Jasmine treaded cautiously as she entered the eye of the cyclone. Moving with light steps, she embraced every shadow and tree, advancing while scrutinizing her surroundings. The remnants of the battle proved that she was in danger if any of the protagonists were still able to fight.
It had been nearly an hour since the ground last trembled, and the dissipating clouds hinted at a subsiding storm. Most assassins favored the cloak of darkness, finding solace in shadows. Rain and clouds had often been Jasmine's allies, but not this ti. The misty do that veiled the skulc forest was an artificial creation. She wasn't foolish enough to play on soone else's turf.
However, ti was of the essence. According to the Founder, there were two types of assassins: those who spent months ticulously crafting perfect conditions and those who seized opportunities. Jasmine didn't have months, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Her two rivals were separated and oblivious to her presence. The assassin had thus decided to infiltrate the mist do.
I made the right call, Jasmine concluded as the mist gradually lifted. Hidden behind a mound of earth, she observed her rival on the brink of death. Covered in blood - both his own and that of the skulc leader - he lay unconscious. And naked. The fight must have been fierce for his clothes to be utterly destroyed.
The assassin approached cautiously. Was it a trap? Had he truly traded his life for that of his opponent, or was he waiting for her approach to strike? Given his injuries, the latter seed unlikely. His body appeared to have plumted from a hundred stories. He was losing so much blood that it was a miracle he still breathed.
Jasmine remained vigilant. Her rival's heartbeat resonated powerfully.
Her gaze naturally shifted to the skulc's body. The Tier 1 Elysian monster was an impressive specin with thick, resistant skin. Without a Mastery, piercing it would have been a nightmare. It was the kind of adversary Jasmine detested - too large for a dagger or a short blade to reach its heart.
The gaping ribcage exposed a devoured heart. The black, energetic blood coagulating on her rival's lips provided all the information she needed. He had defeated the skulc and then ate its heart. Probably a barbaric and grotesque technique to assimilate the skulc's power.
Without wasting any more ti, Jasmine unsheathed a dagger. Activating her Mastery, she stealthily approached before piercing her rival's heart.
The blade sank effortlessly, destroying the vital organ as her Supremacy obliterated his spirit. Glancing at her quest, Jasmine furrowed her brow.
Quest: At the Top of the World
An assassin has no friends.
A spadassin shows no rcy.
The Nightwalker has no rival.
Be the last Rival standing.
Rivals alive: 9/10.
Reward: True Wish
Difficulty: Primordial
What the hell?
A few hours after arriving in Elysium, her quest had updated, revealing the fall of one of her rivals. Since then, the count hadn't changed. With this rival's death, her quest should have displayed eight out of ten.
Jasmine squinted before studying the corpse. Breathing, blood flow, residual electricity, spiritual presence - all the traces indicated he was dead. Jasmine knew her business; assassination was her trade. The System, however, seed to disagree. Let's see about that.
It beca personal. Be it the living, the undead, mutants, hiveminds, or curses - all had t their end beneath her blade.
Jasmine began by piercing the dead man's brain before injecting a concoction of poisons into his body. The quest remained unchanged.
Undeterred, she engraved a banishnt and an exorcism runes onto the rival's forehead with the dagger. Still nothing. She dug in her pockets for a small vial of acid to dissolve the body. A few minutes later, only a solvent puddle remained. With a gesture, she set it ablaze. It burned within seconds, leaving only a handful of ashes on the ground.
Glancing at her notifications, she gritted her teeth. The System stubbornly refused to acknowledge the rival's death.
Damn it. Jasmine swiftly rose. In her training, she had been ingrained to leave the scene of an assassination promptly, even more so if she wasn't responsible for the death.
Surveying the surroundings one last ti, she spotted a tiny skull next to the ashes of her rival. The bone was fluorescent and contained a substantial amount of aether. At least I didn't co here for nothing, she thought as she picked it up.
In the next mont, she leaped into a shadow and vanished.
