A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway! Chapter 161: Fire Sage

Surprise painted Priam's features upon hearing the question. How does this thing know I haven't spent my rit Points?

Suspicion replaced surprise. "Are you spying on ?" he asked, his tone icy.

Like anyone, Priam valued his privacy.

The phoenix snorted. "Paranoia is a quality, but I assure you I'm just a simple hologram. I rely sense that you haven't unlocked the [Hatched Phoenix] rit."

Priam nodded as if satisfied with the phoenix's response, but deep down, he remained cautious. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

"Well, since these points are scarce... The re prospect of making a suboptimal decision paralyzes ."

Priam despised the idea of squandering such a precious resource. In video gas, he was the kind of person who saved before every decision.

The Phoenix looked at him for a mont before sighing. "The System is still new to you; you have no education."

Although it was true, the phoenix's condescension irked Priam.

"My father is an architect, not a phoenix king."

"My father is a consort, not a king. I'll teach you what I know, but you'll have to deduce so information yourself," the phoenix continued. "To prevent our enemies from discovering our secrets or... our traitors from revealing them, we sign confidentiality contracts."

Judging by his tone, the phoenix included itself among those traitors.

"Even a prince?"

"Even a prince. Nevertheless, my knowledge is sufficient to help you imnsely."

"I guess But why do you want to help ? You made my sun, and now were even."

The ruby eyes of the phoenix sparkled, and for a mont, Priam saw the shadow of a Prince.

"I want you to kill the corrupted . The more I help you, the stronger our karmic bonds beco. Beyond a critical threshold, a confrontation will be inevitable. I need an immortal to fulfill this quest."

Priam hadn't heard the capitalized letter and assud that the phoenix was talking about his resurrection Talent, not his Tier. Priam could fail many tis, but each death would make him stronger. The ti would co when the corrupted phoenix would perish.

"Let's say I believe you. What do I need to do to catch up to a corrupted Prince?"

"Start by buying the Trees of rit for the dragon and phoenix. So other Titles may disappoint at high Tiers, but not these two."

Priam had already acquired the Dragon's Tree but chose to remain silent rather than vex the hologram. He summoned the rits tab.

Trees of rit:

[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - Tier 4: Requires a Gold Title.

[Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title.

[Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flas increases.

[Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated.

[Hers' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future ssenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium.

[Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title.

[Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills

[Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your TA (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity's standing.

[To the Moon] - Tier 0: Ti stops for one second within a ten-ter radius when you are in mortal danger.

[Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength.

[Weathered] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective.

[Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people's hostile thoughts toward you.

[Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You're beginning to feel your soul.

[Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths.

[Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic.

[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System's Local Network.

[Primogenitor - Gold] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade.

[Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It's hard to run away from a Conqueror.

[Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy.

[The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth.

[Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race's Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%.

[Doctor - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your skills and Supremacies don't need to overco your patient's passive resistance if they consent to the operation.

[Spiritess - Bronze] - Tier 0: The regeneration of your spirit leaves no natural scars.

[Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - Tier 0: Allows your lungs to absorb oxygen present in water.

[Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on mory and Vivacity.

[Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters.

11 Unused rit Points.

So many rits and so few choices... Priam would have wanted to buy everything. Unfortunately, rit Points were among the few resources Potential couldn't buy. Non-refundable and non-exchangeable, these points were precious.

Despite everything, Priam knew he had to make the most of his resources. He bought the first Tier of the phoenix tree.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flas increases. ACQUIRED.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Increases your resistance to flas.

10 Unused rit Points.

The effect of the rit was imdiate. The fla orbiting Priam's soul woke up before intensifying. Bathed in its light and warmth, the ntal space evolved. The nebulous sphere, the seat of Priam's identity, remained unchanged, but its environnt transford. The infinite black void surrounding his soul, his Assistant, his Domain, and his Concepts colored a deep orange.

Title won!

[Fire Sage - Bronze] - Your natural affinity for the Fire Concept (T0) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Fire is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it.

Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity; the Sage's path leads to the Zenith but must still be traversed.

Rember your burning love? Victory wasn't your perfect match, but she was hot!

