Priam hesitated as he re-read his notification. A Tier 1 race could benefit from two additional racial Talents. Apparently, causing a genocide was one way to earn one. Priam swallowed hard, grasping the weight of this information.
Bechar pointed out that [Humanity adapts] was a potent talent. How many humans would die to allow a fortunate alien to obtain it?
The competitive part of his brain was thinking of something else. It had taken him fifty thousand lives to earn this privilege. It was a staggering number. Was this an absolute threshold or a percentage of the total population of a race? Did this number vary based on Tier or the rarity of the race? Priam couldn't fathom killing fifty thousand dragons to gain a powerful Talent...
Diamond acknowledged him briefly as they exited the sewers. Priam returned the gesture with a wave. He wanted to stay on good terms with the thief. Despite his lead, he couldn't be the best at everything. You never knew when you needed a skilled thief.
His notification blinked, urging him to make a choice. [Spectral Familiarity] didn't seem to resonate particularly with his path. If he committed another massacre - which was bound to happen - could he replace it, or was it a permanent choice?
Priam posed the question to the System, which ignored him. Disheartened, he tried another approach.
"Bechar?"
‘Yes?’ The shapeshifter's voice resonated in his mind, and Priam smiled. If the System was a crush that liked to ghost, Bechar was that dependable friend you could always count on.
"After a massacre, the System offers me a second racial Talent. Can I then delete it?"
‘You can either remove it with Potential or overwrite it with a new option,’ replied the shapeshifter.
"Why would I want to remove it?" Priam wondered.
‘If you have to meet the king with his race’s Talent, it won't look good.’
"Put that way... Thanks for the info. I'm heading to the Colosseum."
‘The popcorn’s ready.’
Without further thought, Priam accepted the System's offer.
[Spectral Familiarity - Bronze] - Increases your familiarity with immaterial creatures.
[The Reaper - Bronze] - You have directly slaughtered over 50,000 beings of the same race. If they weren't responsible for the death of your parents, perhaps they were fundamentally evil? If not, you're a psychopath.
Fortunately for you, the System will never judge you!
(That’s a lie.)
As you sense fear and doubt in your enemies, your instincts sharpen, allowing you to discover their every weakness.
When the prey fears the hunter, it's already dead.
Strolling through the Dome, Priam smiled as he read his latest notifications. The effect of [The Reaper] was more qualitative than quantitative. To know its exact capabilities, he would have to test it in a real situation. But in practical terms, as soon as an opponent began to doubt his victory, Priam could capitalize on this feeling to defeat him.
Rereading the description, Priam saw two direct consequences of this kind of Title. Firstly, he would have to be careful to control his emotions and thoughts during a fight. Skills such as [Emotional Discipline] would become important...
Secondly, the System rewarded violence - at least among fighters. If all you had to do was kill fifty thousand humans to get an inferior version of [Humanity adapts]... This was terrible news. According to Bechar, the racial Talent of humans was particularly powerful. Some will hunt us... and most of my kind are not ready.
Watching the people stroll down the street, Priam felt a twinge of sadness. Many were dying unnatural deaths. Revenants, Tribulations, future wars against other civilizations... So many threats to humanity.
A ball rolled to his feet. Instinctively, Priam kicked at it, sending it back in the direction of some children having fun in the street.
"Thank you, sir!"
Priam smiled as he heard the laughter. In his opinion, humans were born as pure creatures. Sometimes soiled by life, it was always possible to regain his purity. Or so he hoped...
Looking at the children at play, Priam sighed. They were not yet masters of their destiny. They needed parents to guide them. They needed protection from the horrors of this new Universe. Priam - and a few other humans - was the only barrier between humanity and many ruthless monsters. It will be up to me to protect them.
Despite everything, Priam was lucid. He was no hero. He wasn't a shield. But I could be a spear.
He shook his head. Now was not the time to think about that. His father wanted to talk to him before he left, and Priam knew it would be the time to face up to his responsibilities. But for now, he had to concentrate on the present. He had to get the space seed.
"Champion, the fight was amazing!"
Surprised, Priam turned around. One of the children had recognized him and was waving at him. Surprised for a moment, Priam smiled and gave a thumbs-up. A second child turned and frowned in concentration. Her face lit up a moment later, and she ran towards Priam.
"It's the CHAMPIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
Priam’s laugh stopped as he watched a score of children charging at him. Their attributes were weak, but the intensity of their passion was terrifying.
... I could run away?
Lance1 [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1091812795361787904/1100186025432723506/Lance1_NB.png]A few minutes later, Priam finally extricated himself from the juvenile melee. Some of the parents had come to collect their offspring. Most had given him a polite smile and a nod. Some had gone so far as to smile frankly. Apparently, his victory over Prometheus had reassured most of these men and women. They had a powerful Champion. That was important to them.
To escape future encounters, Priam jumped onto a roof and made to the Colosseum. This scene allowed him to confirm Mercury's words: he was too powerful. No one would antagonize him when the System would surely place him before the threats of humanity. His only judge would be himself. It was both a power and a duty.
