A few hours earlier.
Priam climbed back up to the surface, Sphinx nestling comfortably on his shoulder. Ahead of him, the tunnel continued into the darkness. Behind him, a creature of horror was trying to catch up. Fortunately for Priam, Saghtjp, the Queen Mother - the spider's name - was being controlled by one of his allies. On second thought, ally might have been a bit strong. Rather a temporary helper.
Anatole's gaze never left his back and Priam could feel it - perhaps an effect of his high Perception? Either way, it made him uneasy. For this reason, the young man accelerated even more.
If part of his attention was on Anatole, most was on his next Tribulations. A quadruple Tribulation was coming, and it was no small thing. Bechar himself had never witnessed more than one triple Tribulation.
But one thing gave Priam hope. His personalized reward, Survivor Tips, allowed him to ask questions to an assembly of clones who had themselves passed Tribulations. Some had necessarily passed quadruple Tribulations, and Priam followed their advice to the letter.
Their objective was his survival. Priam had two more questions to ask them before the fateful moment.
One of his plans was to separate his Tribulations using the protection of the Domes. Another viable idea was to defeat two Earls at the start of his Tribulations to get an instant power-up. Unfortunately, the two plans were contradictory. Priam planned to rely on his doubles to solve his dilemma.
What's the best way to start my Tribulations?
Answer: First, kill the Earls, then rush toward New Earth's dome...
A new name. Certainly the name of the nearest dome. Priam jotted down a mental note: ask Anatole where New Earth is.
The ellipsis at the end of the sentence was suspicious. Perhaps there was a problem at the dome? Or on the way? The word 'toward' could have been replaced by something else after all...
His last thought almost made Priam stop. He refocused for a second on his race before analyzing his behavior. He liked to use suspension points to indicate that his reasoning should continue. His clones' response had a sequel!
What follows the last answer?
image [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV84bDIHlfZscSCnj3OPB7g0RlKTfqtSDNcXEaanoglUO6qDTqp5Uumo3j4OGD_ZdIYffT40nkmKPbJRlo2SoYdkp-qCixEYS4sb9lwYHcTK55TzFZJKasmgHTeODrwRrq_FRemrCeDlTdGpHy2QoyQJb=w1181-h295-s-no?authuser=0]Standing over an Earl's corpse, Priam watched the sky darken without moving. In his hand was a bloody core. Wonderfully brilliant reflections were created when a ray of sunlight struck it. Priam cleaned the core, pleased that [Aether Perception] made it easy to find a core when the owner was dead. Priam had detected it through several meters of flesh and bone, in the center of the spider's brain.
It was surprising. In most beasts, the core was protected and located in the center of the torso. Despite the beauty of the crystal, Priam's thoughts wandered elsewhere.
His heart was racing - even more than when Safamu's Tribulation had been triggered. One explanation was that he was the target of the System's attention this time. A sustained attention. After all, a quadruple Tribulation was not just the sum of four Tribulations. The proof was in the time it took to prepare the Tribulations.
Priam blew out his breath and concentrated on Micro to regulate the drugs his brain was producing. He then continued his analysis. He needed to know the differences between his Tribulations and Safamu's.
Lvl Up: [Emotional discipline] lvl 2
WILL +3
The Tribulation of the noble Lion had affected an area of around one hundred and twenty-five thousand square meters - a circle with a radius of two hundred meters centered on Safamu.
As far as Priam was concerned, the System was mad at him. Indeed, a titanic cloud was being created above him. The cloud resembled a circle with a radius of one kilometer. More than three million square meters, or three square kilometers, were about to receive divine retribution.
Unlike Safamu, Priam was free to move. The reason for his immobility was his greed. Behind him, the Jubokko was slowly perishing. At the top of its trunk, Blueberry was watching a fruit grow. Priam had only glimpsed it from a distance, but his body had screamed. It had to eat this fruit.
Blueberry felt no particular impulse regarding the plant organ, making him the ideal guardian. Sphinx was running towards the Dome, protecting Rose and returning the Urn of the Depths to Mercury. Priam had a quick thought for his family as he watched the various armies flee.
Every human felt deep down that the cloud was unnatural and that death was coming. Prometheus and Victoria - the names of the two main commanders - had chosen to protect their army rather than go deeper into the woods. Priam didn't want anyone near the grove. Blueberry could hold off any of them, but would be powerless against an alliance.
So Priam waited alone to face the end of the world. Armies were fleeing, deciding to try their luck elsewhere. Deep down, Priam wondered if he'd made a mistake. Perhaps he should have abandoned the Crimson Fruit and run for New Earth...
‘You made the right choice. This Fruit is a real treasure,' commented the Phoenix, and Priam nodded. If a Phoenix spoke of treasure, then he would trust it.
"With all due respect, Anatole is dead, and I still haven't received my reward..." tried Priam.
‘We'll talk about my quest later. Your priority should be to survive. My first Tribulation was a quadruple one too and I almost died...'
