydra ?]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:
VIT +10
"You're right!" declared Sphinx. Having a purpose seemed to have boosted her. She tried to stand up, but her body collapsed again. Priam raised his hand to reassure her.
"There's no hurry," he lied. "I've got to go and talk to a man to maybe find my family, but I'll be back soon. Until then, try to heal."
Sphinx pouted. "But I don't want to stay here alone. You said friends should help each other, and here I'm useless..."
"You're not. I need you to be fit enough to talk with me. While you're waiting for me, you can try to think of how to get me to withstand my next triple Tribulation. I'll be back in less than an hour, I promise," Priam reassured her as he turned to leave. Sphinx looked like a cat, but he had a feeling that sometimes she'd be as clingy as a dog...
"Oh, I've got it! It's a pretty simple riddle," Sphinx replied with a yawn.
"What?! How?" It was Priam's turn to be surprised. Sphinx laughed.
"You had a good idea coming to kill me. The Titles would have strengthened you, and the Palace facilities are perfect for training. But the icing on the cake is that the Lord of a Dome can use the barrier to block part of a Tribulation," Sphinx explained.
"Even a triple Tribulation?" asked Priam hopefully. If the Dome's barrier could block the appearance of a Tribulation outside it, then he had a chance. Of course, it all depended on the nature of the Tribulation. Priam had no intention of making friends with every Dome Lord. Maybe by going to Viracocha, I could kill two birds with one stone...
Sphinx burst out laughing.
"Of course not. But the barrier will buy you time to avoid facing all three Tribulations simultaneously. With several lives, powerful Titles, and following my training, you'll have a chance," she encouraged him.
"Several lives? I only have two," Priam clarified.
Sphinx paused. "... I'll take good care of your family if you die," she promised.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 106
Constitution 194
Agility 131
Vitality 203
Perception 217
MENTAL:
Vivacity 148
Dexterity 132
Memory 36
Willpower 76
Charisma 101
META:
Meta-affinity 92
Meta-focus 80
Meta-endurance 55
Meta-chance 46
Potential: 278
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21h 21 minutes 46 seconds.
[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.
Time: 49 hours 51 minutes 40 seconds.
Chapter 41: In the end, I win"Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra? You've got thirty seconds."Priam's body came to a complete stop and the debris covering Sphinx stopped shaking. Sphinx's power worked both ways. Seconds began to tick away as Sphinx searched for the solution to the riddle.Before the apocalypse, Priam had succeeded in solving the riddle. The trick was to create a picture. For example, the Norwegian lived in the first house, next to the blue house. Hence, the second house was blue. Writing down the answers as you went along made it easy to find the solution.However, Priam was betting that Sphinx would be paralyzed and, therefore, unable to use a table. The mythological creature's physical capabilities were titanic, so logically, her mental abilities, such as Vivacity and Memory, must have been relatively weak. Finally, the riddle was designed to take a long time to solve - thirty seconds wasnt enough."The Norwegian drinks water and the Japanese owns the Zebra," announced Sphinx. Priam opened his eyes wide, mouth agape. It couldn't be! No more than six seconds had passed.Sphinx smiled as she saw Priam's face."Riddles are my specialty. Even so, it took me almost seven seconds to solve it. It's an excellent riddle and I'm glad I heard it," she says. Priam's body began to tremble. The price of defeat showed: an invisible vise was closing in on him. Sphinx continued."You're going to die, Priam, but I want to thank you. That masterful fight made me realize I shouldn't underestimate my opponents. Concluding on a riddle is very pleasant. I'll remember my promise. May we become friends in the next life." Sphinx said before pausing. "Any last words?"The vise stopped crushing Priam. Despair disappeared along with it. He had lost and this news almost soothed him. After all the pressure he'd built up over the last few days, he'd still lost. There was a kind of relief in defeat. He no longer had to be perfect - he never was.He remembered a phrase his Dad repeated when he was a little boy."The important thing is not to win, son. The important thing is never to give up and always to progress." He would do better tomorrow than today. He had to survive to do that, which was undoubtedly his specialty.The ball of stress he had been harboring in the pit of his stomach since the start of the Reunion disappeared. Priam decided he would do his best. His family wouldn't ask any more of him. "I don't have much to say, Sphinx. You've learned from this fight and so have I. You underestimated me and I made the mistake of underestimating you too. I knew it was a trap, but I believed modern knowledge would be enough to defeat you. You specialize in riddles, and I was a fool to fight