Chapter 326: A Greedy Juggernaut (Part 1 + part 2)

As promised, here’s today’s chapter! It’s huge and will be split into two for Royal Road. I’m counting this as a double release to give myself time to focus on the next one, which promises to be... fiery.
Enjoy!

PS: Priam Character Sheet (you can thanks the Discord guys!)

*

Colonel Wang Lin’s office was larger than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. On either side of a crimson carpet that stretched far in the distance, statues stood frozen in lifelike poses.

Priam noticed that most of them wore expressions of terror.

A hundred meters ahead, he finally reached the mahogany—or some similarly luxurious alien wood—desk of the Sector leader of the Mercenaries.

If one ignored the flaming wings, metallic skin, towering physique, eyes with golden rings dancing within, and the fluorescent channels tracing his skin, the man looked almost normal. I wonder how much of that is natural and how much was shaped by his choices...

“Priam Azura,” the colonel greeted, looking up from a sheet of ice. “It says here you’re curious.”

Priam eyed the solid water tablet, resisting the temptation to analyze it with [Identification].

Wang Lin smirked. “Oly was right, then.” He held out the object, which revealed nothing more than a series of carvings trapped in the ice. “This is how my mother’s people store information. Everything we know about you is here.”

Priam opened his mouth for a remark but thought better of it. He was standing before a Tier 5, a being akin to a minor god. According to the stories whispered around campfires, Wang Lin was possibly the most powerful Tier 5 in Sector Hope; a monster so formidable even phoenixes had abandoned their assassination attempts.

That was the kind of status Priam wanted.

“Respectful of power but neither servile nor fearful,” Wang Lin observed, placing the ice tablet back on his desk. “Two days to unlock the two supreme skills, a Legendary rating in a Perilous Tutorial without any grooming from your civilization, six days to awaken a Concept, and an ease with aether that exceeds anything your magical instructor has ever seen. I’m almost tempted to ask why the System didn’t drop you directly at the Mage Citadel. Any theories?”

Priam had never heard of the Citadel, but he had an idea. “Because not only do I want to chase the mysteries of aether, I also wish to explore this world.”

Wang Lin smiled. “Then you’re in the right place. I hope one day you’ll join us.”

Priam raised an eyebrow at the use of the future tense. “You’re sending me away?”

He had just been elected captain of the human branch of the Mercenaries. While the other candidates were still being evaluated, Priam had assumed his acceptance into the Guild was set.

The colonel grimaced. “I’m not dismissing you, but the Mercenaries’ oath must be sworn with full awareness, and... you’re not in that state right now.”

Lvl Up: [Nightmare Resistance] lvl 4
WILL +1
MEM +1
CHAR +1

Priam’s eyes shifted to a misty aspect as his posture grew more assured.

“You know.”

“The Dream evolution of your Meta Affinity was a giveaway.”

Priam nearly laughed aloud, realizing the leader had known everything from day one. His entire Mercenary experience had been a test. But for what purpose?

“If you could elaborate, I’d be grateful,” Priam said, steadying himself as the world trembled faintly. The Tribulations were displeased with his intrusion.

“I see you haven’t lost your curiosity. A question for a question?”

“A response for a response.”

“Good. According to the records I’ve accessed, the Dream specialization under Meta Affinity has only been observed during Nightmare Tribulations,” Wang Lin revealed. “Our researchers theorize this evolution strengthens the connection between your subconscious and aether, qualitatively enhancing your innate gift for this primordial energy.”

The answer confirmed one of Priam’s theories. While not a universal talent like Esmée, he had an extraordinary gift for aether manipulation. Yet this gift alone wasn’t enough to astonish the Mercenaries’ instructor—a specter who had trained the crème de la crème of countless civilizations over centuries. If the reward from his Perilous Tutorial allowed him to simulate a once-in-a-million-years aptitude for magic... My mentor was right—Tribulations are an opportunity for the audacious.

“Using the subconscious to learn,” Priam mused, forcing himself to ignore the reality flowing around him like wet paint. A dream wasn’t meant to be traversed by an awakened mind. “It reminds me of the true dragons’ ability to train their Concepts while dreaming.”

“Same basic idea, but dragons can sleep and stay awake simultaneously thanks to their multiple trains of thought. Consequently, they are always making the most of this Talent. Fucking supreme bloodlines,” Wang Lin growled. Even for a half-phoenix, half-titan like him, the synergy of draconic traits felt unfair. “I see that glint in your eye, but let me disappoint you: the real self can’t coexist with the dream self. This evolution will vanish when you wake.”

