Congratulations, you are dead!
Your talent [He who eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day.
Number of deaths: 3
Synergy detected with your talent [Humanity adapts]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:
VIT 5
CONST 5
[Touched by aether] - Adjustnt ti: 23 days (previously 26 days)
Titles won!
[Heartless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your heart, one of the vital organs of your species. In the future, you will be able to stay alive for a while without this vital organ.
But a word of advice: try to keep it anyway.
VIT 10%
[Brainless - Bronze] - You have survived after losing your brain. Your mind gradually becos more than a few neural connections. This is the first step to unlocking your domain.
Try to use this organ more. It will help you lose it less.
WILL 10%
[He who eludes Death] Charge: 0, Recharge in 13 hours at 0h.
Cooldown before forced resurrection: 28 minutes 38 seconds.
Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 2
AGI 1
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 4
VIT 1
After about an hour, Priam froze. There, in front of him, a few ters away, was a mound. The kind of landmark for a colony of ants. On Earth, Priam would have taken a picture and continued on his way. But here, he was going to turn around very quickly.
Only several seconds after his discovery, Priam was still petrified. His brain was torn between his survival instincts and an overwhelming attraction to the tree that stood only two or three ters from the anthill. It looked like a milky white, almost luminescent birch with three bluish-colored fruit. These fruit were unbelievably hypnotic.
Only the synergy between the traumatic experience of his recent death and his new title [Brainless] could keep Priam from foolishly rushing to try to devour one of the fruit. The increase in his Willpower allowed Priam to control himself better to detach himself from his emotions if he wished. He was beginning to ta his cravings.
Once Priam thought for a few seconds, the scary effect of the fruit began to fade. I've got to get out of here. The fruit must be a trap to attract prey and sacrifice it to the ant colony. Despite his growing hunger, Priam began to back away slowly. Ahead of him, he saw an ant enter the mound, bringing back food to expand the colony.
New Quest: A lovely fruit.
Steal and consu at least one Passiflora.
Reward: System help when consuming Passiflora. Potential 10.
Difficulty: Low
Maximum ti: 2 Days
"Shit..." Priam whispered.
The System wanted to see him fight. Since the Tutorial, the Concepts had never hidden the fact that they wanted to sort the wheat from the chaff...
Priam had no desire to play the Concepts' ga. He was not a pawn and cherished few things more than his freedom. But he also knew that as long as he was weak, he would have no say in the matter. Gritting his teeth, the young man analyzed the fruit.
[Identification].
[Passiflora Aether] - A passion fruit loaded with aether. Its intense appeal often makes it the lure of crude traps set by underdeveloped species. Only a fool would fall for it. However, since prey often has powerful instincts, this fruit is not just a lure. Its consumption causes a significant increase in ntal and physical attributes.
Priam froze, hidden by the branches, and thought about the situation. He had no extra life. He had to wait until at least midnight to recharge his perk.
Should he really try to steal these fruit? Deep down, he knew the answer was yes. Priam was almost immortal, but his mind was not. He needed these ntal attributes to protect himself.
With his decision made, Priam slowly circled the area he considered dangerous and continued on his way. His plan was relatively simple. Stretch two vines between the Passiflora tree and another tree. He would only need to throw a vine with a noose at the end to hang on to the tree without going near it. A descending vine to reach the fruit quickly without touching the ground and thus not attract the attention of ants with vibrations in the ground. Another liana would allow him to leave again. With these two makeshift zip lines, Priam expected to be gone before the ants even noticed a problem. Of course, eating the fruit on the spot was out of the question. The sll might alert the ants.
That was the basis of the plan. But all plans fall apart in the face of reality. So Priam began to plan his escape route.
Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 3
AGI 1
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 5
VIT 1
The next morning, Priam was thirsty. This seed to be becoming a habit. He had spent a horrible night holed up in a rabbit hole that would have made a rabbit feel bad. Controlling his breathing, trying to control the rhythm of his body - and therefore his sweating, and other factors that could have made him noticeable - had not been in vain.
You have gained the skill: [ditation].