The silhouette of the Colosseum stood out against the bright sky of the barrier, and Priam accelerated.
The time for words was over. Dawn was breaking on action.
Lance1 [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1091812795361787904/1100186025432723506/Lance1_NB.png]Priam stepped forward as the arena doors opened. Facing him, the sandy slab was the same. Unlike last time, the stands were closed to the public. He had agreed to pay a Baron's core to privatize his fights. A colossal sum for some, but Priam was rich.
Well, rich for a human.
The reason for privatization was obvious: he intended to give his all in the coming fights and didn't want recordings or spies observing and analyzing his abilities. The only spectator Priam allowed was Bechar.
A professional fight review was an excellent opportunity.
The heavy door closed behind him. Priam decided that it would not open until he possessed the space seed.
The gong rang. A gate lifted, letting a wild boar onto the field. Priam smiled.
"To think that a week ago, these kinds of beasts seemed powerful to me..."
The animal took just one step into the arena before Promesse spilled its brains onto the fine sands of the Colosseum. The first wave was already over.
Lance1 [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1091812795361787904/1100186025432723506/Lance1_NB.png]Promesse destroyed his opponents. The fire spear let no wave last more than a few seconds. In the misty arena, the hoplite weapon teleported from enemy to enemy like a fire bolt.
Finally, the gong sounded again, announcing the start of the twentieth wave. A gate opened, revealing the giant tortoise that had been tormenting him. Galapagos.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"How we meet again..." smiled Priam.
Galapagos merely roared. Dropping to all fours, the boss aimed its cannons at Priam. A moment later, two ice balls were fired at the warrior.
[Battle Flow], his draconic instinct, the perception offered by his mist and Priam's new attributes made the attack almost slow. As if executing a dance step, Priam dodged the first cannonball. His hand grazed the second projectile, robbing it of all its kinetic energy. The block of ice fell at his feet.
His energy reserves groaned slightly. They had been filled before the games began. Priam theorized that his kinetic stocks were like a cistern. Once full, it was dangerous to add water. The tank was under pressure and threatened to explode. At worst, it would kill Priam. At best, it would prevent him from storing energy.
If Priam was taking the risk of storing up so much energy, it was because of his newfound draconic instinct. According to it, too much pressure would make his reserves explode, but a little pressure would slowly push his limits. Like muscles strengthening after effort...
Hearing another howl, Priam refocused. His thoughts wandered as he already knew the outcome of the fight. Confidence was good, but one had to be careful of arrogance. [Focus].
Another attack flew in his direction, and Priam intercepted it again. Instead of absorbing it directly, he retransmitted the energy he had just stolen, but in the opposite direction.
Subjected to four megajoules of energy, the cannonball came to a halt before deforming. An instant later, it exploded in a cloud of ice.
Priam's meridians had never protested. His constitution and resistance to erosion were finally bearing fruit.
Without even looking, Priam dodged the subsequent three attacks with ease. Facing Galapagos from a distance was no longer a problem for him.
"Maybe if I get closer..."
Priam advanced towards the Viscount. Enraged, it increased the pace of its attacks. To no avail. Priam's Domain used [Kinetic Control] to drain ten percent of the energy from each projectile. The same Domain instantly reused this energy to redirect each ball of ice.
Galapagos was a terrifying Viscount. Its attacks sped along at over four hundred and fifty meters per second. Each one contained the equivalent of two megajoules of energy - enough to blow up a car or quickly pierce a medieval rampart.
However, Domain - one of the three Supremacies - took the difficulty out of the fight. Advancing towards the boss, Priam promised himself to work on the Supremacies on his return to Elysium. It should enable him to achieve the maximum number of Tribulations possible at Tier 0.
Ten seconds later, Priam arrived at close quarters. Galapagos was breathing heavily, obviously tired from the deluge of attacks. Invoking Promesse in his hand, Priam nodded in respect. He'd left it in the dust, but the boss of the twentieth wave had taught him a lot.
Promesse sliced through the turtle's flesh with ease. Galapagos collapsed. From now on, it's all new!
Moments later, another gong sounded. A kind of minotaur appeared. Almost three meters tall, the horned monster's eyes glowed with a kind of cruel intelligence. Priam dashed toward it. A moment later, Promesse had harvested a new life. Or maybe not, considering that the System created the creatures inhabiting the Colosseum. That was why Priam couldn't earn a Title of Nobility by fighting in the Colosseum alone.
Without waiting, a new gong sounded. The System knew Priam needed no rest. The gate opened to reveal a new minotaur. This one looked different: it possessed a Murmillo gladius. Its equipment didn't save it from a quick death.
Subsequent waves saw the appearance of increasingly well-equipped Minotaurs. In the twenty-fifth wave, the Minotaurs' father appeared. Dressed in full Murmillo gear - gladius, scutum, manica,... - it roared as soon as it detected Priam. The Earl moved into position, ready to learn from his adversary.
