[Auctions:
Legacy Core (Rare/T0) - Territory: Knaya/Wanderings Islands - A core containing mories of an Ace who survived 9 Tribulations at Tier 0.
Note from the seller: One Legendary resistance confird, [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber]. An upgrade and fusion of [Bending Resistance], [Torsion Resistance], and [Tension Resistance].
Current bid: 747 000 Sun points. Auction ends in 139 hours.
Note (add-on): All forces can be broken down into combinations of compression, tension, bending, shear, and torsion. The host already resists compression thanks to [Sun Steel Body] and shear via [Atomos] and [Kevlar Tissue]. [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber] would complete your build.
Legacy Core (Rare/T1) - Territory: Pnothl/Sky Ring - A core containing mories of an Ace who survived 8 Tribulations at Tier 0, 3 at Tier 1, and unlocked Mastery - Spear III.
Note from the seller: One ideal Mythic spear skill confird. If you're fated…
Current bid: 1 948 000 Sun points. Auction ends in 1 677 hours.
Note (add-on): Except for Breath, all the host's attacks are spear-based. A Mythical spear skill could holistically enhance your offensive capabilities. Alternatively, Kazuki might find it useful as well.]
As Priam stepped out of Esmée's chamber, he paused before the Auction altar. The fulcrum of Sumstreh was still up for sale, but none of the aether puzzle propositions Ymir had received appealed to Priam. Enhancing his aether proficiency was crucial, and he sought an exceptional item for himself and his family.
That didn't an nothing caught his eye. His add-on had flagged two cores from the list of new items. The second was too expensive for now, but the first boasted a Legendary resistance that intrigued him. Briefly wondering if the forr owner of [Flexible as a Reed, Elastic as Rubber] was nad Luffy, Priam agreed with his add-on: he lacked three fundantal resistances.
With his father being an architect, Priam knew the five forces that could act on a structure—and by extension, a body. Fortifying his body to endure all types of physical stress seed like a stellar idea.
Sun points: 1 480 545
His funds weren't endless, but points were ant to be spent. The only question was: was this the best way?
"You're troubled?"
Priam turned to see Esmée watching him with concern.
"Not really. More like facing choice overload. I'm afraid of making a mistake and overlooking sothing crucial."
Ymir stepped forward. "Is there an item you fancy? Perhaps I can offer my expertise?" On Earth, Priam disliked when a biased seller offered help. He hated being influenced. However, Ymir worked for him and knew a lot.
"I saw a Legacy Core with a Legendary resistance I don't have. If I buy it, can I acquire the resistance?"
Ymir grimaced. "That's complicated. Consuming the core during specialized rituals can grant advantages, but rarely the deceased's skills. If that were the case, the tribes would be much more powerful."
"What kind of advantages?" asked Esmée.
"It depends on the ritual. The Gaeserts use boar cores to enhance their bloodline and improve their racial Talent. If there's a strong resonance between the subject and the core, their race can evolve. I've seen other tribes fuse the cores of elders with those of the young. They manage to acquire the elders' skills at lower rarities, but it requires active participation from both core owners."
"So there are possibilities."
"With the right ritual. However, they are often crafted by Tier 4 Shamans and refined over generations. It's a risky gamble," the rchant concluded.
"Maybe not so much," Esmée said, holding a small core. "I wanted to see the differences between a monster core and a humanoid one."
Using advanced search, Priam's add-on found the cheapest core in the Auction and bought it outright for a hundred Sun points. It was ten tis the starting price, but his ti was more valuable than ninety Sun points.
Focusing his senses on the crystallized aether, Priam detected a single rune. Comparing it to those etched on the layers of his soul, he estimated its rarity as rare. The skill was unknown to him, but [Ideal Aether Perception] suggested it had to do with air and... life? No, the living. A bird. A skill for flying?
Judging by the core's size, Priam understood the forr owner hadn't created this core alone; he had been aided by a ritual. Even with his draconic lung and [High Aether Manipulation], Priam doubted he could make such a large piece of solid aether.
Now, the warrior is dead, and soone has sold his core for a few Sun points. What a waste.
"You think by studying the runes at the core's heart, we could gain their skills?" Priam said after copying the rune into his add-on's database.
"It's less barbaric than ingesting the core, with superior results. Several people could benefit from it."
Priam considered Esmée's proposal before pointing out its weaknesses. "To gain a skill, the rune must be etched onto one's soul; I can't do that—and far from even considering that possibility."
"The System must handle it," Esmée agreed. "It's not impossible; you just need to use the rune consciously." She conjured an orb of light in her hand. "When I concentrate, I feel the System querying . If I didn't have to worry about Tribulation thresholds, I might have accepted."