[ditation] lvl 1: A ntal practice that focuses on a certain state of thought, emotions, and the body. You seek ntal calm, relaxation, and ultimately physical control of your body. The art of ditation is ancient, and yet there are still secrets that humans have not discovered. The road is long, but this skill could be instruntal if practiced diligently. Possible synergy with a title detected.
Stop thinking you are a Buddhist monk. Your distracting thoughts do not help with ditation.
WILL 3
ditation promised to be an incredible skill, especially with his Title [Brainless]. However, Priam didn't have ti to think about that now. That would have to wait until after the operation. Without wasting any more ti thinking, Priam got out of his hole and headed for the anthill. He didn't detect any particular change except for a few ants entering the colony through so tunnels. It seed logical, as they are mostly active at night. Sorry girls, the following will certainly wake you up!
The majority of the mbers of an ant colony are female, with the males used primarily to impregnate the Queen. Priam had no intention of approaching the colony or the Queen.
Priam slowly made his way back to the fire preparation area. He noticed that he was now unconsciously walking more stealthily. The effect of the skill [Stealth] seed to remind his body every mont that he could use the techniques he had learned. The skill integrated his thoughts and knowledge directly into his muscle mory. Its role was to synthesize months of effort. Priam felt he could still make mistakes if he didn't concentrate properly, but this reassured him. If the skill was not absolute, his enemies could also make errors. This made a fight against a superior opponent possible by exploiting loopholes.
Once he reached the fire, Priam began to check his preparations. Once satisfied with the setup, he lit the fire in just a few minutes. The next mont, Priam darted toward the colony as he made his way up his exit path. He moved almost effortlessly from tree to tree. His skill was still weak, but the effects were already impressive.
Arriving at the descending zip line, he checked the terrain one last ti before taking a deep breath. He had few illusions to escape alive. Despite his preparations, he had a good chance of dying. If he created too much of a ruckus, it was even possible that he would die permanently. It was impossible. Priam wanted to live. Not just survive, but live freely. Proudly. To do that, he needed power. In this new world, that was a very literal concept. Hence, his determination to succeed in this quest and all others that would follow.
Without further questioning, he took off. In near free fall, his heart sped up for one exhilarating second, and he smiled. Priam loved risk, speed, and adrenaline. Before the Tutorial, he skied, surfed, and enjoyed thrill rides. In spite of the danger, Priam was having fun.
He put his foot softly on a branch of the Passiflora and cushioned his landing. With a smile on his face, he briefly observed his surroundings. The anthill was positioned on the other side of the tree. Without waiting for a reaction from the ants, he easily climbed the tree and plucked the three fruit. They were about the size of a tangerine and barely fit in his pants pockets. The last fruit Priam put in his mouth. If he couldn't store it in his pockets, he might as well swallow it right away.
He had barely had ti to pick the three fruit and calculate the best way to reach the exit zip line when his new senses scread. He felt a blast on his right shoulder. Priam didn't try to figure out what was happening, and trusting his instincts, he jumped from branch to branch, forgetting to secure his descent. It was no longer the ti to be careful. Priam reached for the zipline, but in his haste, he dropped the piece of vine that was supporting him. He grabbed the zipline connecting him to his way out with his full hand and slipped down it, skinning his hands. With his flesh raw, he caught himself and fled without looking back.
Within the first few feet of his green path, Priam's head began to spin. The adrenaline montarily blocked out the pain, but looking briefly at his right shoulder, he already knew he was dood. The attack contained a powerful acid that was already beginning to eat away at his shoulder. Only adrenaline kept Priam going.
anwhile, the anthill seed to have exploded. Hundreds of baby-sized white ants were scurrying about in the open. The royal soldiers had sounded the alarm and fired off a few jets of acid, but they mostly missed. Most of the insects, specialized in close combat and quantity-based tactics, would not be able to catch the intruder but would be busy securing the area for the champions. A few winged ants streaked with gold were tasked with catching the intruder. They flew toward the human while the soldiers ran.