TA (END) 10%

Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix tabolism] lvl 34,35,36,37,38

VIT 10

CONST 5

Priam's heart tightened reading the System's taunt. The Tutorial was still an open wound. He used his formidable will to focus on the changes happening within him.

Senses heightened, Priam watched the phoenix's flas dance vigorously. The sun changed color, and the air carried the delightful scent of ash. Priam raised his right hand and summoned fire. Spontaneously, a glove of white fla covered his hand. Clenching his fist, Priam marveled at the fla that enveloped and protected him.

He didn't even need to manipulate the fire. It responded to a simple thought, and each new action taught Priam sothing new. He was the maestro, and the fire was the orchestra.

The flaming glove transford into a fireball, then split into three. Priam juggled with them for a mont before rging them into a floating cube. He modified its color, brightness, size, and temperature. The cube landed in his hand, creating a bead of fire. The fla nestled in his palm, seeking approval.

With each exercise, Priam's understanding increased. Being a Sage didn't an mastering the concept perfectly. The Title was simply proof that he had the potential to master it. He still needed to train, but compared to his mist, his fire was almost playful. Where the mist was a capricious mistress, fire was a soulmate eager to reveal all its secrets.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

In about ten seconds, as a fla rolled between his fingers, the soul fla representing his concept grew again. It quickly reached the intensity delivered by the mist concept.

[Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept.

Destroyer, Creator, Liberator.

Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it.

Harmony - The only fuel your flas need is ambient aether.

"You've already unlocked Harmony?" the phoenix asked, surprised.

"With my new affinity, it's... like an obvious thing," Priam admitted. "I believe nothing has ever felt so familiar."

Priam was good at many things. He excelled in school and admirably slew monsters. Yet, manipulating fire seed to be second nature to him. It was an incredible sensation.

"Good, that ans you have a very high affinity with this concept," congratulated the phoenix. "The greater your affinity, the easier it is to advance your mastery and the less limited you are. It will also help you with a Tier up. What is your affinity level?"

"One hundred percent."

The phoenix blinked, looking at Priam. "You... You're a Sage?"

"Yep," Priam grinned.

The phoenix opened its mouth, not responding for a few seconds before exclaiming, "That's impossible!"

"So was succeeding in a quadruple Tribulation, and yet..." Priam boasted.

"Erase that idiotic smile," grumbled the phoenix. "I tested your affinities after you assimilated my bloodline, and you were only at sixty percent. The rit you just acquired increases affinity by ten percent. When your fire resistance reached level twenty, you must have selected an affinity bonus. There's still twenty percent that I can't explain..."

"Is there a problem?" Priam asked, seeing the phoenix dumbfounded.

"None, it's just hard to conceive. Even phoenixes are rarely born as Fire Sages. For basic Concepts, only Tier 3 races or higher can have an affinity naturally higher than fifty percent. There are exceptions like elentals, but they're rare."

"You just said I had sixty percent affinity," Priam pointed out.

"After acquiring my bloodline. I don't understand how you gained the last twenty percent."

Priam thought for a few seconds.

"With my scientific knowledge, I know a lot about flas, combustion, heat, and light. Besides, I've always loved fire," Priam revealed. As a child, he had nearly started several fires by reigniting embers from the fireplace.

The phoenix shook its head. "It doesn't work like that. Knowledge, training, and epiphanies increase your mastery of the Concept. On the other hand, natural affinity is an attribute of the soul. Regardless of your ntal state or knowledge, it's not sothing that varies. You loved fire because you had a great affinity with it, not the other way around."

Priam pondered an explanation before grimacing. He had several leads, but he needed evidence.

Assistant, monitor my natural affinities and their evolution.

[New routine created.]

Priam refocused on the bird. "Anyway, I'm a Sage. Should I buy the other rits?"

"No, change of plans," announced the phoenix.

Priam raised an eyebrow. "What plan?"

The phoenix pressed its beak, reluctant to answer. Generally, a Prince was blindly obeyed. Although it was now just a hologram, habits died hard. Nevertheless, if Priam respected his knowledge, he didn't intend to beco a puppet of a dead bird. He held the volatile's gaze for several seconds.

