Chapter 91: After the End, a new Beginning
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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.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
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 Im 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. 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, thats 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: [Consequence Resistance] lvl 10
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 anything. 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.
First Tribulation: Damocles' Tears
REDACTED.
Final System Score:
Taking into account the various bonuses and penalties...
Ranking:
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.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
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.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
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 Im 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. 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, thats 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: [Consequence Resistance] lvl 10
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 anything. 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.
First Tribulation: Damocles' Tears
REDACTED.
Final System Score:
Taking into account the various bonuses and penalties...
Ranking:
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.
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.The debut release of this chapter happened at Nvl-B1n.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 9VIT +1The 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 Im tiredWhere 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. 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.SunShadowPridePhoenixDraconicTribulationYeah, thats 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 4,5,6META Chance +27Lvl up: Consequence Resistance lvl 10CHAR +3META Chance +6Opening 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 anything. 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 MeritUpgrading 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. First Tribulation: Damocles' TearsREDACTED.Final System Score: Taking into account the various bonuses and penalties... Ranking: Sector - year: 1Sector - decade: 7Sector - century: 56Sector - eon: 2,589,143Sector - All time: 2 589 143Universe - year: 10 459General awards: Achievement - LegendaryTitle - Horseman of the Apocalypse - LegendaryRewards - 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 +100Free skill level-ups +10Seed of experienceBranch of Garoe - the Mist TreePerfect Tribulation Run MemoriesEvolution Token - TitleEvolution Token - TalentEvolution Token - Legendary skillRacial Upgrade - HumanPriam's laughter echoed through the frozen ruins.Status: Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0PHYSICAL:Strength 173 Constitution 347Agility 228 Vitality 340 +1 Perception 426 MENTAL:Vivacity 201 Dexterity 289Memory 50 Willpower 380 Charisma 222 +3META:Meta-affinity 216 Meta-focus 155Meta-endurance 119Meta-perception 71Meta-chance 198 +33Potential: 998 -6Tier 0He Who Eludes Death charge OFF. Reloaded in 23 hours 26 min 47sTribulation: Tribulations are coming.Time: ???Delayed.