Priam was doing parkour in the trees. He only had a few dozen ters to go, but every step was dangerous. A mistake or a fall would cost him precious seconds, not to ntion a possible injury. Those seconds would allow the ants to catch up with him. It would be ga over.
Priam focused on his every step, on each support, and on his breath. He was trying to efficiently cross the natural obstacles in his way. The path was morized from the day before, but the forest was always changing. Priam was changing with it. Where he had decided the day before to jump, today he was leaning. Where he had pushed off a thin branch, he was dodging a trunk. Aware of his surroundings, senses alert, muscles finely controlled, Priam felt more alive than ever. He hadn't forgotten the ants, but they didn't matter anymore. Maybe he would die, but not before he finished his race. At that very mont, he was unstoppable.
You have gained the skill: [Art of Movent - Rare].
AGI 1
PERC 1
DEXT 1
He had already reached the end of the path. The ants had not caught up with him, slowed down by the foliage. But surely they weren't getting tired as fast as he was. Priam hadn't thought ants could fly that fast, but he had thought to create a smoke screen. Up ahead, the fire had already started. The small fire of a few minutes ago had even turned into a full-blown inferno. But how? With the green wood, there shouldn't be so much fla. Not in such a short ti. Are the trees here more flammable?
The ants were gaining ground. Without wasting any more ti, Priam accelerated by jumping through the smoke curtain. His blind landing was tricky, and he landed at a wrong angle. Feeling pain shoot through his ankle, he hobbled on. Flas licked the trees on either side of the fire he had started. The smoke stayed close to the ground, trapped by the green roof. Without being able to rise, it moved parallel to the ground in all directions, obscuring sight and sll.
Priam kept moving forward. Despite the terrible heat, his skills, attributes, and adrenaline kept him going. He was careful, however, to take a few breaths every ten seconds near the ground. Most people who died in a fire did not die from the heat but rather from smoke asphyxiation. With his eyes closed because of the smoke, he walked blindly.
After about thirty seconds, the only sounds reaching him were the reports of bark cracking under the heat of the blaze. I must get out of this furnace quickly. I can't open my eyes, but if I keep going straight ahead, it should do the trick...
The fruit he had swallowed also seed to have a refreshing effect. It was as if a cool liquid was pouring into his veins. Rembering the other two fruit in his pockets, he swallowed them quickly.
Quest completed: A lovely fruit.
Reward: Concepts help when eating the three Passiflora. Potential 10.
Congratulations!
Title received: [Quester - Bronze] - You completed a Concepts quest successfully. All given quests have a solution. Potentially more. It's up to you to find them and co out stronger.
Imagine, so will entrust you with a vital quest. Poor souls...
PERC 10%
Priam opened his eyes, feeling fresh air before freezing. In front of him, dozens of ants surrounded the smoke-filled area. The entire periter must have been under surveillance. They had bypassed the burned area, and so were still coming out of tunnels hidden by the vegetation. Three flying ants were positioned in the trees in front of him. He had no way out.
"Well... Ga Over I guess," Priam comnted. "I wasted too much ti with the smoke and fire, and despite that, they easily located . If I can get skills, why not them? Vibration detection I guess? I underestimated the flying ants too. At least I passed the quest."
In one movent, the ants began to move towards Priam, snapping their mandibles. He couldn't even bring himself to hate the ants. They weren't brilliant, and Priam wasn't stupid enough to hate a rock or a blade of grass. He hadn't been up to the task. With any luck, the Concepts would give him another chance.
In front of him was an army of omnivorous ants. Behind him, an inferno. Priam grimaced.
"One more day in hell. But I'll survive. I will be back," Priam promised. "Until then, I hope you like your at well done!"
With that, Priam turned and, limping painfully, entered the ash-gray realm again. Death terrified him. He still wasn't sure he would ever wake up. Perhaps the flas would still be there when he resurfaced, burning him again. But between the tornt of fire and ants, he would choose the fire. Maybe he could get a few more levels for his resistances.
As the flas began to consu him, Priam scread. The pain was horrible. His thoughts disappeared and were replaced by absolute pain.
Soon, his lungs beca empty of air, and he finally beca silent.
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