CCTnovel Chapter 282: The Juggernaut Epic
Chapter 282: The Juggernaut Epic
Chapter 282: The Juggernaut Epic
Trees of Merit
[Ace - Legendary] - Tier 2: Talented Candidate: Choose one of your Talents from the list and evolve it.
List: Aether Citizen, Promesse, Chimera, Spectral Familiarity, Hoplite Warpath. ACQUIRED
5 Unused Merit Points.
[Chimera - Silver] - Your body and mind can cope better with the simultaneous presence of opposing elements. Your biological system will adapt to many changes.
The addition of mind was a minor change in the description, but Priam could feel its impact almost immediately.
[Draconic vivacity: You have multiple (two) streams of thought, each powered by 77% of your vivacity. Base: 72% +5% from Chimera]
This was the kind of upgrade that could turn terrifying over time. While Priam was talking with his mentor, one of his parallel thoughts could analyze the situation from a different angle, solve a problem, or even practice manipulating ambient aether to boost his proficiency. A five percent increase in his effective speed of thought was more than welcome.
He was eager to begin his tempering and return to the Moon to finish upgrading [Chimera], but Kazuki's Tribulations would start in a few hours. In the meantime, Priam had decided to use his second reward. At least this one didn't have any prerequisites.
Focused on his Pyro Concept, he was sweating as the flames of a campfire licked the back of his hand. In the center of his palm, a ruby quivered. It was a drop of fossilized blood gifted by the System to purify his phoenix bloodline. The draconic one had been set aside since he only needed to devour his enemies’ hearts to stimulate it.
His mentor had revealed that the two most direct ways to purify his phoenix bloodline were to be reborn through Nirvana or absorb the Legacy Blood of a phoenix. The drop simmering in his palm fell into the latter category.
"Ow!"
Priam glanced over at Jasmine, who had just stuck her hand into the fire.
“I wanted to see if it was actually hot,” she explained. “You’ve had your hand in there for a while, and it still doesn't smell like cooked meat.”
Priam smirked but didn’t bother responding. Between his constitution and his Fire Champion physique, he no longer feared ordinary flames. His friends sometimes forgot just how resilient he was.
Heated by mundane fire, the blood droplet finally liquefied and seeped into his skin. It coursed through his veins, mixing with his own blood. A double beat from his two hearts sent the mythical substance pulsing through his body. A second beat tore a scream of pain from him: his blood was boiling!
Priam’s senses overloaded, and a wave of dizziness sent him toppling into the campfire. His head fell among the burning coals, but instead of pulling away, he sank into them. The heat embraced him, the crackling whispered in his ears, and the scent of ash filled his nostrils. Then, out of nowhere, two figures appeared, etched on an ember. The soul of the Fire Champion and the blood drop of the phoenix that stimulated his bloodline resonated together to recreate a scene.
“Consuming the ashes of our ancestors like a common cannibal... And I thought you had found a revolutionary way to stimulate our bloodline. What a fool I am. You’ve fallen low, Kelt—”
A branch snapped, drowning out the cursed name.
“What was the alternative? Marry my own descendants to prevent our bloodline from diluting further? Our clan is dying, and you know it.”
“That’s for Mother to decide,” retorted the visitor.
“Being an Immortal does not make her decisions any fairer!”
The Prince’s shout ignited a shower of sparks. Laughter answered him.
“Perhaps, but she has the power to enforce them.”
“If you would help me...” The anger had left the voice, replaced by a desperate plea.
“Help you?” A pause. “Even if I wanted to, these ashes are so charged with soul shards that they would poison any phoenix. I’m shocked you’re still alive.”
“I found a way.” A loud crack obscured the Prince’s whispered words as the fire collapsed inward. In the chaos, Priam caught only a single word.
“Depths.”
“Ah!” Priam gasped, breaking the surface. Cold droplets clung to his skin as he inhaled deeply, grateful for a breath. The swim had soothed the fire burning through his veins, and he felt great.
Climbing out of the pool, he quickly dried himself with Pyro and marveled at his new connection with the Concept. Reaching two percent purity in his phoenix bloodline had stimulated his affinity with all flames... including Pyro.
Title upgraded: [Fire Sage - Bronze] becomes [Pyro Sage - Silver]!
[Pyro Sage - Silver] - Your natural affinity for the Pyro Concept (T1) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Pyro is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it.
Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity: the Sage's path leads to the Zenith.
Pyro devours matter and needs no fuel to exist. While it’s not the most powerful flame, it is the most fundamental. From it, all others are possible; it’s up to you to dominate them.
META (Focus) +10% NEW
META (Endurance) +10%
The bonus to his meta focus was a welcome boost to the aether flowing through his meridians, but it was the perfect affinity with Pyro that truly excited Priam. He was now just one step away from reaching Unity with the Concept, and he could already sense the path ahead. All he needed was a spark to light the way.
"Nice tattoos."
A hand touched his back, and Priam allowed Jasmine to trace the invisible lines etched on his skin. Two wings, each with thirty six feathers, were clearly visible to meta perception. All he had to do was infuse them with Pyro, and they would glow in the visible spectrum. With a single thought, he could deploy two tangible flight organs.
Lvl Up: [Phoenix Wings] lvl 16,..., 35
META(Focus) +40
META(Endurance) +20
The phoenix considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “Aces are rare, and you need one to achieve [Ideal Aether Perception]—without that skill, you would never have been able to target the aether of your cells. Your racial Talent is absurdly powerful and helped bind your soul to your body's cells. So one would have to change a phoenix’s race to Homo Elysian to even attempt the experiment. The cost to purify their bloodline again would be astronomical. Not to mention your draconic vivacity—the bloodline would cause stability issues with that of a phoenix, and it’s nearly impossible to purge—and your add-on, a double-edged sword. No, you are and will remain the only one with this skill... and my mother will kill you if she finds out.”
Priam knew he wasn’t the only one in the universe with [Radiation Resistance], but he was clearly part of an elite few.
“Charming lady... Though, I was already planning to avoid her. She’s wanted me dead ever since you gifted me her bloodline, remember?” Priam quipped.
Two flames appeared by the phoenix’s beak, twisting into a cruel smile. “You are mistaken: before, she wanted you dead because of tradition. Now, she wants your head because you have the potential to surpass her.”
Rather than feeling threatened, Priam’s curiosity was piqued.
“Why?”
“Phoenixes are known for their flames, but some are too dangerous to cultivate. Because radiations prevent our resurrection, my mother had to wait until Tier 6 before she could cultivate within a star. It took her a thousand years to accept that she wouldn’t reach Unity with it; a facet of stellar power eludes her. You might succeed where she failed. You might master the Star Concept.”
The phoenix lifted his eyes, and Priam understood that it wasn’t this sky he gazed at, but the one of Elysium. Up there, the king of the phoenixes of this universe had become a sun.
A star...
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 807
Constitution 1 187
Agility 948
Vitality 1 130
Perception 828
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 690
Memory 891
Willpower 987
Charisma 648
META:
Meta-affinity 945
Meta-focus 532 (+88)
Meta-endurance 833 (+29)
Meta-perception 443
Meta-chance 379
Meta-authority 285
Potential: 17 912 (+40)
Tier 0
Sun points: 1 000 850 (+200)
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED
Concepts:
Breath (T0): 100% / DormantFire (T0): 100% / UnityPyro (T1): 100% / SymphonyMist (T1): 100% / Symphony
Bloodlines:
Phoenix: 2%Dragon: <>
Rewards standing:
Fusion Token - Skill (Epic) x2Evolution Token - Skill (Legendary)Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic)
[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 23 hours 7 minutes 7 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens /ANovelConcept