Priam almost grinned thinking about all the elements within his body that weren’t supposed to coexist. [Chimera] was designed to change that, and the Talent was nearing its next evolution. If that wasn’t enough, there was always the Seraphic Token. Plus, his draconic bloodline had granted Priam two parallel thoughts. If he could put one to sleep while keeping the other awake, then maybe...

“I don’t think it’s a lost cause.”

The colonel shrugged. “You think you can steal something from a Tribulation before the rewards? Good luck, they’re as greedy as dragons.”

Priam smirked. “Good thing I can be very persuasive.”

Wang Lin leaned forward, intrigued. “If you pull it off, the Guild would pay handsomely for the method.” Seeing Priam stay silent, the colonel sighed. “My turn: who are you? You don’t seem to fear me, yet I can’t sense your Story. You’re no mid-Tier.”

“I’m Tier 0.”

The colonel blinked, then burst into laughter. “And you’re not afraid that, disappointed to be just a shadow in a dream, I might snuff out your soul like a candle flame? If you die here, you won’t wake up.”

Despite Wang Lin’s relaxed demeanor, the words carried the intimidating weight of a Tier 5’s authority. The question silenced the war between Priam’s Hecate's New Moon and [Free Will], both ready to fight a futile battle. In the real world, his add-on took advantage of the truce to regenerate its host’s body.

“My curiosity outweighs my fear,” Priam replied as reality cracked around him, the Tribulations unable to tolerate his transgression. “And my instincts tell me you won’t strike down one of your own. I have sworn no oath, but these past days matter, dream or not.”

“You’ve got the heart of a Mercenary,” the colonel declared. “I’ll help you.”

*

“The evolution of your Meta Affinity is intriguing. I’ll train you until the start of your Reunion,” Wang Lin announced as Priam stirred awake.

Priam’s hazel eyes widened. “Personally?!”

“Personally. Moreover, as we only have twelve hours left, we’ll use a time-dilation chamber.”

Priam immediately thought of Dragon Ball, where Goku trained for a year while only a day passed on Earth. “Good magic. What’s the ratio?”

“Fifteen days to an hour.”

Priam whistled. “How long will I stay?”

“Fifteen days. I’d prefer longer, but... let’s just say some things are out of my control. Anyway, you’ll spend half your time with me and the other half with our casino manager, Lasha.”

Priam nodded. The leader of a galactic faction probably had better things to do than babysit a Tier 0.

“Hi!”

Priam jumped at the voice near his ear, spinning around to find an elf with mischievous eyes stepping out of his personal space. His gaze slid from her flawless face to her fluorescent cyan hair, which floated as if gravity were a suggestion.

“Good evening,” Priam said politely, ignoring her prank. One didn’t argue with a Tier 5 capable of razing a planet’s surface to sever a minor god from their Faith. Rumor had it that after killing her target, Lasha had infused the souls of the faithful into the chips of her casino to prevent any fraud.

“Any objections?” asked Wang Lin.

Priam recognized an opportunity to change his fate and seized it.

“None.”

*

A flame floated in the air, less than a meter from Priam. If it hadn’t been his creation, the former science student might have been horrified by the way it blatantly defied at least one law of classical physics.

At first glance, the fire was bizarre: it radiated heat but produced no smoke. In a way, that was to be expected from a flame fueled solely by aether. According to Wang Lin, this primordial energy was the fundamental building block of Creation, capable of substituting for anything. While Priam knew the boundary between matter and energy was thinner than most believed, he had been skeptical that such a universal fluid could fuel a chemical reaction by replacing atoms entirely. Reality had proven him wrong. The aether pulsing through his heart reacted with the surrounding air to ignite a flame before his eyes.

“If aether can serve as fuel,” Priam wondered aloud, “could it also act as an oxidizer?”

“If you’re planning to light a fire in space or underwater, the rune you’re using won’t cut it,” a voice answered from behind him. “You’ll need to assist it with your Fire Concept, one of its cousins, or a fire-affinity bloodline to color your aether. The simplest solution would be to attach a secondary rune to generate the oxidizer. Alternatively, a three-dimensional rune could handle it all at once, but that’d be overkill for your purposes.” The voice paused, giving Priam time to process before continuing. “What do you feel when you look at that magical fire?”