Priam mimicked Esmée by summoning a light-making rune and realizing she was right. In the background, he felt the System's query. He could transform the rune into a common skill. With the right runes, it should be possible to min-max my attributes. To test later.
"It won't work with a Legendary skill," Ymir interjected. "The System will grant at most Epic rarity."
"That suits because I want an ideal resistance," Priam replied. A resistance capable of enduring three different physical forces must be ideal if he wanted to beco the ultimate tank. "However, we’re overlooking the main issue: it’s a resistance, not an active skill. My body must withstand these forces; I can't simply invoke a rune."
"With the Sun Shop, you could subject yourself to these forces by purchasing a few traps," Esmée pointed out.
"Or my father could build machines to stress my body," Priam said, shrugging. "That doesn’t solve the problem: my body needs to resonate with the core’s rune to acquire the resistance. Preferably, the epic version."
Priam's true goal was to skip the common and rare skill rarities to avoid gaining too many attributes. His Tribulations lood, and his constitution was nearing the next threshold. If he wanted to include this new resistance in Heavenly Dragon, he couldn't wait for level-ups, upgrades, and fusions of the three basic skills.
Esmée was contemplating a solution when Priam had an idea.
"Could I temporarily transplant the core in my body?"
Esmée shook her head. "A core is made of crystallized aether; you would poison your ridians and spirit body by doing that."
"I'd survive," Priam grimaced. "But not the core; my aether would corrode it..."
For several minutes, the two rivals exchanged ideas, formulating a plan while Ymir occasionally chid in. Nurous theories were proposed, tested, and discarded. When their ideas began to dwindle, Priam ended the brainstorming session. Delving into aether arcane with a prodigy like Esmée was exhilarating, but he sensed the baby wyrm coiled around his wrist growing bored.
"I'll ponder it in my free ti," Esmée sighed. "I feel a solution is close."
Priam nodded. He would consult the phoenix once they had exhausted all their ideas—but not before. No one improved by simply looking at the answer.
As Priam, Esmée, Kazuki, and Jasmine crossed the rift, they discovered that the construction was progressing well. A large circular slab, twenty ters in radius, lay beneath the rift, serving as the foundation for the future outpost. Domain reported a crystalline structure, resembling quartz, with nurous hidden channels. Upon closer inspection, Priam realized the foundation was embedded with concealed runes.
A few ters away, Alain, Bertomne, Rose, and Myuri were engaged in a heated discussion. Priam cleared his throat to announce their arrival.
“Hey kid, back already? Did the egg hatch?”
“Into an adorable wyrm,” Priam grinned as Jasmine groaned. The assassin hadn't seen the creature before it fell asleep and was disappointed. “I see the project is coming along well.”
“The foundations are complete; a half-sphere twenty ters in radius with stakes driven forty ters deep. Reinforced by my skills, it will withstand any earthquake,” Bertomne explained. “We’re adding various runes now, but Miss Rose isn’t satisfied with my work.”
Priam noted a hint of respect in his voice when he spoke of Rose.
“Alain says this structure looks like purified and vitrified sand, almost like glass. The material is exceptionally conductive and can amplify the power of the runes. Accepting energy losses is just stupid,” the teenager complained, sifting through the plans scattered across a table. “I won't settle for anything less than perfect patterns.”
Priam nodded. He was a perfectionist too and understood her sentint.
“What runes are you using?”
“Boundary to trap Elysium's aether, Dynamic shield to distribute attacks over a large surface, Elasticity to prevent the crystalline structure from shattering, and Growth on Bertomne's advice.”
“Growth? To make the material replicate on its own?”
“Not that kind of growth,” the artisan clarified. “The slab is made of Tier 0 sand, and Growth will infuse it with aether over ti. In a few months, the sand’s aetheric code will mutate, and this crystal will reach Tier 1. With Elysium's aether flowing through the rift, it might even reach Tier 2, making it nearly indestructible in a Tier 1 world.”
The argunt was sound, and the rivals discussed the banquet with the artisans before heading off. Kazuki and Jasmine ventured into the forest to explore, while Priam and Esmée headed toward the sea.
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 707
Constitution 1 105
Agility 773
Vitality 1 040
Perception 766
NTAL:
Vivacity (D) 570
Dexterity 656
mory 842
Willpower 1 163
Charisma 692
TA:
ta-affinity 799
ta-focus 409
ta-endurance 617
ta-perception 339
ta-chance 274
ta-authority 216
Potential: 13 607
Tier 0
Sun points: 1 480 901 ( 356)
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRID
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Ti: 153 days 12 hours 47 minutes 5 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
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