A seismic jolt rattled the aether galaxy. In his luminous wisp form, Priam marveled as the foundations of the universe trembled after the baptism's end, integrating a new nuance into the laws of the Universe.
A new race had erged.
As the quake's intensity waned, Priam's consciousness felt the pull of reality. His awareness was plucked from the pure and infinite world of aether to return to the safety of his soul.
Micro, Domain, and his Concepts reconnected, allowing Priam to regain his senses. The Primogenitor opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings.
His body was lying on the ground at the center of unlit runes. Log-a-rhythm's sap gently illuminated the room, and the hoplite cha was waiting in a corner. Nothing had changed.
"Except ," murmured Priam. For a mont, he didn't recognize his own voice. His vocal cords now had access to a broader frequency range, and his auditory system captured sounds more finely.
Examining his body, he noticed he had grown a few centiters taller. His lean silhouette resembled that of a predator, with elegant muscles poised to pounce at his will.
While stretching, Priam marveled at the fluidity of his movents. His new nervous system allowed him finer control over his body. But genetic changes weren't the only factor explaining his condition. Priam reread one of the latest notifications.
Dexterity exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations!
A new attribute threshold had been crossed. The last one, Charisma, had allowed him to rge his Aura with his Concepts. I wonder what Dexterity does.
To find out, there was only one way. Priam recalled the katas practiced by Kazuki during his training. The hoplite's exercises seed simple, but Priam had never been able to imitate them, partly due to anatomical differences but mainly because the hoplite had subli control over his body.
[Shadow Boxing] summoned Kazuki's image, and Priam began to mimic him. Guided by Micro, his body took one step, then another. A fascinating dance began, with seemingly impossible positions executed effortlessly. The speed of kata execution gradually increased, testing his new limits. His physique felt more familiar, now capable of using small overclocks naturally.
Starting a new series of particularly challenging katas, Priam widened his eyes as a bad feeling invaded him. Could it be? Halting the exercise, he attempted a quadruple sorsault. The next mont, the room shook as Priam's head collided with the floor. Far from being saddened, the Champion was smiling.
After sitting cross-legged, Priam closed his eyes and imagined a very high jump. Even before starting, he knew he would fail. Dexterity now allowed him to sense when a feat was beyond his body's capability. The attribute went further by showing him a solution. A quadruple sorsault was possible with a second overclock but would tear his quadriceps.
The upgrade seed trivial, but Priam knew that being aware of his limits was paramount. Most battles between two opponents of similar levels were won by exploiting a mistake. [He Who Eludes Death] granted him a second chance, not a third.
Priam stood up, smiling, in excellent spirits. Dexterity's upgrade was good but far from the most important.
Without waiting, he opened his list of rits.
Trees of rit
[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 4: Draconic atavism manifests. Your spirit is covered in runic tattoos. Dragon scales provide the ultimate defense.
[Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title.
[Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening.
[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Hardly Hatched, already a Fire Champion. As such, you know how restricted Fire is. The Seven Concepts have imprisoned its potential in a shell. Let it hatch.
[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.
[Upgrader - Silver] - 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 - Bronze] - Tier 0: Ti stops for one second within a ten-ter radius when you are in mortal danger.
[Admirer of Atlas - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength.
[Weathered - Silver] - 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 - Legendary] - 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.
[Spiritless - 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.
[Fire Sage - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Fire Concept spark that warms your soul cos to life as a fire elental of absolute loyalty. Evolves with your Concept.
[Elysium Marquess - Legendary] - Tier 0: Creates one invasion portal.
10 Unused rit Points.
Priam wasted no ti and validated the Draconic rit.
[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 4: Draconic atavism manifests. Your spirit is covered in runic tattoos. Dragon scales provide the ultimate defense. ACQUIRED.
[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title.
9 Unused rit Points.
For the second ti that day, Priam felt an infinite power touch him. The next mont, his skin tingled. Dispelling the mist cloak that covered his modesty, Priam observed his body.
His physical appearance hadn't changed. Pressing a ntal switch, primal energy invaded his spiritual body. Since it overlapped with his physical body, a shift occurred. Tiny silver scales, made of aether, appeared on his skin. Cool.
Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to tighten around his arm like a boa constrictor. A root grew from the ground, coiling around the scaly mber. The more the tree tightened, the more Priam smiled. He felt the pressure but not the danger. Testing the limits of his new defense would be necessary, but Priam wasn't short of enemies.
At the thought of a battle, his new draconic heart accelerated, sending colossal energy into his body. Priam used Micro to block the adrenaline; he had other things to do before, starting with choosing his new racial talents.
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