Priam blinked, letting the flickering flames sear their image into his mind. Each spark escaping the plasma was extinguished by the ambient air, snuffed out before it could reach the ground. A stray thought crossed the mage’s mind: the fate of fire was tragic. It gives all its warmth and light to the world, only to burn itself out. Alternately seen as a savior and a destroyer, fire led a passionate life—brief but free.

The revelation resonated deeply, nudging a door in his soul that he had partially shut when he chose his father during the Tutorial’s ordeal. For while fire might die easily, a single ember was enough for it to be reborn elsewhere.

As Priam reached toward the flame, a sharp tap on his hand snapped him out of his reverie.

“The problem with geniuses like us is that we tend to burn our wings. Don’t do your enemies’ job for them.”

“Yes, Colonel,” Priam replied, bowing to a veritable giant. A half-titan, he corrected himself.

“You’re fixated on the flame because you’re approaching the second stage of Concept mastery: Harmony,” Wang Lin continued, his tone instructional. “Don’t let it control you. Otherwise, you won’t survive Unity. Normally, I’d let you learn that lesson the hard way… but not this time. Can you tell me why?”

“Because that’s not how I learn best, and a good teacher adapts to their students.”

Wang Lin smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eye. “Nice try, but I’ve been immune to basic manipulation since your civilization was chiseling cuneiform. You’ll need to do better than that.”

“I had to try,” Priam smiled before answering the question. “Even though the flames are my creation, they can still hurt me.”

“Exactly,” Wang Lin said with a nod. “You could bathe in them if you actively controlled them, but as they are now, your natural defenses won’t oppose them. This fire would scorch your meridians like kindling. With your first Reunion so close, I’d rather not add to your regenerative debt.”

Priam grimaced inwardly. His rapid acquisition of three Tortures—as Wang Lin called the Titles—had left his body and aether pathways significantly fatigued.

“Now that you know how to light a fire, let’s learn how to extinguish it,” Wang Lin said, conjuring three glowing runes above his palm, “These represent Heat, Asphyxia, and Sleep.”

*

In the mornings, Priam learned to master his Fire Concept methodically and structurally with the colonel. Afternoons, however, belonged to Lasha, who took a more unorthodox approach to his magical education.

“Keep the flame alive,” she instructed, her tone light but firm. “Forget your Fire Concept. Your first goal is to push the rune as far from you as possible.”

Priam regarded the flame he had been feeding all day. Guiding aether through his energy pathways to the surface of his skin, Priam dissipated the energy into the air, forming a kind of cloud around him. Through this mist, he maintained a connection with the rune floating before him.

Using [Aether Manipulation], Priam moved the rune to the edge of his cloud, two meters away. It was by no metric an impressive distance and the mage grimaced as he realized the exercise's purpose. Expanding his aether cloud to push further would drain his reserves in no time. Priam needed a more efficient solution.

His mind flicked to his science education then to Earth’s data transmission systems. While most signals traveled wirelessly, high-volume data relied on physical cables.

Palm up, Priam formed a thin strand of aether and tethered it to the rune. The connection was good so he reabsorbed the surrounding aether mist, recycling his energy. 

The rune continued to produce flame, but soon, the delicate thread of aether began to strain under the flow. Without hesitation, Priam created additional strands, and to prevent them from interfering with one another, wove them into a sturdy cord. With his connection stabilized, he extended the rope until the flame’s heat no longer reached him. A final effort set his record at twelve meters.

“Either you’re very ingenious,” Lasha remarked with a smirk, “or your civilization is more advanced than I thought. An aether cable—with a sleeve to block interference—is a smart way to transmit energy. Of course, Domain is the ultimate method, but your authority sphere will always be smaller than your cables are long. Now, make another.”

Priam nodded and complied. A twin flame soon joined the first, lazily hovering a meter off the ground. A sensation somewhere between fatigue and hunger made the mage growl. Despite the fourth Merit of [Apprentice Aetherist], which reduced the cost of his runes, his aether reserves were nearly empty.

“Running low on juice, huh? When your aether reserves hit zero, your heart will start absorbing aether from your cells to survive. Besides falling into a coma, there’s a good chance some of your skills will level down. Until you have a Domain advanced enough to absorb ambient aether and a soul capable of filtering it, you only have one way to quickly restore your resources.” Lasha held up what looked like a lollipop. “Spend money!”

Priam grabbed the candy. “Sweet Mama bonbon,” he read.

“A delight capable of regenerating your aether in seconds. Its creator is a Tier 7, one of the Sector’s big shots. These little marvels are expensive, so consider yourself lucky the Colonel likes you enough to share from his private stash.”

