Chapter 351: Die and Retr…ain - Part 2

Second chapter of the day! Make sure you’ve read chapter 350 before starting this one.

Enjoy!

*

By the time they finished their run, the two Champions had circled the island housing the outpost built by Myuri and her team. Slumped onto the sand, it took Priam nearly thirty seconds to recover from the immense effort. As soon as he could, he dragged his exhausted body into Oasis for a well-earned meal. Blueberry served up his usual double portion, and the young man devoured it.

“What’s this?”

“Forest pigeon symphony, wild berry shards, and sake-sap velouté,” the bear replied with a perfect French accent.

“Well, it’s delicious.”

“I know. Not too tired? I’d hate to exercise as much as you do.”

“It’s obvious you and sports don’t get along,” Priam joked, checking out his furry friend.

“It’s what the lady bears like.”

Priam laughed. “Well, to be honest, I had to use [In the Zone] at first to get into it, but now it’s fine. It’s an intense pace, sure, but the System optimizes my skill experience so much that I feel myself improving in real time. I can almost sense my Potential unfolding with each level-up, while the notifications hit me with a dopamine rush. It’s like Cookie Clicker—an incremental game—but better because it’s real, you know?”

“Not really.”

“It’s addictive,” Rose translated while discreetly grabbing another serving.

“Ah. You like seeing numbers go up?”

Priam smiled as he noticed that his furry friend was starting to use memes. Rose must have been educating him about the internet.

“That too, but mostly, I love feeling my muscles grow stronger, my bones harder, my ligaments more flexible, and my mind sharper. Not you?”

“I love my belly getting bigger. To each their own.”

“You should really create a skill that converts fat into strength for emergencies. Like a ‘Fat Berserker’ mode.”

Blueberry froze, then bared his fangs in a grin. “You know, that’s the smartest thing you’ve said today.”

*

If the morning was about forging his body, the afternoon was dedicated to sharpening his spear skills. The first hour was solitary training—Priam sparring against a virtual opponent generated by his add-on. While his body wielded Promesse, a parallel thought process used [Kinetic Sovereignty] to counterattack, delivering superimposed blows to those of the mental illusion. The exercise was fascinating, allowing Priam to critique himself while practicing his sole legendary offensive skill.

Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 15, 16, 17
STR +3
AGI +3
DEXT +3
Lvl Up: [Kinetic Sovereignty] lvl 2
PERC +9
META (Focus) +9
META (Perception) +9

Despite hours of training and his previous experience, Priam’s ultimate skill had only gained a single level in five days. Far from being discouraged, he accepted that legendary abilities were meant to be hard to improve. According to the Phoenix, each legendary level transformed the user’s experience and understanding into an affinity for a Concept or a Supremacy. For most, this was an insurmountable barrier—a gatekeeping difficulty that only immense talent, terrifying natural affinity, invaluable epiphanies, or unrelenting effort could overcome. The Juggernaut had all of the above.

He also understood that progress couldn’t be linear; otherwise, a genius like Rohan would have fully explored Tier 0 long ago.

Once shadowboxing was over, Priam joined the hoplites to refine his combat skills. Duels followed one another, and his rare victories stemmed more from his sheer attributes than from polished technique. No one held it against him. They all understood reality’s brutal unfairness: their true enemies would rarely be weaker than they were.

Priam therefore leveraged his overwhelming strength against his opponents, forcing them to retreat and tire faster. At the same time, his inferior technique resulted in numerous cuts—shallow wounds that his formidable constitution mitigated and his vitality mended in moments.

And so, by raising his spear against superior technique, Priam advanced. And he kept advancing.

Lvl Up: [Hoplite Parry] lvl 11,..., 16
STR +18
Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 23,..., 27
STR +15
Lvl Up: [Spear Grappling] lvl 17,..., 20
STR +12
Lvl Up: [High-frequency Barrage] lvl 13, 14, 15
AGI +9
Lvl Up: [Tribulation Piercing Spear] lvl 25, 26
STR +2
AGI +2
DEXT +2
Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 34, 35
AGI +4
DEXT +2
Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 33, 34, 35
AGI +6
DEXT +3
Lvl Up: [In the Zone] lvl 3, 4
PERC +6
VIVA +6
DEXT +6
Lvl Up: [Ideal Dark Vision] lvl 12, 13
PERC +6
Lvl Up: [Echolocation] lvl 22
PERC +2
DEXT +1

[Unrelenting Thrust] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, two upgrades are available:

[Unending Thrust - Epic] - You have performed the same motion a million times. Your body no longer requires conscious command to execute it. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

[Suffocating Thrust - Epic] - Choke them with relentless, rapid-fire attacks. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

POT -160

You have chosen [Suffocating Thrust - Epic].