Priam smiled at the first sword strike he parried. The Minotaur's attributes were close to his own, and it knew how to use his weapon. Over the next few seconds, Priam familiarized himself with his enemy. His Domain allowed him to detect the Minotaur's various attacks and footwork.
The minotaur moved its right foot forward. Symmetrically, Priam moved his left foot back, keeping his distance from the mad cow. The monster's gladius swung in a central arc in his direction. Priam prepared to absorb the blow before his instincts could react. He could take advantage of his enemy's mistakes.
The warrior leaned back in a stunt reminiscent of Neo in The Matrix. The blade passed a centimeter above him before continuing on its way.
Taking advantage of his momentum, Priam's torso continued to swing backward. Thanks to his agility, his hands soon touched the ground. His body was now forming a kind of bridge.
Slightly unbalanced by its missed attack, the Minotaur had only two choices. Back off to regain its footing, or double its attack by moving forward. Priam's Domain felt the Minotaur's leg muscles contract. His Vivacity, coupled with [Eidetic Memory], immediately reviewed the Minotaur's previous movements before concluding. The Minotaur was preparing to move forward.
A tenth of a second after dodging the sword strike, Priam sprang into action. He merged with the mist for a fraction of a second before reappearing in the same place, but in a different position. While in the fog, he had instinctively imagined his body standing upright, and the mist had obeyed.
Lvl Up : [Moon Mist] lvl 45,46,47
PERC +12
CHAR +6
META (AFFI) +9
Without missing a beat, he leaped towards the Minotaur, legs forward. His feet slammed into the monster's head, now too close to dodge.
The Minotaur toppled backward, and Priam followed suit. In the air, he wrapped his legs around the Viscount's neck and placed his hands on its horns. With one sharp twist, using all the power of his monstrous musculature, Priam snapped the neck of the twenty-fifth wave's boss.
A second after missing its attack, the Minotaur's corpse fell, shaking the arena under its weight.
Priam got to his feet, massaging his shoulders. The Minotaur's constitution was terrifying, and his strength should not have been enough to break its neck. Micro had unlocked the limitations of his muscles, enabling its user to achieve the impossible. It was the power of a Supremacy.
However, there was a downside: some of his muscles had torn.
Priam sat on the ground, letting his Vitality repair his body. To pass the time, he looked at the Minotaur's corpse and analyzed the fight.
He came to a few conclusions. Firstly, each boss had more attributes than the previous one. Secondly, there was a qualitative evolution. The Minotaur had been an expert with its gladius and knew how to move in combat. It knew its body inside out.
Where Priam had unlocked Micro by putting his life on the line, the Minotaur approached Supremacy by gradually familiarizing himself with its body. These battles have a lot to teach me.
Suddenly, Priam had an idea. It might have been impossible, but... Focusing on Micro, Priam observed his torn muscles. Despite his Vitality, the most severe wounds would take several hours to heal. He didn't have that kind of time. Perhaps there was another solution?
Gathering his willpower, Priam tried to impress upon Micro the idea of locally increasing his regenerative abilities. If he could command his muscles to unclench, command his nerves to silence the pain, and manipulate his heartbeat, perhaps he could accelerate his healing.
Focusing on the inside of his body, Priam tried to make it understand that he had to improve the healing process. For several minutes, he tried to recall his limited biological knowledge in order to take control. To no avail.
The next fight would begin in less than five minutes. Priam decided to turn to his instincts. If he didn't have the knowledge to restore himself, he might as well turn to his body, which knew how to do it on its own.
The draconic instinct awakened, summoned by Priam. Merging it and Micro, Priam tried again to speed up his healing. This time, the magic worked. His muscle tissue began to tremble and repair itself. After a few seconds, his body was as good as new. Priam smiled as he rose to his feet, before collapsing to the ground, dizzy.
There seemed to be a cost to this kind of fast care.
"But it's possible," he gloated as he sat down again. He still had two minutes before the next fight.
Analyzing what he'd just done, Priam's smile widened as he watched Micro. His Supremacy seemed more... imposing. Stage 1 was near.
One minute before the start of the twenty-sixth wave, the System reminded Priam to select his prize.
Wave 25 completed. Congratulations!
Choose a skill:
* [Combat placement - Common]
* [Spear mastery - Common]
* [Human anatomy - Common]
image [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1091812795361787904/1100186018969292830/SymboleFin_NB.png]Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 236
Constitution 413
Agility 296
Vitality 421
Perception 499 (+14)
MENTAL:
Vivacity 280
Dexterity 333
Memory 71
Willpower 447
Charisma 375 (+9)
META:
Meta-affinity 245 (+9)
Meta-focus 178
Meta-endurance 124
Meta-perception 76
Meta-chance 198
Meta-authority 12
Potential: 5915 (+9)
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds.
[Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 180 days 19 hours 36 minutes 0 second.