CCTnovel Chapter 284: Putting One’s Affairs in Order
Chapter 284: Putting One’s Affairs in Order
Chapter 284: Putting One’s Affairs in Order
Kazuki was welcomed as a hero. His subordinates knelt in solemn respect, honoring their Champion. However, before the atmosphere grew too heavy, they broke rank, rushing toward their leader. Within seconds, Kazuki was hoisted into the air like a rock star, smiling as cheers echoed around him.
The sight struck Priam as odd until it clicked: the hoplites revered their general as much as they loved him. A mix of respect and joy, the duality of the ceremony was refreshing to witness.
That wasn’t the only thing worth noting. Priam’s draconic instincts stirred, refusing to fully calm whenever Kazuki was around. There was only one reason his bloodline would keep him on edge: the Tribulations and their rewards had vaulted Kazuki back into the ranks of the most dangerous rivals. If he managed to master his new Concept...
Priam’s heart raced at the thought of sparring with his friend.
The next few hours flew by. Following their leader's example, the hoplite soldiers triggered their Tribulations in turns. Priam tended to forget this, but these warriors were the best among billions. Trained by Kazuki, hardened by the Necromoon hordes, equipped by the Sun Shop, and armed with knowledge of what awaited them, they passed their trials with flying colors.
Only Hyshana chose to wait. The general wanted to bide her time to attempt a quadruple Tribulation.
“My talent may not match yours or your rivals', but even the hardest exam becomes manageable when you know the questions in advance. Thanks to you, that’s exactly my position,” she said, nodding at Priam.
“There’s truth in that, but it’s still a risk. Think hard before you make that leap,” Priam advised.
“Without me, my wife would be the heroine of this generation,” Kazuki chimed in, beaming with pride. “I have absolute faith in her.”
There wasn’t much else to say. Leaving the craftsmen to continue building the Valaryth outpost under Myuri’s supervision, the rivals returned to Elysium. As they traveled, Priam noted a few differences from the erased timeline.
The second Terror hadn’t shown up, possibly because they had shifted the timing of the Tribulations... or maybe due to the lack of blood in the ocean. Priam could only hope Titus hadn’t crossed its path this time. He had considered going after him but stopped himself: he wasn’t ready to face the Terror.
Another difference was Esmée’s absence. In the other timeline, she had returned to observe the Tribulations. She must have figured out that Priam had used Back in Time and adjusted her plans accordingly. Since her presence wasn’t urgent, Priam decided it was time to visit the Oasis merchant.
“Merchant Ymir.”
“Lord Priam.” The half-elf bowed. “Judging by the hoplites’ high spirits, I assume your endeavor was a success.”
“They made good use of the intel I gave them to pass their Tribulations,” Priam confirmed, then furrowed his brow. “Now that I think about it, I never offered to help with yours, did I?”
His relationship with Ymir was more professional than the ones he shared with Louis or Myuri, but the merchant had been one of the first members of Oasis. Priam hoped they could maintain a good rapport.
“It’s nothing. We merchants advance by purchasing our upgrades from the System. What costs you Potential, I pay for in cold hard cash or Sun Points. Buying and selling is literally how we progress.”
“Oh.” What was likely obvious to the natives of this universe was news to Priam. Talking further, he learned that Ymir didn’t face Tribulations like Priam. Instead, he had goals to achieve: move large volumes of goods, trade rare items, gather crucial intel, or broker contracts with heroes. The missions were varied and tailored to each merchant.
Despite the lack of deadly trials, the profession was challenging due to High Tribulations. The System couldn’t help merchants master Supremacies, and purchasing affinities for commerce-based Concepts was expensive. Outrageously expensive.
“Hence why so few merchants Tier up. My kind is naturally cautious, and there comes a point when upgrades are so costly only heirs of massive companies can afford them. This concentrates rare items in major cities and capitals.”
Priam thought of Ève and his two remaining rivals making their way to the heart of the Knaya Empire. Was he making a mistake staying in his secluded corner? I’ll have to travel eventually, but for now, the Sun Shop offsets the need for access to civilization.
“What kind of power does a wealthy merchant wield?”
Ymir’s smile turned sharp. “Depending on his expertise, they might connect unique artisans or track down hundreds of needles in one haystack. Some focus on gathering intelligence, but the Grand Guardian of Secrets has a near-monopoly on that market,” he said, gesturing to the Menhir of Secrets standing at the Forum’s center.
“What should I fear from a shady merchant?”
“If your willpower or charisma are too low, they could persuade you to buy any trinket at a hundred times its value, trick you into signing predatory contracts, or get you to spill more than you intended.”