on your turf. It's a good lesson..." declared Priam. His brain was already thinking about what to do next. After a defeat, it was better to get up quickly. For him, death wasnt the end. "I hope you keep your promise. I could use a friend like you in my next lives."Sphinx nodded and returned Priam's smile. Now that the fight was over and he was going to die, there was no need for her to be so solemn. The majestic veneer was gone and her honest smile was bright. "Wise words, Priam. A creature like me is not meant to have friends in this world, but I'll be happy to be yours in the next. May your next life be epic," she wished. Priam nodded.The vise tightened again as Priam closed his eyes. The pain was coming fast, but he refused to scream. Sphinx's friendship could be crucial in the next few days, and every friendship had a dose of respect. If there was a noble way to die, Priam wanted to find it.The pain increased slowly but surely. Priam's bones ached, his muscles compressed and his eyes squeezed back into their sockets. Soon, his eardrums burst, then his brain began to be compressed. His various organs were oppressed and his heart struggled to beat.Priam tried to think of something else to keep from screaming, but death was never more pleasant the ninth time than the eight times before. I really need to find gentle ways to die...Without Brainless, Priam would already have lost consciousness; for once, he wouldn't have minded as the pain was unbearable. The force pressing down on him seemed omnidirectional. It brought every cell in his body closer to its barycenter as if a black hole had appeared in his abdomen. You have gained the skill: Gravity Resistance - Rare. Gravity Resistance - Gravity is one of the fundamental interactions responsible for the attraction of massive bodies. That's probably why your massive ego attracts so much trouble. Stop triggering Tribulation.The architecture of your cells changes to better resist the effects of strong gravity. Your body becomes more elastic. Be careful, too much gravity may lead to the grave.CONST +3New Title: Veteran - Bronze.Veteran - Bronze - You have acquired ten different types of resistance. You've fought many enemies. The elements, weapons, magic and even the laws of the universe have left their mark on you. You have bled and hardened. Your path is full of suffering, but you persevere.Your resistances now increase in levels more rapidly. You can acquire new resistances more easily.CONST +10%The notification was the last thing Priam saw before his mind sank into darkness. Congratulations, you are dead!Your Talent He Who Eludes Death brings you back to life once a dayNumber of deaths: 9Synergy detected with your talent Humanity adapts and your Title Axolotl or Hydra ?. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:VIT +10"You're right!" declared Sphinx. Having a purpose seemed to have boosted her. She tried to stand up, but her body collapsed again. Priam raised his hand to reassure her."There's no hurry," he lied. "I've got to go and talk to a man to maybe find my family, but I'll be back soon. Until then, try to heal."Sphinx pouted. "But I don't want to stay here alone. You said friends should help each other, and here I'm useless...""You're not. I need you to be fit enough to talk with me. While you're waiting for me, you can try to think of how to get me to withstand my next triple Tribulation. I'll be back in less than an hour, I promise," Priam reassured her as he turned to leave. Sphinx looked like a cat, but he had a feeling that sometimes she'd be as clingy as a dog..."Oh, I've got it! It's a pretty simple riddle," Sphinx replied with a yawn."What?! How?" It was Priam's turn to be surprised. Sphinx laughed."You had a good idea coming to kill me. The Titles would have strengthened you, and the Palace facilities are perfect for training. But the icing on the cake is that the Lord of a Dome can use the barrier to block part of a Tribulation," Sphinx explained."Even a triple Tribulation?" asked Priam hopefully. If the Dome's barrier could block the appearance of a Tribulation outside it, then he had a chance. Of course, it all depended on the nature of the Tribulation. Priam had no intention of making friends with every Dome Lord. Maybe by going to Viracocha, I could kill two birds with one stone... Sphinx burst out laughing."Of course not. But the barrier will buy you time to avoid facing all three Tribulations simultaneously. With several lives, powerful Titles, and following my training, you'll have a chance," she encouraged him. "Several lives? I only have two," Priam clarified.Sphinx paused. "... I'll take good care of your family if you die," she promised.Status: Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0PHYSICAL:Strength 106Constitution 194Agility 131Vitality 203Perception 217MENTAL:Vivacity 148Dexterity 132Memory 36Willpower 76Charisma 101META:Meta-affinity 92Meta-focus 80Meta-endurance 55Meta-chance 46Potential: 278Tier 0He Who Eludes Death charge: OFF. Reloaded in 21h 21 minutes 46 seconds. Tribulation: Tribulations are coming.Time: 49 hours 51 minutes 40 seconds.