Priam felt a mix of gratitude and unease. He didn’t want to be overly indebted to his new Guild or its leader.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lasha said, popping her own candy into her mouth with childlike glee. “But if you refuse, I won’t get to eat mine either. So here’s the deal: you eat it, or I jam it down your throat.”

Turning away to hide a smile, Priam unwrapped the candy and tasted it. A symphony of flavors exploded on his palate. This dish was worthy of more than three Michelin stars.

Major changes in constitution detected - Due to sudden increase in the aether concentration of your body, it has begun to adapt to the primordial energy.

You've earned a talent - [Touched by aether]
[Touched by aether] - Your body has begun to adapt to the aether. This primordial fluid will change you.
Adaptation time: 36 months.

The cool, minty flavor flooded Priam’s senses as his energy surged back. Immersing himself back into the exercise, Priam stabilized his two flames within minutes, a smile on his face. Manipulating them felt so natural it was almost a game. He didn’t hesitate long before increasing the exercise’s difficulty to challenge himself. 

Flexing [Aether Manipulation], the mage began altering the flames’ intensity and guiding them through intricate movements. Before long, one flame circled the other... and stopped as the cables fueling them became tangled.

Frowning, Priam analyzed the problem. His aether threads were tangible to each other. A glance around the room confirmed it was filled with Lasha’s and Wang Lin’s energy. Yet their aethers didn’t collide. There had to be a way.

For the next five minutes, Priam pushed his understanding of aether to its limits, probing its nature and attempting to alter its properties. His scientific background served him well, and through trial and error, he finally stumbled upon a solution. Just as a radio tunes into different frequencies, Priam adjusted what he perceived as the “frequency” of one of his aether strands. Instantly, it phased through the second. The two cables now coexisted in the same space without colliding, like two neighboring Wi-Fi signals.

With the issue resolved, the second flame began orbiting the first, and a surge of dopamine brought a grin to Priam’s face. He was proud like a child who had just solved a difficult riddle. 

A soft round of applause broke his concentration. Turning, Priam saw Lasha leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“Impressive… Was that a stroke of luck, or do you actually understand what you’ve done?”

Priam answered honestly. “I adjusted what I think is the frequency of my aether.”

Lasha studied him in silence for a moment before responding. “I hit Tier 2 when I was twenty-five. When word got out, a divine faction tried to kidnap me, thinking my children would inherit my talent. Be careful, Priam—the stars that shine the brightest tend to burn out the fastest.”

Priam smirked. “Maybe. But some stars collapse into black holes, and the universe just has to deal with it.” Lasha burst into laughter. “By the way, which faction was it? Might be good to avoid them.”

The elf’s laughter faded into a thin smile. “Don’t worry, they disappeared along with their god.”

*

[Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 16, 17, 18, 19
META (Affinity) +12
META (Focus) +12
META (Endurance) +12]

Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 39
META (Perception) +1
META (Affinity) +1
META (Focus) +1

“Aether Manipulation, level thirty-nine!” Priam exclaimed, practically trembling with joy. 

“In just fifteen days! That’s gotta be a record,” Lasha grinned.

“Fifteen days…” Priam sank into a chair, mentally drained. He hadn’t eaten, slept, or even taken a bathroom break in two weeks, thanks to pills and elixirs. His progress was phenomenal, but the monotony of relentless training, the purging of his body and mind and the focus-enhancing drugs were beginning to wear on him. Not even Lasha’s jokes or Wang Lin’s strict regimen could keep his mind completely on task.

“Training’s over,” Wang Lin announced, stepping into the room with his usual composed demeanor. “Your Reunion begins in twelve hours.”

Priam nodded wearily. “Can I sleep here to save time? That way, I can visit the library before—”

“Nope!” Lasha cut him off with a grin. “Cramming the night before never works as well as resting.”

“But what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to party like all of this is just a dream!” Lasha winked.

Unceremoniously kicked out of the training room, Priam found himself wandering the Guild's hallways. Thanks to his near-perfect memory—and directions from drunken mercenaries—he made his way back to the human dormitories. His father was already asleep, but the other recruits were gathered around a fire, chatting and laughing to stave off the pre-Reunion jitters.

“Looking good, handsome,” Victoire teased as Priam approached.

“Cool it, lovebirds! Some of us are still single and suffering here!” Maya shouted, drawing a round of laughter.