Priam could already imagine the power some crime lords held in a universe where breaking magical contracts could be... final.
“Aren’t they afraid of getting robbed?”
Ymir grinned. “Most of us choose a protector with a bright fate to defend us.”
Looking at the Oasis merchant, Priam realized their relationship would likely become more symbiotic. If he needed rare metals for Promesse, Ymir would find them. In return, Priam would have to protect Ymir so he could do his job in peace. Like a feudal lord and his vassal...
“I’m more than just your protector—I’m a resourceful man,” Priam said with a smile, opening a portal to Concepts Archipelago. “In the erased timeline, I was able to duplicate all your items.”
Ymir’s smile widened. The two then began unloading the goods into the merchant’s shop until they reached the plants.
“My payment for the duplication,” Priam explained, keeping the samples in his internal world.
“Naturally. I assume I took a deposit? Allow me to refund you.”
Priam left the merchant with an extra one million four hundred thousand Sun Points in his pocket. Grinning, he made his way toward Log-a-Rhythm. Before focusing on his training, there was one last thing to do: feed his tree with the plant samples from Ymir.
Log-a-rhythm
Status
Current POT: 1 810
Passive gain: 100 (+250) (+40) POT/day.
(+250 POT/day: bonus - Guardian of the Forest V)
(+40 POT/day: bonus - Natural Growth IV)
Measurements
Height of the tree crown: 25 meters
Depth reached by the roots: 20 meters
Interior Area: 68 m2 (57 m2 +20%) (Ceiling Height: 3 meters)
Features
Abundance - Life III
Abundance - Aether II
Protection IV
Tribulation Resistance II
Secret Passage I
"It is, but it’s also an opportunity for it."
By the time Priam left the platform, Lamnas was already grafting cherry branches onto Log-a-rhythm. Blueberry might soon make magical pies.
After passing along all his notes to the various crafters, Priam retreated to his room. The warm wood of Log-a-rhythm and the soft glow of its sap soothed him as he planned for the future.
Oasis could now run itself. His friends and family were busy with their own projects and had everything they needed to progress. Rose had asked for his help with some experiments, and his father was crafting traps to boost his resistances, but nothing was ready just yet. For the first time in a long while, Priam had time to himself.
"A precious resource to smash through the wall in front of me," he mused.
The looming shadow of the quintuple Tribulation weighed on him, but he had options now. He would optimize his stats, fuse his skills, temper his body, and attempt the Colosseum again. With his add-on, Priam created a schedule to maximize his growth while covering all his bases.
Mornings would be spent sparring with Louis and the hoplites to hone his martial skills. Kazuki had warned him that the gains would be slower than in life-or-death fights, but sparring had the advantage of exposing weaknesses. Plus, the lessons learned from traditional training were invaluable to deepen the fundamentals. His experience with [Unrelenting Thrust] proved that there were ideal prerequisites to unlock this way. I want them all.
While Priam had a gift for gaining ideal resistances, his spear skills didn’t come as easily. He would have to roll up his sleeves and put in the work. If it took swinging his blade a million times to hit the next milestone, he would do it.
Afternoons would be dedicated to aether training. His meridians were now reorganized to accommodate seven gates, but each would require active tempering. To reduce the margin of error, Priam needed to increase his aether proficiency. Traps, puzzles, rune hacking, every vicious exercise from the Phoenix prince... Priam was ready. It would be brutal, but he was already grinning at the challenge.
"Like I’d ever complain about magical training."
He had dreamed too long of this pre-Tutorial to complain now.
It made for packed days, but Priam was ready to go further. He refused to waste a third of his days sleeping. His vitality allowed him to stay awake for extended periods, so he would spend two out of every three nights out, farming Sun Points, applying the day’s lessons, and becoming a phantom. Jasmine had offered to teach him, and Priam accepted. From the phoenix, fighters chose an archetype at high levels—warrior, tank, mage, sniper, assassin...
Priam was too greedy to choose; he wanted it all. The Phoenix prince had said it was impossible... but Priam was the juggernaut. He rejected this concept.
If all went well, it would take only a few days to secure Oasis against Dishnu’s Tribulations. Then...
"It’ll be time for my first tempering."
Smiling, Priam let sleep take him. As his mind drifted off, he wondered which resistance to choose for his first gate.
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 488
Meta-endurance 833
Meta-perception 443
Meta-chance 379
Meta-authority 285
Potential: 17 912
Tier 0
Sun points: 2 489 003 (+1 488 153)
[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 16 hours 12 minutes 40 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