[Suffocating Thrust] – By observing your opponent’s breathing, you have learned how the pressure of battle disrupts their rhythm. As the light fades from their eyes, you press your advantage, denying them precious air.
This skill allows you to merge your understanding of the Breath Concept with your martial abilities to suffocate your foe.
Despite its name, this technique is less effective than a silent fart at asphyxiating an enemy.
STR +6
AGI +3

[Hoplite Warpath] played a crucial role in Priam’s rapid progression, sharpening his aptitude for violence while his enhanced mental attributes allowed him to learn quickly and retain knowledge effectively. Coupled with his add-on, which analyzed his every mistake, and his relentless discipline, Priam was rapidly solidifying his foundations. While he could not yet rival Kazuki, he was not without talent and felt more and more at home in the dueling circle.

His spear skills weren’t the only ones leveling up. Every fight was different, and to ensure well-rounded growth, Kazuki imposed restrictions before each duel.

“No using the blade.”

“No cutting.”

“No thrusting.”

“No moving one’s right foot.”

“No opening eyes.”

“No enabling one’s Domain…”

Behind every victory or defeat lay a fragment of truth, revealed in the blood of the combatants.

Jasmine was honing an uncanny sixth sense, Kazuki was deepening his Concept, and Priam was perfecting his complementary skills—on top of researching their Weapon Mastery.

After supper, the hoplite gathered his rivals for a no-holds-barred fight—except for one rule: only weapon skills allowed. With no weakling present, it was a chance for the Champions to strike without holding back, even at the risk of serious injury.

“Before we start, I wish to test a new Merit,” Kazuki announced once they entered Concepts Archipelago. “One tied to my Titan bloodline and called Imperturbable.”

“What’s it do?” Jasmine asked.

“It transmutes every atom in my body into a legendary metal. For ten seconds, my defense becomes inviolable. I seek to verify that claim.”

A flash of fire announced the arrival of the Prince phoenix, who landed on a nearby branch. That alone told Priam he was about to witness an ability from a bloodline on par with his mentor’s.

“Who goes first?”

“Both of you shall engage at once. The cooldown period being a day, we must not waste this chance,” Kazuki declared as his skin took on a divine golden sheen.

“As you wish—”

Jasmine was already moving. In a blur, she vanished from Priam’s sight, and the snap of a breaking dagger told him all he needed to know. He gave her an extra second, during which she broke three more weapons against Kazuki’s shimmering body.

Stepping out from the shadow of a tree, she wore an annoyed pout that made Priam chuckle.

“My turn,” he said, summoning Promesse.

His first [Suffocating Thrust] was bare, a simple probe to test the waters. As expected, it was utterly ineffective. He might as well have struck a block of metal with the strength of a kitten.

Kazuki’s smug grin irked him, so Priam added Spear Mastery to his next strike.

“It would be agreeable to report a ticklish sensation... regrettably, I registered no sensory input.”

Drawing on his aether training, Priam wove a spiraling drill of energy around Promesse’s tip, combined it with Spear Mastery, and thrust. [Tribulation Piercing Spear] struck a spark against Kazuki’s skin, who merely shook his head.

“Well, I believe this to be my victory—”

The dragon within Priam growled, and the Juggernaut narrowed his eyes. Activating his Heroic Aura to probe his friend's weaknesses, his eyes widened when he saw immovable levers. The Titan’s ability transcended the very laws of physics. Right now, he had no weakness. 

That left Priam with two choices: unleash a full-powered Breath, risking havoc on his internal world, or try something new.  He opted for the latter.

Trees of Merit

[The Five Ages of Man - Mythical] - Tier 1: Heracles blesses your arm; once per day, your weapon may pierce any defense up to ten times your own. ACQUIRED

[The Five Ages of Man - Mythical] - Tier 2: Galahad blesses your eyes; once per week, you may see the truth. NEW

9 Unused Merit Points.

*

Jasmine was staring in dismay at the fragments of a dagger, lamenting the loss of a hundred thousand Sun Points when the atmosphere changed. She looked up and gasped.

Priam’s veins pulsed with argent light, his fiery hair billowed wildly, and his misty eyes gleamed with blinding intensity. Pyro’s flames raged within him. Yet what struck Jasmine the most was his perfect stance. As though a mythic warrior had replaced the novice, the Juggernaut now stood in a posture so impeccable it was terrifying.

As Promesse’s tip started to vibrate, the spectral figure of a faceless hero emerged behind Priam.

The pressure was so intense that Kazuki shifted into a defensive stance.

Priam stepped forward, and Jasmine’s honed instincts screamed at her.

The Juggernaut thrust, and the Warrior received.

Ultimate attack against ultimate defense—the clash shook the world.

*

Status: 

PHYSICAL:
Strength 938 (+67)
Constitution 1 744
Agility 1 380 (+52)
Vitality 1 791
Perception 922 (+28) 

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 642 (+8)
Dexterity 816 (+17)
Memory 1 033
Willpower 1 250
Charisma 912 

META:
Meta-affinity (O) 1 169
Meta-focus 722 (+10)
Meta-endurance 1 216
Meta-perception 681 (+14)
Meta-chance 1 020
Meta-authority 627 

Potential: 34 304 (-85)

Sun points: 699 419 (+3 492)

[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 21 days 8 hours 52 minutes 40 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 6 attributes > 1 200 / 3 attributes > 1 500  / 1 attribute > 1 800