Priam's heart leaped in his chest. It was possible to resist a quadruple Tribulation!
‘I can feel your joy, but don't forget that I was one of the Princes of a mythical clan. I may not have been the best of my generation, but my preparations were of a completely different level," Phoenix clarified.
The reminder was like a cold shower for Priam. The young Earl closed his eyes and refocused. Promesse vibrated for a moment in his hand, and Priam stroked his spear before looking up at the sky.
What are my Tribulations, and how can I survive them?
Answer: Damocles' Tears are to be resisted with a Mist Domain.
Priam looked at the answer for a moment. Damocles was a mythological figure referring to the Sword of Damocles. This sword floated above heads and could come down at any moment. Damocles' Tears surely had something to do with a falling object that could do damage. A tear... Rain?
The second part of the sentence was even more annoying. Apparently, the reason for his clones' insistence on killing the Earls was that Priam was supposed to create a Domain to withstand the first Tribulation. Which seemed odd since it was intended for someone whose attributes barely exceeded a hundred. Unless there are different ways of defeating a Tribulation, but this is the easiest one for me?
Priam eyed the gathering black cloud suspiciously. After a second, he decided to stop wasting time. Four Tribulations, four questions.
How can I overcome my second Tribulation?
Answer: Locusts' Plague disappears after a day; don’t stop, run.
Priam nodded. He wasn't stupid enough to try and destroy thousands of locusts. This second Tribulation was also inspired by Earth history, and Priam wondered if he could deduce anything from it.
How can we overcome the Third Tribulation?
Answer: Pride's Shadow lives in symbiosis with the fourth Tribulation.
One of the seven deadly sins. Another synergy, and this one was pretty obvious.
How can I overcome my Fourth Tribulation?
Answer: While the Sun observes it, the Heaven Wyvern lives on.
The last and hardest of his Tribulations. Shadow and Sun.
Apparently, the third Tribulation erased the weaknesses of the fourth. A wyvern... Priam had always loved dragons. But just as he liked panthers, he didn't want to meet one. At least, not a hostile one.
Stolen novel; please report.
Just like that, Priam had only two questions left. Looking off into the distance, he saw the armies disappearing behind the hills. Waiting any longer was dangerous, and Priam turned on his heels. Gathering a small dose of kinetic energy, he leaped from the spider's corpse and began running toward New Earth. The nostalgic name said a lot about the dome's inhabitants.
Above him, the black clouds grew darker and darker. A deluge was brewing as the sun, symbol of hope, was covered.
His strides grew longer and longer, and Priam's emotions calmed as he ran. He carefully spent a bit of kinetic energy with each step to increase his speed. Each stride propelled him further and further, while [Athleticism] and [Art of Movement] helped him optimize his movements. After about thirty seconds, Priam looked up and winced. The cloud was following him like a plague.
A minute after his departure, Priam saw a drop of water fall in front of him. Only a few meters away, he easily dodged the projectile and turned briefly to observe the result. The drop of water hit a stump and went right through it. Priam opened his eyes wide. The wood may not have been very solid, but the drop of water had passed through it like a bullet through a sheet of paper.
Deciding not to waste another second, Priam turned and accelerated. Ahead of him, the forest had given way to a large open valley. The grass was fresh and medium-high. It might have hindered another man, but Priam's every step carried him twenty meters ahead.
The characteristic sound of rain began to hover over the sea of grass. Priam gritted his teeth, concentrating on his skills and Micro. Dodging the various drops, he continued to accelerate. At last, the chains of the System were broken. He could finally spread his wings. I'd better spend my Potential...
Priam connected to his Potential. He now had only one goal: to reach New Earth alive.
A drop was about to fall on him. Priam raised his head slightly. All around him, the omnipresent mist gave him information about his surroundings. It would have been painful if he'd had to move with his own misty sphere: he was running faster than his mist was moving.
POT -2
But here, on the Moon, he was at home. Priam held out his hand toward the drop. He wanted to know what it would cost him. After all, he was tougher than a stump of dead wood.
The drop of water fell in front of him and Priam held out his hand. The shiny, pseudo-spherical liquid possessed a sharp gleam. As he moved his hand closer, Priam thought he was touching quicksilver. A fragment of Concept impregnated the drop, giving it a piercing property.
POT -2
A little pain made him wince as his hand closed over the drop. Unfolding his fingers, Priam observed the result. He was bleeding, but the wound was superficial. The young Earl continued on his way, relieved. He could make mistakes without dying. And as the clouds continued to swell, he was bound to be hit by the deadly rain.
Damocles's Tears were his first Tribulation and were supposed to be lethal for a man with attributes just over a hundred. Some of Priam's physical attributes exceeded three hundred. The Tribulation was still dangerous - Priam had no desire to stand in the pouring rain - but it was its synergy that worried Priam.
A whirr of wings sounded behind him, and Priam sighed. To think of a problem was often to invoke it.