The mont Priam felt the cool breeze on his skin, he rged with his mist. A part of it lingered above the ravaged forest, offering Priam a clear overview.
Skull was dead, and no other skulc had approached since. The battle had been cataclysmic for the nearest trees, and a slightly more distant part of the forest still raged in flas. Dishnu must already be on the way to extinguish the fire.
In a misty swirl, Priam materialized next to Skull. The monster was dead and he was alive. He had won.
I won! laughed Priam. Seconds later, he cald down. No Title, eh? Too bad.
Nodding respectfully to his fallen adversary, Priam analyzed the body. His last attack had been devastating; Skull's torso had more or less vanished. Only his heart had...
Priam shuddered, recalling his last conscious monts. An irresistible hunger had compelled him to devour the raw heart of his foe. The act had made him stronger and more complete - Priam felt it deep within him - but the mory disturbed him. Because of [Eidetic mory], Priam rembered vividly his animalistic behavior as he bit into the vital organ.
Stolen novel; please report.
"What's done is done," he muttered after a deep breath. Priam wasn't too arrogant to think he could beco powerful without a few sacrifices. Devouring the raw heart of a monster didn't cross his moral boundaries.
His gaze shifted to the colossal trench behind the body. Priam had to sacrifice his ridians to create such incredible destruction. Few superheroes from his childhood could boast of creating hundred-ter-long rifts in the ground.
"Maybe I should shout 'Bankai' next ti I launch this kind of attack..."
Turning his gaze inward, Priam smiled. His kinetic reserves had increased, and his ridians were in perfect condition. [He Who Eludes Death] remained his best Talent.
The mist trembled, revealing a shining Prosse. Each of his deaths restored and reforged his bound spear. Thin white streaks reminiscent of his Conquest aura now adorned its shaft. The weapon was as beautiful as it was deadly.
A notification flashed.
Completed Quest: The Green nace
As expected from the [Reaper], you've once again massacred a village.
Well played!
Reward - Depending on your participation:
424 kills = POT 424
Bonus: Kill the Skull.
Reward: Skull Key
"Nice!" exclaid Priam. The quest's completion proved that Kazuki had done his part. The Shaman and the other skulcs were dead.
That wasn't the only good news waiting for him.
Consumption of a fragnt of draconic bloodline...
Your draconic heart becos more compatible with your body ( 12%).
New compatibility assessed at 92%.
Title Update:
[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - Your second heart has the power of a wyvern, a distant descendant of the Dragons. That alone would be impressive, but it also possesses a [Tribulation Dragon] affinity. While not unique, this affinity is exceedingly rare and creates a mighty heart. Only your body's extre adaptability allows you to accommodate this organ without perishing.
The power of the Dragons now flows through your veins.
Their bloodline awakens in you. Their power strengthens you.
Be careful to remain the master of this power.
The Dragons' first gift is an innate instinct for destruction and creation.
The Dragons second gift is an exceptional affinity for their elent. NEW
VIT 20% (30%)
Attribute evolution... Delayed until compatibility reaches 100%
He had 8% left before upgrading his Title to Gold and acquiring the accompanying rit. Moreover, the evolution of his attribute intrigued him greatly
New Talent!
[Tribulation Affinity - Seraph] - Your soul harmonizes slightly with the Tribulation Concept.
...Errors:
[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)]s rarity is too low to manipulate a Seraph Affinity.Your soul is too weak to accept this harmonization.
Recomnded Level: Tier 7 or equivalent. Current Level: Tier 1 (Pseudo Apocryphal).
Suggestion: Harmonize your soul with a sub-concept of Tribulation. New harmonization possible with each Title upgrade.
Priam blinked several tis as he read his notifications. There was a lot of information at once, but he focused on the most crucial. In a rare mont of cooperation, the System was warning him that his new Talent could have dire consequences.
One didn't need to be a genius to understand that a Tier 1 soul couldn't withstand a Tier 7 Concept. If he attempted it...