"I'm not a weapon. If you want to cooperate, trust you, and help you kill your original, you're going to have to treat like an equal."

"Very well," responded the hologram. "rits change according to certain prerequisites. You can spend your Potential to modify them manually, but you'll soon need this resource. Thanks to Fire Sage, you should be able to access interesting rits. What is the Tier 1 rit?"

"It increases my resistance to flas."

The phoenix nodded. "Take it. With this rit, when your resistance reaches the epic tier, you'll receive a better evolution."

Priam had already noticed that so evolutions required specific prerequisites. Thanks to the phoenix's knowledge, he would avoid so pitfalls. Without further delay, he validated the rit.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Boosts your fla resistance. ACQUIRED.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Contemplate Nirvana.

10 Unused rit Points.

Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix tabolism] lvl 39,40

VIT 4

CONST 2

[Infantile Phoenix tabolism] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available:

[Hatched Phoenix tabolism - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5

[Hatched Phoenix Resilience - Epic] -You've braved the flas countless tis; they've remade you. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80

[Precocious Phoenix Organism - Epic] - You plunge your hand into the flas. Pain isn't enough to deter you; you know your path. Impressed by your will, the fire's bite turns into a caress. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

Nice!

Ecstatic, Priam shared his advancents with the phoenix.

Dont take it. [Precocious Phoenix Organism] is an excellent skill, but you can do better. Your core skills should aim for an ideal upgrade.

Priam frowned at this revelation. Ive never had that kind of option. Yet, I've pulled off so pretty impressive feats.

Impressive for a newcor maybe, but if you want to reach the Zenith, it wont cut it. This kind of upgrade is costly: four tis the potential the skill earned you. I know it's a big sacrifice, but

I'll do it.

Huh?

I'll do it, Priam repeated. I hate the idea of not doing my best, and I need extraordinary resistances for my temperance thod. What do I need to do to unlock the ideal option?

... I dont have access to that data, admitted the phoenix. All I know is that in my youth, my mother soaked in a star before collecting my ashes so I could resurrect.

Priam looked up at the sun. Well, I know what to do, but it'll have to wait a few hours. The third rit suggests contemplating Nirvana. Should I buy it?

The phoenix shook its head. It simply increases your chances of a successful Nirvana; its useless for you. Sooner or later, you'll succeed. The ideal skill should change that rit. Focus on the draconic Tree.

Slightly embarrassed, Priam revealed to the phoenix that he had already acquired the available rits.

It's not entirely optimized, but your second heart is special, so I guess it compensates, analyzed the phoenix after Priams report. But Soul Harmonization, a Talent capable of enhancing the natural affinity of the concept of your choice? It's not the ultimate race for nothing. Wait until your concept reaches Tier 1 before activating it.

Why?

You have a hundred percent affinity with the Fire Concept, but it's only at the Harmony stage. Next cos Symphony, Unity, then the Tier up. In most cases, the Concept specializes according to your preferences. For Fire, it could be Heat, Combustion, etc. However, as a Sage, you can refine your concept. The phoenix's voice was excited, and Priam smiled. That's when you'll start to snowball.

Refine my Fire Concept into what?

It's a hidden option. At Tier 1, Fire can evolve into... Damn, the information is also redacted! It shows how rare it is. Anyway, with this concept, you'll truly be part of the elite, equal to the emperor's sons and the gods daughters.

Equal to a dragon? Priam joked.

The phoenix gave him an incredulous look. You're mad.

Priam shrugged. He had already decided that one day, he would eat a dragon.

If we're done, I'm going to train, he announced.

One last thing, the phoenix stopped him, perching on his hand. This knowledge was a bonus. I have sothing more... concrete.

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / N 10 / TA 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 420

Constitution 773 ( 9)

Agility 432

Vitality 666 ( 21)

Perception 652

NTAL:

Vivacity 359

Dexterity 453

mory 185

Willpower 706

Charisma 456

TA:

ta-affinity 408

ta-focus 284

ta-endurance 231 ( 21)

ta-perception 170

ta-chance 219

ta-authority 15

Potential: 1103 ( 14)

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 7 hours 2 minutes 29 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Ti: 174 days 8 hours 5 minutes 42 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800