POT -2
To please an unseen onlooker, Priam turned around, already knowing what was waiting for him. Behind him was some kind of grasshopper, struggling to keep up. There were two fundamental differences with a conventional locust that identified it as a monster. Firstly, its three pairs of legs were metallic and looked sharp. Secondly, the horror was about ten centimeters tall. Which didn't seem like much for an opponent. Unfortunately, a locust was never alone.
One of the ten Plagues of Egypt was the Locusts. Capable of devouring everything in their path, these creatures were a harbinger of death. Indeed, their swarm could exceed a billion individuals. This one was alone for the moment, but his mutation gave him a unique Talent.
[Identification]
[Blade Hydra Locust - Tribulation touched] - A Tribulation-transformed insect. Has the annoying property of creating two clones after death. Each death makes its clones more powerful than the original.
Among the ten plagues of Egypt, this is one of few that really existed.
No sooner had Priam finished reading the insect's description than a drop of water fell on it. It passed efficiently through the thorax, and the locust fell before disappearing into the grass.
POT -2
A second later, Priam had advanced forty meters. The grass moved briefly, and two grasshoppers leaped in his direction. Priam understood instantly what was about to happen.
The mathematical law governing the reproduction of these creatures doubled their numbers with each death. Of course, as they became more and more powerful, a drop of water would no longer be enough to kill them. But by then, millions, if not billions, would be after him. Ants had almost eaten Priam, and the experience still didn't interest him.
Using [Kinetic Control] to move away as quickly as possible, Priam leaped forward a hundred meters. A thought crossed his mind. Perhaps if he could outrun the locusts, the Tears of Damocles would no longer kill them.
POT -2
Over the next five minutes, he accelerated faster and faster, dodging the lethal drops. One of them struck Promesse and exploded into tiny droplets. The clash between spear and drop produced a sound similar to the clash of two swords. Priam applied himself to running even faster. His body could now withstand enormous effort, and Priam was soon approaching two hundred kilometers per hour. He wanted to conserve as much kinetic energy as possible for the last two Tribulations.
Deciding to test his hypothesis, Priam turned, and his face darkened. The rain cloud was stretching out. Apparently, he would have to fight off a stupid number of locusts... The only solution was to keep his lead for twenty-four hours.
Suddenly, Priam dodged to his left. The rain began to fall harder and harder. The drops multiplied and avoiding them became complicated. Reaching the top of a hill, Priam jumped. His leap took him some fifty meters, and the young Noble burst out laughing. Death was running behind him, but he was staying ahead.
Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 20
AGI +1
[Athletics] has reached level 20, its maximum level as a common skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available.
[Super Athletics - Rare] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5
[Moon Jump - Rare] - You've jumped on the moon. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10
[Iron Marathon - Rare] - You ran over two hundred and forty kilometers without stopping. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 10
Priam winced. No improvement was satisfactory. Yet behind him, the locusts were accelerating. Sighing, Priam chose the solution best suited to his current situation.
You have selected the skill [Iron Marathon - Rare].
POT -10
[Iron Marathon] - You run without stopping. Over hill and dale, you use your body as a means of transport.
Keep running, and you'll catch the wind.
Seriously, keep running. Locusts don't feel tired.
AGI +3
Priam applied the System's advice. His new skill constantly corrected his trajectory, movements, breathing, and how his body managed its energy. No skill was useless.
Suddenly, the plain lit up despite the clouds that were now blacker than the sidereal void. Priam looked up and swore.
"Shiver me timbers!"
Fifty meters above him, a dragon hovered. Priam corrected himself - it was a wyvern. Its appearance was terrifying. The majestic reptile, with two enormous wings, gleamed in the sunlight. No, its scales are golden, Priam corrected himself. Four massive legs ended in claws big enough to grip a buffalo. Its long tail enabled it to make tight trajectory changes.
No one turned their back on such a predator. You had to fight head-on and hope to get the upper hand. Unfortunately, he had to outrun the locusts. The young warrior gritted his teeth as he continued his run.
Some twenty meters across and of European inspiration, the fantastic creature looked at him with contempt. Priam swallowed. The Tribulation was conscious and capable of reflection...
The wyvern dived towards him.
image [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV86ntzoD-HJqDVAP1s444IvMXkepEihhSPuBu0d47WxVUUFRguQ_8nYcMN9aBTM0At6gkJAg08bpBWOOTjFiD2hdRWzDPMxaTJPwXFhhfte2683qZMgu-ZEV_BMGNKexI5K87smBQhRzI3lno1TfgEkn=w1181-h295-s-no?authuser=0]Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 160
Constitution 284
Agility 199 (+4)
Vitality 298
Perception 323
MENTAL:
Vivacity 180
Dexterity 218
Memory 50
Willpower 299 (+4)
Charisma 161
META:
Meta-affinity 163
Meta-focus 107
Meta-endurance 101
Meta-perception 51
Meta-chance 114
Potential: 3645 (-16)
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.
[Tribulation]: A Tribulation is coming.
Time: ???
Delayed.