Grinning, Priam joined them, recounting his recent encounter with the Guild leader. He skillfully dodged hard questions until one of the recruits froze mid-conversation.

“Wait, you know the casino manager?!”

“If you’re talking about an elf with floating hair, then yeah.”

“Could you put in a good word for me?” Luc asked, blushing faintly.

Priam smirked. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Lasha just left for a nightclub, and she looked like she planned to have some fun. Want my advice? Go for it.”

Luc took a deep breath, stood up, and declared, “You only live once, right?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I’m gonna confess to a Tier 5. Who’s with me?!"

The group erupted into cheers. 

“I bet my woolly socks he’ll get turned down!”

“You call those socks? I call them a biological weapon!”

“I’m not missing this!” someone shouted, and soon the entire crew was on their feet, following Luc out the door. On the eve of the Reunion, everyone needed to unwind. 

Five minutes later, Priam and Victoire were alone in the garden.

“You don’t want to go out and have some fun?”

“I want to be with you.”

Priam leaned in for a kiss.

“Shall we go see my new apartment?”

“Lead the way,” Victoire replied with a soft smile.

Priam’s new captain’s quarters were located right next to the dormitories, behind a door that hadn’t existed the day before. As he approached, the entrance unlocked automatically, revealing an apartment spacious enough for two. Before he could explore, Victoire stepped closer, her fingers brushing his chin.

“Care to explain how you managed to grow a beard in two hours?”

Priam winked. “I just spent fifteen days in our leader’s chamber.”

Victoire arched an eyebrow, and Priam realized his mistake.

“Not like that! I mean, I spent fifteen days in a time dilation chamber to train. Time dilation being the key part here.”

The woman’s expression shifted from amusement to comprehension, then to astonishment.

“What?! Spill everything!”

Laughing, Priam obliged. Using the kitchen, he made wraps for both of them as he recounted his experience. They talked late into the night, Victoire’s questions peppering the conversation until their food was gone.

“I’m proud of you, love,” Victoire said softly. “But fifteen days without unwinding can’t be good for you. Let’s get some rest.”

“The effects of my no-sleep pills haven’t worn off yet,” Priam reminded her.

Victoire flopped onto the bed. “Who said anything about sleeping?”

That night, Priam discovered one of the many perks of high vitality.

*

Lvl Up : [Nightmare Resistance] lvl 5
WILL +1
MEM +1
CHAR +1

[Chimera - Legendary] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected.
Use 5 070 POT to trigger evolution?

Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 16, 17
VIT +6
Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 24,..., 30
META (Focus) +21
META (Endurance) +42
Lvl Up: [Spirit Resistance] lvl 26, 27, 28
WILL +9

The add-on ignored the alarming notifications, monitoring its host’s condition. As a Homo Elysian, Priam’s body and soul were intertwined—for better or worse. Right now, a merciless battle was raging between his mutation and his newly formed gate, tearing apart his right eye. Even as lifespan was spent to regenerate the organ, the injury had infected his soul. Ironically, the negation effect of Hecate's New Moon was weakening the body-soul link, buying him some time. 

The release of Pyro had only made things worse. The Concept raged like a wildfire, threatening to drag Priam’s consciousness into an inferno of destruction and fury. His Tribulations protected his ego by imprisoning it, but they wouldn’t last much longer.

Meanwhile, Pyro had taken the form of its creator—a blazing sun. As expected, keeping a star in his soul space was a terrible idea. The celestial body scorched his soul and body simply by its mere presence.

Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 25, 26, 27, 28
VIT +12
CONST +12
META (Endurance) +12

Despite the critical situation, the add-on didn’t trigger any emergency plan.

[Parameters measured: consistent with simulation. No major deviation detected.]

The Juggernaut had anticipated this development, as well as his eye mutation’s reaction to Pyro’s release. Recognizing a nemesis, Hecate's New Moon struck at the sun. This shift in focus alleviated the pressure on [Free Will], partially freeing the resistance. Sensing the opportunity, the add-on continued the gate tempering.

Lvl Up: [Free Will] lvl 25, 26, 27, 28
WILL +24
CHAR +12

By its nature, [Free Will] also fought back against Pyro’s onslaught, creating a three-way conflict. Soon, a triangle of flames, gold, and darkness appeared in Priam’s right eye. A Concept, a gate, and a mutation waged an unyielding war for control over his soul. At the edges of the battlefield, the add-on kept watch, intervening when necessary to maintain the status quo.

Amid the violence, the Juggernaut adapted, and [Chimera] evolved.