Priam's instinct told him that all his problems would vanish. Permanently. Even if [He Who Eludes Death] managed to restore his soul - which wasn't guaranteed - the harmonization would destroy it again.
"That leaves with only one solution."
Priam opened his eyes and accepted the System's assistance. Knowing that he had more or less stolen this affinity, he was surprised that the Concepts provided such after-sales service. Unless its in their interest...
Soul Harmonization:
Current Level: Tier 1 (Pseudo Apocryphal)
Your soul has already been modified by the following Concept:
Mist (Harmony - Tier 1 - current affinity: 32%).
Harmonization will increase your natural affinity by 20% for Tier 0 and 10% for Tier 1.
Choose a second Concept compatible with your soul:
Tier 0:
Ice (25%), Vapor (21%), Iron (34%), Dioxygen (42%),...
Motion (48%), Fla (84%), Light (78%),...
Emotion (22%),...
Puzzle (24%),...
Luck (18%),...
Volu (45%),... asure (33%),...
Breath (89%),...
Tier 1:
Wave (21%), Glacier (12%), Steel (22%), Air (21%),...
Kinetic (29%), Heat (46%), Combustion (37%), Shadow (21%),...
Love (7%),...
Logic (15%),...
Stochasticity (11%),...
Geotry (19%), Tempo (8%),...
Will (17%),...
Or increase your current harmony:
- Mist (32%)
"Whoa..." For the first ti, Priam had an exhaustive list of concepts.
By scrolling through the pages, Priam calculated that the list contained at least millions of Concepts. Most were noted in French, but so were written in English, Hoplite, or Rehms. There seed to be an infinity of concepts, and no language had an infinite number of words. The vast majority of concepts simply appeared as question marks.
Focusing on each word or question mark, Priam instinctively sensed what they referred to. So concepts were extrely strange, like the one defining the fear felt by an otter struggling to find food. The simple fact that this Tier 1 concept was compatible with his soul was weird.
For several minutes, Priam simply scrolled through the options, expanding his horizons. Quickly, he realized that their number fluctuated constantly. So appeared while others disappeared. This must an sothing about the concepts in general and their affinity with my soul.
After ten seconds, Priam couldn't contain his thoughts, and a flood of questions arrived.
His current affinity with the mist concept was 32%. Was that high? What was the purpose of affinity exactly? Maybe unlocking and understanding a concept more quickly? Evolving or improving a concept? Could they exceed 100% affinity? What was the difference between a Tier 0 and a Tier 1 concept? They seed linked.
"Most importantly, why is my soul Tier 1, and what does apocryphal an?!" he exclaid. He was almost angry with himself. It was his soul, his identity, and he didn't even understand it.
So many questions and so few answers. Observing his options, Priam understood that he absolutely needed to acquire knowledge. Increasing his attributes and leveling up his skills wouldn't be enough to overco his Tribulations. If he wanted a chance, he had to create it.
This list could help him.
Instructing [Priams System] to count and classify the different concepts, Priam closed the notification. He would co back to it soon, but it wasn't a choice he wanted to make lightly. The mist concept had imposed itself on him during his Tribulations, but it didn't really resonate with his path. Priam desired more affinity with his second concept.
Using Domain, he searched for his second reward next to the corpse. Skull had been an impressive opponent, and the Skull Key promised to be interesting.
His smile disappeared quickly. Where was this key? Priam ntally scanned his world, spotting Muyri sleeping near the pond, but he couldn't find his reward.
A mont later, his add-on activated. His system had recorded the signals sent by his mist and his Domain just before his death. A woman had stabbed him, simultaneously destroying his heart and spirit. A rival? But why.
Priam caught himself. The answer seed obvious. Why face Skull when you could directly retrieve the reward? At least she couldn't steal my Potential or the reward for the Shama. Fuck!
The ground beneath Priam's feet cracked under the power of his leap. Kazuki was in danger.
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